AV 22nd February 2025

Lord Mayor of London in Mumbai P11

-------------------Ramadan Special P04 --------------------

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Fearmongering or policy reform?

No BAFTA for ‘All We Imagine As Light’ P31 BAPS Mandir marks first anniversary in UAE

Singh

Britons have never

recent months Racist attacks are becoming a routine part of daily news, normalising to the point where they are almost expected

A recent example of racially aggravated abuse occurred on a train between London and Sheffield, where a man was

offensive remarks about England s colonial past

M O D I - T R U M P ’ S ‘ M E G A P A R T N E R S H I P ’

Prime Minister Narendra

Subhasini Naicker

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the United States after attending the AI Paris summit, marking his first bilateral trip since President Donald Trump s reelection for a second term in January 2025.

This "official working visit" makes PM Modi the fourth foreign leader to be hosted at the White House since President Trump assumed office The meeting between PM Modi and President Trump, both known for their strong personal bond, highlighted the strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between India and the US

Maha Kumbh to conclude on 26 February 2025 with grand farewell

Anusha

Pujya Brahmvihari Swami felicitates His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance

Editor al credit Sandycinecam Shutterstock

Modi meets the President of USA, Donald Trump at White House

UK and US decline to sign AI pact at Paris AI Summit

Th e United King dom and th e U ni te d S ta tes o f

A merica hav e d eclined to sign a declaration on “inclusiv e and sustainable” artif icial intellig ence at a landm ark summ it in Paris, dealing a setback to efforts fo r a unif ied global approach to A I d ev elopm ent and regulation

T h e c o m m u n i q u e , endorsed by 60 other signa-

t o r i e s i n c l u d i n g Fr a n c e ,

C h i n a , I n d i a , Ja p a n ,

A u s t r a l i a , a n d C a n a d a , emphasised the importance

o f e n s u r i n g A I i s “ o p e n , inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure, and trustworthy, taking into account

i n t e r n a t i o n a l f r a m e w o r k s for all” while also making AI “sustainable for people and the planet ”

A U K g o v e r n m e n t

s p o ke s p e r s o n e

p

e d that while Britain agreed with much of the declarat i o n , i t d

d n o t g o f a r enough in addressing global A I g o v e r n a n c

security “We continue to work closely with international partners, as reflected i n o u r s i g n i n g o f a g r e ements on sustainability and cybersecurity at the Paris AI Action summit However,

High Court blocks Met Police from firing accused officers

M e t r o p o l i t a n Po li ce o ff i ce r s

fa cing alle gat ion s

c a n n ot be d is -

m i s se d i f t he ir v et ting is rev oked, a High Court rul-

i n g h a s d e t e r-

m i n e d , le a v in g fo r ce le a d e r s u n a b le t o r emove t hose d eem ed unf it for d uty

sack

Me t Co m m i s s io n e r Si r

M a r k R o w l e y c o n d e m n e d the decision, warning it puts the force in a “hopeless position ” The Met will appeal after an off icer who denies multiple allegations, including rape successfully challenged the removal of his vetting clearance in court

T h e r u l i n g m e a n s t h e off icer cannot be dismissed and will instead remain on paid leave Sir Mark urged the government to address legal loopholes that hinder efforts to raise policing stan-

d a r d s , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t h e wake of scandals such as the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by ser ving off icer Wayne Couzens

w

lacked practical clarity on global governance and did not suff iciently tackle the complex security challenges posed by AI,” the spokesperson said

The decision not to sign was conf irmed shortly after US Vice President JD Vance took the stage at the Grand Palais, where he criticised Europe’s “excessive regulation” of AI and cautioned against collaboration with China His remarks were delivered in the presence of

Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Asked whether the UK’s decision was influenced by the US, a spokesperson for P r i m e M i n

Ke i r Starmer stated they were

“not aware of the US’s reas o n s o r p o s i t io n ” o n t h e declaration A government s o u r c e d i s m i s s e

tions that Britain was aligning itself with Washington’s stance However, a Labour MP acknowledged the UK’s limited strategic flexibility, noting that if Britain were perceived as too restrictive, major US AI f irms might withdraw engagement with t

U K g o v e r n m e n t ’ s A I Safety Institute, a globally respected research body

The UK’s stance drew c r i t i c i s m f r o m a d v o c a c y groups, who warned that it could damage the countr y ’

Kyle representing Britain at the high-prof ile gathering

Thousands of child

abuse cases reported in Leicestershire

L ei ce st ers h i

” Ju s t i c e L a n g a c k n o w ledged the force now faces an “ a n o m a l o u s s i t u a t i o n ” where off icers cannot lawfully be dismissed by removing their vetting clearance She noted that the process

d e p ri v es of f ic er

f a i r o p p o r t u n i t y t o c h a l l e n g e f indings of gross incompetence Sir Mark urged the g o v e r n m e nt t o s t re n g t h e n p o l i c e v e t t i n g r e g u l a t i o n s , calling the ruling a “ridiculous waste of money ” A total of 29 off icers will remain on paid leave until changes are made

L o n d o n M a y o r S a d i q Khan and victims’ commis-

s i o n e r C l a i r e Wa x m a n w a r n e d o f s e r i o u s c o n s equences “No one who has failed vetting should ser ve in the force,” Khan said, while Waxman called the ruling a “signif icant blow” to public safety

“We now have no mechanism to rid the Met of off icers who were not f it to hold v e t t i n g t h o s e w h o c a n n o t b e t r u s t e d t o w o r k w i t h w o m e n o r enter the homes of vulnerable people,” Rowley said “It

ce rec o rd ed 2 , 1 3 7 c h i ld sexual abuse o ffences bet w ee n A p r il 2 0 23 and March 2024 , an average of more th an f ive per day O

The force emphasised

i n g i l l e g a l c o n t e n t o n l y “where technically feasible ”

including two

ilms aimed at helping parents and chil-

Information (FOI) request by the NSPCC found that Sn a p c h a t

0 % o f i n c i d e n t s Me t ao w n e d s i t e s , i n c l u d i n g I n s t a g r a m a n d Fa c e b o o k , were also frequently exploited I n re s p o n s e , c h i l d re n ’ s c h a r i t i e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e N S P C C a n d B a r n a r d o ’ s , have urged the Government

t o w o r k w i t h O fc o m t o strengthen child safety mea-

s u r e s T h e y c r i t i c i s e d a re c e nt u p d a t e t o O fc o m ’ s I l l e g a l H a r m s C o d e o f

Practice, arguing it allows platforms to avoid stringent p r o t e c t i o n s u n d e r t h e Online Safety Act by remov-

T h e N S P C C w a r n e d that private messaging serv i c e s w i t h e n d - t o - e n d

e n c r y p t i o n , s u c h a s WhatsApp, provide a “safe haven” for offenders CEO C h r i s S h e r w o o d c o nd e m n e d t e c h c o m p a n i e s ’ i n a c t i o n , s t a t i n g t h a t i n 2025, it is “ an outrage” that s u c h c r i m e s c o n t i n u e t o proliferate online He called fo r t o u g h e r g o v e r n m e n t inter vention to hold platforms accountable

A Ho m e O f f i c e s p o ke s p e r s o n r e a f f i r m e d the Government’s commitment to child safety, stressi n g t h a t t e c h c o m p a n i e s m u s t n o t u s e p l a t fo r m design as an excuse to evade r e s p o n s i b i l i t y L e i c e s t e r shire Police assured that specialist off icers remain dedicated to supporting victims a n d w o r k i n g w i t h s a feguarding agencies to combat abuse

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I N B R I E F

NURSERY FEES SET TO RISE BY 10%

A new survey has revealed that most nurseries will be forced to raise their fees by 10% due to increased employer national insurance costs The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) surveyed nearly 730 nurseries in England, finding that staffing costs will rise by an average of 15% in April More than half of this increase is attributed to higher National Insurance Contributions (NICs) As a result, 96% of nurseries plan to raise their fees, while 14% are at risk of closure Purnima Tanuku CBE NDNA’s chief executive, warned that the findings come at a critical time, just months before the Government s major childcare expansion “Nurseries do not want to be in this awful situation where they must either significantly increase fees for parents or face an uncertain future,” she said The rise in fees adds pressure to families already struggling with childcare costs and raises concerns about the sustainability of the Government ’s childcare policy

POST OFFICE RENEWS £40M CONTRACT FOR HORIZON

The Post Office has paid £40m to extend its contract with Fujitsu, allowing the continued use of the controversial Horizon IT system, The i Paper can reveal The Horizon software was at the heart of a major scandal, with over 900 subpostmasters and subpostmistresses wrongfully prosecuted for financial discrepancies caused by faults in the system This has been described as one of the UK’s largest miscarriages of justice Despite this data shows that the Post Office has renewed its agreement with Fujitsu for £40 8m to keep using Horizon Victims of the scandal have expressed anger calling the contract extension a kick in the teeth ” as many postmasters and postmistresses are still awaiting compensation The Post Office had previously stated plans to replace Horizon with new branch technology but would continue using the existing system until the new technology is ready

EARLY RELEASE OF PRISONERS BEGINS TO EASE SCOTLAND’S OVERCROWDED JAILS

The first of up to 390 prisoners are being released early as part of Scotland’s latest effort to tackle prison overcrowding Under emergency legislation passed last year, eligible inmates serving sentences of less than four years can now be freed after completing 40% of their term, instead of 50% The releases will take place in three phases over six weeks, with prisoners convicted of domestic abuse or sexual offences excluded Justice Secretary Angela Constance defended the decision, stating that Scotland s prison population is “too high ” She emphasised that freeing lower-risk offenders ensures space for those who pose the greatest danger while also supporting rehabilitation efforts to reduce reoffending “If we want safer communities we must also have safer prisons ” she told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland Constance acknowledged that some violent offenders would be among those released early but did not specify how many

TRIBUNAL SUPPORTS SCHOOL'S HANDLING OF TEACHER'S BELIEFS

An Anglican school was within its rights to regulate how Christian views were expressed by a teacher in line with its values, a tribunal judge has ruled Ben Dybowski, a Christian with Catholic beliefs, was dismissed after sharing his views on same -sex marriage, abortion, and Sharia law during a training event He also informed the headteacher in a follow-up meeting that he frequently expressed these views on social media Dybowski's claims of harassment and direct discrimination based on his religious beliefs were rejected by an employment tribunal The judge concluded that the school had the right to manage how such beliefs were "manifested" in line with its values The tribunal further ruled that Dybowski’s criticisms of Sharia law were considered an opinion and therefore not a protected belief

CHANGE OF NAME

Our son Master Vivan Prajapati residing at 244 Watford Road, Harrow London U.K., hereby give notice of his intention to Change his name to Master Radhey Prajapati, so relinquished to the intent that he may hereafter be called/known and identified the new name of

Sir Keir Starmer

Sir Mark Rowley

Immigration: Economic needs vs political posturing

In August 2024, immigration and related issues returned to the forefront of public debate for the first time since 2016 This shift was hardly unexpected, given the renewed focus on immigration following a wave of social unrest across the country In late July 2024, the murder of three young girls in Southport, in northern England, was falsely blamed on a

fuelled outbreaks of racist violence nationwide

For years, immigration has been one of the most divisive issues in British politics Successive governments constantly debate over border control, economic impact, and national identity while making it seem like getting rid of the “outsiders” would solve all the problems But the real issue isn’t i

approach to it

On one hand, the government has imposed ever-stricter visa rules, such as raising salary thresholds and limiting dependents for skilled workers On the other, businesses continue to rely on foreign talent, particularly in sectors like healthcare, construction, and social care Despite narratives suggesting that dependents are a financial burden, data shows that many enter the workforce and contribute significantly to the economy What else do the policy makers predict the result of this to be, if not a contradictory policy landscape where economic needs clash with political posturing?

Asian immigrants have played a crucial role in strengthening the UK's economy, business sector, and public services

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that in 2022, Asian or Asian British employees earned, on

average, 3 3% more than their White counterparts This suggests strong workforce participation and economic prosperity among Asian communities Additionally, a 2020 report from the British Business Bank found that 5 9% of UK entrepreneurs came from Asian or other minority-ethnic backgrounds, highlighting their significant contribution to business growth and job creation

In healthcare, Asian immigrants have also been indispensable The Migration Observatory reports that India was the leading country of origin for international workers in the UK in 2023, with 280,000 individuals contributing to critical services, particularly in health and social care During the Covid-19 pandemic, these workers played a pivotal role in sustaining the NHS and addressing chronic staff shortages

Parties across the spectrum use migration figures as a political football, blaming each other while offering no clear solutions The Conservatives, under pressure from the right, pushed increasingly hardline policies, including the controversial Rwanda deportation scheme Labour, on the other hand, criticises the previous government’s failures but will their schemes of following in Trump’s path bear the desired result?

As the Labour government prioritises a British workers first” approach, it must also consider the economic benefits of immigration, including filling labour gaps, driving innovation, and supporting an ageing population Striking the right balance is crucial to ensuring long-term economic stability Or if it will instead exacerbate labour shortages, given that many Britons are unwilling or unable to fill certain roles

India, China and the US: Cooperation or confrontation?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2025 visit to Washington was a high-stakes meeting, charged with both policy and personal chemistry The two leaders signalled a shift in their nations' partnership, aligning for the MAGA challenge Modi’s quiet confidence, like an underestimated football team executing a bold strategy, met Trump’s characteristic warmth reinforcing their shared appreciation for strong personal rapport

The meeting underscored a key message: hardware matters India ordered six P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, reinforcing its anti-submarine capabilities and confidence in US technology More than a deal, it signals India's commitment to regional security On energy, India sought to balance its trade surplus, pledging $25 billion in oil and gas imports over a decade Despite the distance, New Delhi aims to secure favourable terms, leveraging falling prices driven by US pressure on OPEC to strengthen its bargaining power

Nuclear energy emerged as a key focus, with India advancing small modular reactors under the framework set during Manmohan Singh’s tenure Meanwhile, Tesla’s entry into India took centre stage Earlier talks of local manufacturing have evolved, with Elon Musk eyeing India’s market if tariffs and subsidies align At 170%, India’s luxury car tariffs remain a major hurdle

The summit underscored a deepening partnership, not just isolated deals Modi’s strategy easing targeted tariffs while embedding fair trade in a broader bilateral pact includes an investment guarantee treaty, defence procurement, and concessions on US goods, without compromising on key issues With the US as India’s top trading partner at $119 7 billion in 2023-24, both leaders aim for $500 billion India is betting on Modi’s flexibility and US President Donald Trump’s pragmatism to make it happen

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed strong support

for Trump’s efforts to end the Ukraine war, emphasising that peace can only be achieved through dialogue, not on the battlefield Speaking after their discussions at the White House, Modi rejected claims of India’s neutrality, asserting, “India has always been on the side of peace ” He reiterated his message to Vladimir Putin that "this is not the era for war" and called for direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine Trump, for his part, confirmed a productive call with Putin and agreed to initiate immediate talks toward a resolution Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced commitment to a controversial US proposal for taking control of Gaza and displacing its Palestinian residents, a plan opposed by Arab states, while Washington's top diplomat was in Saudi Arabia to push the initiative

Recently, China has urged the US to “rectify its mistakes” a

Department’s website, altering language on Taiwan Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province and has not ruled out force for reunification With Trump shifting US focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific, the move has sparked speculation about a potential policy shift on Taiwan, raising tensions in the region Taiwan remains one of China’s most sensitive issues, alongside Tibet and Tiananmen Square

Meanwhile, the US has increasingly used India as a coun-

defence and trade ties to contain Beijing’s rise While India shares concerns over China’s assertiveness, particularly along their disputed border, both nations also recognise the necessity of coexistence As neighbours and major economies, India and China have much to gain from economic cooperation, trade, and regional stability Rather than confrontation, both India and China could benefit from a pragmatic approach that fosters mutual growth while managing strategic differences

Into the BJP’s winning phenomenon

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party is set to form the government in India’s capital, Delhi, for the first time in 27 years after securing a decisive electoral victory The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 48 out of 70 assembly seats, ousting the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which managed to secure 22 seats

This election was a battle of prestige for both the BJP and AAP, given Delhi’s symbolic significance as the nation’s capital For the BJP, this victory is more than just another electoral win, it marks a strategic foothold in Delhi after being out of power there since 1998 The party invested heavily in its campaign, with both Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah leading the charge

T h e B J P ’ s v i c t o r y i n D e l h i f o l l o w s i t s s u c c e s s i n Maharashtra and solidifies its dominance in North India, where it already governs Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh If there is one thing to credit the party’s victories, it is meticulous planning Every election is approached with a well-crafted strategy tailored to the specific region In Delhi, the formula was ‘Modi, Mahila, and Middle-Class,’ while in Maharashtra, a strong coalition sealed the win

Even in the early days of its electoral dominance, BJP’s s u c c e s s w a s r o o t e d i n a c

Providing a perspective into this, journalist Prashant Jha, in his book ‘How the BJP Wins: Inside India’s Greatest Election Machine’, examines the key factors behind the party’s sweep-

ing victories in the 2014 general elections and the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections

The book highlights the pivotal roles played by Prime M i n i s t e r M

Secretary Ram Madhav, and the party’s ideological parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Jha identifies several factors that have contributed to the BJP’s sustained political supremacy Foremost is the charisma of Narendra Modi, whose appeal remains as strong as ever Many voters continue to see no credible alternative to his leadership, reinforcing the BJP’s grip on power

Another key factor is the organisational prowess of Amit Shah, often regarded as a modern-day Chanakya His strategic planning and ability to manage booth-level workers have

Additionally, the RSS’s groundwork and grassroots mobilisation have provided unwavering support, making it one of the BJP’s most powerful assets

Over the past decade, these factors have consistently worked in the party’s favour In addition, the BJP has built

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s strong diplomatic stance, ISRO’s advancements in space exploration, and the construction of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir to name a few These milestones have strengthened the BJP’s image as the most reliable and capable

Political Sketchbook

Alpesh Patel

India US relations go missed by most

You wouldn’ t kn ow i t from the Western media that PM M odi w as in USA They’re too busy with yet an other European war This continen t – why n o m atte r how s mall their coun tri es c an they just not s top fi ghti ng with e ach other? A nd Farage ha s the gall to tell m e we are b ringin g the Indi an s ub continen t prob le ms to the UK! You wish N igel

In a diplomatic ballet that would make even the most seasoned statesman pirouette with envy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the United States has been heralded as a resounding success Meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on February 13, 2025, the two leaders engaged in a series of discussions that have set the stage for a new era in Indo-American relations

Trade Relations: From Tariff Tiffs to Terrific Trades Trade, often the prickly pear in the garden of international relations, took centre stage during the discussions President Trump, never one to mince words, described India's previous tariffs as "unfair and very strong" In r e

finesse of a seasoned yogi, proposed doubling bilateral trade to a whopping $500 billion by 2030 This ambitious target aims to balance the scales and soothe the trade deficit that has long irked the U S administration Defence Deals: From Distant Dreams to Stealthy Realities On the defence front, the two nations waltzed into a ten-year framework for the U S -India Major Defence Partnership This includes plans for India to acquire the coveted F-35 stealth fighter jets, a move that has defense analysts buzzing like bees in a honey factory This deal not only bolsters India's defence capabilities but also signifies a

between the two democracies

Immigration: From Huddled Masses to Harmonious Policies

Immigration, often the Indian elephant in the room, was addressed with surprising candour Prime Minister Modi agreed to repatriate Indian citizens residing illegally in the U S , a gesture likely to curry favour with the current administration's stringent immigration stance This move underscores India s commitment to lawful migration while acknowledging the complexities of human movement in a globalized world

Extradition: From Fugitive Fantasies to Firm Handshakes In a move that has been lauded by counterterrorism experts, President Trump announced support for the extradition of individuals implicated in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, specifically Tahawwur Hussain Rana This decision is poised to bolster India's domestic security efforts and serves as a testament to the collaborative spirit between the two nations in combating global terrorism

Personal Rapport: From Handshakes to Hugs

The personal chemistry between Modi and Trump was palpable, with both leaders exchanging compliments like seasoned diplomats at a gala Trump lauded Modi as a "much better negotiator than me," while Modi, not to be outdone, played on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan, expressing his determination to "Make India Great Again" This camaraderie bodes well for future collaborations and adds a personal touch to the geopolitical alliance

I have to say, 10/10 Bravo Maybe just as well the Western media didn’t notice Don’t want many a jealous evil eye being cast on the PM and President relations

Asian Voice is published by Asian Business Publications Ltd

CB Pate l : Publisher and Editor R upa njana Dut ta :

‘

D E A R M O O N ’: I L L U M I N A T I N G F A I T H A N D R E F L E C T I O N

Anusha Singh

In a world where representation in literatu re is increasingly valued , Zayneb

H al eem

offers a beautifully crafted space for Muslim readers to see th emselves reflected in art and storytelling

the book follows the journey of a young hijabi girl, inviting readers to pause, reflect, and embrace their personal growth Whether

a s a m

Ramadan, Eid, or a source of inspiration year-round, Dear Moon stands as the first of its kind, offering

beauty of the Muslim experience

In an interview with Asian Voice, Z a y n e b H a l e e m shares the inspira-

t i o n b e h i n d D e a r Moon, the creative process that brings her illustrations to life, and the deeper message she hopes to convey through her work

What inspired you to create ‘Dear Moon’, this collection of illustrations and reflections?

T h e b o o k h a s a l w a y s b e e n a dream of mine Ever since I started drawing, I wanted to see illustrations like this in book form The idea had been in my mind for a long time When I first started drawing, I thought it would be amazing to compile all the illustrations I shared online into a book I wanted people to be able to walk into a bookstore, pick it up, t a k e i t h o m e , a n d f l i p through it whenever they w a n t e d B u t w h e n e v e r I visited bookstores, I never saw a book quite like the o n e I e n v i s i o n e d T h a t

words, can have a profound impact There are specific verses that many Muslims naturally incorporate into t h e i r d a i l y r o u t i n e , f r o m morning to evening, seeking comfort and strength in different situations Since I grew up with these verses

whether from the Quran or my own thoughts so that t h e r e i s s o m e t h i n g f o r everyone

How important do you think representation of culture is in the creative and literary space, especially for Muslim women?

When I reflect on my childhood, growing up in Sri Lanka, I didn’t see any-

and found a book where I could see myself represented, it would have been a

would have loved

that Even for young adults and adults, it has a lasting

today I think it’s essential, not only

young women, to

reflected in literature and art This book isn’t just for kids; it’s really for

d adults, for all of us

Being seen, written

trated by our own people is incredibly important

Howdo the themes of ‘Dear Moon’ align with the essence of Ramadan?

Ramadan 2025 prayer and meal timetable released

E xp er ts p red ic t R am a d an will start o n d ifferent dates th i s ye ar, d e p end in g o n w h i ch l u na r d ec l ara ti o ns worshippers follow

This will impact Eid ulFitr celebrations, which are also unlikely to be unified Globally, the eighth Islamic month, Shaban, began on F r i d a y , J a n u a r y 3 1 T h i s means the 29th day, when the new moon for Ramadan i s t r a d i t i o n a l l y o b s e r v e d , falls on Friday, February 28 If the moon is sighted, R a m a d a n w i l l b e g i n o n March 1 Stechford Masjid in

Saudi Arabia’s astronomical predictions However, some m

March 2, as the crescent may n

another

below is based on a March 1 start, around sunrise The pre-fasting meal, suhoor or

over

Islamic officials note that

adhere to their pre-set calendar, especially if a sighting is reported that aligns with their forecast

concerns of another "split

the

this often causes confusion, as some follow Saudi announcements while others rely on local moon sightings

Key health considerations for those observing the holy month

Ramadan in 2025 is expected to be g i n o n o r aro u n d Frid ay, 28 February, lasting for 29 o r 3 0 d ays before conclud ing with Eid al-Fitr, the festiv al m arking the end of fasting

As the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan is a sacred time for M u s l i m s w o r l d w i d e , o b s e r v e d t h r o u g h f a s t i n g , prayer, self-reflection, and c o m m u n i t y D u r i n g t h i s p e r i o d , M u s l i m s a b s t a i n from food, drink, and smoking between dawn and sunset

t h o u g h t s t a y e d w i t h m e , and eventually, I decided to create it myself I was fortunate to have the opportunity, thanks to my publishers and the incredible support I received in putting it all together I’m truly grateful for that

Your work features inspirational quotes from the Quran How do you decide which verses to include and where to place them? How important is the selection process in shaping your work?

Yes, when you look at Quranic verses, there are c e r t a i n o n e s t h a t y o u return to again and again because they offer guidance in daily life Even a single

v e r s e , t h o u g h s m a l l i n

Even a single verse, though small in words, can have a profound impact.

and teach them to my children every day, it wasn’t t o o d i f f i c u l t t o c o m p i l e them for the book

H o w e v e

, I w

y mindful in selecting verses that are both meaningful a n d

a u d i e n c

a b l e

S

v e r s e s carry deep significance, and I w a n t e d t o e n s u r e t h a t they resonate with people in a way that feels personal and accessible The book is carefully curated, not just w i t h Q u r a n i c v e r s e s b u t also with my own words

T h e g o a l w a s t o c r e a t e something that anyone can turn to, no matter the situation they are facing Each p a g e o f f e r s p o s i t i v e a n d e n

Ramadan is a perfect t i m e t o i n t r o d

c e f a i t hbased products, art, or anything that connects children to their faith, especially for very young kids It’s a time when they’re already

e n g a g e d i n d i s c u s s i o n s about Ramadan at home, making it an ideal opportunity to spark their interest

Dear Moon is not only a lovely book to have during Ramadan, but it also makes a wonderful gift for children It’s the kind of book they can enjoy flipping through, filled with colourful illustrations that capture their attention For m y o w n k i d s , t h e y l o v e illustrations and bright pict u r e s , a n d t h i s b o o k ’ s colours really draw them in What’s beautiful about i

verses in a way that chil-

l y realise, but still resonates with them

The book takes them through the seasons, from spring to winter, offering m a n y b e a u t i f u l i l l u s t r ations that they can revisit time and time again It’s a perfect way to excite children and get them involved in something meaningful, c

n they’ll want to return to

While fasting is a core part of the observance, it is a l s o c r u c i a l t o p r i o r i t i s e health and ensure safe part i c i p a t i o n , p a r t i c u l a r l y f o r those with medical conditions and here’s how you can do just that-

Taking prescribed medication and understand ing you r body

If you are on prescribed medication, it is essential to c o n t i n u e t a k i n g i t d u r i n g

R a m a d a n H o w e v e r , y o u should consult your GP to d e t e r m i n e i f a n y a d j u s tments to dosage or timing are necessary while fasting

P e o p l e w i t h d i a b e t e s

should seek medical advice

b e f o r e d e c i d i n g t o f a s t

Exemptions exist, particularly for those on insulin or w i t h u n d e r l y i n g m e d i c a l complications Consulting a GP or diabetes nurse can

h e l p a s s e s s t h e s a f e s t approach

T h e B r i t i s h I s l a m i c Medical Association (BIMA)

a d v i s e s t h a t i f s o m e o n e becomes unwell during fasting, they should stop fasting immediately and seek medical advice

Exemptions from fasting w I s l a m p e r m i t s e x e m p -

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

i n d i v i d u a l s w h o f a c e health risks, including: w T h o s e w i t h d i a b e t e s , h i g h b l o o d p r e s s u r e , heart or lung disease w People who are on medication w Pregnant women w The elderly w Those at increased risk o f i l l n e s s , i n c l u d i n g p o t e n t i a l e x p o s u r e t o COVID-19

As Ramadan approaches, those observing the fast are encouraged to prioritise t h e i r w e l l - b e i n g w h i l e upholding the spiritual significance of the holy month

Bradford hosts Ramadan Pavilion

Brad fo rd , th e U K C ity o f C u lt u re 2 0 2 5 , h as j o i ne d fo r ce s w i th t h e R am a d an Tent Project to bring a series of major ev ents to the city during the h oly month of Ramadan

T h e c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i l l i n t r o d u c e t h e R a m a d a n Festival, Ramadan Pavilion, and two national Open Iftar events, celebrating commun i t y , f a i t h , a n d c u l t u r a l e x p r e s s i o n T h e R a m a d a n Pavilion, a biennial architect u r a l i n s t a l l a t i o n f i r s t launched in 2023, will be hosted in Centenary Square T h e s t r u c t u r e , t i t l e d Infinite Light, is designed by B r a d f o r d - b a s e d a r c h i t e c t F a t i m a M e j b i l a n d a r t i s t Zarah Hussain It will be u n v e i l e d o

tural expression As part of the celebrations, St George’s Hall will host the Welcome Ramadan Conference on February 15, a day-long event featuring d

Open Iftar events, the UK’s largest community gatherings during Ramadan, set to take place at One City Park on March 21 and 22

Zayneb Haleem

Zarah Hussain and Fatima Mejbil pose in front of the Ramadan Pavillion

Tories frustrated by Badenoch’s weak PMQs

K em i Ba d en o ch i s b ei ng

u rg ed to r ea ss es s h er

ap p ro ac h t o P ri m e

M i ni s te r ’ s Qu e st io n s

(PM Qs) and seek the guidance o f mo re exp erienced adv isers to help h er prepare

f o r t h e w e ek ly p o li ti c al ch allenge, fo llow ing cri ticism of her tactics in taking on Keir Starmer

S o m e M P s h a v e expressed concerns that the new leader is raising ineffective topics and choosing weak lines of attack against the prime minister, despite PMQs being her key opportunity to shape the political narrative Others are worried about the level of support she is receiving from c o l l e a g u e s d u r i n g t h e s e exchanges

Though many MPs are u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f Badenoch’s early days in the role, having been in the job for less than four months, some want her to strengthen her advisory team with seasoned Tory figures who have experience in the art of political combat

A former cabinet minister noted complaints from M P s t h a t B a d e n o c h w a s missing key opportunities to attack Starmer over his handling of the economy, i n s t e a d f o c u s i n g o n

“Westminster village” topics for too long “She’s picking the wrong subjects,” the m i n i

major issues, like the economy, that could really resonate ”

An MP added, “We have p e o p l e e x p e r i e n c e

PMQs prep, and I hope she has continuity there She n

behind her to get it right ” C r i

this week’s PMQs, where B

Starmer about a Gaza fami-

scheme to enter the UK, as well as the appointment of

from Finland Starmer dismissed both issues, explaini

was appointed by the previ-

ous government

Tory MPs sympathetic t

the complaints reflect the

impact as opposition leader and urged patience “She’s got to grow into the job,” said one frontbencher “It

But Starmer is hopeless ”

miss the criticisms, arguing

Starmer to account They point to recent instances where she challenged him over misleading statements and failure to address critical issues “She’s doing her

“Starmer is being exposed for not being in control of his own government ” However, there are con-

about the potential fallout from a poor showing in the May local elections Some

MPs fear discussions about replacing her could underm

play into the hands of fig-

who is believed to still harbour leadership ambitions

“We’ve got the leader we ’ ve got,” said one MP “ C h a n g i n g l

g

i n would make us look ridiculous ”

Labour suspends 11 councillors over WhatsApp group scandal

The Labour Pa rty has suspe nde d 11 coun cillor s ov er t h e i r i n v o lv e m e n t i n a Wha tsApp g roup linke d t o t he sacking of a ministe r Most of the councillors are from Tameside Council, w i t h t w o f r o m S t o c k p o r t Council The move follows the dismissal of health minister Andrew Gwynne and the suspension of MP Oliver

R y a n o v e r o f f e n s i v e m e ssages reportedly shared in the group Among the suspended councillors is Allison Gwynne, Mr Gwynne’s wife

A Labour spokesperson confirmed an investigation i s u n d e r w

swift action will always be taken” against members who fail to meet the party’s standards Three other Tameside c o u n

Newton have also stepped back from their roles while under investigation Mr Gwynne was sacked

Mr Ryan, who also

regrets” and has since

about

low Labour MP’s sexuality The controversy follows the recent resignations of Labour frontbenchers Tulip Siddiq and Louise Haigh

Extremism watchdog axed, sparking warnings

Th e g overnment has abolished Lord Walney’s role as anti-extrem ism tsar, d esp ite concerns that mo re need s to b e d on

m

c rac y a

MP s from “organised co ercion ”

Appointed in 2020 as the i n d e p

d e n t a d v i s e r o n political violence and disruption, Walney had warned about the threat posed by “extremist protest groups ”

s t year, and the Home Office has now confirmed it will be discontinued

In a report published in May, Walney cautioned that B r i t a i n f a c e s a g r o w i n g threat from extreme protest movements He argued that l e f t - w i n g g r o u p s w e r e actively working to underm i n e U K l a w s a n d t h a t “extreme political activists” were using violence, intimidation, and law-breaking to target politicians, the media, and universities

Following the decision, Walney posted on X, thanking the government for the opportunity and calling for s t r o n g e r p o l i c e p o w e r s against disruptive protests

“We must do more to protect our democracy and MPs f r o m o r g a n i s e d c o e r c i o n , and the public from extreme protesters,” he wrote The Home Office said t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s o f h i s role would be incorporated into the Commissioner for Countering Extremism and t h e I n d e p e n d e n t P r e v e n t C o m m i s s i o n e r p o s i t i o n s ; both now open for applications

A spokesperson thanked Walney for his “vital contribution” to the government’s a p p r o a c h t o p o l i t i c a l v i olence and disruption

Kemi Badenoch

Inquiries over Rachel Reeves' CV and expenses

Questions h av e been raised

o v er th e ac curac y o

C hancellor's online C V and h is use o f expenses during h is tim e at a bank, following a BBC New s inv estigation

Rachel Reeves and two colleagues were investigated for expenses while she was a senior manager at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) in the late 2000s A

n e C V

C

overstated the duration of her tenure at the Bank of England

When asked about her CV, Sir Keir Starmer stated

t h a t R a c h e l R e e v e s h a d "dealt with any issues that arose "

The initial phase of an i n v e s t i g a t i o n i n t o H B O S found that a whistleblower's complaint was substant

, i n c l u d i n g Reeves, appeared to have violated rules, according to a s e n i o r s o u r c e f a m i l i a r

with the probe The final outcome of the investigation remains unclear and may not have concluded

A s p o k e s p e r s o n f o r

Rachel Reeves stated that the chancellor was unaware o f t h e i n v e s t

t i o n , h a d always adhered to expenses rules, and left the bank on good terms

W h e n S i r K e i r w a s a s k e d a b o u t R a c h e l

Reeves's CV and whether he was "comfortable" with claims of exaggerated experience He responded that the issues were from "many years ago and emphasised

that he and the chancellor are focused on revitalising

t h e e c o n o m y , w h i c h w a s "badly damaged under the last government," ensuring that growth benefits working people across the UK

C

Kemi Badenoch questioned

c

Reeves s CV came to light

She posted on X, saying, "Keir Starmer said 'restoring trust in politics is the great test of our era ' Until Reeves comes clean about her CV and her departure from HBOS, no one will take him seriously "

Reeves has often cited her Bank of England tenure

a

s should trust her with public finances, but her LinkedIn profile overstated her time there by nearly five years

While she claimed to have worked at the bank from 2000 to 2006, she actually spent just five and a half years there, including time spent studying

Mother planned one-way trip to Afghanistan with children to join ISIS

F arish ta Jam i, 3 6, was fou nd

g u i lty a t L ei ces ter C ro w n

C ourt of preparing acts of terro rism after sav ing £1 ,200

f o r f li g h ts an d sh a ri ng e xtrem i st m a teri al o nli ne S he had p lotted to take h er ch ild ren on a o ne-way flight

t o j o i n ter ro ri s ts i n A fghanistan

Jami, convicted of two counts under the Terrorism Act 2006, shared extremist m a t e r i a l o n s o c i a l m e d i a

f r o m S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 2 t o

J a n u a r y 2 0 2 4 , i n c l u d i n g videos and images As an administrator of pro-Daesh groups, she posted instructional content to show loyalty to ISKP She planned to t

martyr herself and take her children with her

that Jami, from Stratford, searched for one-way flights to Afghanistan 22 times in two weeks for herself and her children Police found h

had tried to conceal pass-

flights to join ISKP Further

assembling AK47 rifles, and had expressed her intent to travel as early as July 2023 Superintendent Darren Webster from Warwickshire Police called the case "complex," linking terrorism and serious crimes, and emphasised the potential harm of

Alison Hurst of CTP WM noted that Jami's intention to travel became clear by November 2023, after she had accumulated significant cash She is due to be sentenced tomorrow

Former counter-extremism

Tsar slams Home Office's strategy

Br i t ai n 's co un t e rr adicalisation p ro-

g r a mm e , Pr e v e n t, is mir ed in confusion, accordin g t o Dam e Sar a Kha n,

m en t a dvise r a nd

c o u n t e r - e

e mism commissione r She criticised the Home Office for failing to implement key recommendations

o n t a c k l i n g

threats Prevent has faced growing scrutiny after high-

referred to the programme three times but whose case was closed prematurely

A review revealed that the assessment of MP Sir

g of his Prevent case L a u n c h e d i n 2005, Prevent has f a c e d c r i t i c i s m , p a r t i c u l a r l y f r o m t h e M u s l i m c o m m u n i t y , w h o view it as biased Khan has also been accused of being too closely aligned with the government for a role that r e q u i r e s s t r i c t i n d e p e ndence Khan, an early advocate for Prevent, questioned its p

Home Office for failing to clarify its role and for conf u

New data shows rising life expectancy for UK residents

Boys born in the U K in 20 23 are expected to live to an average ag e of 86 7, while g irls are expected to liv e to 90 , according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS )

The figures show a continued rise in life expectancy, with the gap between men and women narrowing, partly due to healthier lifestyles among men

Projections indicate that more than one in 10 boys and one in six girls born in 2023 will live to at least 100

The latest ONS report, based on 2023 survival data and future trends, predicts that by 2047, one in four baby girls and nearly one in five boys could reach 100 Life expectancy for men born in 2047 is projected at 89 3 years, while women are expected to live to 92 2 years

Life expectancy figures are averages, not guarantees In 2023, 65-year-old men in the UK can expect 19 8 more years, while women can expect 22 5 years By 2047, these figures could rise to 21 8 years for men and 24 4 years for women

Kerry Gadsdon from the ONS noted the narrowing life expectancy gap between men and women, driven by lifestyle improvem e n t s l i k e r e d u c e d s m o k i n g a n d b e t t e r healthcare, including heart disease prevention The gap is projected to shrink to 2 5 years by 2072

Care home worker jailed for assaulting elderly dementia patient

M u h a m m ad A rs h ad h a s b ee n j ai l ed f o r seven and a half years for sexually assaulting an el d erl y d e m en ti a patient at a care hom e, s entence d at Read i ng C rown Co urt

T h e 3 7 - y e a r - o l d from Reading was sent e n c e d t o a n i n d e f i n i t e S

"normalising culture" where i

urgency and respect Following the Southport m

response, arguing that the threat of radicalised young men has been evident for over a decade She warned that the government’s failure to address extremism is contributing to a "chronic d e m o c

didn’t anticipate the protests and 2024 riots

l H a r m Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders register for life He pleaded guilty in January to sexually assaulting an elderly woman at a Berkshire care home after being charged in October Det Ch Insp Laura Corscadden, who led t h e T h a m e s V a l l e y P o l i c e i n v e s t i g a t i o n , called Arshad’s actions a “truly awful crime ” “Arshad was in a position of trust, meant to care for vulnerable people, yet he despicably abused that trust, believing he would never be caught,” she said S h e a c k n o w l e d g e d t h e d e e p t r a u m a inflicted on the victim and her family but p r a i s e d t h e i r “ s t r e n g t h a n d s u p p o r t ” throughout the investigation

“Even with Arshad behind bars, I know it won’t erase the terrible trauma they have endured,” she added

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has celebrated a "m ilestone" in h is plan to im pro ve the NHS, with new fig ures showing nearly 2 2 million m ore elective care appointm ents were d elivered between July and Nov em ber 2024 co mpared to th e same p eriod last year

This includes chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and diagnostic tests, made possible by staff working extra weekend and evening shifts, according to the government The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) highlighted the end of NHS

I N B R I E F

SOLAR PANELS COULD CUT UK FUEL POVERTY BY 24%, STUDY FINDS

Poorer households could cut energy bills by a quarter with rooftop solar but high costs make them inaccessible the Resolution Foundation finds Economists urge meanstested grants and fair energy pricing to help 3 6 million fuel-poor families, potentially lifting 1 2 million out of poverty while aiding decarbonisation A family with a 3kW solar panel could save up to £440 a year, but the £6,500 cost is out of reach for many, with three in five low-income households having under £1,000 in savings As a result only 8% of UK homes have solar panels Economist Zachary Leather said rooftop solar panels could cut energy bills by a quarter and offer strong returns, yet few poorer households can afford them He urged the government to include means-tested support in its warm homes plan to drive a "rooftop revolution" and ensure benefits aren’t limited to wealthier households

OVER 100 SITES PROPOSED FOR NEW TOWNS IN MAJOR HOUSING DRIVE

Proposals for new towns on over 100 sites across England have been submitted as part of the Prime Minister s "largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era " Each town is set to deliver 10,000 homes, designed as "beautiful, well-planned communities with affordable housing," according to the Government "This is about more than just bricks and mortar; it s about the security and stability of owning your own home " said Sir Keir Starmer reflecting on the impact for working people The final selection of new sites is expected in the summer Starmer has also vowed to resolve regulatory issues and support housebuilders and councils in unlocking 700,000 new homes

POOREST UK FAMILIES PAYING MORE IN COUNCIL TAX, STUDY SHOWS

New analysis shows Britain's poorest households are paying a growing share of their income on council tax now 4 8% in 202021 up from 2 9% in 2002-3 according to the Resolution Foundation This rise is being compared to the poll tax that led to Margaret Thatcher s downfall Council tax one of the few wealth-related taxes in the UK, varies across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland Economists criticise council tax for being regressive, as it's based on 1991 property values in England and Scotland, despite significant wealth changes since then Wales updated its system to 2003 values, and Scotland raised rates for higher-band properties in 2017 The Resolution Foundation highlights the growing inequality, noting that the poorest fifth now pay 4 8% of their income in council tax, three times higher than the 1 5% paid by the wealthiest This rise is partly due to the abolition of council tax benefit in 2013 and the gradual removal of rebates

Government claims 2 million extra NHS appointments in Labour’s first five months

strikes, additional flu vaccinations, and £1 8bn in funding for elective appointments since Labour took office

T h e e x t r a 2 2 m i l l i o n a p p o i n t m e n t s contribute to a fourth consecutive month of declining NHS waiting lists, though c h a l l e n g e s r e m a i n T h e p r i m e m i n i s t e r said, "Two million extra appointments and a waiting list on the way down this miles t o n e s h o w s w e ' r e d e l i v e r i n g o n o u r promise to fix the NHS and reduce waiting times "

Rachel Reeves

Muhammad Arshad

Dame Sara Khan

Farishta Jami

Women behind Gujarat Samachar’s success honoured

Achyut Sanghavi & Subhasini Naicker

A n ev ent w as organised on

S aturday 8 February, hon-

o uring th ree d isting uish ed

w om en c lo s e

w

G u j ara t S am

C onsulting Ed ito rs Jyotsna

S hah and Kokila P atel, along w ith renow ned singer Maya

D ee p ak He ld at th e

C o u rty ard b y M arr io t t in

A hmedabad , the p rog ramme

a ls o i nc lu d e

S andhya’ (evening o f poetry), wh ere the highligh t was

young poet Sh abd Gosw am i Host Tushar Joshi wel-

c

M i n i s t e r o f G u j a r a t , V i j a y

R u p a n i a n d P a d m a S h r i

J o r a v a r S i n g h J a d a v , V i c e

Chairman of the National

A c a d e m y o f M u s i c a n d

Drama Publisher/Editor of

A s i a n V o i c e a n d G u j a r a t Samachar, CB Patel, joined the event via Zoom

C h i e f g u e s t , V i j a y

R u p a n i , w a s w a r m l y w e lcomed by renowned oncologist Dr Bhavesh B Parekh,

s o n o f l a t e B h u p a t r a i Parekh, alongside his wife,

D r U r v i P a r e k h , d i r e c t o r , ABPI Mr Rupani was honoured with a shawl and a commemorative gift

S i n g e r M a y a D e e p a k

c a p t i v a t e d t h e a u d i e n c e with her soulful devotional

s o n g s d e d i c a t e d t o P u n i t Maharaj

Ratna A wards presented

F o r m e r G u j a r a t C h i e f Minister, Vijay Rupani pre-

s e n t e d t h e N a r i R a t n a Awards to Jyotsna Shah and Kokila Patel, who have been an integral part of Gujarat Samachar since 1983

I n h i s a d d r e s s , M r Rupani said, "We have gath-

ered here to honour Jyotsna Shah, Kokila Patel and Maya Deepak Heartiest congratulations to all three of them

T h e y a r e p r i d e o f o u r

u j a r a t F o r t h e l a s t 4 0 years, Jyotsna and Kokila, both have contributed sign

with CB Patel, Mr Rupani p

media and community service for the diaspora as well as for the people of Gujarat Vibrant poetry and tributes The evening progressed with a poetry session led by Raksha Shukla, who recited a poignant poem on sexual violence Hardwar Goswami followed, delivering his celeb

dejo ’

Poet Paras Patel with a heartfelt ghazal reflected on the deep longing for one ’ s homeland, whereas just at seven years of age, young poet Shabd Goswami introduced himself with confidence and recited several of his own compositions, earning a resounding applause

500 to young poet Shabd Goswami

A ward recipients speak R e c e i v i n g h e r a w a r d , Kokila Patel expressed her g

connection with the ABPL

o u

decades I've had the privilege of meeting Bollywood stars, notable figures, and several politicians My book ‘ E

humour through my 'Ramuj Gathariya' column During

Bhupatrai Parekh, a revered figure in Gujarati journalism and once a key part of ABPL

G

Bhavesh B Parekh, and wife, Dr Urvi Parekh, to honour

Jadav

Mr Jadav described his

lighting his efforts to elevate

Pushkar’s streets and later

Foundation He emphasised the importance of providing

that over 5,000 artists are now part of the foundation

Renowned businessman and Trident Group CMD,

that,

and

J y o t s n a S h a h , a f t e r r e c e i v i n g h e r a w a r d , s a i d ,

"Today’s recognition for my 4 2 - y e a r - o l d c a r e e r , u n d e r

CB Patel’s leadership, is a reflection of the power of the pen and the value of m e a n i n g f u l r e l a t i o n s h i p s

Patel, Jitendrabhai Joshi, and y o u n g S h

Praising the young poet, he said, “While Shabd may not

and delivery are truly exceptional

Mafat Patel presented an encouragement award of Rs

the pandemic, we worked hard to humour our readers, and it was very well received “I hold a BA Honours in Politics and my journey with A B P L b e g a n w h e n Jyotsnaben, a close friend, took me to meet CB I started my first work on German l i n e - t y p e m a c h i n e , l a t e r m

Our success is rooted in CB’s constant inspiration and the o p e n , s u p p o r t i v e e n v i r o nment he has provided

Reflecting on her own journey, she spoke of her arrival in London in 1982, where the unfamiliarity of the land and its people left her feeling lost Over time, she adapted, finding solace i n r e a d i n g G u j a r a t Samachar, which led her to apply for a journalist’s position Despite lacking formal training in journalism, her M A i n G u j a r a t i a n d B E d

helped her secure a job This b e g a n h e r j o u r n e y i n Gujarati journalism, which eventually led to her role as t h e M a n a g i n g E d i t o r o f

a p p r e c i a t e d t h e s e a r t i c l e s , and that marked the beginning of my editorial journey Writing in Gujarati on the computer was challenging at first, but soon I learned the nuances of proper translation

“In 1985, I was entrusted with the role of Managing E d i t o r I w r o t e 3 0 t o 3 2 columns and later published ‘Ek Je Chinagari', dedicated t o C B , P u s h p a b e n , a n d

S a r o j b e n T h e n a m e ‘ C h i n a g a r i ’ h o l d s s p e c i a l meaning because CB ignited that spark in me that has shone ever since "

G u j a r a t S a m a c h a r E v e n after retiring in 2010, her passion for writing kept her involved as the Consulting Editor

She also paid tribute to the invaluable contributions of Pushpaben (CB’s wife) and Sarojben (CB’s siter-in-law) to the success of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar

Speaking about her first b

o k , J y o t s n a a d d e d t h a t ‘Jeevan Ek, Sur Aneka', a collection of articles captures the essence of the Gujarati c

L

Akshat Shah, Hemal H Shah, Mafatbhai Patel, Dr Prashant

Panchal, Chaitanya Panchal,

, Pravin Patel, Natu and Indu Patel to name a few Dr Bhavesh Parekh in his vote of thanks paid tribute to his father and extended his heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made the evening such a resounding success Receiving her Nari Ratna A

, M

d , "When I first visited London in 1985, I was uncertain about what sort of music people might enjoy But gradually, everything started to come

d Sanjaybhai Patel, a disciple of Divyangbhai Vakil, to present a programme "Asian Voice and Gujarat S

tremendous support, introducing many artists to the world I am especially gratef

Sarojben for their encouragement " She also thanked her husband and son for their unwavering support Tushar Joshi, a long-time host, writer, and speaker was also honoured S

political analyst Ajay Umat,

"Anyone who meets

forging a bond that feels like family I wish the organisation continued growth and success "

with dinner

Nari

(Photo Courtesy: Jhatakia Studio

Dr Bhavesh and Dr Urvi Parekh welcoming Former CM of Gujarat, Shri Vijaybhai Rupani

Shri Vijay Rupani honouring Jyotsna Shah Consulting Editor of Gujarat Samachar

Shri Vijay Rupani and Padma Shri Joravar Singh Jadav honouring Mayaben Deepak

Shri Vijay Rupani honouring Kokila Patel Consulting Editor of Gujarat Samachar

Maya Deepak Jyotsna Shah Kokila Patel honouring Tushar Joshi

Hardwar Goswami Raksha Shukla Paras Patel

Jitendra Joshi Shabd Goswami

Actress Bhavini Jani Jatin Parekh, CMD Trident Group Ajay Umat

British Asian Trust gala raises

£750,000 for South Asia

His Majesty T he King, Royal

F o u n di n g P a tr o n o f th e

British Asian Trust, delivered a sp ecial message to over 300 guests at th e ch arity ’ s An n u al D i nn er an d Recep tio n at th e Peninsula Londo n

In a message read on stage, His Majesty praised the British Asian Trust for its crucial role in tackling pressing challenges across South Asia He commended the Trust’s innovative, collaborative approach, saying it provides hope to many communities He expressed heartfelt gratitude for the guests' unwavering support, w h i c h m a k e s s u s t a i n a b l e change possible

The event was attended by notable guests including

A b h i s h e k B a c h c h a n ,

G u r i n d e r C h a d h a O B E , Amy Jackson, Ed Westwick, N i n a N a n n a r , K e m i Badenoch MP, and Kumar

S a n g a k k a r a H i g h l i g h t s included performances by

B o l l y w o o d s t a r K a n i k a Kapoor and magician Magic Singh, as well as speeches from Sir Sadiq Khan and the

Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP

S i r S a d i q K h a n expressed, “I’m proud to be British and a Londoner, but e q u

Asian identity It’s an honor to return to this annual dinner and show my support for your incredible work ”

A l i v e a u c t i o n s h o wcased a range of exclusive prizes generously donated

b y s u p p o r t e r s , i n c l u d i n g access to the Owner’s Box at a Mumbai Indians home game as part of a luxury holi d a y p a c k a g e f r o m t h

Formula One experience in

for the Wimbledon Men’s finals, and The Hundreds

Additionally, British Asian

y Perry contributed VIP concert tickets for her upcoming UK tour B r i t i s h A s i a n T r u s

CEO, Richard Hawkes said: “The money raised tonight will help keep children safe and in school, it will provide

and training to help them secure long-term employ-

work

” Since its 2007 founding, the British Asian Trust has positively impacted over 13 million people across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka In the past year, it

LiftEd, improving literacy

million in Pakistan, and

Dinner and Reception was

Arthanayake

Maha Shivaratri 2025: A night of devotion and spiritual awakening

Maha Shi varatri symboli ses

t hrough de voti on, f as tin g, a nd med itation

It is believed that on this sacred night, spiritual energies in the universe reach

t h e i r p e a k , m a k i n g i t a n ideal time for self-reflection and worship Unlike most Hindu festivals, which are celebrated during the day, Maha Shivaratri is uniquely observed at night, emphasising deep contemplation and inner transformation

S e v e r a l l e g e n d s h

g hlight the religious significance of Maha Shivaratri

A c c o r d i n g t o H i n d u mythology, Lord Shiva perf o r m e d t h e c o s m i c ' T a n d a v a ' d a n c e o n t h i s night, symbolizing creation, preservation, and destruction The festival also marks

the divine wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, making it especially signific

seeking a good life partner

As per the ‘Garuda Purana’, a hunter unknowingly wor-

S h

under a Bilva tree, leading to his spiritual liberation

Beyond its spiritual sig-

nificance, Maha Shivaratri

gather at temples or homes for collective prayers and rituals, strengthening social

highlight is the night-long

jans, and meditate in devo-

tion Just like in India, Maha Shivaratri is being celebrated by devotees across the UK The Brahma Kumaris will host ‘Maha Shivratri –Belonging to the One: A S

February 2025, from 3 PM at G

House, 65-69 Pound Lane, Willesden Green, London NW10 2HH Additionally, G H S

M

Shivaratri celebrations on 26th February 2025, starting at 9:30 AM, with morning aarti and concluding with evening aarti at 9:15 PM World Council Of Hindus (U K ) (VHP U K )- Bolton branch is organising Maha S

26th February The mandir opens at 8:00 am

Don't Be a Wetiko

Rohit Vadhwana

Have you heard of Wetiko? In Native American tradition, it is a malevolent spirit a monster that grows hungrier the more it consumes But unlike ordinary hunger, this creature is never satisfied The more it devours, the more insatiable it becomes This creature is cursed with a hunger that grows stronger the more it consumes No matter how much it gobbles up, it is never satisfied The more it takes, the more it craves Wait Does this sound familiar? Not in terms of food our bodies naturally limit how much we can eat But what about our hunger for possessions? Our greed for things? Unlike physical hunger, material desires are never truly satisfied The more we acquire, the more we crave We become a Wetiko in our pursuit of more one watch after another, one pair of shoes after another, and the cycle continues A girl gets a pink dress, then desires a green one, a black one, and another A man collects more shirts, more shoes, more ties Families want multiple cars and multiple houses

We live in a world obsessed with accumulation We chase after the latest phones, the trendiest clothes, and the biggest houses A person buys a watch and soon desires another, then another A woman gets a pink dress, but soon she wants a green one, a black one, and a dozen more to fill her closet A man collects more shoes, more ties, and more suits, convincing himself he needs them all Families strive for multiple cars, and multiple houses, convinced that security lies in excess Even the wealthy, who already have more than they could ever spend in a lifetime, continue to hoard riches as if they fear losing everything People accumulate wealth beyond what they could ever spend in a lifetime

This is the Wetiko mindset an endless cycle of wanting, taking, and still feeling empty The danger is that we often fail to recognize it in ourselves We justify our greed with logic: “I worked hard for this,” “I deserve it,” or “I’ll be happy once I have just a little more ” But happiness remains elusive No amount of wealth, possessions, or status can fill a hunger that only grows stronger with each indulgence

Do you find yourself always wanting more, never satisfied with what you already own? If so, you may have unknowingly become a Wetiko a prisoner of your own desires This relentless greed warps the mind, fostering selfishness and turning consumption into an end in itself But there is hope Awareness is the first step toward freedom Recognizing the Wetiko within us allows us to break free from its grip Instead of chasing more, we can learn to appreciate what we have Instead of endless accumulation, we can seek fulfilment in purpose, relationships, and experiences

Beware of the Wetiko within Do not let it consume y o u C h o o s e

Choose freedom over possession

(Expressed opinions are personal)

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hosts emotional tribute to Ustad Zakir Hussain

performing

sports can thrive on an international stage, uniting communities and inspiring future athletes

I’m excited to watch the sport grow both here and beyond ” The organisers highlighted that the support of British I

underscores the importance

itage while promoting inclusivity and athletic excellence T

Having played Kho in her youth, Raja expressed nostalgia seeing the sport’s competi t i v e r i s e a n d p r a i

g r o w t h o f t

w o m e n ’ s league, offering more opportunities for female athletes The organisers aim to expand the Dynamis MedTech Kho

P r e m i e r L e a g u e ' s r e a c h , ensuring Kho Kho continues to grow in recognition and respect in the UK

The Bhar atiya V idya Bhavan, London, paid heartf elt tr ibutes to the legendary Tab la m a e s t r o, U s t a d Z a ki r Hus sain, who pass ed awa y a few weeks ago Many individual s and event orga nis ers who had known Zakir bhai a nd his work for dec ades gathered to honour his le gac y Speakers who highlighte d U s t a d Z a k i r H u s s a i n ' s immeasurable contribution to music included Vibhakar B a x i , Y a v a r A b b a s , V i r a m Jasani, Ayub Aulia (Zakir's

(Zakir's elder sister), and Jay Visvadeva Each shared stories of how Zakir captivated audiences with his distinct i v e

The event, organised by T

e n H a

, w a s attended by around 200 art lovers It concluded with a heartfelt bhajan by students of Vidushi Chandrima Misra, followed by a tabla tribute from Pt Rajkumar Misra and his students

(L-R): British Asian Trust CEO Richard Hawkes Chairman Lord Jitesh Gadhia Rt Hon Wes Streeting Ed Westwick Amy Jackson Abhishek Bachchan Sir Sadiq Khan and British Asian Trust Executive Director Hitan Mehta

Artists

at the event

Shivani Raja

Gandhian Peace Society’s study sheds light on Hinduphobia and systemic challenges

I n a s i g ni f i ca nt st ep ,

Scotland’s Holyrood Cross-

P ar ty Gr o up ( C P G ) o n

C h a ll eng in g Ra c ia l a nd

Re li g i o u s P re j u d i ce h a s

m e nti ng an ti - Hi nd u d i scrim ination in S cotland

Titled ‘Hinduphobia in

d

Overcoming Prejudice’, the

d

Peace Society (GPS) is the f

recognised analysis of its kind, combining statistical d a t a w i t h f i

h

s

n d accounts from the Hindu community

P r e s e n t e d b y

A n u r a n j a n J h a ( G P S President), Dhruva Kumar, Sukhi Singh Bains, and Ajit Trivedi, with special input from Neil Lal (President of t h e I n d i a n C o u n c i l o f Scotland), the report was discussed at the CPG meet-

i n g c h a i r e d b y F o y s o l

Choudhary and convened

b y P r o f e s s o r P e t e r

H

i n c l u d e s r e p

e s e n t a t i v e s from the Jewish, Muslim, a n d H i n d u c o m m u n i t i e s

t u r a l dialogue on prejudice and religious discrimination

Hopkins praised the report

the Gandhian Peace Society for bringing Hinduphobia

lighted the everyday impact of Hinduphobia on workplaces, schools, and daily life Presented to the CPG on 23 January, the report reveals systemic challenges faced by Scotland's Hindu p

s up 0 3% of the 5 4 million r

include

56% surge in anti-

m 2019-2021, workplace dis-

l o w recruitment rates in public sectors, and social stigma,

with 16% of Scots expressing discomfort with a relative marrying a Hindu T h e G P S , a c h a r i t y f o u n d e d o n M a h a t m

Gandhi’s principles of nonviolence, worked with academics, interfaith leaders, and the Hindu community over eight months to compile the report, led by Prof D h r u v a K u m

, G P S

General Secretary Kumar emphasized that the report highlights not just data, but lived experiences of Hindus facing attacks and workplace bias The CPG hailed the study as a critical tool

commending its evidencebased approach The report proposes a four-pillar strat-

strengthen hate crime laws,

workplace policies for anti-

Bains stressed the need for collaboration, noting, “This isn’t a Hindu issue alone I

Scotland where diversity is protected ”

NHS launches first breast screening campaign to boost early cancer detection

T h e N H S in En g l a n d i s l a u n ch i n g i t s f ir s t - e v e r

bre ast scre en ing a war en ess

c a m p a i g n t o e n co u r a g e m or e wom en to at te nd life -

sa ving mamm og ram s Wit h

o v er 4 0 % (4 6 3%) of f ir st -

t ime invite es not respon d-

i ng , th e in it ia t ive a im s t o b oo s t e a r ly d e t e c t io n a n d i m p r o v e ou t c o m e s

Thousa nds mor e bre ast can -

ce rs could be caug ht e ar lier

n e x t y e a r a s p a r t o f t h i s

m ajor NHS drive

Backed by Breast Cancer

Now, the NHS is launching a major TV, radio, and online campaign to highlight the importance of breast screen-

i n g N e w e s t i m a t e s s h o w

that raising attendance to 80% in 2025/26 could screen

n e a r l y a m i l l i o n m o r e women, detecting over 7,500 additional early-stage cancers

Celebrities like Victoria Derbyshire, Julia Bradbury, and Shirley Ballas join cancer survivors, NHS staff, and TV doctors in sharing personal letters to reassure and encourage women to attend screenings

D a m e C a l l y P a l m e r , NHS national cancer direc-

t o r , s t r e s s e d t

s c

b y detecting cancer early, but many women hesitate due to b u s y l i v e s o r m i s c o n c e p -

t

NHS has launched its first-

t attendance, hoping real stories will reassure women and highlight the importance of early detection, which has

survival rates in England

D r L o u i s

W

k i n s o n , NHS breast screening advisor, urged women to engage

i t h s c r e e n i n g a n d o v e rcome concerns While atten-

d a n c e h a s i m p r o v e d s i n c e 2 0 2 0 / 2 1 , w i t h 4 3 m i

screened in 2022/23 (66 4% of those eligible), a third still

m

g to 46 3% for first-time invitees

Man defrauds council of £710k in 'Greggs' grant scam

A ftab Baig, 4 7, posed as a Gregg s prop erty manager to fraudu lently claim £71 0,0 00 i n sm all b u si n es s g ra nts fro m Leeds C ity C ouncil for

£90,000 recovered

found him guilty of three counts of fraud, with Leeds

actions "brazen and calculated " According to the

Business Grant Fund payments, which were deposited into his catering business account

The grant was part of a government scheme to support small businesses during the pandemic

W

flagged the fraud that

frozen, and Baig was arrested in Glasgow two months later

Police found £16,000 in cash at his home, along with

intended to use to recover the frozen funds

Glasgow Central Mosque granted category A listing

Gl asgow Centra l Mosque ha s official ly been design ated a s a Ca tegory A list ed building b y H is t o r ic En v i r o nm

Scot land (HES)

The listing includes the mosque ’ s iconic structure, its paved courtyard with a garden, as well as the surrounding boundary walls and railings However, the early 21st-

century hall addition to the southwest is excluded from the listing This recognition

s architectural and historical significance

, Director of Heritage at HES, s

Scotland’s Muslim commu-

" W

encourage feedback during

n d welcome information that enhances our understanding of the building and its use "

Mosque is a distinctive landmark, significant for both its architecture and its role in

Dhruva Kumar

Aftab Baig

A strong message to the POTUS: America needs resolve

First off, I have been constantly watching the news bites of all the tactics and antics of US President Donald Trump through English news channels like CNN In my strong opinion, none of them are in good taste As a matter of fact, there have been plenty of global issues looming larger than before From trade wars to tariff tangle, Trump is only trying to feed the media outlets one way or another How come he could stay at the helm of the world's richest country?

It is only time for him to mend his ways and manners in order to concentrate on the real issues facing the world and the US alike For instance, his administration would do well to pay serious attention to problems like flourishing gun culture across the American continent - the sooner the better

Geographically speaking, the world itself is the most

American region Speaking as a lover of history and geography, the entire American region is beautifully surrounded or bordered by rich countries such as Mexico, Canada and [beautiful continent] South America - all enriched by natural resources and rigorous agricultural activities In this context, the American government must try to make good relationships with these countries in order to mutually boost the regional economy

Next, the issue of climate change needs huge attention from each and everyone out there My native areas such as Korkai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and Marthandam in Tamil Nadu are in tremendous possession of natural resources such as rivers, seas, canals, agricultural fields, mountains, trees and plantations In a nutshell, these areas are home to rigorous farming activities that I always admire to the core Likewise, America is factually a nation enriched more by farming than anything else

For example, the first US President George Washington, his family and parents spent much of their time in the socalled Ferry Farm - a thriving plantation area This means agricultural activities have long been an integral part of America More recently, wildfires have engulfed most forest areas sprawling across Los Angeles Of course, such wildfire threats are a clear sign of the growing climate crisis Bereft of natural resources and farming, the USA will be nothing to the world Taking this serious message into account, the POTUS [President Of The United States] must take urgent and serious steps to uplift the agricultural sector across America

Finally, what if there is a repeat of the 2001 September 11 attacks? Trump could not [have handled either] handle such tragic situations as strongly as the former President George W Bush Better for Trump to learn good political, economic and social lessons from American historical books To top it all, the international community must come together to chalk out plans to resolve climate change issues and expand agricultural activities while considering remarkable ideas like free trade

P Senthil Sar avana D ur ai

Sanskrit

Sanskrit is not merely a language; it is the soul of India It is a repository of ancient wisdom that binds us through shared philosophies, values, and stories That which unites is

s t r e n g t h a n d t h a t w h i c h d i v i d e s i s w e a k n e s s L a t a Mangeshkar ji attributed her success & accurate pronunciation to learning Sanskrit Communication is done in the shortest way using Sanskrit Else why would NASA invest in the Sanskrit department?

TS Karthik

Renowned Mangalorean Konkani singer Helen D’Cruz, famous for the hit song ‘Ye Ye Katrina‘, passed away on Friday, February 14

Born in Africa, Helen’s musical journey began early, i n f l u e n c e d b y h e r v i o l i n i s t f a t h e r A f t e r m o v i n g t o Mumbai, she pursued journalism and worked for Eve’s W

Mangalorean female Konkani singer to be auditioned and selected by All India Radio

Her song ‘Ye Ye Katrina’ gained massive popularity in the 1970s and was played daily on AIR for over four years Helen also collaborated with Bollywood singer Hemant Kumar, releasing hits like 'Juliana' Some of Helen’s other w e l l - k n o w n s o n g s a r e ' M o l b a r C h a n d r e m ' , ' D a r y a c h a Larani', 'Kalzanth Ullas Borla', 'Garaso Divo', and 'Sanjecha Velar' Her success encouraged several male Konkani singers, including Alphonso D’Costa, Jerome D’Souza, Henry D’Souza, and Henry Moraes, to collaborate with her Married to Venantius D’Cruz in 1964, she later moved to Kuwait, balancing her banking career with music After the Gulf War, she returned to Mumbai

In the year 2020, she was honoured by the Sandesha Academy for her contributions to Konkani music Her body was laid to rest on February 15 at the Christian Cemetery, Bandra East, Mumbai She will forever be remembered as a legendary Mangalorean Konkani female singer May her soul rest in peace

J ubel D'Cru z

Church delays independent abuse-case system, angering victims

The Church of England’s synod has rejected an independent system for handling abuse cases, a move campaigners called a “punch in the gut for victims ”

Amid intense scrutiny, the General Synod voted to transfer central safeguarding chiefs to an independent body but delayed decisions on regional officers, citing the need for “further work ”

Victims’ groups had urged the Church of England to create a fully independent body to handle abuse allegations, moving all safeguarding officers out of church control

Professor Alexis Jay, who led the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, backed this, arguing the church could no longer be trusted to police itself The Bishop of Stepney, the church’s lead on safeguarding, also supported the move

After the vote, Jay said she was “ very disappointed,” saying it “misses the opportunity to improve” the system The General Synod had been given two proposals to consider

The first proposal aimed to transfer the central safeguarding team to an independent body while keeping regional staff within the church The second sought full independence for both However, the Bishop of Blackburn, Philip North, proposed an amendment supporting the first option while committing to explore the second’s legal feasibility The amendment passed overwhelmingly, 392 to 9

MPs push for more respectful debates in the Commons

A comm ittee of MPs h as called for action against booing and jeering in the House of Com mons to make debates m ore accessible

It also recommended scrapping "antiquated" jargon and gendered titles like "chairman" to foster inclusivity, as part of efforts to modernise parliamentary practices

The panel, also reviewing MPs' second job rules and codes of conduct, will meet next week to set its priorities Loud heckling, especially during PMQs, has long been a feature in the Commons, despite repeated attempts to curb it Former PM David Cameron once tried to end the "Punch and Judy" nature of PMQs, but later called it a vain hope

The Commons modernisation committee, led by Lucy Powell, is reviewing evidence on how to reform Parliament, including calls for limits on MPs' second job earnings and reduced government control over debates The women and equalities committee, chaired by Sarah Owen, called for an end to heckling, stating it has no place in any workplace, especially one under public scrutiny It also advocated for modernising language in the Commons, urging genderneutral terms like "chair" instead of "chairman" and clarifying that parliamentary staff costs should not be called "expenses" to prevent public confusion

The committee suggested better support for MPs with children, such as higher hotel budgets for dependents in London Other proposals include mandatory DBS checks, limits on second jobs, and greater control over debates for backbench MPs The Hansard Society also urged giving the Speaker power to summon MPs during recesses in emergencies

With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of

A m l a n i , f o r m e r l y o f K a m p a l a , Uganda, and a cherished resident of Hatch End, London He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones, on Sunday, 16th February 2025, at the age of 88

A kind-hearted soul, Shri Kantilal Amlani touched countless lives with his wisdom, compassion, and generosity He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him His legacy of love and service will forever remain in our hearts

The ABPL Family joins in paying homage to this noble soul

Shok Sabha (Prayer Meeting)

Date: Friday, 21st February 2025

Time: 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Venue: Dhamecha Lohana Centre

Rasiklal Chhotalal Kantaria Hall Brember Road, South Harrow HA2 8AX Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti

K A P I L’S K H I C H A D I Islamic Republic of GB?

For m ore than a decade I have been exposing the s ystem atic and continuous rise of the Is lam is t power bas e in the UK In the early days , when Labour wa s in power , I rec all m emb ers of the Labour party t elling me I was wrong In f act, they went out of their way telling m e how wonderful Is lamis ts wer e and tha t they were f riends to Jews, Hindus and Sikhs

Every year since, I have expressed my concern with how our nation, and the politicians on the left have allowed the Islamists to gather strength

When the Tories came to power, I reminded them of the same And whilst many of them concurred with my analysis, when it came to taking real action – they failed I told them time and again, their stupidity in pursing the Muslim vote bank was not just ludicrous, but that they were being played into appeasement mode I remember one conversation with a leading Tory politician when I told him with 100% certainty, that no matter what the Tories did, most of the Muslim vote bank will remain with Labour I give credit to David Cameron who at least made an effort to open the pathway for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, along with the Jewish community to be more inclusive within the Tory party This was a great start, but it fell short because the power networks of the Islamists were never challenged or broken up Let’s not forget, like Labour, many Tory politicians also turned a blind eye to the rampant violent sexual abuse of white vulnerable girls by Pakistani grooming gangs They had the power and the mandate to make British law the only law that counts in the UK Instead, they wasted it on internal Tory conflict

The Tories took a monumental beating at the general election because they forgot what it is to be a one nation Tory

In the meantime, the Islamist control over the Labour party was getting stronger, as was their control over many of our institutions Several decades of systematic infiltration, and the use of billions of pounds from foreign entities to entice people in power, and today we stand on the cusp of them controlling the narrative

Can you imagine we now live a country where everyone knows Pakistani grooming gangs are rampant in their abuse of white vulnerable girls, yet Keir Starmer and the Labour party still refuse to instigate a full statutory public inquiry into it Let me spell it out, the lack of an inquiry is to protect people in our institutions and some Labour politicians from being found out for being complicit in this sorry saga

Can you imagine we live in a country where Islamists engaged in hate marches right across our major cities in support of Palestinian Hamas terrorists Protected by the cops!

Can you imagine we live in a country where politicians and our public servants allowed the genocide of Jews and the HMD to be hijacked by Islamists for equivalence

Can you imagine we live in a country where the official church spends more time appeasing to Islamists, then in searching for the truth and in protecting the vulnerable

Can you imagine we live in a country where our own police will arrest and prosecute a citizen for daring to expose Islamists, but will allow Islamists to desecrate our community spaces with no action taken against them

Can you imagine we live in a country where the Prime Minister and his ministerial stooges have now established a ‘Council on Islamophobia’ with a remit to create a definition for Islamophobia that will then become government policy All the while knowing that the Labour party has already adopted a corrupt definition of Islamophobia

Can you imagine we live in a country that allows the likes of the ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ and their many manifestations to be legitimate whilst nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE have banned them!

Amjad Taha, a commentator on the Middle East recently said, ‘I think you have more extremists in the UK than you have in the Middle East

In my view some of the community organisations and religious places in the UK are no more than breeding grounds for extremists to recruit and brainwash home grown youth Extremists don’t have to enter the UK now; it seems we are making them in the UK These sleeper cells will bite one day soon

I have spoken to many from the Muslim community who are also very worried One of them told me that at this rate he would not be too surprised if in the next few decades, we become the ‘Islamic Republic of GB’ I suspect they said it more out of frustration but given the unrelenting power grab by Islamists in every sector of British society, one wonders how true that statement might be in the future

One thing I am certain about, the Labour party and Labour politicians are putty in the hands of Islamists And therein we have the Islamist trojan horse doing its work u n d e r t

– all paid for by the taxpayer

This nation is no longer sleepwalking into this homegrown mess, it is doing so with eyes wide open

Kapil Dudakia

RIP Helen D'Cruz

Shri Kantilal Jivandas

Lord Mayor of London visits Mumbai to boost growth

Alderm an A lastair King, the 69 6t h L o r d M ayo

London, is visiting Mum bai as part of his first trip to Ind ia in his role as the global am bassad or fo r the C ity of London

W

Unleashed" as his mayoral theme, the former lawyerbusinessman aims to build

month to relaunch the UKIndia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) T

After a lull in pushing the Free Trade Agreement forward, I'm pleased Minister

Reynolds is heading to India

too

a

freer capital flows between the UK and India

Meetings with financial firms will offer insights into their expectations from the FTA talks As a key growth sector for both the UK and India, financial services benefit from trade facilitation, including business mobility and investment protection

Corporation, which governs

maintains

representative

with India’s financial sector

infrastructure, financial services, and legal services

British trade officials, key Indian banks, and regula-

His visit to Mumbai

U K

o global markets, attract for-

NHS Physiotherapist to MP

Sonia Kumar’s path to political advocacy

Subhasini Naicker

Sonia Kum ar, a Bri tish Lab our Party politi cia n, has represen te d Dudley in Parlia ment s inc e 2 024 B efore her politic al c areer, she worked as a n NHS phys iotherapist Speaki ng to As ian Voic e, Sonia disc usses her j ourn ey in to politi cs, be ing ethni c m inority and m uc h more

Whataims to showcase the UK's dynamic financial and pro-

boost trade and investment between the two nations, and reinforce the UK’s posi-

financial hub

UK to appoint first Windrush Commissioner

Th e UK H o me O ffi ce is

r e cr u it i n g a W in d

u sh Commissioner to ensure an independe nt voice for affe cted commun it ie s

M

Malhotra, called it a key step

a d v o c a t i n g for victims, driving change, and holding the government accountable

Home Secretary Yvette

C o o p e r a n d M a l h o t r a pledged to work closely with

t h e a p p o i n t e d

C o m m i s s i o n e r t o p r e v e n t future injustices and restore dignity to those affected

As part of its Plan for Change, the Labour government pledges closer engage-

m e n t w i t h c o m m u n i t i e s a f f e c t e d b y p a s t s c a n d a l s

While the Windrush scandal primarily impacted those of

C a r i b b e a n h e r i t a g e , m a n y

I n d i a n a n d S o u t h A s i a n i m m i g r a n t s a l s o f a c e d wrongful denial of citizen-

ship rights

Labour aims to honour

Windrush Commissioner by summer, following a rigor-

lasting reform

Jeremy Crook OBE, CEO of Action for Race Equality, emphasised the need for a W

victims, advocate for communities, and hold the government accountable The Commissioner will serve as an independent voice, advis-

schemes, and ensuring the Windrush Lessons Learned

g with victims and stakeholders, the role aims to drive lasting change and restore justice

Windrush Unit, overseeing the government's response and driving cultural change

Secretary Yvette Cooper outlined plans to reset the government's approach, pledging £1 5 million in grants to help victims access compensation

The Home Office reaffirmed its commitment to learning from the Windrush generation and Commonwealth communities to ensure their voices are heard

Gen Z embrace marriage, reject casual relationships

Nearly two- thirds of y oung

a d u l ts s e e ma rr i a g e a s i m po r t a n t , w i t h G e n Z adopti ng a mor e trad itional stan ce on relation shi ps than their paren ts The ‘Times’ Generation Z study found that only a fifth of 18 to 27-year-olds viewed marriage as “irrelevant,” while a third pref e r r e d c o u p l e s t o m a r r y before having children

T h e r e s e a r c h s h o w e d t h a t y o u n g a d u l t s t o d a y w e r e m o r e i n f a v o u r o f m a r r i a g e t h a n y o u n g adults 20 years ago, when almost twice the proport i o n 3 9 p e r c e n t t h o u g h t m a r r i a g e t o b e irrelevant

Today a 65-year-old is almost as likely to believe that marriage is irrelevant as someone in their early twenties

T h e T i m e s s u r v e y ’ s findings on casual relationships showed a big change over the past two decades: Gen Z was far more conservative than the millennial g e n e r a t i o n t h a t c a m e before it

Only 23 per cent of 18 to 27-year-olds said their friends commonly had sex on a one-night stand a steep fall from the 78 per c e n t o f m i l l e n n i a l s w h o said yes to that question 20 years ago

Harry Benson, research

d i r e c t o r a t t h e M a r r i a g e Foundation, sees Gen Z’s support for marriage as a backlash against the laissez-faire attitudes of previous generations He noted that while love, cohabitation, and parenthood were once seen as enough, Gen Z is pushing back While commitment through marriage strengthens relationships, he pointed out the gap between aspiration and r e a l i t y l o w e r - i n c o m e g r o u p s a r e l e s s l i k e l y t o marry due to disincentives i n t h e b e n e f i t s s y s t e m

Despite their conservatism on sex and marriage, young people today are more liberal on transgender rights

inspired you to pursue a career in public service?

I wasn’t initially involved in politics; I’m an NHS physiotherapist and worked at the Guest Hospital in Dudley

During my time there, I grew frustrated as I realised we couldn't refer patients to essential services like orthopaedics, rheumatology, pain clinics, or mental health support due to long waiting lists I began to see that the system wasn’t functioning properly, and that was a turning point for me

As a frontline worker, I felt it was important to understand the issues and concerns at the grassroots level to create policies that truly reflect the needs of the people The NHS is full of capable individuals with immense goodwill, but when the services around us aren't in place, it becomes impossible to provide the care we want to give This is where the workforce struggles, as we ’ re not able to recruit effectively, and that’s a systemic issue

On a personal level, my biggest inspiration comes from the women in my family my mom and my sister They have always been my guiding force, supporting me in my political journey and always reminding me that women can achieve anything My mom ’ s advice has always been, "Don’t let defeat stop you " Their strength has been a constant source of motivation for me

Asa member of an ethnic minority community, how do you feel your background influences your approach to policy-making and your work in Parliament?

Growing up above my parents' greengrocer shop, I was deeply influenced by their dedication to community service and the importance of giving back As a Sikh, I embrace the values of selfless service and compassion, which have guided me throughout my career as

a physiotherapist and now as a Member of Parliament These principles have shaped my approach to patient care and my commitment to serving the community

Being an ethnic minority is just one aspect of who I am I don't let it define me; instead, I celebrate the diverse roles I play as a woman, a physiotherapist, an NHS worker, and a politician My family instilled in me the importance of embracing all facets of my identity and contributing meaningfully to society

As a Member of Parliament, I am dedicated to promoting equality and social justice, core values of Sikhism My focus is on addressing healthcare disparities, especially among women and ethnic minorities, to ensure equitable access to quality care Inspired by a desire to make a tangible

over 600,000 children and one million pensioners lifted out of poverty, alongside the introduction of the child tax credit, providing increased financial support to parents

However, meaningful change requires time, especially when addressing the substantial £22 billion financial deficit we inherited Just as households must prioritize essential expenses during challenging times, we are meticulously reviewing budgets to ensure that our investments yield the most significant impact Our government is dedicated to revitalising the National Health Service (NHS) and enhancing education In the Autumn Budget 2024, we allocated an additional £25 7 billion to the NHS over two years the most significant increase since 2010, excluding COVID19 periods This investment aims to reduce waiting times by facilitating an extra 40,000 elective appointments weekly In education, we are implementing free breakfast clubs in every primary school to ensure children start their day with a nutritious meal However, schools have expressed concerns that the allocated 60p per pupil per day may be insufficient, potentially

"Our dedication to implementing policies that promote equity and provide a solid foundation for all citizens remains steadfast."

difference, I strive to break down barriers so all communities receive the attention they deserve Representing Dudley, I am proud to serve our diverse and vibrant community, believing that by embracing our differences and working together, we can build a more inclusive and equitable society for all

Many voters supported Labour, but concerns have arisen over policy reversals on winter fuel payments, tax hikes, and recent gift scandals Do you believe the public would still trust Labour if another election were held?

As a government committed to transformative change, we have a proud history of lifting individuals out of poverty and reducing unemployment

Our previous tenure saw

impacting teaching budgets While these initiatives mark significant progress, we recognise ongoing challenges Our goal is to position the UK as the fastest-growing G7 country, which requires substantial investments in infrastructure, robust trade agreements, and fostering innovation to enhance our global competitiveness

The journey to rectify years of underfunding and systemic issues is complex and cannot be resolved overnight

Nonetheless, our dedication to implementing policies that promote equity and provide a solid foundation for all citizens remains steadfast Our ultimate goal is to leave the nation in a more prosperous and equitable state than when we assumed office

Sonia Kumar

Alderman Alastair King

Seema Malhotra

Immigration debate

Fearmongering or policy reform?

The footage, shared on social media by user @forsyth gabby, quickly went viral In the video, the unidentified man aggressivel y a c c u s e d h e r o f b e i n g " i n

c a h o o t s w i t h c u r r e n t i m m i -

g r a n t s " W h e n c h a l l e n g e d , h e responded, "You're in England! You re claiming something! You wouldn’t be in England if you weren’t claiming! If you weren’t

c l a i m i n g , t h e n y o u w o u l d b e back wherever you are "

He then went on to justify

B r i t i s h c o l o n i a l i s m , s t a t i n g , "English people have never done anything apart from conquering the world and then giving it back to you We conquered India, we didn’t want it We gave it back to you, did we not?"

T h e i n c i d e n t h a s s p a r k e d widespread outrage, with social m e d i a u s e r s c o n d e m n i n g t h e man ’ s xenophobic remarks and calling for action against racist abuse in public spaces and this is not an isolated incident

Political rh etoric fuelling the fire

Political figures have further inflamed these sentiments Nigel

F a r a g e r e c e n t l y c l a i m e d t h a t

white Britons are becoming a

m i n o r i t y , c i t i n g m i s l e a d i n g statistics: only 37% of London’s, 43% of Birmingham’s, and 49% of Manchester’s populations are w h i t e H o w e v e r , a q u i c k research will help you under-

s t a n d t h e d e e p e r n a r r a t i v e behind these claims

Meanwhile, the Labour government has framed immigration as the root cause of the country’s issues Rising crime?

I m m i g r a n t s a r e t o b l a m e Unemployment? Immigrants are taking jobs meant for Britons

This narrative, repeated across political discourse, exacerbates t e n s i o n s T h e c o n s e r v a t i v e stance is also pretty clear with all the Rwanda scheme and Kemi Badenoch’s different proposals every week

D r Rak es h R anj a n, S o u th A si a Re g i o nal C o o r d i nat o r a t Institute of Human Rig hts and B u s in es s c o m m e n t e d o n t h e framing of immigrants in public

d i s c o u r s e s t a t i n g , " M i g r a t i o n was one of the most debated

issues in last year ’ s elections

Instead of politicising immigration, a balanced discourse is necessary one that acknowledges both the challenges of immigration and the vital role migrant workers play in sustaining key industries and economic growth

Shifting the narrative requires

a c c u r a t e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n i n media and policies that reflect the reality of migrant contributions, rather than stoking public fear

H e a l s o e m p h a s i s e d t h e responsibility of both home and h o s t c o u n t r y g o v e r n m e n t s

"Governments cannot deny the role of migrants in shaping their social, cultural, and economic landscapes The UK and South

A s i a n g o v e r n m e n t s s h o u l d implement policies to protect migrant workers' rights, such as t h e E m p l o y e r P a y s P r i n c i p l e , reasonable visa regulations, and adequate enforcement mechanisms", he said

S ectors imp acted by immig ration policies

M a n y U K i n d u s t r i e s r e l y heavily on immigrant workers, particularly in healthcare, construction, hospitality, technology, and agriculture Yet, restrict i v e i m m i g r a t i o n p

l i c i e s a r e making it increasingly difficult for these skilled professionals to sustain their livelihoods in the UK

Dr Ranjan highlighted the risks, "Industries such as healthcare, hospitality, and construction heavily depend on migrant workers, particularly from South Asia By making legal migration more difficult, these policies risk pushing workers into irregular o r e x p l o i t a t i v e r e c r u i t m e n t channels, increasing vulnerabili-

ty to abuse and unfair working c o n d i t i o n s E m p l o y e r s w i l l struggle to meet labour demands and may resort to informal hiring practices, further weakening r e g u l

recruitment standards

aligning UK immigration policies with labour market needs and worker rights

The UK’s immigration system has made it increasingly dif-

ficult for research institutions to compete for international talent as well A July 2024 analysis by Cancer Research UK found that rising visa costs have placed a significant burden on its four i n

, Manchester, Scotland, and the Francis Crick Institute

E m m a C a tte rm o le , p o l i cy adv iso r in C ancer Research UK's science p olicy team and the analyst behind the report, explained, "

much it was costing the institutes we fund directly to support researchers with visa expenses

costs unaffordable, needing to p a y t h o u

n d s o f p o u n d s upfront just to apply for a visa "

She highlighted the impact of recent government policies s t a t i

government s increases in both u p

h e Immigration Health Surcharge, the annual cost to our institutes was set to rise from £477,244 to £ 6 8 7 , 6 7 4 a s t a g g e r i n g 4 4 % increase in just one year That’s money that could have funded more life-saving research "

Despite a change in government, the UK remains uncompetitive in attracting top scientific talent Cattermole warned,

Campus diversity staff costs soar

fairness, diversity, and improved s

e n t o u t c o m e s H o w e v e r , critics, including the Taxpayers’ Alliance, argue that public funds are being wasted on ineffective and unnecessary positions

"The UK has the most expensive visa regime in the world for scientists, making it a less attractive destination compared to other l e a d i n g r e s e a r c h n a t i o n s T h e

Global Talent visa, designed to attract exceptional researchers, now costs 1,583% more than the average researcher visa in other top science destinations Unless visa fees are reduced, we will continue to struggle to attract world-class scientists "

The construction industry is a l s o s t r u g g l i n g w i t h s e v e r e labour shortages due to restrict i v e i m m i g r a t i o n p o l i c i e s , p u t

Starmer’s pledge to “get Britain

Contributing £110 billion (6% of GDP) and employing 2 5 million people, the sector relies heavily o n m i g r a n t w o r k e r s t o m e e t demand

Similarly, the NHS and social care sectors depend on foreign workers: 28% of NHS nurses, 3 5 % o f d o c t o r s , a n d 3 2 % o f English social care workers are immigrants Despite this, a 2023 policy barred migrant care workers from bringing dependents, leading to a sharp decline in visas

A s a r e s u l t , t h e U K f a c e s 130,000 vacancies in social care, and 1 in 7 NHS beds remains occupied by patients who cannot be discharged due to a lack of available care

D r R a n j a n a d d e d , " M a n y migrant workers face challenges d u r i n g r e c r u i t m e n t R e c e n t w o r k f o r c e s h o r t a g e s d u e t o Brexit and the war in Ukraine have led the UK government to r e g u l a t e i m m i g r a t i o n m o r e strictly, often conflicting with t h e n e e d s o f b u s i n e s s e s t h a t require workers

“The recent UK immigration policies have made it more difficult for South Asian workers to a

portionately impacting those in

o f e

n g responsible recruitment, these policies push workers towards illegal migration channels and potentially exploitative employment arrangements "

I N B R I E F

HOME OFFICE VISA DELAYS LEAVE MIGRANTS IN LIMBO

Thousands of migrant workers face prolonged uncertainty each year due to visa processing delays, newly released figures reveal Home Office data, obtained through freedom of information laws, highlights the scale of the issue for those moving to the UK for work Between 2017 and 2023 over 400 000 Skilled Worker (Tier 2) visa applications exceeded the government’s processing target eight weeks for applications made within the UK and three weeks for those from abroad Among these 129 945 delays were unexplained, while 299,836 were classified as complex cases, exempting them from standard processing times Health and social care visas were similarly affected, with 70,275 applications missing the deadline since 2020, and another 29,586 deemed complex and exempt The delays come at a time when the NHS is struggling with persistent staff shortages As of September 2024, there were 107,865 vacancies in secondary care, according to the British Medical Association (BMA)

DROP IN OVERSEAS STUDENTS THREATENS UNIVERSITIES

A decline in international student visa applications is deepening financial concerns for England s universities, higher education sources warn Despite this year’s tuition fee increase for UK students to £9,535 the first in eight years universities remain in crisis, with course closures and redundancies looming Rising employer national insurance contributions have left many institutions worse off overall, while some can only apply the fee hike to new students “The increase was welcomed but has mostly been wiped out ” a senior source said Official data shows study visa applications fell 13% in the past year largely due to restrictions on student dependents Universities rely on overseas student fees to subsidise domestic courses and research, with funding gaps of £5 3bn for research and £1 7bn for teaching growing annually Vicechancellors are pushing back against policies restricting international students, as public sentiment remains largely supportive of their presence in the UK

Most in UK support international student migration

A new stud y by British Future reveals th at 61% of Britons suppo rt m aintaining or increasing current lev els of international student m igration, with o nly 27% fav ouring a red uctio n d esp ite international students comp rising around 4 0% of total U K imm igration

T h e r e

Staying: Public Attitudes Towards I n

n

t i o n a

S

, h i

h t s the economic benefits of international students It found that 59% of r e s p o n d e n t s b e l i e v

u n i v e r s i t i e s would struggle financially without higher fees from international stud e n t s , w h i l e

economy However, some expressed concerns about housing pressures in areas with large student populations The findings align with previous

polling by ICM in 2014, where 59% opposed cutting international student numbers The latest survey, c o n

that while public awareness of international student migration remains limited, overall support is strong She emphasised the need for universities to address housing concerns while ensuring home students are not disadvantaged

The study also found that many Britons see international students as beneficial, with focus group participants highlighting their role in supporting local businesses and helping

domestic students

Emma Cattermole

Dr Rakesh Ranjan

Honouring farmers: A documentary on the backbone of society

Subhasini Naicker

Bal Pa dda's f amily has deep agricu ltu ra l roo ts , ori gi n al ly f ro m Punj ab, Indi a His documentary, ‘It s a Pun jabi Farm Inni t – A Story of Strawberries , Faith, and Farm i ng

, fol lows the M a kha n Si n g h P

fr om I n di a t o Worc e

er sh ir e, where they have grown s trawberries and ras pb erries sinc e the 1990s

Set in the idyllic countryside near Evesham, the film showcases the family’s dedication, the s k i l

Punjabi soundtrack sung by one of them Each part runs for 13 minutes, with an interval The

February at The Regal Cinema in E v e s h a m , h i g h l i g h t i n g f a i t h , resilience, and an unwavering belief in the power of hard work

Speaking to Asian Voice about the inspiration behind the documentary, Bal said, “Farming has been at the heart of Punjab, India, and continues to be a defining part of our identity, even as many Punjabis migrate to countries like the UK I want to tell the story of our roots, our struggles, and our perseverance My mini-documentary serves as an introduct i o n t o t h i s n a r r a t i v e f o r audiences in the UK It highl i g h t s t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f farming, the hardships faced by farmers, and their unwavering dedication ”

“The beauty of India lies in its passion, faith, and love Visiting Punjab and witnessing the lives of farmers firsthand has deepened my understanding of where I come from It has reinforced the importance of honouring our roots and sharing this story with the world,

Romance and culture collide in ‘Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical’

Jena Pandya and Ashley Day star as Simran and Rog in ‘ Com e Fall in Lov e – The DDLJ Musical’, a new comedy based on the Bo llyw ood cl as s ic ‘ Di lw ale D u lh a ni a L e Jayenge’ The sho w premieres in th e U K at M a nc h es te r Op er a Ho use fro m 29 May to 21 June 2025 Jena Pandya (‘Bhangra Nation, Mamma Mia!’) said: “I’m thrilled to play Simran in ‘Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical’ This story holds deep meaning for so many, and bringing it to life on stage in Manchester is a joy The original film is woven into India’s cultural fabric, and it’s an honor to be part of its legacy ”

ed multiple times with director Andy Fickman, including her role a s A r l e n e i n ‘ 1 3 G o i n

e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e U K o f t e n referred to as the "Garden of England " If you search online, you’ll find little representation of Asian farmers or British Asian farmers Yet, farmers across the world are the backbone of society, ensuring that people are fed They work tirelessly, often missing festivals like Eid, Baisakhi, and Christmas, as well as person-

al milestones births, birthdays, and weddings all to keep food on our tables,” he added Cultural and economic challenges being South Asian farmer Bal emphasised the cultural

Britain He said, “Farming is in my roots When you come from a farming family, you face many c

them stand in your way you push forward Many people don’t

their identity When you truly e

become part of a community t

resilience, and hard work ”

“I hope that one day, people in India and around the world will see this documentary It offers a unique pers p e c t i v e o n e t h a t h a s n ’ t been explored enough If you look at farming programs in the UK, they rarely feature A s i a n f a r m e r s T h i s d o c umentary is our take on that reality, bringing much-needed representation and insight into the lives of British Asian a n d I n d i a n f a r m e r s , ” h e added

B a l s t r e s s e d t h a t w h i l e

c l i m a t e c h a n g e i s a m a j o r c h a l l e n g

e v e n g r e

issue is the world’s neglect of farmers He emphasised that g o v e r n m e n t s h a v e o v e r -

l o o k e d t h e i r s t r u g g l e s , despite their vital role in our survival He said, “Just like we sometimes take our mothers for granted, we have taken farmers for granted too They may not have the highest-paying jobs or the most glamorous lives, but despite every obstacle, they continue to feed 8 billion people That in itself is incredible The r e a l c h a l l e n g e i s n ’ t j u s t t h e changing climate it’s the fact t h a t g o v

r n m e n t s w o r l d w i d e have forgotten to take care of those who take care of us It’s time to remember our farmers, to respect and support them, just as we would our own mothers

General Market, hosting

Poultry Market, featuring a learning centre, temporary exhibitions, and collection stores, will follow in 2028

Another Banksy animal piece a painting of a goat on a ledge was removed earlier this month from a building near Kew Bridge, west London The building's

& C

, stated the removal was necessary for refurbishment to ensure the property's long-term future The artwork's future location remains unknown

Ashley Day (‘An American in Paris, Dynasty’) added: "Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical’ is a t r u e r o m a n t i c c o m e d y f u n n y , heartfelt, and rich in culture It beautifully blends musical theatre with Punjabi pop, something I’ve never seen on stage At its core, it’s about family, love, and fighting for what truly matters true, honest love In today’s world, that message feels more relevant than ever I’m excited to bring Rog to life on stage " Jena Pandya recently starred in ‘Bhangra Nation’ at Birmingham R e p , e a r n i n g r a v

s

Previously, she played Sophie in ‘Mamma Mia!’ and has collaborat-

Ashley Day is an actor, singer, and dancer known for his leading performances in both the UK and the USA On screen, Ashley can be seen as a recurring character, Colin M c N

Dynasty (Netflix) ‘Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ

‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ for the stage Set in the UK and India,

English songs, blending cultures in a fresh take on the beloved roman-

running film in Indian cinema, has played continuously in Mumbai since 1995

Birmingham Rep brings ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ to the stage

Birmingham Rep has announced the cast for ‘A Tho usand S plendid Su ns ’ , U rs ula Rani S arm a ’ s play based on K haled Hosseini’s bestselling sequel to ‘Th e K ite Runner’

The production runs from 11 April to 3 May 2025

Roxana Silbert, who directed the play’s acclaimed European premiere at The Rep in 2019, returns to helm this new production She said: "I'm delighted to be back at B i r m i n g h a m R e p a n d r e v i s i t i n g this beautiful adaptation This new production reflects the ongoing struggles of Afghan women now more urgent than ever " T h e c a s t i n c l u d e s D a v i d

A h m

Jagpal, Jonas Khan, Jonny Khan, N o a h M a n z o o r , P e y v a n d

S a d e g h i a n , T a h i r S h a h , a n d Humera Syed The creative team features Set & C o s t u m e D e s i g n e r S i m o n

K e n n y , L i g h t i n g D e s i g n e r M a t t

H a s k i n s , S o u n d D e s i g n e r C l i v e Meldrum, Composer Elaha Soroor, Movement Director Kuldip Singh

B a r m i , F i g h t D i r e c t o r s R a c h i d

S a b i t r i & J e s s i c a H r a b o w s k y , Casting Director Helena Palmer, and Assistant Director Massi Safa

Bridget Jones’ return set a r ecord f or the best UK and Ireland box office open ing f or a r om ant ic com e dy, says Universal ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’, Renée Zellweger’s fourth outing as the beloved diarist, earned £11 8m in its first four days, breaking the UK rom-com record It surpassed ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’ (2004), which took £10m t h o u g h w o r t h m o r e t o d a y w i t h inflation

‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the B o y ’ o u t p e r f o r m e d ‘ C a p t a i n

Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling novel follows three generations of women finding strength in unity I n w a r - t o r n 1 9 9 2 A f g h a n i s t a n , o r p h a n e d L a i l a i s t a k e n i n b y Rasheed as his second wife, forcing his first wife, Mariam, into a tense rivalry As the Taliban seize cont r o l , s u r v i v a l b e c o m e s a f i g h t against starvation and brutality A m i d t h e t u r m

Laila form

unlikely bond, proving that love and resilience endure even in the darkest times Playwright Ursula Rani Sarma described ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ as a tribute to the strength and resilience of women, high-

those they love She emphasised how love can flourish even in the

human spirit through pain and

and

offering

powerful message for contemporary audiences “There is beauty and strength at the heart of ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns,’ and I am proud to be part of its journey from novel to stage,” she said

America: Brave New World’ in the UK but won’t hit cinemas in North America, where it’s streaming on Peacock Its UK-Ireland debut was the biggest of 2024 so far but traili n g ‘ D e a d p o o l & W o l v e r i n e ’ , ‘Wicked’, and ‘Moana 2 ’ I n t h e f o u r t h i n s t a l l m e n t , Bridget Jones, now a widowed sing l e m o t h e r , j u g g l e s p a r e n t h o o d , work, and modern dating As she reenters the dating scene, she faces a choice between a charming younger man (Leo Woodall) and her son's science teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor)

Makhan Singh Padda (centre) with his family members at the premiere

Starmer calls for US 'backstop' in Ukraine deal

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted th at any peace deal for U kraine must includ e a US backstop to deter furth er Russian aggression

Speaking after an urgent meeting with European leaders in Paris, the prime minister stressed that a "US security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia" and confirmed he would discuss the "key elements" of a potential peace agreement with US President Donald Trump

agreement is secured

in Washington next week

Starmer reiterated his willingness to consider deploying UK troops to Ukraine if a lasting peace

However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed the idea of troop commitments as "completely premature "

Acknowledging the scale of the security threat posed by Russia, Starmer said Europe "must do more" to defend the continent

While he did not clarify what a "backstop" would entail, his allies suggested it could involve air support, logistics, and intelligence-sharing

The meeting at the Élysée Palace was called amid concerns over the Trump administration’s

decision to initiate peace talks with Russia, set to begin in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, without European involvement

Starmer was joined by the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, along with European Council President Charles Michel and NATO

Secretary General Mark Rutte Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Kyiv was unaware of the Saudi talks and would not recognise any agreement made without its participation

US officials have indicated that while European nations will be consulted on negotiations, they will not play a direct role

Met Police officer fired, banned for racism

A Metr opolit an Police offi-

ce r, PC Sha un Dav ies, h as bee n dismissed an d ban ned

f r o m p o li ci n g fo llo w in g a m i sco n du ct h e a r in g o n 13 Fe br uary

P C D a v i e s , w h o w

a s s i g n e d t o t h e C e n t r a l North Command Unit, was found to have made racially offensive and discriminatory comments to a colleague in

D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 H e a l s o pulled her hair without consent

In addition, in June 2010, Davies was found to have

made a racially prejudiced g e s t

Carter, responsible for the C

" T h e behaviour displayed by PC

S h a u n D a v i e s i s w h o l l y unacceptable We are comm i t t e d t

actions have consequences, a

such views is not fit to serve in our organisation It’s right that he has been dismissed

with immediate effect " PC Davies was found to have violated the Standards o f P r o f

, p a r t i c u l a r l y i n r e l a t i o n t o equality and diversity As a result, he will be added to the barred list maintained by the College of Policing, preventing him from working w i t h a n y p o l i c e f o r c e o r related agencies, including the Independent Office for P o l i c e C o n d

Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services

Uxbridge shop selling illicit tobacco, e-cigs suspended

A West Lo nd on off-licence, K haneja Fo od & Booze on U xbrid ge Hig h S treet, has h ad i ts li cenc e su sp end ed f o r tw o m o nth s by H i ll in g d o n C o u nc il a ft er m ultiple breaches of licensing reg ulatio ns T

Tory councils reject Sadiq Khan's inclusion charter

Th ree Tory-led co uncils, Bromley, Harro w, and H ill ing d o n, h av e refused to sign up to the ‘Inclusion Charter’ l

Sadiq K han, aim

in London

T

r encourages schools to limit exclusions and suspensions, with the aim

However, one year after its launch, these councils have declined to endorse the initiative, although Bexley is in the final stages of signing up

The Inclusion Charter focuses on addressing the causes of school exclusions, with the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) arguing that removing students from school increases the likelihood of them turning to crime Despite support from 18 councils at launch, primarily Labour-run, the charter has faced criticism from Conservative circles, with some arguing that reducing exclusions could exacerbate violence

The charter does not advocate for zerotolerance exclusions but allows schools to d e c

Meanwhile, the VRU has secured a £9 4m investment from the Home Office to support its violence prevention programs

Secret footage reveals far-right

group prepping for 'race war’

A wh ite sup remacist g rou p, posing as a fitness club, h as been secretly working to build a farright militia, holding training sessions in plain sigh t

An undercover investigation by ITV News has exposed how "Active Club England" follows a blueprint set by neo-Nazi networks in the US and Europe Using extreme fitness and fraternity as a cover, the group recruits and radicalises members for a so-called "race war " ITV News revealed that the group ’ s recruitment drive, following the 2024 summer riots, attracted dozens of new members

Taking advantage of social unrest, it grew to over 100 members, with one branch in Vauxhall, south London, starting fortnightly t r a i n i n g s e s s i o n s n e a r M I 6 h e a d q u a r t

Among its new recruits is Jay Barlow, a con-

December after serving time for a knife attack Despite being on probation and attending a r

knowledge of the group when confronted

HEATHROW UNVEILS MULTIBILLIONPOUND EXPANSION

Heathrow Airport has announced a multibillion-pound investment as it begins work on a third runway CEO Thomas Woldbye revealed plans to fund upgrades and expansions including increasing the capacity of Terminals 2 and 5 reconfiguring the airfield layout and enhancing bus and coach connections This announcement follows support for a third runway from Chancellor Rachel Reeves in a growth-focused speech last month The Business Department emphasised that the expansion would involve new terminal buildings, aircraft stands, passenger infrastructure, and efforts toward a third runway Heathrow plans to submit a formal proposal for the additional runway within the coming months, suggesting confidence in securing both approval and funding The government has stated that the investment is expected to create thousands of British steel jobs driven by increased demand for UK-made steel

SADIQ KHAN DEFENDS FARE DODGING FINES

Sir Sadiq Khan has praised the increased penalty fines for fare evasion, calling them an "effective deterrent " He noted that fare evasion on London s transport network is still "lower than many comparable cities," though he acknowledged it impacts funding for safe and reliable services City Hall Tories, however, criticised Khan's response, claiming the issue won’t be tackled without police support The penalty for fare dodging on Transport for London (TfL) services was raised to £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days effective March 3 2024 Prior to this fines were £80 reduced to £40 Fare evasion across TfL dropped slightly from 3 8% to 3 4% following the increase suggesting the higher fines are deterring fare dodging However critics argue that evasion remains above TfL s target of 1 5%

inherited it from previous owners

M o n t h s l a t e r , t h e Metropolitan Police visited and found further breaches, including the absence of a summary licence and failure to retain CCTV footage for the required 31 days

The shop was also found lacking essential operational r e c o r d s , i n c l u d i n g Challenge 25 posters, staff t

n g

c

n d a refusal log These breaches were cited as a violation of l i c e n s i n g c o n d i t i o n s M

focusing on three key violations In June 2022, the shop received a formal warning for selling an e-cigarette to a child Then, in July 2024, Trading Standards officers seized illicit tobacco hidden in crisp boxes Mr Khaneja, the premises licence holder, a

K

became the licence holder in July 2024, had been involved w

2022 Despite completing a personal licence course, the sub-committee determined h i s r e p e a t e d v i o l a t i o n s reflected a “complete disregard” for the law and licensing objectives

The suspension will last until March 9, 2025, with all s t a f f r e q u i r e d t o u n d e r g o documented licensing training Mr Khaneja must also complete refresher training on the Licensing Act, with records available for inspection

After six months of secret filming, ITV News uncovered that Active Club England has

branches across the country Twelve meetings filmed between October 2024 and February 2025 revealed a shift from offensive jokes a

weapons and open declarations of "taking power "

The group is planning to rent a permanent indoor space in London to practice knife defence without risking arrest and two members have discussed pooling resources to buy land for the group Despite the group ’ s claims of being “peaceful and legal,” the investigation has raised concerns about safety

Neil Basu, former head of UK counterterrorism policing, stated that “these are people preparing to commit acts of violence ”

Cambridge University has begun the search for its next chancellor, with applications open to anyone worldwide provided they secure 50 eligible supporters The selection process follows Lord Sainsbury of Turville s decision to step down after holding the position since 2011, when he succeeded Prince Philip His successor will serve a ten-year term While the chancellor’s role is unpaid and largely ceremonial it carries significant responsibilities including fundraising representing the university and advising its leadership The new appointee will assume office immediately after the selection process, set to conclude in July Candidates do not need to be Cambridge graduates or have prior ties to the university However, they must secure the required written support before formally entering the race

British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer with French President, Emmanuel Macron

British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his Ukraine visit

Sadiq Khan

Effective communication Skills

Psychologist Mamta Saha

Dear Read ers,

This week I'm excited to share some effective communication techniques We all have things we want to express, but sometimes, it's hard to find the right words For example, a client of mine had trouble speaking up at work, which made it tough for them to connect with their colleagues How can we make our communication better and build stronger relationships? Let's explore some easy ways together

Listen More, Talk Less: Imagine communication as a game of give and take Sometimes, it's more about listening than talking Actively listening means really paying attention to what the other person is saying and showing them you understand Try repeating back what they've said in your own words to show you're listening My client found this particularly helpful at work I advised her to listen more during meetings and ask clarifying questions to show her colleagues she valued their input By being a good listener, you'll build trust and make it easier for others to open up to you

Body Language: Did you know that a big part of communication isn't just what you say, but how you say it? Your body language, like how you sit or your facial expressions, can say a lot without you even speaking Try to keep an open and relaxed posture and make eye contact when you're talking to someone My client struggled with maintaining eye contact, especially in stressful situations I encouraged her to practice making eye contact during one-on-one conversations with colleagues, which helped her feel more confident and engaged Don't forget to pay attention to the other person's body language too – it can give you clues about how they're feeling

Put Yourself in Their Shoes: Communication isn't just about words; it's about understanding each other's feelings too Empathetic communication means trying to see things from the other person's point of view, use language such as "I can see why you'd feel that way " My client struggled with this initially, especially when dealing with difficult colleagues I advised her to put herself in their shoes and consider what might be causing their behaviour It helped her approach conversations with more empathy and understanding, which improved her relationships at work

Speak Their Language: We all have our own way of talking, and it's important to match our communication style to the person we're talking to Some people like lots of details, while others prefer things short and sweet Try to adapt your communication style to suit the other person For instance, if you're talking to someone who likes to get straight to the point, keep your message clear and concise

Improving your communication skills is all about practice and being open to learning By listening more, watching your body language, showing empathy, and adapting your communication style, you'll build better relationships and make it easier for others to understand you Remember, communication is a two-way street – let's make sure we're all on the same page!

Brothers plead not guilty to assaulting police at airport

T wo brothers have pleaded

n o t g u i lt y to as s au lt in g p olice o fficers d uring a dist u rba nc e at M anc h es

Ward at the terminal's car

F

b a n c e a t M a n c

e r Airport’s Terminal 2 on 23 July last year was widely shared online Mohammed

F a h

He is also accused of

C

and a member of the public e

Mr Amaad is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden, causing bodily harm Both men, from Tarnside Close,

Tough talk pushes prisons to brink

A g ov ern m en t rep o r t h as warned th at Britain's p risons are o n the “brink of collapse” due to successive governm ents’ pu nitive sentencing p olicies

decline in crime since the mid-1990s, the prison population in England and Wales has risen by over 10% in the past 25 years T

sioned by Justice Secretary S

lights a 40% increase in the average length of custodial

Shabana Mahmood

However, this has failed to deter crime, with 37 2% of released prisoners reoffending Those serving sentences under 12 months have the highest reoffending rate, at

that community-based pun-

ishments are more effective in reducing repeat offenses L

review

compete to appear tough on crime England and Wales now incarcerate 139 people

France (117), Germany (68), and the Netherlands (64)

The report warns that escalating prison costs have weakened other areas of the

judges now distrust Gauke

is expected to recommend

prison sentences in favor of community-based

prison population by

He called for

new prison places by 2031, experts warn that meaningful sentencing reform is necessary to prevent further crisis

'Axiom Ince Five' trial set for February 2027

41, Axiom Ince’s former chief executive and sole owner, along with Ali, 42, faces two counts of fraud by abuse of position They are accused of misusing client funds and

s a n d s o f clients to financial losses

firm’s former chief

S h y a m M i s t r y , 3 5 , a solicitor and former director of personal injury and medic a l n e g l i g e n c e , i s a l s o c h a r g

Modhwadia, chief technolo-

Anjaria, 46 They allegedly c o n s p i

, destroy, or dispose of docum e n

Authority (SRA) investigation into the firm

All five men also face c h a r g e s o f c o n s p i r i n g t o mislead the SRA using false documents

James Hynes KC noted that not all pleas or issues had been identified yet, making the timeline an estimate

J u d g e Sally-Ann Hales stated that accommodations could be made while confirming the trial date All five defendants were released on bail

The trial is scheduled to begin on 15 February 2027 and is expected to last eight t o

Nigel Farage urges Britain to reindustrialise and boost birthrates

Ni g el F

rag

Bri

tion” and a drastic shift to tackle d eclining birth rates, p rai

an cu lture” as the foundation o f Wes te rn c i v i li s ati o n

Speaking at a g lobal rightwing gath ering in L ond on, the Reform leader called for rev i v in g h eav y i n d u s try , including dom estic steel, oil, and gas pro ductio n Farage called for a complete shift in attitudes to boost birth rates, insisting t

ture” underpins everything He has faced criticism for similar remarks, previously claiming these values are at the heart of Britain Speaking at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference a gathering of conservative leaders, politicians, and business figures Farage outlined his v i s i o n t o “ r e i n d u s t r i a l i s e Britain ” He criticised the closure of the UK’s steel industry, arguing that shutting plants in Redcar and South Wales

NHS seeks private funds to repair crumbling hospitals

The NHS has urged th e private sector to help fund ho spital repairs as A &E waits hit record lev els NHS England ch i e f A m and a P r it ch a rd called for more rad ical funding so lutions P

Radio 4 that private investment is needed to fix NHS

, essential for long-term productivity While the budget

went to pay rises and daily c

Her remarks increase pres-

revive a modern version of PFI

T h e T r e a s u r y h a s opposed private investment, citing higher costs than gove r n m e n t b o r

g However, some NHS offic

Rachel Reeves stresses capi-

tal investment amid rising borrowing costs Meanwhile, A&E waits h

patients waiting over

month Dr Tim Cooksley warned of an “intolerable e x p e r i

s , often stuck in corridors

A backlog in hospitals, caused by a social care crisis, i s p r e v e n t i n g p a

scharges Last week, an average of 14,087 beds per day in England were occupied by patients ready to leave the highest this winter

Streeting said the government has cut NHS waiting lists by nearly 160,000 since J

and reform Experts warn that without more capital funding, Labour's 18-week

e i s unachievable

countries with lower environmental standards, with

steel then imported back He urged domestic production to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains Farage, interviewed by C

Jordan Peterson at the ARC

a d d r e s s e d declining birthrates, joking that he may

riage, given his two divorces He also reiterated his call for Britain to extract its own oil and gas, arguing for energy independence if fossil fuels remain in use

A Times Crime and Justice Commission analysis found repeat offenses have pushed the annual cost of crime to £46 8 billion, a rise of over a third since 2016 The cost of reoffending alone now exceeds the Home Office’s entire policing budget

A study by Crest Advisory highlights the justice system's failure to rehabilitate offenders, with prisoners often locked up 23 hours a day in overcrowded jails, lacking education or

work opportunities

The report suggests major savings could come from diverting repeat offenders who make up 9% of criminals but commit nearly half of all crimes away from crime Many are addicted to drugs or alcohol and serve short, repeat sentences

The think tank studied crime costs from 2016 to 2022, finding violent crime costs nearly doubled to £25 billion, with reoffending alone at £11 4 billion Theft had the highest reoffending rate and cost £10 2 billion annually, including £7 5 billion from repeat offenders

Muhammed Amaad (Left) and Mohammed Fahir Amaaz

Modi’s visit to the US capital

aboard a military aircraft, an

widespread outrage in India

During the meet, both the

nations were ready to reshape a decades-old partnership for

t h e M A G A

Great Again) challenge

this just concluded visit high-

n t achievements and initiatives They cover various domains, i n c l u d i n g d e f e n c e , t r a d e , energy security, technology, and multilateral cooperation

During Donald Trump's first term, he and Narendra Modi enjoyed a strong friendship, often sharing hugs and compliments Modi received a grand welcome in the US during a 2019 Texas event, while Trump’s 2020 visit to Ahmedabad was equally celebrated

B o t h l e a d e r s , u n i t e d i n their views on China and radi c a l I s l a m , h a v e f r e q u e n t l y praised each other's assertive

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

MODI-TRUMP’S ‘MEGA

D C

C o n g r a t u l a t e d h e r o n h e r

confirmation and discussed various aspects of the IndiaU S A f r i e n d s h i p , o f w h i c h she’s always been a strong supporter,” Modi posted on X

The meeting emphasised the importance of collaboration between the two nations in addressing global security c h a l l e n g e s , a s s h a r e d b y

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on X

Mod i and Musk discuss space, A I, and inno vation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Tesla chief Elon M u s k a t B l a i r H o u s e i n Washington Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government

E f f i c i e n c y ( D O G E ) i n t h e

Trump administration, wel-

c o m e d P M M o d i a t B l a i r House, accompanied by his c h i l d r e n – X , S t r i d e r , a n d Azure

D u r i n g t h e m e e t i n g , Musk gifted Modi a Starship hexagonal heatshield tile The d i s c u s s i o n f o l l o w e d M

S e c u r i t y A d v i s o r M i c h a e l

Waltz, with PM Modi joined by External Affairs Minister S J a i s h a n k a r a n d N a t i o n a l

G o v e r

Governance" with the tech billionaire

Viv ek Ramaswamy calls m eeting with PM M odi a 'pleasure and h onou r' Indian-origin entrepren-

Vivek Ramaswamy expressed

stepped down due to differences with the Tesla CEO ‘Mega partnership’ in trade, defence, and energy Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed a "mega partnership" with the US after striking a deal with President Donald Trump for India to

c a l l e d M o d i t h e " n i c e s t human," while Modi referred to Trump as his "dear friend " India’s Ambassador to the U S , V i n a y M o h a n K w a t r a , along with other senior officials, warmly welcomed PM Modi at the airport, marking the beginning of an important diplomatic visit between the two nations

PM M odi meets US Intellig ence Ch ief Tulsi Gabbard

T h e I n d i a n P r i m e

M i n i s t e r m e t w i t h T u l s i Gabbard, the US Director of National Intelligence, to disc u s s s t r e n g t h e n i n g t i e s between India and the United States, with a particular focus

o n e n h a n c i n g i n t e l l i g e n c e cooperation in counter-terr o r i s m , c y b e r s e c u r i t

d emerging threats

PM Modi congratulated Gabbard on her confirmation

a s

her strong support for the India-USA partnership

“

Security Advisor Ajit Doval

In an official statement, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) shared that PM Modi a n d E l o n M u s k d i s c u s s e d e n h a n c i n g c o l l a b o r a t i o n between India and the US in a r e a s s u c h a s i n n o v a t i o n , s p a c e e x p l o r a t i o n , a r t i f i c i a l intelligence, and sustainable development The talks also focused on deepening coop-

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

and good governance Musk was accompanied by his fami

, according to the PMO

PM Modi also presented Musk’s children with three books: ‘The Crescent Moon’ b y N

Vishnu Sharma

A

i n g w i t h Elon Musk, PM Modi took to X, sharing that he discussed India s efforts to implement r

Modi at the Blair House in Washington DC, calling it a "pleasure and honour" to welcome the Indian leader to the United States “

Minister Modi I hope he has a wonderful visit, and it was a great meeting,” Ramaswamy said after their discussions

According to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson

Ramaswamy engaged in productive discussions on IndiaU

, biotechnology, and the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in shaping the future

Ramaswamy, who previously sought the Republican

advocate for bolstering USIndia ties He had also served

S Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside

and gas Modi’s two-day visit coinc i d

decision to impose reciprocal tariffs on US trading partners, including India While both leaders praised each other s leadership, Trump criticised India for its high trade tariffs, calling them a "big problem " Seeking to ease trade tensions, Prime Minister Modi expressed openness to reducing tariffs on US goods, repat

Framework for the US-India

M

p will be signed this year, aiming to strengthen interoperability and defence cooperation The US plans to expand defence sales and co-product i o n w i t h I n d i a , i n c l u d i n g pursuing Javelin and Stryker s y s t e m s a n d p r o c u r i n g s i x additional P8I aircraft There will be a review of ITAR to s

chasing military fighter jets from the US During a joint news conference, Modi playf u l

’ s "Make America Great Again" slogan, adding his own twist: "Make India Great Again –MIGA " He called it "MAGA plus MIGA a Mega partnership for prosperity " Trump highlighted that India would be "purchasing a lot of our oil and gas to help address the trade deficit, stating, They need it, and we have it "

agreement

T h e United States will sell F-35 fighter jets to India, marking a

advanced stealth aircraft T h e p a r t

PM writing his remarks in the visitor book at White House in Washington DC, USA

PM meets the Director of National Intelligence of USA, Tulsi Gabbard

PM meets the Head of US Department of Government Efficiency and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk and his family at Blair House

PM meets the Indian-American Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at Blair House

PARTNERSHIP’

jobs

They also launched the US-India TRUST initiative

emerging technologies and agreed to develop an IndoUS Roadmap for accelerating AI infrastructure The

industry and academic part-

key step Modi and Trump reaffirmed the US-India Energy Security Partnership, highlighting the need to boost

tors in India and increase investments in oil and gas infrastructure Additionally, the US expressed support for I n d i a ’ s b i d t o j o i n t h e International Energy Agency as a full member T h e j o

recognises the contributions

Indian student community, which adds over $8 billion annually to the US economy, c

t i o n s t h

u g h joint/dual degree programs, Centres of Excellence, and o f f s h o r e c a m p u s e s T h e y also committed to improving legal mobility for stud e n t s a n d p r o f e s s i o n a l s , enhancing short-term travel, and tackling illegal immigration and human trafficking Additionally, the two sides

H1B visa debate, India highlighted the positive contri-

strong student community, which adds over $8 billion annually to the US economy

approved the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, implicated in the 2008 Mumbai terror

Supreme Court's rejection of

Trump also dismissed any

state" in Bangladesh’s affairs, leaving the matter to PM Modi

In response to the quest

d India's commitment to repatriating any citizens living i l l e g a l l y i n t h e U S , w h i l e stressing the importance of addressing human trafficking Modi emphasised that anyone who enters a country i

India-US trade and diplomacy dynamics under Donald Trump

Anusha Singh

Professor Harsh Pant serves as th e V i c e P res i d e nt o f Studies and Foreign Policy at th e

Fo und atio n in New Delhi

H

at King's India Institute, King's Co lleg e Londo

and

Director at the Delhi

Asian security issues

I

Asian Voice, Professor Pant shares his insights on IndiaUS relations, particularly in light of the recent meeting b

President Donald Trump

p l e d g e d t o b o o s t l a w enforcement cooperation to c o m b a t o r g a n i s e d c r i m e , i n c l u d i n g n a r c o - t e r r o r i s m , human and arms trafficking, and other security threats The two leaders aim to a d v a n c e t h e I n d i a - M i d d l e E a s t - E u r o p e C o r r i d o r a n d the I2U2 Group within six months, with new initiatives planned for 2025 This ambitious goal is complicated by the Gaza conflict's impact on I

Arab world They also intend to establish new plurilateral p

technology, energy, and criti

ments expected by fall

Quad, rais-

e allowed to stay, citing the recent controversial deportation of 104 Indians who were returned aboard a military aircraft with their hands a n d l e g s s h a c k l e d "Vulnerable, young individuals from ordinary families are often deceived into illeg a l i m m i g r a t i o n , " M o d i explained, calling for joint efforts between India and t h e U S t o d i s m a n t l e t h e human trafficking ecosystem " In the same press confer-

After the bilateral meeting, Donald Trump gifted PM Narendra Modi the book ‘

when they met at the White House He also showed the Prime Minister several photos from 'Howdy Modi' and '

which are a part of the book Trump signed the book by writing "Mr Prime Minister, You Are Great " Trump lauds Mo di as "toug her negotiator" in bilateral talks D

meeting, President Donald

T

Minister Narendra Modi as a "much tougher negotiator" than himself, acknowledging Modi's superior negotiating skills "He is a better negotiator than me There's not

conference

ence, Trump sidestepped a q u e s t i o n o n " a n t i - I n d i a activities" in the US, claiming he couldn’t understand t h e r e p o r t e r ’ s t o u g h accent " He also addressed the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, confirming that the US would immediately return him to India

T r u m p h i g h l i g h t e d t h e b r o a d e r c o o p e r a t i o n

b e t w e e n t h

o n s , noting that there were severa l s i m i l a

r e q u e s t s f r o m India He briefly touched on the issue of Khalistani terr o r i s t s b u t a v o i d e d d i r e c t answers, instead pointing to strained US-India relations over oil and gas disputes

During the conference, when reporters asked about Bangladesh, Trump emphasised that the situation was p r i m

i l y t h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r ' s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , noting that the US would not intervene in the country's political landscape This comment signals that the US is unlikely to take a stance o n t h e o n g o i n g c r i s i s i n Bangladesh, which follows a period of political turmoil

a n d s t u d e n t - l e d p r o t e s t s While the US has a strategic interest in countering China and relies on India’s support, it refrained from taking a position on the Bangladesh issue The bilateral meeting between the US and India was productive, but it would h a v e b e e n r e a s s u r i n g i f

T r u m p h a d e x p r e s s e d a clearer stance on the matter, as it leaves the diaspora concerned

do you think about the meeting between Modi and Trump?

This meeting was essen-

t i a l b e c a u s e , f r o m I n d i a ' s perspective, its partnership with America is crucial for its foreign policy aspirations

With a president like Donald Trump, who is often volatile a n

n t r o d u c e a degree of stability and predictability into that relationship The best way to achieve t h i s w i t h M r T r u m p i s through direct communication I believe that’s why the I n d i a n g o v e r n m e n t ’ s d e c ision to have this conversation so early in his term was a good move It has allowed India to frame the relationship for the next four years, set the agenda, and address problematic issues right at the start, rather than letting them build up over time

While critics may argue that the visit lacked concrete outcomes, I don’t think that was the goal At this early stage in his presidency, the focus isn’t on deliverables

The key achievement here is i n t r o d u c i n g p r e d i c t a b i l i t y and a framework to the relationship In that sense, India has likely achieved a significant outcome, making the visit an important one

The two leaders discussed topics like the US-India trade deal and reciprocal tax schemes From an economic perspective, do you think India can expect to benefit from the US?

Trump isn’t going to give a n y t h i n g t o I n d i a s i m p l y because he likes Modi What t h i s m e e t i n g h a s d o n e i s r e f r a m e t h e c o n v e r

d trade The trade issue isn’t just about tariffs; it’s about a broader set of issues And what’s interesting is that, on o n e h a n d , T r u m p t a l k e d a b o u t r e c i p r o c a l t a r i f f s , while on the other, India and the US set a target of $500 billion in trade by 2030 To reach such an ambitious target, both sides will have to make concessions You can’t raise tariffs on India and still

expect to reach $500 billion in trade by 2030 I n d i a h a s s m a r t l y expanded the scope of the c o n v e r s a t i o n , e m p h a s i s i n g that the economic relationship is bigger and broader than just tariffs Of course, there are areas of disagreement, but the focus is now on achieving an ambitious outcome Moreover, issues like defence and energy also play a key role India is willing to purchase oil and gas from the US, which can help frame the discussion differently, making Trump see the conversation in a new light By looking at the entire relationship, rather than just f o c u s i n g o n i n d i v i d u a l issues, India showcases its importance as the world’s l

Trump noted in his phone call, moves beyond just tariffs The message seems to be that tariffs aren’t the only factor in this relationship Do you think China should be concerned about the India-US partnership? China has always been concerned when India and the US engage, and that concern will continue and it is the responsibility of Indian f

this dynamic The Chinese a

are very quick and strategic in doing so In China, Xi Jinping can make decisions without facing opposition, so their approach to Trump w

l l address issues that matter to him However, the fundam

India and the US, particularly in terms of technology c

pear Trump sees the relationship through a geopolitical lens, and he won't back down on this, as it was a key

from people like Musk may encourage some rapprochement, it's unclear if this will be short-term or long-term Ultimately, no fundamental shift will occur in the

"business

Prof Harsh Pant

PM addressing the Joint Press Conference at White House

PM arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Washington DC, USA

s

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel

highlighting both challenges and opportunities for private investors. Notably, the government has proposed reforms aimed at unlocking £160 billion in defined benefit (DB) pension scheme surpluses to stimulate economic growth and enhance workers' pension pots However, experts have raised concerns about the feasibility of this plan, citing potential issues such as the temporary nature of surpluses and the reluctance of trustees to release funds Understanding the Current Pension Climate

Several factors contribute to the complexities of the UK s pension system:

1 Econom ic Volatility: Fluctuations in global markets have impacted investment returns, affecting the growth and stability of pension funds

2 Regu latory Chang es: Proposed reforms, such as the creation of pension "megafunds," aim to consolidate assets to boost investments in infrastructure and high-growth businesses While these changes seek to enhance returns, they also introduce new challenges and uncertainties for both fund managers and beneficiaries

3 Inflation Pressures: Rising inflation diminishes the

income

Empowering Private Investors

In light of these developments, private investors are encouraged to take proactive steps in managing their retirement savings:

1 Ed ucate Yo urself: Knowledge is a powerful tool

• Understand Pension Types: Familiarize yourself with various pension schemes, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans, to determine which aligns best with your retirement objectives If you have a workplace pension, ask your employer for online access and your choices for improving returns from the platform The default choice is usually not best for you Defined benefit are generally excellent, especially civil servant ones and should generally be left alone

• Sta y Informed : Regularly engage with financial news, attend webinars, and consult reputable sources to stay updated on market trends and regulatory changes

2 Conside r a Self-Inve sted Person al P ension (SIPP): SIPPs offer flexibility and control over your pension investments

• In vest ment C hoice s: With a SIPP, you can select from a wide range of assets, including stocks, bonds, and commercial property, tailoring your portfolio to your risk tolerance and investment horizon

• Ta x Ben efits: Contributions to SIPPs are eligible for tax relief, enhancing the growth potential of your retirement savings

3 Diversify Y our P ortfo lio : Avoid concentrating your investments in just the UK You already live here Or only India because of sentimental bias Have a process for your decisions I continue to hold Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and some more But don’t copy me I have two private jets in the back garden

• Asset A llocation: Distribute your investments across various asset classes and geographical regions to mitigate risk and capitalize on growth opportunities

• Regular Rebalancing: Periodically review and adjust your portfolio to ensure it remains aligned with your retirement objectives and risk appetite

4 L ev erag e Tech nolog y: Modern tools can simplify DIY pension management

Investment Platforms: Utilize online platforms that offer user-friendly interfaces, research resources, and management tools to monitor and adjust your investments efficiently Look at www simplywall st – one of my favourites and my own free resources at www campaignforamillion com

Automated Contributions: Set up regular contributions to your pension to benefit from pound-cost averaging and instill disciplined saving habits

Building Confidence in DIY Pension Management

Taking control of your pension can be empowering To build confidence:

• Start Sm all: Begin with modest investments as you build your understanding and confidence

• C ontinu ous Learning: The financial landscape is dynamic Commit to ongoing education to adapt to changes and make informed decisions

In conclusion, while the UK's pension environment presents challenges, it also offers opportunities for private investors to take charge of their retirement planning By educating yourself, utilizing flexible investment vehicles like SIPPs, diversifying your portfolio, and leveraging modern tools, you can confidently navigate your pension towards a secure and prosperous future

UK faces growing risk of US trade tariffs as Trump targets VAT

Concerns are m ounting that the U K could face increased exposure to U S trad e tariffs aft

Do nald Trump annou nced plans to target VA T in his latest trade p olicy mov e Trump has directed his

"reciprocal tariffs" for individual countries, factoring

imports, and exports with the US Previously, the UK

affected by US tariffs com-

inclusion of VAT in tariff calculations has raised ques-

impact on British businesses Analysts suggest the UK,

Union, could face tariffs of 20% or more, though the

(BCC) has warned that key sectors including automotive, pharmaceuticals, and food and drink could be

measures announced by the

White House on Thursday

Trump has previously

Pound rises against dollar amid strong

US markets remain closed

investor concerns over tariffs appear to be easing "It seems that each suc-

UK GDP

y m o r n i n

data The dollar’s weakness

by a broader market shift, as

Barclays bankers get big bonuses

Barclay s chief e xecut ive CS Ven kata krishna n saw his pay more than double to £10 5 mil lion in 2024, boosted by long-term b on uses, up from the £4 6 million he ear ned in 20 23 Th e b a n k ’ s l a t e st resul ts also revea led t ha t its top bank ers re ceive d a total of £1 9 bil lion in b onuses

B a r c l a y s d e f e n d e d t h e payouts, stating they reflected the bank’s strong performance, which saw pre-tax profits rise 24% to £8 1 bil-

banking division contributed nearly half of its £26 8 billion revenue, while its UK business generated £8 3 billion

The bank’s bonus pool increased from £1 7 billion the previous year to £1 9 bill i o n , s h a r

, around 90,000 employees will receive £500 worth of

e s s i v e t a r i f f a n n o u n c ement is having less of an impact on markets," anal y s t s a t L l o y d s o b s e r v e d " I n v e s t o r s s e e m e d m o r e focused on Trump’s discussions with Russian leader Putin about Ukraine, which helped lift both the euro and sterling to three-week highs, despite little indicat i o n o f a c o n c r e

shares Barclays chair Nigel Higgins also received an 8% pay rise to £925,000, along with a three-year contract extension

The rise in UK bankers' bonuses follows the former Conservative government's decision to scrap the post2 0 0 8 f i n a n c i a l c r i s i s c a p , which had previously limite d p

T

nChancellor Kwasi Kwarteng c

s part of a broader effort to "unleash the power of the private sector "

G o l d prices edged higher as well, supported by a weaker US dollar and ongoing uncertainty surrounding Donald Trump’s proposed reciproc a l t a r i f f s , w h i c h c o u l d escalate global trade ten-

nexpected US retail sales A weaker dollar typically boosts gold’s appeal for holders of other currencies, reinforcing its status as a safe-haven asset amid global economic uncertainty

Treasury considers limits on cash ISAs to boost investment

The Tre a sury is ex pl or in g r est r ictio ns on Ca sh ISAs t o encoura ge more investmen t in stocks and other fina ncial ma rket s Ministers ar e concern ed that excessive savings are sitt in g in l ow-yiel d accounts rather than be in g used t o dr ive economic growth

W h i l e t h e G o v e r n m e n t h a s n o t r u l e

, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that scrapping Cash ISAs would eliminate a key tax-free savings option for risk-averse savers Currently, individuals can deposit up to £20,000 annually into an ISA, shielding all returns from tax

Official data shows that 18 million people hold a Cash ISA, with nearly eight million contributing in 2022-23 double the number using Stocks and Shares ISAs, which offer higher potential returns but greater volatility Some City firms and Labour MPs are pushing for the Treasury to either withdraw tax-free status for new deposits or reduce the £20,000 limit A Treasury spokesperson said, “We want to help people s a v

We keep

aspects of savings policy under

months, though no decisions are expected before the autumn Budget, with any changes likely from April 2026

City Minister Emma Reynolds recently questioned the high Cash ISA balances, stating, “We have failed to drive an investment culture that allows people to invest their money ” Reports suggest fears of restrictions have already led to a surge in new Cash ISA openings and deposits

Government departments face deep cuts amid defence spending push

Minister Keir S tarmer prioritises increasing d efence sp ending

The Treasury has asked n o

education, and defence to prepare for two scenarios ahead of the June spending review: a "flat cash" model, amounting to

cut, and a deeper reduction of around 11%, according to s

discussions While initially considered a worst-case scenario, the larger cuts now seem more likely as Starmer s

boosting military funding No final decisions have

scale of cuts or the timeline f

Local Government, Culture,

, Environment, Energy, and Work and Pensions Labour has pledged

, t h e prospect of further reduc-

Donald Trump Sir Keir Starmer

CS Venkatakrishnan

In

co

cent

Bo

The net corporate tax collection rose more than 6 per cent to over £77 8bn between April 1, 2024, and February 10, 2025 The net collections from securities t

n F Y 2 5

Refunds worth more than £41bn were issued during the period, a 42 63 per cent

increase against the yearago period India's gross direct tax mop until February 10 grew 19 06 per cent to more than £ 2 1 8 8

government has pegged the total income tax collection to be £125 7bn, up from the b

£118 7bn

STT is pegged at £5 5bn in RE this fiscal year, which is

estimate (BE) of £3 7bn The c

target was revised lower to

budget target of £102bn In total, the RE pegs direct tax

c

which is higher than the £220 7bn in BE

Ahmedabad leads in rooftop solar installations

l eading play ers in the frozen,

G space in recent year s by ITC,

a fte r Savl on , Nimy le, Sunr ise

a nd Yogab ar ITC will initially acquire 43 8% stake in the company f o

translates into a valuation of close to £30mn for the food company According to company presentation, acquisition of

s , w h i c h i s expected to close in March, 2025, subject to fulfilment of closing conditions

ITC’s equity stake is set to increase to 62 5% by April, 2 0 2 7 t h r o u g h s e c o n d a r y p

I T C will have 100% stake in the company over a period of three years

F i na nc e M in is

Sithar aman t abled t he new inc o me ta x b ill - w h ich is expec ted to cut th rough the ja rgo n in th e 19 61 I nc om e Tax Act and make it easier to understand - in Parliament However, as she rose to p

members of the opposition staged a walk-out and others l

s

her Among the latter, the Congress' Manish Tewari and the RSP's NK Premchandran suggested the new tax bill is, i n f a c t , m

than the old

T r i n a m o o l M P S a u g a t a

Roy then criticised the new

S i t h a r a m a n s a i d t h e M P s were incorrect; she said the

proposed law had only 536 In

follow and

Billionaire Mittal’s firm sells Airtel stake worth $976mn

A unit owned by billionair e-foun der Sunil Bhart i Mitt al sold shar es wort h $976 million in In dia’s N o 2 wireless carr ier, as the first-

or n ewer opportun it ies

Indian Continental Investment Ltd , a founder entity of Bharti Airtel Ltd sold 0 84% stake or 51 million shares for 84 85 billion rupees ($976 million), nearly a fourth of which were picked up by another group firm Bharti Telecom Ltd , according to an exchange filing Names of other investors w e r e n o t d i s c l o s e d i n t h e t r a d e t h a t happened at 1,660 46 rupees per share, a small discount to Monday’s close of 1,675 6 rupees The shares were “allocated to both global and domestic,” the filing said The sale comes at a time when Mittal is

Centre seeks probe into Infosys sackings

“Economists

Invest Karnataka event held in Bengaluru

“When you give £10bn to consumers, the multiplier impact of that is at least 2 5 t i m e s i n t e r m s o f t h e consumption demand that t h e m a r k e t p l a c e r e c e i v e s And when £112bn is invested i n o n e y e a r o n infrastructure creation, the multiplier impact of that is

3 5 t i m e s , w h i c h s p u r s investment-led growth On these twin pillars, India will see rapid growth,” he said

I n t h e r e c e n t B u d g e t , f

tax payable on income up to Rs 12,00,000 under the new regime In response to the

deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and his cabinet colleagues that benefits for setting up industrial hubs would be allocated through

system, where states must

receive the desired support “We have announced 100

Af ter IT employee union NI TE S filed a case agains t Infosys for firing hundreds of trainees, the Central govt has s ent the c as e to the Karnataka labour commi ssioner The Centre has asked the labour commissioner to take appropriate acti on on the matter

“In this, a request has been made to the ministry of l

prevent unlawful termination by Infosys Limited , ” the letter by the Centre stated Infosys terminated around 350 freshers at its Mysuru campus after they failed to clear internal assessments, d e s p i t e b e i n g g

evaluation aimed to assess their proficiency and skills in Java programming and database management systems (DBMS), requiring them to achieve a minimum score of 65% in each of the assessments These are freshers who were given offers in 2022 and are being onboarded now as the demand picks up in the IT services industry Infosys sends freshers to its Mysuru campus for training before they can be deployed on to projects As a part of the assessment, they are required to pass a test

Recently, Wipro too sacked freshers who could not pass a similar test after their training Wipro’s chief HR office Saurabh Govil had said the company took a test because it wanted to see how updated these freshers were technically as it had been two years since they graduated

expanding his business operations overseas with investments in Africa and UK-based satellite company OneWeb, which merged with Eutelsat in 2023 A unit of closely held Bharti Enterprises Ltd bought a 24 5% stake in BT Group Plc last year W

reinforcing its

previously stated intent of strengthening its position as the principal vehicle to hold controlling stake in Airtel,” the wireless carries said in an exchange filing Bharti Telecom had acquired about

Investment in November, the filing said, boosting shareholding in the wireless carrier

India will lead work on 6G research, patents: Scindia

Hav ing herald ed one of the fastest rollo uts of 5G telep hony in the w orld, India will no w take the lead in the dev elopment of next-g en 6G tech nology, with a targ et of contribu ting 10% to w o rl d w i d e p ate nts , s ai d

Jyotiraditya Scindia

Speaking at the ET Now Global Business Summit, S

professionals from the private sector, researchers, and IITshas prepared a paper that has been accepted as one of the principals of 6G “This focuses on connectivity for all We have a target of contributing 10% of patents for 6G We are among the top six nations in terms of patents for 6G,” he said

Highlighting that India is putting together a 6G test bed, Scindia said, “We have sanctioned close to 111 research projects costing £30mn ” The minister said the “digital highway” that has been built in India over the past decade has contributed immensely to economic growth as well as in driving inclusivity across the country

Scindia said economic growth in India will be rapid and sustained “India will become a centre of not only economic growth, but a centre of innovation And it is innovation that powers growth Today, we are setting up multiple fabs in India Fabs are a seminal part of growth of new kind of paradigm innovations in the world,” he added

Piyush Goyal

Jyotiraditya Scindia

BAPS Mandir marks first anniversary by celebrating UAE’s Year of Community

A BU DH A BI: T he BA PS Hind u Mandir in

A bu Dhabi m arked its first anniversary with a g rand celebration, com memorating The Year of C ommu nity in th e presence of UA E leadersh ip, com munity leaders and d ev otees a year of unity, serv ice, and faith As the patron o f th is event, His Excellency

S h e i kh N ah a yan M a ba rak A l N ah ay an , M i ni s ter o f T ol eran ce, trav e led d i rec tly from Portug al to be part o f th is significant o ccasion He was joined by His Hig hness

S h e i kh M oh am m e d b in H am a d b in T ahnoon A l Nahyan, A dvisor for Special A ffairs at the P residential C ourt, along with 4 50 dignitaries, am bassad ors, g overnment o fficials, and faith lead ers

Over 20 members from the royal family,

The program, titled “Mandir: The Heart of Community” commenced with esteemed leaders from various sectors, including community visionaries and industry pioneers arriving promptly, to celebrate the Mandir’s remarkable impact These individuals, who played a vital role in the realization of the Mandir, gathered to honor its contribution to

ministers, and UAE leadership were present Additionally, 300 community leaders and thousands of attendees participated in

t h e c e l e b r a t i o n T h e M a n d i r w e l c o m e d 11,000 visitors in addition to over 2,000 gathering for the special occasion, bringing the total attendance to the Mandir to more than 13,000 people

Excellency Sanjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE, His Excellency Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman

General Ahmed Saif bin Zaitoon Al Muhairi, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police Alongside numerous prominent influencers from the UAE and around the world came together to recognize the Mandir’s role in strengthening the bonds of faith, harmony, and service

The program kicked off with a year-in-

US deep state' had no role in Bangladesh crisis, says Trump

WA S HING TO N: Th e “ deep state” in th e U nited States had no role to play in the political crisis in Bang ladesh, said U S President Donald Trum p Trump made the comment during a press conference at the White House alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi The US president was asked by a reporter what role the American “deep state” had played in the toppling of the Sheikh Hasina government in Dhaka

T r u m p a d d e d : “ [ T h e s i t u a t i o n i n Bangladesh] is something that the prime minister [Modi] has been working on for a long time, and has been working on for hundreds of years [sic], frankly, I have been reading about it But I will leave Bangladesh to the prime minister ” Hasina fled to India on August 5 after several weeks of widespread s t u d e n t - l e d p r

s t s a g a i n

A w a m i League government She had been the prime

minister of Bangladesh for 16 years

On August 12, the Joe Biden administration in the United States at the time denied allegations that Washington had interfered in Bangladesh’s internal affairs

“We have had no involvement at all,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary at the time, had said “Any reports or rumours that the United States government was involved in these events is simply false That is not true ”

Bangladesh condemns mob attack on book stall over Taslima’s book

DH A K A : Ba n gla d es hi w ri te r s, a rt ist s a n d h um an right s act iv ist s hav e st ron gly cond emn ed a mob att ack on a sta ll a t a book fa ir in Dha ka , ove r t he display of book wr itte n by Ta slima Na sree n, calling it a d ir ect assault on fre edom of e xpre ssion Th e in cid ent , wh ich occurr ed la st we ek , followed pr ior t hre ats on social med ia Th e a tta ck led t o a te mporar y shut down of t he st all a t t he ‘Amar Ekushe y ’ book fa ir by police , spa rkin g wide spr ea d outr age over incre asing int ole ran ce towa rd fre e spe ech in the count ry

Alleging that the Yunus-led interim govt is supporting “extremists”, Taslima wrote on X: “Jihadist religious extremists attacked the s t a l l o f t h e p u b l i s h e r S a b y a s a c h i a t Bangladesh’s book fair Their crime was publishing my book The book fair authorities and the police from the local station ordered the removal of my book Even after it was removed, the extremists attacked, vandalised the stall, and shut it down ”

The joint statement, issued by 124 writers, artists and human rights activists in Bangladesh, said the attacks and obstructions are not isolated incidents, but part of a series of targeted violence “From the brutal attack on writer Huma yun Azad in 2004, the murder of writer Abhijit Roy and publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan in 2015 to the recent demolition of shrines, preventing women from playing football, and setting a deadline for changing the name of Begum Rokeya University, it is part of a series of similar violence,” it said Chief adviser Muhammad Yunus condemned the mob attack, saying, “It shows contempt for both the rights of Bangladeshi citizens and for the laws of our country Such violence betrays the open-minded spirit of this great Bangladeshi cultural fixture, which commemorates the language martyrs who lost their lives on 21 February 1952 in defence of their mother tongue ” Govt has ordered police to investigate the incident

review video, highlighting the

ments over the past year Next, His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan addressed the gathering, emphasizing the

cance of the Mandir in fostering unity, harmony, cultural understanding and bilateral relations

H

Mandir’s role as a beacon of faith and service

each reflecting a core value upheld by the Mandir

The first section, Global Community, was led ambassador Sanjay Sudhir, who had

traveled directly from Delhi to attend He highlighted the mandir's significance in India-UAE relations, stating, "This is the

A E friendship, one that you can feel "

Singapore oppn party leader Pritam Singh found guilty of lying to parliament

Sing h guilty of two count s of ly ing to a pa rliamen ta ry commit tee , a ver dict t hat could see him ba rre d fr om cont esting a ge ne ral e lect ion this y ea r Singh's sentencing is due later He had pleaded not guilty and the prosecution has asked for a maximum fine of S$7,000 ($5,231) for each charge If the fine amounts to more than S$10,000, or if Singh is jailed for more than one year, he would be unable to run in the election The charges against Singh, 48, stem from allegations he gave false testimony to a parliamentary committee in 2021 about a fellow party member, Raeesah Khan, lying to parliament

S i n g h h a d m a i n t a i n e d h e h a d u r g e d Khan to own up to parliament about her lie, but Judge Luke Tan said there was ample evidence and witness testimony to prove otherwise

Ms Khan admitted to other WP leaders she had lied, there was absolutely no followup from the accused," Tan told the court "This could only be because the accused had mentioned this was 'probably something we should take to the grave' " The verdict comes as Singapore gears up for a general election t h a t m u s t b e h e l d b y N o v e m b e r , P r i m e

Minister Lawrence Wong's first since taking over as the city-state's leader last year

Wong's People's Action Party is almost certain to dominate and win most seats as it has in every vote since independence in 1965, although its share of the popular vote will be closely watched after one of its worst electoral performances in the last contest in 2020 Singh’s Workers’ Party made inroads in that election, expanding its parliamentary seats to 10 from six, but it has since suffered image blows from Khan's resignation over the false statement and another lawmaker stepping down over an extramarital affair

in brief

2 HINDUS AMONG 3 SHOT DEAD IN BALOCHISTAN

Three people, including two members of the minority Hindu community, were shot dead by unknown gunmen in Kech district of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, while one person was injured, local media said According to police armed men riding motorcycles opened fire near a market in Turbat close to the Iranian border Police termed the incident a targeted killing No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as yet Police said the deceased hailed from Sanghar area of Sindh province Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti condemned the incident and ordered the immediate arrest of those responsible

INDIAN CYCLIST KILLED IN CHILE ACCIDENT

A 36-year-old Indian cyclist died after being run over by a vehicle in Chile during his pursuit to break the world record for the fastest 10,000 km journey across South America on a standard bicycle, according to media reports Mohit Kohli was run over by a minibus in the Pozo Almonte commune, local radio network Radio Paulina reported According to Pozo Almonte Fire Department superintendent Efrain Lillo, Kohli died on the spot Personnel from the national law enforcement agency reached the spot to carry out initial investigations and clarify the causes of the accident the report said

FIRST SIKH MEMBER OF NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY

Balvir Singh, a public school educator for over 20 years and former Burlington County Commissioner, has been sworn in as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly, becoming the first Sikh lawmaker in the state s history Singh, 40, took the oath of office surrounded by family on January 30 He will represent the 7th Legislative District in Burlington County Assembly Speaker Craig J Coughlin administered the oath Singh a Democrat emphasized his focus on education economic opportunity and equitable access to services

16 PAKISTANIS KILLED IN LIBYA BOAT CAPSIZE

At least 16 Pakistanis were among 65 illegal migrants who died after their Europe-bound boat capsized off Zawiya in northwestern Libya over the weekend PM Sharif directed the foreign affairs ministry to expedite the identification of the deceased The ministry said its embassy in Tripoli had dispatched a team to a local hospital at the site near Marsa Dela port for the identification The ministry disclosed that there were 63 Pakistanis on the boat, and among them the bodies of 16 had been fished out and 37 rescued, while 10 were still missing “Three of the survivors are in Tripoli, being looked after by the (Pakistani) embassy,” the ministry said

VERDICTS IN CASES AGAINST HASINA, AWAMI BRASS

Bangladesh law adviser Asif Nazrul said that verdicts in three to four cases - against top Awami League leaders including former PM Sheikh Hasina and some top police and administration officials - currently under trial at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) are expected to be delivered by Oct this year We expect to get verdicts in three or four cases by Oct It is a matter of judicial process but I have this impression after talking to the investigation team especially the tribunal s chief prosecutor Tajul Islam he said Earlier, chief adviser Muhammad Yunus assured that trials for all killings and disappearances will be held “The main thing about a trial is that it should be a fair trial There should be no injustice This struggle took place and this sacrifice happened because we stood against injustice ” he said

Narendra Modi & Donald Trump

His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan addressing the assembly during the first anniversary celebration of BAPS Hindu Mandir Abu Dhabi

Pujya Brahmavihari Swami felicitates His Excellency Sanjay Sudhir Ambassador of India to the UAE along with His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan Minister of Tolerance

Pujya Brahmavihari Swami with dignitaries, government officials, and faith leaders at the BAPS Hindu Mandir s anniversary celebrations

in brief

PAUL KAPUR NOMINATED FOR KEY US DIPLOMAT JOB

Paul Kapur, an expert on South Asian security, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to be the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Kapur if confirmed by the Senate will replace Donald Lu The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs deals with US foreign policy and US relations with the countries of Afghanistan Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

KASH PATEL CLEARS SENATE PANEL

Kash Patel s nomination to lead the FBI advanced in a contentious 12-10 party-line vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 13, setting up a full Senate showdown over one of President Trump s most controversial picks Democrats fiercely opposed Patel, citing his deep ties to Trump, past inflammatory statements and his role in shaping efforts to discredit investigations into the former president His confirmation process was further clouded by the abrupt firing of several top FBI officials, including agents involved in Trump’s legal cases, just a day after Patel’s Senate hearing

TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMED AS INTELLIGENCE CHIEF

Tulsi Gabbard, a former US representative with little intelligence experience was confirmed as the top US spy as Republicans lined up behind a nominee once seen as among President Donald Trump s most controversial picks The Senate voted 52 to 48 mostly along party lines to confirm Gabbard to the position overseeing the 18-agency intelligence community and acting as Trump s top adviser on intelligence issues

SUNITA, WILMORE MAY RETURN TO EARTH SOONER

NASA s two stuck astronauts may end up back on Earth a little sooner than planned The space agency announced that SpaceX will switch capsules for upcoming astronaut flights in order to bring Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams home in mid-March instead of late March or April That will shave at least a couple weeks off their prolonged stay at the International Space Station

UN REPORT HIGHLIGHTS ATTACKS ON HINDUS

A UN report found that human rights abuses were inflicted on members of Bangladesh s Hindu, Ahmadiyya Muslim and indigenous communities during the student-led antidiscrimination protests that led to the Sheikh Hasina govt’s fall and its aftermath last year While some 100 arrests related to attacks on distinct religious and indigenous groups have reportedly been made, the perpetrators of many other acts of revenge violence and targeted attacks on such groups still enjoy impunity, the UN Human Rights Office said in its report

GAY SOUTH AFRICAN IMAM SHOT DEAD

Muhsin Hendricks, considered the world’s first openly gay imam, was shot dead near the southern city of Gqeberha, South Africa, police said The imam who ran a mosque intended as a safe haven for gay and other marginalised Muslims, was in a car with another person when a vehicle stopped in front of them and blocked their exit, the police said “Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle the Eastern Cape force said “Thereafter they fled the scene and the driver noticed that Hendricks who was seated at the back of the vehicle was shot and killed ”

Samosa caucus, others condemn rehiring of India hater at DOGE

WA S H I NG T ON : A g ro u p o f

Dem ocratic lawm akers, including Reps Raja K rishnam oorthi, Am i Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Shri T h an ed a r and S u h a s Subramanyam, along with Rep

Gr ac e M eng , C h

Am erican Caucus (C APA C), and

Ho u s e De m o c rat ic L ead er Hakeem Jeffries, have strongly cond em ned Elo n Musk and the De

Efficiency (DOGE) for rehiring Marko Elez

E

resigned after being linked to racist social media posts targeting Indian Americans, was rein-

ments

“We are outraged that Elon Musk is rehiring Marko Elez,” the lawmakers said in a joint

s

who was tied to a social media account that advocated to ‘ normalize Indian hate’ and proudly stated, ‘I was racist before it was

Their response is disappointing, but not surprising

also promoted eugenics and criticized interracial marriage,” they added “This kind of rhetoric has no place in American society ” The lawmakers slammed the decision, calling it an endorsement of hate “When given the opportunity to disavow Marko

President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Elon Musk chose to

broader consequences of normalizing hate “We saw this with the rise of anti-Asian hate dur-

C

they said “When hateful ideologies gain acceptance, our communities are put at risk

access to personal data “The Trump administration has now

given this individual access to Americans’ most sensitive personal and financial information, including Social Security numbers and bank accounts,” they said “This is disturbing and disqualifying ” H

Hakeem Jeffries echoed these concerns

“It is outrageous and deeply disturbing that Elon Musk and

would allow an unqualified and self-described racist to handle the personal and financial data

o

Jeffries said “The decision to rehire Elez proves once again that Elon Musk has no interest

well-being of the American people ”

immediate action “We demand

“Those involved in the hiring of Marko Elez must be fired

Elon Musk's 4-year-old son steals the show at White House

lead er - ad dress the media, but it is a fou r-year-old that becomes the centre o f all attention

President Donald Trump was s

together on the table On his right was billionaire Elon Musk, who has emerged as the most

charge of the Oval Office this January

Right in front of Musk was his four-year-old son X Æ A-Xii, also named X While the press

b r i e f i n g a t t h e W h i t e H o u s e usually has a serious tone, filled with important discussions and major decisions, this one soon turned into a light-hearted one, with the child stealing the show

A s M u s k s t a r t e d s p e a k i n g about democracy and bureaucracy , X appeared to mimic his f a t h e r , p r o m p t i n g t h e T e s l a CEO to stop the child's antics He laughed before continuing his monologue Trump also gestured, perhaps telling the four-year-old to be quiet Musk posted on X an o v e r t w o - a n d - a - h a l f - m i n u t e video in which he continued to address the media, while his son stood in silence At one point, he rubbed his eyes, turned around and then appeared to smile at someone across the table

People on social media were bowled over by the young Musk's presence in the White House A person wrote: “Like father, like son ” Another wrote, “He's so c u t e ” “ L i l X w a s v e r y p o l i t e today! You raised him well He was so cute when he told DJT, “Please forgive me, I need to

Indian origin professor elected to National Academy of Engineering

adopted in the industry His 2003 papers on process fault

pee, ” read another comment A

, “That innocent young lad seems to be enjoying himself ” “This little boy is well-behaved and adorable,” another commented X is the son of Elon Musk and Canadian musician Grimes Born in May 2020, he has made several public appearances in the past Musk shares three children

Mechanicus (“Tau”) Grimes said that she wasn't aware of her son's public appearance and learnt about it through a random X user "He should not be in public like this," the singer wrote on X "I did not see this, thank u for alerting me But I'm glad he was polite Sigh "

Jain community raises

$450,000 for LA fire victims

Col umb ia Un ive rsit y, has be en e l e

Aca demy of Enginee ring (NAE), one of the highest honors in the fiel d Recognized for his gr oundbre aking work in a rtificial int ell ig e

sa fet y and pha rmace ut ical manufacturing, Ve nkata subr amanian joins a dist ing uishe d cohor t of 128 new memb ers an d 22 international member s announced on February 11 The formal induction wil l tak e place at the NAE’s Annual Meet in g on October 5

been at the forefront of develo p i n g A I - b a

process fault diagnosis, safety, and materials design His early r

most-referenced paper in the AIChE Journal in the last two decades

explored economic and social systems, authoring How Much

Mathematical Principles of

i m

, a n d S t a b l e Capitalist Society (2017) Venkatasubramanian earned his BS in chemical engineering from the University of Madras, a n M S i n p h y s i c s f r o m V a n d e

a PhD in chemical engineering from Cornell University

BU ENA P ARK: In a po werfu l display of comm unity support and generosity, the J ain C enter of Sou th ern C alifornia (J CS C) here hosted a fundraiser to aid v i c ti m s o f th e rec en t L o s Angeles fires, raising an impress iv e $4 5 0 , 0 0 0 T h e e v en t, attended by app roximately 3 00 people, was o rganized in collabo ra ti o n w i th se v er al I nd ia n org anizations ac ro ss S ou thern Califo rnia

P a r t n e r i n g o r g a n i z a t i o n s i n c l u d e d J A I N A , J a i n S o c i a l G r o u p o f B e v e r l y H i l l s , J a i n Social Group of LA, ACC, JTLA, Sanatan Dharm Temple, SRLC, TCCOP, Gayatri Parivar, VHPA, Radha Raman Temple, Shreeji M a n d i r , I D C A , I S A H , A I S A , Sunshine Senior Center, and the G u j a r a t i S o c i e t y o f S o u t h e r n California

T h e e v e n i n g o p e n e d w i t h

JCSC President Sameer Shah, encouraging attendees to

efforts A key highlight of the

initiative was JCSC’s commitment to ensuring that 100% of

directly toward fire relief efforts, with zero overhead costs The funds are being distributed in

organizations, including several education foundations and the Pasadena Humane Society Firefighter and Good Karma F

Narayan shared his first hand experience battling the fires and how his team distributed homemade vegetarian meals to fellow firefighters

n g Buena Park Mayor Joyce Ahn and Vice Mayor Connor Traut, applauded JCSC’s humanitarian efforts and extended their supp

j praised the collective work of local organizations, while former California Assembly man Chris Holden pledged assistance in connecting relief funds to the appropriate organizations

India, Qatar upgrade ties to strategic partnership 18 killed

India and Qatar on Tues

The two leaders

including the Israel-Hamas conflict, shortly after

i a l w e l c o m e b y

President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan Modi personally received the Amir on his arrival in Delhi on M o n d a y , s i g n a l l i n g t h e i m p o r t a

a l relationship

Modi said on X that he

h a d a “ v e r y p r o d u c t i v e meeting with my brother”,

A t least 1 8 people, including f iv e ch i l d re n, w ere k i ll ed an d o v e r a

New Delhi Railway Station

o n S at urd a y ni

w h i ch w a s ca u se d b y a s u d d e n surge of p asseng ers waiting to board trains for Prayag raj, w h e re th e M ah a K u m bh Mela is underway

The incident took place

featured prominently in our talks We want to increase

healthcare, food processing, pharmaceuticals and green hydrogen, he said B e s i d e s s i g n i n g a n agreement to upgrade ties, the two sides set a target for

years They also agreed to

bilateral trade deal and to address market access issues

S h e i k h T a m i m , w h o i s “ c o m m i t t e d t o a s t r o n g India-Qatar friendship” H e a d d e d , “ T r a d

related to trade in goods and

invest $10 billion in India

sovereign wealth fund, has

sectors such as retail, power, IT and affordable housing Modi and Sheikh Tamim held wide-ranging talks at

decided to focus on trade,

Randhir Jaiswal said

1984 anti-Sikh riots: Prosecution seeks death penalty for Sajjan Kumar

T he p ros e c u ti o n o n

T ue s d ay s oug ht d e at h

p e na l ty f or fo rm e r Congress MP Sajjan Kumar i n a murder case related to t he 1 9 84

c alling it a "rarest of rare"

c ri me

S p e c

B a w e j a w a s i n f o r m e d o n the contention in a written

s u b m i s s i o n f i l e d b y t h e prosecution The minimum punishment for murder is life imprisonment

The judge deferred the matter to February 21 after

K u m a r ' s c o u n s e l s o u g h t time to argue the matter,

s a y i n g l a w y e r s w e r e

a b s t a i n i n g f r o m w o r k i n protest against the Advocate Amendment Bill, 2025

C o m p l a i n a n t ' s c o u n s e l senior advocate H S Phoolka supported the prosecution s demand for death penalty and sought time to argue Kumar is currently lodged in Tihar jail

S i k h s t o a v e n g e t h e assassination of former P r i m e M i n i s t e r I n d i r a Gandhi T h e m o b a t t a c k e d t h e h o u s

c o m p l a i n a n t , w h o i s

Jaswant's wife, killing the men aside from looting articles and setting their h o u s e a b l a z e , t h e prosecution claimed

According to a report

o n f o o t - o v e r b r i d g e s connecting platforms 14 and 15, when some passengers s l i p p e d w h i l e d e s c e n d i n g , causing panic and a deadly crush

While some sources said delays in train departures and the sale of 1,500 general tickets every hour may have created a chaotic situation a t t h e s t a t i o n , o t h e r s i n d i c a t e d t h a t w r o n g

a n n o u n c e m e n t a b o u t

c h a n g e o f p l a t f o r m s m a y have created confusion that led to the stampede

M o s t v i c t i m s d i e d

b e c a u s e o f a s p h y x i a (suffocation) though some suffered fractures too Nine victims are from Bihar, eight

from Delhi and one from H a r y a n a P r e s i d e n t Droupadi Murmu and PM

N a r e n d r a M o d i e x p r e s s e d condolences for the loss of lives

R a i l w

Ashwini Vaishnaw said that an inquiry has been ordered into the incident and his ministry has set up a twom e m b e r c o m m i t t e e t o investigate it Railways have announced a compensation of Rs 10,00,000 each for the next-of-kin of those killed An amount of Rs 250,000 w i l l b e g i v e n t o

ministry spokesperson said

Ahmedabad sanitation worker’s daughter marries Canadian businessman

In a w orld w here so cietal bound aries still exist, lo ve p ro v es t o b e li m i tle s s Sh raddh a, the d aug hter o f a s an it ati o n w o rk er f ro m

K h o kh ra, A h m e d ab ad , d e fi ed s o c i al n or m s a nd m ar rie d J ean, a C a nad i an b u si ne s sm a n T h e ir l o v e

h e r t i m e a b r o a d t h a t s h e met Jean, and their bond quickly grew stronger They

T h o u g h P u n j a b i B a g h P o l i c e S t a t i o n r e g i s t e r e d t h e c a s e , a s p e c i a l i n v e

took over the investigation

On December 16, 2021, the court framed charges a g a i n s t K u m a r , f i n d i n g a prima facie case against him The prosecution has alleged a huge mob, armed w

destruction of properties of

Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh were killed on November 1, 1984

o f t h e N a n a v a t i Commission, constituted to probe the violence and its aftermath, there were 587

F I R s f i l e d i n D e l h i i n relation to the riots that saw killings of 2,733 people Of the total, about 240 FIRs

w e r e c l o s e d b y p o l i c e a s " u n t r a c e d " a n d 2 5 0 c a s e s resulted in acquittal

O n l y 2 8 c a s e s o f 5 8 7

F I R s r e s u l t e d i n convictions, in which about 4 0 0 p e r s o n s w e r e convicted About 50 were

c o n v i c t e d f o r m u r d e r , including Kumar

Earthquake rattles homes in Delhi

D elhiites woke up to a sca re on M onday m orning - with

b e d s s ha k in g , c e il i n g f an s s wa y in g a nd a n om i n ous r u m b l e s ee m i n gl y c om in g f rom a dis tance - as a 4 0-

m a gn it u de e a r t hq ua k e hi t

t he c it y The s hoc k wav es l aste d jus t a few sec onds but g a v e m i l l io ns i n t he NC R r egion an uns ettling start to t heir work week

The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) confirmed

t h a t t h e e a r t h q u a k e ’ s epicentre was located near Dhaula Kuan in Delhi The exact time of the event was 5 36 am, it stated However, the damage was restricted to three fallen trees in a semi-

d r i e d l a k e a t t h e q u a k e ’ s epicentre

Originating at a shallow depth of just 5km, the tremors affected a broad area of NCR, w h i c h h o u s e s n u m e r o u s s k y s c r a p e r s , u n p l a n n e d s e t t l e m e n t s a

built without adherence to construction regulations

While no structures were a f f e c t e d , t h

another rude reminder that t h e r e g i o n s i t s , l a r g e l y unprepared, on a high-risk seismic zone 4 The cause of Monday’s tremors, however, were not in the faultlines cutting through the region but a rapture in the source r o c k d e e p b e n e a t h t h e

(ADFB) No aftershocks of the quake had occurred till late on Monday The NCS stated that it will wait and watch out for aftershocks for 24 hours

y possible as the epicentre was on a weak zone and not on a fault line, then it will also mean that all the stress was r e l e a s e d o n M o n d a y morning with the magnitude o

sto ry is a testament to the p ow er o f tru e co nnectio n b eyo n d ca st e, cl as s , a nd nationality How th eir journey beg an

S h r a d d h a ’ s f a t h e r ,

S u n i l b h a i , p r i o r i t i z e d h e r education despite financial

s t r u g g l e s T h r o u g h s c h o l a r s h i p s , S h r a d d h a

c o m p l e t e d h e r

p h y s i o t h e r a p y d e g r e e a n d later moved to Canada for higher studies It was during

d e c i d e d t o t i e t h e k n o t t h r o u g h c o u r t m a r r i a g e before celebrating in a grand traditional ceremony Gro om embraces Ind ian culture

J e a n a r r i v e d i n I n d i a with his family on February 9, 2025, and the couple had t h e i r t r a d i t i o n a l H i n d u w e d d i n g o n F e b r u a r y 1 2

Around 18-20 of Jean’s f a m i l y a n d f r i e n d s t r a v e l e d f r o m Canada to be part of the c e l e b r a t i o n T h e m o s t r e m a r k a b l e a s p e c t w a s t h e g r o o m ’ s wholehearted acceptance of Indian traditions and customs Trad itional wedd ing T h e w e d

r e and traditions The groom and his family dressed in traditional Indian attire and actively participated in all r i t u a l s T h e c e l

o n included traditional music, d

a perfect blend of love and cultural harmony

Rishi Sunak holds talks with Jaishankar in Delhi

Ext ernal Aff air s M inister S Jais hankar met f o r m e r U K P r im e M in is t e r a nd M P f o r Ric hmo nd and N orth allerton Rish i Su nak in De lh i, e xp re ss ing ap p re c iatio n f or Su na k' s o ngoing sup po rt in strength ening India-U K relations

Jaishankar shared on X, "Great to meet former UK PM Rishi Sunak in Delhi today I a p p r e c i a t e h i s c o n t i n u e d s u p p o r t i n enhancing India-UK ties " Sunak also met P M M o d i a n d f

Sithraman in Delhi

Earlier, Sunak, along with his family, visited the Fatehpur Sikri in Agra He was accompanied by his wife, Akshata Murty, mother-in-law Sudha Murty, and daughters Anoushka and Krishna Sunak greeted the crowd with a warm wave as they gathered to catch a glimpse of the family

Last week, Sunak visited the Taj Mahal with his family a n d m o t h e r - i n - l a

alongside his wife

In the book, he wrote: "A

truly breathtaking visit Few places in the

children will never forget seeing this We are s

unforgettable experience for our whole family

Thank you " Akshata Murty also shared her appreciation, writing, "A memory for the ages " Sunak, earlier witnessed the fifth and final T20I match between India and England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 2 He was joined by his father-inlaw, Narayan Murthy, for the match Rishi Sunak with EAM S Jaishankar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad AL Thani at Hyderabad House

Sajjan Kumar

(L-R): Akshata Murty Sudha Murty Anoushka Krishna and Rishi Sunak at Taj Mahal

228 more Indians deported from US land in India

A third American aircraft

Sunday, taking the number o

w

total number of people sent back to India since the start of the current deportation exercise on Feb 5 to 332.

The latest batch com-

Haryana, 33 from Gujarat,

3

Pradesh and Uttarakhand,

sources said There was no

official confirmation of the breakup

The US military plane that landed at Amritsar air p

brought back 116 deportees, 65 of them from Punjab

After the Punjab govt’s criticism of Haryana sending jail vans to transport the

native places, the BJP-led govt sent a Volvo bus to pick up the new arrivals

Punjab govt was at the air-

occasions There were no

returnees either Minister

first batch on Feb 5 He was joined by cabinet colleague

H

Saturday, ahead of the second flight’s arrival

The Feb 5 flight brought

Jaishankar visits Oman to participate in the 8th Indian Ocean Conference

S Jaishankar

India's external affairs m inister S Jaishankar visited Om an to particip ate in th e 8th Ind ian Ocean C onference During the confere

keynote ad dress in the inaugural

in

reg ional cooperatio n and ensur-

Indian Ocean reg ion

During the visit, Jaishankar held bilateral meeting with H E S a y

Sultanate of Oman, in which both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of India-Oman relations Jaishankar conveyed his appreciation to the leadership of the Sultanate of Oman for hosting the Indian Ocean Conference and for their steadfast support in strengthening India-Oman ties Discussions also focused on avenues for further enhancing collaboration in areas of mutual interest

Jaishankar unveiled the specially designed logo celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Oman, along with H E Sayyid Badr Albusaidi As both countries prepare to commemorate this in 2025, the logo symbolizes the long-standing partnership built on history, culture, and strong people-to-people ties

Jaishankar also launched the book 'Mandvi to Muscat: Indian Community and the Shared History of India and Oman', along with the Foreign Minister of Oman Brought out by the Embassy of India in Muscat, the book highlights the rich history of the Indian diaspora in Oman and the centuries-old people-to-people ties that continue to shape bilateral relations On the sidelines of the conference, Jaishankar held bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of Brunei, Bangladesh, Iran, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Nepal, discussing key regional and global issues of mutual concern and reinforcing India’s commitment to deeper engagement with the Indian Ocean region

India reassures Nepali students after suicide sparked protest

I ndi a h as assured studen ts from Nepal of i ts efforts to ensure their well- being , following protests trigg ered by the suicid e of a Nepali woman studying in Od isha Police hav e taken in to custody a male studen t as they i nv estig ate Sunday's death at a women 's hostel, sai d offi cials of the un iv ersity in the state's capi tal of B hubaneswar atten ded by more than 400 Nepali stud en ts Nepali students studying in India form an important facet of enduring people-to-people links," the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, the capital of the neighbouring nation, said

"The government of India will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the well-being of Nepali students in India," it added in its statement

The assurance followed protests by students who had blocked a road for hours, which the university said had caused "inconvenience and escalating tensions" Students shouted slogans and pushed through the gates of buildings "Students have been requested to resume classes as soon as possible," Shradhanjali Nayak, a spokesperson for the university, the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, said "The situation is quite under control "

104 deportees, all of them

The second flight, carrying 116 deportees, had only the men in restraints Women and children were spared the shackles, sources said P

treatment of deportees He also asked the Union govt to

T h e g o v t nam ed Gyan esh Ku mar, th e senior of the two electio n com missi oners, as the next chief election comm is s i on er , and H ar ya na chief secretary Vivek Joshi as electio n com missioner after a m e eti n g o f t h e P ri m e M inister-led selection comm ittee in w hich leader o f op positio n Rahul Gandhi is believed to h av e submitted a d issent note

The govt earlier did not agree to Rahul’s request to defer the panel’s meeting

Gyanesh Kumar’s term

diverted to some other airport, but the only concession given was the deportees’ arrival at the main terminal instead of the one for cargo

At a press conference,

flight landing in the holy city amid allegations of attempts by the Centre to “tarnish the

will run till Jan 26, 2029, d

E C

expected to announce the schedule of the next Lok

Monday By convention, the senior EC is appointed CEC Joshi is a 1989 batch IAS

cadre He was earlier secretary in the departments of financial services and personnel T a l k i n g t o r e p o r t e r s ,

pointed out that the Centre

flight as it was nearer to the US than other Indian airports, Mann shot back: “If Amritsar is so close, then it would make sense to start flights from here to the US and Canada as we have been demanding ” 74 from Gujarat arrive

Eleven of the deportees

reached the SVPI airport on Monday were children and teens, the highest for a batch sent to Gujarat this month Till now, three batches of

S

Congress Abhishek Manu

said Rahul had asked that

whether the composition of the panel to select the CEC and ECs was valid and did not violate the apex court's verdict

A p a r t f r o m P M

N a r e n d r a M

a n d t h e LoP, home minister Amit Shah is a member of the selection committee

Congress said that the

said the Special Operations Group (SOG) and CID (IB) are questioning the depor-

have emerged yet, sources said

media or authorities, relatives of some of them dis-

went to

on

but the

sequent details of their journey are not known

have landed in Ahmedabad –33 on Feb 6, eight on Feb 16 and 33 on Monday, taking the total to 74 The flights carrying them had arrived at the domestic terminal of the airport from Amritsar All of them were escorted by state police teams to their respective districts in special vehicles S e n

govt should not have scheduled the discussion as the Supreme Court was seized of the matter and has post-

press conference, adding, “If this is not ego, then what is

the EC were the prerogative of the executive, with the President appointing them

advice

s

c

SOUTH INDIA

Goa ex-MLA dies after auto driver slaps him during row

P A N A J I / B E L A G A V I : F o r me r

Goa le gisla tor Lavoo Mamledar

( 6 8 ) d i e d i n K a r n a t a

Belag avi a fter b ein g ass aulted

b y a n a utorick sha w dri ver in an i ns tan ce of roa d rag e Poli ce took the accuse d i nto custody , b ut d i d n o t d i s c l os e h i s i den tity

M a m l e d

Khade Bazaar area, leading to a heated argument between him and the accused, Belagavi deputy

d order) Rohan Jagadeesh said

T h e a u t o d r i v e r d e m a n d e d compensation for the damage to his vehicle, which the ex MLA refused,

s p a r k i n g t h e a l t e r c a t i o n , d u r i n g which the accused allegedly slapped the former MLA multiple times even as bystanders tried to intervene and

M a m l e d

n walked towards his lodge in Khade Bazaar but suddenly collapsed in the l o d g e s

rushed to the civil hospital where he was declared dead

CCTV footage released following the attack confirmed accounts by eyewitnesses that Mamledar asked

which he was slapped Lodge owner Addiappa corroborated the same

constituency from 2012 to 2017 He was elected to Goa assembly on a Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party ticket in 2012 Mamledar is survived by his wife and two children

Harjinder Singh Dhami

resigns as SGPC chief on 'moral grounds'

AM R I TS AR : Shi romani Gurdwara

Pa rban d h ak C om mi tt ee (S G PC ) presid en t Harji nder S ing h Dhami ha s r es i g n e d f ro m h i s po s t

D ham i s r es i g n ati o n ca me d ays after Akal Takht Jathedar Giani

R ag h bi r S i n g h s t ro n g l y co n d e mn ed t he d i s mi s s al of servi ces of Gi an i Harpreet Si ngh as the jathedar of Damdama Sahib by the SG PC

In a hurriedly called media

b r i e f i n g , D h a m i s a i d h e i s committed to the Akal Takht Dhami has demanded that he also be removed from the sevenmember committee formed by the Shiromani Akali Dal He has submitted his resignation to the SGPC executive committee

Referring to a February 13

F a c e b o o k p o s t o f J a t h e d a r

R a g h b i r S i n g h o n t h e termination of services of Giani Harpreet Singh, Dhami said he

"unfortunate" "I being 'pardhan' (president of SGPC) take responsibility and resign from the post on moral grounds with immediate effect," h

media in Amritsar Dhami said he had written to the Akal Takht Jathedar to relieve him from his position in the seven-member committee formed to supervise the new membership drive of the SAD

5 Kerala nursing students arrested for 'cruel' ragging

KO TT A YA M: Fi ve third -year stud ents of Go vt Col lege of N urs ing in Kerala’s Kottayam were arrested after a group of f reshers who had been allegedl y s ubjected to ragging on c a mp u s r ep o rt ed ac t s o f c ru el t y th at

s tri pped and having dumbbell

ed to their

vate p arts

The arrested students – Samuel Johnson (20), Rahul Raj (22), Jeeva (18), Rijil Jith (20) and Vivek NV (21) - were remanded in judicial custody and sent to the district jail

The suspects recorded the alleged acts of torture on six freshers, including tying them to beds in their hostel r o o m s a n d p o u r i n g s o m e t h i

Investigators have seized some of these mobile phone recordings for verification, an officer said

“The victims approached the anti-ragging committee, which probed the complaint before reporting it to us We recorded statements from some of the victims, based on which the case was registered,” sub-inspector Pradeep Lal V of Gandhinagar police station said According to the FIR, the first-year students’ ordeal began last Nov The arrested seniors would allegedly threaten them with a knife and extort money for drinking sessions on Sundays, it says

Acting principal Lini Joseph said the college authorities weren’t aware of it until the victims filed a complaint recently “The students accused of ragging and torture were suspended after a probe by senior professors of the college A report has been submitted to Kerala University of Health Sciences and the district police chief,” she said

HC gives Punjab govt 30 days to firm up steps to block illegal immigration

Haryan a

represe

court

of the state A division bench of Justice

Harmeet Singh Grewal passed

lawyer Kanwar Pahul against

U S , many of them young men from P u n j a b w h o s e f a m i l i e s s o l d land and took loans to pay for their illegal passage

P a h u l s o u g h t a c o u r t directive to the Union and state

g o v t s t o s e t u p c h e c k p o i n t s u n d e r S e c t i o n 6 o f t h e

E m i g r a t i o n A c t o

Suvendu Adhikari, 3 other BJP MLAs suspended from Bengal assembly

K OL KA T A : L eader of Oppositi on i n t h e W e s t B e n g a l a s s e m b l y Suvend u Ad hika ri a nd three other BJP MLA s we re suspe nded f rom the on g oi n g b u d g e t s e s s i o n

S pe a k e r f o r a l l e g e d u n r u l y beha viour i n the House

S p e a k e r B i m a n B a n e r j e e suspended Agnimitra Pal, Bankim Ghosh and Biswanath Karak, apart from Adhikari, till the end of this s e s s i o n i n t h e W e s t B e n g a l assembly or for 30 days, whichever is earlier, after they came down to

t h e w e l l o f t h e H o u s e , t o r e u p business papers and threw those away T h e B J P m e m b e r s , l e d b y Adhikari, went to the well of the H o u s e r a i s i n g s l o g a n s a f t e r t h e

S p e a k e r r e f u

u

n m e n t motion brought by Pal The BJP MLAs thereafter staged a walkout from the House

The adjournment motion was

brought by the BJP to highlight alleged intimidation at some places i n t h e s t

g

n g Saraswati Puja earlier this month Pal later told reporters outside the assembly that Saraswati Puja had to be held at some places in the s t a

including at a law college in Kolkata with orders from the Calcutta High Court

She said the walkout by the BJP MLAs was to protest the Speaker's r e f u s a l

adjournment motion brought by

T h e S p

disallowing the discussion in the House, allowed one BJP MLA to read out the motion After Pal read out the motion in the House, the BJP MLAs started p

appeasement by ruling TMC for electoral gains

r e g u l a t e t h e i m m i g r a t i o n process

H e a l s o s u g g e s t e d publishing an updated list of authorised recruiting agencies w o r k i n g f o r c l i e n t s a b r o a d , permit employers outside India to help people access secure i m m i g r a t i o n o p p o r t u n i t i e s , and bar fraudulent agents from operating in any part of the country

A d v o c a t e D h e e r a j J a i n , representing the Union govt, t o l d t h e c o u r t t h a t m a n y i m m i g r a n t s w o u l d l e a v e f o r European countries on study or t o u r i s t v i s a s a n d t h e r e a f t e r enter the US illegally Three US military flights have ferried 332 u n d o c u m e n t e d i m m i g r a n t s back to India since Feb 5 Two

o f t h e s e a i r c r a f t l a n d e d i n A m r i t s a r o v e r t h e w e e k e n d with 116 and 112 passengers, respectively

7-month-old’s rape ‘rarest of rare’, says Kolkata court

KO LK A T A : A Pocso cou rt termed “ rarest of rare ” a case in which it h eld a 34 -year-old m an g uilty of rap ing a sev enmonth-o ld ch ild after kidnapp ing h er from a Kolkata pav em ent w here she had been sleeping besid e her m oth er

The prosecution said it would seek death for Rajib G

continues to be critical in RG Kar Hospital for two months amid assessments she would be left with permanent damage

Twenty-four witnesses testified, one of them being Saptarshi Chatterjee, RG Kar medical superintendent cumvice-principal who said the baby had suffered complete peritoneal rupture and that she had not gained any weight in two months

The child was allegedly abducted late Nov 30 night from the kerbside in Burtolla area by Ghosh, who had reportedly carried out a recce of the spot thrice

A resident of the area noticed an infant howling on the pavement in front of his home late in the night, with no one around The person alerted the cops Around the same time, the infant’s parents approached the police to trace their child, eventually leading the baby to be reunited with the parents and rushed to RG Kar Police used modern technology to decipher grainy CCTV footage and track down Ghosh, who walked with a limp, on Jan 7, public prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee said, adding it was the limp that distinguished him from others Cops filed the chargesheet within 26 days

NORTH-EAST

r emai ne d unsucce ssful

The Manipur assembly, however, will remain in suspended animation, allowing scope for formation of a govt as and when an alternative emerges Assembly polls in Manipur, in the normal course, are due Feb 2027 President Droupadi Murmu, in

rule, said she was “satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the govt of that state cannot be carried on in accordance with

India

There is an assessment that placing Manipur under President’s rule will help in creating a neutral setting for talks between Meitei and Kuki-Zo leaders to sort out issues creating mutual mistrust K u

across the table with Singh in the lead, are expected to soften their stance and come forward for substantive talks to bring lasting peace

ASSAM COPS BOOK PAK MAN WHO WORKED WITH MP’S WIFE

Assam DGP Harmeet Singh constituted an SIT to probe a case against Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and others on charges of abetment outside India for offences in India and endangering the country s sovereignty and integrity, among others State cabinet had earlier directed police to register a case against Sheikh for his alleged comments on social media platforms aimed at “disrupting communal harmony in Assam ” “Pursuant to the registration of the case, the DGP, Assam police, has constituted an SIT to investigate the matter Assam police will conduct a professional and completely objective investigation,” CM Himanta Sarma wrote on X

12 MANIPUR MILITANTS HELD

Twelve militants have been arrested from various parts of Manipur since the imposition of President's rule in the strife-scarred state on Feb 13 Those arrested include suspected cadres of Kuki National Army (KNA) and proscribed outfit Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP-PWG group) Manipur police said on X, adding a huge cache of arms was seized from them Seven KNA men were picked up by security forces from Sangaikot area of Churachandpur district

Two AK-47s were among six rifles and ammunition seized the police said Four members of KCP-PWG group were arrested from Huikap village in Imphal East district The four including two women are involved in extortion and transportation of arms and ammunition the police said Separately a member of PREPAK (PRO) allegedly involved in extortion and other illegal activities was arrested from Bishnupur, the police said

Lavoo Mamledar

Harjinder Singh Dhami

Droupadi Murmu

PM Modi leads global leaders in Instagram influence, outpaces Trump in reach

P r i m e M i n is te r Na ren d ra

M o di has emerg ed as the m ost influential g lobal leader on Instagram, surp assing

U S P resident Donald T rum p in aud ience size and digital reach, acco rding to a report by Qoruz, an influencer analytics platfo rm

With 92 4 million fol-

l o w e r s , M o d i ’ s I n s t a g r a m p r e s e n c e i s n e a r l y t h r e e times larger than Trump’s 31 7 million His estimated reach stands at 14 3 million per post, more than double

T r u m p ’ s 5 6 m i l l i o n T h e study, which evaluates met-

r i c s s u c h a s e n g a g e m e n t rate, likes, comments, and reel viewership, also found that Modi holds a higher

C r e a t o r A u t h o r i t y S c o r e (9 42) compared to Trump’s 9 12

While Modi has a far l a r g e r f o l l o w i n g , T r u m p ’ s engagement rate of 1 96% is slightly higher than Modi’s 1 47%, suggesting his followers interact more proport i o n a l l y H o w e v e r , M o d i ’ s posts generate more average likes (1 4 million per post vs 611,000 for Trump), while T r u m p ’ s c o n t e n t s p a r k s more discussions, with an

average of 12,300 comments

Modi’s 87,000

Modi’s reels also attract higher views, averaging 17 3

Trump’s reels get

mil-

that his video content resonates more with his followers

engagement rate of 3 71%,

Trump’s 2 14% His photos

million likes, far surpassing Trump’s 667,000 On the other hand, Trump’s reels show stronger performance

relative to his follower base, with a higher reel engagement rate and more views per follower

Trump’s Instagram followi

Trump has gained 16 4 million new followers - a 54 7%

Modi’s 818,000 new followers (0 90%) This surge is likely tied to Trump’s political campaigns ahead of the US elections

from the US Modi’s audience is also younger, with 50 5% aged 25-34, compared to 37 48% in the same group for Trump

Entering India sans passport, visa could result in 5-year jail

A n y f or e ig n e r w ho e n t e r s India without a valid pas sport or vis a coul d invite a jail

t erm of up to f ive years a nd a f ine of up to Rs 500,000 In c ase entry and s tay in or exit f rom India by a foreigner is

w it h a f o rg e d p a s s p or t or t ravel document, t he im prisonme nt will be not le ss than t wo years , b ut may extend to s even years , and the f ine, Rs 1 00 ,0 00 , c a n go up t o R s 10,00,000

These are provisions of Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 - set to be introduced in Lok Sabha in the current session - that seeks to repeal four Acts, with overl a p p i n g p r o v i s i o n s o n t h e related subjects of immigra-

tion and foreigners, and consolidate them into a single, c

The four Acts are Foreigners

Act, 1939; and Immigration (Carriers’ Liability), 2000

As of now the maximum penalty for a foreigner entering the country without a valid passport or travel document, including visa, is five years in jail and fine For those entering on a forged p

m penalty is eight years in jail and up to Rs 50,000 fine

T h e b i l l a l s o s e e k s t o make all higher educational institutions and universities

liable to share information on any foreigner admitted, with the registration officer specified for such category of f o r e i g

will also apply to all hospi-

need to furnish to the registration officer information o

i n g i npatient medical treatment

It is proposed under the bill that any foreigner overstaying his/her visa or violating conditions of the visa, or

a

restricted area, will be punished with up to three years in jail or fine of up to Rs

300,000, or both A foreigner who is directed by the central govt to reside at a place set apart for a number of foreigners, shall be subject to c o n d i t i o n s a s t o m a i n t enance, discipline and puni s h m e n t o f o f f e n c e s a n d

b r e a c h e s o f d i s c i p l i n e ordered by the Centre from time to time

The bill also proposes to hold a carrier responsible for ferrying a foreigner found by the immigration officer here as not having a valid passport or travel document/visa The i m m i g r a t i o n o f f i c e r c a n impose a penalty of up to Rs

5 0 0 , 0 0 0 o n t h e c a r r i e r , though not without hearing its version

SC grants protection to Allahbadia, raps him for

T h e S u p r em e C o u r t o n

T u e sd ay g ran ted in ter i m p r o tec ti o n f ro m a rres t to i n fl u enc er R anv eer

A llahbadi a, also kno wn as BeerBiceps, in FIRs lod ged against his com ments on the Yo uTube sho w Ind ia's Got

L ate nt, o n th e c o nd it io n that he fully coo perates with the inv estigation

T h e S u p r e m e C o u r t expressed displeasure over

t h e r e m a r k s o f Y o u T u b e r

a n d p o d c a s t e r A l l a h b a d i a during his guest appearance on India's Got Latent

A bench of Justice Surya

A cou p le f rom Gujarat h as raised £1 6mn with the hel p o f a c rowdfunding platfo rm to bu y a gene th erap y injection fo r th e treatment of th eir

5 - m o nt h - o l d s o n s u f f e ri ng f ro m sp inal m us cu la r at rop hy, a rare genetic dis order

The child was administered the injection at a private hospital in Mumbai, his father Rajdeepsinh Rathod said Spinal muscular atrophy is a genetic disorder in which a person cannot control the movement of mus-

Kant and Justice N Kotiswar

S

g

Ranveer Allahabadia's plea t o c l u b t h e F I R s f i l e d i n M u m b a i , G u w a h a t i , a n d

Jaipur The apex court also asked Allahbadia's lawyer to c l a r i f y t h e p a r a m e t e r s o f obscenity and vulgarity

T h e c o u r t q u e s t i o n e d

A l l a h a b a d i a ’ s c o u n s e l : “ I f this is not obscenity, what is it? Why should we quash or club the FIRs against you?”

The Supreme Court, in its hearing today, said that such b e h a v i o u r h a s t o b e c o n -

cles due to loss of nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain stem This causes muscular weakness and affects breathing as well as movement of limbs

Rathod said he and his w i f e J i n a l b a m a n a g e d t o raise £1 6mn for their son Dhairyaraj's treatment within 42 days of launching the campaign in March this year, a

demned

"Just because somebody

t h i n k s h e h a s b e c o m e s o popular and can speak any

f t h e gene therapy injection, manufactured by Swiss pharma giant Novartis, is £1 6mn in India, the Customs duty is about £650,000, which the Centre has already waived

Lunawada town of Gujarat s Mahisagar district

He said the gene therapy injection by Novartis, considered as one of the costliest drugs in the world, is the

Musk's Tesla kicks off hiring in India amid stronger US ties

Elon Mus k owned Electric c ar m ak er T es l

of

process in

signi fi cant step toward s its long-antici pated entry i nto the do mesti c market

On Monday, the electric vehicle (EV) giant posted a job listing on LinkedIn for the posit i o n o

Metropolitan Region The role is a full-time, on-site position, indicating Tesla's commitment to building a direct presence in the country

Tesla's latest hiring activity aligns with its broader strategy to expand in India The company has recently posted a total of 13 job openings, covering both customer-facing and operational roles This development follows a crucial meeting between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14 in Washington DC

The discussions between the two centred on strengthening India-US collaboration in innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development The two also explored emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, and governance - areas that align with Tesla's vision for India

Tesla, a global leader in electric mobility and renewable energy, has had a limited presence in India but has been considering an expansion for years

With the latest job postings, the company is taking concrete steps to establish itself in the world's third-largest automobile market ndustry experts believe Tesla's hiring push could be a precursor to the company setting up sales and service operations, and eventually manufacturing in India The move aligns with the Indian government's push for electric vehicle adoption and local manufacturing, supported by incentives under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme While Tesla has not provided an official timeline for its India launch, its active hiring suggests that preparations are in full swing

UAE expands visa-onarrival facility for Indians from 6 more countries

comments

kind of words, can he take the entire society for granted? Is there anyone on earth who will like this language?

T h e r e i s s o m e t h i n g v e r y dirty in his mind which has b e e n v o m i t e d , " t h e a p e x court said

A d d i t i o n a l l y , J u s t i c e Kant stated: “If any other FIR on the same allegations is filed in Jaipur, the petitioner’s arrest will remain stayed ” The petitioner must deposit his passport at the T h a n e P o l i c e S t a t i o n a n d seek prior court permission before leaving the country

l muscular atrophy and it has to be imported after placing the order "

from the US a few days back W

admitted our son in the hospital, where he was given the Zolgensma injection It is

treat children suffering from spinal muscular atrophy," he said Rathod is now hopeful that his son would be able to lead a healthy life

The Unite d Ar ab Emirat es (UAE) ha s expan ded it s visa-onarrival programme for Indian national s b y in cl uding tr avel lers with v alid visas, residence per mits, or G reen Cards fr om six more countr ie s on the el igib ility l ist The move permits more In dia n pa sspor t hol ders t o access visa-on-arriva l fa cilities at UAE ent ry point s Under the Arab country's latest order, Indians with valid visas, residence permits, or Green Cards from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada will be allowed access to the visa-on-arrival facility in the UAE

The Arad nation already had this policy for Indian nationals h o l d i n g v a l i d d o c u m e n t a t i

, European Union member states, and the United Kingdom

To be eligible for the programme, Indian nationals must meet the criteria set by UAE, which include holding a valid ordinary passport with at least six months validity from the date of arrival The travellers should also have a valid visa, residence permit, or Green Card from any of the eligible countries on the list

If they meet these requirements, the individuals will be required to pay the visa fee upon arrival at UAE immigration checkpoints The UAE has introduced three categories for eligible Indian travellers, with a nominal visa fee For a 4-day visa, travellers will have to shell out Dh100 (approx Rs 2,270), while for a 14-day extension, they will have to pay Dh250 (approx Rs 5,670) There is also a 60-day visa, for which they will have to pay Dh250 (approx Rs 5,670)

Convict gets two life terms for rape-murder of Irish woman

A Goa co urt gave two life sentences to Vikat Bhagat, w ho was convicted last week for th e 2017 rape and murder of a 28-year-o ld Irish national in Canacona T he sentencing brough t closure to a legal battle that lasted eig ht years

Additional district and sessions judge Kshama Joshi, who had convicted Bhagat on Feb 14, pronounced the quantum of punishment, sentencing the 31-year-old to two rigorous life imprisonments – one under IPC section 302 (murder) and the other under 376 (rape) “The sentence of imprisonment for life shall run concurrently,” the order said, meaning that Bhagat will serve his natural life in prison The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 for each of these offences

Additionally, Bhagat received a three-year sentence for destruction of evidence under section 201 IPC with a fine of Rs 10,000 Brought to court under heavy police guard, Bhagat received sentence with stoic composure, his expression betraying neither distress nor remorse

Ranveer Allahbadia

The history and traditions of Maha Kumbh Mela

The Maha Kumbh Mela is a Hindu pilgrimage and festival that celebrates the sacred pitcher. It's a gathering of millions of people, including ascetics, saints, and pilgrims. The festival is rooted in Hindu mythology and is celebrated every 12 years.

believe it dates back to the 8th

myth is about a fight between gods a

immortality The pot was spilt in

locations

Tradition T

Jupiter is in Aries and the Sun and M o o n

T h e f e s t i v a l i s k n o w n f o r i t s m a n y

ascetics, or sadhus, who perform rituals, offer blessings, and engage w i t h p i l g r i m s T h e f e s t i v a l i s known for its Naga Sadhus, who cover their bodies with ash and wear long dreadlocks

The festival is known for its r o y a l b a t h , o r A m r i t a n , w h e r e ascetics led by Naga sadhus take ceremonial dips in holy rivers

Namita shah

IrememberSignificance

The festival is considered the most sacred of all Kumbh Melas

The festival is believed to bring a b o u t s p i r i t u a l c l e a n s i n g , liberation, and ties to divinity T

means pitcher, or pot The story goes that when Devas (gods) and A s u

pitcher of amrita, or the elixir of

Asuras don't get it, Indra's son, Jayant, ran off with the pot The Sun, his son Shani, Brihaspati (the planet Jupiter), and the Moon went along to protect him and the pot

As Jayant ran, the amrita spilt at four spots: Haridwar, Prayagraj,

from when I was growing up, the elders in our family would go for ‘jatras’, including the kumbh – ardha or purna. When my naani returned from a six week teerthyatra, she was welcomed with garlands, flowers showered on her. So attending an event was not an unfamiliar concept I am not particularly religious, but I think as one gets older, there is more reflection about life, its purpose, spirituality, etc

When I heard of the ‘Mahakumbh’ – an event which occurs after the completion of twelve purna kumbhs (each purna kumbh in turn takes twelve years to complete) I was intrigued An event which takes place every 144 years! What a stroke of luck to be around and alive at this time, and it made me very curious to attend It was like wanting to see Hailey’s comet which shows up once in 76 y e a r s , b u

possibly attaining moksha or salvation More than perfunctorily attending my obligatory kumbh, I wanted to attend this unique event and understand the feeling If 450 million plus people from all walks of society, all b a c k g r o u n d s , a l l c a s t e s , c r e e d s , s p e a k i n g different languages, from different regions, all gathered with one united purpose of prayer, of worship, I wanted to see and experience the vibe of the place

D e s t i n y w o r k e d o u t a n d I h a d t h e opportunity to attend the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj from February 6-8 We flew in and

o u t o f P r a y a g r a j a i r p o r t i t s e l f w h i c h d e f i n i t e l y m a d e o u r j o u r

m places nearby such as Lucknow or Varanasi have had extremely long commute times and have been stuck in horrible traffic jams

We stayed opposite Dasashwmedh Ghat, so we did not need to walk as much as those living in the Kumbh area itself Though crowded, we could move around relatively easily as we had arranged for a guide with a bike to take us around

Amazing arrangements

The sheer number of people attending the mahakumbh is mind boggling And yet, a s a w o m a n , I d i d n o t f e e l u n s a f e o r uncomfortable at all, at any point, in the vast crowds The arrangements, especially in the kumbh area were amazing, For the ginormous volume of people attending, the

Trimbakeshwar He ran for 12 days, and as one day of the Devas is e

, Kumbh Mela is celebrated at these locations every 12 years, based on the relative positions of the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter Prayagraj is hosting the Maha Kumbh this time, or the Poorna Kumbh, held every 12 years Many myths are prevalent around the Kumbh Mela, many theories about its exact origin Some believe the festival finds mention in the Vedas and Puranas Some say it is far more recent, going back barely two centuries What is known for certain is that today, it is one of the largest gatherings of devotees witnessed anywhere on earth

What is the Kumbh Mela, and why is it held in four cities periodically? What is Ardh Kumbh and Maha Kumbh? What is the origin of this festival, and why do millions attend it?

n m a n y questions about Hinduism, lie in a mixture of myths, history, and the e n d u r i n g f

people, trusting as much in the munificence of invisible deities as in tangible life-givers like rivers Prayagraj and Haridwar also h o l d

means half), every six years The

the banks of rivers - Haridwar has the Ganga, Prayagraj is the

mythical Saraswati, Ujjain has

Trimbakeshwar the Godavari It is believed that taking a dip in these rivers during Kumbh, amid the specific alignment of

punya (spiritual merit) Kumbh Melas are also the venue where Sadhus and other holy men gather

the sadhu

festival held after 12 years is called the Poorna Kumbh, or the Maha Kumbh

All four places are located on

My Maha kumbh journey

arrangements are an achievement in itself I cannot imagine many other, or even any other country being able to organise and manage an event of such epic proportions

The cleaning crews would work constantly to tidy the place

Our guide took us to Arail ghat on his bike from where we took a boat to the

Sangam reflects this The Sangam snaan is a feeling, an ‘anubhuti’ more than a physical experience Exhibition on the Jyotirlings

We also visited the exhibition on the t w e l v e J y o t i r l i n g s o f I n d i a w h

curiosity - and regular people can meet them and learn from them

Continued on page 27

Triveni Sangam, where we did our snaan

The dubki in the Sangam aah! Now that was an amazing experience in itself When you think of why you should attend the mahakumbh and do the snaan – to pray for

‘moksh’ Whether you intend to or not, our

journeyed inwards when I entered the cool

a n d c l e a r w a t e r s o f t h e S a n g a m , a n d remembered all my near and dear ones, parents, grandparents, those whom I have loved and lost, I thought of all my family members on whose behalf I wanted to pray, I focussed on my life and karma and the concept of right and wrong In the flowing water, in that moment, when I was focused inward, thinking of all of this, all the noise of the outside world just faded away and all I remembered was the purpose, the prayers which came from faith, from belief, and the dip in the cool flowing river of the Ganga refreshed me and felt like it lightened my soul For me personally the experience was so amazing, so powerful that I just wanted to go back to the Sangam the following day and do the dubki again That feeling of serenity cannot be described in words Just t h i n k , a l l o f t h o s e m i l l i o n s o

gathered there- united by faith, by belief, by

salvation The vibe and the energy of the

beautifully made and lovely to walk around The trip to ‘Akshay Vat’, hundreds of years old banyan tree, and to the source of river Saraswati, in the old fort were orderly, well managed and well maintained Apparently, the Kumbh snaan is incomplete without v i s i t i n g t h e ‘ A k s h a y V a t ’ , t h e ‘ L e t e Hanuman’ (unfortunately for us, the temple h a d b e e n s h u t t o a c h i e v e c r o w d management)

We also went round the akhadas, met some of the sadhus and saints As I stood outside an akhara, searching for a little m o n e y t o o f f e r , t h e s a d h u r e f u s e d t h e money His words ‘don’t worry about the d a k s h i n a , p l e a s e c o m e a n d s i t , t a l k , meditate ' Another sadhu urged us to do

attended by the poorer sections of society and the older and retired The population dynamic this time, thanks to social media, included a lot of younger people, and also those from the upper echelons of society I am so glad and thankful that I had the

Mahakumbh and I got to see a glimpse of the real India It was an eye opener and I know it has raised the curiosity in me to learn more about sanatan dharma I know I would like to attend the next purna kumbh at Prayagraj with my family

more such jatras and to follow the path of ‘dharma’ Having said that, a lot of the akharas are now empty as the sadhus have left the mahakumbh Campsites for attendees to stay

In the kumbh area, divided into many sectors, there are tons of campsites for the Mahakumbh attendees to stay and sleep, langars and bhandaras to feed all who wish to eat I saw a camp providing artificial limbs and prosthetics to those affected, a camp which offered free eye examinations a n d

stations at regular intervals, availability

In short, is it easy? No Travel takes time The number of people attending is mind boggling Does it get dirty -yes Can you see the effort to keep it clean and manage it - yes Was it noisy – yes Is there some method to the madness – yes Did the atmosphere feel incredible- yes Would I go back – yes Do I want to go at a quieter time and do the snaan again, visit Banaras as well, stay there for 2-3 days – yes Can I express my feelings completely in words –no As I said, it is a feeling, not just an experience I have not spoken to a single person yet who went, and regretted it or thought that it wasn’t worth it

How easy or difficult your journey will depends on your location, if there are any VIPs attending, the number of people who go the same day All of these are dynamic f a c t o r s a n d i m

tourist, you may not be happy with how it all works, but if your aim is to attend as a devotee, you will be happy for the opportunity and return feeling

Namita with her Nephew Nishith Maheshwari

Namita taking blessings from a Sadhu

Namita Shah taking the holy dip

known, the Kshipra is believed to have emerged from the heart of Vishnu in his Varah (boar) avatar The Godavari is often called the Ganga of Dakshin (south)

How is the site of a Kumbh Mela decided?

T

calculations Another reason for the

s explained by the fact that Jupiter takes 12 years to complete on revolution around the Sun

A c c o r d i n g t

t h e K u m b h M e l a website, when Jupiter is in Aquarius or Kumbh rashi (whose symbol is the water bearer), and Sun and Moon in

A r i e s a n d S a g i t t a r i u s r e s p e c t i v e l y , Kumbh is held at Haridwar

When the Jupiter is in Taurus, and the Sun and Moon are in Capricorn or Makar (thus, Makar Sankranti is also in this period) the Kumbh is held at Prayag

When Jupiter is in Leo or Simha, and the Sun and Moon in Cancer, the K u m b h i s h e l d a t N a s h i k a n d Trimbakeshwar, which is why they are also called the Simhastha Kumbh

T h e f o u r p l a c e s o f t h e M a h a k u m b h M e l a a r e P r a y a g r a j , Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain

Prayagraj

The most sacred of the four sites, the Maha Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years in Prayagraj The Kumbh Mela is celebrated at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers Haridwar

The Kumbh Mela is celebrated on the banks of the Ganges Nashik

The Kumbh Mela is celebrated in Nashik-Trimbak on the banks of the G o d a v a r i N a s h i k i s a c e n t e r f o r commerce and industry, but it also retains its spiritual and cultural ethos Ujjain

The Kumbh Mela is celebrated in Ujjain on the banks of the Shipra According to legend, the four drops of amrit (nectar) fell on these four places when Vishnu was carrying a pot of

the Maha Kumbh Mela, where they arrive to take a holy dip at Sangam

Significance:

They are protectors of temples; T h e y a r e a s p e c t a c l e i n t h e M a h a Kumbhs; They are militant in nature

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

Hinduism as religious warriors;They are inspired by Lord Shiva What are the rituals of Mahakumbh?

The Maha Kumbh Mela is a sacred gathering that includes many rituals, i n c l u d i n g b a t h i n g , p r o c e s s i o n s

worship, and spiritual discourses

• Ba thi ng- Shah i Sn an: A royal bath performed by saints and spiritual leaders in holy rivers

• Ri tua l ba thi ng: Devotees take r i t u a l b a t h s i n h o l y r

auspicious days

• Proc es s ion s: Colorful parades:

devotees in a parade around the city

• Worship: Pujas and havans: Fire

performed

• Sank irtan a nd b haj ans: Devotees sing hymns and devotional songs

• Spiritual dis cours es - Sermons : R e n o

spirituality, and life

yoga and meditation sessions

• An nadan: Free food is distributed to pilgrims and visitors

• Si gn ific ance: The bathing ritual

i s c o n s i d

ritual at the Maha Kumbh Mela It is

amrit during a scuffle

Who are Naga Sadhus?

Naga Sadhus are a group of Hindu ascetics who have renounced wordly possessions and dedicate their lives to s p i r i t u a l e n l i g h t e n m e n t T h e y a r e known for their ash-covered bodies, m a t t e d h a i r , a n d m i n i m a l i s t i c clothing

Fe atur es : They are members of

v a r i o u s H i n d u m o n a s t i c o r d e r s , mainly the Shaiva and Vaishnava sects They are often naked, even in cold weather They wear heavy coils of matted hair They hold tridents or

o t h e r w e a p o n s T h e y s m o k e m a r i j u a n a t h r o u g h a p i p e c a l l e d chillum or "Shiv Muli"

History:

The Naga tradition began in the 8th century when Adi Shankaracharya created them as a Hindu army to protect Hinduism; They are central to

Maha Kumbh proves that Hinduism is the most dynamic living faith on the planet

Nitin Mehta

As the Maha Kumbh draws to a close its positive impact on India and Sanatan Dharma will endure for a long time The global media has marveled at the largest gathering of a people ever witnessed in human history

The Maha Kumbh is so massive

be

International Space Station, posted photos to social media platform X, with the caption: "the largest human gathering in the world is well

whatever adjective you use falls short of what the world has just witnessed According to

Kumbh Mela was mentioned in the travelogue o

Buddhist monk and scholar, who travelled to India circa 630 AD, during the reign of the f

eyewitness account, he wrote that, “half a million people had gathered on the banks of the Ganges at Prayagraj during the Hindu month of Magha for Kumbh Mela The King, a l o n g w i t h h i s m i n i s t e r s , s c h o l a r s , philosophers, and sages, participated in the Mela celebrations, where he distributed gems and jewels, gold, silver, and even his clothes, in charity ” American writer and humourist, Mark Twain wrote after visiting the Kumbh Mela in 1895: “It is wonderful, the power of a faith like t h a t , t h a t c a n m a k e m u l t i t u d e s u p o n multitudes of the old and weak and the young and frail enter without hesitation or complaint upon such incredible journeys and endure the resultant miseries without repining It is done in love, or it is done in fear; I do not know which it is No matter what the impulse is, the a c t b o r n o f i t i s b e y o n d i m a g i n a t i o n , marvellous to our kind of people, the cold whites ”

In 2017, UNESCO placed the Kumbh Mela on its listing of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity The budget for this year's festival was an estimated $800 million and analysts estimate it will boost economic growth by $30 billion to $35 billion in Uttar Pradesh Logistics of planning

The logistics of planning the Kumbh Mela Spread over 4,000 Hectares(40 Sq Km) roughly the size of 7,500 football pitches, a massive city was built under the direction of the revered chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath The statistics are beyond p h e n o m

d police and security officers, 15,000 sanitation workers, parking for half a million vehicles, 30,000 floating pontoon bridges, 67,000 street lights, 150,000 toilets, 25,000 bins and 776 mile drinking water pipeline Authorities have also

grounds, all of which are integrated into an AI-

The show stoppers

The Naga Babas were the real celebrities in this Mela Their bodies covered in ashes and s

spiritual insights from them Some of the Babas were flamboyant characters like Rolls Royce Baba and Bicycle Baba Hundreds of Akharas made up of Sadhus following a particular Guru added to the splendour of the event Known as the Peshwai Processions: these grand processions mark the

orders The processions are vibrant and colourful,

accompanied with music and dancing In keeping with the Indian tradition of unity in diversity t

theological groups Among the Akharas was one called Kinnar Akhara It is a transgender monastic order While many religions are torn apart by the

Hinduism they have been accepted as part of the community for thousands of years There were women Akharas too This is the greatness of Sanatan Dharma

The crucible test of this mega event is if it passes off without any violence or conflict If ever there was a miracle the Kumbh Mela bore witness to it No violence, no stabbings, no assaults sexual or otherwise On the contrary the festival oozed love and compassion The unfortunate deaths of devotees trapped and at the Delhi railway station will remain a painful memory

Biggest vegetarian and cross religious party

The world's largest gathering also witnessed the world's biggest vegetarian party 500 million people were served vegetarian food completely free of charge by hundreds of organisations The logistics of feeding 500 million people is beyond a

irrelevant at this Maha Kumbh No one was

believers took the dip in the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati irrespective of who they were or where they came from Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists also came to the Maha Kumbh in big numbers Out of the 13 Akharas 3 are associated with Sikhism They are Nirmala, Bada Udaseen a

follow the teachings of Guru Nanak and are guided by the Guru Granth Sahib It is believed that Guru Govind Singh sent Sikhs to Kashi and Prayagraj to study Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures They came to be known as Nirmala meaning highly educated The Udaseen (meaning neutral) was established by Baba Sri Chand son of Guru Nanak Dev On 11th January a Nagar Kirtan and G a t k a s

Akhara Sadhus These 3 Akhara revere Hindu scriptures like Bhagavad Gita Also present were the Namdhari Sikhs who foster Hindu, Sikh

b

participants from the cycle of rebirth, and attain spiritual liberation

• Bel iefs: The Maha Kumbh Mela is a symbolic journey of purification, enlightenment, and salvation It is d

mythology Who is the famous girl in Kumbh Mela?

Monalisa Bhonsle, a 16-year-old garland seller from Indore, became famous for her beauty and demeanor at the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj Her striking features and engaging demeanor, and being called "Mahakumbh ki Mona Lisa

List of the 13 recognised Akharas

Juna Akhara; Niranjani Akhara; Mahanirvani Akhara; Atal Akhara;

monitored by hundreds of experts This setup enables the real-time monitoring of crowds,

positioned across key festival zones, including entry points, bathing areas and congregation spaces Algorithms are used to measure the number of people in specific areas and provide i

thresholds are exceeded, authorities are alerted and can respond on the ground, mitigating the risk of overcrowding and potential crushes Underwater drones are also being used to m

d Yamuna The Yogi government has also built 14 new flyovers and 11 new road corridors, 7,000 buses, 550 shuttle buses and 3,000 special trains The Kumbh is expected to require nearly 3 0 0 m i

power supplies, or more than the monthly

Dhumma, leader of Damdami Taksal visited the Maha Kumbh According to Harnam Singh, Sikh Gurus had also visited Prayaraj and Kashi By the same taken almost all Hindus revere Sikh Gurus Prominent Jain Gautam Adani and family also took a dip in the holy waters He sponsored a free food distribution which was undertaken by the Hare Krishna movement The Buddhist K

Namguel Wangchuck also came to the festival Around 600 Buddhists came from countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar On 5 February they had a grand procession at the Mela This symbolic act emphasised HinduBuddhist brotherhood

h

continent as well as Europe and South America also came to the Maha Kumbh Many global celebrities also came to the festival Overall people from about 50 countries came to the Mela Uniquely no one was asked to convert to Hinduism The Kumbh Mela signifies the revival of Sanatan Dharma on the world stage On a personal level festivals bring joy and banish loneliness These are crucial human psychological needs Hindu Rishis realised this thousands of years ago Finally the Kumbh Mela has proved that Indians are skilful organisers when the need arises in spite of the chaos of everyday life!

Nikkhil Advani on

‘Vedaa’: “Adding action and masala to Dalit story was a mistake”

Filmmaker

Nikkhil Advani admits it was a mistake to blend action and masala in ‘Vedaa’, a film tackling caste issues in rural India, as it compromised its integrity.

At the 7th Indian Screenwriters Conference, Nikkhil Advani reflected

A b r a h

about a young Dalit girl challenging caste discrimination, struggled under the pressure to be ‘"too entertaining" for a wider audience

N i k k h i l A d v a n i a d m

i s mistake with ‘Vedaa’, a film about a

D

Speaking at the ‘Entertainment and S o c i a l R e

Darab Farooqui, he said, I knew no one wanted to watch a Dalit girl’s story, but I still made it My mistake

w a s a d d i n g t o o m u c h a c t i o n a n d masala, hoping to draw audiences " W h e n a s k e d a b o u t D a l i t representation in the team, he shared that many had called to share their e x p e r i e n c e s b u t f e l t t h e f i l m ’ s entertainment approach diluted its authenticity

A t t h e p a n e l , N i k k h i l A d v a n i

Dibakar Banerjee, and Prateek Vats

H e a d m i t t e d h e s t i l l s t r u g g l e s t o define ‘entertainment’, asking, "Is it

M a n m o h a n D e s a i , S a l i m - J a v e d , o r what we do now?" Known for ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ and ‘D-Day’, he emphasised, " F o r m e , d r a m a i s k e y D o t h e characters have dignity? Is there logic behind their actions?

Prateik Babbar marries

Priya Banerjee, shares dreamy wedding pics

Prateik Babbar and Priya Banerjee tied the knot in an intimate traditional ceremony The couple shared dreamy wedding pictures on social media, captioning them, “I’ll marry you in every lifetime

#priyaKAprateik ” Prateik Babbar and Priya Banerjee tied the

k

ceremony at the late

S

home In the photos, P

emotional, even sitting

e

image The couple wo

complemented her in an open sherwani with a shirt, dhoti, and pearl necklace

Their wedding featured a minimalist ivory and white theme, with a mandap adorned with fresh white flowers d reen foliage for a dreamy thetic

outfits, with Priya stunning in an ivory and gold lehenga adorned with intricate embroidery

P

lehenga with a corset, sheer dupatta, and kundan jewelry, including a maangtika, bangles, choker, and earrings She kept

shaadi,’ and marrying the love of my life in t

mom bought

honour her spirit ” This marks Prateik’s econd marriage; he was viously married to Sanya The couple separated after a year and officially divorced in January 2023

Earlier, Prateik's half-brother Aarya Babbar revealed that their father, Raj Babbar, was not invited to the wedding A

confusion, as he always believed in their close family bond

Javed Akhtar wants Gulzar’s ‘Aandhi’ back in theatres after 50 years

Javed Akhtar has called for the re-release of Gulzar’s 1975 classic ‘Aandhi’ on its 50th anniversary, stressing its continued relevance

He noted, “Subtle, intelligent films often struggle in big theatres, but ‘Aandhi’ would do extremely well today ”

Even filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt praised ‘Aandhi’ for its depth, stating, “It’s not about politics or lost love but life’s quiet ir nies ” He lauded ulzar for portraying an ambitious woman

ahead of her time, adding, “It reflects the cost of choices and challenges the notion that a woman must sacrifice ambition for love ” Gulzar’s ‘Aandhi’, starring Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar, remains a classic emotional drama Written by Kamleshwar, it follows a couple torn between love and political ambition Sen’s powerful portrayal of Aarti Devi and Kumar’s role as her estranged husband, JK, add depth to the film RD Burman’s soulful soundtrack, featuring Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, further elevates its legacy

Ranbir Kapoor launches lifestyle brand ARKS in style

On Valentine's Day, Ranbir Kapoor surprised fans by launching his lifestyle brand, ‘ARKS’. He marked the occasion by stepping out in Mumbai to celebrate the opening of its first store

At the ‘ARKS’ store launch, Ranbir Kapoor warmly interacted with fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures Dressed in a white T-shirt, beige pants, and white sneakers, he looked cheerful throughout the event A paparazzi video captured him stepping out of his car to a crowd of excited fans, sitting on the steps for photos, and greeting them warmly

Ranbir Kapoor, in a press note about ‘ARKS’, shared, "We believe in creating products that aren’t loud but still make a statement It’s about finding confidence in simplicity and feeling good in what you wear, use, and how you live " On the acting front, he will next star in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Love and War’ alongside Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt The film marks his first collaboration with Bhansali since his 2007 debut, ‘Saawariya’

Rashmika Mandanna on fame: “Audience love matters more than tags”

Rashmika Mandanna embraces tags like "national crush" but says they don’t define her as an artist At 28, she has risen to stardom with a pan-India fan base, thanks to hits like ‘Geetha Govindam’, ‘Dear Comrade’, ‘Bheeshma’, ‘Sita Ramam’, ‘Varisu’, and the ‘Pushpa’ franchise

Rashmika Mandanna values the love audiences show for her films above all else

“Tags come from a place of love from fans, but they don’t define a career, ” she told “What truly matters is the audience’s support, reflected in the tickets they buy to watch our films ”

Rashmika Mandanna began her career with the 2016 Kannada film ‘Kirik Party’, initially thinking it would be a one-time opportunity “But here I am, 24 films later I feel blessed because there are so many talented and beautiful women out there, yet I’m on this unique journey,” she said She cherishes her bond with her audience, adding, “I hold that connection close to my heart and want to keep doing films that resonate with them ”

Kangana

Kangana Ranaut on mom’s homemaking advice: "I dismissed it, but now I agree"

Ranaut recently shared how her view on homemaking has evolved Speaking to Brut India, she recalled dismissing her mother’s advice to learn pickle-making, gheemaking, and gardening as "silly" a perspective she has since reconsidered

"I used to think, ‘What does it matter?’ I was one of the youngest and richest women in the country," Kangana admitted However, she now values her mother’s wisdom

"Today, I find myself saying the same things That’s the evolution of women," she reflected, citing the quote, *"You are not born a woman; you grow to be one "

Kangana shared that her mother is pleased with her growth, seeing it as a sign of maturity and wisdom

She was last seen in ‘Emergency’, where she portrayed Indira Gandhi Released on January 17, the film explored the 21-month Emergency from 1975 to 1977 and its aftermath, featuring Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Vishak Nair, Milind Soman, and the late Satish Kaushik

Kangana has now opened ‘The Mountain Story’, a restaurant in Manali In a 2013 interview, she had expressed her dream of opening a café, stating she saw herself running a restaurant in the next 10 years

TV Listing

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20:00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

20:30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU

21:00 United States of Gujarat

21:30 Mangal Fera

MON 24 FEB - FRI 28 FEB 2025

09:30 DESHI BEATS

14:00 Daily Bonus

14:30 Laxmi Sadaiv Mangalam

17:30 RASOI SHOW

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SUNDAY 2 MAR 2025

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10:30 Best of Rasoi Show

Zeenat Aman opens up about her struggle with cooking

18:30 Rangai Jaane Rangma

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20:00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

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11:30 Aa Chhe Aapni Dosti Unlimited Yaar

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Zeenat Aman posted on Instagram about once feeling embarrassed for not knowing how to cook, but then reminding herself she’s supported her family since her teens She shared photos, including one of her looking into the fridge, a glimpse of her daily meals, and a throwback from the '80s doing household chores for a shoot

Z e e n a t A m a n s h a r e d a n

g i c Instagram post reflecting on a magazine feature from the '80s where she posed cooking though she admitted the most she can manage in the kitchen is boiling an egg for her dog, Lily Despite this, food remains a joy in her life, especially since her younger child became a talented chef who spoils her with home-cooked meals

She recalled her mother’s simple food philosophy: "Eat small, eat fresh," long before it became a social media trend

Zeenat’s daily meals reflect this, starting w i t h b l a c k t e a a

followed by avocado on sourdough with cheddar or, if craving desi flavors, chilla or poha Lunch is her heaviest meal, usually featuring dal, sabzi, roti, and a tangy khatti dal with matar aloo and homemade

enjoys roasted makhana as a light snack

, savouring just two at a time Reflecting on her past, she recalled feeling embarrassed about not cooking but reminded herself she’s been providing for her family since her teens She invited followers to share their favourite healthy treats and included a throwback 80s photo of her "cooking "

21:00 United States of Gujarat

21:30 Mangal Fera

22:00 Seeta Vallabh

22:30 Daily Bonus

SATURDAY 1 MAR 2025

09:30 DESHI BEATS

14:00 Daily Bonus

14:30 Laxmi Sadaiv Mangalam

MON 24

16:00 Rasoi Show Desi Flavours S3

17:00 Anmol Bandhan

17:30 Shrukra Mangal

18:00 BALIKA VADHU SEASON 1

19:30 RAMACHARI

20:00 Appollena

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23:00 Ramachari

SATURDAY 1 MAR 2025

16:00 Rasoi Show Desi Flavours S3

17:00 Anmol Bandhan

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22:00 Anmol Bandhan

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23:00 Entertainment Ki Raat-Housefull

SUNDAY 2 MAR 2025

16:00 Rasoi Show Desi Flavours S3

17:00 Anmol Bandhan

17:30 Shrukra Mangal

18:00 BALIKA VADHU SEASON 1

19:30 RAMACHARI

20:00 Appollena

20:30 Entertainment Ki Raat-Housefull

21:30 RAMACHARI

22:00 Anmol Bandhan

22:30 Appollena

23:00 Entertainment Ki Raat-Housefull

Chiranjeevi slammed for sexist views on legacy and gender roles

Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi has sparked controversy with a sexist remark about his granddaughter At the Brahma Anandam pre-release event, he expressed a desire for his son, actor Ram Charan, and wife Upasana Kamineni to have a boy, admitting he was “scared” their second child might be a girl, stressing his wish for a grandson to carry on the family legacy.

At the event, Chiranjeevi said, “At home, it feels like I’m a ladies’ hostel warden, surrounded by women I keep telling Charan to have a boy so our legacy continues, but his daughter is his pride I’m scared he might have another girl ”

His comments sparked outrage online, with netizens criticising his outdated views One user wrote, “Chiranjeevi’s fear of having another daughter in 2025 shows the obsession with male heirs I’ve heard similar comments about having a boy next, and it’s hurtful ” Another added, “Daughters carry your legacy forward too, and they’re pure love ”

Ram Charan and Upasana Kamineni welcomed their daughter, Klin Kaara Konidela, in 2023 Chiranjeevi also has two daughters, Sreeja and Sushmita Sreeja has two daughters, Navishka and Nivrati, while Sushmita has Samara and Samhitha

On the professional front, Chiranjeevi will star in ‘Vishwambhara’, a fantasy action film directed by Mallidi Vassishta, featuring Trisha, Kunal Kapoor, Meenakshi Chaudhary, and Ashika Ranganath

Regina Cassandra speaks out on language bias in the industry

Regina started acting in ad films at just nine and made her film debut at 14 with ‘Kanda Naal Mudhal’ "I've been working for over 25 years, doing ads, short films, and movies Being a girl and a South Indian in this industry hasn’t been easy," she says Regina highlights the different standards for actors from the South versus the North "When I audition for Hindi films, my language skills are scrutinised how I speak, my accent, whether I’m working on my Hindi If I play a South Indian, they may allow some accent, but I’ve worked to reduce it Meanwhile, in the South, many North Indian actresses have become stars in Tamil and Telugu cinema without knowing the language, and no one questioned it "

Regina humorously shares how she's missed out on roles in both the North and South due to language barriers "I've lost roles because my Hindi wasn't considered up to mark, like not being able to play a Punjabi girl But a Punjabi actress can play a South Indian It's happened to me in both industries where someone else was chosen over me in both places Where do I go?"

Regina's recent project, ‘Vidaamuyarchi’, starring Ajith, Trisha Krishnan, and Arjun Sarja, received positive reviews but had a lukewarm box office performance, earning just over 100 crore since its February 6 release She will next be seen in ‘Jaat’ with Sunny Deol

Naga Chaitanya shuts down rumors linking Sobhita to his divorce

In a recent ‘Raw Talks With VK’ podcast, Naga Chaitanya candidly addressed rumors about his marriage to Sobhita Dhulipala and divorce from Samantha Ruth Prabhu, clarifying that Sobhita played no role in his split with Samantha Addressing his divorce and seco n d m a r r i a g e , N a g a C h a i t a n y a defended Sobhita Dhulipala, saying she had no role in his split and didn’t deserve the criticism “She came into my life organically, and our relationship grew naturally It’s wrong to drag her into this,” h e s a i d H e p r a i s e d S o b h i t a ’ s patience and maturity, calling her a “ t r u e h e r o ” f o r h a n d l i

scrutiny Reflecting on his divorce, Chaitanya, a “child of a broken family,” emphasised that ending the m

n , adding, “Everything happens for a reason ” N

Nagarjuna and Lakshmi Daggubati, was married to Samantha from 2017 to 2021 before marrying Sobhita in 2

A

Akkineni in 1992, and they have a son, Akhil Akkineni Chaitanya, last seen in ‘Custody’ (2023) and the web series ‘Dhoota’, recently had a theatrical release

Rajinikanth’s team condemns remarks against Vijay: “True fans don’t engage”

Online clashes between Rajinikanth and Vijay fans have been recurring for years, but a recent comment from a supposed Rajinikanth fan escalated tensions. The situation spiraled so much that even Rajinikanth’s team had to step in to diffuse it.

Rajinikanth’s PRO, Riaz K Ahmed, condemned a comment made by a self-proclaimed Rajinikanth fan against Vijay, stating that true Rajini fans wouldn’t engage in such behavior He urged fans to uphold dignity and respect, emphasising that cinema should unite, not divide

Riaz K Ahmed urged Rajinikanth fans to celebrate their stars with love and respect, not hatred The controversy began when a self-proclaimed Rajini fan on X suggested egging Vijay and made an inappropriate remark, sparking backlash

Rajinikanth last appeared in ‘Vettaiyan’ (2024) and is currently filming Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Coolie’, with ‘Jailer 2 ’ also in the pipeline Vijay, last seen in ‘GOAT’, is set to star in H Vinoth’s upcoming film, reportedly titled ‘Jana Nayagan’

Boman Irani on casting Irrfan

Khan in ‘The Mehta Boys’: “He was a wonderful actor”

Boman Irani makes his directorial debut with ‘The Mehta Boys’, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. In a chat, he shared the challenges of juggling writing, directing, producing, and acting in the film He also revealed that he had initially envisioned casting Irrfan Khan as Shiv Mehta

Boman Irani discussed the challenges of writing, directing, and acting in *The Mehta Boys*, saying, "There are no wasted words, lines, or scenes; you can't take the audience for granted " He emphasised the importance of writing, noting, "We did a lot of camera rehearsals and just had to deliver "

On the role of a director, he explained, "While actors focus on emotional truth, the real challenge is how the story is told whether it's well-structured with the right moments A director oversees all elements to bring the story to life "

When asked who he would have cast as Shiv Mehta if not himself, Boman Irani immediately named Irrfan Khan, calling him "a sensitive man and a wonderful actor " He shared, "I was very keen on Irrfan bhai, but everyone told me to just focus on directing However, when I realised I knew the subject inside out, I decided to take on the role myself Also, the budget (laughs) "

‘The Mehta Boys’ explores the complex fatherson dynamic, and Boman recalled a shocking moment from his research: "I heard a son say, 'Did I give you permission to give me birth?' when talking about his estranged father It was unbelievable

Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light loses to Emilia Pérez at BAFTA 2025

The 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) took place on Sunday, recognising the best in global cinema over the past year In a night filled with celebrations and surprises, Edward Berger’s Conclave and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist emerged as the biggest winners, each securing four awards Meanwhile, All We Imagine As Light, the much-lauded Indian entry, faced yet another setback as it lost the Best Film Not in the English Language category to Emilia Pérez.

Director Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez has been a formidable contender this awards season, clinching major accolades across ceremonies After besting All We Imagine As Light at the Golden Globes and the Critics' Choice Awards, the French musical crime drama continued its streak at the BAFTAs This marks the third time Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light has been outpaced by Emilia Pérez in key international competitions

Big wins for Conclave and The Brutalist

Edward Berger's political thriller Conclave won four major awards, including Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay for Peter Straughan The film also triumphed in the editing category, with Nick Emerson’s work being recognized as the best of the year

Brady Corbet’s epic period drama The Brutalist was another standout of the evening, winning Best Director for Corbet and Best Cinematography for Lol Crawley

Adrien Brody’s performance in the film earned him the Best Actor in a Leading Role award, while Daniel Blumberg secured the Best Original Score prize for his hauntingly evocative composition

The Indian film, which made history as the first from the country to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2023, was only the seventh Indian film to be nominated in this BAFTA category and the first in over a decade since The Lunchbox (2013)

Despite its dominance, Emilia Pérez has also faced controversy over resurfaced social media posts by its lead star Karla Sofia Gascón, which many deemed Islamophobic and racist However, this did not deter its success at the BAFTAs, where it also took home Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Zoe Saldaña

Other major winners

Mikey Madison took home Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Anora, while Kieran Culkin won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for A Real Pain

Jesse Eisenberg’s script for A Real Pain won Best Original Screenplay, solidifying the film’s standing in the race for upcoming international awards

In the technical categories, Dune: Part Two dominated Best Sound and Best Special Visual Effects, proving its prowess in production excellence Meanwhile, Wicked received awards for Best Costume Design

and Best Production Design, reinforcing its impact on the fantasy genre

C omp lete List o f BAFT A 2025 Winners:

v Best Film: Conclave

v Best Director: Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)

v Best Actor in a Leading Role: Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)

v Best Actress in a Leading Role: Mikey Madison (Anora)

v Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)

v Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)

v Best Original Screenplay: Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain)

v Best Adapted Screenplay: Peter Straughan (Conclave)

v Best Animated Film: Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

v Best Documentary: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

v Best Film Not in the English Language: Emilia Pérez

v Best Sound: Dune: Part Two

v Best Special Visual Effects: Dune: Part Two

v Outstanding British Film: Conclave

v Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: Kneecap (Rich Peppiatt: Director, Writer)

v Best British Short Animation: Wander to Wonder

v Best British Short Film: Rock, Paper, Scissors As the award season progresses, Emilia Pérez continues to be a major force, while All We Imagine As Light remains a significant milestone for Indian cinema despite its losses With the Academy Awards looming, all eyes are on these films as they navigate the final stretch of the competitive season

Pankaj Tripathi on Ranveer Allahbadia row: “No pride in uttering nonsense"

In today’s digital age, where opinions are endless and fame fleeting, rising and falling quickly is common The recent experiences of Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia serve as a lesson Actor Pankaj Tripathi noted, "This is the world of the internet, where everyone has an opinion," highlighting how easily people are influenced

Pankaj Tripathi reflected on the fleeting nature of internet fame, questioning whether sudden popularity comes with sensibility "Fame is easy, but do they have the intelligence literary, social, cultural?" he asked

Addressing the lack of censorshi li the ‘Stree’ actor added, "No censor doesn’t mean anything goes Havin with nonsense is fine, but taking pride in it isn’t Satire may seem absurd, but it carries meaning "

Pankaj Tripathi acknowledged the allure of fame but stressed its fleeting nature "Don't give it too much importance Virality, like an illness, lasts only a few days before we move on, he said He emphasised that the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of success matter most "If your words influence people, you must handle that responsibility wi care "

Rakesh Roshan mortgaged home for ‘Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai’: "Hrithik never knew"

Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan went all out to launch his son Hrithik Roshan in ‘Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai’ (2000). In a recent interview, he revealed that to fulfill his vision, he mortgaged his house but never told Hrithik

Rakesh Roshan shared that he wanted to make a romantic film since he hadn’t done one before He recalled discovering Krabi Island, with its stunning rock formations and blue waters, and dreaming of filming there

He also envisioned shooting ‘Na Tum Jaano Na Hum’ in the picturesque landscapes of Christchurch and Queenstown, New Zealand

Determined to bring his vision to life, he decided to take a chance and pursue his dreams as a filmmaker

Rakesh Roshan revealed that only his wife, Pinkie, knew he had considered mortgaging their house for ‘Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai’, a decision he never shared with Hrithik Fortunately, he managed within his funds, but had the film failed, they might have had to relocate

Recalling a similar risk years earlier, he shared that he mortgaged his Mercedes for 2 lakh to shoot ‘Tujh Sang Preet Lagayi’ (‘Kaamchor’) in Ooty or Kashmir “That’s where I got the habit,” he said, adding that he believed a well-made film could justify the gamble just as he did with ‘Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai’

Bumrah out of Champions Trophy as team management takes no chances

J a s p r it B u mr ah h as b e en

ruled o ut of the up coming

Ch ampio ns T ro phy du e to

i n ju ry , th e I nd ia n c ri c ket bo ard (BCCI) announced

E a r l i e r i n t h e d a y ,

captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar got together for a meeting in Ahmedabad, venue for

t h e t h i r d O D I a g a i n s t England, to take a call on whether they wanted to risk

B u m r a h f o r t h e I C C

replacement

Bumrah was named in

named as his replacement Rana has been playing in

t h e o n g o i n g O D I s e r i e s

a g a i n s t E n g l a n d a n d h a s been given game time ahead of Arshdeep Singh Interestingly, Yashashvi

J a i s w a l h a s b e e n o m i t t e d from the team to make way for ‘mystery spinner’ Varun

C h a k r a v a r t h y J a i s w a l ,

M o h a m m e d S i r a j a n d

S h i v a m D u b e h a v e b e e n

n a m e d a s ‘ n o n - t r a v e l l i n g substitutes’

T h e i n d e c i s i o n o v e r

Bumrah stemmed from two d i f f e r e n t v e r d i c t s f r o m

B u m r a h ’ s o r t h o p e d i c s u r g e o n i n N e w Z e a l a n d and the BCCI’s own medical team Dr Rowan Schouten in New Zealand was of the opinion that Bumrah could try resuming high-intensity a c t i v i t i e s w h i l e t h e B C C I medical team was unsure if the ace pace bowler should b e r u s h e d b a c k t o international cricket

“Schouten is aware of Bumrah’s case history He is n o t a v e r s e t o B u m r a h

playing and trying him self

o u t H o w e v e r , t h e B C C I

medical team has observed that a few ‘hot spots’ still persist in scans of his back

The BCCI team was very wary about giving a definite green signal

“ T h e r e i s a l s o a n argument that Bumrah has always had ‘hot spots’ in his back and still played It was also up to Bumrah to feel

c o n f i d e n t a b o u t h i s b a c k before taking the chance

There’s a lot of important cricket coming later in the year, ” said a source

Agarkar had mentioned on Jan 18 that the selection

c o m m i t t e e w a s h o p e f u l Bumrah would be available

f o r t h e l a s t O D I a g a i n s t

England, but that eventually didn’t happen

T h e r e w

r e a l s o discussions around Bumrah going through his rehab on t o u r w i t h t w o p h y s i o s t r a v e l l i n g

, but these ideas were also discarded

The team management

was also keen to get Varun Chakravarthy in the scheme o f t h i n g s C h a k r a v a r t h y

p l a y e d i n t h e l a s t O D I instead of Kuldeep Yadav to give him game time in ODI cricket Yet, it was difficult to draft him in as a direct r e p l a c e m e n t f o r B u m r a h T h e s

W a s h i n g t o n S u n d a r b u t they had to drop Jaiswal to a c

and Chakravarthy

I C C Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman G i l l (

Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, K

Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra

travelling substitutes (will travel to Dubai as and when required): Yashasvi Jaiswal, M

Dube

India thrash England by 142 runs in 3rd ODI

A fter w inning th e first two

O D Is c o m f o rta bl y w h i le ch asing, India w ere pu t in to bat in the th ird m atch at Narend ra Mo di stad ium in

A h m ed a ba d T h ey r o se

a d m i ra bl y to t h e ta sk , p utting on an im posing 3 56

b ef o re th e i r b o w le rs throttled Eng land in a big 1 42-ru n win

India’s hero of the day was Shubman Gill, who has

b e e n i n b l a z i n g f o r m a l l

s e r i e s G i l l ’ s s e v e n t h O D I hundred (112 off 102 balls)

w a s t h e c o r n e r s t o n e o f

I n d i a ’ s d o m i n a n t b a t t i n g

d i s p l a y , w i t h t h e l i k e s o f Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer chipping in with useful halfcenturies as well England began the chase brightly and were 126/2 after 18 overs, but they eventually lost the plot to be all out for 214 By the first six overs, the

E n g l a n d o p e n e r s h a d galloped to 60 Ben Duckett

( 3 4 ) s m a s h e d A r s h d e e p Singh for four boundaries in an over before the leftarm p a c e r h a d h i m c a u g h t a t m i d - o f f b y c a p t a i n R o h i t Sharma in the seventh over Twenty runs later, Duckett’s partner Phil Salt spooned a catch to Axar Patel at short third off another slower ball

f r o m A r s h d e e p t o s e t England back

T o m B a n t o n

Root added 46 for the third wicket before Banton edged a Kuldeep Yadav to ’keeper R a h u l S o o

England resistance withered away Earlier, India recovered

captain in the second over Kohli (52) then found a bit of l

surviving a mix up with Gill in the seventh over, Kohli

s t r u c k M a h m o o d f o r t w o

c o n s e c u t i v e b o u n d a r i e s before sweeping Joe Root’s part-time off-spin for four After a six off Livingstone, h

century before falling again

to old nemesis Adil Rashid (4/64), this time edging a leg break to the ’keeper

A 1 0 4 - r u n p a r t n e r s h i p between Shreyas Iyer and Gill in 15 3 overs then put I n d i a o n t h e p a t h t

f o r m i d a

l e t o t a l G i l l r e a c h e d h i s t o n w i t h a boundary through the deep mid-wicket region before he was castled by Rashid while attempting a premeditated sweep India’s vice-captain now has tons in all three formats in Ahmedabad

I y e r ( 7 8 ) , I n d i a ’ s m o s t fluent batter in the series, w a s p a r t i c u l a r l y h a r s h o n Gus Atkinson Pandya lofted Rashid for two sixes but was then castled by a leg break that gripped off the pitch KL Rahul too contributed a valuable 40 and India now g o i n t o t h e C h a m p i o n s Trophy as one of the sides to b e a t , i f n o t t h e o u t r i g h t favourites in this format

Mohammed Azharuddeen makes history in domestic cricket in India

M ohamm ad Azharud din is a n am e e v er y cr i ck et f an r ec o g ni s es T h e fo rm er Indian captain, know n for h i s rem a rk abl e ca re er, p layed 99 Test match es and 3 34 ODIs

On Tuesday, in Kerala, a cricketer sharing his name

m a d e h i s t o r

s a g a i n s t G u j a r a t i n Ahmedabad Mohammed Azharuddeen became the first Kerala batter to score a century in a Ranji Trophy semi-final

Salman Nizar Born in March 1994 in

eighth child of BK Moidu and Nabeesa At the time,

ICC hikes Champions Trophy prize money

ICC

from

awarded $1 12 million (£972,000), while the losing semi-finalists will each earn $560,000 (£486,000)

Every match is crucial in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, with each group stage win netting the winning team more than $34,000 Teams finishing fifth or sixth will receive $350,000, while the seventh and eighth-placed teams will earn $140,000

Additionally, all eight participating teams are guaranteed $ 1 2

Champions Trophy If a team wins the tournament and clinches all its group-stage matches, it could potentially earn u

participation guarantee, and the rewards for winning every match

However, this total still falls short of the IPL salaries of Indian cricketers such as Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Venkatesh Iyer Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title last year, was bought by Punjab Kings for £2 67mn Pant set an IPL auction record, being acquired by Lucknow Super Giants for £2 7mn Meanwhile, Venkatesh Iyer was bought back by KKR for £2 37mn

The 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, set to be the first global cricket tournament hosted in Pakistan since 1996, promises an exciting two-week competition Matches will be held across Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi This year ’ s tournament will feature eight teams divided into two groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy will be held every four years, with the Women’s Champions Trophy launching in 2027 in a T20 format

ICC Chair Jay Shah said, “The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 represents a pivotal moment for cricket, reviving a tournament that highlights the pinnacle of ODI talent, where every match is critical ”

India ready to host 2036 Olympics: Amit Shah

The c los ing c eremony of the 38th National Gam es began las t week with home m inist er A m it Sh ah a s i t s g ue s t of ho n our as s e r t in g t ha t t h e country is wel l on tr ack to hos t a succes sf ul Oly mpic s in 2 0 3 6 In d ia n Ol y m p ic As soc iation (IOA) pre siden t PT Usha de clare d the Games c lose d be fore handing ove r the f lag to Conrad Sangm a, chief minis ter of Me ghalay a, the state that will host the next edition of the Ga mes “I can say it today that India has a very bright future in sports We are ready to host the Olympics in 2036,”

S h a h s a i d i n h i s a d d r e s s referring to India’s bid to host the Olympics in 2036 that is s t i l l i n e a r l y s t a g e s A l o n g w i t h S h a h , s p o r t s m i n i s t e r

M a n s u k h M a n d a v i y a a l s o joined the event to laud the performances of the athletes over the last two weeks

o u n g cricketer for restraining his a t t a c k i n g i n s t i n c t s t o deliver a crucial knock that c o u l d p u t K e r a l a i n a c o m m a n d i n g p o s i t i o n o n t h e i r o p p o n e n t ’ s h o m e g r o u n d T h a r o o r a l s o commended Salman Nizar’s impressive half-century and skipper Sachin Baby’s 69, u r g i n g t h e t e a m t o k e e p going

T o s t a r t w i t h , Uttarakhand chief minister

, ” S h

h said at the Indira Gandhi I n t e r

S

s Complex here Mandaviya in his address said, “It is the beginning of India coming inside the top 10 of Olympic performers by 2

y h a s a sports ecosystem which is

aspect, including sports

tally: At the end of it, traditional

B ) topped the medal tally for the fifth time in the last six games, with a total haul of 121 medals (68 gold, 26 silver,

Services with 198 (54 gold, 71

count meant that

medals than Services with 153 (48 gold, 47 silver, 58

content with a third-place f

finished

creditable seventh with a total of 103 medals, including 24 g old, 35 silver and 44 bronze

P u s h k a r S i n g h D h a m i w e l c o m e d S h a h w i t h a commemorative memento, a shawl and a bouquet of flowers “’Dev Bhoomi’ has t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o ‘ K h e l Bhoomi’ not just because of the National Games but also b e c a u s e o f i t s a t h l e t e s ’ performance in the Games a n d D h a m i j i ’ s r e l

Jasprit Bumrah

Mohammed Azharuddeen