AV 23rd September 2023

The Windrush generation or the immigrants that came to the UK after, integrated with the British and crafted a harmonious way of living with each other Together, they created a multicultural fabric of Britain Since then, each ethnic minority community has grown tremendously in various sectors and walks of life in the UK and achieved

with Keith Vaz

V I JAY SA NA S

Vijay Sanas is the General M anag er of Hutong , The Shard Vijay is also investor in hospitality projects, Hospitality business developer and a successful landlord with few properties He has played Kabadd i on national lev els for his sch ool, college, and club in Ind ia He is also passionate about cricket and opens bowling for Tw ickenham Cricket C lu b

Vijay has studies in 3 continents He started his education in India, went to Florida to complete Degree and then came to UK for Post Graduation and MBA He began his f ield experience while studying Post Graduation and joined Gordon Ramsay restaurants where he was awarded with new challenges and promotions within a short time frame He worked for a few brands of Gordon Ramsay restaurants He kept challenging himself and kept taking on flagships of the companies like Gaucho Piccadilly, Hakkasan Mayfair, Aqua and Hutong at the Shard Gaucho piccadilly is being one of the busiest in London whereas Hakkasan Mayfair is one of the top revenue generators in the UK, Aqua and Hutong are in the world-famous iconic building and well known for their unique experiences

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

"It is a city that has car ved itself into my heart for being the place I call and feel at home When I f irst set foot into this busy, chaotic, colourful, and vibrant city I knew it’s for me The buzzing nightlife in Soho, the thrilling shows in the West End, the powerful atmosphere of the city, the grand architecture in Westminster, the crazy shops and strangely dressed people in Camden Town, the Routemaster (the traditional London bus) there was something special about the place it still is one of the most interesting, exciting, and stimulating cities in the world Thirteen years on, and I still love it From cultural and culinar y attractions to concerts, festivals, and exhibitions, the city offers myriad o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o i n d u l g e a n d e x p l o r e

There is the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the glitter and sophistication, but also the humble and discreet There is the opportunity to get where you desire "

2) What are your proudest achievements?

"Career Growth: I took over one of the biggest sites in London in only 7 years of my career Within short span of time, I was rewarded with 9 promotions and became General Manager where usually it take over 15-20 years of career time for big opera tio n s li ke that E ducat io n: I wo rked alongside of my studies and saved money to go to USA and UK for further education and I passed all my studies with distinctions while supporting the family "

3) What inspires you?

I'm a natural problem-solver, which is why I'm most inspired by identifying and f ixing problems It also lets me identify my improvement areas, and I use that to regularly engage in new training and improve m y q u a l i f i c a t i o n s a s a G M W i t h m y patience and attention to detail, I do help companies making businesses successful

4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

Covid19 was the biggest shock to the Hospitality industr y as most of us were furloughed or jobless I was in Mayfair

Horizon scandal victims to receive £600,000 each

T h e U K g o ve rn me nt h a s anno unced that every p ost o f f i c e o p e ra to r wh o s e wrongful co nvictio n in the H o ri z o n I T s c a nd al h a s been overturned will recei ve £600, 000 i n co mp ensation

T h e Ho r i z o n s c a n d a l , c o n s i d e r e d " t h e m o s t widespread miscarriage of justice in UK histor y, " led to t h e p r o s e c u t i o n o f m o r e than 700 post off ice operators between 1999 and 2015 on charges of theft, fraud, and false accounting due to faulty accounting software installed in the late 1990s Thus far, 86 postmasters

h a v e h a d t h e i r w r o n g f u l convictions overturned, and a total of £21 million has been paid in compensation

Kevin Hollinrake, the busin e s s d e p a r t m e n t m i n i s t e r r e s p o n s i b l e fo r t h e Po s t

Off ice, stated that this comp e n s a t i o n i s a n e f fo r t t o right a wrong and provide some relief to those who were unjustly implicated in the scandal

T h e g o v e r n m e n t a l s o emphasised that this compensation offer is in addition to covering all reasonable legal fees Post off ice operators who do not wish

to accept this compensation can opt to continue with the existing legal process

Any post off ice operator w h o h a s a l r e a d y r e c e i v e d i n i t i a l c o m p e n s a t i o n p ayments or has reached a sett l e m e n t w i t h t h e Po s t Off ice for an amount less than the newly announced £ 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 p e r i n d i v i d u a l will receive the additional amount to make up the diffe r e n c e T h i s a d j u s t m e n t e n s u r e s t h a t a l l a f fe c t e d individuals receive the full c o m p e n s a t i o n a m o u n t a s p e r t h e n e w g o v e r n m e n t announcement

where all of sudden we had to close multimillion business for the guests But we did brainstorm ideas and started take away project within couple of weeks It was the biggest success, and we were incredibly busy delivering food to thousands of people ever y day

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

"Working for Aqua restaurant group has been one of my best choices in the career I am inspired by owners of the company, David, and Richard Both are ver y s u c c e s s f u l b u s i n e s s m a n o w n i n g m a n y restaurant brands globally but also ver y humble and down to earth which motivates me to do better and achieve more

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

B e i n g a G e n e r a l M a n a g e r o f Multimillion business, I get the opportunity to collaborate with other brands, innovate, Lead, and inspire, train and develop, introduce fun activities and challenge for the team Making ever y member the face of the business by training, treating and valuing to make them feel like it’s their own

7) And the worst?

Post pandemic clientele has changed and have become more challenging and demanding as we want more value for money People are more interested about uploading pictures on social media for others than enjoying unique experiences, creating memories for themselves

8) What are your long term goals?

I a l w a y s d r e a m e d o f o p e n i n g o w n restaurants which is why I have studied in the Hospitality Industr y, invested in few plots/ lands and working on projects alongside my job to open restaurants and event spaces in one of the famous hill stations in India

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

I w o u l d d e f i n i t e l y h a v e v e r y b u s y schedule as I will work closely with NHS, focus on Education sector Make entr y to UK little easier and affordable for our Asian brothers and sisters Make more affordable houses and support more on f irst time buy C o n s t a n t l y ke e p b u i l d i n g relations with neighbouring c o u n t r i e s a n d b r i n g m o r e business to the UK

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

"C h h a t r a p a t i S h i v a j i Maharaj The founder of the Maratha Kingdom, was one of the bravest, most progressive and sensible rulers of India Shivaji was a dependable supporter of women and their honour He opposed all k i n d s o f v i o l e n c e , h a r a s sment and dishonour against women "

Starmer's Channel crossings plans draw criticism

Keir Starmer faced criticism on T hursd ay follow ing his announcem ent of plans to address sm all boat Channel cros sing s i n Labo ur's f i rst m aj or inv o lv em ent i n th e issue

Expanding on his party's proposals, the Labour leader pledged to end the use of barges, hotels, and militar y f a c i l i t i e s t o a c c o m m o d a t e a s y l u m s e e ke r s Additionally, he vowed to hire 1,000 caseworkers to eliminate the asylum backlog Ho w e v e r, t h e s e a n n o u n c e m e n t s t r i g g e r e d contentious exchanges with

R i s h i Su n a k a n d Ho m e Secretar y Suella Braverman earlier in the day Starmer acknowledged that Labour might strike a deal to accept a quota of asylum seekers from the EU in exchange for enhanced collaboration to combat people smuggling

L a b o u r a l s o r e v e a l e d intentions to classify indiv i d u a l s i nv o l v e d i n c r o s sChannel people-smuggling a s t e r r o r i s t s a n d l a b e l l e d those who disagreed with t h e s e p r o p o s a l s a s " u nBr i t i s h " T h e s e s t a t e m e nt s drew criticism from a union leader, charity leaders, and L a b o u r M Ps , w h o u r g e d

C o m p o s e d P x / S h u t t e r s t o c k c o m

St a r m e r t o r e f r a i n f r o m a p p e a l i n g t o a n t i-m i g r a n t sentiments

Sunak considers limiting Chinese officials at AI summit over spy fears

On Wednesd ay (13) , a minister rev eal ed th at Brit ain s M I 5 s ec u ri t y se r v i ce h ad c au ti o ne d t h e g o v ern i ng C o n se rv ati v e p a rty ab o u t two prosp ectiv e M Ps with al le g ed c on ne ct io n s to C h i n a w h o c o u ld b e inv olv ed in po tential spying activities This advisor y was shared in both 2021 and 2022 This d i s c l o s u r e c o m e s i n t h e wake of the arrest of a parl i a m e n t a r y r e s e a r c h e r i n March, who was suspected o f e n g a g i n g i n e s p i o n a g e a c t i v i t i e s o n b e h a l f o f

Rishi Sunak

Beijing

Pressure is mounting on P r i m e M i n i s t e r R i s h i Su n a k 's g o v e r n m e n t t o a d o p t a m o r e s t r i n g e n t

stance on China, despite its efforts to foster stronger ties with the Asian superpower Amidst this pressure, Sunak is contemplating excluding Chinese off icials from half of his artif icial intelligence safety summit in November Downing Street had initially extended an invitation to China to participate in the summit, scheduled for early November at Bletchley Park The event is poised to signif icantly influence the global approach to artif icial intelligence for the foreseeable future

G overnment supports Martha's rule in England

Th e Health Secretary, Stev e Barclay, has anno unced the g ov ernment's c om mi tm ent to implem enting "M arth a's rule" in Eng land This rule aims to simplify the process for patients and their families to seek a s e c o n d m e d i c a l o p i n i o n when they believe their conc e r n s a r e n o t b e i n g a d equately addressed by medic a l s t a f f T h e d e c i s i o n t o i n t r o d u c e " M a r t h a's r u l e" follows a campaign led by the parents of Martha Mills, who tragically passed away

Martha Mills

in 2021 after hospital doctors failed to admit her to intensive care

M a r t h a , w h o w a s 1 3 years old at the time of her

death, succumbed to sepsis w h i l e u n d e r t h e c a r e o f K i n g 's C o l l e g e Ho s p i t a l NHS Foundation Trust in south London A coroner's r u l i n g d e t e r m i n e d t h a t Martha, who had sustained a pancreatic injur y following a bicycle accident during a f a m i l y h o l i d a y i n Wa l e s , could likely have sur vived if m e d i c a l p r o fe s s i o n a l s h a d r e c o g n i s e d t h e w a r n i n g signs and transferred her to intensive care

M a r t h a w o u l d h a v e turned 16 last week

Keir Starmer

May the best man win

The week started with Vishwakarma Puja, followed by Ganesh Chaturthi to last for 10 days With Rakshabandhan, Janmashtami and Onam just gone by, diaspora is ready to go out of the way to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, followed by Navratri and Diwali There are eco-friendly Ganesh murtis in circulation, to send sustainability messages to the younger generations PM Rishi Sunak, who has been a devout and p r o u d H i n d u , h a s s p o k e n h o w h e m i s s e d h i s u s u a l Janmashtami festivities this year, followed by the story of Lord Ganesha on his desk When he took over as the Chancellor, or when he moved to No 10, this murti of Lord G a n e s h a h a s r e m a i n e d p e r m a n e n t l y o n h i s d e s k H e explained how the community before starting anything new worships Lord Ganesha and how this has remained a tradition with him and his family too, believing to be blessed by Ganapati Bappa for his new and ongoing work, supplying him with constant good luck

However, polls are suggesting that the Labour party is 20% ahead of the Tories with strong possibilities of winning the 2024 general elections

The recent by-elections have been disastrous for the Tories Sir Keir Starmer from the Labour party in the meantime has been sending out mixed signals, with his recent trip t o C a n a d a t o j o i n t h e c e n t r e - l e f t s u m m i t w i t h J u s t i n T r u d e a u B u t w i t h t h e w h o l e K h a l i s t a n i c o n t r o v e r s y between Canada and India, the latter nation is keeping a close eye on the foreign leaders regarding their action against this radical group

Next year, if Sir Starmer wins the election, he has to ensure that no anti-India radical group, with the support of Labour Parliamentarians can create a distraction in the UK The Tory party has kept UK-India relationship as sacred as possible, as they both await FTA to complete Sir Starmer is obviously moving his coin correctly, and has the backing of the City, but there are some key issues at hand for both party leaders to focus on

According to StoreConnect, 44% of retailers confirmed a decline in sales in August

In 2022, there were 17,145 retail store closures – the highest in 5 years The health of our high street is the backbone of our economy With that declining, one should be quick to think of solutions Strikes and walk outs are not the answer to the current problem

Though UK’s economic freedom has bounced back after unprecedented restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an index produced by the Fraser Institute and co-published with the free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, the report finds UK’s overall economic freedom is in decline compared to pre-pandemic which means, Britain’s business, labour market and financial regulations are becoming increasingly burdensome with taxes and spending approaching a post-war high

While the diaspora may idealise one leader over the other, the nation will only decide their fate on who delivers a debt free, growing economy with no inflation or cost-ofliving crisis

Thought for the week

Political Sketchbook

Alpesh Patel

The Unyielding Bond: UK-India Relations in a Global Age

In the vast expanse of our shared hum an history, there are mom ents th at challeng e us, mom ents that ask us to reflect on who we are, not just as indiv idual nations but as a collectiv e g lo bal commu nity The case of Jag tar S ingh Johal, a British natio nal detained in Ind ia, is one such m oment It's a mo ment that has captured headlines, stirred emotions, and ig nited debates Bu t as I've often said, it's in th ese mom ents of challenge th at o ur true character is revealed

Now, I've had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the deep-rooted ties between nations The United States, the United Kingdom, and India – three democracies, each with its unique history and culture, yet bound by shared values and aspirations And it's through this lens that I view the current situation

A Testam ent to Dem ocracy

At least the $17 7 trillion Chinese economy has been facing a slowdown recently, which is hard to miss due to China’s global trade and investment connections China entered deflation for the first time in more than two years, according to government data presented on August 9 The nation's present deflationary tendency is structurally caused by a number of political and market issues Over time, political decisions made at the state level regarding growth models that are driven by investment and exports, government interference in commercial operations, and a volatile external environment that uses significant demand boosters have resulted in structural issues

The reversal of China's global multilateral commerce was facilitated by witch hunts against private business owners, celebrities from the entertainment industry, leaders in the technology sector, and foreign executives, as well as by a zero-covid policy, provoking battles with neighbours and trade wars

The Chinese government's overbearing and individualised style of regulation deters new foreign businesses from establishing bases there China's exports, which make up one-third of its GDP, decreased by 4 7% on a yearly basis Due to inflation, exports to the US and EU, two of China's largest markets, have drastically declined After the easing of limitations imposed during the pandemic, Tim Cook was among the first group of foreign business people to arrive in Beijing to meet with high-level officials After six months, Apple is dealing with fresh competitive challenges in a nation that not only serves as its primary manufacturing hub but also its largest international market, accounting for close to 20% of sales in its most recent quarter

Japan, South Korea, and Thailand have already registered

Democracy is a system of government in which state power is vested in the people or the general population of a state India, with a population of 1 486 billion, of which 945 million have voting rights, stands as the world's largest democracy Over the past decade, the country has taken a prominent role on the global stage, actively engaging in critical global issues

Only recently, India's economy is now the world's fifthlargest, surpassing its former colonisers The recent Ukraine crisis highlights major powers' interest in India as a trustworthy ally India's participation is crucial in addressing climate change, and hosting the G20 summit in Delhi was a significant moment for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the global stage Furthermore, India is now assertive and resilient, capable of defending its image against slanders The completion of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya by January 1, 2024, coinciding with the Lok Sabha elections that year, adds another dimension to the political landscape

Any democracy needs a strong opposition in order to maintain a balance of power and India has lacked that power in the last few years However, with the formation of the INDIA alliance, comprising 26 parties, there is an added intrigue to the electoral contest This new alliance may or may not win the upcoming elections yet INDIA might just be the strong opposition we need

While the NDA can positively boast about the several achievements the country has garnered in PM Modi’s leadership, it's undeniable that the party relies heavily on his

a drop in exports and services due to slowing demand in China Facing rising labour costs in China, many companies have already begun shifting their manufacturing operations to lower-paying countries like Vietnam, India, and Mexico A

imports and less geopolitically-driven Chinese investments and influence in places like Africa

China is assertive in its defence spending; its military power is growing; it has a global diplomacy; and it participates in commercial agreements that the US does not China's continued diplomatic success is also evidenced by the fact that more nations want to join BRICS Since Chinese financial markets are not as well integrated with the rest of the world as their trade sector, spillovers will remain limited to the trade channels

Aside from its economic woes, China constantly seems to be at odds with its neighbours In August, it released a map that included Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory On its eastern seaboard, the map included Taiwan and shoals and islands covered by its nine-dash line in both the South and East China Seas This caused many disputes with the countries, including Philippines, India, Malaysia, Bhutan, Vietnam, Japan, and Indonesia

The mass imprisonment of nearly three million Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in an archipelago of concentration camps, jails, and slave labour camps is just one example of the o n g o i n g g e n o c i d e a n d c r i m e s a g ai n s t hu m an i t y i n Ea s t Turkestan (Xinjiang province) under Xi Jinping's rule The US and other Western parliaments, including those in Canada, Netherlands, UK, Lithuania, Czech Republic, and France, have declared China s acts to constitute genocide

popularity It is proof of the Prime Minister’s farsightedness to think about the infrastructural future of the country, shifting proceedings to a new and improved Parliament and announcing India’s largest convention and exhibition centre, named Yashobhoomi recently However, what is to become of the future of the NDA?

Apart from a few prominent faces like S Jayshankar, Smriti Irani, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Yogi Adityanath, the party lacks strong personalities who stand out, especially young leaders What primarily benefits the party in the upcoming elections is the leadership of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, as well as a significant voter base centred on caste and religion These benefits will not last forever

The INDIA alliance, on the other hand, has some strong faces in the likes of Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora, Aaditya T h

Supriya Sule among others These young leaders are versatile, well-informed and have a staggering mass appeal Rahul Gandhi, previously criticised for his lack of strong opinions, has also turned a new leaf, establishing himself as a strong leader and the face of INDIA

The country has evolved tremendously in the last decade in terms of infrastructure, international standing and societal mentality The NDA cannot be using the charm and power of Narendra Modi forever and it is high time that the visionary leader thinks on these terms to secure the future of his alliance

Both the UK and India are beacons of democracy in a world that, at times, seems to waver in its commitment to democratic ideals Democracies, by their very nature, are messy They involve debates, disagreements, and yes, sometimes even discord But they also promise the rule of law, the assurance that every individual, regardless of their background or circumstances, will be treated fairly and justly The case of Mr Johal is being addressed within this democratic framework It's a testament to the strength and maturity of both nations that they can discuss, even disagree, yet do so with mutual respect and understanding

To begin with, one must appreciate the sanctity and sovereignty of each nation's judicial apparatus India, with its rich tapestry of legal traditions, has always been a beacon of judicial independence The case of Mr Johal is ensconced within the purview of this very system, ensuring that the wheels of justice turn without prejudice It is emblematic of the trust and mutual respect between India and the UK that both nations allow each other the space to address such matters internally, without external interference

There is a bias presumption that only the West has rule of law Take the Financial Times journalist who commented that the Indian Supreme Court on its ruling over Ayodhya Temple were politically controlled When I pointed out the Indian Supreme Court is as respected as the UK one, no response there came

Or the human condition which assumes that it has the right to act as judge and jury and due process should not apply to them

Add to that Godwin’s law – this states that if any online discussion continues long enough, someone will almost certainly compare someone else to Hitler Consider of course if militants support you, then that weakens your case instantly

Shared Dreams, Sh ared Futures

Beyond the headlines, beyond the immediacies of any single event, lies a tapestry of collaboration and partnership between the UK and India From the bustling streets of London to the vibrant markets of Mumbai, the economic ties between these two nations are profound They speak of shared dreams and shared futures, of two nations intertwined in their quest for progress and prosperity In a rapidly changing global economy, the partnership between the UK and India is not just beneficial; it's essential T he Po wer of Peo ple

But, as I've often believed, the true strength of any relationship lies in its people The Indian diaspora in the UK, with its rich contributions to British society, serves as a living bridge between the two nations It's a reminder that our ties are not just about trade deals or diplomatic accords; they're about families, friendships, and shared experiences It's these human connections that ensure individual incidents, however significant, don't define our collective narrative

Looking Forw ard with Hope

In the grand scheme of things, the UK-India relationship is about more than any single event or individual It's about two nations, with centuries-old histories, coming together to write a new chapter in the story of our interconnected world It's a relationship forged in the fires of the past but looking forward with hope and optimism to the future

Let's remember the unyielding bond between the UK and India, a bond that has weathered storms and stood the test of time And let's remain confident that, together, these two great nations will continue to shine as beacons of hope, democracy, and shared progress in our global age

Jingping’s poor economic management can undo Beijing's dreams

Emerging young leaders of the world’s greatest democracy

Widespread

dissatisfaction with Britain's migration policy

A new surv ey h as indicated that p ublic dissatisfaction with th e g overnment's hand ling o f immig ration in the UK is at its h ighest level since 2015

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from May this year revealed that net migration to the UK reached a record high of 606,000 in 2022 This increase was driven by individuals from o u t s i d e t h e E u r o p e a n U n i o n a r r i v i n g t o w o r k o r s t u d y , including those from Ukraine and Hong Kong under special visa schemes

The Immigration Attitudes

Sadiq Khan heads to New York for US climate summit

Tracker, conducted by market research firm Ipsos in collaboration with the think tank British Future, has found that 66% of the public are dissatisfied with the government's approach to i m m i g r a t i o n T h i s r e p r e s e n t s the highest level of dissatisfaction recorded in the tracker's history, with just 12% expressing satisfaction

The primary reason cited for d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n i s t h e g o v e r nm e n t ' s f a i l u r e t o p r e v e n t C h a n n e l c r o s s i n g s , a l t h o u g h responses to this issue are divided along political lines

Gang planning migrant van operation sentenced

A c ri m i na l g a ng , r es p o ns i bl e fo r o r ch e s tra ti ng an i n tri c ate p e o p le s m u g g li ng o p erati on wh ile illic itly t ran s p o rti ng £ 70 m illion out of the U K, has been collectively sentenced to over 70 years in p rison This syndicate, which included individuals from t h e B l a c k C o u n t r y , a c t i v e l y engaged in international money l a u n d e r i n g , n e c e s s i t a t i n g n u m e r o u s t r i p s t o D u b a i f o r cash transportation Members o f t h i s c r i m i n a l o r g a n i s a t i o n a t t e m p t e d t o s m u g g l e 1 7 migrants into the country by concealing them in the back of a van Among these individuals were five children and a pregnant woman T h e c r i m i n a l n e t w o r k believed they operated without

Source NCA

any liability but were ultimately exposed by a dedicated National Crime Agency (NCA) team An extensive investigation revealed t h a t i n d i v i d u a l s w i t h i n t h i s organised crime group, based in W e s t L o n d o n , w e r e l i k e l y r e s p o n s i b l e f o r s m u g g l i n g a p p r o x i m a t e l y £ 7 0 m i l l i o n i n cash out of the UK

These funds were suspected to be the proceeds stemming from the illicit sale of class-A d r u g s a n d i n v o l v e m e n t i n organised immigration crime

Susan Hall's controversial Twitter interactions exposed

A ccord ing to research cond ucted by a cam paign group, Susan H al l, th e T o r y ca nd i d a te f o r L ond on mayo r, has liked tw eets that praise the controv ersial figu re E no ch P owell and tweets containing Islamoph obic abuse d irected at h er L abou r opp onent, Sadiq K han Th is inform at i on w as re p o rte d by T h e Guard ian

In February 2020, Hall liked a t w e e t t h a t p r a i s e d E n o c h Powell, a former Tory minister known for his infamous 1968 speech warning against immigration The tweet, discovered b y H o p e N o t H a t e , f e a t u r e d Powell alongside the words: "It's never too late to get London back," which implies a reference to multiculturalism, and it also i n v o k e d P o w e l l ' s " r i v e r s o f blood" phrase

H a l l w a s s e l e c t e d b y t h e

S a d i q K h a n i s an ti c ip a ted to engage in discussions about th e U lez (U ltra L ow Emission Zone) expansion with fellow mayors from around the world d uring h is attendance at a significant climate ch ange su mmit in New

Yo rk

The mayor, along with five aides, is scheduled to depart for the United States on Sunday to p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e U n i t e d Nations General Assembly and join the UN Climate Ambition

S u m m i t A d d i t i o n a l l y , S a d i q Khan is expected to share the stage with Prince William at an Earthshot Prize summit, an init i a t i v e t h a t r e c o g n i s e s a n d r e w a r d s i n n o v a t i v e s o l u t i o n s aimed at "repairing the planet " D u r i n g t h i s f o u r - d a y t r i p , Khan plans to promote London by actively seeking to attract US companies to expand their operations in the city and encouraging tourism, effectively "banging the drum" for the capital

Dentist confesses to threatening MP Barry Gardiner

A d i s g ru nt le d d e nti s t, A m i t K erai, h as confessed to m aking a d eath th reat ag ainst h is lo cal M em b er of P a rli am ent ( M P ) d u ri ng a fo u r -y ear p e ri o d of h arassment

K e r a i , a g e d 3 4 , e n t e r e d a guilty plea on Friday, admitting to making the threat in August o f t h e p r e v i o u s y e a r a g a i n s t Labour's Barry Gardiner, who represents the constituency of Brent North in London In addition to the threat, Kerai also pleaded guilty to two charges of causing fear of violence through abusive and threatening emails, tweets, and phone calls directed a t o t h e r i n d i v i d u a l s b e t w e e n

2019 and 2022

The defendant, residing at C r u n d a l e A v e n u e i n B a r n e t , n o r t h - w e s t L o n d o n , a l s o acknowledged sending an elec-

ADDITIONAL POLICE PATROLS NEAR BIRMINGHAM MOSQUE

In response to an alleged incident outside Green Lane Mosque in Birmingham, where a man reportedly made threats to families, West Midlands Police has issued an urgent appeal for information Increased patrols around the Small Heath mosque will be in place as the incident is said to have occurred around 6 pm on September 14 The police are actively working to identify the individual responsible and have already spoken to several witnesses who observed the incident

PRITI PATEL SPEAKS ABOUT FACING STREET ABUSE AND ATTACKS

Priti Patel has acknowledged experiencing a street attack and verbal abuse during an interview with Nigel Farage Speaking on GB News, the former Home Secretary denounced the abuse as "unacceptable" but emphasised that it would not deter her from carrying out her responsibilities During the interview with Nigel Farage, Patel also addressed accusations of being a bully She said: “It's deeply unpleasant and even this year, I've had people try to assault me as well when I've been going about my daily business you know, just going to work ”

Susan Hall

Tories to challenge Sadiq Khan in the mayoral election, despite her relatively low profile and hard-right views She had previously faced criticism for suggesting that the Notting Hill carnival should be relocated and for making statements about a p r o b l e m w i t h c r i m e i n t h e black community She has also been accused of endorsing Islamophobic abuse directed at Sadiq Khan

Barry Gardiner

tronic communication with the intent to cause distress or anxiety on August 2 of the previous year to call centre personnel at the General Dental Council

T h e p r o s e c u t i o n a c c e p t e d K e r a i s g u i l t y p l e a s , a n d f o u r a d d i t i o n a l c h a r g e s t h a t h e denied will be left on file The defendant has been remanded in custody until his provisional sentencing date, which is set for November 3

Windsor Castle crossbow intruder apologises to the King

Ja swant Sin gh Cha il, a 21-ye aro l d w h o br o k e in t o W in d so r C astle a rmed wit h a crossbow w i t h in t e n t i o n s t o h a r m t h e

Q uee n, ha s offer ed a n a pology to t he Roy al Family Chail was apprehended on Christmas Day in 2021 and has since admitted to charges under the Treason Act, making threats to kill, and possessing an offens i v e w e a p o n I n c o u r t , h e expressed remorse for bringing " s u c h h o r r i f i c a n d w o r r y i n g times to their front door" and

HORRIFIC RACIST STICKERS SURFACE IN CROYDON

Appalling racist posters promoting violence against Black individuals have been discovered affixed to street fixtures throughout Croydon including lampposts in Addiscombe These disturbing stickers contain offensive language, including the use of racial slurs, and advocate for harm against Black people A photograph of one of these offensive stickers was shared online by the community group @us against racism The Metropolitan Police have received reports about the stickers, and their officers are actively removing them while conducting an investigation

extended his apology to the royals and the King The sentencing for Chail is pending, with the judge considering options that m a y i n c l u d e i m p r i s o n m e n t , a h o s p i t a l o r d e r , o r a " h y b r i d " order W h i l e t h e m a x i m u m s e ntence for treason is seven years in prison, it was noted by the prosecutor that had Chail raised h i s w e a p o n a t h i s t a r g e t , h e could have faced the more severe charge of high treason, which carries a potential life sentence

London girl, 9, misdiagnosed with tonsillitis dies

A nine -ye ar-old girl, R iya Hira ni, w ho tra gically suffer ed a fata l ca rdiac arr est the day a ft er be ing m isdia gnosed durin g a Stre p A out br eak , could pot en tially ha ve bee n sa ved, accordin g t o a cor o-

n er 's conclusion

Riya, a resident of Wetheral Drive in Stanmore, was released from Northwick Park Hospital

i n H a r r o w o n D e c e m b e r 2 2 , 2022, with minimal advice and a piece of paper recommending o v e r - t h e - c o u n t e r p a i n k i l l e r s

This was despite her parents' pleas for a course of antibiotics, especially considering news of a deadly outbreak Riya had been brought to the North West London hospital by her parents, who were acting on advice from NHS 111 due to concerns about her three-day fever,

NO 'PAY-PER-MILE' ROAD CHARGES UNDER SADIQ KHAN’S MAYORALTY

Sadiq Khan has once more refuted claims that he intends to implement a "pay-per-mile" system for drivers in London asserting that such a system will not be introduced during his tenure as mayor Although the concept of charging individuals based on the distance they drive was mentioned in Khan s 2018 transport strategy it was suggested as a potential replacement for existing schemes like the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) In recent weeks the mayor has clarified that there are currently no plans on the table" to introduce a "pay-per-mile" system However, on Thursday he went a step further, firmly stating that such a system will not be implemented during his tenure as mayor

red throat, and speech difficulties However, the Senior House Officer (SHO) who assessed her d e e m e d h e r c o n d i t i o n a s n o t severe and discharged her with a diagnosis of viral tonsillitis

On the evening of December 23, the following day after Riya's i n i t i a l

seeing white pus at the back of her daughter's throat Worried, they decided to return to the hospital As they were leaving, Riya's father, Mukesh, thought she was choking and patted her on the back

Tragically, she collapsed and e

damage Riya passed away five days later at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)

YOUNG BRITONS RELOCATING FOR IMPROVED OPPORTUNITIES

A survey conducted by the Social Mobility Foundation reveals that over 80% of 16- to 18year-olds believe they must relocate from their current areas to access better opportunities This sentiment is particularly strong in certain regions, with over 90% of respondents in the north-east, Yorkshire, and the east of England expressing the same desire In the survey of 2,000 individuals, it was found that, on average more than 85% of young people felt compelled to seek opportunities elsewhere The desire to move was particularly pronounced in the east of England where 95% of respondents felt this way, followed by 91% in the north-east, 90% in Yorkshire, and 88% in the north-west

Nearly one-fifth of UK employees feel undervalued at work

A new repo rt h as found th at almost a fifth of U K em ployees, aro und 5 5 million peo ple, feel u nd ervalued at w ork Th e L ove2shop

Em ployee V alue Report is the second annual survey o f U K workers comm issioned by leading U K rew ard, incentive and gifting exp erts Lov e2sh op

This year it has revealed that of those who feel undervalued in the workplace, 8-in-10 are looking to leave their current role Over a quarter, around 1 5 million workers, said they are actually willing to leave their current role without another job lined up –despite the rising cost of living

Julian Coghlan, Managing Director of Love2shop, said that the report’s findings were a warning to employers who are still not engaging with employees

“Everyone has seen the impact of rising costs this year, ” he said “It’s a major concern that, even when times are tough, so many

UKREiiF: Defying UK business trends and smashing records

In a climate where m any UK bu s in es s es ar e n av i g a ti ng th ro u g h c h a lle ng e s , T h e UK’s Real Estate Investm ent & I nf ra st ru c tu re F o ru m (UKREiiF) shines brigh tly as a symbol of resilience and su ccess A s it prepares for its 20 2 4 ed i ti o n , U K R E i iF i s poised to surpass all previo us rec o rd s in e co n o m i c impact, social imp act, attendance, and partnerships

n a t i o n a l i n v e s t o r s a r e about to be confirmed These are just some of t h e i m p a c t f u l c o n n e ctions and collaborations the forum has facilitated

o r i t i e s f o r t h e e n t i r e event

N a t h a n S p e n c e r ,

UK workers are so unhappy they would seriously consider leaving without a job to go to

“Last year our report revealed a significant problem with employee value in the UK While some employers have taken action since then to improve overall happiness, millions of workers still feel disengaged from the business they work for

Employers are potentially facing problems down the line too The number of employees looking for a new role rises amongst the younger demographic, with 87% of Gen Z actively pursuing a different job Without a pipeline of young talent to replace outgoing, experienced workers, businesses could find themselves falling headfirst into a skills gap

H i g h l i g h t i n g i t s i n f l ue n c e , T o r b a y C o u n c i l i s n e a r i n g a c o n t r a c t w i t h d e v e l o p e r s v a l u e d a t o v e r £100 million, a direct outcome of a business meeting at UKREiiF 2023, whilst two major deals including inter-

I n i t s l a s t e d i t i o n , UKREiiF presented over £80 billion of investment o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n t h e regeneration and development sector, attracting over 7,500 delegates from the UK and beyond, including a significant international deleg a t i o n o f i n v e s t o r s a n d d e v e l o p e r s t h a t t o u r e d M a n c h e s t e r , L e e d s , a n d London UKREiiF's rapid rise in t h e p r o p e r t y n e t w o r k i n g

sector has been noteworthy

W h i l e e v e n t s l i k e M I P I M have traditionally been significant for the real estate industry, UKREiiF is emphasising its point of difference

f r o m M I P I M , p a r t i c u l a r l y the sheer effectiveness of its n e t w o r k i n g b y m a k i n g d i v e r s i t y , i n c l u s i v i t y a n d sustainability essential pri-

D i r e c t o r a t U K R E i i F , reflected on the evolving landscape, stating, "In a time of business uncertainties, UKREiiF stands a s a b e a c o n o f s u c c e s s a n d r e s i l i e n c e W e a r e setting new industry standards, focusing on diversity, inclusivity, and sustainabilit y T h e e v e n t g e n e r a t e d £ 1 2 1 m i n l o c a l e c o n o m i c output in 2023 in addition to t h e m u l t i - m i l l i o n p o u n d projects set to come forward following connections made at the event, it’s a real gamechanger for the industry "

UK jumps in global economic freedom index, but remains below pre-Covid levels

The UK’s e con omic fre edom ha s bo u n c e d ba c k a f t e r un p r e ce d en t e d r e st r i ct io n s d ur in g t h e C o v i d -1 9 p a ndemic, accordin g to an ind ex pr od u c e d by t h e F r a s e r In st it ut e a nd co -pu blishe d toda y with the fr ee m ark et think tan k the Institut e of Econ om ic Affa irs

The report finds that the U K ’ s e c o n o m i c f r e e d o m ranking overtook countries like Japan, Canada, and the C z e c h R e p u b l i c H o w e v e r , the UK’s overall economic

freedom is in decline compared to pre-pandemic In 2021, the UK scored 8 01 out of 10 on the economic freedom indicator, compared to 8 2 0 i n 2 0 1 9 a n d 8 6 5 i n 2000 T h e r e p o r t f i n d s t h a t B r i t a i n ’ s b u s i n e s s , l a b o u r market and financial regulations are becoming increasi n g l y b u r d e n s o m e W i t h t a x e s a n d s p e n d i n g a p p r o a c h i n g a p o s t - w a r high, the UK’s score on the size of government has also

fallen since 2019

If the UK scored as highly as it did before COVID-19, it would have placed fifth on t h e l a t e s t r a n k i n g , a b o v e c o u n t r i e s l i k e t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , I r e l a n d , a n d Australia

Across the globe, Hong Kong has lost its place as the freest economy in the world f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e T h i s results from declining scores on international trade, the rule of law, and the size of government since Chinese

intervention in the region increased towards the end of the 2010s The number one spot is now occupied by Singapore, f o l l o w e d b y H o n g K o n g , Switzerland, New Zealand, the United States, Ireland, D e n m a r k , A u s t r a l i a , t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m , a n d C a n a d a V e n e z u e l a o n c e a g a i n r a n k s l a s t S o m e despotic countries, such as North Korea and Cuba, can’t b e r a n k e d d u e t o l a c k o f data

Rethinking Pavillion

Princess Diana's iconic sweater fetches over a million dollars

A bid der at S otheby s was willing to pay a stagg ering $1 1 million ( or £88 6,3 47) for Princess Diana's iconic black sheep sweater from t h e B ri ti s h b ran d W arm & Wonderful

This sweater sparked a fierce b i d d i n g w a r a t t h e a u c t i o n house, with its price skyrocketing from an initial estimate of $80,000 to the final winning bid of $1 1 million in the last 15 minutes Princess Diana first wore this red sweater adorned with white sheep, including one dist i n c t i v e b l a c k s h e e p , i n 1 9 8 1 while watching Prince Charles s polo match Her cheeky jumper quickly made headlines

D i a n a h a d a r e p l a c e m e n t m a d e b y W a r m & W o n d e r f u l

later that summer after the original sweater was damaged The founders of the brand, Joanna O s b o r n e a n d S a l l y M u i r , l o s t t r a c k o f t h e o r i g i n a l s w e a t e r until Osborne discovered it in her attic earlier this year

Sara Sharif's father and two others charged with her murder

T he f a th er , s t e pmother, and unc le of 10-year- old Sara S ha r i f ha v e b e en c h a rg e d w i t h h e r m urd er , a c cor di n g to Surrey Poli ce Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash B a t o o l , 2 9 , a n d U r f a n ' s b r o t h e r , Faisal Malik, 28, all residing on H a m m o n d R o a d i n W o k i n g , h a v e b e e n c h a r g e d w i t h t h e murder of Sara They have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child

Sara's lifeless body was disc o v e r e d a t h e r r e s i d e n c e o n August 10th, and a post-mortem examination revealed she had suffered "multiple and extensive injuries " The three adults had l e f t t h e U K f o r P a k i s t a n o n August 9th and were arrested at

o c e

G a t w i c k A i r p o r t u p o n t h e i r r e t u r n f r o m D u b a i o n W e d n e s d a y e v e n i n g S u r r e y

Police confirmed the charges on F r i d a y m o r n i n g , a n d t h e accused have been remanded in custody, scheduled to appear at G u i l d f o r d M a g i s t r a t e s ' C o u r t later the same day

Surrey Police reported that Sara s mother, Olga Sharif, had b e e n i n f o r m e d o f t h e l a t e s t developments and was receiving support from specialist officers

British Indian officer dismissed for unreasonable force during arrest

A British Ind ian p olice o fficer, P o l i ce C on s tab le M a nd e ep Dh arni, has been dismissed from S cotland Yard following a misc on d uc t h earing Th e h eari ng found th at she h ad used "unreas o na bl e f o rc e" w h i le o n d u t y d uring the arrest o f a m an in north L ond on two years ago PC Dharni was attached to the Metropolitan Police's northw e s t B a s i c C o m m a n d U n i t (BCU) in London The incident i n q u e s t i o n o c c u r r e d i n September 2021 in a car park in Barnet It was alleged that PC Dharni did not use appropriate force and did not act with the necessary authority, respect, and

c o u r t e s y w h i l e r e s t r a i n i n g a m a n , w h o w a s s u b s e q u e n t l y charged with criminal damage and public order offenses As a result, she has been dismissed from her position at Scotland Yard

T h e i n c i d e n t i n q u e s t i o n gained public attention after a video of it was shared on social media Subsequently, the officer involved was placed on restricted duties The matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which t h e n r e f e r r e d i t b a c k t o t h e

M e t r o p o l i t a n P o l i c e ' s

D i r e c t o r a t e o f P r o f e s s i o n a l

Standards (DPS)

UK government and British Airways face Kuwait hostage claim

P asseng ers and crew m em bers o f a British Airways flight that was taken hostage in Kuwait in 1990 a re p la nn in g to p ur su e l eg a l action ag ainst both the British g o v er nm e nt a nd th e ai rli n e, accord ing to a law firm 's statem ent

Passengers on BA flight 149 were removed from the aircraft, which was en route to Kuala

L u m p u r , w h e n i t l a n d e d i n Kuwait on August 2, 1990, shortly after Saddam Hussein's troops had entered the Gulf state Some

of the 367 passengers and crew members were held captive for more than four months, used as human shields during Western attacks at the behest of the Iraqi dictator

McCue Jury & Partners, representing a group of former BA employees and passengers who were on the flight, stated that the legal action is being taken to ensure that the truth is fully revealed, those responsible are held accountable, and appropriate compensation is provided

UK and

India forge pensions and insurance partnership

Britain and Ind ia hav e co me to an ag reem ent to establish a partnersh ip aim ed at enhancin g c ro s s- m a rk et inv estment within the insurance and p ension sectors, as annou nced by th e Treasury

T h e U K - I n d i a Pensions and Insurance Partnership is intended to bolster the growth of these sectors in both nations It will focus on various aspects including knowledge sharing, fostering bilateral i n v e s t m e n t , a n d d i v e r s i f y i n g risk

This agreement was reached f o l l o w i n g t h e 1 2 t h U K - I n d i a E c o n o m i c a n d F i n a n c i a l Dialogue, which was attended by C h a n c e l l o r o f t h e E x c h e q u e r Jeremy Hunt and Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in

BAKKAVOR PIZZA HARROW WORKERS TO VOTE ON STRIKE ACTION

New Delhi

P l a n n e d a c t i v i t i e s i n c l u d e facilitating pension fund delegat i o n v i s i t s b e t w e e n t h e t w o countries and expanding knowle d g e - s h a r i n g e f f o r t s r e g a r d i n g regulatory reforms within the insurance and pension sectors

Additionally, it involves leveraging UK expertise to support the d e v e l o p m e n t o f G I F T C i t y , I n d i a ' s i n t e r n a t i o n a l f i n a n c i a l services centre, as a reinsurance hub

Labour vows to repeal strike laws in first 100 days

Bri t ai n' s o p p o si t io n L a bo u r Party, und er the lead ership of deputy lead er Angela Rayner, has pledg ed to repeal recently introduced leg islation that restricts workers' rights to strike if the party w ins an expected election next year

The legislation in question is the Strikes (Minimum Service L e v e l s ) A c t T h e p r o m i s e t o reverse this act within 100 days o f a s s u m i n g p o w e r i s a c l e a r appeal to the party's traditional base of trade unions and workers It represents an effort to enhance employee protection

In July, the Conservative gove r n m e n t p a s s e d t h e S t r i k e s (Minimum Service Levels) Act, arguing that it strikes a balance between the right to strike and the public's need for continued

c r e d t R u p e r t R v e t t / S h u t e r s t o c k c o m

Angela Rayner

access to essential services during times of industrial action

The act mandates that striking workers in key sectors like rail, ambulance, and fire services provide minimum levels of service during strikes

A n g e l a R a y n e r , L a b o u r ' s deputy leader, characterised the new legislation as a "spiteful and bitter attack" on trade unions

Doctors to stage first coordinated strike action

Consultants are set to embark on a 4 8 -h o u r s trik e, fo ll ow ed by junior d octors joining in for a 72h o u r s tri ke i n a co o r d i nat ed actio n This m arks the first time in th e National Health Service s 75-year history that both g roup s h av e en g ag e d i n su c h s tr i ke actio n

As a result of these strikes, the NHS in England will be operating at staffing levels equivalent to those on Christmas Day for four days This means that hospitals will only be able to provide emergency care to patients

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, d e s c r i b e d t h i s s i t u a t i o n a s unprecedented in the history of the NHS The combined strike action will result in the cessation of almost all planned care, with h u n d r e d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f appointments postponed Leaders of the junior doctors union have indicated their intention to continue striking until a

Major supermarkets may face pizza shortages as employees of a Harrow-based supplier, Bakkavor Pizza, located in Christchurch Avenue, Harrow, are preparing to vote on whether to engage in strike action This supplier is responsible for providing pizzas to supermarket chains like Sainsbury's Tesco and Waitrose The decision to vote on strike action comes after months of negotiations regarding pay In a recent indicative strike ballot conducted among GMB union members 78% of participants rejected a 6 9% pay deal offer The union has now announced its intention to proceed with formal steps for a strike ballot, which, if approved, could potentially lead to significant disruptions in pizza distribution to supermarkets

INNOVATIVE HOUSING AGREEMENT AIDS DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIMS

Housing providers spanning Greater Manchester have united under a groundbreaking reciprocal agreement aimed at bolstering support for victims of domestic abuse Individuals left homeless due to domestic abuse are classified as having a priority requirement for housing assistance obliging local authorities to provide safe and suitable temporary housing options In certain instances the risk involved necessitates relocating the affected person outside their current borough Greater Manchester s arrangement facilitates the seamless transfer of this provision across boroughs, simplifying access to housing for households grappling with domestic abuse, even if remaining within their current borough poses a significant risk

SERIAL FRAUDSTER BLAMES EX-WIFE OVER £10K FALSE COVID SUPPORT CLAIM

Sailesh Kataria of Leicester claimed that it was his ex-wife who fraudulently applied for a Covid business loan in his name even though his private savings account and passport were used in the application Kataria made this assertion in court, suggesting that his ex-wife may have been attempting to get him into trouble, as the two were engaged in a bitter custody battle for their children at the time The application for the £10,000 small business grant, submitted in May 2020 under Kataria s name, was received by Leicester City Council from Fashion World UK It included Kataria's bank details and a copied page from his passport

The application linked the company to a unit at the Poshak Business Centre in Leicester, but the local authority found no evidence of Fashion World Ltd being registered at that location

FIVE SENIOR TORY LANDLORDS ACCUSED OF OBSTRUCTING RENTERS' REFORM BILL

n e w g o v e r n m e n t i s i n p l a c e

They have attributed the ongoing deadlock to what they perceive as Rishi Sunak's ego This reflects the deep-seated tensions and frustrations that have led to the strike action in the healthcare sector in the UK NHS England has estimated that more than 885,000 appointments and operations have been c a n c e l l e d d u e t o a s e r i e s o f i n d u s t r i a l a c t i o n s t h a t b e g a n

affecting the NHS in December of the previous year

The Mirror has revealed that five senior members of the Conservative Party who have been accused of "blocking" a new law to ban "no-fault evictions" for renters are themselves landlords Among them is Chief Whip Simon Hart, who purchased a buy-to-let flat in Pembrokeshire in April of the current year

This revelation follows the setback of Michael Gove's flagship renters' reform bill, which led to infighting within the Tory party as accusations were made regarding who was responsible for the delay Campaign group 38 Degrees organized a petition calling for the immediate advancement of the rental reform bill and it has garnered over 42 000 signatures

Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool And Faisal Malik

S o u r c e S u r r e y P

Nirmala Sitharaman and Jeremy Hunt

Sir Stephen Powis

Birmingham

City Council official involved in £11 mn firm probe

M ailOnline h as uncov ered that a senior official of A sian d escent at Birmingham C ity C ouncil was emp loyed for a p eriod o f two years at the same small church comm unity centre w here a sch ool t ran s p o rt c o m p an y u n d er h is responsibility also op erated

Green Destinations Ltd

(GDL) experienced a significant increase in its business d e a l i n g s w i t h t h e c o u n c i l during the same two-year period and later became the

s u b j e c t o f a n £ 1 1 m i l l i o n overcharging investigation

Jay Shimano, whose role i n v o l v e d e n s u r i n g s c h o o l t r a n s p o r t s a f e t y , a n d h i s s u p e r i o r , S a r a h N o r m a n , directed drivers from competing firms to pick up their ID badges from the same address on Beeches Road, where GDL was also located

It is alleged that upon arrival, drivers were encouraged to consider working for GDL As a result, GDL took over at least a dozen routes

Labour raises new doubts over HS2 project

from a local cab firm, Great Barr Cars, and charged the council significantly more for these services

Meanwhile, in the latest update, the UK government has introduced emergency m e a s u r e s t o m a n a g e B i r m i n g h a m C i t y C o u n c i l during its ongoing financial crisis This intervention is a i m e d a t s t a b i l i z i n g t h e c o u n c i l ' s f i n a n c e s a n d ensuring that essential services continue to be provided to residents

Students accused in university rape hearings seek legal counsel

In response to th e escalating n u m be r o f se ri o u s s ex u al assaults on univ ersity camp uses, som e parents of male students accu sed of rape are now hiring barristers to help p r ev e nt th e ir s o ns f ro m being exp elled, acco rding to inform ation obtained by the Observer

T h e i n c r e a s e i n s u c h c a s e s h a s r a i s e d c o n c e r n s a m o n g e x p e r t s , w h o n o t e that female students often

hesitate to go to the police d u e t o c o n c e r n s a b o u t delays, traumatic questioning, and the low conviction rate for rape cases Instead, more women are turning to u n i v e r s i t i e s t o i n v e s t i g a t e t h e s e i n c i d e n t s , l e a v i n g institutions to grapple with complex cases, including a growing trend of pornograp h y - i n s p i r e d s t r a n g u l a t i o n during sexual encounters These cases are typically

addressed by student conduct panels, which consist of academics, support staff, and students These panels gather evidence from both p a r t i e s a n d d e t e r m i n e whether a student has viol a t e d u n i v e r s i t y r u l e s b y engaging in sexual misconduct, which can lead to susp e n s i o n o r e x p u l s i o n Universities emphasize that these panels do not operate like formal courts of law

Starmer’s leadership under spotlight

In British politics, Sir K eir S tarm er's L abour Party has been doing well in p olls, but they hav en't been v ery clear about wh at they want to do if they win

Recently, though, we've been getting a better idea of their plans Starmer is going to a meeting in Canada with o t h e r l e a d e r s , a n d s o m e people are calling it a "wokery convention " This meeti n g i n c l u d e s l e a d e r s l i k e Justin Trudeau and Jacinda A r d e r n , w h o h a v e m a d e headlines for their progressive ideas but also faced criticism for strict lockdowns and policies that some see as just showing off F o r e x a m p l e , T r u d e a u has allowed people to have s m a l l a m o u n t s o f s t r o n g

c r e d t R u p e r t R i v e t / S h u t t e r s t o c k c o m

drugs and has been open to immigration and transgender rights Ardern wanted to share power between Maori and others in New Zealand, which worried some folks Starmer seems to be getting c l o s e r t o t h e s e k i n d s o f i d e a s , l i k e s u p p o r t i n g t h e Black Lives Matter movem e n t a n d c o n s i d e r i n g changing the drug laws

Also, Starmer said he'd rather make decisions with a g r o u p c a l l e d t h e W o r l d E c o n o m i c F o r u m ( W E F ) t h a n w i t h t h e U K Parliament The WEF is run by very rich people and is k n o w n f o r p u s h i n g i d e a s that some people don t like, s u c h a s o p p o s i n g B r e x i t Some folks are worried that unelected rich people and politicians like Tony Blair could have more say in the UK than elected leaders Recent policies, like givi n g p o w e r t o t h e E U o n i m m i g r a t i o n a n d p o s s i b l y letting in more illegal immig r a n t s , s h o w u s w h e r e Starmer might be taking the country His trip to Canada gives us a clue about what his leadership could be like

Last supper for India Club

T he India Club, a famo us curry restau rant in Lo nd on, i s sa d ly cl o s in g d o w n because a h otel is g oing to be built in its place Th is restau rant has been arou nd since 1951, j ust a few years after Ind ia becam e ind ep end ent It was started by peop le who w anted to suppo rt India's freed om from British rule

The India Club has been a favourite spot for many people who love Indian food a n d I n d i a n c u l t u r e T h e y s e r v e d d i s h e s l i k e m a s a l a

dosa and bhuna lamb along with Indian beer Lots of I n d i a n p e o p l e i n L o n d o n also enjoyed eating there

A famous Indian politician, Shashi Tharoor, whose father helped start the India C l u b , s a i d t h a t f o r m a n y people, this place felt like a second home It was a spec i a l p l a c e t o e n j o y g o o d I n d i a n f o o d a t a f f o r d a b l e p r i c e s a n d m a k e n e w friends

T h e r e s t a u r a n t h a s a unique look, with its olds t y l e f o r m i c a t a b l e s a n d

The future of Britain's Hig h Speed 2 ( HS 2) rail project h as b ec o m e i nc re as in g l y u nc er tai n , w i th a s en i o r Labo ur figure declining to c o m m i t to b u i ld i ng t h e northern section of the line to Manchester This h esitatio n comes shortly after g over nm e nt m in i st ers ex p res s ed si m i la r d ou b ts about th e project

Pat McFadden, Labour's shadow Cabinet Office minister and election coordinator, stated that he would like to see the revised price tag f o r H S 2 l a t e r t h i s y e a r ,

Pat McFadden

w h i c h t a k e s i n t o a c c o u n t rising inflation, before making a decision to recommit to the project He pointed out that the project's cost

e s t i m a t e s h a v e n o t b e e n

u p d a t e d s i n c e 2 0 1 9 , a n d there has been a significant

increase in inflation since then, prompting the need for a closer look in the coming months

McFadden's remarks are noteworthy given that the Labour Party's "national policy forum released a document on Friday in which the party committed to delivering HS2 "in full" with the aim of unlocking billions in economic growth His hesitation to commit to the project highlights the ongoing debate and uncertainty surrounding the HS2 rail project in the UK

Guardian experiences a fresh trans rights controversy

A f res h co n tro v ers y h as er u p ted at T h e G u ard ia n re g ar d i ng it s co v era g e o f trans rig hts Th is issue cam e to ligh t after a reco rd ing of a staff meeting , titled "untangling sex and gender," was published by a US website called Sem afor J o u r n a l i s t s , i n c l u d i n g Sonia Sodha, who serves as The Observer's chief leader writer, were heard on the leaked audio discussing the topic During the meeting, Sodha mentioned that she h a d f a c e d v a r i o u s c h a llenges, including attempts to have her removed from

charitable boards and being subjected to online doxing b y i n d i v i d u a l s w h o d i sagreed with her stance on the trans rights issue She c h a r a c t e r i s e d t h i s a s a n example of the toxicity and p o l a r i s a t i o n s u r r o u n d i n g the debate on this topic

T h e l e a k e d r e c o r d i n g from The Guardian's staff m e e t i n g a l s o f e a t u r e d a n o t h e r s p e a k e r w h o e x p r e s s e d c o n c e r n s a b o u t efforts to prevent meetings from taking place to discuss the issue of trans rights

T h e n e w s p a p e r s attempts to navigate a bal-

Sonia Sodha

anced approach between the views of its staff, including t h o s e w h o s u p p o r t t r a n s rights and those who feel that these rights may impact women's rights, have led to the departure of prominent j o u r n a l i s t s , i n c l u d i n g

Suzanne Moore and Hadley Freeman

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m u s t a r d - c o l o u r e d w a l l s , making it feel like an Indian coffee house from a long time ago

Even though the India C l u b i s c l o s i n g , t h e y a r e l o o k i n g f o r a n e w p l a c e nearby to continue serving their delicious food Many people are sad to see it go because it holds a lot of hist o r y a n d m e m o r i e s f o r them The pictures of Indian h e r o e s l i k e G a n d h i a n d Nehru on the walls remind everyone of India's journey to freedom

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Keir Starmer

A no opam Mission Brahm ajyoti, Denham M andir org anised a special K irtan Bh akti sabha on S und ay 17 Septem ber to h ono ur the d ono rs who sup ported th e construction w ork of 'A um C rematorium'

In the presence of Param Pujya Sahebji and Sant Ashvindada, Philanthropist Pradeepbhai Dhamecha and Veenaben Dhamecha, Rajshriben Thakkar (Dubai), CB Patel (Editor-in-Chief, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar), Krishna Hospital, Karamsad managed by Charutar Arogya Mandal’s Chairman Dr Atulbhai Patel, Secretary

L to R: Meghnaben Adhvaryu, Bhavishaben Tailor, Rajshreeben Thakkar, Vinaben Dhamecha, Satishbhai Chatwani, Pradipbhai Dhamecha, AshwinDada Himat Swami Vinodbhai Nakarja

Dr Jagritbhai Bhatt, Karamsad Hospital Superintendent Dr Jiteshbhai Desai and Besides Rambhai, Surendrabhai Patel, Barindrabhai Patel along with other dignitaries

Blessings from Pujya Sahebji in the Sabha Ashwindada Pradipbhai Dhamecha and Satishbhai Chatwani on stage

were honoured Satishbhai Chatwani gave the welcome address, introduced the donors and presented the progress report of the 'Aum Crematorium' project Pradipbhai Dhamecha said,

“Thanks should be conveyed to these saints and volunteers who are serving selflessly in this unique mission God has given money but it is often not understood where to use it properly I am very grateful to Sahebji for giving me the opportunity to support such social service work An opportunity to be helpful in social service work is the best fortune of life ”

Anupam Survrinda's Kalpeshbhai, Chetanbhai, Bihag and Neti Vyas sang kirtans Narayana Muni presented Bhavvahi Kirtan and Bhavishaben moderated the sabha

MSDUK Business and Innovation Show 2023:

Empowering ethnic minority businesses

T he M SDU K Business and I n no v a ti o n S h o w 20 23 broug ht tog ether hu nd red s o f dynamic ethnic m inority b u s in es s es and s h o w c as ed the o rg anisation's stead fast com mitment to inspiring the n ex t g e ner ati o n o f et h ni c m ino rity found ers and su pp o r ti ng t h ei r d r eam s o f g row th and success

Renowned TEDx speaker and two-time author Jenny Garrett took the stage as the event's host With an outreach of 122 million people worldwide, her advocacy for f a i r e r b u s i n e s s l a n d s c a p e s h a s m a d e a s i g n i f i c a n t impact

M a y a n k S h a h , C E O o f

MSDUK called for a shift in perspective among procurement professionals and buyers Emphasis was placed on actively seeking opportunities for minority businesses w i t h i n t h e s u p p l y c h a i n rather than attempting to fit t h e m i n t o e x i s t i n g s t r u ctures T h e d a y ' s a g e n d a w a s packed with enriching ses-

sions, workshops, and networking opportunities Key segments included looking at Supplier Diversity Beyond 2028, and it also delved into The Complicated Impact of Conscious and Unconscious Bias on EMB Businesses

M a y a n k S h a h , C E O o f

M S D U K , s a i d , " W e a r e i m m e n s e l y p r o u d o f t h e achievements showcased at t h e M S D U K B u s i n e s s a n d Innovation Show 2023 The r e s o u n d i n g s u c c e s s o f

M S D U K o v e r t h e l a s t 1 7 years, with over three thousand ethnic minority businesses securing a remarkable 1 5 billion pounds worth of business, is a testament to the untapped potential withi n t h i s c o m m u n i t y O u r commitment to inspiring the

next generation of founders and fostering a fairer busin e s s l a n d s c a p e r e m a i n s unwavering "

D u r i n g t h e e v e n t , Mayank also announced the new Managing Director for M S D U K , R e s h m a S h e i k h , who said, "It is an honour to step into this role and lead MSDUK towards a future of greater impact and inclusivity We are dedicated to identifying and nurturing opportunities for minority busin e s s e s w i t h i n t h e s u p p l y chain We aim to build a s t r o n g e r , m o r e s u s t a i n a b l e b u s i n e s s e n v i r o n m e n t b y actively seeking out spaces where diversity can thrive Together, we will shape a future where diversity is not just valued, but integral to success "

The event also saw the M S D U K I n n o v a t i o n Challenge final take place, w h e r e 1 2 f i n a l i s t s p i t c h e d their innovations to a judging panel, and the overall w i n n e r , D r D u p e B u r g e s s from Bloomful, walked away

with a 20k cask prize, a oney e a r M S D U K P r e m i u m Membership, Corporate 1-21 mentoring from Accenture a n d a n O u t - o f - h o m e Advertising Campaign from JCDecaux Dr Burgess started her career as a doctor and r e g u l a r l y s a w a n d t r e a t e d w o m e n w i t h M e n s t r u a l , menopausal and hormonal p r o b l e m s T o d a y , D r Burgess is the Founder and C E O o f B l o o m f u l , a n A Idriven triage solution that helps women access better care for their gynaecological health

M S D U K i s a l e a d i n g o r g a n i s a t i o n d e d i c a t e d t o empowering ethnic minority b u s i n e s s e s a n d f o s t e r i n g i n c l u s i v e g r o w t h W i t h a track record of securing subs t a n t i a l f u n d i n g a n d s u pp o r t i n g t h o u s a n d s o f entrepreneurs, MSDUK continues to be at the forefront of championing diversity and innovation in the business landscape

To find out more, visit https://www msduk org uk

SEVA Trust UK charity dinner & awards evening unites diverse communities of Bedfordshire

Contributions of volunteers and the supporting partners recognised B edfor d based inter national c ha r i t y , S EV A Tr u st U K which is working for the b ett erment of educat ion, heal th e nvironment and socia l-we lf a re , o rg a n is e d a n ‘ Aw a r ds Ev en ing a nd a Commun it y D inner’ at Kempston Rovers

Foorbal l Clubhouse

P a n e l o f s p e c i a l g u e s t s included Baroness Young of S c o n e ( M e m b e r H o u s e o f L o r d s , C h a i r o f W o o d l a n d Trust, Former Vice Chair of B B C , C h a i r o f C Q C & C h a n c e l l o r C r a n f i e l d U n i v e r s i t y , a n d A d v i s o r o f S E V A T r u s t ) , M o h a m m a d Y a s i n ( M P f o r B e d f o r d & Kempston), Jagtar Singh Basi O B E ( C h a i r N H S T r u s t & Police Audit & Finance, former Fire Chief Officer for Bedfordshire & Luton)

E v e n t w a s a t t e n d e d b y senior members of local comm u n i t i e s , o v e r 2 0 l e a d i n g

charities & voluntary organisations of Bedford involving Gurdwaras, Temples, Sports Council, Youth Groups, UNISON East Anglia Branch, representatives of local businesses, volunteers and the supp o r t i n g p a r t n e r s o f S E V A

Trust Charan Sekhon MBE, t h e f o u n d e r c h a i r m a n o f SEVA Trust, highlighted the w o r k o f S E V A T r u s t i n Bedfordshire He said ‘During COVID19, our team of volunteers delivered 5000+ food p a r c e l s , 3 0 0 0 + h o t m e a l s ,

supported over 750 international students, over 350 families, 55 people facing homelessness, vulnerable women a n d v i c t i m s o f d o m e s t i c abuse, over 10 joint projects w i t h o t h e r c h a r i t i e s a n d £4000+ donations and food stock provided to other charities working in Bedford ’

SEVA Trust Volunteering

A w a r d s w e r e g i v e n b y Baroness Young to 12 volunteers & 6 youth volunteers w h o w o r k e d e x c e p t i o n a l l y hard to support local families

O n e o f t h e a w a r d receipts Shivangi, who was an international student at Bedfordshire university said, ‘ L i k e m e m a n y s t u d e n t s faced really hard times during lock down, we had no p a r t t i m e w o r k a n d w a s unable to pay our fee or cover living expenses, it was SEVA Trust that came for-

ward and supported many students in Luton, Bedford and Cranfield for over one year and I started volunteering with SEVA and after I completed my studies and found a job, I decided to devote more time for SEVA Trust I cannot repay the help I got from SEVA Trust during the challenging times but I am now trying to give something back’

1 5 o r g a n i s a t i o n s , c o mmunity groups & individuals

r e c e i v e d ' S p e c i a l Recognition Awards' from the MP Mohammad Yasin for their great support for SEVA Trust & other charities in Bedfordshire and 2 Media Awards were given to s

The power of ideas

Rohit Vadhwana

Eve ryt hin g b eg in s w i th an i dea , said Earl Ni ghti ngale Ideas rule the world They ca n tran sform t he li v es o f p eo pl e a n d c h an g e t he c ours e of history There are m any such e xamples where s imple- look ing i deas ha ve made big re marks on our lives B ut many cool ideas , despite thei r quality and i nnovation, fai l in the marke t

This may happen due to various factors like being ahead of time or being too difficult to implement, or not being useful It may also be a combination of various commercial and social factors Take the example of Google Class launched in 2013 Do you see them in the market? Many people also do not know whether they ever existed It was a wearable device that enabled users to view digital information in real time However, due to various issues including concerns about privacy, high prices and being not that useful at that time, the idea didn't work

Another example is of Ford Edsel car which was produced in 1957 but had to be withdrawn within 3 years of its launch There were many complications in the idea and implementation Segway, a two-wheeled, self-balancing type personal scooter was advertised as a landmark to revolutionise urban transport but it was relegated to tourism and security markets only

What is important is that the idea, in addition to being innovative and useful, has to be simple as well Unless it is simple and easy to implement, there are difficulties in its utilisation which leads to failure Charles Peguy wrote, "It is the essence of genius to make use of the simplest ideas " The Virtual Boy, a first step in virtual reality launched by Nintendo in 1995 failed to attract appreciators because of its monochrome display and non-comfortable interface Lack of simplicity in see led it to discontinuation rather quickly

When you develop an idea, test it from the angle of simplicity, utility and adaptability Unless they are effective enough from all these perspectives, there is a high chance they might fail Remember, being innovative is not enough for an idea to be successful Thomas Alva Edition, inventor of electricity aptly remarks, "The value of an idea lies in the using of it "

Anytime you are mesmerised by your own idea or innovative thought, give it some time and examine it based on these parameters before implementing it This is not to discourage any brave ideas but to make them more pragmatic and potentially successful (Expressed opinions are personal)

Hindu scripture recitals

Dhiren Katwa

Param Pu jya Abhay Bap u, pictured, is currently in the UK I had the pleasure of f ir st m ee ti ng h i m m any ye ars a g o at th e an nu al Guru Purnim aa bhajans in L u to n o rg a ni s ed b y th e leg end ary L ate Prag jibhai

Ladv a and his family I caught up with him in t h e s a m e t o w n a t t h e w e e k e n d H i s B h a g v a t

Katha recital takes place at S h r e e R a d h a K r i s h n a

Mandir in Manchester this week His Gopi Geet Katha will take place 2-5 October at Veda Mandir in Bolton

“An opportunity to be helpful in social service work is the best fortune of life”

Mayank Shah CEO MSDUK

CII hosts an Indian mission on design and advanced technologies in the UK

Shefali Saxena

T his we ek, th e Conf ede ra tion of Indian Industry (CII) signe d a n

M oU with th e UK De sign

Cou ncil to de epe n de sign a nd inno vat ion p artne rships bet we en th e UK a nd India T he org anisa tion h osted th e Indian Mission o n Design a nd Adv ance d T echnolo gie s to the UK

Headteacher facing criticism from parents over a dispute regarding girls' trousers

The hea dte acher of Be acon Hi ll A c a d e m y i n S e d g l e y , n ear Dud ley , is facing crit icism fr om par en ts ove r a disp u t e r e g a r d i n g g i r ls ' t rousers The school issued lett er s to sev era l g irls, st ati n g t h a t " s t r e t ch - st y le " t rousers d id not ad here to t he uniform policy an d t hat pa ren ts should purchase ta ilo r e d , fu ll- le n g t h t r o u se r s inst ead M a n y p a r e n t s , l i k e E l i z a b e t h C a t h e r i n e , a r e frustrated, with her daughter Eva facing isolation as a punishment for wearing the disputed trousers Elizabeth expressed her willingness to compromise but noted that the headteacher insisted on

specific brands

T h e h e a d t e a c h e r , S u k h j o t D h a m i , d e f e n d e d the school's stance, citing a need to maintain high standards He emphasised that t r o u s e r s w i t h s t r e t c h a b l e waistbands and accommodations for medical condit i o n s a r e a v a i l a b l e w h i l e e m p h a s i s i n g a d h e r e n c e t o the school's ethos

However, some parents r e p o r t e d c o n c e r n s a b o u t their daughters' experiences, including allegations of staff tugging at waistbands and s t u d e n t s b e i n g a s k e d t o c h a n g e i n c u p b o a r d s M r Dhami refuted these claims, c a l l i n g t h e m f a l s e a n d e m p h a s i s i n g t h a t n o s t u -

dents were asked to take pictures of their labels

The controversy revolves around the school's uniform p o l i c y , w i t h t h e s c h o o l insisting on tailored trousers r a t h e r t h a n l e g g i n g s - s t y l e trousers Mr Dhami pointed out that many professions have strict uniform codes, and Beacon Hill Academy is not unique in enforcing uniform standards

The dispute has raised questions about the balance b e t w e e n u n i f o r m p o l i c i e s and student comfort, highl i g h t i n g t h e c h a l l e n g e s schools face in maintaining standards while accommod a t i n g d i f f e r e n t s t u d e n t needs and preferences

Happiness of girls and young women at lowest level since 2009

be twe en 18 -22 S epte mber

T he objectiv es of th e trip a re : t o ta ke a wa y ke y l ear nings fr om th e opport unities a nd po tential of t hese instit utio ns/o rga nisa tions f or coll abora tion, joint re se arch, trad e, and inwa rd inve stment a nd t o e xp lore pa rtner sh ips, te ch t ransfe r, knowle dge e xch ange, and joint pr ojects in a fou r-city tourL ondon, Ma nch ester , Cov entry, Bristo l

"The CII Indian Mission on Design and Advanced Technologies is keen to explore knowledge exchange, cooperation and support between India and the UK to further the research priorities in advanced materials, robust technology partnerships, and design innovation and investment for long-term growth and sustainability objectives,” D r

D ebashish Bha tta ch arjee , V ice Pre side nt, T echnolo gy & R&D Ta ta S tee l a nd Cha ir man, CII

N ational Task For ce on

Ad vanced Ma ter ial s told t he ne wswee kly

Speaking to us, Ud ayant M alh outra , CEO & Mana ging Director D ynama tic Te ch no logies

L imite d a nd Cha ir man, CII National Committ ee o n Design & Inno vat ion said, “The purpose of the CII Indian Mission on Design and Advanced Technologies to UK is to primarily engage in discussions with the UK’s premier institutions and its key design organisations, to deepen knowledge gained and leverage connections between Indian and British industry & design institutions for the growth of design, innovation and advanced technologies "

In a joint and exclusive interview with Asian

Voice, Dr Debashish Bhattacharjee and Udayant Malhoutra spoke about this MoU and the UK-India partnership

1.Tell us about the fourcity tour How is it going to strengthen the UKIndia relationship?

The Indian Mission on Design & Advanced Technologies to UK organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry aims to explore strengths and areas of collaboration between industries of UK and India Prospective areas of mutual interest and collaboration are being identified through the mission’s visit to London Design Festival

At the same time, the mission visits some of the UK’s premier institutions This will go a long way in deepening the knowledge and leveraging the connections for the benefit of Indian and UK industries

2.What does this exchange of knowledge mean for the two countries?

India offers strengths in terms of one of the fastest growing economies, a huge research and academia talent pool and a large English-speaking population The mission will help understand some of the best practices for application in the Indian design and technology ecosystem At the same time, the broader purpose is to promote and take Indian high-tech products and indigenous products at the global level

3.What goes into organising such an endeavour and also selecting the right partners such that both countries can benefit?

It is fairly natural and easy as both the Indian and UK sides share a very strong partnership There are tremendous scope of opportunities and partnerships and the post-pandemic times are showing us that global issues need global collaboration for solutions

4.Why is India a strategic partner for the UK when it comes to design and technology?

India is in the process of identifying key technology areas and innovation domains for focus Many of these emerging and critical technologies are equally relevant for the UK and its S&T leadership aspirations Eg design and advanced materials, both are much relevant for India as well as the UK India and UK are natural partners with a strong understanding of issues and opportunities in each other's ecosystems

5.Do you think this event will further help in speeding up the UK-India FTA?

I personally believe the delegation is perfectly timed when the UK and India are in advanced stages of negotiations for the free trade agreement, and the UK PM’s highly successful visit to India for the New Delhi G20 Summit We saw very positive participation from the UK on the sidelines of the B20 Summit that CII hosted as the B20 Secretariat Both countries are committed to come to agreements covering mutual interests CII will continue to contribute and bring value to the table for evolving more understanding between the countries through such bilateral missions

A r ecen t a nd "d eva st at ing" p o ll co n d u c t e d by G ir lguidin g has r eve aled t hat ha ppiness leve ls a mong girls a n d y o u n g w o m e n h a v e r eache d the ir lowest point since 2009 Th e surve y ind icat es t hat a st agge ring n ine o u t o f t e n i n d i v id u a l s betwe en t he ag es of sev en a nd 21 ar e pla gued by worr ie s a nd a nxie ty T h e s e f i n d i n g s , w h i c h A n g e l a S a l t , t h e C h i e f E x e c u t i v e o f t h e U K ' s

G i r l g u i d i n g m o v e m e n t , characterized as indicative of girls and young women being let down, paint a stark picture Currently, only 17% of those aged 7 to 21 report feeling very happy, a significant decline from the 40% recorded in 2009

T h e m o s t p r o n o u n c e d d e c r e a s e i n h a p p i n e s s i s o b s e r v e d a m o n g s e v e n t o ten-year-olds, with just 28% expressing happiness compared to well over half in

2 0 0 9 F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e r e has been a notable increase in anger among 11 to 21-yearolds, who believe that adults have caused environmental damage and that their generation will bear the consequences Despite these chall e n g e s , t h e r e a r e s i g n s o f resilience and engagement among girls, as more of them are voicing their concerns, e n g a g i n g i n a c t i v i s m , a n d feeling a stronger connection to their communities

The CII signed an MoU with the UK Design Council to deepen design and innovation partnerships between the UK and India

The delegation with the UK Design Council and Innovate UK

Are We Animal Loving Nation!

At one time we were considered among the top animal loving nations in the world, especially when it came to dogs, cats, horses, as well as small birds and mammals’ like rabbits children love most Such pets like parakeets, popular African parrot called Kasuku, one of the most talkative birds kept as pets, as well as big, beautiful bird like peacock, now a common sighting in many coastal towns, having let t h e m l o o s e w h e n t h e y b e c o m e t o o h o t t o h a n d l e Surprisingly they not only survive in our cold climate but thrive to such an extent that they become nuisance, damaging roof tiles, some are caught and transferred to a safe place in the countryside

Dogs were and still are most popular pets, although tastes are changing fast Once small dogs that could be easily looked after, like Welsh Corgy, Yorkshire Terroir, Royal Poodle, as well as many other breeds, some specially cross breed to make them children friendly as house pets

The dangerous breeds are Rottweiler, German shepherd, American Pit Buller, Dogo Argentino, Great Dane and Fila Brasilero are among some of the most dangerous dogs, mainly kept as guard dogs and small mammal hunting, all these breeds are banned in UK, along with some more cross breeds

The most friendly and popular among British pet dogs are Welsh Corgy, Yorkshire Terroir, Royal Poodle and few more Dogs are bread and inter-bread for various purposes, mostly as pets but illegal dog fighting, for personal dog protection, as well as for hunting small mammals are gaining in popularity, thus dog breeding farms have become a big business but mostly run and managed illegally, producing sick and aggressive puppies, so cute but difficult to look after

To own a dog is a big responsibility, one should never give a dog as Diwali or Christmas present, as most such unwanted pets end up in care, in a canine sanctuary If right buyer cannot be found, they are put down, as dogs are expensive to maintain, as besides food, they need vaccination, regular visit to Vets and constant looking after So think twice before you decide to adopt a dog as family pet!

Bhu pendra M Gandhi

Significance of Gandhi Jayanti

Gandhi Jayanti is a national holiday in India and is celebrated on October 2 The day is celebrated in honour of t h e b i r t h a n n i v e r s a r y o f t h e F a t h e r o f t h e n a t i o n , Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi to all of us

I n t e r n a t i o n a l l y , t h i s d a y i s c e l e b r a t e d a s t h e International Day of non-violence, as Mahatma Gandhi was the preacher of non-violence He was also a symbol of peace and truth Gandhiji's method of non-violence inspired many civil rights movements across the world He was assassinated by a Hindu nationalist, Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948

On Gandhi Jayanti, let us remember the sacrifices made by our various freedom fighters who fought bravely for our country’s independence and pay our due respect to them

Lal Bahadur Shastri was also born on October 2 He was born in 1904in Mughalsarai, a small railway town seven miles from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh His father was a school teacher who died when he was 18 months old His mother, still in her twenties, took her three children to her father’s house and settled down there

Lal Bahadur Shastri served the country as the second Prime Minister of India between June 1964 and January 1966 soon after Pt Jawaharlal Nehru's death Due to his old age, he could not continue being the PM for long He died a peaceful death on January 11, 1966 J ubelD'C ruz, M umbai, In dia

Mumbai double-decker can be upcycled!

Upcycling is reusing discarded objects or material in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original Mumbai double-decker buses could be made into small mobile mini-hotels,hospitals or high schools, post office or money and food ATM for the poor like old train compartments, thus giving them a second life

TS Karthik Chennai

Murdoch executives advised Sunak against resignation following partygate fine

R um ors have emerged sugg es tin g tha t Ri s hi Sun ak , t h e C ha n c e l l or , c on t e mplated resigni ng over a fine f or violati ng lock down regulations b ut was c onvi nced o t he r w i s e b y e x e c ut i v e s a s s oc i a t e d w i t h m e d i a tyc oon Rupert M urdoch

This revelation is disclosed in a recently publ i s h e d b o o k b y T h e

Telegraph's political editor

This development adds t o t h e g r o w i n g b o d y o f reports indicating that both Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced fines f o r a t t e n d i n g a b i r t h d a y g a t h e r i n g a t D o w n i n g Street in June 2020 and that Sunak had drafted a resignation statement which he shared with allies, includ-

Chancellor extends olive branch to struggling CBI business group

C hancellor Jeremy Hunt has extend ed an offer to m eet w i th Ra in New to n- Sm i th , the Directo r-General of th e C o nf ed e rat io n o f Bri t is h Industry (C BI), for the first time since a sexu al m iscond u ct s c and al p l ag u ed t h e b u s in es s lo b by i ng g ro u p earlier this year This develo pment co mes as the C BI f ac es s i g ni f ic a nt f i nan c ia l ch alleng es and a potential m e rg er w i th M ake U K , a w ealthier org anization representing manu facturers

The meeting is set to t a k e p l a c e a h e a d o f November's autumn statement Treasury sources confirmed the Chancellor's willingness to engage with the C B I , m a r k i n g a p o t e n t i a l lifeline for the organization that was once one of the m o s t i n f l u e n t i a l b u s i n e s s groups in the UK

The CBI has been facing f i n a n c i a l d i f f i c u l t i e s a n d could run out of funds with-

in weeks, making the timing o f t h i s m e e t i n g c r u c i a l Depending on the extent of the CBI's remaining financ i a l r e s o u r c e s , t h e Chancellor's outreach may come as a last-minute effort to salvage the organization's future

i n g s o m e w i t h t i e s t o Murdoch, such as former T o r y l e a d e r a n d T i m e s columnist Lord Hague

It has also been reported that Sunak s potential resignation was discussed with Mas Siddiqui, an old f r i e n d a n d d i r e c t o r a t

M u r d o c h ' s N e w s C o r p H o w e v e r , i t r e m a i n s u n c l e a r w h e t h e r a d i r e c t

Kapil Dudakia

Jammu and Kashmir in UK Parliament

On Monda y 18th September the APPG for Indo-Pa cific met t o discuss issues rel ated t o Jammu and Kashmir O n the same day PM Modi inaugurat ed t he spe cial parl iamentar y session in the ol d Sansad whichthen moved to the new B ha rat Sansad Bhavan on Gane sh Cha turthi da y Two Par liaments, sepa rated by dista nce , b ut tied by t heir common recent hist or y, discussing issues rel ated to Bhara t

The aim of the Indo-Pacific APPG is to supply an overall perspective on the Indo-Pacific region It focuses on security and matters relating to geo-politics, and their impact globally Interestingly it also counters false propaganda and provides information on the region to drive more cooperation between like-minded democracies

Though the attendance was lower than expected, maybe due to Ganesh Chaturthi, those who came witnessed quite an interesting debate

Theresa Villiers kicked off the session with her observations on several issues emerging from the recent G20 summit (Namaste G20) held in Bharat She was very clear that it was a major diplomatic success for PM Modi In particular, to secure the agreement of the other 19 nations to the summit declaration literally on the very first day was nothi n g s h o r t o f m o n u m e n t a l Couple that with the masterstroke of engaging with and making the African Union a formal part of the G20 was history in the making

She was rather concerned with China and its behaviour

m e s s a g e f r o m M u r d o c h was conveyed to Sunak F u r t h e r m o r e , i t h a s b e e n c l a i m e d t h a t M r Johnson later asserted that Murdoch had played a role in persuading Sunak not to step down Both News UK and a spokesperson for Mr Johnson declined to prov i d e c o m m e n t s o n t h e s e claims

Hospital trust faces cash shortfall

Th e E a s t K en t Ho s pi t al s Foundation Trust, responsi ble f or se rvi ng 700,000 individuals ac ros s five hospi ta ls , has rec eived a conc e rn i n g w ar n i n g B o a rd m e m b e rs w e r e i n f o rm ed that the trust could deplete its funds and run out of cash as early as November

This alarming situation a r i s e s f r o m a s i g n i f i c a n t deficit of £39 million accum u l a t e d d u r i n g t h e f i r s t four months of the financial year, which exceeds the planned deficit by £8 4 million Several factors contributed to this financial

c h a l l e n g e , i n c l u d i n g strikes, the cost of agency s t a f f , a n d t h e f a i l u r e t o achieve planned savings I n r e s p o n s e t o t h i s financial crisis, the trust is actively working to implement cost-saving measures T h e s e e f f o r t s i n c l u d e reducing reliance on agency staff and implementing stricter guidelines for nonc l i n i c a l r e c r u i t m e n t T h e aim is to stabilize the trust's f i n a n c i a l p o s i t i o n a n d ensure the continued prov i s i o n o f h e a l t h c a r e s e rvices to the community it serves

British Indian chef honoured with Doctor of Science degree

and her dedication to driving s o c i a l c h a n g e t h r o u g h h e r innovative approach to food

The bottom line it seems is that as China gets stronger, it becomes a bigger danger to the western world, and in particular tothe UK China scored an own goal of course by its infantile politics of not attending the G20 at the premier level

Another speaker who brought a unique insight was BurzineWaghmar an affiliate of the Centre for Iranian Studies and SOAS South Asia Institute and School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Burzinetalked in depth about the Kashmir issue In particular, the very origins of the present-day conflict which of course dates to the time of the partition What most people don’t know is that from the onset, Pakistan never wanted a plebiscite Yes, you read that correctly In all the early communicationsafter independence, Pakistan never made any mention of any plebiscite This whole idea was the ‘brainchild’ of Lord Mountbatten Yep folks, it seems the British really did want to leave India with a monumental mess

Talking about Kashmir and guess who was visiting P a r l i a m e n t ? I t w a s n o n e o t h e r t h a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y renownedShri Sushil Pandit from India The man with a fountain of unparalleled knowledge and experience when it comes to Kashmir His input to the debate took it to a totally different level Did you know that the then Maharaja Hari Singh, ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, wanted to accede to India? He made several attempts to get this done, but it was Nehru who stifled the accession Jammu and Kashmir has always been integral to India, even when people like Nehru and Mountbatten made every effort to hinder the process If you want to learn more, then read his book: "Truth About Kashmir: Story of Kashmir and Kashmiri Hindus

The voice of theIndo-Pacific APPGneeds to be amplified Its remit is vast, but it’s good to see that even on controversial issues, it will hopefully take a stand Long may this continue since we all know, appeasement never works I am also sure that it would welcome support from all of you

r

ta ur an t, has been aw arded an honorary d eg ree by SOA S, U ni versity of Londo n, in th e 2023 co hort She has received the Doctor o f S c i e n c e ( S o c i a l S c i e n c e s ) degree in recognition of her significant contributions to the culinary world

K h a n ' s a c h i e v e m e n t s g o beyond her culinary endeavors In addition to her culinary contributions, she has served o n t h e M a y o r ' s B u s i n e s s Advisory Board and holds an H o n o r a r y F e l l o w s h i p a t

Fo llo w u pnote fo r readers : Recently we discussed ancestry and I had asked how many generations we can go back So my full name can be written as: Kapil Shantilal Amratlal Ramji Kurji Valji Karshanji Dhanji Dosabhai Vastaji Samatji Hamirji Mandalji Ranmalji Hirabhai Panchalbhai Dudaji Chandraji DUDAKIA I make that 18 generations and it takes us back to around 1650CE However, I bow to Kishorsinh D

MaljiMerujiSanghajiMaanjiMandricjkiRanmaljiJakhrajiVikram sinhModhjiBabarjiHingorajiKanhaiyajiDhuniajiLakhajiRaidha njiHalojiGajanjiRaidhanjiLakhajJamJada Now that is 25 generations and takes us back to around 1500CE Just incredible

Jeremy Hunt

Ulez implementation sparks concerns among small businesses over increased costs

Anusha Singh

T he Ultra Low Emission

Zo ne (Ulez) is a designated area in Lo ndon where vehicles with h igh er emi ssio ns are required to p ay a fee fo r their movement

T his initiative aims to enhance air quali ty throu gh out th e city and is o perational 24/7, 365 days a year, exclu ding Christmas Day (25th December)

Non-compliance with Ulez emission standards for business vehicle may result in significantly increased daily charges and higher penalty fees

NHS faces £7 billion cash crisis amid inflation and strikes

to the Ulez charge

Various organisations and businesses spoke to Asian Voice about the impact of Ulez on them Small businesses struggle to strike a balance

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has already previously cautioned that the expansion of the Ulez scheme could pose challenges for traders, considering it heavy-handed Matthew Jaffa, Seni or External Affairs Manager at FS B told Asian Voice, “Businesses are adapting to the new Ulez extension through flexible decisionmaking We are hearing that many are passing the charges onto their customers and others will be absorbing the cost

knees, with financial squeezes and operational pressures making doing business very challenging indeed

L e a d i n g in d e p e n d e n t e xper ts are warn ing th at the NHS is on the brin k of an unp reced ent ed fin ancial crisis, wit h projection s ind ica ting a budg et ove rspend of at least £7 billion in the comin g y ear This loom in g fin ancial disast er is pr imarily at tribute d t o t he c om p o u n d in g e f fe c t s o f i n fl a t i o n a n d st rik es, which a re pushin g hospita l tr ust s in to concer ning lev els of debt

T h e i s s u e o f s u r g i n g d e f i c i t s i s a f f e c t i n g a n increasing number of NHS trusts across England, and this crisis is emerging ahead of a likely general election within the next 12 months It

also raises doubts about the ability of Chancellor Rishi Sunak to fulfill his pledge of r e d u c i n g r e c o r d w a i t i n g lists

T o a d d r e s s t h e s e extreme financial pressures, the Manchester Integrated Care System, which brings together various healthcare p r o v i d e r s i n G r e a t e r Manchester, has enlisted the help of Stephen Hay, a troub l e s h o o t e r f r o m P r i c e w a t e r h o u s e C o o p e r s with prior NHS experience

The financial situation within NHS Greater Manchester i s d i r e , w i t h a r e p o r t e d deficit of £125 million after the first four months of the

2023-24 fiscal year, exceeding planned deficits by over £100 million

The dire state of trust finances is expected to be a prominent topic at a forthc o m i n g m e e t i n g o f N H S England s board on October 5 t h W h i l e i n f l a t i o n a n d s t r i k e - r e l a t e d c o s t s h a v e e x a c e r b a t e d t h e c r i s i s , i t ' s important to note that this descent into debt also has roots in years of pre-COVID a u s t e r i t y m e a s u r e s T h i s challenge arises as the gove r n m e n t s e e k s t o r e c o u p a d d i t i o n a l f u n d s i n j e c t e d d u r i n g t h e p a n d e m i c t o address the emergency situation

Such consequences largely affect business expenses, impact delivery and pickup schedules, and have lasting implications for the environment

Ever since its implementation, homeowners are discovering themselves subject to Ulez charges, even when they haven't left their homes, as tradespeople are allegedly incorporating these charges into their bills or invoices to compensate for the levy's impact on their businesses This additional expense is likely to be frustrating for customers, especially since selfemployed tradespeople can actually claim back the charges as a business expense on their tax returns

It also raises questions about whether tradesmen should charge each customer the full £12 50, even if they serve multiple clients in the same area on the same day With the Ulez expansion covering all 32 London boroughs soon, many tradesmen who don't work in central London will now be affected by the traffic charge

Some tradesmen are also facing the need to invest tens of thousands of pounds in new vans that meet Euro 6 emission standards to avoid the daily Ulez charge This additional expense may lead them to consider raising their service prices

Diesel vans manufactured before 2016 are typically not compliant with Euro 6 standards and are subject

“We have seen businesses look to scrap vehicles; however, the smallest firms are often the hardest to reach and so communicating the funds in the clearest possible way, in particular for those with light vans who are keen to retrofit, remains paramount It is also vitally important that the Mayor and TfL do not go heavy-handed on penalties in the first few months of the scheme ”

MSDUK is another organisation that fosters collaboration between innovative and rapidly growing ethnic minority businesses and global corporations dedicated to establishing inclusive and diverse supply chains T he CE O of th e organisatio n, Mayank S hah said, "As we navigate the changes brought by Ulez, it's crucial to recognise the dual challenge: ensuring cleaner air while safeguarding local enterprises Striking this balance requires collaborative efforts from all stakeholders

“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and their resilience is paramount We encourage continued dialogue and solutions that support both environmental goals and the livelihoods of those who serve our local communities can be protected " Healthcare p ro fessio nals raise concern abou t impact o f Ulez on patient care

J anet Mo rrison, Ch ief Executive of Community Ph armacy England, said, “Community pharmacies, like all parts of the health service, are committed to a sustainable future for the planet and this is critical for the health and wellbeing of future generations

But community pharmacies are currently on their

“Government and the NHS must invest more in community pharmacies and support them as they work to continue offering patients the services they need and to achieve the Net Zero vision for the NHS Without this additional investment in the sector, policies like the Ulez charge will simply add to the financial pres-

Charity urges Alex Chalk to take action on immigration and asylum legal aid

In Eng land and Wales, the Lo rd Ch ancello r is in v io lation o f h is obligatio n to prov ide access to justice du e to the dearth of legal aid av ailab le fo r i m m i g ra tio n and asylum cases This is stated in a letter th reatening leg al action ag ainst him

Public Law Project (PLP) wrote to Alex Chalk stating t h a t t h e r e a r e s i g n i f i c a n t shortages in the north-west and south-west of England, with the latter having capacity for less than 300 cases a n n u a l l y d e s p i t e b e i n g h o m e t o t h e B i b b y S t o c k h o l m , w h i c h c a n house about 500 people

The PLP discovered that

c r e d t B a r t L e n o r / S h u t t e s o c k c o m

sures that the sector is facing ”

Lokesh Patel from K ni gh to ns P harmacy, said, “I have a community pharmacy in Belvedere, Kent and had to spend over 25k to buy another car to comply with Ulez charges In the current economic climate and high interest rates, this has had a huge impact on my business, especially on patients who are housebound and get free delivery service from my pharmacy There are a number of pharmacies that will be affected by the Ulez charge which, I believe, is not properly thought through ”

Dr Umesh B P atel MBE DL, Leema P harmacy, Sunderland, said, “Community pharmacy is already burdened with a number of challenges Lack of funding, staff shortages, rising interest rates, short supply of medicines, increase in fuel charges by wholesalers have all had a huge impact on community pharmacy across the country The Ulez charge will have a huge impact on delivery of medicines to patients which is a free service The impact will be felt both by patients and community pharmacy ”

Alex Chalk

o r g a n i s a t i o n s t h a t a s s i s t refugees and asylum seekers m a d e a n a v e r a g e o f 1 6 e f f o r t s b e f o r e a c q u i r i n g a legal assistance attorney D a n i e l R o u r k e , P L P ’ s l e a d l a w y e r , s a i d : “ O u r immigration system needs legal aid to ensure that fair decisions are made Without i t , t h e H o m e O f f i c e a n d

[immigration] tribunal risk making decisions that condemn people to persecution abroad, or destitution in the UK due to ‘hostile environment’ measures

“Our report shows that the provision of legal aid is shrinking as the demand is growing There are no plans o n t h e h o r i z o n t h a t w i l l c h a n g e e i t h e r o f t h o s e trends For over a decade, PLP has attempted to persuade the Ministry of Justice to make the legal aid scheme a c c e s s i b l e t o t h o s e w h o n e e d i t a n d s u s t a i n a b l e enough for legal practitioners to provide it PLP has not taken this step lightly ”

Sadiq Khan under code of conduct probe for Ulez 'far-Right' remarks

Sadiq Khan is set to und ergo an inv estig ation for a p otential breach of th e C ity Hall cod e o f cond uct regarding statem ents he made before the expansion of th e Ultra Lo w Emission Zo ne (Ulez)

p r e v i o u s s u m m e r , d u r i n g which approximately twot h i r d s o f r e s p o n d e n t s expressed their opposition t o t h e e x p a n s i o n o f t h e Ultra Low Emission Zone ( U l e z ) a c r o s s G r e a t e r London The focus of the investigation also includes Sadiq Khan's awareness of the responses received dur-

ing the ten weeks when the consultation was open N i c k h a s a l l e g e d t h a t S a d i q K h a n " k n o w i n g l y m a d e f a l s e a n d d i s h o n e s t statements" to the London A s s e m b l y i n O c t o b e r a n d November regarding what he knew and when he knew it regarding the consultation results

across Greater London

T h e G r e a t e r L o n d o n Authority's monitoring officer, Rory McKenna, has chosen to appoint an independent investigator to examine complaints filed against t h e m a y o r T h e s e c o mplaints were submitted by Nick Rogers, a member of the London Assembly from the Conservative Party, as well as other individuals

T h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n i n t o Sadiq Khan pertains to the consultation conducted by Transport for London in the

Sadiq Khan

Lokesh Patel

Janet Morrison

Mayank Shah

DIDN’T WE BELONG, TOGETHER?

In South London, a customer demanded a refund for unwanted goods but was offered a credit note by the shop owner instead What initially seemed like a heated argument took a different turn when the customer, who was of Black origin, grabbed other items from the shop, leading to a confrontation This incident quickly went viral, sparking a range of reactions and highlighting the complexities of race, economics, and community dynamics

A video showed a Black customer having a dispute with an Asian shopkeeper named Sohail Sindho It looked like the shopkeeper was using force against the customer After this video came out, there were angry protests and threats outside Sindho's hair and beauty shop Sohail Sindho, who is 45 years old, said he was trying to protect his shop because he believed the customer was trying to steal something He also claimed that the customer attacked him and that the video didn't show the whole story

Protest groups called for people to boycott cosmetics businesses owned by non-Black individuals They argued that Asian people have too much control over this industry and that customers are treated poorly

The video at the Peckham shop led to a movement that encouraged people to avoid nonBlack-owned businesses in the area They suggested buying products from Black-owned businesses online or in the local area After a protest that blocked traffic, Peckham Hair and Cosmetics had posters put up on its closed shutters, demanding the shop to leave Some of these posters were very critical of the owner personally Peckham has many independent shops, with several owned by Asians Some of these businesses were also affected by the protests

Some people even left messages at Sindho's shop telling him to leave the community Farright groups also used this incident to promote their agenda

However, a social integration expert named Rakib Ehsan urged people not to focus solely on the issue of race He explained that various factors, like competition in diverse neighbourhoods and a lack of local policing, can lead to tensions like this

“The MPS is committed to the safety and security of all its communities We regularly engage with our local community groups and forums to discuss local community concerns or tensions and adjust our policing approach appropriately,”

MetPolice told Asian Voice

David Lammy, Sh ado w S ecretary of State for Fo reign, Commonwealth and D evelo pment Affairs recently outlined the party’s goal to reduce hidden fees on remittances sent overseas by UK's immigrant community to support their families, to fight against poverty

Paying tribute to thousands of immigrants, building the fabric of Britain’s multicultural society, Mr Lammy further added, “David Cameron (former Prime Minister)

had asked me to lead a review on the criminal justice It was a really important cross-party event We looked at the figures sent of young offenders coming from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds That was cross party I'm very sad that we've lost that in the last few years But I think that we can rebuild those bridges Again, whatever your background, so I thank you for reminding our party through good times bad times, about the importance of communities represented in this room and beyond It's so important to understand enterprise and hard work at the heart of the immigrant story ”

Issu es are no t so lely abou t race

Many local residents, particularly from the Black community, were outraged not only by the physical altercation but also by the fact that Asian shop owners operated in a predominantly African-Caribbean neighbourhood Handmade signs with messages like "Racist Asians go to hell Patel" and "Parasitic merchants out of our community" began appearing outside the shop Simultaneously, some individuals from the Asian community expressed their own biases, perpetuating stereotypes about Black people

This incident illustrates how disparities in class and economic power can be intertwined with issues of race and ethnicity Throughout history, similar dynamics have occurred in different minority groups For instance, Jewish communities, often excluded from various professions, became targets for resentment from other groups who perceived them as wealthy and powerful, contributing to tensions Observer columnist Kenan Malik wrote in his column that the 1992 Los Angeles riots in the United States revealed tensions between Korean business owners, who played a "middleman" role in

the city, and other communities, highlighting economic disparities

In Britain, Asians have sometimes taken on this middleman role, with roots dating back to the colonial era when Indians were used as labour and a buffer class between British rulers and local populations in Africa This history has led to complex dynamics and resentment in communities, particularly where Asians set up businesses in predominantly Black areas

These issues are not solely about race They also result from a lack of resources, policies that exacerbate inequalities, and exploitative actions by employers, landlords, and shopkeepers of various backgrounds

Viewing exploitation through the lens of race or identity fragments possibilities for solidarity and makes addressing these challenges even more challenging

The incident in Peckham serves as a reminder that it's crucial to address economic disparities, foster understanding between communities, and promote cooperation rather than division By recognising the shared struggles faced by different communities, we can work towards a more inclusive and equitable society

Government data showed that a small percentage of small and medium businesses in the UK were led by people from ethnic minorities, and Black-led businesses made up an even smaller percentage A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that before the pandemic, very few Black African households were among the wealthiest in Britain, with many falling into the least wealthy category Peckham has more Black residents than Asians, according to the Office for National Statistics Sindho, the shop owner, came to the UK from Pakistani Kashmir in 2004 and opened his shop eight years ago Six in ten working families in Lo ndo n claiming universal credit ran ou t o f food in th e p ast month

Amid this unprecedented clash between the two ethnic minority communities, it is important to reflect on why they have erupted suddenly after years of peaceful coexistence and equally successful achievers hailing from both Black and brown communities in the UK Does this pose a new challenge for the UK amid a thousand other race-related issues, topping them all?

The unfortunate economic

divide between communities is evident in the latest by a trust that says, nearly six in ten working families in London claiming universal credit ran out of food in the past month The Trussell Trust, a charity in the UK, has conducted research highlighting the dire consequences of the inadequacy of Universal Credit Nearly 60% of working families in London who receive Universal Credit ran out of food in the past month This situation affects not only unemployed families but also those with jobs and disabled members

The research, based on a YouGov survey of 158 Universal Credit recipients in London, found that 58% of working families couldn't afford enough food in the past month

Additionally, 31% of working families had to skip essential journeys due to the high cost of transportation Worryingly, 33% of disabled households in London couldn't afford necessary dental treatment, and 16% had to forgo prescriptions and medications due to financial constraints

Nationally, across the entire UK, the study revealed that nearly 700,000 people on Universal Credit had to rely on food banks last month, marking an increase from the previous year More people have fallen into debt recently, and a significant proportion struggled to keep their homes warm during the winter

These findings highlight the urgent need for reform in the Universal Credit system to ensure that vulnerable families can afford the essentials and maintain their well-being

Lo w-income ho useho lds in Banglades h and P akistani famili es

In April 2023, UK government data revealed disparities in persistent low income-among different ethnic groups For Black/African/Caribbean/Black British households, 36% experienced low income before housing costs, dropping to 27% after Asian/Asian British households saw 15% before and 19% after housing costs Pakistani or Bangladeshi ethnic groups had the highest poverty rates, with 39% before housing costs (23% higher than White ethnic groups) and 53% after (33% higher) Black ethnic group households had 26% in poverty before housing costs and 40% after These statistics shed light on income inequalities among ethnic communities in the UK

In the period 2019/20-2021/22, 46% of children in Bangladeshi or Pakistani ethnic households were in poverty (62% after housing costs) For Black ethnic households, it was 35% before housing costs (53% after) The Runnymede Trust report attributes these disparities to lower wages, higher unemployment, part-time work, housing costs, household size, and reduced benefits due to the 'benefit cap ' Ethnic diversity amo ng Non-E Uborn residents revealed in new data

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) conducted a study titled 'Analysis of social

characteristics of international migrants living in England and Wales: Census 2021,' emphasising the remarkable diversity among non-EU-born residents in a specific region The research reveals a rich tapestry of ethnic backgrounds, underscoring the contributions of generations of immigrants to the UK's cultural fabric Key findings include a significant presence of individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, such as "Asian, Asian British, or Asian Welsh: Indian" (16 2%) and "Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean, or African" (13 7%) among non-EU-born residents These numbers surpass their representation in the general population, highlighting the multicultural richness of the resident community

Dr Zubaida H aque, former E xecu tive Director of T he E quality Trust told the

newsweekly during our annual Be The Change campaign on diversity and inclusion, that, “The reasons we have diversity and inclusion is that we have a moral responsibility as a society and as institutions to ensure that people from all walks of life feel included in workplaces, in schools, in society, and that they belong Belonging is an important part of diversity and inclusion ”

Anita Goyal MBE, Ch air and trustee o f T he Hemraj Goyal F oundatio n and th e Hallmark F oundatio n told us, “Diversity and

Inclusion for me are terms that complement each other and are mutually inclusive More simply, Diversity is the mix of people incorporating all of the elements that make individuals unique from one another Inclusion is the culture in which a mix of people can come to work, or socialise so that they feel comfortable, welcomed and confident to be themselves, ensuring that everyone feels valued and more importantly adds value to their communities ”

Have ethnic diversity and equality failed in the UK? It’s time to reflect It’s time to let them belong

David Lammy

Dr Zubaida Haque

Anita Goyal MBE

Peckham High Street in South London UK

Exploring one’s sense of belongingness with “No But Where Are You Really From?"

Anusha Singh

A gro undbreaki ng initiative c a ll e d T h e G a ll er y, c o nceived by Arti choke in co llaboratio n with public artist Martin Firrell, is cu rrently s howcasing 1 1 u nique artworks, consisting of seven s e le c ti o n s ma de f ro m a global op en call that garnered nearly 900 s ubmissi ons and fo ur pieces co mm i s si o n ed d ir ec tl y T h es e cap tivating p ieces are being disp layed on numero us o utdoo r digital screens and billbo ards throu gh out the fo ur nations T he Gallery represents a pio neering ap proach to p ubli c art, reimagining th e co nc ep t o f a cu ltu ral i n s ti t u ti o n by br ea ki n g d o wn tr ad it i o n al b o u n daries

Curated by Bakul Patki, S e a s o n 3 o f T h e G a l l e r y invited artists to explore the theme, "No But Where Are Y o u R e a l l y F r o m ? "

Collectively, these diverse and engaging artists offer intricate, challenging, and imaginative perspectives on topics such as identity, heritage, origin, belonging, and the essence of being rooted in a particular place

A part of the exhibition,

A z r a a h a s e x p l o r e d h e r B r i t i s h - I n d i a n i d e n t i t y through her piece and spoke to Asian Voice about the same

Exploring a co mp li cated relatio ns hip with o ne ’ s own identity

“No But Where Are You Really From?” is a question

Azraa has been asked too many times as people try to p i n p o i n t ” o t h e r n e s s ” H e r response to such questions is “Brit-ish” “Brit-ish” is a b o u t i d e n t i t y , b e l o n g i n g and otherness It is a visual r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f A z r a a ’ s often complicated relationship with her South-Asian and British identity that is f u r t h e r c o n v o l u t e d b y Britain’s colonial past and somewhat politically turbulent present

Detailing her contribution to the exhibition, she says, “The work references my time spent living in the South Lakes, where I am photographed wearing traditional South Asian dress against the backdrop of the idyllic English countryside

Despite the romance associated with the countryside, rural areas can sometimes feel isolating to people of colour

The Union Jack which for some might be a symbol of patriotism and celebrat i o n , b u t f o r o t h e r s h a s become a signifier of fasc i s m a n d c o l o n i a l i s m , h i j a c k e d b y r i g h t - w i n g g r o u p s E a c h c o m p o n e n t playing on the viewer’s perception of what belongs and what does not ”

d a i l y l i f e w h i c h t a c k l e i m p o r t a n t q u e s t i o n s a n d themes This makes me feel a l i t t l e v u l n e r a b l e , n o t knowing how the work will be received as it can be perceived as quietly political I hope people from SouthA s i a n a n d o t h e r G l o b a l Majority backgrounds can resonate with or find some meaning in the work and i n d i v i d u a l s c a n c o n s i d e r w h a t B r i t - i s h n e s s m e a n s today “

Powerful domestic abuse film nominated for BAFTA qualifying film festival

"I See Her," a compelling short film that sheds light on the plight of women facing the threat of abuse, has garnered significant recognition as an official selection at a BAFTA qualifying film festival The film has generated excitement, particularly due to its collaboration with Oscar-winning talents

What inspires me and h ow I wi sh to inspi re O f t h e m a n y a r t i s t s engaging with identity politics, addressing race, gender, and cultural heritage in t h e i r w o r k , c h a l l e n g i n g norms and power dynamics, A z r a a h a s b e e n m a i n l y i n f l u e n c e d b y i n c r e d i b l e artists like Lubaina Himid, I n g r i d P o l l a r d , C h i l a K u m a r i B u r m a n , F r i d a K a h l o , M o n a H a t o u m , Shirin Neshat, The Singh Twins, Sarah Maple, Shadi G h a d i r i a n a n d S u t a p a Biswas

Of how she wishes to connect with and inspire the audience with her work, she says, “I would hope that my work would speak to people from all walks of life, initiating individual interpretation on the many layers of the work whilst promoting debate and meaningful conversation

“The Gallery has taken t h e a r t w o r k b e y o n d t h e walls of a traditional gallery s p a c e w h i c h w o u l d n o rmally feel safe, calculated and familiar, instead the a r t w o r k i s s h o w n o n a grand scale to the nation, as subtle interventions to

She advices upcoming artists to let their art reflect their unique identity She says, “A certain level of vulnerability and risk-taking is required to create something meaningful Don't be afraid to delve into chall e n g i n g o r e m o t i o n a l aspects of your identity it's through this that you can create impactful art ” The eff ort be hin d creati vity

In Azraa’s words, her creative process starts with t h i n k i n g a b o u t t h e m e s , narratives and issues that a r e i m p o r t a n t t o h e r i n relation to my identity, culture or politics “This culminates in an idea that I have to find a way to translate into a piece of work, whether that be through p h o t o g r a p h y , p a i n t i n g , p o e t r y o r d r a w i n g ” , s h e says “ T h e c o n c e p t c o m e s quickly and I tend to scribble down the rough idea in a notebook and then go on to creating the work without much prior preparation or any preliminary sketches, instead I head outside to take some pictures or begin working away on a large canvas ” , she further adds

Azraa has su mmed up th e n otion s of belon gin g i n relation to B ri tai n, her birth place and h ome, an d In dia, a place she has nev er been , i n a beautif ul po em

I speak to my nana in broken sentences

Stringing together phrases of Guajarati and English

We talk about home and mangoes and sugar cane

I m left nostalgic for a place I haven t been Living in the spaces between two continents England and India a child of diaspora

Britain is colonial histories, wealth built off the backs of black and brown people

Its hands washed and sweeping under the rug

It’s Brexit and deportation, its liberation based on western feminism

It’s make our curries and drive our taxis but don’t take our jobs

It’s a white man fighting his own war on terror, “go back to your country, you don’t belong around ere”

Brit-ish Asian is a reconciliation of what is and what has been Existing despite the forces that try to change the way you dress and speak Stitching together separate pieces and places its Air Forces and Asian clothes madrassa at 5 it’s taking samosas to the Christmas party Bollywood and grime

Its rewriting the narrative and reclaiming spaces, it s existence despite the resistance

This poignant 6minute film was created with the aim of raising awareness about the alarming increase in abuse against women and girls in the wake of the pandemic It draws inspiration from the real-life stories of women trapped in forced marriages and at risk of domestic abuse, with a particular focus on the South Asian community

The film is a collaborative effort with the UKbased charity, the Sharan Project, and is skillfully

directed by SUKKI, a renowned writer, director, and humanitarian activist SUKKI, best known for her role in the Netflix hit series "Singapore Social," utilises her art to create an empowering platform for South

Asian women

"I See Her" narrates the story of a woman ensnared in a forced marriage, enduring domestic abuse A neighbour s intervention becomes pivotal in helping her escape her harrowing situation The film underscores the profound message that none of this change can occur without the awareness and understanding of strangers, as well as access to the necessary resources for her freedom Disturbingly, domestic abuse cases within South Asian communities in the UK have seen a significant increase Statistics show that there were 798,607 cases recorded at the end of March 2020, and by March 2021, this number had risen to 845,734, highlighting the urgency of addressing this issue

Nadiya Hussain to participate at the World Halal Food Festival

Na d i ya H u ss a in , renowned star from th e Great British Bake Off, will be participating in this year's World Halal F o od Fes ti v al f or th e v e ry f i rs t ti m e T h e event is scheduled fo r later this m onth

N a d i y a , w h o h a s just released her brand n e w b o o k , ' N a d i y a ' s Simple Spices,' will be creating culinary magic at the Cookery Theatre She will showcase some of her favourite recipes from her latest book and will also engage in a book signing session

In its eighth year run-

ning, this festival stands as the largest and most enduring halal food festival globally It is set to make its return to the iconic London S t a d i u m w i t h i n Q u e e n

Elizabeth Olympic Park on the 23rd and 24th of September 2023

Ahead of the event, N a d i y a s a i d : “ I a m delighted to be a part of this year ’ s World Halal Food Festival and can’t w a i t t o s h a r e r e c i p e s f r o m m y n e w b o o k ‘Nadiya’s Simple Spices’ w i t h e v e r y o n e T h i s b o o k i s a l l a b o u t f l a v o u r s o m e f a m i l y dishes and features my f a v o u r i t e s p i c e s t h a t have been used in my family for three generations and I’m so excited to share the love that we cook up every day ”

Honorary doctorate for Baroda’s Maharani

T h e U ni v e rs i ty o f E as t L o n d o n h a s be st ow ed a n Honorary Doctorate of Arts u p o n t h e e st eem ed M a h ara ni o f B aro d a, R ad h i ka raj e Gae kw a d , i n rec o gn iti o n o f h er exce ptional contributions in the field s of culture, div ersity, i nc lu s i o n, and w o m en 's empow erment D r a w i n g i n s p i r a t i o n f r o m t h e a r t i s t r y o f R a j a Ravi Verma, the Maharani of Baroda initiated a remarka b l e e n d e a v o u r a i m e d a t

r e v i v i n g a n c i e n t w e a v i n g

t e c h n i q u e s , i n s p i r e d b y

Verma's paintings In collab-

oration with her mother-inlaw, this initiative empowered local weavers, leading t o a r e s o u n d i n g s u c c e s s Their inaugural exhibition i n M u m b a i a c h i e v e d extraordinary acclaim, with every piece sold out Today, her dedication to making a positive impact on society continues through t h e M a h a r a n i C h i m n a b a i Stree Udyogalaya, leaving an indelible mark on the cult u r a l a n d e c o n o m i c l a n dscape

“Brit-ish” Artwork

Nadiya Hussain

Radhikaraje Gaekwad

“Tension between integrity and ambition is at the heart of the play”

Anusha Singh

The Royal Court Theatre has officially unveiled its cast for Mohamed-Zain Dada's debut play, "Blue Mist," directed by Royal Court Associate Director Milli Bhatia. The cast includes Salman Akhtar, Omar Bynon, and Arian Nik.

"Blue Mist" unfolds within the shisha lounges of North West London, weaving a narrative that traces the journey of a journalist who comprom i s e s h i s o w n c o m m u n i t y T h i s c o m p e l l i n g s t o r y l i n e serves as a candid response to the portrayal of South Asian Muslim men in the media

Speaking to Asian Voice, Mohamed-Zain Dada discusses his play, writing process and his inspiration

London Fashion Week celebrates sustainable modernity

Th e Hi gh Com mission of India in Londo n, in c olla bo ratio n w i th the

L o n d o n S ch o o l o f Trends and INIFD, pres en ted a d i s ti nc ti v e s h o w c as e o n " I ND I A

D A Y " as p ar t o f th e

L ond on F as hio n Week on September 23

This collection drew

i n s p i r a t i o n f r o m L i F E L i f e s t y l e f o r Environment, an initiat i v e s p e a r h e a d e d b y P r i m e M i n i s t e r

P h o t o C r e d t

Can you provide a brief overview of the storyline and key characters in your play?

Blue Mist follows Jihad, an aspiring journalist who reconnects with his two childhood friends, Rashid and Asif At Chunkyz shisha lounge, jokes flow, laughter follows and ideas are born It's a home away from home for them When Jihad's idea for a documentary about Chunkyz and shisha lounges across the country wins a competition with a big production company, his boys are overjoyed It could be his big break

But when the production company, Ajami Media starts making demands on the narrative of the proposed documentary, J i h a d h a s t o m a k e p a i n s t a k i n g c h o i c e s about the kind of journalist he wants to be The decisions he makes threatens to split his beliefs in two

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your play and what motivated you to address the portrayal of South Asian Muslim men in the media?

I hadn't originally set out to write a play with the intention of addressing South Asian Muslim men in the media It was initially about capturing the joy and fun of spaces like Chunkyz shisha lounge where you can be the fullest version of yourself

After reading legendary writer Parv Bancil's play, 'Made in England,' I was interested in exploring the tension between integrity and ambition and this really became the heart of the play

How do you approach character development in your play to create authentic and multi-dimensional South Asian characters?

P o e t a n d p l a y w r i g h t , S u h a i y m a h

Manzoor-Khan's 'This is not a humanizing poem' comes to mind The poem is about breaking the binary between the 'good Muslim' and 'bad Muslim' and affording communities the ability to be flawed and broken I try my best to take the same approach with writing

What research or personal experiences guided your portrayal of the South Asian diaspora, and how do you envision your play impacting perceptions?

Lots of research went into the play, both informal and formal I remember the first shisha lounge I ever went to being in Trocadero in Leicester Square (when you could smoke indoors) After that, Edgware Road became the place to be and now in London at least, Park Royal Whilst I wrote the play, I also co-wrote a 'zine' (small magazine) commissioned by the Arab arts festival, Shubbak which explores the stories of s h i s h a l o u n g e o w n

and many of them inspired some of the scenes in the play But a huge part of this play is touching points of growing up young, Muslim and South Asian in Britain from the dramas at Friday prayers, fillet-o-fish to the absurdities of gym culture It's really about being able to laugh at the silliness and jokes that come from our communities

How can the portrayal of the South Asian diaspora in mainstream media be improved, and how do you see the role of theatre and storytelling in fostering empathy among diverse audiences?

I think it's helpful to look back at history In 1978, sociologist Stuart Hall wrote a book called 'Policing the Crisis' which was a commentary on race relations in Britain in the 1970s The book explores how the idea of a 'Black mugger' perpetuated by the media and politicians in the UK created an entirely fictionalised crisis That era consisted of sensationalist news reports about an increase in mugging by 'unemployed Black youth ' We can see parallels between t h i s a n d c o m m e n t s m a d e b y H o m e Secretary, Suella Braverman about grooming gangs and British-Pakistani men My point is that the same tactics are often used in order to distract and manufacture outrage and it ll often shift from community to community which is why solidarity is so important

What advice do you have for aspiring writers who want to create more inclusive and accurate portrayals of underrepresented communities in their work?

I think it's important to acknowledge how tough it is for aspiring writers right now which is why it s important to connect with your peers One of the best pieces of advice I've got was from writer Fatihma Asghar when I interviewed her for Khidr Collective (a zine platforming the voices of Muslim artists) Fatimah told me that "circles rise together" and that a scarcity mindset benefits no one

Another piece of advice would be to find the right collaborators I started writi n g B l u e M i s t o n t h e I n t r o d u c t i o n t o Playwriting group at the Royal Court and it's been a transformative experience for me It's where I developed a working relationship with the brilliant director of this play, Milli Bhatia who really encouraged me to lean into the abstract and whose overall sense of purpose and drive in theatre has been massively inspiring for me In a s i m i l a r w a y , t h e l i t e r a r y t e a m ( J a n e

F a l l o w f i e l d , G u r n e s h a B o l a a n d E l l i e Fulcher) have informed so many iterations of Blue Mist with delicate and thoughtful notes The assumption with writing is often that it's a solitary act but I would advise writers to look for the right people who can provide constructive feedback that helps to nourish and grow your idea or improves your craft over time

N a r e n d r a M o d i a n d a n n o u n c e d a t t h e COP26 Summit in Glasgow What made this showcase truly unique was the use of sustainable and plant-based fabrics sourced from India, including materials like Lotus stems, Banana leaves, rose petals, Cotton, bamboo, and various other natural fibers

The design concept, titled "Sustainable Modernity," challenged designers to create collections that were not only cutting-edge but also wearable, all while employing sustainable materials and zero-waste practices

Their mission was to showcase the intricate

connection between Artisans and their envir o n m e n t , e m p h a s i z i n g t h e d e e p - r o o t e d bond between the people and the Earth, which has long influenced India's cultural practices

The collection received high praise at the London Fashion Week, where HC Mr V Doraiswami and DHC Mr Sujit Ghosh honored and engaged with the designers at India House The clothing created from lotus, rose, and banana-based fabrics showcased the Indian tradition of sustainability, marking a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation

British Academy Book Prize finalists feature two Indian-origin authors

Tw o writers o f Indian heritag e, Nand ini Das from the U K and Kris Manjapra fro m the US, have been inclu ded i n th e l i st o f s i x g l o bal au t h o rs ann o u nc ed o n Tuesday for the 2023 British A c ad em y Bo o k P ri ze f or G lo ba l C u lt u ral

U nd erstand ing T his p restigio us international non-fiction award hold s a sig nificant value of GBP 25,00 0 Nandini Das, originally hailing from India, has been nominated for the prize with her work titled 'Courting India: England, Mughal India, and the Birth of Empire '

Nandini holds the position of Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture in the E n g l i s h f a c u l t y a t t h e University of Oxford Her s h o r t l i s t e d w o r k h a s g a rnered praise from the judges, describing it as a "groundbreaking" debut in the field T h e B r i t i s h A c a d e m y B o o k P r i z e f o r G l o b a l Cultural Understanding celebrates research-based nonf i c t i o n w o r k s t h a t h a v e made a remarkable contribution to the public's comprehension of world cultures and their intricate connections

Javed Akhtar receives honorary DLit degree

Jav ed Ak hta r was re ce nt ly bestowe d with an h on or a r y d e gr e e of let t e r s ( DLi t ) by t he e st e e m e d S OA S ( Sch o ol o f O r i e n ta l a n d

A fr ica n S tud ies) Un ive r si ty of Lon do n in r ecognition of his outsta ndin g cont ribut ions t o the rea lms of lit era tur e, cult ure, an d the a rts This pr estigious accolad e was p resen te d t o him last Thursda y, Se ptember 7t h

The degree was conferred upon him by Zeinab Badawi, the President of SOAS and a renowned media personality, during the convocation ceremony held at Friend's House

A k h t a r h a s p r e v i o u s l y r e c e i v e d a c c o l a d e s such as the Padmashri and Padmabhushan, which are among the highest civilian honors

b e s t o w e d b y t h e I n d i a n g o v e r n m e n t Additionally, he was recently honoured with the prestigious Richard Dawkins award

Stolen to premiere at London Film Festival

"S tolen," an exhilarating thriller fro m India, is sch ed uled to be featu red at the 67th edition of the BFI L ond on F ilm Festival in October

D i r e c t e d b y K a r a n T e j p a l a n d p r o d u c e d b y G a u r a v Dhingra of Jungle Book Studio, this Hindi film recently made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival

Set against the backdrop of a remote rural railway station in India, "Stolen" boasts a talented cast including Abhishek Banerjee,

Shubham, and Mia Maelzer

D u r i n g t h e L o n d o n F i l m Festival, it will be presented as part of the Thrill section, which is dedicated to showc a s i n g e d g e - o f - t h e - s e a t thrillers

Hansal Mehta's upcoming movie "The Buckingham Murders," featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan, is also include d i n t h e T h r i l l l i n e - u p o f t h e f e s t i v a l , promising an exciting cinematic experience for attendees

Salman Akhtar Omar Bynon Arian Nik

Mohamed-Zain Dada

Nandini Das

Javed Akhtar with wife Shabana Azmi and son Farhan Akhtar

Fraud charges brought against four in Patisserie Valerie chain collapse

T h e UK ' s S e ri o u s F ra u d

Offi ce (S FO) h as initiated fraud ch arges against fou r i ndividu als, inclu ding a fo rmer director, in connectio n w i th th e c o l la p s e o f th e British cafe and cake chain, P atisserie Valerie

T h e c o m p a n y , w h i c h operated nearly 200 high street cafes across the UK, collapsed in early 2019 This collapse followed reports of a significant financial shortfall amounting to millions o f p o u n d s , a t t r i b u t e d t o s u s p e c t e d " p o t e n t i a l l y f r a u d u l e n t " a c c o u n t i n g irregularities

A m o n g t h o s e f a c i n g c h a r g e s i s C h r i s t o p h e r Marsh, the former director and chief financial officer of the chain, who had a 12-year tenure with the company His wife, Louise Marsh, an accountant, has also been c h a r g e d , a l o n g s i d e t h e financial controller Pritesh Mistry and financial consul-

Tamasha’s new initiative aims to diversify dramaturgy

Anusha Singh Tamasha Theatre

t a n t N i l e s h k u m a r L a d

These charges were delivered to the four individuals at their residences P a t i s s e r i e V a l e r i e abruptly ceased its operations in October 2018 after t h e a l l e g e d d i s c o v e r y o f f i n a n c i a l i r r e g u l a r i t i e s , resulting in the immediate closure of 70 stores and the loss of 900 jobs nationwide T h e S F O i n i t i a t e d a c o m p r e h e n s i v e i n v e s t i g at i o n i n t o t h i s c o n d u c t , c o d e n a m e d " O p e r a t i o n Venom " A l l f o u r i n d i v i d u a l s m e n t i o n e d a r e f a c i n g charges related to a conspiracy to inflate cash figures on t h e b a l a n c e s h e e t s a n d annual reports of Patisserie Holdings, the owner of the chain, spanning from 2015 to 2018 The SFO has indic a t e d t h a t t h i s s c h e m e involved the submission of false documentation to the company's auditors

Emotional antiques roadshow guest discovers astounding value of father's war medal

D u ri n g a rec e nt episod e o f Antiques

Roadshow filmed in G la sg o w , a g u es t e xp e ri enc e d a n emo tional mom ent w hen he discovered t h at h is f ath e r' s W o rl d W ar T w o w ar med al, awarded to Sikh soldier Naik Gian S ing h, possessed a rem arkable value of £250,0 00

The guest shared with the show's antiques experts that his father, Naik Gian Singh, had been honored for his courageous actions in what is now Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, during the Second World War H o w e v e r , t h e f a m i l y h a d never been privy to the spec i f i c d e t a i l s o f h i s h e r o i c deeds H e r e f l e c t e d o n h i s f a t h e r ' s r e t i c e n c e , s a y i n g , "My dad never talked to us about the story He used to get emotional whenever he talked about it Obviously, he lost a lot of his friends in t h a t b a t t l e " T h e p i v o t a l

m o m e n t o c c u r r e d w h e n expert Mark Smith uncovered a book that disclosed the acts of valor for which Naik Gian Singh had been bestowed with the Victoria Cross, the highest honor for bravery in Great Britain

Comp any has been awarded funding fro m t he Paul Hamlyn F ou ndation to su pp ort a new t hr ee-year pro gr am me that r ecalibr at es our app ro ach to su pp ort ing new wr iting, in partnership with venues nat io nwide, al ongside enhancing regional co mmissio ning and community develop ment

This initiative will reframe the conversations within organisations and how they connect and embed into the communities they serve The goal would be to share the stories and lived experiences of our communities with producing houses and non-traditional spaces

Speaking to Asian Voice, Tamasha’s Artistic Director, Pooja Ghai explains this new initiative and about her play “Great Expectations”

Can you share some insights into the adaptation process of “Great Expectations” and the reimagining of this classic novel in an Indian context?

explores themes of nationalism, colourism, colonialism, race, power and class More stories like these need to be on our national stages

Howdoes the journey of the protagonist, Pipli, resonate with the audience in your version?

S o u r c e B B C

Naik Gian Singh's son

M a r k s h a r e d t h e r e m a r k a b l e a c c o u n t , e x p l a i n i n g , " F i r i n g h i s Tommy gun and throwing grenades, Naik Gian Singh m a d e t w o l o n e c h a r g e s a g a i n s t t h e J a p a n e s e i n Burma It was crucial to dislodge the enemy from this area, and when a Punjab platoon from a nearby village f a c e d i n t e n s e e n e m y f i r e , N a i k G i a n S i n g h d i r e c t e d his machine gunners to provide cover as he fearlessly rushed towards the enemy foxholes

With the Singh family w a t c h i n g w i t h i m m e n s e p r i d e , M a r k c o n t i n u e d , " E v e n a s o u r t a n k s f a c e d e n e m y f i r e , N a i k G i a n S i n g h , d e s p i t e s u s t a i n i n g m u l t i p l e w o u n d s , c o u r ag e o u s l y a d v a n c e d o n c e more and single-handedly n e u t r a l i s e d t h e J a p a n e s e anti-tank gun crew, capturing the weapon He then led his section in clearing all enemy positions "

Tanika Gupta adapted this classic in 2011, setting the action in Calcutta I had been involved in this production as an actor and was familiar with the adaptation and how well it transposed itself to India at the time of the British Raj When the Royal Exchange in Manchester invited us back, it gave Tanika the opportunity to update and focus the adaptation The play spans a period of history from 1899-1911 during the time of the Bengal Partition the motive of which, was ‘Divide and Rule’ - headed up by Lord Curzon Miss Havisham represents colonial Britain, as it heads to its descent Havisham refused to let go of the pain and humiliation of being left at the alter so cruelly; her treatment of Estella and Pipli are all a metaphor for the British rule in India

Dickens' novel deals with themes of social class, ambition, and identity. How do these themes resonate differently in the Indian context of your production?

In this adaptation, Tanika skilfully embraces the more challenging perspectives - the impact of imperial power over generations for both cultures Dickens' story lends itself this exploration and Tanika's adaptation invites us into a period of history many know little or nothing about; it

We follow the journey of Pipli, as he journeys from his hometown of Rajshahi to the streets of Calcutta It is his comingof-age story as he journeys in pursuit of a better future Pipli’s story examines class injustices, whilst commenting on colonialism, Indian independence and partition As this young boy seeks to better himself through the ways of an English gentleman, audiences will resonate with his struggle of identity and belonging, the shame of the low-caste Indian boy versus the ways of an English Gentleman However as Pipli gains his fortune and lives with an English gentleman, he learns how even though he has climbed the social ranks, he will never be truly accepted, the colour of his skin, his culture, his class working against him as he tries to find his way in the world

What message or emotions do you hope the audience will leave the theatre with after experiencing this version of "Great Expectations"?

I hope the play makes people think about the power our collective voice has, and how Britain and India share a long and complex history There's so much more that connects us than divides us, and this is a story that celebrates both resilience, friendship and love when so much of the world feels like it is against you

This fresh new adaptation is witty and brave, bringing to life well-loved characters through a different lens The brilliant cast of actors celebrates the diversity of the UK, our history, allyship, friendship and love

Can you provide an overview of Tamasha's National Programme to Diversify Dramaturgy and its primary objectives?

Tamasha’s vision is to re-imagine British theatre with stories that represent and celebrate the world in which we live We are a dedicated home for both emerging and established Global Majority (ethnically diverse) artists A powerhouse of new writing, talent development and digital innovation, we

up this programme to address them We need to widen the pool of our dramaturgs working with Global Majority writers, and have practitioners who have the lived experience to explore global forms of storytelling

platform and invest in stories that celebrate and foster voices from our rich and diverse communities Tamasha is a place where artists from the Global Majority can explore the prism of their lived experiences whilst embracing the pride of their cultural heritages Proudly both artist and audience driven, we are inspiring and connecting through bold and imaginative storytelling, providing a place to explore our lived experiences and unique perspectives

What motivated Tamasha to initiate this program? Were there specific gaps or challenges in the theatre industry that inspired the need for diversification of dramaturgy?

For too long in our sector, success has been measured through a Eurocentric lens Our values of excellence are based on European models of playwrighting and making theatre In a country that is so multicultural, it feels like we have a long way to go Speaking to artists from the Global Majority, I was hearing discontent about how they could express themselves as artists They wanted the space to explore their voice, and global forms of theatremaking, but felt that they were constantly asked to reshape their thinking or pressured into writing a story that fitted into a western idea of what a good play is In 2021, an open letter was written by 117 global majority writers who talked of the dominance of Eurocentric dramaturgy in the sector, airing these concerns At Tamasha we are setting

In what ways does the program support emerging and underrepresented playwrights? Are there specific resources or mentorship opportunities provided?

We are having conversations to ensure that we provide the most accessible and sustainable pathways for our artists We will work with producing venues to deliver artist development initiatives responding to the specific needs of their local artists and communities Workshops, training programmes, artist mentorship, micro commissions, showcase events and roundtables will all be part of the exploration of the programme Diversifying dramaturgy is not just about representation but also about addressing systemic issues. How does the program work to create a more inclusive and equitable theatre ecosystem?

The aim of this programme is to diversify dramaturgy and ensure that this diversification is embedded in organisations and their programming and producing When writers put aside the forms of storytelling which they want to explore in order to get commissioned and produced, we are dealing with a form of self-censorship Hopefully this programme will give our theatre makers the tools to embrace and open up global forms of storytelling At a time of seismic challenges across the sector, this initiative aims to redress systemic injustices in access to development and producing opportunities, empowering global majority artists to play a dynamic, leading role in the recovery of our national arts ecology

A still from the play

Pooja Ghai

Nearly one in three female NHS surgeons have been sexually assaulted

T he la rg es t s ur ve y o f i ts ki nd reveals alarming levels of sexual misc onduct and h a ra s s m e n t wi t hi n th e N a t i on a l He al t h S er v i c e ( NHS) , particularly among fem ale surgeons Published i n th e B r i ti s h J o ur na l o f Surgery, the s tudy indi cates t h a t n e a r ly o n e - t h i r d of f emale NHS s urge on s ha ve e xperienc ed sexual as sault b y a c olleague over the pas t f ive years , promptin g conc erns ab out the unc hecke d c ulture of mis ogy ny within the profes sion

The survey, conducted by researchers from Exeter U n i v e r s i t y a n d t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f S u r r e y , involved 1,434 anonymous online responses from surg e o n s S h o c k i n g l y , t w othirds of female surgeons r e p o r t e d b e i n g s e x u a l l y harassed by a colleague in o r a r o u n d t h e o p e r a t i n g theatre The survey even identified 11 instances of r a p e a m o n g t h e r e s p o ndents

T h e s e f i n d i n g s s h e d l i g h t o n t h e h i e r a r c h i c a l s t r u c t u r e s a n d l a c k o f accountability within the NHS The report highlights that sexual coercion is a s i g n i f i c a n t c o n c e r n , w i t h 1 1 % o f f e m a l e s u r g e o n s having experienced "forced physical contact linked to c a r e e r o p p o r t u n i t i e s " Tamzin Cuming, a consultant surgeon and chair of t h e W o m e n i n S u r g e r y forum at the Royal College o f S u r g e o n s o f E n g l a n d , h a s d e s c r i b e d t h i s a s a " M e T o o m o m e n t " f o r s u r g e r y a n d c a l l e d f o r a "seismic change in the culture of healthcare "

The survey was commissioned by the Working P a r t y o n S e x u a l M i s c o n d u c t i n S u r g e r y , w i t h s u p p o r t f r o m t h e Royal College of Surgeons, Health Education England, a n d t h e A s s o c i a t i o n o f S u r g e o n s i n T r a i n i n g I t has been presented to NHS E n g l a n d , t h e G e n e r a l M e d i c a l C o u n c i l ( G M C ) , a n d t h e B r i t i s h M e d i c a l A s s o c i a t i o n T h e r e p o r t emphasizes that the deeply hierarchical structure and gender and power imbalances contribute to the frequent occurrence of sexual misconduct

Most female sur geons ha ve no hope for justice

Both women and men in the surgical profession have witnessed some form o f s e x u a l m i s c o n d u c t a t w o r k o v e r t h e p a s t f i v e y e a r s A m o n g f e m a l e r e s p o n d e n t s , o v e r 4 0 % r e c e i v e d u n i n v i t e d c o mments about their bodies, 29% experienced unwanted physical advances, and

To build trust with communities

Shefali Saxena

P ro fesso r Gurch Randh awa, P r o f es s o r o f D i ve rs i ty i n

P ubli c Health and directo r of th e Institute for Health Research at th e University

develop culturally competent events that involve tailored messages with trusted m e s s e n g e r s F o r e x a m p l e , d u r i n g O r g a n D o n a t i o n W e e k , T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f

38% endured sexual banter at work Shockingly, most female surgeons expressed little or no faith in their NHS trust, the GMC, or the Royal Colleges to protect them from such misconduct

The Royal College of Surgeons of England has acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and called f o r a z e r o - t o l e r a n c e approach to sexual harassment and assault in operating theatres and the wider NHS The GMC has update d i t s p r o f e s s i o n a l s t a ndards to reflect a "zero tolerance" policy toward sexu a l m i s c o n d u c t , s t a t i n g that it is incompatible with professional registration

T h e D e p a r t m e n t f o r Health and Social Care has also expressed a commitment to eradicating sexual m i s c o n d u c t w i t h i n t h e NHS and has launched an organizational sexual safety charter to ensure a zerot o l e r a n c e a p p r o a c h t o i n a p p r o p r i a t e b e h a v i o u r s in the workplace

T h e s u r v e y r e s u l t s u n d e r s c o r e t h e p r e s s i n g need for systemic changes to address the culture of s e x u a l m i s c o n d u c t a n d h a r a s s m e n t w i t h i n t h e NHS and, specifically, the s u r g i c a l p r o f e s s i o n T h e h e a l t h c a r e s y s t e m m u s t p r i o r i t i z e t h e s a f e t y a n d well-being of its staff and patients by implementing c o m p r e h e n s i v e r e f o r m s and strict enforcement of anti-harassment policies

Speaking to The Times

U K , R o s h a n a M e h d i a nStaffell, a trainee trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, d e s c r i b e d a “ b o y s ’ c l u b mentality” One male doctor suggested to her that full-time surgery was “not a n a p p r o p r i a t e c a r e e r choice” for mothers “I’ve been sexually harassed lots of times,” she said “I’ve had people come into the sluice room [where waste is disposed of] and stand b e h i n d m e a n d g r i n d themselves on me There was one time when someone walked in and said, ‘ Y o u ’ v e g o t y o u r s h o r t trousers on make sure y o u a l w a y s w e a r t h e m

b e c a u s e y o u r a n k l e s a r e really sexy ’ ”

Dr Binta Sultan, from NHS England, told the BBC the report made “incredibly d i f f i c u l t r e a d i n g ” a n d action was needed to make hospitals safe for all

S h e s a i d : “ W e a r e already taking significant steps to do this, including through commitments to provide more support and c l e a r r e p o r t i n g m e c h anisms to those who have s u f f e r e d h a r a s s m e n t o r inappropriate behaviour ” R etired doc tor faces cri tici sm after calli ng vic tims ‘ s nowflake’

D r P e t e r H i l t o n , a r e t i r e d a n a e s t h e t i s t , h a s faced criticism for his comments on workplace sexual harassment In a letter to The Times, he referred to a "snowflake generation" of young doctors who, he suggested, should toughen up in response to such harassment This comes in the wake of a new study that revealed female NHS surg e o n s r e p o r t i n g s e x u a l h a r a s s m e n t , a s s a u l t , a n d rape, particularly involving t r a i n e e s a n d s e n i o r m a l e surgeons

I n r e s p o n s e t o D r H i l t o n ' s l e t t e r , l e a d i n g m e m b e r s o f t h e R o y a l C o l l e g e o f A n a e s t h e t i s t s expressed their disgust at h i s s u g g e s t i o n t h a t s u c h b e h a v i o u r s h o u l d b e accepted They emphasised the importance of not tolerating sexual misconduct in any workplace and called f o r c o m p a s s i o n , j u s t i c e , and a commitment to zero tolerance

D r H i l t o n ' s r e m a r k s h a v e d r a w n a t t e n t i o n t o the issue of sexual harassment in the medical profession and have highlighted the need to eradicate such attitudes and behaviours S w a n s e a B a y U n i v e r s i t y H e a l t h B o a r d c o n f i r m e d that Dr Hilton no longer works for the organization and emphasised its commitment to creating a safe, welcoming, and mutually r e s p e c t f u l w o r k e n v i r o nment, where bullying and harassment are not tolerated

o f B ed fo rd sh i re H e h as over 2 5 years o f exp erience worki ng within go vernment p u bl i c h e al th au t h o r it i es and much to say on o rgan donatio n and transp lantat io n re se a rc h H e i s th e a u th o r o f t h e ‘ F a it h E n ga ge me nt & O r ga n Do nation Actio n P lan’ and director o f the UK Organ D o n o r an d T r an s p l an t Re sear ch C entre He i s a seasoned media commentator Asian V oice spo ke to h im abo ut Organ donatio n week

Why do barriers like religion, culture or ethnic minority still have momentum over saving someone's life via organ donation?

Research shows that the lack of trust among different ethnic communities is o n e o f t h e m a i n r e a s o n s o r g a n d o n a t i o n r a t e s a r e low and need improvement For example, our research p a p e r h i g h l i g h t s s o m e o f the key religious or cultural reasons why organ donation is low including confusion b e t w e e n o r g a n d o n a t i o n a n d r e l i g i o u s b e l i e f s o n death, such as cremation, lack of trust regarding the process and a reluctance to d o n a t e d u e t o l a c k o f knowledge and scepticism

How forthcoming do you think ethnic minority groups are when it comes to donating or receiving organ donation?

Our organ donation and transplant research shows that organ transplantation b e n e f i t s a w i d e r a n g e o f people from different socioeconomic, age, gender, educational, cultural, faith and

Prof Gurch Randhawa

e t h n i c b a c k g r o u n d s Y e t , just as in many other areas of health, the benefits are n o t e v e n l y d i s t r i b u t e d i n society and do not always reflect the diversity of the country’s population

Please tell our readers about the policy landscape of organ donation and transplantation in the UK including the opt-in or out policy and family authorisation rates

To increase familiarity w i t h o r g a n d o n a t i o n a n d build trust, NHS Blood & Transplant has developed a C o m m u n i t y G r a n t s P r o g r a m m e ( D e c e a s e d Donation) and the Living Transplant Initiative These initiatives have adopted a g r a s s r o o t s a p p r o a c h b y funding local organisations that are embedded within local communities, utilising d o n o r a n d r e c i p i e n t p e rspectives These initiatives also aim to build support for donation including blood, organ, kidney, stem cell and c o m b i n e d b l o o d a n d d e c e a s e d o r g a n d o n a t i o n a m o n g s t B l a c k , A s i a n , mixed heritage and minority ethnic communities

Why is there a need to adopt a culturally competent framework and best practices to encourage organ donation from religious, cultural and ethnic minority groups?

To build trust with comm u n i t i e s , o u r r e s e a r c h s h o w s t h a t w e n e e d t o

B e d f o r d s h i r e h o s t e d t w o events: firstly showcasing a N o l l y w o o d f i l m f o r t h e black community produced b y t h e A c t i o n o n B l o o d charity and taking a comedy approach to dispelling many urban myths about organ donation The second event w a s p r o f i l i n g o u r n e w “Islam & organ donation” book, which sets out the range of opinions related to organ donation to enable dialogue and discussion so that the public can reach their own informed decision There were also shared donor and recipient stories at the events so attendees could hear from those pers o n a l l y a f f e c t e d b y t h e i r donation and transplantation

Whatdoes the data say?

If we all pledge our organs, how many lives would we save?

The demand for organ t r a n s p l a n t s i s d i s p r o p o rt i o n a t e l y g r e a t e r a m o n g minority ethnic communities, making up 1 in 3 of those waiting for a transp l a n t W a i t i n g t i m e s a r e also longer due to a lack of s u i t a b l e o r g a n s F a m i l y a u t h o r i s a t i o n r a t e s f o r organ donation, and those on the opt-in register are d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y l o w e r a m o n g m i n o r i t y e t h n i c communities One person d o n a t i n g c a n s a v e u p t o nine lives and it’s important t h a t o r g a n d o n a t i o n i s encouraged

Lack of trust among different ethnic communities’ remains one of the main issues for low organ donation rates Building trust on this topic with the community will help improve organ donation rates

Record numbers of sick children await NHS care in England

D octors treating si ck children have is sued a warning that the health condi ti ons of these young patients are deteri orating due to record- long waiting ti mes for NHS care The waiting list for pediatric c are i n England now includes a staggerin g 423,500 individuals under the age of 18, marking the highest figure on record Among them, 23,39 6 have had to endure waiting peri ods exceeding a year for their appointments

The prevalence of delays affecting children and young people has reached such a critical point that Dr Jeanette Dickson, the chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which represents all UK doctors professionally, has described children as the forgotten casualties

of the NHS s waiting list

crisis "

Despite NHS treatment targets indicating that 92% of children should be seen within 18 weeks, the reality is far from this goal, with only 57% of children now receiving care within that timeframe The waiting list has surged by 52% since 2021, underscoring the growing healthcare challenges faced by children in

the UK

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:

“Cutting waiting lists is one of the government’s top five priorities and despite disruption from strikes, we have virtually eliminated 18-month waits and are taking immediate action to bring down long waits

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) obtained these figures through an analysis of official performance data recently released by NHS England This analysis has revealed that the health of certain children was deteriorating while they were on waiting lists because the nature of their illness and their age necessitated prompt treatment

Dr Jeanette Dickson

London unites to raise voting system awareness and encourage registration

T h e G rea te r L o n d o n A uth ority (GLA ) and S hout

O u t U K ( S OU K ) h a v e l au nc h ed th e fi ft h ann u al

L ond on Voter Reg istrati on Week to help under-rep resented and und er-registered

L ond oners access their right to vo te Local councils, civil society organisations and education institutions across the capital have joined together to support the voter registrat i o n c a m p a i g n w h i c h i s d e s i g n e d t o a d d r e s s t h e e q u a l i t i e s i m p a c t o f t h e Elections Act (2022), espec i a l l y t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f mandatory photo ID to vote

T h e E l e c t o r a l C o m m i s s i o n ’ s f u l l r e p o r t i n t o t h e i m p a c t o f p h o t o

Voter ID at the May 2023 elections [1] found that some v o t e r s , e s p e c i a l l y e t h n i c m i n o r i t y , d i s a b l e d , y o u n g and low income, have found it harder to vote because of t h e n e w r e q u i r e m e n t t o show an accepted photo ID at polling stations This was due to a lack of appropriate ID and low awareness of the

Pub closures skyrocket by 50%

need to bring it when voting

B o t h t h e E l e c t o r a l Commission report, and the r e p o r t o f t h e A l l P a r t y P a r l i a m e n t a r y G r o u p o n D e m o c r a c y a n d t h e Constitution [2], call on the UK Government to review the current list of accepted forms of ID to identify any additional documents that c o u l d b e i n c l u d e d t o improve accessibility for voters

In its fifth year, London V o t e r R e g i s t r a t i o n W e e k ( L V R W ) 2 0 2 3 i s r a i s i n g a w a r e n e s s a b o u t w h o c a n v o t e a n d h o w t o d o i t , including the option to register anonymously for those concerned about their name a n d a d d r e s s a p p e a r i n g o n the electoral register It will advise on steps to apply for a f r e e V o t e r A u t h o r i t y C e r t i f i c a t e f o r L o n d o n e r s who do not have any accepted form of photo ID

The GLA campaign will inform Londoners via social media, grassroots community engagement and events in education institutions

Three-member panel appointed to review Leicester community unrest

Three individuals have been appointed to form a r e v i e w p a n e l t a s k e d w i t h examining the civil unrest in L e i c e s t e r i n t h e p r e v i o u s y e a r T h i s r e v i e w w a s c o m m i s s i o n e d b y t h e g o v e r n m e n t t o i n v e s t i g a t e t h e c l a s h e s t h a t o c c u r r e d b e t w e e n t h e c i t y ' s H i n d u and Muslim communities in August and September 2022

Communities Secretary

M i c h a e l G o v e h a d e a r l i e r named Lord Ian Austin as t h e r e v i e w ' s c h a i r m a n , w h i c h g e n e r a t e d c r i t i c i s m f r o m s o m e M u s l i m councillors and community g r o u p s i n L e i c e s t e r w h o deemed Lord Austin's record a s d i v i s i v e N e v e r t h e l e s s , Lord Austin expressed his genuine intention to help and ensure that everyone's perspectives are considered T h e t h r e e - p a n e l members are Dr Samir Shah CBE, a former commissioner for the Commission on Race a n d E t h n i c D i s p a r i t i e s , Professor Hilary Pilkington, a sociology professor at the U n i v e r s i t y o f M a n c h e s t e r , and Dr Shaaz Mahboob, the head of digital development at NHS England The panel's o b j e c t i v e s e n c o m p a s s u n c o v e r i n g t h e f a c t s s u r r o u n d i n g t h e u n r e s t , a n a l y s i n g t h e e v e n t s , o f f e r i n g r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s to prevent recurrence, and proposing ways to enhance local cohesion

The large-scale disorder i n L e i c e s t e r i n S e p t e m b e r

0 2 2 d r e w i n t e r n a t i o n a l

The num ber of pubs in E ng lan d a nd Wal es u nd e rg o i ng d em o l it i o n o r co n v er si o n i nto d i ff ere nt t yp es o f es tab li s h m en ts h a s exp e ri en ce d a si g n if i ca nt su r g e, w it h a s ta g g er in g 3 8 3 disap pearing during the first half of the current year

From January 1st to June 30th, 2023, a total of 383 p u b s v a n i s h e d f r o m l o c a l communities, as reported by Altus Group's pub tracker T h i s m a r k s a n o t a b l e i n c r e a s e c o m p a r e d t o t h e p r e v i o u s y e a r , w h i c h w i t n e s s e d t h e p e r m a n e n t closure of 386 pubs over a 12-month period

Wales was the hardesthit region during the first half of the year, losing a total of 52 pubs, while both London and the North West

Putin threatens Sunak, accuses UK of backing nuclear plant raid

regions saw 46 pubs each v a n i s h f r o m t h e i r landscapes Currently, pubs benefit f r o m a 7 5 % r e d u c t i o n i n their business rates for the 2023/2024 tax year, capped a t £ 1 1 0 , 0 0 0 p e r b u s i n e s s H o w e v e r , t h i s f a v o r a b l e arrangement is scheduled to conclude on March 31, 2024

A d d i t i o n a l l y , b u s i n e s s rates are poised to rise next April in accordance with the h e a d l i n e r a t e o f i n f l a t i o n r e c o r d e d i n S e p t e m b e r , potentially resulting in over a 6% increase in bills for the upcoming year

New Covid variant calls for booster shots in elderly

The NHS is urging ind iv iduals a g ed 65 and o v er to rec ei v e th e ir C o v id -1 9 bo o s ter s h o ts as h o sp i ta l adm issions rise d ue to a new Cov id v ariant Boosters are also being extended to o ther vulnerable groups

Eligible adults, including those aged 65 and over, pregnant women, and indiv i d u a l s w i t h u n d e r l y i n g h e a l t h c o n d i t i o n s , w i l l r e c e i v e i n v i t a t i o n s t o g e t their Covid and flu vaccines

The rollout of boosters h a s b e e n a c c e l e r a t e d i n response to the new Covid variant, Pirola, a mutation of the Omicron strain that has led to an increase in cases Pirola has raised concerns among experts

Dur ing his ad dr e ss a t t he Easte rn Econ omic Forum in Vl a d i v o st o k , R us si a n P r e s id e n t V la d im i r P ut in issued a st at emen t in which he mad e alle gat ion s a gainst the UK, accusin g it, without providin g an y concre te e viden ce , of being in volv ed in a fa ile d sa bota ge plot tar geting a Russian at omic fa cilit y

Sir Peter Soulsby

attention While Leicester's m a y o r , S i r P e t e r S o u l s b y , i n i t i a l l y i n t e n d e d t o commission a city council r e v i e w , h e f a c e d b a c k l a s h over his choice of leader He expressed frustration with t h e t i m e i t t o o k f o r t h e g o v e r n m e n t r e v i e w t o commence Lord Austin emphasised t h a t t h e r e v i e w w o u l d approach the matter with an open mind and impartiality, i n v i t i n g l o c a l i n p u t a n d understanding from various p e r s p e c t i v e s A s e p a r a t e inquiry into the unrest is b e i n g c o n d u c t e d b y t h e S c h o o l o f O r i e n t a l a n d A f r i c a n S t u d i e s ( S O A S ) a t the University of London Sir Peter believes that an impartial review is crucial, regardless of whether it is led by a politician or another p a r t y , a n d h o p e s b o t h inquiries will demonstrate t h e i r i m p a r t i a l i t y a n d contribute to understanding and prevention in the future

Hospital admissions for Covid-positive patients have risen to 4 6 per 100,000 peop l e i n t h e w e e k t o 1 0 September, up from 3 7 per 100,000 the previous week,

t h e h i g h e s t s i n c e A p r i l While intensive care admiss i o n s r e m a i n l o w , o v e r a l l Covid hospitalizations have been increasing, primarily a m o n g v u l n e r a b l e g r o u p s , especially those over 85 T h e N H S e m p h a s i z e s the importance of vaccines as protection against both C o v i d a n d t h e f l u a n d encourages eligible individu a l s t o g e t v a c c i n a t e d promptly

Report warns of UK universities at risk from sustained China rift

A re p o rt, c o -a u th o re d b y former univ ersities minister Jo Johnson, has hig hlig hted th e p o t ent ia l s i g ni f ic a nt dam ag e that UK u niv ersities co uld face in th e event of a p ro lo n g ed d ip l o m at i c dispute between Britain and China

The report predicts that replacing Chinese students, who currently occupy over one-quarter of international PhD positions, would be a c h a l l e n g i n g t a s k L e a d i n g i n s t i t u t i o n s i n t h e U K continue to rely heavily on Chinese students not only for tuition fee revenue but

A c c o r d i n g t o P u t i n , Russian forces had detained Ukrainian individuals whom he referred to as 'saboteurs,' alleging their involvement in a scheme to disrupt power lines at the facility In a controversial claim, he asserted that these individuals had received training under the supervision of British secret service agents

These allegations made by President Putin lack subs t a n t i a t e d e v i d e n c e a n d s h o u l d b e v i e w e d w i t h s c r u t i n y G e o p o l i t i c a l t e n -

s i o n s a n d a c c u s a t i o n s a m o n g n a t i o n s a r e n o t uncommon, and it is essent i a l t o r e l y o n c r e d i b l e sources and investigations to assess the validity of such claims N e w l y r e v e a l e d d e t a i l s r e p r e s e n t t h e f i r s t t i m e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e alleged attack has come to l i g h t H o w e v e r , c r i t i c a l specifics, such as the location of the facility, the date of the foiled plot, and the identities of those involved, were not disclosed

During his address in the far eastern port city, preceding his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, M r P u t i n a l s o r e f r a i n e d f r o m s p e c i f y i n g w h i c h branch of the British special services he believed had provided training to the purported Ukrainian sabotage team

Chinese children excel over white British peers

R ep or t f r om t he So c ia l M ob i l it y Com m is s io n ha s r e ve a l e d t h at c h il d r en of Chinese et hnicity in the UK s i gn if ic a n t l y ou t pe r f or m their white Britis h c ounterpar ts in various aspects The St ate of the Nat ion report on People and Pl aces provides a regional breakdown of s oc ial mob il ity pros pec ts , enc ompas s ing e duc at ion, oc c upation, and income

One notable finding is that Chinese students who

are eligible for free school m e a l s e x c e l a c a d e m i c a l l y , surpassing students from all o t h e r e t h n i c b a c k g r o u n d s , including white British students These Chinese pupils perform exceptionally well at the age of 11, even outperf o r m i n g t h e a v e r a g e c h i l d who is not on free school meals

This data sheds light on the positive educational outc o m e s w i t h i n t h e C h i n e s e ethnic community in the UK

Woman charged after viral video of racially abusing taxi driver

a l s o t o f i l l p o s t g r a d u a t e research programs in fields such as economics, science, and technology

A sudden escalation of t e n s i o n s b e t w e e n t h e U K a n d C h i n a , w h i c h w a s underscored by the recent a r r e s t o f a p a r l i a m e n t a r y researcher on suspicion of s p y i n g f o r C h i n a , c o u l d result in the closure of this pipeline This would leave B r i t i s h u n i v e r s i t i e s w i t h limited viable alternatives, e s p e c i a l l y f o l l o w i n g t h e decline in the number of EU students coming to the UK since Brexit

A w oman h as been charg ed in connection with a v iral video show ing a taxi d river being racially abused by a passeng er in Inverness

After the video gained attention on social media, Police Scotland initiated an investigation into the incident, which is being treated as a hate crime The incident occurred in a city taxi at approximately 11:20 pm on a Saturday

O n W e d n e s d a y a f t e rnoon, a 59-year-old woman was charged in connection w i t h t h e i n c i d e n t A n t iracism educational charity

Show Racism the Red Card S c o t l a n d e x p r e s s e d t h e i r sadness at the racist abuse experienced by the taxi driver, noting that while disheartening, such incidents are unfortunately not surprising

A P o l i c e S c o t l a n d spokesperson said: “A 59year-old woman has been charged in connection with the incident and will be the subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal

“Any type of hate crime is completely unacceptable and this type of abuse will not be tolerated ”

Rishi Sunak

Vladimir Putin

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh

Patel OBE

In the b ustli ng world of glob al fin ance, where e very percent age poi nt can me an bi llion s, the C ali forn ia State Teachers' Re tirement Sys tem (CalSTRS) has made a mov e that's caught my ey e They've si mpli fied their refere nce be nchmark to a 70 /30 s plit Now, for thos e of you scratchin g your he ads, le t's b reak this down

The 70 /30 Expla ine d

In the investment world, a 70/30 split typically refers to the allocation of assets 70% might be invested in equities (stocks) which are generally considered riskier but offer higher returns, while the remaining 30% might be allocated to fixed income assets like bonds, which are seen as safer but yield lower returns

It's a classic balance of risk and reward By adopting this strategy, CalSTRS is signaling a more conservative approach, possibly to ensure stability amidst global economic uncertainties

Readi ng Betw een the Li nes

Now, diving deeper, this isn t just about numbers China, once a heavyweight in CalSTRS' portfolio, has seen its prominence wane This isn't a mere portfolio reshuffle; it s a reflection of the broader economic and geopolitical dance happening on the world stage The tensions between the U S and China, the regulatory crackdowns, and the tech sector's roller-coaster in China all play a part

Ri sk, Rewa rd, and Re alitie s

Every investor, be it an individual or a behemoth like CalSTRS, grapples with a fundamental question: How much risk is worth the reward? By leaning towards a 70/30 split, CalSTRS is hedging its bets It's a move that speaks of caution, perhaps even wariness, e s p e c i a l l y g i v e n t h e r e c e n t u n d e r p e r f o r m a n c e o f

Chinese assets

Tata Steel secures £500 mn UK support with job loss concerns

Th e UK g ove r n m e nt ha s a pp r ov e d a £5 0 0 m il l i on s upport pac kage f or Ta ta St e e l t o s af e gua r d t he future of the Port Talbot st eelworks

This deal, however, has raised concerns among unions, as it is expected to result in "devastating consequences," potentially leading to the loss of up to 3,000 jobs Tata Group, the owner of t h e e x t e n s i v e s t e e l w o r k s i n s o u t h Wales, which happens to be the largest in Britain, is also planning to invest approximately £725 million to facilitate its transition toward more environmentally friendly production methods

Tata Steel employs around 8,000 workers in the UK, with nearly half of them based at Port Talbot The company had previously warned of possible site closures without a financial sup-

port package

Tata group chief N Chandrasekaran emphasised the significance of the agreement with the UK government, stating that it marks a pivotal moment for the steel industry's future He highlighted that the proposed investment will help preserve a significant number of jobs and create opportunities for the development of a green technology-focused industrial ecosystem in South Wales

As part of this agreement, the g o v e r n m e n t w i l l o f f e r a s t a t e a i d package of up to £500 million to facilitate the transition of Port Talbot's two coal-powered blast furnaces to more environmentally friendly electric arc furnaces that can operate using zero-carbon electricity

BoE seeks accountability from UK insurers on infrastructure

A Glimpse in to the Future

Yet, amidst this caution, there's a glimmer of optimism CalSTRS hasn't shut the door on emerging markets Their CIO, Christopher Ailman, summed it up aptly, highlighting the growth potential in places like China but also acknowledging the myriad challenges, especially in the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) arena

Wrappi ng Up

In the end, CalSTRS' 70/30 decision is more than a mere investment strategy It's a commentary on the state of our global financial landscape, a blend of pragmatism and foresight As we navigate our own investment journeys, there's a lesson here for all of us: In a world of constant flux, sometimes, simplicity and caution can be the most astute strategy

Some of the stocks this largest of pension funds holds include some I do too:

Amazon com Inc

Apple Inc

Alphabet Inc

AT&T Inc

Bank of America Corp

Berkshire Hathaway Inc (Class B)

Adobe Inc

Advanced Micro Devices

Local authorities waste £2 billion on agency personnel

C ouncils in the UK spent a m inim um of £2 1 billion on agency staff in th e past year, a s p er th e 4 D ay Wee k C am p a ig n' s ana ly si s N ic M ur ray , a res ear ch e r a nd m em ber o f the cam paig n, c ritic ised th is expend itu re as a "tremend ous m isuse o f taxpayers' funds "

The campaign's freedom o f i n f o r m a t i o n r e q u e s t s revealed that, in the 2022-23 fiscal year, councils allocated 6% of their total staff budget to agency staff Out of 382 UK local authorities, 234 responded to the information request

The organisation pointe d o u t t h a t s p e n d i n g o n a g e n c y s t a f f h a s b e e n i n c r e a s i n g a n n u a l l y , w i t h

£1 8 billion spent in 2021-22 and £1 6 billion in 2020-21 Slough had the highest perc e n t a g e o f s t a f f s p e n d i n g allocated to agency workers,

44% of over 55s unaware of pension values

New research conducted by M y Pen sion

Ex pert has reve aled tha t mi llion s of individuals aged 5 5 and above in the UK are facin g potential fi nanc ial diffi culti es in their retirem ent

M y P e n s i o n E x p e r t , t h e l e a d i n g adviser for retirement planning in the UK, commissioned an independent survey of 2,000 UK adults The findings indicate that only 46% of respondents currently have a financial plan in place for their retirement Among those aged 55 and above, this figure increases only slightly to 47%

In terms of retirement savings, just 51% of adults are aware of the amount in their pension accounts Again, there is only a slight increase (to 56%) among those aged 55 and above The research also highlights that less than a third (32%) of individuals over the age of 55 are confident that they will retire with sufficient funds to achieve their desired lifestyle

Bank of E ngland dep uty governor Sam Woods has called fo r the government to ensure that insurers allo cate u p to £1 00 billion into the British economy after the recent relaxation o f their capital regulations

The UK is set to ease capital rules for insurers starting later this year, a move that the industry claims will free up around £100 billion for investment in infrastructure However, there have been doubts among lawmakers about whether this capital will actually be used as intended

The finance ministry took steps to ease certain capital rules beyond what Woods had recommended, potentially increasing the risk of insurance company failures In response, lawmakers asked Woods if the Bank of England could monitor these investments to e n s u r e t h e a d d i t i o n a l c a p i t a l i s n ' t

diverted to pay dividends to shareholders or used for overseas acquisitions

Woods explained that it would be outside the BoE's authority to direct i n s u r e r s o n h o w t o a l l o c a t e t h e i r i n v e s t m e n t s I n s t e a d , h e s u g g e s t e d that it is the government s responsibility to oversee how the liberated capital is utilised

Charlotte Gerken, the Executive Director for Insurance Supervision at the BoE, expressed optimism that the goal of investing £100 billion over the next decade appears feasible, particularly due to the accelerating transfer of liabilities from pension schemes to insurers This shift means that insurers will have more funds available for investment, with infrastructure being a relatively small part of their current portfolios

Shoplifting 'epidemic' hits UK as Primark profits decline

The h ead of the retailer John Lewis has lab el led th e ri s e i n s h o p l if ti n g i n Bri ta in as a n " e p i d em i c , " w i th t h e owner o f Primark also joining calls for authorities to take action d ue to its impact on profit margins

Additionally, the study reveals that only 16% of individuals aged 55 and over regularly utilise the services of a wealth m a n a g e r o r i n d e p e n d e n t f i n a n c i a l adviser (IFA) Furthermore, just 19% have consulted an IFA in the past 12 months to seek guidance on adapting their pension plans to the current economic climate

Lily Megson, Policy Director at My P e n s i o n E x p e r t , c o m m e n t e d o n t h e r e s e a r c h ' s s i g n i f i c a n c e , e m p h a s i s i n g that it underscores a crucial issue for those nearing retirement She highlighted the risk of an uncertain financial future for millions who lack knowledge about their pension s value and lack a c l e a r f i n a n c i a l p l a n t o a t t a i n t h e i r desired retirement lifestyle

UK economy shrinks by 0.5% in July

The u nexpected 0 5% co ntraction in the eco no my du ring Ju ly has raised concerns of a potential rec essio n looming as the country enters an election year

T h i s m o n t h - o n - m o n t h d e c l i n e i n gross domestic product (GDP) reversed t h e 0 5 % g r o w t h s e e n i n J u n e a n d marked the most significant downturn s i n c e D e c e m b e r A l l m a j o r s e c t o r s , including services, production, and construction, experienced a retreat

G o v e r n m e n t m i n i s t e r M a r i a

at 42% E a r l i e r t h i s y e a r , t h e L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t

Association (LGA) reported that nine out of ten councils nationwide were grappling w i t h s t a f f r e t e n t i o n a n d recruitment issues T h e 4 D a y W e e k

C a m p a i g n a r g u e s t h a t i m p l e m e n t i n g a f o u r - d a y workweek could help councils address these challenges i n l o c a l g o v e r n m e n t s t a f f i n g S o u t h

C a m b r i d g e s h i r e D i s t r i c t

Council recently became the first UK local authority to trial a four-day workweek with no reduction in staff pay The council reported a decrease of £300,000 in its annual wage bill after the t h r e e - m o n t h t r i a l , c o mpared to the approximately £2 million spent annually on a g e n c y s t a f f p r i o r t o t h e trial

Sharon White, the chair of the John Lewis Partnership, which owns department stores and Waitrose superm a r k e t s , r e v e a l e d t h a t i n c i d e n t s o f shoplifting have doubled in the past year She described the situation as an "epidemic" and urged the UK government to establish a commission to address the challenges faced by town centres, which risk becoming targets for brazen shoplifters and organized groups G e o r g e W e s t o n , t h e C E O o f Associated British Foods (ABF L), the parent company of Primark, echoed these concerns He stated that the fashion chain has increased invest-

ments in security measures, including security guards, CCTV, and equipping staff with body cameras to combat instore theft Weston noted that some of the thefts were quite organized, and there has also been a rise in anti-social behaviour at Primark stores These remarks align with earlier s t a t e m e n t s f r o m T e s c o C E O K e n Murphy, who recently announced that t h e l a r g e s t s u p e r m a r k e t c h a i n i n Britain was providing body cameras to staff who required them in response to rising incidents of shoplifting

UK unemployment rises

Of ficial data revea led tha t the UK 's unem pl oym ent rate inched highe r to 4 3% in the three m ont hs leading up to the end of July This m arked a sl ight inc reas e f rom the 4 2% rate obs erved in the quart er ending in June, as r eported by the Off ic e for National Sta tis tics

However, the data also highlighted that average regular earnings growth, excluding bonuses, remained at a record high of 7 8% in the three-month period concluding in July “Wage growth remains high, partly reflecting one-off payments to public sector workers, but for real wages to grow sustainably, we must stick to our plan to halve inflation,” chancellor of exchequer Jeremy Hunt said in reaction

Notably, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had expressed hopes at the beginning of 2023 to reduce UK annual inflation, particularly when it was above 10% However, the inflation rate still stands at 6 8%, making it the highest among G7 nations

Caulfield acknowledged the disappointing contraction but pointed out that the vital services sector was adversely affected in July Strikes by NHS doctors and teachers, coupled with adverse weather conditions, contributed to these economic challenges

O p p o s i t i o n p o l i t i c i a n s h a v e expressed strong criticism of the economic management by Rishi Sunak s government as all the major political parties prepare for their annual conferences in anticipation of a general election next year A potential economic slowdown could play into the Prime Minister's pre-election efforts to address high inflation Some analysts even suggest that Britain might already be in a recession

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that the human health and social work activities sector experie n c e d a 2 1 % d e c l i n e i n J u l y T h i s decrease was attributed to industrial action taken by NHS senior doctors and radiographers, along with an increase in strike days by junior doctors

Similarly, the education sector saw a 1 1% decline during the month, as teachers staged two days of strikes

Infosys only Indian company on Time’s 100 best firms

Infosys is the o nly Indian fi rm fe atu r ed i n T i m e m ag az in e ’ s Wo r ld ’ s B es t Com panies of 20 23 Infosys was ranked 64 in th e list o f top 1 00 comp anies It has be en ra nk ed p art i cu l arl y hi gh i n su stainabi lity and em p l o ye e s ati s fa ct io n T i m e, alo n g w i th d at a gathering platform S tatista, cu r ate d th e w o rld ’ s b es t co m p ani e s bas e d o n a form ula of revenue growth, e m p l o y e e - s a t i s f a c t i o n su r v ey s, an d ri g o ro u s env ironmental, social, and corp orate g overnance (ESG, or sustainability) data

M i c r o s o f t , A p p l e , A l p h a b e t , M e t a a n d Accenture are the top five companies in the list For the sixth year in a row, in 2022, Infosys was listed on t h e D o w J o n e s Sustainability Indices (DJSI), a l e a d i n g b e n c h m a r k f o r c o r p o r a t e s u s t a i n a b i l i t y Infosys has said it is driving

Adani and Kowa form JV to sell green hydrogen in Japan, Taiwan

c l i m a t e a c t i o n a c r o s s i t s o p e r a t i o n s I t h a s b e e n recognised for leadership in corporate transparency and p e r f o r m a n c e o n c l i m a t e c h a n g e b y t h e g l o b a l e n v i r o n m e n t a l n o n - p r o f i t

CDP, securing a place on the CDP annual A List’ in 2022 This was the seventh year in a row that Infosys had been featured in the leadership category under the CDP Climate Change d i s c l o s u r e a t e s t a m e n t t o t h e c o m p a n y ’ s c l i m a t e a c t i o n e f f o r t s , i n c l u d i n g c l i m a t e - r e l a t e d r i s k m a n a g e m e n t , m i t i g a t i o n i n i t i a t i v e s , t r a n s p a r e n t d i s c l o s u r e s o n e m i s s i o n s , a n d e m i s s i o n r e d u c t i o n initiatives across the supply and value chain

Th e A d an i G r ou p ha s a n n o un c e d plan s to form a join t ve n t u re a n d e n t e r the green hydrogen industry in Japan In a 5 0 - 5 0 j oi n t ve nture with Kowa

Ho ld i n g s A s i a P te

Li m i te d , Ad a n i Global Pte Lim ited, a di vision of Adani Enterpris es Lim ited, would be based i n Singapore The collab orati on will specia li se in the sale and m arketing of green am monia, green hy d r og e n , a n d r e l at e d produc ts, wi th a pri ma ry f oc u s on t he J a p a n es e , Taiwan ese , an d Ha waii an markets Adani New Industries L i m i t e d ( A N I L ) , a subsidiary of Adani Group, has already committed $50 billion in investment over the next decade to establish a g r e e n h y d r o g e n

manufacturing capacity of 3 million metric tons per a n n u m ( M M T P A ) A 1 M M T P A g r e e n h y d r o g e n plant is being built as part of the first phase, which is currently in progress The strategy of ANIL includes t h e b u i l d i n g o f a n i n t e g r a t e d h y d r o g e n e c o s y s t e m w i t h t h r e e primary business segments: s u p p l y c h a i n p r o d u c t m a n u f a c t u r i n g , g r e e n hydrogen production, and d o w n s t r e a m d e r i v a t i v e production

Air India deploys specially trained officers at 16 airports

T ata -owned Ai r India ha s sta rted de ploy ing spe ci allyt rai ne d off icers in an ef fort t o i m p r o v e t h e g r o u nd e xpe ri ence of pa sse ng er s T he project ca lled 'Pr oje ct A bh i na nd a n ' se e ks t o p r o v i d e t o u r i st s wi t h a customised a nd ha ssle-fr ee e xp e r i e nc e U nd e r t h e i niti ati ve, i t h as de ploy ed s p e c i a l l y t r a i ne d s e r v i c e a ss u r a nc e o f f i ce r s a t 1 6 ma jor a irpor ts across Ind ia t o o f f e r on -g r o u nd a ssi sta nce

The airports where these

officers have been deployed i n c l u d e A h m e d a b a d ,

B e n g a l u r u , C a l i c u t , C h e n n a i , D e l h i , G o a , G u w a h a t i , H y d e r a b a d , K o c h i , K o l k a t a , L u c k n o w , M u m b a i , N a g p u r , P u n e , V a r a n a s i a n d Vishakhapatnam Air India

Tata Motors looks at 50% sales from EVs by 2030

T ata Motors is investing $2 billio n in electric v eh icles as part o f an ag gressive strategy to increase their share of the market from the current 15% to 50%

The head of Tata Motors' Passenger and Electric Vehicles Division, Shailesh Chandra, stated that the business intends to keep active with production plans and launches over the upcoming years, with a focus on electrics, a category in which it currently holds the lead

“We are enthused by the success of our bet in electrics and even though these are early days, Tata Motors has turned it into a substantial business with strong volumes year-on-year While the EV sales were only 150 units in 2018, we closed 2021 with volumes of 19,000 cars, and last year with 50,000 This year, we are hoping to double this to 100,000 units,” Chandra told the media as the company launched the new-generation versions of the Nexon midsized SUV which comes strapped with petrol and diesel engines and electric option

The internal combustion engine versions of the Nexon are priced between Rs 810,000 land 13,00,000, while the electric ones are between Rs 14,70,000 and 19,20,000 (all exshowroom, Delhi)

p a s s e n g e r s w h o require assistance can get it from them in the check-in area, lounges, close to the boarding gates, during transit, or in the arrival hall T h e s e o f f i c e r s have also been trained t o d e a l w i t h u n f o r e s e e n issues such as missed flights, d e l a y e d b a g g a g e d e l i v e r y a n d m i s - c o n n e c t i o n s a t a i r p o r t s , a m o n g o t h e r i s s u e s T h e y w i l l b e providing assistance to any Air India guest, irrespective

of the cabin class they are booked in Air India chief c u s t o m e r e x p e r i e n c e & g r o u n d h a n d l i n g o f f i c e r Rajesh Dogra said, “Airport experiences can be daunting f o r m a n y a i r t r a v e l l e r s , despite how frequently one travels Project Abhinandan is the airline’s sincere effort t o s i m p l i f y t h e a i r p o r t experience for its guests and m a k e a m e a n i n g f u l d i f f e r e n c e t o t h e i r t r a v e l e x p e r i e n c e , a p a r t f r o m making them feel at ease ” , he added

I recently me t a c li ent who has hopes of purc has ing a property, not j us t in the prim e area of London, but the pri me s treet She k nows the location well, as she currently rents in the s ame buildin g as where she wants to purchase There is no n eed to sell her the loc ation or the flat, she’ s already converted - with good reason The property i s in a prem ier loca ti on , in a block w hi ch has 24 hours porterage , an d pin drop silenc e, in a c los e ended road

The challenge she was having regarding obtaining a mortgage was one of income proof Though earning a large income, partially due to personal income and partially due to family wealth, it wasn’t high enough to get her to the level she needed to get anywhere near the purchase price

It seems this issue is not just an issue for the ordinary class of folks Luckily for her, if required the family who are based overseas can provide backing if need be The property would be purchased in the sole name of the client however the mortgage would be in the guarantor’s name as well as the client’s

This is a relatively new concept in residential lending The founder of the first bank to do this, as often is the case, noticed the gap in the market through his own trials and tribulations in buying his first home

The average couple with an average income in London which is currently £37K would struggle to purchase a house

Many of their parents have paid off their mortgages and are in a relatively strong position to provide a helping hand This could be in the form of helping to increase the deposit or helping to boost their income levels All lenders will want to know is where the deposit has come from, and if it is from other family members it will need to be provided on the basis it is a g i f t T h i s m i g h t b e a n a w k w a r d c o n v e r s a t i o n depending on the circumstances

Since this lender has broken the mould, many other lenders have entered this new space Which, in essence, means the weight of purchasing a property is not simply on the shoulders of the individual buying it, but spread across the family members willing to help This is of particular help to close nit families, notably Asians and Jewish

The ratio of income to house prices has widened In 1983 the average earning was £8,528, the average house price was £26,000, which comes to about three times the income Currently, it stands at about nine times the income level Hence the need for more innovative mortgage solutions

In A ugust, wh olesale price inflation remained negativ e for the fifth consecutiv e mo nth, primarily du e to d eflation in the seg ments o f g asoline, po wer, and manufactured good s, but food inflation remained hig h Data released by the commerce and industry ministry showed inflation, as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), contracted 0 5%, narrower than the 1 4% drop in July

The negative rate of inflation in August, 2023 is primarily due to fall in prices of mineral oils, basic metals, chemicals, textiles and food products as compared to the corresponding month of previous year, according to the statement

Inflation in the food industry during the month was 10 6% Prices of vegetables increased annually by 48 4% while those of onions increased by 31 4% During the month, the inflation rate for pulses was 10 5% While manufactured goods fell 2 4% in August, the fuel and electricity sector shrank by 6% “With the support of high base fading, some uptick in WPI inflation could be seen in the second half,” s

CareEdge

Delay in RCap resolution costing lenders £4.2 mn weekly

i n t h e o r d e r b y t h e N C L T

A s t i m e g o e s o n I e x p e c t m o r e i n n o v a t i v e solutions to come up within this space Perhaps a hybrid of equity release from the parent’s home This is a solution were the borrowers pays no monthly instalments, and repayment is only due on death and t h i s i s u s e d t o f u n d t h e n e w p u r c h a s e , f o r t h e children This could have benefits on the inheritance tax side as well

Tesla may source $1.9 bn worth parts this year: Goyal

Th e A merican auto m anufactu rer T esla has started buying m any com ponents from India ev en before it makes its excursions into the nation with its electric cars It anticipates shipp ing parts wo rth $1 7 to 1 9 billion th is year

The corporation is already buying heavily from India, showing the strength of the manufacturing processes and the calibre of the output, according to commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, even as it finalises its launch plans for the market

“Tesla last year bought $1 billion worth of components from India this year their target is $1 7 to 1 9 billion,” the minister said, adding that, “I am convinced that this (EVs) is the future It is something we must try to attract ”

order is a

M u m b a i , w h i c h r e j e c t e d Torrent Investment’s plea s e e k i n g a s t a y o n t h e approval of the resolution plan for Reliance Capital based on the winning bid b y H i n d u j a ’ s I n d u s I n d Holdings

p o s i t i v e f o r I n d u s I n d Holdings, whose bid for Reliance Capital has been accepted by lenders

T o r r e n t ’ s m a i n objection was to the way the lenders conducted the c h a l l e n g e m e c h a n i s m , where rivals are allowed to outdo the winning bidder

T h e w i n n i n g b i d w a s p r e s e n t e d b y I n d u s I n d a f t e r t h e c r e d i t o r s ' deadline In order for the Supreme Court to make a final judgment about the c h a l l e n g e m e c h a n i s m , Torrent had asked for a s t a y o f t h e r e s o l u t i o n plan's approval

On whether Tesla will be given preferential treatment in terms of lower import duty on cars for the initial period of its business, he said, “This government has been in power for nine years, and everything we have done has been done without any partiality and without any preferences ”

Sources said that in July that Tesla opened discussions with the government for an investment proposal to set up a mega car factory in India with an annual capacity of as much as 500,000 vehicles, which would churn out electric cars with prices that may begin from “ as low as ” Rs 20,00,000

WPI inflation remains in negative zone for 5th straight month

Bangladesh jail rights activists over ‘extra judicial killings’ report

D H A K A : Tw o p r om i n e n t h um an right s activists wh o hav e t ra ck ed ext ra jud icial k illin gs an d d i s a p p e a r a n ce s i n Ba n g la d e s h we re sent en ce d to two y ear s in p r i so n , r a i si n g a la r m a bo ut a n e w e sc a la t i on i n q ua sh i n g d issen t

The Dhaka Cyber Tribunal found Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan guilty of spreading misinformation under t h e c o u n t r y ’ s i n f o r m a t i o n technology act It was the latest e x a m p l e o f a w i d e s p r e a d

INDIAN ORIGIN DIES WHILE TRYING TO HIKE GRAND CANYON

campaign by PM Sheikh Hasina to use the judiciary, among other institutions that she has largely captured in her 14 years at the helm, to bog down dissenting voices as she firms her grip ahead of the next election

The case against Khan and Elan, leaders of the human rights group Odhikar, stems from a f a c t - f i n d i n g r e p o r t b y t h e i r group about a brutal episode a decade ago in Dhaka The report, released in 2013, found that the p o l i c e h a d c o m m i t t e d g r a v e

a b u s e s i n c l e a r i n g a r a l l y

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

I s l a m i s t o r g a n i s a t i o n T h e

o r g a n i s a t i o n , H e f a z a t - e -

I s l a m B a n g l a d e s h , h a d brought the city to a halt in May

o f t h a t y e a r w i t h a p r o t e s t against comments and cartoons it considered offensive to the P r o p h e t M u h a m m a d I n r e s p o n s e , t h e p o l i c e s t a g e d a l a t e - n i g h t c r a c k d o w n , unleashing violence Odhikar’s r e p o r t s a i d i t h a d f o u n d t h e names of 61 people who were

China first country to name its envoy to Afghanistan since Taliban takeover

K A BU L: Fo llow ing th e Tali ban takeov er, C hina o fficially named its new ambassado r to Afg hanistan for th e first time after th e envoy's cred entials w ere officially handed at a cerem ony in K abul

The Taliban have not been officially recognised by any foreign government, and B e i j i n g d i d n o t i n d i c a t e w h e t h e r t h e a p p o i n t m e n t s i g n a l l e d a n y w i d e r s t e p s towards formal recognition of the Taliban “ T h i s i s t h e n o r m a l r o t a t i o n o f C h i n a ’ s ambassador to Afghanistan, and is intended to continue advancing dialogue and coopera t i o n b e t w e e n C h i n a a n d A f g h a n i s t a n , ” China’s foreign ministry said “China’s policy towards Afghanistan is clear and consistent ” A c c o r d i n g t o a s p o k e s m a n f o r t h e Taliban administration's foreign ministry, Zhao Xing is the first ambassador from any nation to hold the position since the Taliban assumed power in August 2021 after US-led i n t e r n a t i o n a l f o r c e s l e f t a f t e r 2 0 y e a r s

According to the deputy spokesman for the T a l i b a n g o v e r n m e n t , B i l a l K a r i m i ,

M o h a m m a d H a s s a n A k h u n d , t h e a c t i n g prime minister, had received the new envoy's credentials in a ceremony

The Taliban spokesperson’s office published photos of a ceremony at Afghanistan’s presidential palace at which the ambassador was received by officials, including Akhund and the acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi China’s previous ambassador to Afghanistan, Wang Yu, took up the role in 2019 and finished his tenure last month There are other diplomats in Kabul with the title of ambassador, but all of them took up their posts before the Taliban takeover

Pak sold munitions to Ukraine for IMF bailout in US-brokered deal?

WA S HING TO N: P akistan has sold mu nitions worth $90 0 million o ver the past year to Ukraine in a secret deal under pressure from the U S, w hich in turn help ed Islam abad secure an IMF bailout

The so-called “bombs for bailout” deal, first reported in investigative website The Intercept, forced Islamabad from its neutral position in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, even a s W a s h i n g t o n p r i o r i t i s e d p r o t e c t i n g U k r a i n e o v e r f u r t h e r i n g d e m o c r a c y i n

Pakistan

The Intercept said records detailing the arms transactions were leaked to it earlier this year by a source within the Pakistani military

The documents describe munitions sales agreed to between the US and Pakistan from the summer of 2022 to the spring of 2023, it

added The Biden administration and IMF have denied the story, but the Intercept said its reporting was based on documents outl i n i n g t h e m o n e y t r a i l , A m e r i c a n a n d Pakistani contracts, licensing, and requisit i o n d o c u m e n t s r e l a t e d t o U S - b r o k e r e d deals to buy Pakistani military weapons for Ukraine

“Some of the documents were authentic a t e d b y m a t c h i n g t h e s i g n a t u r e o f a n American brigadier general with his signature on publicly available mortgage records i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s ; b y m a t c h i n g t h e Pakistani documents with corresponding American documents; and by reviewing publ i c l y a v a i l a b l e b u t p r e v i o u s l y u n r e p o r t e d Pakistani disclosures of arms sales to the US posted by the State Bank of Pakistan,” the investigative website said

killed Soon after the report’s r e l e a s e , H a s i n a ’ s g o v e r n m e n t called the report distorted and defamatory

I n a j o i n t l e t t e r , o v e r 3 0 i n t e r n a t i o n a l h u m a n r i g h t s outfits called the conviction of t h e a c t i v i s t s “ r e t a l i a t i o n f o r d o c u m e n t i n g h u m a n r i g h t s violation” and asked for their release

Indian jailed in Singapore for biting off part of fellow worker’s finger

S I N G A P O R E : A 4 0- ye a r - o l d I n d i a n nati ona l was ja iled for 10 months for biti ng off part of the index finger of a compatriot fellow worker under the influenc e of alc ohol in Sin ga pore duri ng a brawl at a party in April this ye ar Thangarasu Rengasamy, who worked as an excavator operator, pleaded guilty to v o l u n t a r i l y c a u s i n g g r i e v o u s h u r t t o

N a g o o r a n B a l a s u b r a m a n i a n ’ s l e f t i n d e x finger Rengasamy and Balasubramanian, both Indian nationals, lived in separate foreign worker dormitories in Kaki Bukit at the time of the offence

Shortly before the attack, Nagooran, 5 0 , a n d a c o n s t r u c t i o n w o r k e r Ramamoorthy Anantharaj, 33, were drinking alcohol in the dormitory on April 22 An intoxicated Rengasamy, who was seated about 5 metres away from the pair, started shouting and Ramamoorthy told him to keep his volume down

A 55-year-old Indian-origin man died while attempting to hike the Grand Canyon in Arizona, US, rim-to-rim, in a single day Ranjith Varma of Virginia became unresponsive while hiking with a group of six others at the national park’s North Kaibab Trail the Arizona daily Sun said According to Grand Canyon Park spokesperson the group was attempting to hike from the canyon’s South Rim to the North Rim on the North Kaibab Trail in a single day

NAWAZ SHARIF TO RETURN ON OCT 21

Nawaz Sharif former Pakistan prime minister and PML-N leader would return to Pakistan on October 21 to oversee the party s electoral campaign for the nation s approaching elections, his brother and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said Shehbaz told a Pakistani TV station about the date after a meeting of the PML-N top leadership, chaired in London by his brother According to Shehbaz, his brother is to land in Lahore and he will personally receive him in his hometown The date of Sharif’s return was also confirmed by PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on X

IMRAN’S REMAND IN CIPHER CASE EXTENDED

A special court has extended PTI chief Imran Khan and his party vice chief Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s judicial remand till September 26 in the cipher case Khan and Qureshi have been charged with making public the contents of a confidential diplomatic cable - known as a“cipher” - sent by Pakistan’s ambassador to the US Khan had cited the cipher as proof of an attempt by the US to remove his government because he had visited Russia shortly before its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Both Islamabad and Washington have denied his accusations Khan’s party has challenged the trial of its leaders in the case The cipher controversy had surfaced just days before Khan s ouster from office through a noconfidence vote in April 2022

IRAN FREES 5 AMERICANS IN PRISONER SWAP

M E X I C O C I T Y : N o s a u c e rs haped UFOs or green invader s like those shown in Holly wood m ovies were pres ent when alleged aliens from another pl anet landed in Mexico's Congres s As lawmakers hear tes timony f rom people s pec ul ating that extrat errestr ial s m ight exist, the s pectre of l it tle green men desc ended upon M exico City

The session, which was first of its kind in the Mexican Congress, occurred two months a f t e r a r e l a t e d h e a r i n g b e f o r e t h e U S Congress, where a former US Air Force intelligence official claimed his nation had likely been aware of "non-human" activity since the 1930s As "non-human beings that are not part of our terrestrial evolution," journalist Jose Jaime Maussan from Mexico displayed

two boxes containing purported m u m m i e s d i s c o v e r e d i n P e r u The more than “1000-year-old” desiccated bodies were found in 2017 deep underground in the Peruvian desert of Nazca

In 2017, Maussan made similar claims in Peru, and a report by the country’s prosecutor’s office found that the bodies were “recently manufactured dolls, which have been covered with a mixture of paper and synthetic glue to simulate the presence of skin” The report added that the figures were almost certainly human-made and that “they are not the remains of ancestral aliens that they have tried to present” The bodies were not publicly unveiled, so it is unclear if they are the same

A scuffle broke out between the pair a n d N a g o o r a n t r i e d t o s e p a r a t e t h e m D e p u t y P u b l i c P r o s e c u t o r ( D P P ) C a i Chenghan said, "In the midst of the struggle, (Nagooran’s) left index finger inadvertently entered the accused’s mouth The accused bit down onto the victim’s finger forcefully and did not let go " “The accused and the victim then fell to the ground, with the accused still biting down on the victim’s finger,” the Singapore daily quoted t h e D P P R a m a m o o r t h y t r i e d t o p u l l Rengasamy away, but he did not loosen his bite

“Nagooran, an electrical engineering technician, finally managed to free himself a few seconds later and saw that his finger was bleeding He alerted the police and was rushed to a hospital

The severed part of Nagooran’s finger could not be found He was diagnosed with a partial amputation of the finger and was t o l d t h a t h e n e e d e d s u r g e r y U n d e r Singapore's law, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined or caned for voluntarily causing grievous hurt

Five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran were allowed to leave the country on Monday according to White House officials after two years of high-stakes negotiations in which the US agreed to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue and dismiss federal charges against five Iranians accused of violating US sanctions The announcement that the Americans took off in a plane from Tehran came as President Joe Biden and President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran were to attend the annual UN General Assembly meeting of world leaders

Top aides to Biden said financial sanctions and strict monitoring will prevent Iran from spending the money on anything except food, medicine and other humanitarian goods

CONGO DENIES CLAIMS OF COUP ATTEMPT

The Congo-Brazzaville government has refuted recent claims of a coup attempt against President Denis Nguesso, who has held office for an uninterrupted 39 years These allegations surfaced on social media, suggesting an orchestrated effort by the military to remove the 79-year-old leader from power President Nguesso was at the time of these rumors in New York participating in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly In response to these allegations Information Minister Thierry Moungalla took to X to unequivocally dismiss them stating The government categorically denies the spread of false information We wish to reassure the public of the prevailing tranquility and encourage everyone to carry on with their daily activities calmly "

Doubts raised over ‘E.T.’ corpses presented before Mexico Congress

in brief

IRAN SEIZES TWO FOREIGN TANKERS FOR ‘SMUGGLING’

Iran has seized two oil tankers allegedly carrying smuggled fuel in the Gulf and arrested their crews, state television said “The Revolutionary Guards naval forces seized two ships over the course of the last two days,” state television said “The seized tankers flying the flags of Panama and Tanzania were transporting more than 1 5 million litres of Iranian oil and gas ” the Guards said “The Guards escorted the confiscated ships to the port of Mahshahr in the country s southwest sources said Thirty seven crew members were handed over to judicial authorities in Mahshahr, the sources added

MARILYN MONROE’S LA HOME SAVED FROM DEMOLITION

Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe’s LA residence, the only property she owned in her life, has been saved from demolition after a backlash from residents in the neighbourhood Marilyn bought the palatial pad in 1962 after her divorce from Arthur Miller but was found dead in the property just months later, following an apparent drug overdose at the age of 36 The property was to be demolished by its current owner who bought the 2 900-square-foot hacienda for $8 35 million The neighbours became aware of the planned demolition after the owner filed for permits After a backlash from the residents the Los Angeles officials intervened to block the demolition

‘INDIANA JONES OF ART WORLD’ RECOVERS STOLEN VAN GOGH

A Dutch art detective has recovered a precious Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from a museum in a daring midnight heist during the Covid lockdown three-and-a-half years ago, police said Arthur Brand - dubbed the “Indiana Jones of the Art World” - took possession of the missing painting, the 1884 “Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring ” Brand said frequent calls by him and the Dutch police to hand back the stolen artwork finally paid off when a man, whose identity was not revealed, handed Brand the painting in an IKEA bag covered with bubble-wrap and stuffed in a pillow casing

BEIJING UPGRADES TIES WITH VENEZUELA

China announced it was upgrading its diplomatic ties with Venezuela to an “all weather” partnership, a label reserved for a select few of its diplomatic partners Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is on a state visit in Beijing his fifth as president according to state broadcaster CCTV He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping One of the best known of China s select all-weather strategic partnerships is with Pakistan, where it has invested $25 4 billion over the past decade China and Venezuela signed several bilateral cooperation documents focused on economy trade and tourism, China s state broadcaster said

A ‘RIVER’ OF WINE FLOODS STREETS IN PORTUGAL

The wine flowed freely in one Portuguese town over the weekend Two tanks holding nearly 2 2 million litres of wine at a distillery collapsed, sending a torrent of red wine down the streets of the small town of Levira One tank, open at the top, collapsed because of a “structural failure”, said Pedro Carvalho, the CEO of the distillery, Destilaria Levira, in Anadia The sheer force of the wine knocked over another tank Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse It looked “like a river,” said Carvalho Portugal, like France and Italy is suffering from an oversupply of wine because of a decline in consumption and exports

FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam wins top business award for Asian Americans

excellence in their careers The Pinnacle Award is the highest honor presented at the event

s 20 2 3

P i nna cl e A w ard t o Ra j

S u br am an i am , P re s id ent a nd

C E O o f F ed E x C o rp o ra ti o n Th i s ye arly ev ent, w h ic h w as started by the A sian Am erican Bus iness Dev elo pm ent C entre

( A A B DC ) , h o no u rs A s i an Am erican C EOs and professionals w ho h av e had a sig nificant impact in th eir respectiv e ind ustries

The award ceremony, which

will take place in September will honor Subramaniam, along with 50 other Asian American execut i v e s w h o h a v e d e m o n s t r a t e d o u t s t a n d i n g l e a d e r s h i p a n d

10,000 missing as death toll in Libya floods tops 11,000

D E R N A ( L I B Y A ) : L i b y an authorities limited access to an i n un da t ed c i t y t o a l lo w searchers to dig through mud and hollowed- out buildings for 10 , 0 00 pe op le m i s s i n g a n d feared dead i n flooding that has already killed more than 11, 000 Authorities warned that dis eas e a nd e xp l os i v es w a s he d a w ay could claim yet more lives In the most affec ted areas, efforts to recover the dead and distr i b ut e ai d w e re p la g ue d by c on f us i o n an d la c k of res ourc es Libya’ s two opposi ng governments, long divided by civil s trife and war, have struggled to respond to the disaster of s uch great proportions

T w o d a m s c o l l a p s e d i n exceptionally heavy rains from Mediterranean storm Daniel last week, sending a wall of water

several feet high gushing down a valley that cuts through the city of Derna Relief has been slowed by the destruction after several bridges that connect Derna were destroyed and distribution of aid has been patchy

In the Libyan city of Derna, t h e m a y o r s r e s i d e n c e w a s s e t ablaze by hundreds of protesters who were calling for an explanation for the disastrous flood They gathered at the city's landmark Sahaba Mosque, many chanting for top officials in Libya's eastern government to be sacked

E a r l i e r t h i s y e a r , S u b r a m a n i a m w a s b e s t o w e d w i t h t h e 2 0 2 3 H o r a t i o A l g e r Award, an accolade presented to esteemed individuals who have overcome adversity to achieve both professional and personal s u c c e s s I n o r d e r t o s t u d y a t Syracuse University and acquire a master s in chemical engineering, Subramaniam emigrated to the US in 1987 He received his m a s t e r ' s d e g r e e i n b u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n f r o m t h e

University of Texas at Austin in 1991, and later that same year, he started his remarkable career at FedEx as an associate analyst

He has worked for FedEx for more than three decades, has b e c o m e a r e c o g n i s e d g l o b a l leader for his astute commercial acumen and unflinching commitment to globalisation His s t r a t e g i c c o n t r i b u t i o n s a n d v i s i o n h a v e b e e n c r u c i a l t o FedEx s success, and his leadership is helping the corporation lead the transformation in the logistics and transportation sectors

Poll shows Haley ahead of DeSantis but way behind Trump in her home state

WASHINGTON: Nikki Haley, a Rep ublican presidential cand idate, trails her former employer Donald T rum p by 28 points in a recent So uth Carolina survey of po tential GOP prim ary v oters for 2024, bu t she is ahead of Florid a Governor Ron DeS antis Only 18 per cent of prospect i v e G O P p r i m a r y v o t e r s i n S o u t h C a r o l i n a s a i d t h e y planned to support their former governor, while 46 per cent said they wanted Trump, according t o a M o n m o u t h U n i v e r s i t yWashington Post poll conducted on September 14 Senator Tim Scott came in third place with 10 per cent support and DeSantis followed at 9 per cent, news reported S c a l e s s t a r t e d t i p p i n g i n

Haley’s favor, who had been lagging behind in polls with single digits since February, after last month’s maiden Republican primary presidential debate In a CNN/SSRS poll released earlier this month, Haley emerged as the only Republican presidential c a n d i d a t e w h o c o u l d b e a t President Joe Biden in the 2024 US elections

H a l e y r e c e n t l y t o l d C B S News that the party's 2024 presidential contender would be her and not Trump “I don’t think President Trump’s going to be the nominee I think it’s going to be me But I will tell you that any Republican is better than w h a t J o e B i d e n a n d K a m a l a Harris are doing,” Haley had told ‘Face the Nation’ on CBS

India could be behind killing of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Nijjar, says Trudeau

OT T A WA : Canadian Prime M inister Justin Tru deau said there are “credible allegations of a potential link” between agents of the Ind i an g ov e rnm ent and th e kil lin g o f a pro minent Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was slain in June outside a temple in British Columbia, raising tensions between Sikh separatists and the Indian government “Canada has declared its deep concerns to the top intelligence and security officials of the Indian government,” Trudeau said in the Ottawa legislature The prime minister added that he raised those concerns “ personally and directly” with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meeting recently in New Delhi

“In no uncertain terms, any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an

unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” Trudeau said Melanie Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, said she has expelled the head of India’s intelligence agency in Canada from the country Trudeau’s speech highlights a s o u r i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e t w o nations Last week, Canada postponed a trade mission to India, which had been planned for early October, after the prime minister’s contentious meeting with Modi in the Indian capital India rejects allegations

T h e C a n a d i a n g o v e r n m e n t ' s " a b s u r d " a l l e g a t i o n s t h a t I n d i a n o p e r a t i v e s w e r e involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist were rejected by India “We have seen and r e j e c t e d t h e s t a t e m e n t o f t h e C a n a d i a n Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister

Sikh school student assaulted at a bus stop in Canada

TOR ONTO : A 17-yea r-old Sikh high sc hool s tudent in Canada's Brit is h Columbia was reportedly attacke d at a bus st op afte r a fight with another adol esc ent in what appears t o be a cas e of hate crime

The high school student was allegedly kicked, punched, and p e p p e r - s p r a y e d " d u r i n g t h e altercation, which happened in Kelowna near the intersection o f R u t l a n d R o a d S o u t h a n d Robson Road East, according to news “Officers determined a 1 7 - y e a r - o l d S i k h s t u d e n t w a s either beer or pepper sprayed by another teenage male after exiting a public transit bus on his

way home,” a statement by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Before the assault, there was “ an altercation” aboard a b u s , w h i c h r e s u l t e d i n t h o s e involved being kicked off, police s a i d W h i l e p o l i c e h a v e n o t r e l e a s e d m o r e d e t a i l s , t h e

W o r l d S i k h O r g a n i s a t i o n o f Canada has alleged that the student was also assaulted while aboard the vehicle Earlier in March, a 21-year old Sikh student from India was a t t a c k e d i n B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a province by unknown men who ripped off his turban and dragged him by his hair

A l l e g a t i o n s o f G o v e r n m e n t o f I n d i a ' s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law," the statement said No t trying to provo ke India: Trudeau Canada is not attempting to irritate India by implying that its operatives were involved in the assassination of a Khalistani terrorist, but Ottawa wants New Delhi to address the m a t t e r a p p r o p r i a t e l y , T r u d e a u s a i d a f t e r India rejected his allegations "The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness We are doing that, we are not looking to provoke or escalate," he told reporters In retaliation for Trudeau's accusation, India expelled a top Canadian diplomat The anonymous diplomat has five days to leave the nation

Student accused of killing Indian American found fit to stand trial

NE W Y OR K : A s tu d e nt at P u rd u e U ni v e rs i ty w h o w as charged with m urd er after fatally stabbing his Indian Am erican flatm ate in October last year has be en d ee m ed co m p e te nt t o stand trial, according to media

sources

On the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ji Min Sha, a 22-year-old cybersecurity major from South Korea, stabbed Varun Manish Chheda, 2 0 , a D a t a S c i e n c e s t u d e n t , i n s i d e t h e i r f i r s t - f l o o r McCutcheon Hall room

s

r t

t a t e Hospital determined that Sha

“ h a s a t t a i n e d t h e a b i l i t y t o understand the proceedings and assist in the preparation of his d e f e n s e ” , T i p p e c a n o e C i r c u i t Court Judge Sean M Persin said in an order J u d g e P e r s i n o r d e r e d t h e T i p p e c a n o e C o u n t y S h e r i f f ’ s Office to transport Sha and his b e l o n g i n g s b a c k t o t h e Tippecanoe County Jail “at the earliest convenience”

Physicians told the court in April that they found Sha fit the criteria for a schizophrenia diagnosis and recommended a 90day treatment for him in the Logansport facility

Raj Subramaniam

Flood like situation in Gujarat, 12,500 shifted in 8 districts

The flood situation in the i ndustrial towns of Bharuch and Ankleshwar as well as p a rt s o f c e n tr a l G uj a ra t remained grim with a large n u mb e r o f r e s i de n ti a l s o c i e ti e s i n k n e e d e ep waters and vast swathes of f a r ml a n d i n un d a te d Th e s u dd e n he a vy d i s c ha rg e f r om t he Sa rd a r Sa ro va r D am on Su n da y s en t N a r m ad a w a te r s dangerously rising and the levels conti nued to be above the danger mark

Around 8,000 people in 58 residential societies in b o t h t o w n s h e l p l e s s l y watched their valuables and b e l o n g i n g s f l o a t i n g T h e t r a i n m o v e m e n t o n t h e Mumbai-Ahmedabad route r e s u m e d s l o w l y b u t t h e traffic was chaotic on the

national highway-48 near

Bharuch

S t a t e g o v e r n m e n t spokesman Rushikesh Patel said around 12,500 people w e r e s h i f t e d t o s a f e r locations in eight districts while 617 people stranded a t v a r i o u s p l a c e s w e r e rescued The worst-affected d i s t r i c t s w e r e B h a r u c h , N a r m a d a , V a d o d a r a , D a h o d , P a n c h m a h a l a n d

Anand

On Sunday, 23 gates of t h e S a r d a r S a r o v a r D a m were opened, letting off the h i g h e s t e v e r d i s c h a r g e o f 1 8 , 0 0 , 0 0 0 c u s e c s d o w n s t r e a m , g i v i n g n o chance to people to save their valuables Around 55 v i l l a g e s o f B h a r u c h a n d Narmada districts, some 10 low-lying areas of Bharuch t o w n , a n d 5 8 r e s i d e n t i a l

s o c i e t i e s o f A n k l e s h w a r , Hansot, and Diva Road, are heavily inundated

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

Ahmedabad threw normal life out of gear as citizens avoided going out as roads

r e m a i n e d w a t e r l o g g e d Towards evening, the city

a l s o e x p e r i e n c e d t h u n d e r s t o r m s a n d o c c a s i o n a l h e a v y r a i n

Ahmedabad received 84mm of rainfall on Sunday

M ahi, Orsang and H eran rivers also in spate

A p a r t f r o m N a r m a d a , r a i n - f e d r i v e r s s u c h a s

O r s a n g , H e r a n , M a h i ,

M e s h r i a n d P a n a m a r e swollen due to heavy rain coupled with the release of water from various dams, resulting in inundation of low-lying villages

12-hour drama over mysterious Chinese bag at G20

A quiet but stressful dram a was played ou t at one of th e fiv e-star h otels in Delhi at the same tim e the city w as ag og with anticipatio n o ver wheth er Ind ia w ould be able to forge a consensus at th e G2 0 s u m m i t, p la c in g security ag encies in a pickle I t s t a r t e d w h e n t h e unusual dimensions of the bags of one of the members of the Chinese delegation e n g a g e d t h e a t t e n t i o n o f security officers deployed at

t h e i r h o t e l , T a j P a l a c e While the team had been i n s t r u c t e d t o f a c i l i t a t e p a s s a g e o f “ d i p l o m a t i c b a g g a g e ” , t h e s i z e o f t h e bags was too odd to have evaded the attention of eyes t r a i n e d t o b e w a r y H o w e v e r , k e e p i n g d i p l o m a t i c p r o t o c o l s i n mind, the security personnel allowed the bags in Once inside the area, a s t a f f m e m b e r a c c i d e n t a l l y caught a glimpse of some

"suspicious equipment" and q u i c k l y a l e r t e d t h e superiors, who, after a brief r o u n d o f m e e t i n g s , instructed the team to run t h e b a g s t h r o u g h t h e s c a n n e r A t e n s e confrontation ensued as the Chinese refused to allow the bags and, more importantly, t h e i r c o n t e n t s , t o b e s e a r c h e d T h e s e c u r i t y p e r s o n n e l w e r e a n y w a y i n t r i g u e d o n g e t t i n g t o k n o w t h a t t h e C h i n e s e

d e l e g a t i o n h a d s o u g h t a s e p a r a t e a n d “ p r i v a t e ” internet connection, which the hotel declined Sources at the hotel said the 12-hour-long drama was resolved only after Chinese security agreed to remove t h e e q u i p m e n t f r o m t h e hotel and have it sent to their embassy Incidentally, the Brazilian president, the n e x t h o s t o f t h e G 2 0 summit, was also staying in the same hotel

Amrita Sher-Gil's 'The Story Teller' fetches £6.18 mn at auction

A mri ta S her-Gi l's artwork s et a reco rd for th e hi ghest pric e p ai d by an I nd ian artist when i t sol d fo r £6 18 milli on at a r e ce nt au c ti o n S h er - G i l p ai nted th e piece, titled "Th e S tory Teller," i n 1937 The s al e was organi sed by the aucti on f irm SaffronArt at The Oberoi i n New Delh i Thi s aucti on o ccurred ten days after th e mod erni st Syed Haid er Raza's artwork Gestation, s old for £ 5 17 mi llion at th e Pundol e aucti on hous e

The great artist wanted to investigate the world of household life in "The Story Teller," according to a page devoted to the artwork on SaffronArt

8 injured as plane breaks into 2 while landing in Mumbai rain

A mi d- s iz e b u s in es s je t c arr ying e ight p as s enger s o n a c h ar ter f l igh t fr o m

V is ak h a p a tn a m c r as h ed wh ile attempting to l and in a dow np ou r at th e Mumbai a ir p o r t O n i m p a c t, t h e aircraft' s fus elage s plit in h a l f T h er e w e r e n o f a t al i ti es , h o w e ve r r ep o r ts s t a te d t h a t b o t h p il o ts su ffered sp inal injuries, w hile the p assengers als o su ffered many f ractures and bruis es

A m o n g t h e p a s s e n g e r s o n b o a r d t h e a i r c r a f t w a s D h r u v K o t a k , M D o f

Mumbai-based conglomerate

J M Baxi Ports & Logistics Ltd, Arul Sal, his executive a s s i s t a n t , K K K r i s h n a d a s , president and COO of J M B a x i , A a k a r s h S h e t h i , a n d Lars Sorensen, MD of Hapag

L l o y d I n d i a T h e p i l o t - i nc o m m a n d w a s S u n i l B h a t , w h i l e t h e f i r s t o f f i c e r w a s Neil Diwan

A l l e i g h t i n j u r e d p a s s e n g e r s w e r e s e n t t o Criticare Hospital in Andheri

( E a s t ) , w i t h t h e t w o p i l o t s s u f f e r i n g t h e m o s t s e r i o u s w o u n d s D u e t o a s p i n a l f r a c t u r e , f i r s t o f f i c e r N e i l

D i w a n i s n o w p a r a p l e g i c D i r e c t o r o f C r i t i c a r e D r D e e p a k N a m j o s h i a d v i s e d e m e r g e n c y s u r g e r y b e c a u s e Diwan had no feeling in his legs

Sunil Bhat, the pilot in command, endured a lumbar s p i n e i n j u r y a n d f o r e h e a d abrasions but did not sustain neurological damage, doctors said Namjoshi added the sole crew member, Kamakshi, and the other passengers suffered f r a c t u r e s a n d s o f t t i s s u e i n j u r i e s , b u t s a i d m o s t o f them were hemodynamically stable

F l i g h t o p e r a t i o n s a t Mumbai airport were halted for an hour and a half as a result of the damaged aircraft b e i n g s t u c k o f f t h e m a i n r u n w a y A s o u r c e r e p o r t e d t h a t a t o t a l o f 3 9 a r r i v i n g flights were redirected

12 pilgrims from Gujarat killed in Rajasthan accident

G r o u p , s o l d a t E n g l i s h auction house Sotheby's as early as 1992

" T h e s a l e o f t h i s p a r t i c u l a r w o r k i s a n important milestone in the m a r k e t H o w e v e r , e q u a l l y important, is the work itself - it is an exceptional painting as a cornerstone in SherGil's work as such She is one o f I n d i a s n a t i o n a l a r t

treasures, and this type of work is quite rare to come across for sale," said Minal Vazirani, the auction house's co-founder Sher-Gil's works h a v e b e e n a u c t i o n e d 8 4 t i m e s H e r o l d e s t a u c t i o n was recorded on MutualArt f o r t h e a r t w o r k V i l l a g e

In 1913, she was born in Budapest Her father, Umrao Singh Sher-Gil, was a scholar of Persian and Sanskrit who c a m e f r o m a n a r i s t o c r a t i c f a m i l y i n P u n j a b H e r m o t h e r M a r i e A n t o i n e t t e was an opera singer who was of Hungarian descent SherG i l s h o w e d i n t e r e s t i n painting and drawing at the age of five Her early works, i n w a t e r c o l o u r s , s h o w e d v i b r a n t i l l u s t r a t i o n s o f Hungarian fairy tales with captivating characters The artist died in 1941, at the age of 28

Kejriwal, Singh move high court against summons

Delhi chie f ministe r Ar vind K e j r i w a l a n d A a m A a d mi Pa rt y R ajya Sabha m ember Sa nja y Singh file d a pet ition wit h th e G ujara t High C ourt t o conte st th e summonse s t hat had be en issued to t hem by a met ropolit an cour t a ft er i t h a d t a k e n G u ja r a t U nive rsity's de fa mat ion case in to account The politician s filed pet itions in the high co urt a fte r a cit y ses sion s court reje ct ed t heir pleas in t his r ega rd on Se ptem ber 14

G U f i l e d a c r i m i n a l c o m p l a i n t a g a i n s t t h e political figures in April, a c c u s i n g t h e m o f d e f a m a t i o n f o r m a k i n g

d i s p a r a g i n g a n d s a t i r i c a l c o m m e n t s a b o u t t h e institution in relation to Prime Minister Narendra M o d i ' s d e g r e e A f t e r listening to the testimony o f f o u r w i t n e s s e s a n d reviewing the university's audio and video evidence, a m e t r o p o l i t a n m a g i s t r a t e

issued summonses to them

As the metropolitan court was insisting on the presence of both , w h i c h t h e y h a d p r o m i s e d , t h e y c h a l l e n g e d t h e t r i a l c o u r t ’ s t a k i n g c o g n i z a n c e o f G U ’ s c o m p l a i n t o n v a r i o u s grounds Additional sessions judge J M Brahmbhatt turned d o w n t h e i r r e v i s i o n a p p l i c a t i o n s , s a y i n g , “ T h e magistrate has reached the c o n c l u s i o n o f s u b j e c t i v e satisfaction and issued the process after analyzing and appreciating the material on

r e c o r d , w h i c h i s n e i t h e r p a t e n t l y i l l e g a l n o r erroneous ” Both accused persons ’ m a i n c o n t e n t i o n a g a i n s t the summons is that GU could not have raised the grievance of being defamed because it is considered a State under Article 12 of the Constitution The city sessions court rejected this claim and agreed with the university's claims that GU i s a n a u t o n o m o u s l e g a l organisation because it is n e i t h e r a d m i n i s t r a t i v e l y , financially, or functionally c o n t r o l l e d b y t h e s t a t e government

T w el v e p i lg r im s f ro m Gu j a rat 's B h av nag ar ar ea were killed and many oth ers injured w hen a 10-w heeler tra ile r c ol li d ed w i th th e ir h al te d bu s o n th e A g raJ ai p u r Na ti o na l Hi g h w a y T h e b us , c arr yi ng 5 7 passengers, w as on its way to M athu ra in U P w hen the ac c i d en t to o k p l ac e ne ar Hantra in Bharatpur district o f Ra j as th an ea rl y i n th e mo rning Due to the impact of the event, 11 people passed away i m m e d i a t e l y , w h i l e o n e woman died while receiving m e d i c a l a t t e n t i o n a t t h e h o s p i t a l S e v e n o f t h e deceased were women The

bodies were scattered on the side of the highway Police reached the spot a f t e r b e i n g a l e r t e d b y p a s s i n g m o t o r i s t s T h e i n j u r e d w e r e r u s h e d t o hospital The trailer driver has been arrested The bus was halted in the middle of a f l y o v e r a s t h e b u s ' d i e s e l t a n k p i p e h a d r u p t u r e d A f t e r l e a r n i n g t h a t t h e repairs would take an hour, many people got off the bus and were sitting by the side of the road All the victims belonged to Dihor village in Bhavnagar The pilgrims had hired the private bus and embarked on the tour on September 9

Four killed while fighting Pakbacked terrorists in Kashmir

A soldier wounded in retaliatory fi re by a group of Pakistanbac ked terr ori s ts bei n g ch ased by sec uri t y fo rc es i n J & K' s Anantn ag di ed in hospi tal, making hi m the fourth casualty of the operation after two Army officers - a Colonel and a M ajor - an d a DSP of J &K Police were killed i n action on the fi rst day

According to reports, the body of a soldier reported missing had also been found, but there was no immediate confirmation from the Army authorities about a fifth death

A joint team of the Army and police has been on the hunt for three Pakistani terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s shadow outfit TRF and a local recruit, identified as 28-year-old Uzair Khan of Kokernag, in the forests surrounding the hillside village of Gadool

Drones and quad copters have been aerially scouring the operational area for the terrorists amid the sound of gunfire and b o m b s e x p l o d i n g i n t e r m i t t e n t l y t h r o u g h t h e d a y S e c u r i t y officials had said that they had “encircled” two of the terrorists who shot and killed Col Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Maj Aashish Dhonchak and DSP Humayun Bhat the previous day The fleeing terrorists have so far been able to keep the security men at bay because of their knowledge of the dense forests and the tough, hilly terrain, sources said Security forces have tightened the cordon and asked civilians inhabiting the areas in the vicinity of the forested operational zone to stay indoors to avoid collateral damage

Arvind Kejriwal

Chennai welcomes the public to the opening of the largest inflatable park

In February of this year, Dubai op ened th e w o rld ’ s larg e st i nf latab le p ark, setti ng a Guinness World Record T aking inspiration from this, Ch ennai, in South Ind ia, h as also m ad e its m ark with Moh amm ed Wasif of A irborne, creating Sou th Ind ia's first and m ost extensive inflatable park

Located within Chennai's Marina Mall in Egattur, this vast 7,200-square-foot space offers entertainment suitable for individuals of all age groups To address the potential challenge of maintaining balance on inflatable surfaces, grip socks are available for a nominal fee, while secure lockers are provided for visitors to store their belongings safely

"We prioritise safety and ensure a vigilant team of five to six staff members consistently monitors the area," Wasif explains He i s r e n o w n e d f o r e s t a b l i s h i n g A i r b o r n e , Chennai's inaugural exclusive trampoline park on Khader Nawaz Khan Road, back in 2017 Educating patrons on safe movement

Nod for £4.5 billion defence buys, 12 more Sukhois to fly in

Preli mi nary approval was g iv en by In dia for capital acqui sition projects for the armed forces of £4 5 billi on, includ ing the purchase of 12 more Sukhoi-30M KI fig hter planes , fiv e n extg eneration n av al survey vessel s, about 80 0 li ght armo ured mult ip urp os e v ehi cl es, an d more than 200 Dhruvastra anti-tank guid ed mi ssiles

within the inflatable space, including guidelines to avoid jumping too close to others, has been a vital aspect of their efforts The e n t i r e a r e n a r e m a i n s u n d e r c o n t i n u o u s surveillance, and the staff is readily available to address visitors' inquiries and ensure the secure execution of activities

"To minimise the risk of injuries, we've taken extensive measures such as eliminating sharp edges and cushioning all surfaces Each zone has its own dedicated staff for added safety," he further elaborates

INDIA eyes Oct-end for seat-sharing talks

T h e I N DI A co a li ti o n o f o pposition parties made the d ecision to defer to its next m eeting the cru cial subject o f d e term in i ng t h e s eatsh aring formula for upcoming state elections and the 20 24 Lo k Sabha elections, stating th at th e issue wou ld be reso lv ed " at the earliest " T h e p ro c es s o f all o ca ti ng seats am ong themselv es in o rder to d irectly challenge the BJP wou ld be finish ed by the end of October, according to sources after their 14m em ber coordination comm ittee's first m eeting, wh ich w as cond ucted at the resid ence of NCP leader Sh arad P awar in Delhi

The opposition parties decided to start “joint public

rallies” across India, “take up caste census ” and, significantly, make a list of media p r o g r a m m e s a n d T V anchors who will be boycotted by the INDIA parties

T r i n a m o o l C o n g r e s s , w h o s e c h i e f M a m a t a B a n e r j e e h a d a t t h e l a s t meeting in Mumbai objected to "caste census" being put on the alliance's agenda, was not represented in the m e t i n g A s k e d w h e t h e r Trinamool had relented to allow "caste census" to be included among the common priorities, coordination c o m m i t t e e m e m b e r s s a i d they would sound out the TMC leadership and CPM, a n o t h e r a b s e n t e e , o n t h e issue

INDIA bloc names boycott of 14 TV anchors

T he INDIA bloc parties carried out their intention to boyco tt 1 4 new s anchors from various new s stations as the first stage o f a grad ed response to new s presenters they hav e accused of " bias and com munalism "

The list, tweeted by Congress’s Pawan Khera, which may be pruned or expanded over the coming months, was finalised by the INDIA bloc media committee a day after the c o o r d i n a t i o n c o m m i t t e e m e t a t N C P p a t r i a r c h S h a r a d Pawar’s residence According to sources, if the indicted journalists and the outlets they work for don't change their ways, the parties will take stronger measures, including a general boycott of allegedly biased networks, a strong protest to their owners, and the denial of advertisements to them by states run by members of the anti-BJP front

Opposition wants to destroy

Sanatan Dharma: PM Modi

In his first d irect attack o n th e op position since the controv ersy started w ith DMK politician Ud hayanid hi Stalin's call for the "eradication of Sanatan Dharm a," PM M odi said that the INDIA bloc is making an "attem pt to destro y Sanatan Dh arma The PM had earlier instructed th e council of ministers to respond to Ud hayanidh i's comm ents in an "ap prop riate manner "

The prime minister pleaded with Indians to stop the bloc's "hidden agenda of attacking Sanatan Dharma and driving the nation into a thousand years of slavery " A member of the INDIA alliance is DMK

Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of a £5 billion petrochemicals complex in poll-bound MP’s Bina, Modi said: “The ghamandia alliance met in Mumbai recently They neither have any policy nor issue nor a leader They have a hidden agenda ” He added, “While India is occupying the centre stage in uniting the world, playing the role of ‘vishwa mitra’, the INDIA alliance is trying to divide the country and society by attacking Sanatan values, culture and traditions, which have kept India united for thousands of years ”

India's defence minister Rajnath Singh p r e s i d e d o v e r t h e h i g h - p o w e r e d D e f e n c e Acquisitions Council (DAC) meeting and gave instructions to the top military officials and bureaucrats to strive for a minimum of 6065% indigenous content rather than the current threshold of 50% for projects that are IDDM (indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured)

The major takeaway, of course, was the grant of “acceptance of necessity (AoN)” for the long-pending procurement of 12 Sukhoi-

A b h i s h e k B a n e r j e e , a TMC official, was absent, and a chair was left empty as a sign of protest against the B J P ' s p u r p o r t e d v e n d e t t a t a c t i c s B e c a u s e t h e E n f o r c e m e n t D i r e c t o r a t e had called him in connection with its investigation into the suspected school jobs fraud in West Bengal, Banerjee was delayed

One of the equipment turne d on b y Isro was use d by Adit ya-L1, India's first sol ar space observa tory pr oject, to start gather in g dat a for research pur poses “The se nsors of t he STEPS in str ume nt ha ve be gun mea surin g supr a-t hermal a nd energe tic ions a nd ele ct rons at d ist ances gr eat er t han 5 0,00 0km from Ear th This data helps scientists anal yse t h e b e h a vi o ur o f p a

includes

Six sensors make up STEPS, each of which measures supra-thermal and energetic ions while looking in a different

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

30MKI fighters for the IAF

The IAF currently has 260 of the 272 twin-seat Sukhois, which constitute the backbone of its combat fleet, with the bulk of them being licensed and produced by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) at an o v e r a l l c o s t u p w a r d s o f $ 1 2 b i l l i o n f r o m Russia

It will cost about £1 15 billion to purchase the 12 new Sukhois that will replace the ones that crashed The choice is being made while plans are being finalised for a significant overhaul of the entire Sukhoi fleet, which will include new indigenous armaments, electronic warfare systems, and sensors It includes the procurement of around 800 light armoured multi-purpose vehicles and integrated surveillance and targeting systems for almost £200 m i l l i o n t o e n h a n c e p r o t e c t i o n , m o b i l i t y , attack capability and increased survivability of the Army’s mechanised forces

Aditya-L1 begins sending scientific data

using low and high energy particle spectrometers The data collected during Earth’s orbits helps scientists to analyse the behaviour of particles surrounding the Earth, especially in the presence of the magnetic field of Earth,” Isro said It added that STEPS was activated on September 10 at a distance greater than 50,000 km from Earth This distance is equivalent to more than eight times the Earth’s radius, placing it well beyond Earth’s radiation belt region “After completing the necessary instrument health checks, data collect i o n c o n t i n u e d u n t i l t h e s p a c e c r a f t h a d moved farther than 50,000 km from Earth

Each unit of STEPS is operating within normal parameters,” Isro said

The Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) created STEPS with assistance from the Isro Space Application Centre (SAC)

Cong promises Rs 2,500/month assistance to Telangana women

H Y D E R A B A D : C o ng res s p ar li am ent ary p a rty chairperson S onia Gand hi announced six guarantees for p oll-bound Telang ana, includ ing the Mahalakshm i scheme pro viding Rs 2,500 f in an ci al a ss i s tan ce t o wom en ev ery month , to be imp lemented if the party is vo ted to form the g overnment

“It has been my dream to see a C o n g r e s s g o v e r n m e n t i n T e l a n g a n a t h a t w i l l w o r k f o r a l l s e c t i o n s o f s o c i e t y , ” s h e s a i d d u r i n g a p u b l i c meeting in Tukkuguda, marking the 75th anniversary of the merger of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad with the Indian Union in 1948

T h e M a h a l a k s h m i s c h e m e , t h e highlight of the guarantees, will provide financial assistance of Rs 2,500 a month t o w o m e n , o f f e r L P G d o m e s t i c g a s cylinder refills for Rs 500, and ensure free travel for women in state road transport corporation buses

The guarantees encompass various other benefits, such as financial aid of Rs

1 5 , 0 0 0 f o r f a r m e r s a n d t e n a n t f a r m e r s , R s 1 2 , 0 0 0 for agricultural labour, Rs 500 bonus for paddy crops, f r e e e l e c t r i c i t y u p t o 2 0 0 units for every household, house sites and Rs 500,000 for those without their own homes, 250 square yard plots f o r T e l a n g a n a s t a t e h o o d w a r r i o r s , i n t e r e s t - f r e e V i d y a B h a r o s a cards worth Rs 500,000 for students, Telangana International Schools in all m a n d a l s , R s 4 , 0 0 0 p e n s i o n s f o r t h e elderly, widows, weavers, and others, a n d a R s 1 0 , 0 0 , 0 0 0 R a j i v A r o g y a s r i insurance cover for the poor She asked: “Will you all support Congress?” The people in the crowd r a i s e d t h e i r h a n d s R a h u l G a n d h i expressed the party’s determination to challenge not only chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s BRS in Telangana b u t a l s o w h a t h e c a l l e d t h e collaborative efforts of BRS, BJP, and

A I M I M H e s a i d t h e s e c l a i m t o b e d i s t i n c t p a r t i e s , b u t a r e w o r k i n g together and supporting each other

Cong demands probe by sitting HC judge in Neh violence

CHA ND IGAR H: The Haryana Congres s has dem anded a judic ial inquiry under t he s upervision of a s itt ing HC judge to b rin g out t he tr ut h b ehind t he Nuh violence In a joint statem ent, for mer

Chie f M inister Bhupinder Singh Hooda a n d H a ry a n a C on gr e s s pr e s i de n t

Udaibhan as ked why the governm ent was afr aid of a judic ial inquiry into t he inc ident

“Judicial inquiry will bring out the t r u t h b e h i n d t h e N u h c o n s p i r a c y

Congress MLA Mamman Khan has been a r r e s t e d f o r p o l i t i c a l r e a s o n s a n d a judicial inquiry will bring out the truth,”

Udaibhan said The leaders claimed that inflammatory posts were being posted on social media about 15 days before the incident and the government did not take any action “This makes it clear the government is trying to hide something T h e g o v e r n m e n t ’ s i n a c t i o n i n d i c a t e either its complicity in the incident or its f a i l u r e , ” h e a d d e d H o o d a s a i d t h e incident happened due to the failure of the Haryana Police and the people of the s t a t e d i d n o t t r u s t t h e p o l i c e investigation

in brief

NIPAH CASES UNDER CONTROL IN KERALA

B EN G A LU R U : The Karnataka governmen t has m ade i t m a n d a to r y fo r s t ud e n t s a n d te a c h e r s i n a l l educational ins ti tutions of the state to read aloud the pr e a m b l e t o t h e C on s t i t u ti o n d ur i n g m o r n i n g a s s e m b l y , a n d a l s o t a k e a n oa t h t o a do p t t h e princi ples enshrined i n the documen t i n thei r dai ly lives

“The reading has been made compulsory to make children aware of the ideals and principles behind their constitutional responsibilities,” said state social welfare minister C Mahadevappa

Speaking at an event involving the reading of the preamble on the footsteps of Vidhana Soudha to mark International Day of Democracy, chief minister S i d d a r a m a i a h s a i d h i s g o v e r n m e n t w a s m a k i n g special efforts to create awareness on democracy, the Constitution and its preamble among students, since the survival of the Constitution was paramount for democracy to survive

“If the constitution survives, democracy will survive If democracy survives, we all will survive So, it is the duty of every individual to read, understand and protect our Constitution,” he said “This is the need of the hour, as efforts are being made by some forces to destroy the Constitution,” he added

Foundation laying ceremony of AIIMS at Rewari postponed

R EW A RI : The founda tion ston e of t he much-awa it ed

A IIMS project here will n ot be laid on Se ptember 23 a s

b e i n g sp e c u la t e d b y lo ca l r e s id e n t s s i n ce U n io n

M i n i st e r R a o I n d e r j i t ca l le d o n P r i m e M in i s t e r

No new Nipah positive cases were reported in Kerala since September 16 with 61 more samples of persons who were in the high risk contact list turning up negative for the virus, Kerala government said Meanwhile, the Central teams were in the field and surveying all the relevant locations Kerala health minister said The last Nipah positive case reported in the state was on September 15

The minister said that the situation was under control presently The minister said the four infected persons, including a nine-year-old boy, were getting better and the child has been taken off ventilator for the time being The minister said that since all the infected persons got the virus from the same personthe index case - who died on August 30, it was clear that there was no second wave and that it was welcome news

AIADMK ‘CALLS OFF’ BJP ALLIANCE, MAY REVISIT LATER

AIADMK s alliance with BJP in Tamil Nadu is off as of today and a review - if at all -will only happen closer to elections , its organising secretary D Jayakumar said in a bitter denouement to days of sparring with the saffron party's state president K Annamalai over his remarks about Dravida Kazhagam founder Periyar E V Ramasamy and other leaders At a public gathering, Annamalai had said that Annadurai went into hiding in 1956 after his certain remarks on rationalism infuriated Thevar stalwart Muthuramalinga Subsequently Annadurai had to apologise to the Thevar stalwart in Madurai, Annamalai added Annamalai told reporters that BJP will not be subservient to anyone “Alliance is important But if you expect us to be slaves we cannot be so This is a party of self respect ’ he said

K ha n's rem and exte nded

Named as a key conspirator in three m o r e F I R s p e r t a i n i n g t o a r s o n a n d communal violence in Nagina block of Nuh, the police remand of Khan has been extended by two days We have found Khan to be a conspirator in a few more FIRs A probe is underway; we can’t g i v e a n y f u r t h e r d e t a i l s N a r e n d e r B i j a r n i a , N u h S P s a i d T h e I n t e r n e t services in Nuh have been suspended for two more days and will now be restored on September 19 The police have named Khan as an accused in FIR number 137, 148 and 150 He was earlier named an accused in FIR number 149 two day ago The police sought Khan’s remand in FIR n u m b e r 1 3 7 c l a i m i n g t h a t t h e y h a d concrete evidence of his involvement and wanted more information

N ar end ra Modi last mont h and in vited him t o lay the found ation of the pr oject on t hat da y Naresh Sharma, media coordinator of Rao Inderjit, said since the tender process for the execution of the AIIMS project was yet to be finalised, the PM’s Office has decided to lay the stone after the tender process, which is likely to be completed by October Rao’s media coordinator has cited technical reasons for not holding the ceremony However, the AIIMS Sangharsh Samiti has blamed BJP’s internal politics in Ahirwal region, which comprises Rewari, Mahendragarh and Gurugram districts, for the delay in commencement of the work People were expecting that Rao Inderjit would organise a mega function in Rewari on Shaheedi

D i v a s ( S e p t e m b e r 2 3 ) f o r t h e f o u n d a t i o n l a y i n g ceremony “A war of taking credit of the project between t w o f a c t i o n s o f t h e B J P i n A h i r w a l i s l e a d i n g t o inordinate delay in execution of the project After sometime, now the BJP leaders belonging to the antiRao faction may try to get time from the PM for laying the foundation of the project to take credit for it,” opined a member of the AIIMS Sangharsh Samiti

Santiniketan, Hoysala temples on Unesco World Heritage list

K O L K A T A : R a b in d ra n a t h T a go r e ’ s “ a b o de of pe a c e ” S a n ti n ik e t a n a n d H oy s a l a t e m p l e s i n K ar n a t a k a w e re of f icia ll y re cognis ed a s Unes c o World Herita ge s ite s - 42nd in India a nd f if th in Bengal The dec is ion to incl ude Santiniketan on this l is t was made by mem bers of the Inter na tional Council on M onume nt s and Sites at the 45 th s e ss ion of t he Wor l d H erit age Comm itt ee held in Riyadh This w a s t h e f i rs t m e e t in g of t he c om mittee s inc e t he pande mic in 2 020 T h e j o u r n e y t o s e c u r e U n e s c o r e c o g n i t i o n f o r Santiniketan began over a decade ago when restoration architects A b h a N a r a i n L a m b a h a n d c o n s e r v a t i o n a r c h i t e c t M a n i s h C h a k r a b o r t i c o l l a b o r a t e d t o

prepare the initial dossier for the ASI

“Santiniketan is the tangible realisation of an educational and artistic community’s encounter w i t h p a n - A s i a n m o d e r n i t y I t represents a modernity that does not look to the West, but East, a n d r e p r e s e n t s a s u s t a i n a b l e

architecture that is even more r e l e v a n t t o d a y t h a n i t w a s a hundred years ago, ” Lambah said CM Mamata Banerjee expressed her joy, emphasising the pride of B e n g a l i n S a n t i n i k e t a n a n d acknowledging the government’s e f f o r t s t o e n h a n c e i t s infrastructure in recent years

FORMER CONG MLA ARRESTED IN DISPROPORTIONATE ASSETS CASE

Former Congress MLA from Ferozepur Rural assembly segment, Satkar Kaur Gehri and her husband Jasmail Singh Laddi Gehri have been arrested by the Vigilance Bureau in a matter related to accumulation of disproportionate assets While Satkar Kaur was reportedly arrested in Chandigarh her husband Jasmail Laddi Gehri was arrested from his residence at Ale Wala village Satkar Kaur was handpicked by the then AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi to contest the 2012 assembly polls However, she lost her maiden electoral bout by a narrow margin Subsequently in 2017, she bounced back and got elected from Ferozepur (Rural) assembly However, in 2022, she was expelled from Congress for to anti-party activities following which she had joined BJP Her husband is an elected Zila Parishad member and district president of BJP SC Wing

Hoys ala tem pl es

The inclusion of Karnataka's H o y s a l a T e m p l e s ' s a c r e d ensembles in the World Heritage l i s t c a m e a d a y a f t e r t h e r e c o g n i s a t i o n o f S a n t i n i k e t a n M o r e p r i d e f o r I n d i a ! T h e magnificent Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas have been inscribed on the @UNESCO World Heritage List," PM Modi wrote on X " T h e t i m e l e s s b e a u t y a n d intricate details of the Hoysala temples are a testament to India's r i c h c u l t u r a l h e r i t a g e a n d t h e exceptional craftsmanship of our ancestors," he added The Union Government had proposed the H o y s a l a t e m p l e s o f B e l u r , H a l e b i d a n d S o m n a t h a p u r a a s India's official nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2022-2023

SOURAV GANGULY TO SET UP NEW STEEL FACTORY IN BENGAL

Sourav Ganguly a former captain of the Indian cricket team, will start a new business by establishing a steel mill in Salboni, a town in Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal Ganguly said the factory s development would be finished in five to six months He is accompanying Mamata Banerjee on her 12-day trip to Spain and Dubai, according to reports On September 14, Ganguly said in a speech at the “Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS)” in Madrid that the cutting-edge facility would be finished in about a year As work on Bengal’s third steel mill has begun, Ganguly thanked the chief minister and said, “I just take this opportunity to thank the chief minister Many of us think that I merely played cricket However we established a modest steel mill in 2007 and we will begin constructing a new steel plant in Medinipore in five to six months

Karnataka makes reading preamble to Constitution mandatory in all schools

Mamman Khan

Sonia Gandhi

MPs move to new parliament building as govt holds special session

I n d i a n l aw m ak e r s b i d farewell to a Bri ti sh- era parl i a m en t bu i ld i n g a n d moved to a new facility next d oo r on wh a t Pr i m e M i n i s t er N a r en d r a Mo di s aid was a “histori c day” I n M ay, Modi i naugurated the n e w bui l di ng , par t of a n a m b i ti o us r ed e ve l op me n t o f t h e s o- c a l le d Ce n t ra l V i s ta c om p le x i n N e w D elhi, amid protests from opposition parties who had wanted India’ s president to i naugurate it instead

“Today India has awakened with a new consciousness, ” Modi said in the central hall of the old parliament building before leading fellow legislators by foot across to the new complex

Built by British archit e c t s E d w i n L u t y e n s a n d Herbert Baker two decades b e f o r e I n d i a ’ s 1 9 4 7 i n d ependence, the old building w i t n e s s e d t h e t o r t u o u s birth of the republic and thereafter served as a custodian of the world’s most populous democracy Now it is to become a museum, its 788 members moving to a n e w , t r i a n g u l a r - s h a p e d complex built at an estimated cost of $120 mn

It is part of a $2 8bn

r e v a m p o f B r i t i s h - e r a o f f i c e s a n d r e s i d e n c e s i n central New Delhi that will also include blocks of buildings for government ministries and departments and the prime minister’s new residence The entire project is spread over 3 2 km

“Today is an occasion to recollect and reminisce the parliamentary journey of 75 years of India before the proceedings are shifted to t h e n e w l y i n a u g u r a t e d building,” Modi told a special session of parliament on Monday

His speech marked the start of a five-day special session called by the government, but there was no immediate confirmation on bills up for discussion The l a w m a k e r s u s u a l l y m e e t thrice a year: for a budget

South Asian diaspora demands justice for Kandula

Subhasini Naicker

A tr agic and u ns et tl in g in c iden t h a s s en t sh oc kw aves th rough th e So uth Asian co mmunity glo bally, wh en the s tory of a 23-year- old I ndian stu dent wh o was kill ed after being fl ung 100 feet away as a p olice c ar struck h er at a s peed o f nearly 119 km h o n 23rd Janu ary 2023 cam e into limelight Th is h eart w rench ing inc ident h as raised qu es tio ns about s af ety and acc ountabil ity of law enfo rcement, s parking wides pread co ncern and dem ands of justice

session, a monsoon session and a winter session

India’s lower house held a brief first session in its new home to introduce a bill setting a 33 per cent quota on female representation among legislators If passed, the proposed law would dramatically lift the number of women in parliament Speaking on the eve of what could be the last sitting of Parliament in the c o l o n i a l - e r a b u i l d i n g , t h e PM said, "The 75-year-long j o u r n e y g e n e r a t e d t r a d it i o n s a n d p r o c e d u r e s o f highest quality Members of t h i s H o u s e a c t i v e l y c o ntributed to and were witness to the evolution This chapter of the glorious journey will serve as a reminder o f I n d i a ' s p o t e n t i a l a s a democracy "

On birthday, PM Modi launches £1.3 billion scheme for artisans

F ollowing up on h is A ugust 1 5 speech, P rim e M inister Narend ra Mo di unv eiled the "P M V ish wakarm a Scheme," a national initiativ e w ith a budget o f £ 1 3 billion He claimed that it w as p ast ti me for the " Vishwakarmas" ( co mmunity of artisans and crafts people) to receive help and recognition, and that his g overnment had stepped up as a partner to increase th eir resp ect, develop their skills, and bring th em prosp erity

“Modi stands for those who have nobody to care for them,” the PM said, noting that he was here to serve, give a life of dignity and make sure that delivery of services happened without fail “This is Modi’s guarantee,” he emphasised

The Prime Minister made his comments a t a c e r e m o n y i n D w a r k a t o h o n o r Vishwakarma Jayanti and mark the opening of the first phase of Yashobhoomi, India's largest convention and exposition center

In reference to the main features of the programme, Modi stated that "Vishwakarma friends" would be eligible for a very lowinterest loan of up to Rs 300,000 He said that because they had "Modi's guarantee," banks would not request any guarantees

“Our Vishwakarma colleagues are the p r i d e o f ‘ M a k e i n I n d i a ’ a n d t h i s I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o n v e n t i o n C e n t r e w i l l become a medium to showcase this pride to the world,” Modi said The Vishwakarma scheme is aimed at benefiting artisans overw h e l m i n g l y d r a w n f r o m a m o n g s o c i a l l y backward communities Political circles have seen this as an attempt to forge the myriad artisan castes engaged in 18 different traditional occupations - carpentry, pottery and the like - into an important political constituency On their own, these castes lack the numbers, resources and clout to make a big difference but collectively, they can potentially have important weightage

By leveraging the biometric-based gateway, the programme's Common Services Centers will provide free registration for c r a f t s m e n a n d c r a f t s p e o p l e T h e y w i l l r e c e i v e r e c o g n i t i o n t h r o u g h t h e

Narendra Modi

u p g r a d i n g t h r o u g h b a s i c a n d a d v a n c e d training, a toolkit incentive of Rs 15,000, collateral-free credit support of Rs 300,000 - up to Rs 100,000 (first tranche) and Rs 200,000 (second tranche) at a concessionary interest rate of 5%, an incentive for digital transactions, and marketing assistance

BJP h old s multiple events to m ark the occasion

On the occasion of the 73rd birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ruling BJP organised various welfare programmes across Gujarat

CM Bhupendra Patel visited Trimandir i n t h e A d a l a j a r e a o f G a n d h i n a g a r a n d prayed before Simandhar Swami for the “long and healthy life” of Modi

Ahmedabad city BJP chief and Ellisbridge

MLA Amit Shah visited the Blind People’s A s s o c i a t i o n i n t h e V a s t r a p u r a r e a o f Ahmedabad and served food to the speciallyabled children

The Culture Cell of Gujarat BJP organised a three-day exhibition, of 73 paintings prepared by various individuals on the basis of poems written by Modi in his book Aankh aa Dhanya Chhe

President Droupadi Murmu, other dignitaries and senior politicians extended warm greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turned 73 The BJP launched "Sewa Pakhwara" from Sunday to October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, to reach out to various parts of society with a variety of humanitarian programmes to honour the occasion The PM himself had inaugurated the ambitious "PM Vishwakarma" scheme on his birthday

As per details, on 23 January, Kevin Dave struck and killed Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, in a crosswalk Dave was driving 74 mph (119 kmh) on the way to an overdose call and Officer Daniel Auderer, a drug recognition expert, was assigned to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, The Seattle Times reported

A d d i n g o n , a v i r a l b o d y c a m v i d e o appeared where Auderer was heard making l i g h t o f t h e i n c i d e n t , w h e r e i n J a a h n a v i Kandula lost her life In the video, Auderer can be heard saying, "Yeah, just write a check $11,000 She was 26 anyway, she had limited value " Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell and chief of p o l i c e A d r i a n D i a z i s s u e d a n a p o l o g y i n response to the tragic death Mayor Harrell extended his apology in a private meeting with representatives from the South Asian immigrant community in the Seattle area "We want to express our extreme condolences for your loss Many comments that have been made do not reflect the sympathy and the empathy and the condolences that we have," the mayor said

As of September 14, officer Kevin Dave doesn’t face any criminal charges in connection with the incident He continues to be employed at the Seattle Police Department As for Daniel Auderer, he has a history of racial violence on duty

America’s Northeastern University has decided to award Jaahanvi Kandula her master’s degree posthumously "Her loss will be felt deeply by students, staff, and faculty,” a university official said The official also condemned the remarks made by the Seattle police officer in the aftermath of the accident, saying they have "deepened our collective heartbreak" The degree will be presented to Jaahnavi's family, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, India

Waves of shock and disc ontent am ong the diaspora

A rally was put together by UTSAV, an organisation based in Bothell (USA) that helps

connect South Asians with their communities, founder Ar un Sharm a said “First, we went to meet the Mayor of Seattle and the top officials of the city, where they apologised to the India community Later in the afternoon, we organised a peaceful march against insensitivity towards a fatal crash of a South Asian Woman by a SPD Officer ”

“We wanted our community to stand for the dignity of South Asians living in the USA We organised a gathering at Denny Park and walk to the crosswalk of Dexter Ave N and Thomas St where the incident happened From kids to grandparents, everyone participated in the march, even people from different races joined together in solidarity of Jaahnavi Kandula,” he added

S hr e y a Pa t ha k , f r o m A h m e d a b a d (Gujarat), whose son studies in the US told Asian Voice, “My son told me about the incident, and it shook me to my core and made me tense, but I also know God is with my son My prayers to God have increased He didn’t tell me initially because he might get worried but through the news channel, I got to know about it, and I immediately called him and talked to him ”

Talking about her child’s safety, she said, “This incident has left me worried about my son ’ s daily life safety as well First, I was worried about his food and academics but now I am more alert about his life ”

A student at the University of Southern California, M anthan said, “My initial thoughts were why are basic rights of living put on hold? Just because we don’t consume this country’s rights doesn’t mean we can’t live ”

Speaking about safety, staying updated about the case and talking to parents about this, he added, “It terrifies me to even walk down the streets for groceries and I try my best to stay updated on the news However, I do not comment on social media as it can get scary I am in constant touch with my parents to assure them about my whereabouts as they are in panic since this case has been disclosed in public ”

Bill to reserve 33% quota for women introduced in Lok Sabha

The Women 's R eser vat ion Bill t hat se ek s t o pr ov ide 33 pe r ce nt quota for women in Lok Sa bha an d sta te assemblies wa s intr oduced in t he Lok Sa bha in t he ongoing special session of Pa rliame nt C alling Se ptember 1 9 a "hist or ic day " , Prime Ministe r N are ndr a Modi urg ed t he Op posit ion to una nimously pass t he Bill - 'Na ri Shak ti Van dan Adhin iy am't h a t ha s be e n h a n g i n g f or n e a r l y t h r e e de ca des

"On this historic occasion in the new Parliament building, as the first proceeding o f t h e H o u s e , t h e b e g i n n i n g o f a l l t h e P a r l i a m e n t a r i a n s o p e n i n g g a t e w a y s f o r women power is being done with this crucial decision," Prime Minister Modi said in Lok Sabha

PM Modi announced that his government is "bringing an important constitutional amendment bill", taking forward "our resolve of women-led development " "Nari S h a k t i V a n d a n A d h i n i y a m ' w i l l f u r t h e r empower our democracy," said PM Modi

"We want more and more women to join the development process of the country, he a d d e d , b e f o r e L a w M i n i s t e r A r j u n R a m Meghwal presented the bill to lawmakers

Women account for almost half of the country's 950 million registered voters but make for only 15% of parliament and about 10% of state legislatures

The bill, once approved, will see the number of women MPs in Lok Sabha go up to 181 from the current 82, Meghwal said

SC pulls up Maharashtra speaker over Sena MLAs’ disqualification issue

O bs erv in g th at M ah ar as h tra as s em b ly

Sp eaker Rahul Narwekar seems to have do ne “noth ing ” in the past fou r m onths to decide on th e d isqualification applications o f M LA s, filed by riv al S hiv Sena factions, the Su preme

C ourt directed h im to exped ite proceed ing s and asked him to place before the SC a schedule for wrapp ing up hearing and taking decisions

s a i d t h a t i t h a d o n M a y 1 1 d i r e c t e d t h e Speaker to decide on the pleas within “ a reasonable time It appears that nothing has happened You cannot say that you will hear in due course, ” the bench told solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Speaker The bench, after hearing both factions and the Speaker, said that disqualification proceedings cannot be delayed indefinitely and the Speaker has to abide by its order to maintain the court’s dignity

Religious tourism in Banaras: Exploring the sacred heart of India

Situated on the banks of the sacred River Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi, also known as Kashi or Banaras, stands as one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities It holds profound religious importance for Hindus, serving as a beacon for those in search of spiritual enlightenment and liberation

The city's fame is rooted in its d e e p - s e a t e d r e l i g i o u s a n d cultural significance. Tourists flock to Varanasi to immerse themselves in its heritage, witness profound religious ceremonies, and explore i c o n i c l a n d m a r k s s u c h a s t h e revered Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the historic riverfront ghats along the Ganges

V a r a n a s i h a s a c h i e v e d a remarkable milestone, with tourist numbers exceeding 10 crore (100 million) visitors in 2022 Tourism has emerged as a major contributor to Varanasi's local economy, fostering prosperity across various sectors, including hospitality, transportation, and local enterprises

Embrace life as a Banarasi

Every traveller is different, with unique interests and p r e f e r e n c e s W h e t h e r s e e k i n g s p i r i t u a l e n l i g h t e n m e n t , cultural immersion, or culinary delights, expertly curated journeys ensure the most out of the Varanasi adventure

K e e p i n g t h a t i n m i n d , T o u r r n i v a l J o u r r n e y s o f f e r tailored experiences that cater to the customer’s desires, d e l i v e r i n g i m m e r s i v e a n d s u s t a i n a b l e travel experiences that unveil Varanasi's eternal charm and spiritual legacy

T h e a g e n c y o f f e r s a n a l l - r o u n d experience ranging traditional welcome to exploring the culinary landscape of the city They curate their itineraries to include guided tours through the 82 ghats along the 8-kilometer stretch of the holy Ganges through an evening and an early morning boat ride With the evening ride, guests witness the mesmerising evening arti and a beautiful sunrise in the morning

Guests are ensured of a hassle-free darshan at Kashi Vishwanath, Kaal Bhairav, Sankat Mochan and Durga Kund They can also choose to perform a Rudra Abhishek or visit the heritage site of Sarnath

Depending on the duration of the tour, Vindhyachal, Prayagraj, Ayodhya and Bodhgaya can also be added to the itinerary E l a b o r a t i n g o n t h e k i n d o f e x p e r i e n c e T o u r r n i v a l

Journeys strives to curate for their tourists, founders Shyaam Singh and Manish Singh said- “At Tourrnival Jourrneys, we encourage you to shed the role of a tourist and embrace the life as a Banarasi Our itineraries are designed to immerse you in the city's soul, allowing you to engage with its rich history and vibrant culture as if you were a local Explore hidden alleyways, partake in age-old rituals, and witness the mesmerising Ganga Aarti – all while

Book Review

“A d o r n m e n t a n d S p l e n d o u r : Jewels of the Indian Courts” is an extraordinary collection of Indian j e w e l l e r y a n d o p u l e n t j e w e l l e d artefacts created during the height of the Mughal Empire and Deccan S u l t a n a t e s S h e i k h N a s s e r a n d Sheikha Hussa al-Sabah have put t o g e t h e r t h e c o l l e c t i o n , w h i c h i s recognised as one of the best in the world, for the al-Sabah Collection in Kuwait It showcases the elegance, d i v e r s i t y , a n d b e a u t y o f I n d i a n jewellery arts

forging a deep connection with this spiritual haven ”

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Enjoy the culture of Banaras at a 350-year-old heritage site

Experience of India Tourism on the other hand, has more than 15 years of experience in organising domestic and international tours and handling visa plus other tourist requirements The company has been providing services to e well-known foreign tour operators and hotels, claiming r e c o g n i t i o n b y m a n y n a t i o n a l a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l organisations

The company ’ s itinerary also includes guided tours through the holy Ganges, major temple visits and an experience of the light and sound show at Sarnath

Experience of India also offers packages for Haridwar and Rishikesh which include- Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Ayodhya, Prayagraj and Gaya

Additionally, owner Ranjan Jaiswal offers a 350-year-old heritage property for tourists The Narayan Haveli has 6 Shiva Lings within the property and is located at a prime location The Haveli is s i t u a t e d i n t h e O l d B a n a r a s r e g i o n which allows the guests to enjoy the culture, lifestyle, and food of the region The Kashi Vishwanath and Ganga river are under 500 metres from the Haveli The property costs around £25-£40 per day

For people looking for homestaystyle accommodations, the Kailasa is a two and three-bedroom accommodation with an amazing rooftop garden and full-time maids The property is within 2 kilometres of all prominent temple sites and the river The property costs around £40-£55 per day

Experience of India also has a budget-friendly option for solo travellers and backpackers The Heritage Hotel is situated on the banks of the river and costs less than £20 per day

Expressing his purpose, Mr Ranjansaid, “Stay at a place that exudes historical charm and is conveniently located near the Ghats and Temples along the banks of the sacred River Ganga Here, you can leisurely stroll to witness the breathtaking sunrise and the daily rituals In order to ensure that our guests have a flawless experience, we have launched our own chain of accommodations known as Stay I n n A c c o m m o d a t i o n s t o m e e t o u r g u e s t s ' s p e c i f i c requirements We proudly manage two distinct properties ensuring a comfortable and memorable stay ”

and Splendour:

A ll-in-one guid e for h istorical jewelleries to gemstones Encompassed in six chapters, from the historical overview of Islamic rule i n t h e I n d i a n s u b c o n t i n e n t t o t h e traditions of luxury, the book gives an understanding of each and every item in a proper and detailed form Since ancient times, expert jewellers have created the most intricate jewellery on e a r t h u s i n g a v a r i e t y o f d i s t i n c t i v e techniques These artisans' astounding vision and talent are displayed in the exotic art that they have crafted out of precious gemstones, gold, and enamel I n a d d i t i o n t o a n u n r i v a l l e d s e l e c t i o n o f j e w e l l e r y t o a d o r n t h e b o d y , t h e y a l s o c r e a t e d h o u s e h o l d items of astounding refinement and luxury, as well as extravagantly large, e n g r a v e d g e m s t o n e s t o s e r v e a s symbols of their princely patrons' royal power, such as a spinel that was proven t o b e t h e f a b l e d T i m u r R u b y a n d weighed close to 250 carats

Myt hs dispelled with a we alth of in for mat ion

The book's scrupulous attention to d e t a i l i s o n e o f i t s m o s t l a u d a b l e qualities The author carefully dispels the myths surrounding the methods of

of

creation, components, and significant meaning present in numerous pieces of jewellery Readers are given access to a wealth of information that heightens their admiration for these gorgeous a d o r n m e n t s , f r o m t h e e t h e r e a l e l e g a n c e o f f i l i g r e e w o r k t o t h e m y s t i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e o f p a r t i c u l a r g e m s t o n e s T h i s v o l u m e c o n t a i n s several previously undiscovered kinds t h a t b r o a d e n o u r a w a r e n e s s o f t h e region's artistic output, in addition to the greatest and most priceless works in the collection, some of which will be familiar to collectors and others of which are presented here for the first time More than 300 jewelled objects can be viewed in previously unheard-of n e w w a y s t h a n k s t o s p e c i f i c a l l y commissioned photographs For the readers' better understanding, there is a small description of the design and proportions next to each shot The narrative style of the book is b o t h i n t e r e s t i n g a n d e n g r o s s i n g , keeping readers of many interests and backgrounds enthralled The book's anecdotes and historical narratives add life to the subject, making it interesting and approachable for both experts and beginners

Tangy Bombay Bhel

• Add boiled potato, chopped tomato, onion, sweet chutney, green chutney, red chutney, coriander powder, chaat masala, salt, lemon juice and freshly chopped coriander leaves to a mixing bowl

• Mix everything well Add chutney, onion, tomato and chaat masala more or less as per your taste

• Now add puffed rice and mix again

• Serve the mixture on a plate Sprinkle sev and freshly chopped coriander leaves You can also add chutneys of your choice if you feel it's bit dry

Your Bombay Bhel is ready Eat and enjoy!

“Adornment

Jewels

the Indian Courts” by Salam Kaouji

Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Ganga Arti

Climate change increases risk in people with lung conditions

P eople who hav e lun g disea se s like asthma a nd chr onic obst ructive pulmon ary dise ase (CO PD) may be mor e at risk from clim ate chan ge, accor ding to a pape r in the E u r o p e a n R e sp i r a t o r y J o u r n a l T he r esea rch compile s informa tion on how bre at hin g problem s may become wor se for million s of pe ople world wid e, e specia lly infa nt s, y oun g childr en , a nd the e l de r ly , a s a r e sult o f c lim a t e ch a n ge e ff e ct s li k e h e a t wa v e s, w i ld f ir e s, a n d flooding

O n b e h a l f o f t h e E u r o p e a n R e s p i r a t o r y S o c i e t y , w h i c h r e p r e s e n t s more than 30,000 lung specialists from 160 countries, the authors are urging the European Parliament and governments all over the world to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ameliorate the effects of climate change

Professor Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, C h a i r o f t h e E u r o p e a n R e s p i r a t o r y S o c i e t y ’ s E n v i r o n m e n t a n d H e a l t h Committee and based at the University of C o p e n h a g e n , s a i d , “ C l i m a t e c h a n g e affects everyone ’ s health, but arguably, respiratory patients are among the most vulnerable These are people who already experience breathing difficulties and they are far more sensitive to our changing climate Their symptoms will become worse, and for some this will be fatal Air pollution is already damaging our lungs Now the effects of climate change are becoming a major threat to respiratory patients ”

Hyperactivity disorder points to increased risk of mental health problems

A stud y publis hed i n the o pen-access jou rnal BMJ Mental Heal th , attenti on d efici t h y p e ra ct i v i t y d i s o r d e r (A DH D) , o f t en known as hyperacti vity di sord er, i s a d isti nct ri sk factor f or a vari ety of frequ ent and i mportant mental health problems It i s a neuro develop mental d isord er in ki ds and teens that, i n up to two- third s of i ns tances, p ersi sts into adulth ood It i s esti mated to aff ect fi ve per cent chi ldren and teens and 2 5 per cent adults worldwi de

ADHD has been linked to mood and anxiety disorders in observational studies Researchers used the Mendelian randomisation to obtain genetic evidence to link it to seven common mental health issues These included major clinical depression, b i p o l a r d i s o r d e r , a n x i e t y d i s o r d e r , schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anorexia nervosa, and at least one suicide attempt The approach was initially employed by the researchers to look for any connections between ADHD and the seven illnesses They next utilised it to investigate the possibility that diseases connected to ADHD may be to blame for the impacts found in the initial analysis To determine the direct and indirect impacts of ADHD, they combined the data from the two analyses There was no evidence for a causal link between ADHD and bipolar disorder, anxiety, or schizophrenia, the results of the analysis showed

Instil good eating habits in children from a young age

The development of healthy e a t i n g h a b i t s i n c h i l d r e n i s c r u c i a l f o r t h e i r l o n g - t e r m health and well being They h a v e a n i m p a c t o n t h e i r g e n e r a l d e v e l o p m e n t a n d g r o w t h i n a d d i t i o n t o t h e i r physical health

It is imperative that adults who are parenting or caring for children influence t h e i r d i e t a r y d e c i s i o n s a n d promote good eating habits In t h i s a r t i c l e , w e w i l l d i s c u s s s o m e p r o f e s s i o n a l t i p s t o assist you in cultivating good eating habits in your child.

Be a role model: Kids often imitate the behaviour of adults, especially their parents or primary caregivers Setting a good example for your child by practising healthy eating yourself

Signs of sugar addiction and how to beat your cravings

Excessive consumption of sug ar can lead to v arious health p roble m s , i nc lu d i n g o b es it y, d iab ete s, a nd h e ar t d i s eas e Identifying the telltale sig ns of sugar add iction and learning to beat sweet crav ing s is important for m aintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle Here are a few s ig ns ind i catin g you are addicted to sug ar

Intense cravings: One of the primary indicators of sugar addiction is a constant, overpowering desire for sweet foods and drinks

If you fixate on sugary treats, it may be a sign of addiction

Withdrawal symptoms: Sugar addiction can lead to withdrawal s y m p t o m s s u c h a s i r r i t a b i l i t y , headaches, and fatigue when you attempt to reduce sugar intake T h e s e s y m p t o m s c a n m a k e i t challenging to break the addiction cycle I n c r e a s e d t o l e r a n c e : O v e r t i m e , i n d i v i d u a l s a d d i c t e d t o sugar often require larger quantities of sugar to achieve the same

l e v e l o f s a t i s f a c t i o n T h i s increased tolerance can lead to even greater sugar consumption N e g l e c t i n g n u t r i e n t - r i c h foods: A strong sugar addiction may lead to the neglect of healthier food choices If you consistently opt for sugary snacks over f r u i t s , v e g e t a b l e s , a n d w h o l e grains, it may be a sign of sugar addiction

If you can relate to any of the above symptoms, you can reduce the craving by gradually reducing sugar intake, by choosing natural s w e e t e n e r s , i n c r e a s i n g f i b r e i n t a k e , s t a y i n g h y d r a t e d , a n d seeking support from a healthcare professional or a nutritionist

Try these effective Ayurvedic remedies for migraine

M ig r a in e s ar e p ai n fu l headaches t hat can make daily act ivities and pr oductivity difficult While t her e are numerous thera pi e s a v ai l ab l e i n c ont em por ar y me d ic i ne , m an y i nd i vi du al s a r e t ur ning to the practical a n d h ol i s t i c s ol ut i on s f ou nd i n t he a n c ie n t I n d ia n m ed ic a l s y s t em

Ayurveda t o cur e and prevent m ig r a in e s He r e a r e s om e

A yur vedic r emed ies t hat can help alleviate migraines:

D i et a r y ad ju s t m e nt s :

Ayurveda places great emphasis on diet The key to preventing migraines is to stay away from things that cause them, such as c o f f e e , a l c o h o l , p r o c e s s e d m e a l s , a n d a g e d c h e e s e s

Cooling foods like cucumber, watermelon, and leafy greens can help pacify Pitta dosha

Herbal teas: Due to its antii n f l a m m a t o r y c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , g i n g e r t e a i s a c o m m o n

A y u r v e d i c t r e a t m e n t f o r

migraines For pain relief and to calm your nervous system, try basil or chamomile tea

Abhyanga: Massaging your scalp, neck, and shoulders with warm sesame or coconut oil can help improve blood circulation and reduce tension, com-

mon triggers for migraines

N as ya Th e r ap y: T h i s

A y u r v e d i c t h e r a p y c a n h e l p alleviate headaches by clearing c o n g e s t i o n a n d p r o m o t i n g relaxation

Y o g a a nd P r an ay am a : R e g u l a r y o g a p r a c t i c e a n d pranayama (breathing exercises) can reduce stress and tension, common migraine triggers Ay u r v edi c h er b s : C e r t a i n h e r b s l i k e A s h w a g a n d h a , Brahmi, and Shankhpushpi can help balance the nervous system and reduce migraine frequency and intensity

Sh iro dh ar a: It induces deep relaxation and can be effective in managing migraine pain

Hydrat ion: Dehydration is a c o m m o n m i g r a i n e t r i g g e r

Ayurveda recommends drinki n g r o o m - t e m p e r a t u r e w a t e r throughout the day to maintain hydration

can help

L i m i t s ug a r y a n d pr o c e s s e d

f oods: Minimise the c o n s u m p t i o n o f sugary snacks, sugary beverages, and h i g h l y p r o c e s s e d foods These items provide little nutritional value and can c o n t r i b u t e t o unhealthy eating habits

Portion c on trol: Serve agea p p r o p r i a t e p o r t i o n s i z e s t o prevent overeating Teach your child to listen to their body's

hunger and fullness cues and to stop eating when they feel satisfied, not when their plate is empty

E n c o ur a ge f a m i l y m e a ls : Eating together as a family fosters a sense of togetherness and helps children develop better eating habits Use mealtime for conversation and bonding, and a v o i d d i s t r a c t i o n s s u c h a s screens

Stay pati ent and persisten t: It can take time for children to develop good eating habits Be p a t i e n t a n d a v o i d p r e s s u r i n g your child to eat certain foods

Sleep-wake therapy can help teens with depression

Teenagers may still com plete their sch oolwork wh ile ad justing to their natural sleep -cycle rhythms, accord ing to U C San F ra nc i sc o r es ear ch e rs T h e s tu d y 's c o nc lu s i o ns ar e en co u ra g in g f o r ad ol es ce nts wh o strug gle with d ep ressio n because they are m ore likely than av erage to repo rt staying up late In a given year, around 3 million teenagers experience at least o n e m a j o r d e p r e s s i v e e p i s o d e , and about 40% of them don't respond to therapy According to study, teens who naturally sleep and get up later are more likely to experience recurrent depression, more severe depression, suicidal a n d p o o r a n t i d e p r e s s a n t

response

Lauren Asarnow, PhD, a clini c a l p s y c h o l o g i s t w i t h U C S F Health who specialises in sleep health, said, “A big finding here is that there is a subgroup of teens for whom treating sleep is particularly important for improving

depression symptoms And the other big finding is that they really need to be able to live a life that is more in line with their sleep-wake biology

T h e s t u d y , p u b l i s h e d i n August in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, analysed data from 42 participants with clinical depression who had been part of a larger study of 176 n i g h t - o w l a d o l e s c e n t s O u t o f t h e m , 2 4 a d o l e s c e n t s r e c e i v e d t h e i n t e r v e n t i o n , c a l l e d t h e T r a n s d i a g n o s t i c S l e e p a n d Circadian Intervention (TransSC), and 18 received educational sessions on how to lead a healthy lifestyle

Combination cholesterol therapy could save thousands of lives

Research rev ealed that p eop le who hav e h ad a h eart attack should im mediately be offered a combination of cholesterol lowering drugs w ith statins and another ch olesterol medication

According to the study, persons with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), which includes those who have had a heart attack or unstable angina, had a 47% lower three-year mortality rate if they began taking ezetimibe and a high dose statin simultaneously

The results indicate that out of every 21 patients taking the double treatment for three years, one death was prevented

If treatment recommendations are altered to take the findings into account, researchers claim thousands of lives might be changed every year

This study shows that if we act quickly and decisively to lower patients’ cholesterol with this combination of treatments, we can drastically reduce the risk of death

The research was led by Maciej Banach, Professor of Cardiology at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland, and Adjunct Professor at the Ciccarone Centre for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA The study included data on 1,536 patients with ACS who were part of the national Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS)

a script

Ali Fazal recently shared about being uncomfortable on a set when he was told to perform an intimate scene without it being discussed first He said he felt cornered when he remained adamant and refused to carry out the scene, adding that people weren't expecting him to have a problem with the scene. The actor stressed on the importance of intimacy coordinators during such scenes on the sets

Ali said, "I remember there was an intimate scene between a man and a woman, the man being me in question, and it was randomly introduced It was not in the script; it was not discussed I come on set, and boom, everybody's ready, like everybody's been briefed and I'm standing there " "I said, 'I'm not comfortable with it ' Now, for the first time, I think on a set, people weren't expecting a guy to say that Why is it assumed that I m too ready? Why is it assumed that I should be okay

He also shared how people reacted "The girl in question was convinced because of her character, and the brief that was given I wasn't given (the brief), and it was never discussed I was uncomfortable with the kind of choreography that was," the actor added Ali said he refused to perform the scene "I, for the first time, felt cornered because everybody was like 'Tu toh launda hai yaar, isko kya problem ho rahi hai (He's a guy He shouldn't have a problem)'

Everybody's looking at me For the first time, I felt probably how women have felt for years and decades "

On the work front, Ali was last seen in 'Kandahar ' He has Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Khufiya,' next The Neo-noir spy thriller is based on Amar Bhushan's espionage novel 'Escape to Nowhere' and stars Tabu in the lead It also features Wamiqa Gabbi, and Ashish Vidyarthi Khufiya will release on Netflix India on October 5

Deepika on charging premium for working with Ranveer Singh

Inan interview, actress Deepika Padukone was asked what it is being one part of a power couple In a chat with a media house opened up about her fees and revealed why she and husband an Ranveer Singh charge a "premium," while working together on a project.

When asked if she "commands a separate rate for ads or when working with Ranveer, as compared to what they char working individually, Deepika said, "Yes, we do charge a premium for when we come together I think we are p o s i t i o n e d q u i t e u n i q u e l y I n t h a t , t h e r e ' s u s u a l l y a n imbalance in a power couple, but not with us Plus, both of us have started from scratch and it s something we are very proud of To achieve success on merit and on one's own terms makes us special "

'The Week' recently reported that according to a Duff & Phelps annual report, both Deepika and Ranveer have consistently occupied a spot in the Top 10 of India's most valued celebrities It added that the actress reportedly charges Rs 12-15 crore per film, when there are barely any female stars who have crossed the Rs 10 crore mark I

h o h a s b e e n t h e b r a n ambassador for Indian brands such as Tanishq, Asian Paints an Axis Bank as well as international designer labels such as Lo Vuitton and Cartier, is India's highest-paid female actor, counting Priyanka Chopra, who moved to Hollywood

First song 'Ve Fukrey' from Fukrey is out

Thecheerful and upbeat song 'Ve Fukrey' from the movie 'Fukrey 3' is out now

Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, Manjot Singh and Pankaj Tripathi are among the movie's actors who appear in the song, which was choreographed by Bosco Martis and sung by Dev Negi and Asees Kaur. Tanishk Bagchi has composed the soundtrack of the film with lyrics of 'Ve Fukrey' by Shabbir Ahmed

The third instalment of the w e l l - k n o w n F u k r e y s e r i e s features an ensemble cast that i n c l u d e s P u l k i t S a m r a t , V a r u n S h a r m a , M a n j o t S i n g h , R i c h a Chadha and Pankaj Tripathi in

KJo reveals the reason why he quit Twitter

Filmmaker Karan Johar recently opened up about leaving social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter In an interview, he revealed that he made the decision out of instinct once he read abuse towards his young twins

their prior roles The previous F u k r e y s o u n d t r a c k h a d S o n a M o h a p a t r a ' s r e n d i t i o n o f t h e song Ambarsariya, which became an instant hit

E x c e l E n t e r t a i n m e n t p r o d u c t i o n p r e s e n t s F u k r e y 3 , produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, co-produced by Kassim Jagmagia and will hit the silver screen on 28th September, 2023

Kangana calls herself mannerless and talented at the same time

Actor Kangana Ranaut took to Instagram recently to talk about being perceived as "badtameez (mannerless)" and talented at the same time by her colleagues, including filmmaker Hansal Mehta and actor Zeeshan Ayyub She also compared herself with comic vigilante Batman, and called herself the GOAT (greatest of all time)

She wrote, Yeh baat pe sab agree karte hai left right both wings 1) ek toh main bahut badtmeez hoon 2) violent an e x t r e m i s t b h i h o o n , I l i k e v i o l e n c e a n d violence also likes me 3) thodi bigadi hue aur bahut ziddi hoon 40 aur bhayankar wali talented Matlab G O A T types Isko kehte hain Batman wahi hoon main (This is something everyone can agree, despite political differences that I am very mannerless, violent, extremist, I am spoiled and stubborn; I'm also dangerously talented like greatest of all times kind This is called being Batman, I am him )"

Kangana also shared clips from Hansal and Zeeshan's interviews where the two talked about her Hansal, who had a fallout with her during their film 'Simran,' said, "Adaakar matlab kamaal hai Hindustan main shayad

kam actresses aayi ho jaise Kangana hai Jo unhone kaam kiya hai past main, voh bohot accha kaam kiya hai Simran main, matlab voh film bhale hi thodi weak thi, lekin uss film main Kangana ke performance ko aap n a h i f a u l t k a r s a k t e h o ( S h e i s a wonderful actress There have been maybe only a few actresses in India like Kangana Her work in the past has been fantastic Even though Simran was a weak film, but you can't fault Kangana's performance in the film) " In another interview, Zeeshan recently said, "There was a time when Kangana as an actor, was superlative, when she did Queen and Tanu Weds Manu Returns " Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also appreciated her in a rare case He added, "She is one of the finest actors She is very sincere when it comes to work, there are other problems that she has However, when it comes to her talent, nobody can snatch that away from her What she has in herself, as an actor, as a sincere creative person also, nobody can take that away from her but yes, it is very difficult to deal with her On the work front, Kangana will be next seen in 'Chandramukhi 2,' followed by 'Tejas' in October She also has 'Emergency' in the pipeline

KJo said, "That (quitting Twitter) was an instinctive decision I made when I started reading abuse to my children When that happened this is the lowest you could get Abuse me, say what you want They also abused my mother My mother is still an older person My children were five at that time, when I took the decision Now, I'm not going back on this platform for anything Of course, my company is on it I realise the importance of Twitter But I don't want to be on this platform I don't want to read anything about my children That breaks my heart not only as a parent, but also as a human being "

He also clarified that he didn't quit Twitter because of the nepotism claims made against him He added, "It's not that I've stopped casting people from the industry or I ve isolated myself from the sheer wonderfulness of Alia Bhatt I have not listened to anyone I've just left a platform That had nothing to do with the things I was saying It was about my kids I couldn't read that Whoever is a parent would know that is something you wouldn't take You'd take anything, but anything against your child, you can't take And I don't know who to fight, right? They're nameless, faceless people I d rather just exit Karan welcomed twins Yash, named after his late father and film producer, and Roohi, named after his mother Hiroo, via surrogacy in 2017 On the work front, Karan's last directorial was the family comedy 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani,' starring Alia and Ranveer Singh in the lead It also starred Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan, and Dharmendra among others

Ali Fazal recalls being uncomfortable with intimate scenes in

Rohit Shetty, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh kick off 'Singham Again' shoot

Rio Kapadia of ‘Chak De India’ fame dies at 66

Veteran actor Rio Kapadia has passed away at the age of 66 He is survived by his wife, Maria Farah, and kids Aman and Veer The cremation ceremony took place at Shiv Dham Shamshan Bhumi in Goregaon He had been diagnosed with cancer and has been undergoing treatment for the last few years.

Many took to social media to pay their l a s t t r i b u t e s A b h i s h e k B a c h c h a n , w h o worked with Rio Kapadia in 'Big Bull', took to Twitter to pay his last tribute and wrote, Was very sad to read of the passing of Rio Kapadia We worked together on Happy New Year and The Big Bull Most gentle, a r t i c u l a t e a n d c a r i n g H e w a s a l s o a w o n d e r f u l p a i n t e r I h a v e m a n y o f h i s s k e t c h e s Y o u w i l l b e r e m e m b e r e d v e r y fondly, sir My condolences to his family and friends "

Apart from films, the late actor was also seen in the television show 'Sapne Suhane L a d a k p a n K e ' H e p l a y e d t h e r o l e o f Gandhari's Father, King Subala of Gandhara, i n S i d d h a r t h T e w a r y ' s ' M a h a b h a r a t '

Throughout his career, Rio has remained o u t s p o k e n a b o u t a c t o r ' s r i g h t s i n t h e television industry and urged other actors to show support for one another

He was last seen in one of the episodes of the Prime Video series 'Made in Heaven' Season 2

Raghav Chadha receives Parineeti at Delhi airport as she arrives to kickoff wedding festivities

Actress

Parineeti Chopra has arrived in Delhi to reportedl kickstart her wedding celebrations with Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha. He received her at the airport, where they were seen twinning in blue shirts. They participated in an ardaas function in Delhi, initiating their week-long pre-we festivities before their wedding in Udaipur on September 24

M e d i a r e p o r t s s u g g e s t t h e w e d d i n g festivities started in Delhi on September 17, followed by intimate get-togethers before the whole family heads to Udaipur for the grand wedding Recently, their wedding card also surfaced online According to the card,

Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif deepen their food bond

ouple will have a 'Pearl White d i a n W e d d i n g ' a t T h e L e e l a alace in Udaipur on September 24 It will be followed by a reception at The Leela Palace's C o u r t y a r d , f o r w h i c h t h e theme is A Night of Amore Parineeti and Raghav got n g a g e d a f e w m o n t h s a g o i n e e t i ' s c o u s i n a n d a c t o r ka Chopra had flown to India f o r a d a y t o a t t e n d t h e f u n c t i o n a n d perform the rituals as an elder sister She is e x p e c t e d t o b e a p a r t o f t h e w e d d i n g c e l e b r a t i o n T h e e n g a g e m e n t a l s o s a w several politicians, like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister B h a g w a n t M a n n , w h o a r e e x p e c t e d t o participate in the Delhi wedding reception

Actor

Ajay Devgn and filmmaker Rohit

Shetty are reuniting for the third edition of their 'Singham' series, 'Singham Again ' The shoot for the cop drama was flagged off

over the weekend in the presence of the director, actor, and Ranveer Singh, who plays Simmba in the film verse

Ajay took to his Instagram to post two pictures from the mahurat The first picture saw him and Ranveer join hands as Rohit burst a coconut on the floor as part of a ritual Ajay was seen in a dark blue shirt, blue denims, and a brown belt Ajay captioned it, "12 years ago, we gave Indian Cinema its biggest cinematic Cop Universe With all the love we have received over the years, the force got stronger and the Singham family got bigger Today we come together to take our franchise ahead with Singham Again!"

Rohit posted the same pictures and wrote in the caption, "Singham, Singham returns, Simmba, Sooryavanshi 12 Years ago, when we made Singham, we never thought that it would turn into a Cop Universe! Today, we begin filming Singham Again the 5th film in our cop franchisee ISME HUM APNI JAAN LAGA DENGE! BAS AAPKE PYAAR AUR DUA KI ZAROORAT HAI! (We'll give it our all into this film Just need your love and prayers)"

Vicky

Kaushal shared updates about his married life with actress Katrina Kaif, opening up about their love for different cuisines Their marriage is often described as "paranthas weds pancakes " Vicky recently revealed that they now begun understanding each other's favourite food.

During the promotions of his upcoming 'The Great Indian Family,' he said, "Earlier, only I loved white butter and paranthas, and now, Katrina also loves it too Earlier, I did not understand pancakes, but now I like pancakes So, that's what has happened " Earlier this year, Vicky was asked if Kat likes to eat parantha, as she is known for being health conscious He said she loves it when prepared by his mother

One of the most popular Bollywood couples, Vicky and Kat were rumoured to be dating for quite some time However, they kept their relationship a secret and never c o n f i r m e d a n y r e p o r t s T h e y o n l y m a d e t h e i r

relationship public after tying the knot in Rajasthan in December 2021

On the work front, Vicky has 'The Great Indian Family' set to release on September 22 He also has Meghna Gulzar's 'Sam Bahadur,' and Anand Tiwari's untitled along with Tripti Dimri and Ammy Virk

Ranveer posted an additional picture of performing the aarti in front of the camera He wrote, "All set to reprise one of my most loved characters from the Rohit Shetty Cop Universe - SIMMBA (cop emoji) in #SinghamAgain! We seek your love and blessings for our new journey (black heart emoji) (namaste emoji)"

Akshay Kumar, who plays Sooryavanshi in Rohit's cop universe, was missing from the pictures He clarified when he posted the same images on Instagram with the caption, "Not in the country at the moment, missing from the frame in person but totally there in spirit Can't wait to join you guys on the sets of #SinghamAgain! Sending my best wishes Jai Mahakaal (namaste emoji)”

Rohit's cop universe primarily consists of three franchises: Ajay's 'Singham' (2011), Akshay's 'Sooryavanshi' (2021), and Ranveer's 'Simmba' (2018) He will soon release his series debut, 'Indian Police Force,' on Prime Video India, which stars Sidharth Malhotra, Vivek Oberoi, and Shilpa Shetty

JR NTR wins at SIIMA for 'RRR'; thanks Ram Charan

Chinmayi Sripaada stands up for women harassed at AR Rahman's chaotic concert

Rajamouli's 'RRR' clinched significant victories at the South Indian International Movie Awards 2023 (SIIMA) Jr NTR won Best Actor in Leading Role (Telugu) award for his performance as tribal leader Bheem in the movie Filmmaker Kabir Khan presented him with the award JR NTR mentioned his co-star, Ram Charan, in his award acceptance speech

SS

Expressing his gratitude for the 'RRR' team and his fans, he said, "I would love to thank my co-star, my brother, my friend Charan for standing beside me as a pillar for support for 'RRR ' Last but not the least, I would love to thank all my fans I bow down to my fans who have always been with me through my ups and downs You have been my pillar of support at all times You people shed a tear along with me whenever I was in pain and smiled in unison with me when I am happy "

The act also received Rajamouli's Best Director (Telugu) award on his behalf The m o v i e w o n i n o t h e r m a j o r c a t e g o r i e s ,

including Best Music Director (Telugu) for MM Keeravani, Best Lyric Writer (Telugu) award for Chandrabose for the Oscar-winn i n g s o n g ' N a a t u N a a t u ' T h e B e s t Cinematographer (Telugu) award also went to Senthil Kumar for 'RRR '

On the work front, Jr NTR is currently working on Koratala Siva's 'Devara,' which will release on April 5 next year It also stars Janhvi Kapoor

Allu Arjun says he prayed for Shah Rukh's 'Jawan'

Telugu actor Allu Arjun

is the latest among many actors and celebrities to praise Shah Rukh Khan's blockbuster film 'Jawan,' which recently crossed the £60 million mark at the box office. In a lengthy tweet, Allu praised everyone associated with the movie, including Shah Rukh Khan, Anirudh Ravichander, Atlee, Deepika Padukone and Nayanthara

The ' Pushpa ' actor wrote about the film's protagonist, played by SRK, "Shah R u k h K h a n G a r u ' s m a s s i e s t a v a t a r e v e r , charming the whole of India and beyond with his swag Truly happy for you sir, we prayed this for you " He saved up his praise for director Atlee for the last He said the Tamil director has made everyone proud He wrote, "Big Big Congrats for Atlee garu for making us all proud, delivering thought-provoking commercial film and creating history at the Indian box office

In his tweet, SRK said he is a big fan of

Allu Arjun and 'Pushpa ' He claimed Bunny's wish made his day "Thank u so much my man So kind of you for the love and prayers And when it comes to swag and 'The Fire' himself praises me wow it has made my day!!! Feeling Jawan twice all over now!!! I must admit I must have learnt something from you as I had seen Pushpa thrice in three days!!! Big hug to u and will come and give u one personally as soon as possible Keep swagging!!! Love u (sic) "

Movie composer Anirudh also responded quickly to Allu s tweet by thanking him Not just simple Thank you I want great songs too," Allu Arjun wrote back

Rajinikanth draws massive crowd at Coimbatore airport

Singer Chinmayi Sripaada has shared a message in support of wom who alleged they were molested at AR Rahman's Marakkuma Nenjam concert that was held in Chennai on September 10 In a long post on X, she extended her support to the victims

"You did not deserve this Y o u d e s e r v e d m u s i c , y o u deserved fun, you deserved jo you deserved a concert exper that made you cry; cry from the joy you f e l t f r o m t h e m u s i c , f r o m f e e l i n g s t h a t e v o k e d n o s t a l g i a Y o u d e s e r v e d w a r m t h , a n d t h e s h a r e d from other fans as everyo along, shouted along, and along to songs that we love and groove to You deser e x p e r i e n c e t h a t m a d e recount it with love, think with fondness and wish fo next one to make a beau new memory associated wi this magical beautiful thin called music, with a musi cian we adore I wish you didn't have to go through sexual harassment but you did and wish as I might t h a t s u c h e x p e r i e n c e s

never happen to anyone, this wish sn't come to pass (sic)," she rote

She added, "I wish you didn't have to go through s e x u a l h a r a s s m e n t b u t you did and wish as I might that such experiences never happen to anyone, this wish doesn't come to pass Several women took to i a l m e d i a t o s h a r e i n c iof sexual harassment at the overcrowded event One user claimed, "the number of men who used the crowd as an excuse to violate women today we ling to breathe and were also Another user claimed, "Woke ving such a weight in my unsafe feeling i have today is me One of the people who me, literally looked into my n I just asked him for the way ve " The concert has made the adlines for all the wrong reaons, including gross mismangement, which led to a stamp e d e - l i k e s i t u a t i o n M a n y f a m i l i e s w e r e s e p a r a t e d from their kids, and women a l l e g e d s t r a n g e r s g r o p e d them

TV Listing

SATURDAY 30 SEP 2023

9:00 JAI SHRI KRISHNA

9:30 DESHI BEATS

16:30 SURI

17:00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR

17:30 RASOI SHOW

18:30 HU TU ANE HU TU TU TU

19:00 MANYATA

MON 25 SEP - FRI 29 SEP 2023

9:00 JAI SHRI KRISHNA

9:30 DESHI BEATS

16:30 SURI

17:00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR

17:30 RASOI SHOW

18:30 HU TU ANE HU TU TU TU

19:00 MANYATA

19:30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU

20:00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

20:30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU 21:00 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM 21:30 GEETA

19:30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU

20:00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

20:30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU

21:00 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM

21:30 GEETA

SUNDAY 24 JUN 2023

06:00 LAKHO PHULANI

11:30 BEWAFA SANAM TARI BAHU

MEHERBANI

14:30 MANYATA

17:30 HU TU ANE HU TU TU TU

19:30 MARI HAMBHAL LENARI JATI RAHI (Premiere)

22:30 SORATHNI MRS SINGHAM

SATURDAY 30 SEP 2023

16:30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS

17:30 KUMKUM NA PAGLA PADYA

18:00 BALIKA VADHU SEASON 1

19:00 AJNABI BANE HUMSAFAR

19:30 Nima Denzonpga

20:00 Bani - Ishq Da Kalma

MON 25 SEP - FRI 29 SEP 2023

16:30 RASOI SHOW DESI FLAVOURS

17:30 KUMKUM NA PAGLA PADYA

20:30 Bahu Begum

21:30 Tanu weds manu

SUNDAY 24 JUN 2023

Veteran star Rajinikanth, who is currently riding high on the success of his recent film 'Jailer,' was spotted at the Coimbatore airport. He visited the city for a family function and briefly interacted with the media. During the interaction, Rajini mentioned his plans to meet former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu However, he had to cancel due to the family event

His arrival in Coimbatore drew a massive crowd of enthusiastic fans who were eager

to catch a glimpse of the actor Videos of the excited fans were widely shared on social m e d i a D u r i n g h i s i n t e r a c t i o n w i t h t h e media, the actor also shared insights about his upcoming project, Lokesh Kanagaraj's 'Leo,' stating that work on it would commence after he completes his commitment to Sun Pictures' 'Thalaivar 170 '

Rajinikanth s Jailer has proven to be a massive success It earned over £34 million in India and achieved an impressive worldwide box office collection of £59 million

18:00 BALIKA VADHU SEASON 1

19:00 AJNABI BANE HUMSAFAR

19:30 Nima Denzonpga

20:00 Bani - Ishq Da Kalma

20:30 Bahu Begum

21:30 BALIKA VADHU SEASON 1

22:30 KUMKUM NA PAGLA PADYA

16:30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS

17:30 KUMKUM NA PAGLA PADYA

18:00 BALIKA VADHU SEASON 1

19:00 AJNABI BANE HUMSAFAR

19:30 Nima Denzonpga

20:00 Bani - Ishq Da Kalma

20:30 Bahu Begum

21:30 AIRLIFT

Bengali actor harassed by a choreographer on a Bangladesh shoot

Bengali

actor and Trinamool Congress leader Sayantika Banerjee recently confirmed reports of harassment in Bangladesh Media reports said she abruptly returned to Kolkata without finishing her work Denying the claims, she said the choreographer, Michael, misbehaved with her She added that she received no help from the film producer

It was only after a Bangladeshi media outlet reported about her ordeal that she broke her silence She said her problems started elsewhere, and she faced harassment due to mismanagement by the producer "Initially, a teacher came for the dance shooting but he left because of monetary issues Then the young boy called Michael came Michael, without my consent, held my hand and I stopped him in front of everyone," she said

Sayantika was filming for her film 'Chayabaj ' Directed by Taju Kamrul, the movie is the first production of Manirul Islam She also refuted allegations of not completing the shoot and said, "I am a professional artist and can't think of doing such things Time and again, I tried to contact the producer regarding some technical issues but did not get any response He has no planning and no management We were suddenly told that a dance sequence would be shot When Manirul did not respond after being called many times, I said that I would not work with Michael like this "

The actress said she waited two days in Cox's Bazar before returning to India to hear from the producer; however, she has yet to receive a solution Sayantika also claimed that the producer told her she had to work with the same choreographer for the film She now says she might resume the movie if given proper details regarding the shoot, screenplay and more

Ranbir, Alia meet Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan in New York

recent US Open emerged online In NYC, the couple also met Ranbir's cousin, actor Karisma Kapoor Alia, too, gave some glimpses of their holiday

On the work front, Alia will reportedly begin working on 'Jee Le Zaraa' alongside Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif Meanwhile, Ranbir will be next seen in director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's action film 'Animal' alongside Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol The film is set to hit the theatres on December 1

Actors

Alia Bhatt, Ranbir

Kapoor, and their daughter

Raha have returned to Mumbai after a long vacation in New York The two recently spent some time with Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan, who took to Instagram to share a picture from their meeting

He wrote, "With Bollywood's biggest It was lovely to meet you Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt " The photo featured Khan in the centre as Alia and Ranbir posed with him for the happy photo He was in a black hoodie, while Alia too wore a black T-shirt Ranbir was dressed in a grey Tshirt and a matching cap The actor kept his arm around Rashid as they posed and also pointed towards the cricketer "Such a beautiful picture," commented an Instagram user on Rashid Khan's post Another one said, "Wow!"

The celebrity couple posed with their fans in the city throughout their vacation A video of Ranbir photobombing actor Madelyn Cline at the

10 years of 'The Lunchbox'; Guneet Monga talks about the initial struggle to get the movie released

Ritesh Batra's epistolary romance, 'The Lunchbox, ' completed 10 years Best known for the memorable performances of Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur, the movie almost didn't make it to the theatres Co-producer of the film, Guneet Monga, recently revealed how short on money they were before the movie premiere at the Cannes Film Festival

In an interview at the ongoing T o r o n t o I n t e r n a t i o n a l F i l m Festival (TIFF), the Oscar-winning filmmaker said, We very sincerely made The Lunchbox, raised money i n F r a n c e , t h r o u g h p r i v a t e investors in India It was a joint p r o d u c t i o n b e t w e e n F r a n c e , Germany, and India " She added, "We put together thoda thoda paisa (money little by little) from around the world, and it's going to Cannes (Film Festival)

I was very excited We were ready to give this film for somebody to cover our Cannes cost We were just like, paise nahi hain Cannes jane ke liye (we didn't have the money to go to Cannes) Even to book Irrfan sir's room, we were freaking out Our sales agent had

another big film and that actress refused to show up That suite got free and that's how we got him his room "

K a r a n J o h a r o f D h a r m a Productions recalled how Guneet approached him to co-produce the f i l m H e s a i d , " I w a s g r a b b i n g dinner (at Cannes Film Festival that year) And this very sprightly, young, dynamic girl approached me and said she produced Anurag Kashyap's chapter Murabba in our anthology Bombay Talkies I had heard of her through Anurag She said, 'Forget that, that's not what I ' m h e r e f o r I p r o d u c e d t h i s b e a u t i f u l f i l m c a l l e d T h e L u n c h b o x t h a t ' s b e i n g g l o b a l l y loved I really want you to see it And the first thing in my head was, 'Lunchbox?'"

H e a d d e d t h a t h e r relentlessness made him watch the film, and he instantly agreed to come on board as a co-producer He also said that Guneet is the "only woman" who has persuaded him like that

G u n e e t a n d K a r a n w e r e a t TIFF for the world premiere of t h e i r n e w c o - p r o d u c t i o n , t h e action thriller 'Kill '

Indian films win major accolades at Toronto film festival

Withtop honours in two prestigious categories and another accolade in one of the festival’s most popular sections, Indian productions had a banner year at the 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival or TIFF.

Director Tarsem Singh

Dhandwar’s first feature in eight years, 'Dear Jassi', set mainly in Punjab, captured TIFF’s juried competition section, Platform Award Debutant director Jayesh Digambar Somalkar’s Marathi feature, 'A Match' (Sthal), won the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema or NETPAC Award, also selected by a jury Meanwhile, the mainstream Bollywood thriller 'KILL' emerged as first runner up for the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award

Dhandwar made his directorial debut in film with 'The Cell' in 2000, which garnered an Oscar nomination He went on to direct

four more features, the latest being 'Self/less' in 2015 He had already gained renown for his music videos for acts like REM and Lady Gaga and ad films for major brands The Punjabi film, 'Dear Jassi,' is based on the true life story

of a honour killing of an IndoCanadian, 25-year-old Jaswinder Sidhu, a resident of Maple Ridge in British Columbia Jassi’s family hired killers in Punjab in 2000 after she eloped with Mithu, considered an unsuitable match In its statement, the Platform jury said, “Dear Jassi was a unanimous choice for this year ’ s Platform Award for its honest and poignant portrayal of a subject matter that still affects large portions of individuals forced to live under the inhumanity of bitter caste systems throughout the globe ”

KILL is the highest profile film of the three, and was the first runner up in the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award, which is based on voting by the audience The goriest film to have ever emerged from India, one of its producers, Karan Johar, has described it to media as “blood porn ”

India crush Lanka, win 8th Asia Cup crown

India l if ted th e Asia Cu p f or a r ecor d eigh th t ime af ter rou ting def ending ch amp io ns Sri Lanka by 10 wickets with M oh amm ed S iraj cl aiming a career-best 6-21, incl u ding fo u r wickets in o ne o v er , at t h e R P r em a da sa S tadiu m in Co lombo on S unday Electing to bat in front of a f u l l h o u s e o f 3 5 , 0 0 0 f a n s , S r i Lanka were bundled out for a paltry 50 in 15 2 overs with five b a t t e r s g e t t i n g d u c k s i n t h e i r s o r r y - l o o k i n g s c o r e c a r d w i t h Siraj the wrecker-in-chief Siraj’s fiery display of pace bowling was best illustrated in his second over when the rightarmed bowler quickly dismissed P a t h u m N i s s a n k a , S a d e e r a S a m a r a w i c k r a m a , C h a r i t h A s a l a n k a a n d D h a n a n j a y a d e

Silva Hardik Pandya also bagged t h r e e w i c k e t s w h i l e J a s p r i t Bumrah claimed one as Sri Lanka r e g i s t e r e d t h e i r s e c o n d - l o w e s t total in one-day internationals (ODIs), lasting only 92 balls

I n d i a n e e d e d 6 1 o v e r s t o achieve the target for a timely boost before their home World C u p b e g i n n i n g n e x t m o n t h

B u m r a h r e m o v e d

K u s a l P e r e r a i n t h e first over to trigger a c o l l a p s e a n d t h e S r i

Lanka batters looked h e l p l e s s a s S i r a j breathed fire with the new ball

Only Kusal Mendis

( 1 7 ) a n d D u s h a n Hemantha, who made 1 3 n o t o u t , m a n a g e d d o u b l e digits for the home side

India skipper Rohit Sharma held himself back and sent out Ishan Kishan to open the innings with Shubman Gill, opting for a l e f t - r i g h t o p e n i n g s t a n d T h e openers scored freely to ensure there was no drama and Kishan, who made 23 not out, scored the w i n n i n g r u n o f t h e s u m m i t

ECB charity partnerships to provide free cricket to more school children

Ne w an d exp a nd e d E C B c h a ri ty partnersh ips w ill provid e free cricket to mo re state school children, open up talent p at h w ay s to yo u n g p eo p le fro m s ta te s ch o o l s and et h ni ca ll y d iv ers e comm unities, and help young British S outh Asian cricketers m ake th eir professio nal breakth roug h

An additional £2 million injection over the next two and a half years stands to benefit tens of thousands more children and young people as part of efforts to make cricket the country’s most inclusive sport and address barriers highlighted in the r e c e n t r e p o r t b y t h e I n d e p e n d e n t

Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC)

The ECB will officially partner with M C C F o u n d a t i o n , A f r i c a n C a r i b b e a n Engagement (ACE) Programme and the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) to open up opportunities and talent pathways for state school, Black and British South A s i a n c r i c k e t e r s L o n g - t e r m p a r t n e r sChance to Shine and Lord’s Taverners - will also receive extra funding to deliver cricket to more state schools with high numbers of c h i l d r e n o n f r e e s c h o o l m e a l s a n d f o r children with special educational needs and disabilities

S tate sch ool cricket

Through partnerships with Chance to Shine, the MCC Foundation and Lord’s Taverners, the ECB aims to offer cricket in more state schools to give children from u n d e r s e r v e d c o m m u n i t i e s a n d s t u d e n t s with special education needs the chance to

India miss chance to be No1

Defeat against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup Super Four match cost India a golden chance to rule the rankings charts across formats Before the Asia Cup clash against Bangladesh, India held the No 2 position on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings with 116 rating points, just slightly trailing t o p - r a n k e d A u s t r a l i a , w h o l e d w i t h 1 1 8 p o i n t s I n d i a , c u r r e n t l y dominating the Test and T20I rankings, had a golden opportunity to claim the top spot in ODIs if two conditions had been met: defeating Bangladesh in the Super Four clash of the Asia Cup and having South Africa emerge victorious against top-ranked Australia in the penultimate ODI of their five-match series However, only one of the two scenarios went India’s way with the Proteas claiming a massive 164-run victory over Australia while India suffered a narrow defeat against Bangladesh, falling short by just six runs The loss to Bangladesh meant India slipped to No 3 in the rankings table with a 114 rating behind Pakistan and Australia

c l a s h , w h i c h l a s t e d o n l y 2 1 3 overs Gill remained unbeaten on 27 S r i L a n k a a n d I n d i a h a d progressed to the Asia Cup finals

while Pakistan and Bangladesh were knocked out in the Super F o u r s t a g e A f g h a n i s t a n a n d Nepal failed to get beyond the first round

Chopra bags silver, misses Diamond League trophy

O l y m p ic a n d wo r l d ch a m p io n j a v e l in t hrower Nee ra j C hopra fa iled to defe nd his Diamond Le ague champion’s title, fin ishin g second with a modest effort of 83 80m in the gr an d fina le at Euge ne (US)

The 25-year-old Chopra, who clinched his maiden World Championships gold last month, struggled to produce his best in the winner-takes all Finals of the 13-leg one-day meeting series at the Hayward Field

the Diamond League champion for the third time with a best throw of 84 24m which came in his sixth and final attempt He was leading t h e s i x - m a n f i e l d f r o m t h e b e g i n n i n g following his first round effort of 84 01m

play the game, as well as offering more o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o t a l e n t e d s t a t e s c h o o l children who might currently struggle to access talent pathways

C hance to Sh ine

Working with Chance to Shine, ECB w i l l n o w t a k e c r i c k e t i n t o m o r e s t a t e schools where at least 40% of the student population qualifies for free school meals

O u r l o n g - t e r m p a r t n e r s h i p a l r e a d y funds the delivery of cricket in around 4,000 state schools, and last academic year we expanded this specifically to target an additional 300 schools and 38,000 students who have the greatest chance of missing out on the opportunity to play cricket

Today’s announcement will see this b e i n g e x t e n d e d f u r t h e r , o f f e r i n g u p t o 2 0 , 0 0 0 m o r e s t u d e n t s i n a n o t h e r 1 5 0 schools the chance to pick up a bat and ball for free as part of the school day L ord ’ s Taverners

An expansion of our work with Lord’s Taverners will also see cricket delivered in more schools for students with disabilities or special educational needs

Ashwin recalled for Australia ODI series

KL Rah ul will lead a second-str ing India t eam i n t h e f ir s t t w o o n e- day i nt er na t io nal s o f a t h r ee- ma t ch ser ies against Australia th is month , with r eg ular captain Roh it Sh ar ma retu rning f or th e f inal g am e, B CCI announced

Several of India's regulars have been rested for the first two games, including captain Rohit, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav The squad for the final match is the one that will be part of India's World Cup campaign on home soil - w i t h t h e a d d i t i o n o f R a v i c h a n d r a n

Ashwin and Washington Sundar, who will be available for all three games

Ashwin, India s preferred spinner in test cricket, played the last of his 113 oneday internationals in January 2022 and w a s l e f t o u t o f t h e p r o v i s i o n a l s q u a d a n n o u n c e d e a r l i e r t h i s m o n t h

Meanwhile, Axar Patel, who missed the Asia Cup final due to a quadriceps strain, has been named in the squad for the final

ODI, but his participation is subject to fitness

The three ODIs, which will be played between Sept 22-27 in Mohali, Indore and Rajkot, will serve as a tune-up for the 50over World Cup which begins on Oct 5 Squad fo r f irst two OD Is

KL Rahul (captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas

I y e r , S u r y a k u m a r Y a d a v , T i l a k V a r m a ,

I s h a n K i s h a n , S h a r d u l T h a k u r , Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna S qu ad f or th ird O DI R o h i t S h a r m a ( c a p t a i n ) , H a r d i k P a n d y a , S h u b m a n G i l l , V i r a t K o h l i , S h r e y a s I y e r , S u r y a k u m a r Y a d a v , K L

R a h u l , I s h a n K i s h a n , R a v i n d r a J a d e j a , Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Washington

Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit

Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj

He fouled his two attempts and his best effort of the day came in the second throw, with the series reading foul, 83 80m, 81 37m, foul, 80 74 and 80 90m

This was Chopra’s first below-85m throw of the season He had qualified for the DL Finals at the third spot He had won the 2022 DL Finals in Zurich with a throw of 88 44m No competitor could touch 85m under 25 degree Celsius temperature and 45 per cent humidity

Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic became

Vadlejch, who won bronze in Budapest World Championships in August and silver in Tokyo Olympics behind Chopra, had also clinched the DL title in 2017 and 2018 Oliver Helander of Finland took the third spot with a best throw of 83 74m

Vadlejch won the DL Trophy and $32,000 while Chopra pocketed $12,000 prize money for finishing second Just a few days after winning the World Championships title, he competed in the Zurich DL leg on August 31 where he finished second behind Vadlejch, who has beaten the Indian in their last two m e e t i n g s C h o p r a w i l l n o w h e a d t o t h e Hangzhou Asian Games beginning later this month, where he will defend the gold he had won in 2018 in Indonesia

Elavenil strikes gold in Rio Shooting World Cup

Olym pian Elav enil Valariv an wo n the w omen ’ s 10m air rifle ev e nt to c li nc h h er s ec on d g o l d at th e In ter na ti o nal S h o o ti n g S p o rt F ed e rat io n (ISS F) World C up Rifle/Pistol com petition at Rio de Janeiro E la v en i l w as p er fe ct io n personified in the strong eight-wom an final field, never sco ring below 1 0 1 th roug hout the 24 sh ots

She finished with a score of 252 2 to o u t g u n F r a n c e ’ s 2 0 - y e a r - o l d s e n s a t i o n Oceanne Muller, who won silver with 251 9 China’s Zhang Jiale bagged the bronze Elavenil had qualified for the final at eighth and final spot with a score of 630 5 M u l l e r h a d t o p p e d w i t h 6 3 3 7 T w o Chinese shooters Zhang Jiale and Zhang Yu

(Olympian) and reigning E u r o p e a n c h a m p i o n Jeanette Hegg Duestad of Norway were also among the finalists In the men ’ s 1 0 m a i r r i f l e e v e n t , S a n d e e p S i n g h , I n d i a ’ s lone contender, shot 628 2 in qualification to finish in the 14th spot Elavenil had teamed up with Sandeep in the 10m air rifle mixed team event to finish fifth with a combined score of 629 1 The fourth and final medal round spot went to Israel, who were 0 5 points ahead of the Indian pair in the 42-team field While Elavenil shot 3 1 4 8 , S a n d e e p s h o t 3 1 4 3 a s t h e I n d i a n s narrowly missed a shot at bronze Israel did win bronze eventually, while Germany won gold and the silver went to Hungary

Unadkat claims nine wickets, stars in Sussex’s thrilling win

Jayde v Una dkat’s love af fair w ith the red b all is contin uing i n his mai den C ounty cr ick e t s e a so n to o T he l ef t- a rm pa cer produced a super b n ine -wi ck et haul (3- 23 & 6- 94) to he lp Suss ex score a 15 run thrilli ng w i n o v e r L e i ce s t e r s h i r e i n a C o u n t y C h a m p i o n s h i p s Di v i s i o n 2 m a t ch l a s t

we ek Unad kat’s match wi nni ng s pell w as eve n more s peci al si nce came in his home de but at the C entra l C oun ty Groun d in Hove, an d unde r the captain cy of his In dia a n d S a u r a s h t r a t e a m ma t e C h e t e s h w a r Puja ra, who s core d 26 & 23 I t w a s j u s t h i s s e c o n d C o u n t y

Championship match for Sussex

In the second innings, overcoming a sore ankle, Unadkat finished with figures

of six for 94 after bowling 32 4 overs, with his final four wickets coming in the last hour in a sensational 31-ball final burst Leicestershire, who nearly pulled off the chase, were 453 for six before Unadkat took their final four wickets to bowl them out for 483 to give Sussex their second County Championship win of the season

Meanwhile, Indian spinners Yuzvendra C h a h a l a n d J a y a n t Y a d a v e n j o y e d f i n e County Championship debuts, taking five wickets each Ignored for the ODI World C u p , l e g - s p i n n e r C h a h a l t o o k 3 - 6 3 (including a ripper to clean up Lyndon James's off-stump) & 2-43 for Kent, who drew their Division One match against Nottinghamshire

Elavenil Valarivan