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28 DEC - 3 JAN 2020 - VOL 48 ISSUE 34

Cabinet passes Brexit Bill. What next?

Britain took a pivotal step towards leaving the European Union as Boris Johnson was rewarded for the Conservatives’ thumping general election victory with a majority of 124 for his Brexit deal in the House of Commons. In his first reshuffle no one was kicked out of Cabinet but controversy was caused over who managed to remain. Sajid Javid, who dropped out of the race and offered support winner Boris Johnson. In return for his backing the prime minister promoted him from home secretary - his role under Theresa May - to chancellor and remains in Number 11 after Mr Johnson's reshuffle.

Continued on page 7

Dear readers, Wishing all of you a very happy and prosperous new year. We are closed for the following week and therefore, you will not receive issues of Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice dated 4th January 2020.

You will recieve a copy of our annual Calendar along with your AV/GS issue dated 11th January 2020.

inside: NCLAT restores Cyrus Mistry as Chairman of Tata Group rules aginst Ratan Tata SEE PAGE 20

BJP looses another foothold, Congress alliance to form government in Jharkhand?

SEE PAGE 24

2 UK

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with Keith Vaz

2

What are your proudest achievements?

Amar Vijay Amar Vijay Kaw was born in Srinagar, India. His father was a Professor of Physics and Chemistry and his mother was a house wife although she had an engineering degree.

Amar attended at the Tyndale Biscoe School.

Initially his interests were more with sports than studies to the displeasures of his parents. He was a keen sportsman with interest in Cricket, Badminton and table tennis.

However, he eventually achieved greater success in the school leaving examination where he stood first (amongst all schools in the state) breaking all-time record of highest score.

He later joined the Government Medical College where he received his medical degree. Following in the footsteps of his sister, he came to UK and initially did some research in the William Harvey Research Institute London (endothelial dysfunction in diabetes under Professor Eric Anggard). Amar managed to publish over 7 papers in his 3 years spent in research.

However, after a difficult decision he left research and decided to continue his medical career and did hospital medicine for 2 years following which he finally decided to become a General Practitioner. Being a GP enabled him to achieve his ambitions of specialising in diabetes, anticoagulation and minor surgery and later becoming a dedicated clinical tutor and teaching medical students. He has also recently qualified to be a Quality Improvement Lead for his Local network (North network Havering CCG).

1

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

Britain, in particular London. Although it can never replace home, the diverse and vibrant nature of the capital and having

lived here for the better part of 25 years makes it as good as home. Add to that the numerous friends I have made over the years and you have something special going on.

a. School Leaving Examination. As mentioned, earlier I stood first in over 30,000 students for my school leaving examination breaking an all-time record. Although, I was amongst the top 5 students in my class, the astounding result took everyone by surprise including my school teachers, my parents and not least of all, myself. b. Running a successful GP surgery which was recently nominated as best by a local poll conducted amongst the Tesco shoppers (local Tesco)

3

What inspires you?

The need and constant desire to be the best at whatever I do. This could include the sports I play or my role as a GP. The reason I took up teaching medical students was partly to improve my own medical knowledge to a much higher level.

Also, I frequently employ services of a dedicated coach if I feel my game (sport) is not up to scratch.

6

What is the best aspect about your current role?

The satisfaction of seeing people responding to treatment especially children and the elderly. Also using reassuring words to calm down very anxious people.

Teaching medical students, not only contributing to help them but also in the process improving my medical knowledge to be a better clinician.

Making case presentations for my GP colleagues gives me immense pleasure mainly due to that fact that I’m somehow contributing in helping my colleagues.

7

And the worst?

Excessive paperwork and lack of time.

Unfortunately, in the last 4-5 years the paperwork has reached insane proportions with a lot of duplication, and something needs to change.

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What are your long-term goals?

To continue to improve and grow as a GP and serve the community for as long as possible.

9

4

What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

Lack of time. Although it might appear bit crazy, but I would have liked to achieve more academically in way of doing further diploma courses, but a lack of time precludes me from that.

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

"The way the NHS is run. The British NHS is a unique organisation, however, due to abuse and misuse it unsustainable in its present form. A root and branch reforms are required to streamline it and make it more efficient".

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

My elder sister, who is also a doctor and has got a PhD in pharmacology (William Harvey research institute) a very rare combination. Since my childhood I always looked up to her as she would always do well in her school and college. She really excelled in her PhD studies and worked for some time under Late, Sir John Vane a Nobel Laurette.

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

Swami Vivekananda - one of India’s most celebrated spiritual minds whose freethinking philosophy and powerful oratory took both the US and Europe by storm at the end of the 19th Century. His extemporaneous talks, a mixture of moral and mystical, were lively, entertaining and uplifting.

Just what the doctor ordered!

Funding boost to promote organ donation in Hindu and Jain communities Five organisations working with the Hindu and Jain communities are joining the campaign to address the urgent need for more lifesaving organ donors from black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic backgrounds.

They are launching projects to break down myths and increase support for donation and ensure that people know that the law in England is changing next spring and understand their choices.

They are among 26 faith and community-based organisations to have secured funding to educate communities about donation after death through the BAME Community Investment Scheme led by NHS Blood and Transplant.

The scheme is part of a Government-funded campaign to address the critical shortage of organ donors from black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic backgrounds.

The organisations delivering projects focused on the Hindu and Jain communities are Jain Network, Jalaram Charitable Trust, Oshwal Association of the UK (OAUK), Vanik Council UK and Veerayatan UK. The Jain Network project titled ‘Give a Gift – Pass

it On’ aims to engage the Jain community in north west London through working with stakeholders and encouraging discussion through events and groups.

The Oshwal Association of the UK (OAUK) will use the funding to raise awareness of organ donation in the Jain community in B e d f o r d s h i r e , Northamptonshire and the Midlands. Activity will include training volunteers, holding events and creating a Gujarati language play.

The project led by Veerayatan UK will focus on the Jain community in London, Leicester and Hertfordshire. It will involve training young people as organ donation champions, hosting cultural events and distributing leaflets.

The Vanik Council UK will use the funding to expand its ‘Give a Gift, Give an Organ’ project, engaging the Jain community in key regions in England with conferences involving key figures in organ donation.

Jalaram Charitable Trust will use the funding to engage young Hindus in Leicester in organ donation by producing a play that will be performed at events and in local cultural and arts spaces.

Pramod Thakkar,

Chairman of Trust Board for Jalaram Charitable Trust, said: “Ang Daan - organ donation - is a part of Seva in which every Hindu should participate. May I urge all Hindus to the call for organ donation? Come join us in this service to mankind.”

Bharat Patel, organ recipient and project lead, said: “I felt like a baby being born again with a brand new life ahead of me. Never could I even dream that such a change in a human lifestyle could ever be possible. Ten years on, my donated kidney is working absolutely fine and functions the same as when first transplanted. Transplantation works.”

As well as promoting donation, each project will have an important role to play in building awareness and understanding of the upcoming law change as well as ensuring that people make their donation decision upon the facts.

From spring 2020 all adults in England will be considered as having agreed to donate their organs when they die unless they record a decision not to donate, known as ‘opt out’, or are in one of the groups not covered by the new law.

An opt out system for

The Jalaram team and supporters at an event on Jalaram Jyanti

organ donation was introduced in Wales in December 2015 and in Jersey in July this year and will also be introduced in Scotland in autumn 2020.

Families will still always be involved in organ donation, so it is vital that they know your choice.

Millie Banerjee, Chairman of NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We know that trusted, community-led or local organisations can make a real difference in dispelling myths, overcoming barriers and changing attitudes to organ donation.

“These innovative new projects will build on the inspiring work of those funded under round one of the scheme, bringing a positive organ donation message

to an even broader spectrum of faiths and communities.

“This passion for saving lives will, I hope, encourage more people from black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic backgrounds to decide they want to be an organ donor and share that decision with their families.”

The National BAME Transplant Alliance (NBTA) is supporting NHS Blood and Transplant in the campaign to address the need for black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic donors, which was launched in summer 2018.

Kirit Modi, Hon President of the NBTA, said: “NBTA is very pleased that 26 new projects to inform black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic communi-

ties about the change in law and increase donors from these backgrounds have been funded.

“We hope this important work will encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to make their donation decision and share it with their families and that ultimately will see an increase in the number of black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic donors.

“The work of community-led organisations is vital to delivering the facts through trusted messengers.

They can help people understand that unless more people from their community come forward as organ donors, patients from their own community will continue to face unequal access to transplants.”

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28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

India: A country of contrasts receives contradicting media coverage India is like the proverbial elephant being examined by four blind people. The perceptions and reality of each one of them are inevitably different. The year 2019 began with the 16th General Election for the Indian Parliament with all its hopes, claims and counterclaims. Democracy and human rights are rightfully being mentioned by media covering the Indian political situation and other scenarios. Congress and most of the opposing parties almost united to unseat the BJP led NPA government of India. Elections in India are, in a way, a national festivity with all its pomp, ceremony and humbug aplenty. All the main parties set out their manifestos which are there for all to see. The BJP manifesto clearly stated that the removal of Article 370 of the Indian constitution and the required remedy for the stateless people residing in India were their top priority. The opposition parties, Congress, Communist, Socialist and others opposed this agenda tooth and nail.

India is, as a geographical mass almost as big, if not more, than the European Union. Its population of 1.3 billion is almost three times larger. Indian democracy is alive and thriving. Let’s look at some statistics: 900 million people had adult franchise with 600 million exercising their democratic right. With a thumping majority the BJP won a clear victory. After 30 odd years a five year term of the elected government of the NDA was followed by one with an even larger majority.

During the elections India received ample coverage in the foreign press. Prior to the election date even the great English magazine ‘The Economist’ announced or declared it’s opposition to the re-election of Narendra Modi and his party. Either their voice was not heard or the voters did not give a damn about the advices from London and elected Modi with a huge mandate.

There are two houses in the Indian Parliament. In the Lower House - Lok Sabha - the BJP on it’s own has a clear majority with some thirty more MPs from its allies. In the Upper House - Rajya Sabha - the BJP and it’s allies are numerically in the minority and, yet, both houses with a two thirds majority endorsed the removal of Article 370. Period.

The Supreme Court in India, in spite of various accusations, represents a judiciary of the highest integrity. The Supreme Court found nothing unconstitutional in the removal of Article 370. Today, with some proportionately smaller problems, the unification of India is more of less complete with equal rights and responsibilities to all its citizens irrespective of caste, religion, or which part of India they live in.

In various parts of India especially in the North like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and in the North East like Assam and other smaller states a substantial majority of the foreign born but predominantly Hindus, Sikhs and even some Christian refugees are living without any nationality.

These stateless people received the right of abode in India under the provisions of the Citizens Amendment Act. It is not perfect but we will come to that later. As elsewhere mentioned in this paper, in Manoj Ladwa's article, sadly in Pakistan Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the last seventytwo years the ethnic cleansing has become a reality. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and others in Pakistan especially are highly vulnerable and experiencing all sorts of calamities simply because of their faith. They suffer discrimination, hatred, forced conversion and several other serious problems. Over the years thousands have somehow reached the safety of their neighbouring country, India, to escape.

This, and other corrective legal steps by the Modi government, were not a surprise as if they have been simply pulled out of a hat - they were part of the election commitment. The parliament of India, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, has approved this legislation and in Britain we have recently seen the problems and the consequences of the Supremacy of Parliament and people’s verdict in the referendum.

In the last two weeks or so, the Indian opposition parties which failed to garner support in the elections have opted to use the street demonstrations to unseat an elected government and overrule the decisions democratically reached through the parliamentary process. Street protests, if they

are peaceful and non violent, are surely a welcome part of a living democracy. It is acceptable when the students, or some other groups with vested interests, come out in the street to protest against a particular parliamentary decision.

In a way it is even desirable for a thriving democracy but, when by night time it turns into violence with the destruction of government property and private vehicles as well as attacks on people, and police are forced to use their legitimate power to discharge their duties, the situation becomes dangerous, very painful and, frankly speaking, unacceptable.

If Groups with dubious intent in India and from abroad, especially the media, are instigating or provocating such violent and undemocratic opposition, is it fair or reasonable or even possible to bring peace and harmony in India? These are all important questions.

Now we have responsible daily like the Financial Times, who were or are fearful of forecasting the notorious emergency of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, joining the fray. This is not only silly but very dangerous and divisive.

It is also very painful to see several instances of economy with the truth in the media coverage about the Citizens Amendment Act. It selectively talks about preferential treatment for Hindus, sometimes Sikhs, but ignores the plight of Christians, Parsis and others from the three neighbouring countries of India. It also systematically ignores that the cut-off date for these refugees was 31st December 2014, five years ago.

All media, whether print or electronic, have their own definite rights and responsibilities. It’s like every element has it’s properties. But is it wise to attack the fundamental institutions of a democratic nation with fake news? We have seen such well-intentioned attacks on the governments of several states run by either dictators or royalty who were earlier favourites of the western powers, especially Syria, Iraq, Libya and other countries, where the western media instigated and provoked resistance and rebellion systematically, and for a considerable period of time. The resultant turmoil which saw the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children as well as the migrations of millions is a matter of fact. These countries have been turned into ruins. It is also a fact that four million or more Syrian refugees are taking refuge in Turkey and some other adjoining countries. The European Union including the United Kingdom have allocated billions of pounds to Turkey and other countries to keep them there and not allow them to move towards the north especially the UK and other countries of mainland EU. Democracy, secularism and human rights are noble terms. They are fantastic ideas but almost all countries and civilisations interpret them in their own way to suit their requirement or reality. One would wish that India would open it’s doors to all the Hindus from Sri Lanka or the Rohinjyas from Mynamar, or even the oppressed and discriminated Muslims from Pakistan like the Amadiyas and others.. Or like the rich countries who need skilled and unskilled workers to open their boundary willy- nilly to all and sundry. That is an utopian expectation which cannot happen.

People in London who sit in their comfortable homes in a civilised environment cannot preach what they should expect from India. Preaching is one thing but putting it into practice is another. We need to be objective in our preaching or assessment. Whether we are honourable individuals or commentators in the media, we must remember our responsibilities. To quote former British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin: 'Power without responsibility - the prerogative of the harlot through the ages'.

India, with all its imperfections and predicaments has come a long way both economically and otherwise and has progressed tremendously since 1947. Let us be very careful with our utterances and comments. India is not perfect and neither is Britain or any other country for that matter. But looking at the whole of Asia, Africa, even the world, how many countries are developing peacefully and freely along the path of prosperity in a democratic manner?

Leave India alone for God’s sake.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

- Winston Churchill

Alpesh Patel

“How To Protect Truth in the Age of Disinformation” There is a wonderful TED talk of a similar title.

We know from Brexit and the UK general election and the US election that truth is under fire like never before. A lie is half way around the world before the truth has time to put its trousers on.

In India, misinformation can lead to mob killings. Some countries shut down the internet to protect citizens, but other nations, not liberal democracies use th is to silence legitimate protest.

Or take WhatsApp messages – there is something compelling about untruths passed by WhatsApp. Especially when you want to believe something because it confirms your pre-existing biases.

Why does false news travel faster? Studies show it to be the case. It is not that liars have more followers. In fact they have fewer. So how does it travel faster? Apparently, there is something called the ‘novelty hypothesis’. We like to share novel or new information. Or news! Its why newspapers were born. We feel like insiders when sharing it. It even gives us status to pass something novel.

This is important. It can cost lives. Laws cannot educate a grandmother to become an investigative journalist. We are actually preying on human nature, and we understand human nature very well and can manipulate it better than ever.

Bots can magnify a lot quicker.

Take India and the CAA. The protests, some are legitimate based on the legal aspects of the law. But a cursory scan of the headlines and the protests show the number of fake protests.

Protests founded to confirm a pre-existing bias that they are living in a ‘Nazi’ state.

In all this, the land of Gandhi, the man who spoke about his quest for truth suffers from riots.

There are people simply not interested in the truth, but in the novelty to confirm their prejudices.

Who gets to decide what is true and false?

Dis-confirmation bias, that search for the what will prove you wrong, is rare said the billionaire hedge fund manager, George Soros – and it will make you rich he said.

We so often want to be fooled. Studies also show the reaction we have to fake news, believing it to be true, show anger and disgust more often than truth or non-novel news. And other studies show anger is a feeling that we sometimes like feeling. The millennials it is said are too easily offended.

Actually, anger, and hate, is like a Facebook like for many. It makes them actually happier. It’s probably some evolutionary release valve, but not, we are looking f or it, for anger, for hate, just as we look for Facebook likes.

Editor: CB Patel Asian Voice is published by Asian Business Publications Ltd Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 • Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com Website: www.abplgroup.com INDIA OFFICE Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad-380 015.

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Home Office claims number of people at risk of radicalisation has hit highest level Far right just as big a danger as jihadis The number of people in Britain believed to be at genuine risk of being drawn into terrorism has hit record levels in the past year, the Home Office said this week.

Priti Patel's department has also claimed the number of referrals of potential farright terrorists now outnumbers possible jihadists despite violent Islamist extremists still murdering and maiming significantly more people on British soil.

The government's controversial £40million antiradicalisation scheme

began in 2011.

Since 2016 jihadis have murdered 64 people and injured 212 others in attacks using cars, knives and bombs in Westminster, at the Manchester Arena and twice on London Bridge. The second of these was carried out by convicted terrorist Usman Khan last month, who was released from prison early with a tag despite plotting to blow up the London Stock Exchange.

In the same period there have been two killings carried out by far-right terrorists in the UK - the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox by neo-

The number of referrals over right-wing extremism to the Government's anti-terror scheme Prevent has hit record levels - but jihadis have claimed significantly more lives in Britain

Prevent, which aims to stop terrorists before they offend, says 561 people were found to be at 'risk of radicalisation' in the year to March - with 254 classed as holding farright views and 210 classed as suspected Islamists.

A referral to Prevent about a potential terrorist will usually come from a teacher, doctors, police officer or relative - but taking part in the programme is not compulsory. And the Home Office's figures do not refer to plots, arrests or convictions for terror offences or the fact jihadis have been responsible for significantly more deaths on Britain's streets than far-right extremists since Prevent

Nazi Thomas Mair in 2016 and Darren Osborne's killing of a Muslim man outside the Finsbury Park mosque in 2017. And in the 12 months to September 2019, 224 people were arrested on suspicion of terror offences in the UK - and three out of four of them held Islamist-extremist views.

Experts believe the increase in far-right referrals to Prevent could be skewed by increased sharing and posting of far-Right material online or via messaging services such as WhatsApp rather genuine plots to murder and maim. Police and the security services have been urged 'not to take their eye off the ball' because of

January 6 2020 alongside the other 15 men, a spokesman added.

The force said he was a serving police officer at the time of an alleged offence in 2009. He was made a 'positive action coordinator' and appealed in promotional activities which saw him call for the police to more accurately reflect the community it served.

Those charged, are: l Ditta, who is charged with sexual touching. l Vaqaas Abbas, 30, is

SPARKHILL GP'S PATIENT SEX ASSAULT CONVICTION QUASHED A GP jailed for sexually assaulting a patient has had his conviction quashed.

Dr Rajeshkumar Mehta, 65, was found guilty at a Birmingham Crown Court trial in April last year and jailed for 15 months.

He worked at The Hill General Practice and Care Centre, in Sparkhill, Birmingham. His conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal on Friday 13 December, with a full written judgement set to be handed down in the new year.

Usman Khan, (pictured) an extremist convicted of a plot to blow up the Stock Exchange, stabbed two people to death and injured three others near London Bridge after being freed early from jail

the perceived increasing threat of right-wing violence.

London Bridge attacker and previously convicted terrorist Usman Khan was free to kill two Cambridge graduates after successfully overturning his original sentence for his part in a plot to blow up the London Stock Exchange. He injured three others during his rampage which started at a prisoner rehabilitation conference less than a year after he was released from jail on licence half way through a 16-year jail sentence. He was banned from London under the terms of his bail but used the cover of the education event to commit murder with knives and spark fear by wearing a fake terror belt.

The government said that its Counter Terrorism (Sentencing and Release) Bill will 'give the public greater confidence that the sentences served by terrorists reflect the severity of their offending and the risk they present'.

The legislation will remove the possibility of early release from custody for terrorists who receive an Extended Determinate Sentence. It will also introduce measures to strengthen supervision of terrorist

offenders when they are released from prison.

The government will bring forward a separate Sentencing Bill to introduce tougher punishments for the most serious violent and sexual offenders. This will change the automatic release point from halfway to two thirds for the worst adult offenders. It will also extend the circumstances in which convicted murderers can be given whole life terms in prison, with a particular focus on making sure people who have killed children are never released.

A new Serious Violence Bill will 'ensure the police have the powers they need to keep weapons off our streets' in a direct assault on the scourge of knife crime. The legislation will seek to deter people from carrying weapons by introducing new court orders to target known knife carriers. The orders will make it easier for the police to stop and search people who have already been convicted of a knife crime offence.

A Police Powers and Protections Bill will strengthen the law to give greater protection to police drivers involved in high speed chases.

Police constable 35, charged over historic sexual exploitation of three teenage girls A police constable is among 16 men charged as part of an investigation into allegations of historic child sexual exploitation.

West Yorkshire Police said the charges relate to alleged offences against three teenage girls in Halifax between 2006 and 2009. The alleged victims were aged between 13 and 16 at the time, the force added.

One of those charged in the investigation, Amjad Ditta, 35, is a police constable based within the police force's protective services operations unit. He is accused of the sexual touching of a girl in 2009 while working in Halifax.

He has been suspended from duty and is set to appear at Bradford Magistrates' Court on

in brief

charged with three counts of rape and three of supplying a class C drug l Nadeem Adalat, 34, faces four charges of rape and four of supply of a class C drug. l Sajid Adalat, 43, is charged with rape. l Vaseem Adalat, 33, charged with two counts of rape, trafficking and supply of a class C drug. l Metab Islam, 46, charged with six counts of rape, six of supply of a class C drug, two of sexual assault and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. l Mohammed Rizwan Iqbal, 34, is charged with rape. l Ishtiaq Latif, 32, is charged with sexual activity with a child. l Asad Mahmood, 33, is charged with rape and traf-

ficking.

Arfan Mir, 36, is charged with six counts of rape, supply of a class C drug, supply of a class A drug and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. l Younis Mohammed, 34, is charged with rape and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. l Nadeem Nassir, 39, is charged with rape, supply of a class C drug and making threats to kill. l Shahzad Nawaz, 40, is charged with rape, supply of a class C drug and making threats to kill. l Shazad Nazir, 44, charged with two counts of rape and supply of a class C drug. l Sohail Zafar, 36, charged with rape and supplying a class C drug. l

JAMIL KHALID JAILED OVER 2003 TORTURE AND KILLING A man has been jailed in connection with the murder of a teenager 16 years ago.

Daniel Higgins, 18, was tortured and shot in the head at his girlfriend's house in Slough, on 9 November 2003.

Jamil Khalid, 40, pictured, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was jailed for 10 years following an 11-day trial at Reading Crown Court.

Thames Valley Police said masked men had burst into the house and took Daniel to a spare room where he was fatally shot. Detectives believed the killing was a revenge attack for the murder of Mohammed Mahmood Choudry in February of the same year.

Det Ch Insp Andy Shearwood said Khalid had kept the gang updated by phone and obtained a key for them to get in the house.

Police said they were still trying to trace three other suspects who were believed to have travelled to Pakistan.

Khalid is the eighth person to be jailed in connection with the killing.

In November 2004, Majad Khan, who was 28 and from Wexham Road, Slough, was jailed for life with a minimum 20-year term and, following a second trial in December 2005, Mohammed Omar Ahkbar received the same sentence. Five men were also jailed for assisting an offender.

HEMWAND ALI HUSSAIN MURDER: FOURTH MAN CHARGED Police investigating the death of a father of two at a house in Hartlepool have charged a fourth man with murder.

Hemwand Ali Hussain, 30, (pitured) was found dead in a property in Charterhouse Street on 15 September.

A 24-year-old man, from West Drayton, London, will appear before Teesside Magistrates Court on Monday.

Three other men, aged 38, 31, and 22, who were charged with murder earlier, are currently going through the court system.

Cleveland Police said a 33-year-old man, arrested on Friday on suspicion of murder had been released under investigation.

CRAWLEY MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN ROTHERFIELD A man from Crawley has been charged with murder after a woman was found dead at an address in Rotherfield, near Crowborough.

Police said Jayesh Gobar, 35, unemployed of Moorland Road, Maidenbower in Crawley appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Monday (December 23), charged with murder.

He appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday December 24th, they said.

Officers attended a property in Court Meadow Close, Rotherfield, on Wednesday evening (December 18), following concerns for the welfare of a woman.

Sadly, the body of a woman in her 50s was discovered inside the property.

The second man, a 37-year-old from Crawley, arrested on suspicion of murder has been released without charge, police confirmed.

Detective Chief Inspector Alex Geldart, Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: “This is a tragic incident and my thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim at this difficult time.”

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Officer gave warning about Usman Suspected drug smuggler Khan eight months before terror attack could be hiding in Spain

A former Scotland Yard officer who mentored Usman Khan following his release has claimed he raised a 'red flag' to the Home Office and probation service about the convicted terrorist's behaviour eight months before his fatal London Bridge attack - but his concerns were ignored.

The mentor, who cannot be named for security reasons, says Khan, 27, seemed sincere about abandoning his extremist views and helping to deradicalise other prisoners when they first met last November, at Whitemoor prison in

Cambridgeshire.

But just 11 months later, convicted terrorist Khan, who was released from prison early with a tag despite plotting to blow up the London Stock Exchange, went on a stabbing rampage at London Bridge.

On November 29, Khan attended an event at Fishmonger's Hall organised

by Learning Together, a Cambridge University programme that helps rehabilitate inmates and ex-offenders and murdered Saskia Jones, 23 and Jack Merritt, 25.

Three others were injured during the incident.

Speaking to The Sunday

Usman Khan

Times, the mentor recalled how he met Khan twice a week for two-hour sessions between December 2018 and March this year - and that during one meeting, he noticed a sudden and aggressive mood swing.

Scientists develop security system that can never be hacked Researchers have developed the world's first 'uncrackable' security system to protect communications against cyber attacks, it has emerged.

A team at the University of St Andrews along with international partners are believed to have achieved 'perfect secrecy' with the new technology, which stops the threat of quantum computers being used to hack into data.

The proposed new sys-

tem uses silicon chips that contain complex structures that are irreversibly changed to send information in a one-time key that can never be recreated nor intercepted by an attacker.

The information is stored as light, then passed through the silicon chip containing complex structures, which bend and refract it, scrambling the information.

Security experts were concerned cyberterrorists

were already storing information ready to break quantum computing once it was a reality but the new system stops hackers in their tracks.

The idea of 'perfect secrecy' was proposed by scientists as far back as 1917, and could be achieved if it was possible to change the key which encrypts a message each time, based on the message itself.

The results were published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

A man who police want to speak to after £1.6m of heroin was found at a freight depot could be hiding in Spain, police believe.

Shashi Dhar Sahnan from Leicester hasn't been seen since the drug haul was found more than a decade ago.

The drugs were smuggled into the UK in the struts of wooden pallets used to transport air conditioning units.

Now Sahnan’s mugshot has just appeared on a gallery of the National Crime Agency’s “most wanted” gallery, Birmingham Live reports.

The NCA has informed the public: “Born in India, Sahnan has brown eyes and wears an overt hearing aid which sits over the right ear.”

Sahnan, living in Leicester at the time of the drugs bust, also has connections with Belfast, Northampton and London.

Police have not ruled out the fact he could be hiding in Britain, but he does have links to Spain.

In a joint operation by Leicestershire Police and Revenue and Customs, the stash of compressed heroin was removed from the freight depot without the

Shashi Dhar Sahnan could be hiding in Spain, detectives believe

drug-running gang’s knowledge. The “delivery” was then allowed to be taken to its drop-off in Leicester, detectives monitoring every move.

When the cooler units reached their destination – business premises in Midland Street, Leicester city centre – police swooped.

In December 2009, brothers Babu and Bharat Sarsia were jailed for a combined 43 years for their part in the crime. They were also stripped of hundreds of thousands of pounds under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The brothers’ trial heard that they had previously managed to smuggle in a further nine consignments of the drug – concealed using the same method and

thought to be worth around £10 million.

After the pair were sentenced, Det Con Kevin Hames said: “This was a well-organised plot to smuggle large quantities of high grade heroin into the country and onto the streets of Leicestershire.

“The chiller units themselves cost between £2,500 and £4,000 each and were imported purely to cover up the drugs operation. They were not sold on or used for anything. The fact that they were happy to spend between £40,000 and £80,000 just on hiding the drugs goes to show the size of the operation.”

Born in India, 61-yearold Sahnan is described as 5ft 7ins tall and stockily built.

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6 UK

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NHS visas for oversees City Sikhs help in mental health first aid training doctors and nurses On Thursday, 19th December, the Queen's speech in Parliament confirmed plans of the Government to introduce a new visa for qualified doctors and nurses from countries around the world.

Prime minister Boris Johnson had made references to such a new socalled “NHS visa” on the election campaign trail, which was confirmed as part of the Queen’s Speech in Parliament on Thursday.

"Steps will be taken to grow and support the National Health Service’s workforce and a new visa will ensure qualified doctors, nurses and health professionals have fast-track entry to the United Kingdom,” her Majesty noted in her speech.

"A modern, fair, pointsbased immigration system will welcome skilled workers from across the world to contribute to the United Kingdom’s economy, communities and public services,” it adds with the aims of introducing an Australian-style pointsbased immigration system

within the Sikh community

to attract the "brightest and best" from around the world.

An accompanying government briefing paper elaborates that under its “NHS People Plan”, qualified doctors, nurses and allied health professionals with a job offer from the NHS, and who have been trained to a recognised standard, will be offered fast-track entry, reduced visa fees and dedicated support to come to the UK. According to the Government its new visa and immigration system would be “fairer” as it would put skilled migrants from around the world at par once the EU’s freedom of movement rules no longer apply to the UK.

The wide-ranging Queen's Speech covered a broad range of government plans, with the 31 January 2020 Brexit deadline at the heart of the agenda.

Johnson, who returned to the House of Commons earlier this week after winning an 80-seat majority in last week’s polls, is set to bring back his Withdrawal Agreement Bill – the legislation that enables the UK to leave the EU – on Friday before Parliament breaks for its Christmas recess.

The break from the usual parliamentary convention of a Queen's Speech is a reflection of the urgency to get the legislation in place for the UK to meet the latest Brexit deadline in the New Year.

Man convicted of attempted murder for stabbings A man has been convicted of attempted murder after stabbing three people in Wraysbury.

Satya Thakor (pictured), 35, as convicted at Reading Crown Court on Monday after being found guilty by unanimous verdict of three counts of attempted murder and one count of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) with intent.

On Tuesday, May 14, Thakor attempted to murder a 58-year-old woman, a 34-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man at an address in Wraysbury by stabbing them several times with a knife. He also caused a minor stab wound to a 30-

year-old woman.

The victims were all known to Thakor. He was charged with the offences on Monday, May 27.

Investigating officer Detective Sunny Sokhi, based at Windsor police station, said: "Thakor tried to kill several people in an extremely violent and traumatic incident.

"His reasons for doing this have never been entirely clear. He answered 'no comment' throughout all his police interviews and refused to provide any evidence during his trial.

"Thakor's victims should have been able to feel safe in their home, but instead he

subjected them to a terrifying attack.

"He can now expect to receive a substantial prison sentence for his violent crimes."

Thakor will be sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Monday, February 3rd 2020.

Helping to make life easier for foster parents

Slough Children’s Services Trust (SCST) has teamed up with businesses to explore how foster friendly work places could help solve the urgent need for foster carers.

SCST hosted the first of

a series of fostering business breakfasts in partnership with pharmaceutical company Ipsen which has premises in Bath Road.

The event was attended by a number of local organisations including O2, Lonza,

RB, Aspire and Slough Business Community Partnership, with speakers from the business and fostering communities.

The Trust is planning to run another similar event early next year.

Over the last few months, the organisation City Sikhs has been working to train up people from the Sikh community to become qualified Mental Health First Aiders across the country.

The course is being provided free-of-charge as part of the charity’s ongoing sewa (voluntary work) to the British Sikh community. So far, 37 people have been trained up in London and in Bradford

by City Sikh volunteer and award-winning charity founder Neelam Heera.

The most recent training session took place at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Bradford, with 16 people from the local congregation becoming qualified Mental Health First Aiders and the first port of call for people with poor mental health.

The training coincided with the 550th birth

anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak, and it was seen as a fitting way to honour the first Sikh Guru’s memory.

Although some course providers charge up to £250 per person for the two-day training course, City Sikhs is looking to absorb all of the costs itself in order to develop a much needed nationwide network of Sikh Mental Health First Aiders with ongoing support and help for them to create safe spaces in their local communities.

Chair of City Sikhs, Jasvir Singh, said “Poor mental health can affect anyone from any background at any time. The British Sikh Report 2018 found that 3 out of 4 British Sikhs know someone who has experienced poor mental health in the previous 12 months. We hope that this work will change how men-

tal health is seen within the British Sikh community.”

Neelam Heera, the volunteer leading the mental health training, said “I’m very proud to be able to give back to the Sikh community, and I’m thankful to City Sikhs for providing the resources in training me up to become qualified. I founded the charity Cysters in order to tackle taboos surrounding reproductive wellbeing, including mental health, but the stigma attached to poor mental health remains an issue within the Sikh community. Hopefully the work being done to develop a nationwide network of Mental Health First Aiders will change that. We want to develop a long term framework, working with grassroots communities to create safe spaces to enable conversation around mental ill health.”

'Queen is enemy of Islam and must die' says jailed terrorist Islamist extremists are presiding over Sharia trials, pledges of allegiance to ISIS and dishing out punishment beatings in UK jails, an ex-inmate has revealed.

Security experts are demanding an urgent review into radicalisation in British prisons after an exprisoner known as Jack told how he helped enforce Sharia in prison after meeting an extremist. Speaing to The Times Jack told how he befriended terrorist Brusthom Ziamani at HMP Woodhill and oversaw beatings with him and another inmate who was serving time for murder.

The killer, who the paper refers to as M in its investigation, lectured Jack, telling him the Queen is an enemy of Islam who should be fought to the death.

Jack and the other two Muslim converts brought

Ziamani (pictured) plotted to murder a soldier after falling under the spell of Anjem Choudary

two men before their 'court' for 'disgracing the month of Ramadan'. M told them: 'You were caught drinking alcohol yesterday evening by the brothers. Due to the overwhelming evidence against you, we find you guilty despite your pleas of innocence.' The trio then agreed to punish the 'guilty' men by beating them. Jack says that after the attack 'the smaller one couldn’t open his eye, it was swollen completely shut, so we made him tell the screws he had fallen down the stairs'.

Jack’s claims come after police watchdogs revealed they are to probe whether London Bridge killer Usman Khan should have been watched more closely after his release from jail.

Khan - who stabbed two people to death on a knife rampage - was freed halfway through his 16-year sentence for terrorism without the necessary Parole Board assessment of his threat to the public. The ex-prisoner said his former inmates have contacted him offering to help him travel to Syria.

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28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

Prince Charles visits flood-hit Fishlake village On Monday 23rd December, Prince Charles visited South Yorkshire to meet people affected by last month's floods at a time when Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been criticised for not doing the same.

He met firefighters, police officers and soldiers at the village of Fishlake, near Doncaster, and toured the worst-affected areas.

Hundreds of home were evacuated and businesses were affected when a month's worth of rain fell in 24 hours, causing the River Don to burst its banks.

About 200 Army personnel helped support the flood effort.

According to the Clarence House the prince has made a donation to the flood relief fundand he also spent two hours in the village chatting to many of the locals lining the streets.

Charles also had a beer at the Hare and Hounds pub, which was at the centre of the flood relief effort in the village.

In the meantime, Boris Johnson has been criticised for not visiting flood-stricken communities at Christmas after it emerged

he had no immediate plans to travel to areas hit by heavy rain. Severe flooding in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire in November affected 4,200 homes, and the prime minister was heckled over the length of time it had taken him to

visit when he arrived in South Yorkshire. The Met Office has 54 flood warnings and 141 flood alerts in place across the UK, including in the north of England and the Midlands, with some likely to remain active until Christmas Eve as more rain is forecast.

Cabinet passes Brexit Bill. What next?

Priti Patel who was fired as International Development Secretary in 2017 by Theresa May after holding secret meetings with Israeli officials, continues to remain the Home Secretary.

Alok Sharma who had held diverse roles, ranging from the Prime Minister’s infrastructure envoy to India, to being the minister for housing and planning, for the Department for Communities and Local Government continues to remain the International Development Secretary.

Whilst, Rishi Sunak, the sonin-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, retains his place at the Cabinet table as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, working closely with the UK's Pakistani-origin Chancellor, Sajid Javid.

Bob Blackman Conservative MP for Harrow East tweeted a video highlighting that he was “honoured and humbled to take my oath of allegiance in the House of Commons on both the #KingJamesBible and the #BhagavadGita”.

In the meantime, MPs have approved the second reading of Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement bill — the legislation that needs to be passed by parliament if the UK is to leave the European Union on January 31.

After comfortably passing its second reading by 358 votes to 234, the withdrawal agreement bill is on track to complete its passage through both houses of parliament in time to allow Brexit to happen at the end

of January.

If the next stages at

Priti Patel

ing secretary, John Healey.

The Labour MP for

Sajid Javid

Alok Sharma

Rishi Sunak

Westminster go to plan, the European parliament is expected to ratify the withdrawal agreement on 29 January, paving the way for the UK to leave the bloc two days later.

Jeremy Corbyn said Labour would continue to oppose the government’s Brexit deal, but six Labour MPs defied the party whip and voted with the government, and around 20 more deliberately abstained, including the shadow hous-

Wigan, Lisa Nandy, who is preparing to enter the forthcoming leadership contest, said that she believed the party’s shift towards backing a second Brexit referendum – in which Keir Starmer, among others, was instrumental – was a key factor behind its defeat.

“In all honesty, Brexit just played into the sense that we are adrift from communities like these, that we don’t speak for them, we don’t stand for them, we

don’t understand them, and worse than that: we’re deeply disrespectful towards them. And that has been building for the last 15 to 20 years.

“It’s been a long time in the making, I hope it won’t take a long time to resolve.

But it’s going to be a hard road back,” she said.

Nandy voted against the bill on Friday, along with fel-

£1,000 child citizenship fee ruled 'unlawful' On Thursday 19th December the High Court ruled that the government's decision to charge £1,012 to register children as UK citizens was "unlawful". The fee applies to children born outside the UK, and those born in the UK before their parents were granted citizenship or settled status.

Young people currently face a £1,012 registration fee before they can formally become British citizens despite applications costing the Home Office £372 to process.

Fees have risen since 2011, and the cost of registering two children has more than tripled due to fee increases and the abolition of second child discounts.

The last increase resulted in the charge increasing from £973 to the current £1,012 fee in April 2018.

Delivering the ruling judge Mr Justice Jay said the Home Office "failed to have regard to the best interests" of children affected.

The department said it will consider the ruling's implications "carefully."

Mr Justice Jay said the evidence during the hearing had shown that "for a substantial number of children,

a fee of £1,012 is simply unaffordable". He said this made the children affected "feel alienated, excluded, isolated, second-best, insecure and not fully assimilated into the culture and social fabric of the UK" The case was brought on behalf of two children by campaign group the Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens (PRCBC).

Both children - identified only as O, aged 12, and A, aged three - were born in the UK and have lived there their entire lives.

The judge also gave the Home Office permission to appeal against his ruling.

The high court case has been ongoing since November. Earlier in the trial, lawyers representing the Home Office stressed that the entitlement to UK citizenship has always been conditional based upon the payment of application fees.

The PRCBC raises awareness and supports children and young adults in achieving UK citizenship.

The organization lists its aims as promoting social inclusion for the public benefit, preventing and relieving poverty, and the advancement of education.

low leadership hopefuls Rebecca Long-Bailey, Keir Starmer, Clive Lewis and Emily Thornberry.

The Commons had backed a previous draft of the bill at a second reading

in October; but rejected the prime minister’s plan to rush it through parliament in just a few days, prompting him to press for a general election.

8 UK

Sikh separatism AsianVoiceNews

28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

A threat to Sikhs worldwide

Lord Rami Ranger CBE Chairman, The British Sikh Association

ho can and who has damaged the legacy of the Sikhs Gurus for India and humanity?

A small section of Sikhs who consider themselves to be greater visionaries than their Gurus.

Sadly, from time to time, some self-appointed Sikhs appear from nowhere and start claiming to represent the aspirations of the entire Sikh community. They divert attention from our illustrious Gurus to themselves with anti-India rhetoric. It seems to be the easiest way to attract attention in the absence of merit. The media always pays attention to their negative activities and some politicians also join them for the votes these people might help them attract. These handful of Sikhs are doing enormous damage to the Sikh community, which is one of the most respected in the world, by going against the teachings of the Sikh Gurus who established the Sikh faith to unite humanity. Unfortunately, these lacklustre separatists are using the same religion to divide humanity for their selfish gains. They are now claiming Sikhs to be a different race when the Sikh Gurus said, “manas ki jaat sabhe eke pehchanbo”. Translated, this means ‘oneness of the human race’.

The Brotherhood of the Khalsa was established to make people equal and not unequal as the Khalistanis wish to do so despite the Sikh faith being based on uniting humanity rather than dividing it. Should we allow them to do what the foreign invaders did to Hindus and Sikhs in 1947 in a country of their birth and ancestors?

They also demand a Kingdom for themselves which the Sikh Gurus never did. They will never get a Kingdom but will succeed in making Sikhs second class or even victims in the country that their Gurus and followers helped save from the tyranny and injustices of the then Mughal rulers by paying unparalleled supreme sacrifices. These so-called custodians of the Sikh faith are bringing hardship to the Sikhs in India whilst they are sitting thousands of miles away and enjoying the protection afforded to them by their American, Canadian and British passports. How inconsiderate are these Sikhs who advocate for a separate country whilst having no intention of living there? Did Guru Gobind Singh Ji seek protection in a foreign country whilst fighting for the religious freedom of his fellow Indians?

This shows how callous and indifferent these people are. It is worth remembering that these people attract an audience of low calibre who are unable to appreciate the consequences for their fellow Sikhs in India and elsewhere. If they did, then they would be spending the same energy and time promoting India as their Gurus did and attract even more respect for the Sikhs.

It is a matter of pride for every Sikh that so many people in India and beyond are now adopting the Sikh values and also the teachings of Sikh Gurus to inspire their next generations. Many foreigners are adopting the Sikh faith as a result of the inspiring teachings of the Sikh Gurus.

With increasing numbers of Sikhs settling across many countries of the world, the internet and social media are helping to generate more awareness about the lives and teachings of the Sikh Gurus and what they stood for. The world is in their awe as the Sikh Gurus were ahead of their time. They believed in human rights, equality for race, religion and gender long before the UN charter ever came about. Sadly, some Sikhs are bringing us adverse and negative attention.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji accepted martyrdom in Delhi, the capital of India, to uphold the religious freedom of Hindus. A unique example of a faith leader laying down his life to protect the faith of others. His martyrdom unleashed the fury of the Sikhs which led to the establishment of the Brotherhood of Khalsa by his son, the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He did not rest until he was able to bring an end to the oppres-

W

sion and tyranny of the then Mughal rulers against those who did not follow their form of religion.

The 10th Guru not only sacrificed his own life as his father had done, but so did his wife and four sons for the religious freedom in India. As a result, every Indian feels that they owe the Sikhs and their Gurus a debt of gratitude for saving their ancient civilisation. The government of India celebrated the 350th Birth Anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and now the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith, not only in India but also internationally. Every Government of India’s overseas mission is celebrating the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and are also establishing Chairs in Universities across the world to spread his message of love and harmony. No Sikh organisation can ever promote the lives and teachings of Sikh Gurus on a scale that the Government of India is doing. Sadly, some Sikhs are disgracing them with their misguided actions.

The Government of Pakistan, led by the Prime Minister Imran Khan, has opened the Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims as a mark of respect for Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Government of India, led by Shri Narendra Modi, has reciprocated by accepting the offer by a rival country. This shows the respect the world has for our Gurus and faith. The time has come for the Sikhs to enjoy respect throughout

Lord Rami Ranger with his wife Renu Ranger at the historic Gurdwara of Kartarpur in Pakistan where the founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak spent his last days

the world due to the vision and sacrifices of our illustrious Gurus for mankind. I am afraid that these separatists may stop the Government of India in its endeavour to promote the lives and teachings of Sikh Gurus on a national and international level due to their unpatriotic activities.

India is a secular and democratic country and as a result, we are all equals. If some Sikhs do not like the government, then they can always change it through the ballot box.

Demanding extra privileges or rights by some Sikhs has brought us nothing but hardship. It was the Sikh leaders who broke Punjab into three parts: Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana because some Sikh leaders could not rule a united Punjab. Now some Sikhs are trying to make Khalistan where their IQ can fit in the absence of merit. They would like to drive non-Sikhs out of Punjab by treating them as second-class citizens as did Mr Jinnah by creating Pakistan. No non-Sikhs would like to live in a religious state where they are second class, simply because of their religion.

Did we not learn from the tragedy of the Partition in 1947 when the religion card was used to carve out an Islamic country out of a

Guru Nanak Dev Ji

secular India? Millions of innocent people were killed and displaced.

We have not seen peace in the subcontinent until now. We are now nuclear adversaries. The next war could unleash unimaginable death and destruction in the region.

Besides, if we kill the diversity of a country, then we also kill its soul. We can see how India as a united country is progressive and becoming prosperous unlike Pakistan.

All that glitters is not gold, there could be infighting in Khalistan between Jats and nonJats, between Amritdharis and Sahijdharis, between those who trim or colour their beards and those who do not. Women will need to cover their heads and so on. The Sikhs will be put into religious straitjackets and controlled by the scholars of religion and not of anything else. We have already seen what is happening in other religious countries.

Before 1984 there was no quota for Punjab to join the Indian Armed Forces and now there is. Due to the mutiny by some Sikh soliders during operation Bluestar, the Govt of India fixed a quota for Punjab to join the Indian Armed Forces. Only 2% soldiers can now join from Punjab according to their population.

Who was responsible for this change? Sadly, the Sikhs themselves. The result is that farmers are committing suicide due to lack of land and employment. Many unemployed youths are on drugs and committing crimes to feed their habit. Earlier, they could join the Indian Armed Forces and turn out to be disciplined citizens and now the future for many is a bleak one.

Punjab was the richest province and was known as the granary of India. It was called the breadbasket of India. Some Sikhs by demanding extra rights took on the Central Govt with dire consequences for their fellow Sikhs.

We all feel that we are right from our point of view as it is based on our education, experience and above all, vision. Only time can tell if we were right or wrong. We are already facing the consequences of leadership which divided Punjab in 1966, militant movement in the 1980s and now the Khalistan movement. Let us use intelligence rather than threats against a country of 1.3 billion people and now the 5th largest economy in the world with the 2nd largest army in the world. India is no longer a fragmented country. It is united and has modern security forces to quell any anti-India activists. Do we wish to turn Punjab into Kashmir with the Army everywhere?

We must follow our Gurus who were with India and as a result, enjoy respect in a secular country from the people of every faith. It’s time to stop scoring our own goals by going away from the ideals of our Gurus.

The Sikhs are Indians, will always be Indians and the protectorate of Mother India.

www.asian-voice.com

Rise of children joining high-IQ society Mensa The number of under-11s joining high-IQ society British Mensa has risen by more than half, from below 200 five years ago to 319 this year.

Overall, the number of children joining has risen from 1,344 to 1,956.

Mensa says they are assessed to see if their IQ is in the top 2% of the population.

And a number of British Asian children have made global headlines after the Indian media has picked up on their success.

Jiya, who got the maximum score aged 11, says: "When I went into the room to do the test... I looked around and everyone was so much older than me. When the test came, I did my best and it turned out I did pretty good.”

Jiya's father, Jignesh, says: "Education is not the only way to get to the top [in India], you've got a lot of start-ups, you've got sports personalities, like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, so times are changing but you could say Asians put a little more emphasis on academic excellence and Mensa is one of the feathers in the cap."

Acid attack victim tells of ‘agony’ as neighbour is jailed

A childcare worker last week said he felt “destroyed” after being left with horrific injuries from an acid attack by his next door neighbour.

Dean Smith, 36, suffered catastrophic burns over the left side of his body when Santokh Johal (pictured) squirted him with 91 per cent sulphuric acid through the window of his home in Leyton. Mr Smith, who worked in a primary school’s nursery and afterschool club in Islington, had already called the police after Johal, 53, started swearing and threatening to stab him.

Paramedics and firefighters found Mr Smith in excruciating pain. They hosed him off in the shower before taking him to hospital where he had skin graft surgery on about 20 per cent of his body in January.

Johal was convicted of throwing a corrosive fluid with intent to burn, maim, disfigure or to do grievous bodily harm and jailed for 20 years at Snaresbrook crown court last week.

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As I See It

Ending the New Year with New Thoughts CB Patel

Dear Readers

This is the last time I meet you through this column in 2019. We will meet again in the New Year after a short break. With utmost sincerity I appreciate several feedback from readers both in the UK and abroad. I especially am the most grateful for all the various suggestions and ideas I have received. Some of them are as follows : A) The British-Indian community as well as the Indian diaspora everywhere could take a page out of the Jewish experience. For 2500 years, after they were forcibly thrown out of their ancestral land of Israel, the community found itself wandering here, there and everywhere. In western Europe for example, they were welcomed in Spain, Britain, and elsewhere, however, at the whim of the rulers they were also expelled lock, stock and barrel. The Jews have experienced persecution unparalleled in recorded history.

Nazi genocide of some 6 million Jews on the mainland of Europe is an unforgettable chapter in world continuum. That was only about 80 odd years ago.

Today, the Jews everywhere not only participate but excel in all human endeavours, be it arts, literature, entertainment, science, commerce, industry, politics, philanthropy, et al. Now, the tiny state of Israel is a giant in the Middle East. How has this happened? How come the Board of British Jewry and the worldwide Jewish organisations were able to inspire and bring together the people of power, influence and capability?

Not only Indians, but especially Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists have a lesson to learn here. In the New Year, it has been proposed to me to write about this very valued suggestion and I earnestly request all my readers and others to send their thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or contributions to enable me and my team to do the best.

B) The second theme I have been receiving suggestions, advice, and even demands for some time affects the Patel community. I have to be honest, I am a bit reluctant. Recently, I met a very prominent Patel professional who has been living in Britain for 60 years and his is a name to reckon with in the public life of this country. He's married to an English lady and their family itself is an example of outstanding success. His three children are making a distinct mark. This Patel gentleman is an ideal blend of the east and the west. He's very anglicised but he strongly believes he owes his success to his ancestors, values and traditions as well.

He in his own subtle way has tried to imbibe values to his children and grandchildren. In conversation with him, he raised some pertinent questions. i) The Patel population is around 15 to 16 million. (Almost as much as the Jewish population worldwide). In the UK, in education, professional, commerce, industry, and other activities, Patels are as successful as any and perhaps better than many.

But, there is something which is deterring the community's profile on the national and international scale. Why? Patels are very liberal and essentially though known as proud people, they are self-effacing and don't tell children or others about their glorious history or what successful Patels have gained from that. There is another dimension. For e.g. In businesses in India, among top entrepreneurs five are Gujaratis. Tatas, Mukesh Ambani, Azim Premji, Gautam Adani, and Pankaj Patel.

There are many more Patels in the second rung of the entrepreneurial success. Why we don't hear about more and more Patels reaching such heights in India and especially UK? I know there are some Patels like Bhikhu and Vijay Patel and several more. Why don't they get due publicity and recognition?

I have also been told its my fault. May be I'm shy of being a Patel? I will not comment whether this is true of false. But I have to admit here. A focus on outstanding people will surely inspire many people.

Patels or no Patels. ii) There are several Hindu religious denominations where Patels put large sums of money. Or in the ancestral homes in India, and in enormous human service activities. Education, philanthropy, a lot of sections are generously financed by Patels. But, this gentlemen, 'Mr Patel' believes because the community is “dangerously divided into various groups and loyalties”, our subsequent younger generations do not understand the nitty gritty of various divisions and the Patel profile is not as it should be in reality.

Dear readers, I would really welcome your thoughts and advice on the above themes. Please write to me as soon as possible to cb.patel@abplgroup.com I would like to once again, convey my gratitude for your support as readers and in other ways to Asian Voice, Gujarat Samachar, and other publications and projects of ABPL. We are committed to do our utmost in your service. I wish you and your family members and friends, a happy, healthy, and safe festivities and a peaceful, prosperous New Year.

More than 100 buildings still with Grenfell-style cladding this Christmas More than 100 buildings in London still have Grenfellstyle cladding, two and a half years after the devastating fire.

Residents in 125 buildings in the capital with aluminium-composite material (ACM) cladding are still at risk, according to Government data.

The dangerous panels on Grenfell Tower allowed fire to spread from a single flat to engulf the entire building, and leading to 72 deaths. The Government banned ACM cladding last year, and promised to help pay to remove it from all existing buildings.

Former Housing Secretary James Brokenshire said in July that the panels would be off all social housing by the end of the year.

And the Government has set a target of June 2020 to complete all changes to privately owned homes.

But in both Greenwich and Tower Hamlets there are still more than twenty buildings with ACM cladding.

In Brent, Newham, Wandsworth and Westminster, ten buildings are yet to be fixed.

And another seventeen London boroughs also have homes with the fire-risk panels still in place.

Labour London Assembly fire spokesperson Andrew Dismore said Government ministers should be ashamed of “dragging their feet” over the dangerous cladding.

9

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says city should be less "arrogant" Sadiq Khan says London must be less “arrogant” and acknowledge the hostility to the city in other parts of the country. But the Mayor said he hoped Boris Johnson would remember the importance of the capital.

Speaking at Mayor’s Question Time yesterday (Thursday), Mr Khan congratulated the Prime Minister on his General Election win.

Mr Johnson’s Conservative party won 365 seats in the election last week. Labour finished with 203 seats, the party’s worst result since 1935 – but London stayed red, electing 49 Labour MPs from a total

of 73. Commenting on the capital’s voting record Mr Khan said: “I think many of us know more about him [Boris Johnson] than the rest of the country. But I think it would be churlish of me not to accept that the Conservatives won. They’re the Government for the next five years.”

He added: “I congratulate Boris Johnson – he was elected the Prime Minister, and he’s got a mandate. My job as the Mayor is to put aside party differences where I can and work with the Government.”

He welcomed Mr Johnson's promise of more police, and said the Prime Minister should invest in

building homes, and infrastructure including the Bakerloo line extension and Crossrail Two. Mr Khan said he believed the former London Mayor “understands the importance London has to the country”.

He said: “I’m sure he won’t forget his experience in London as Mayor and our contribution to the country doing well. I think we as a city need to be less arrogant because there’s anti-London animus across the country.

I’ve tried as mayor in the last three years to work with colleagues across the country and I hope that Boris Johnson understands it’s a symbiotic relationship.”

Knifeman stabbed teenager in the back in shocking attack A knifeman who stabbed a teenager following a disagreement has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Mohammed Pasha Uddin, Pictured, grabbed a knife from the kitchen of his home in Tyseley and chased the 17-year-old victim before stabbing him in the back. The teenager suffered damage to his kidneys after the attack on June 26 but has since made a full recov-

ery.

Uddin had also threatened his victim with a baseball bat and encouraged a dog to try and attack him.

He fled in his car following the stabbing. This prompted officers to launch a public plea for help to trace him on social media and resulted in the 37-year-old handing himself in days later.

Uddin was charged with wounding and possession of

an offensive weapon and was convicted following a trial and was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (December 20).

10 READERS VOICE

AsianVoiceNews

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28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

Welcome to Canada Mitul I have been semi-actively involved with Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice. Apart from being an enthusiastic reader of the papers, I write letters and articles from time to time.

Few months ago, a talented journalist from your Ahmedabad office, Mitul Paniker moved to Canada with her husband Moulin. CB Patel introduced us to them and what a coincidence! They are based not too far from where we live in Toronto.

We met her and are now happy to inform that she is engaged with a community publishing house here.

However, I also expect her to keep her relation intact with Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar readers as well.

Last week, Mitul gave Bhavna and I an opportunity to enjoy a musical play titled 'Bend It Like Beckham'. What a treat it was!

We keep in touch with the young pair and do our best to settle them in the new country. Welcome to Canada, Mitul!

Sureshbhai and Bhavnaben Patel By email

NHS pressures on GPs Now that the general election is over and Boris Johnson got more than he expected. The question now is that will he be able to fulfil the promises and commitments he made during the election campaign?

At present the GPs are working under tremendous pressures in the NHS. More than a third of GPs have cut their hours in the last year, with many blaming the demands of the job, according to a new report.

An annual workforce report from the General Medical Council (GMC) found high numbers of GPs at risk of burnout, high levels of dissatisfaction, and more than one in 10 taking time off in the last year due to stress.

The study also found GPs inappropriately referring patients to hospital while stressed out by a high workload, and patients suffering harm due to pressures on the system.

Immediate action has to be taken to address this acute problem. Number of GPs who work beyond their contracted hours every day according to GMC workforce report Half of GPs feel satisfied in their work while 45% are dissatisfied, higher than the 30% of doctors overall who are dissatisfied. The reasons for dissatisfaction included bureaucracy, increasing time constraints and working in conditions that are “unsafe” for patient care.

Almost a quarter (24%) of GPs gave responses that suggested they were at high risk of being burnout. An increase in referrals leads to more patients in the system, which leads to bottlenecks in services and longer waiting times.

According to GMC workforce report: By unnecessarily adding more patients into the system, it creates more demand for a health service already stretched and struggling But the incoming government must also listen to, and act on, concerns that are being raised by the public, employers, patients and doctors.”

According to Suzie Bailey of King’s Fund Staff shortages in the NHS are creating a vicious cycle of increased pressure on doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, which in turn leads to more of them choosing to reduce their hours or leave their profession altogether. Therefore it is time for the new government to wake up and listen to, and to deal with the crisis and tackle it head on without dilly dallying.

Baldev Sharma Rayners Lane, Harrow

Spending spree After the great spending spree of Black Friday a couple of weeks ago, Christmas will soon be upon us, and the streets and shops have already become overcrowded with people on a shopping spree to buy presents for their friends and family.

In these hard times, one would have thought that people would be vary of wasting money.

As if the the spending spree at Christmas is not enough, very soon the great sales will start and the shop till you drop culture will take on.

People will flock in droves to the high streets to undergo a retail therapy through bargain hunting. But where is the money coming from?

People buy on tick by borrowing from banks, financial institutions or pawn brokers without thinking that the money borrowed has eventually to be paid with exorbitant interest charges.

People will borrow more to pay the debt and thus the vicious circle will continue revolving. We go to sales for bargain hunting and come away with things which we did not need but we buy them because we think we have grabbed a bargain by getting them at a cheaper price.

One must haggle by asking for discounts and most of the time one can strike a bargain and come away with goods either at a lower price or receive additional benefits in cash or kind. It is indeed necessary to haggle for a bargain price otherwise we fork out much more than the item’s worth.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Birds’ Gavier Paradise near Surat We all know Gir forest at the foot of Mount Girnar in Gujarat is famous as the only place in the world where Asiatic lions roam freely without a care in the world! At one time they were on the brink of disappearing, with less than twenty left, roaming the forest, mainly due to hunting by privileged members of Indian Royal Family and their guests, members of ruling British class under colonial rule. When BJP captured Gujarat, especially under CM Narendra Modi, it created many nature reserves, protected forests and planted millions of trees. No wonder Capital of Gujarat, Gandhinagar is one of the greenest Capital cities in the world! Only few decades back, it was easy to miss PiplodDu-mass stretch of shallow muddy water with wild vegetation clogging the area, hardly a sight for sore eyes! Even then some eleven variety of birds were visible, although these winged nature’s creation were lost in the vastness of the area.

Under the encouragement of then CM Narendra Modi, dedicated nature lovers turned this wasteland, Gavier Lake, into heaven for wildlife, especially for local as well as migrating birds, as the lake was ideally placed for birds migrating from cold North to warm South, to spend winter months in a pleasant climate. With passage of time, more and more variety of birds, numbering over 150 now regularly visit Lake Gavier Nature Paradise, for some it is just stop-over while others spend their entire winter in this reserve, as there is plenty of food, shelter and cosy atmosphere to sustain them during their short winter stay. Hard work of these dedicated volunteers who cleaned the lake, removed overgrown, chocking vegetation, planted some thousand variety of trees, many fruit and cherry trees, created hundreds of nests to encourage permanent settlement and turn this once wild and neglected wasteland into birds paradise, with constant flow of bird watchers, nature lovers with their cameras ready to shoot these nature’s beauty! Besides birds, this place boasts seventy varieties of butterflies, wild flowers and picnic places at safe distance!

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Robing the poor to serve the rich!

During election campaign, every politician, irrespective of their political persuasion or affiliation, were eager to stake claim that they are the only political party who could safeguard our cherished NHS from being privatised, sold to highest bidder, American drug giants somehow gaining monopoly to supply drugs at highly inflated prices, to the detriment of British people.

Although Labour Party hammered this ideology time and again, not many people believed it, rather trusting Boris than Jeremy that resulted in the worse defeat for Labour since 1935, although many people supported Labour policy of nationalizing Water, Royal Mail and Energy that would have benefitted general public to no end!

It is an unmitigated shame for the fifth largest economy not able to train our own doctors and nurses badly needed on home front. Instead our government is planning to recruit these urgently needed medical staffs from developing countries like India, Philippines, West Indies, South Africa and few more to fill ever increasing vacancies in NHS. These developing countries train their medical staffs, doctors, nurses and consultants at great expense so that they could provide primary healthcare need throughout the nation, especially in villages and remote settlements where no doctors would like to put their roots, preferring city life where the pot of honey is supposedly hidden!

There is trend in GP surgeries where one or two doctors may be permanent GPs while others are locums, mostly young, newly qualified doctors who are although excellent doctors, do not want to get involved in long hours, week-end surgeries, home visits and endless paperwork. They prefer freedom of choosing hours they would like to work, take long holidays at a time convenient to them. I find it difficult to understand how minds of our politicians work; on one hand they provide billions in Overseas Aid while on other hand they rob these very nations of their home-grown talents, depriving them of badly needed medical care without a shred of guilt! Then loot mentality is an established fact!

Kumudini Valambia By email

Citizen Amendment Act - India It is evident from the news from India that this Act may divide India. Protests from all sides continue some have become violent and some human lives are lost. This issue has become such that explaining it and discussing it will not solve it. This is the time when Mr Modi and Amit Shah have to postpone this Act and continue consultations, discussions and debates with people from all walks of life who feel threatened with this ACT as it is being interpreted in different ways by different people. Also it seems there is no practical way to implement this ACT. I strongly believe that there is no shame to postpone implementing this ACT and true leadership is shown when proper and just and practical decisions are taken by leaders.

So far you have done great for India and we believe that you will continue to do that. Postponment of this ACT will have no ammunition left with the opposition parties who were

Kapil’s Khichadi Santa Johnson’s in Town Kapil Dudakia Santa Johnson is in town and he is painting it red, white and blue by flying the colours of the Union Flag. The breath of fresh air giving strength to the United Kingdom, a nation that has undergone the heartache of 3 years of Brexit pain.

Our Santa came bearing gifts. The very first was to make Brexit happen. All those who stood in the way of the people’s mandate were left standing, and the vote on Brexit passed with a thumping majority in parliament. In one surgical strike, Santa cut out the cancer of Brexit blockers and gave the UK the chance of a great future. Now the nation can get on with living for the now and putting in place the foundations for a prosperous global future.

Of course, Santa had many more surprises in his bag. For our community it was a proud moment when the Rt Hon Priti Patel was reappointed as the Secretary of State for the Home Department. The nation is beginning to understand what Gujaratis are made of, we may come across as mild mannered, cultured and religious, consumed by our love for dhoklas, thelpas, fafdas and jalebi. However, when it comes to politics let there be no doubt, Gujaratis are born with that gene. Within minutes of her appointment Priti moved into overdrive mode by announcing a series of policies to protect the nation. The Queen’s speech confirmed that her department would be one of the leaders of this new Boris led government.

For those who have been spreading the fake news that the Tories would be selling the NHS, well Santa delivered another present. For the first time, the National Health Service’s multi-year funding settlement, agreed earlier this year, will be enshrined in law.

That means there is an assurance of the minimum that will go into the NHS for the term of

this parliament. I should not be too surprised if additional funding for some key NHS priorities are announced in due course.

The new year will bring with it several more presents for 2020.

Two to watch out for, first a visit to the US that should deliver phase one of the FTA between our two countries. Second a visit to India. This will be an empowering visit, both for PM Johnson and for PM Modi. We will see agreements across several sectors of governance, from trade to investments, from immigration to education, and most fundamentally, on national security.

The new government needs to sort out electoral borders. Alongside that, a voting system that ensures that no one can vote without proper identification. Electoral fraud is taking place on a significant scale. The trap Tony Blair placed for the Tories would then be eradicated and we will see a truer picture of votes and seats.

I was heartened to hear the PM state that he was planning for not one term, but multiple terms.

It makes perfect sense to look at some fundamental issues such as education and social care over the longer term. Whilst a Royal Commission will be set up for Social Care, it is my belief we need one for Education as well.

We come to the end of yet another year. The future looks promising and challenging.

Nothing is easy in life, and when we as a nation undergo such a monumental change as Brexit, we need to bear in mind that all such changes take time to embed. Our ability to ride the wave, and surf them to our advantage will be key over the next 5 years. Let us not shy away from this opportunity. It’s time to unite, after all, we are the United Kingdom.

So, it’s Merry Brexit from me, and a happy and prosperous New Year to you all.

(Expressed opinions are personal.)

looking for such issues. They will have no grounds to stand on. This will give you further opportunities to work at other immediate issues that India faces now. Please continue the good work.

Vinod Dattani By email

www.asian-voice.com

EDUCATION

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28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

School pays for private tuition to help with exams An east London secondary school with high levels of deprivation is paying for private tuition to help pupils with their GCSE exams.

Urswick school in Hackney is buying one-toone lessons with its "pupil premium" money, given to schools to support disadvantaged pupils.

Assistant head Naomi Dews said her pupils should not miss out on private tuition available to richer families. But the National Education Union says schools "should not have to resort to using pupil premium money to provide tuition". The union's coleader Kevin Courtney says schools should have enough funding for their own staff, without having to use the pupil premium to buy in additional support.

Although parents might pay for extra lessons for their children, it is unusual for a school to use its budget this way. According to research from the Sutton Trust education charity, 41% of pupils in London get private tuition.

But Ms Dews says in her school almost none of her pupils' families can afford a tutor. Her school has very high levels of deprivation about three quarters of pupils are eligible for pupil premium payments, compared with a national average of about a quarter.

The maths department picks 35 students who would benefit from an hour per week of individual tuition, delivered in the school day through an online connection to tutors from the MyTutor firm.

Schools across England

English universities warned over student 'sales pitches'

have received about £2.4bn in pupil premium funding this year, based on factors such as pupils on free school meals or children in local authority care.

The purpose is to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils, but it is up to individual schools to decide how to use their allocation. Research from the Sutton Trust and the National Foundation for Educational Research has shown the use of tutors is skewed towards wealthier families and to those living in London.

It found that 27% of secondary school pupils had private tuition - but this rose to 34% in better-off households and 41% for pupils in London. The Sutton Trust has warned this is a hidden form of advantage in exam results.

Target extra cash to schools in the red, says Reform Schools in England facing the greatest financial difficulty should be prioritised in government spending pledges, the think tank Reform says. Its research finds that while over a quarter of local authority funded-secondaries were in the red in 2018/19, over a third had "excessive surplus".

Reform says this variation in finances shows a need for "targeted funding".

Ministers have announced plans to increase state school spending in England by £7.1 billion by 2022/23. Reform, a think tank for public service reform, says the accounts for these council-run

schools "show a complex picture".

It finds that 28.3% of secondary and 7.8% of primary schools were in deficit in the last academic year, with average shortfalls of £570,000 in secondaries and £56,000 in primaries.

But its analysis also finds 70% of secondaries and 90% of primaries reported a surplus - of these, 36% of secondaries and 42% of primaries had "excessive surpluses". Reform's analysis found no correlation between revenues and secondary school pupils' attainment outcomes. It also found that there were no clear drivers of poor revenues - a school's character-

istics, such as the percentage of children on free school meals or the number of support staff, did not necessarily correlate with a school's finances. The report says: "The challenge for the new government, then, is to establish which factors most impact a school's revenue balances, and whether the decisions made in schools with excessive revenues can be replicated across England."

Around one in four secondary schools are maintained - i.e. run by their local council - and the rest are other types of state secondary, largely academies, and are not included in the research.

Universities in England have been told to be more transparent about how they recruit students and not to make exaggerated marketing claims.

The Office for Students' annual report warns against sales tactics such as financial inducements or "unconditional" exam-grade offers.

The higher education watchdog's chief executive, Nicola Dandridge, has promised a review of admissions.

Universities Minister Chris Skidmore warned of "pockets of poor practice".

The OFS warned increasing competition between universities was raising concerns about unfair pressure being put on students looking for places.

"Students can be offered enticements and inducements which are often not in their best interests, at a time when they may be especially vulnerable," Ms Dandridge said And they could face a

"sales pitch with questionable incentives" - exaggerated claims about degree courses or the promise of bursaries for students looking for places in the clearing system after A-level results are released.

The concern over admissions also includes unconditional or so-called "conditional unconditional" offers, when students are promised a place whatever their eventual A-level grades, as long as they accept an offer as their first choice.

This has raised worries about students not trying

hard and ending up with poor A-level grades - or that they will take a course that does not suit them, just to guarantee a place.

Despite warnings, including from the OFS, figures this week showed unconditional offers were increasing - with a quarter of applicants receiving such an offer this year.

Ms Dandridge called for more openness in the admissions process - such as whether students were being given accurate information about what A-level grades were really needed to get on to a course.

Poorer London pupils still win race to university Disadvantaged young people in inner-London are more likely to go to university than wealthier youngsters outside the capital, according to official figures.

The Department for Education analysis reveals big regional differences across England in the likelihood of getting places in higher education. Inner London's entry rate is 48% for pupils eligible for free school meals.

This is higher than nonfree school meals pupils any-

where outside London.

The figures show a widening gap in getting places in higher education between disadvantaged and better-off pupils - using eligibility for free school meals as a measure.

Imogen Farhan of the Reform think tank said: "Top universities should be engines of social mobility, but today's statistics show that this is far from a reality.

"If the prime minister is serious about closing the opportunity gap and "levelling up" attainment in the

country this must be a priority," she said.

The university access figures show a continuing pattern of white youngsters having among the lowest entry rates.

Among white teenagers, 38% go on to higher education, compared with 60% of black pupils and 64% of Asian. The highest entry rate, 78%, is for Chinese youngsters. Among black African female pupils eligible for free school meals, the rate is 67%. But only 13% of white British male FSM pupils go on to higher education.

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Suspect in murder of Mohammed Shah Brothers caught with guns Subhani arrested at Heathrow Airport and bullets near their home A witness has described the moment a suspect in the murder of Mohammed Shah Subhani was arrested at Heathrow Airport.

A 19-year-old man was detained by police at the West London airport on Friday (December 20) as the 7.30am Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt was boarding.

He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, perverting the course of justice and preventing a lawful burial.

Police revealed the arrest had been made just one day after it came to light that Mr Subhani's remains had been found in a wooded area in Buckinghamshire.

It had long been feared that Mr Subhani, who vanished on May 7, had come to harm.

An Australian tourist, who asked to be identified only as Mikki, was waiting to board Lufthansa flight 923 when the sus-

Mohammed Shah Subhani (inset) went missing in May 2019

pect was arrested.

She told MyLondon: "As we started to the board the Lufthansa flight the police came and approached a passenger who was then asked to move to the side.

Four to five police casually surrounded him. No loud voices, no arms raised just asking questions, looking away, then making another comment again. Everyone was calm. If you were 20 feet away you

would have no idea someone had been pulled up."

This was the second time this suspect had been arrested.

He was previously detained on August 29 on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder but was released under investigation.

It is the ninth arrest in the case.

The flight was subsequently delayed for half an hour as a result of the arrest.

Woman tells Muslim Croydon schoolgirl she is 'problem in the community' in shocking video A shocking video has been shared on social media showing a Muslim Croydon schoolgirl allegedly being abused by an Islamophobic stranger. Film producer Lareb Naseem said her sister, who is aged just 16, was on her way to college when a woman confronted her, telling her she is a "problem in the community" and should "move away".

Ms Naseem's unnamed sister has lived in Croydon for 12 years.

The woman in the video, whose face is not shown, can be heard saying: "You need to move away from your house, you need to move away from the area.

"Do you understand that you are a problem in the community?"

Asked by Ms Naseem's sister if she is talking about her being a

hijabi, meaning a woman who wears the hijab, she replies "yes".

Ms Naseem's sister adds: "I haven’t done anything to you. I have no idea who you are."

The video was posted to Twitter , where it has since been retweeted more than 13,000 times.

Ms Naseem captioned it: "It hasn't even been a week [since the election]. I can’t even believe it.

You really can't make it up. We've lived in Croydon for over 12 years.

Lived in England since 1995. I'm stumped. This is my 16-year-old sister minding her DAMN BUSINESS tryna commute to college like she's done everyday (sic)."

A number of Twitter users offered their support to the family, with one Croydon resident claiming they "never thought this kind of horrible behaviour would

Drug trafficker planning to import drugs ordered to pay £50,000 by court A drug trafficker who was part of a gang planning to import £10 million worth of heroin and cocaine has been ordered to pay £50,000. Ravindra Modha was told to pay up after a proceeds of crime hearing at Leicester Crown Court on Friday 13th December. On March 26 last year, Modha was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment after being found guilty of conspiracy to import cocaine in children’s clothing, industrial bolts and furniture. Four other men, including Jagdish Patel, who were involved in the plot, were also sentenced for their crimes following an investigation by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU). Patel, 51, was found guilty of conspiracy to import cocaine and heroin and conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin and was sentenced to 25 years. A confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act was granted by the court last week.

The order allows police to take assets and cash from defendants

if they have benefited financially from their criminality. The court ordered that 57-year-old Modha, pays back £50,000. Any assets belonging to Modha will also be sold to recoup the money and any outstanding amounts will need to be paid from any hidden assets.

Paul Wenlock, from Leicestershire Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “Modha was involved in a plot to import drugs on a very large scale – including cocaine with a street value of £9.6m and a kilogram of heroin with a street value of £316,000.

He was able to make a vast sum of money from his crimes – and this is something we will always look to rectify following the conviction of offenders. We rely on public help to gather information.

Anyone living a lavish lifestyle, not going to work but buying things they seemingly can’t afford, are always likely to arouse suspicion. If you believe someone you know is profiting from crime, contact either police or Crimestoppers.”

rear its ugly head here".

One said: "Literally children, teenagers are getting this abuse from grown adults. Honestly sickens me the way Islamophobia is normalised now."

Another poster said: "Spent a lot of time in the Croydon area this summer whilst working in London. I am shocked and appalled that it could happen in such a vibrant, multicultural area."

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said they were "aware of the social media circulation of a possible race hate incident in Croydon".

They added: "We have requested further details so we can properly assess the matter. We would urge all victims of hate crime to report the offences to police."

Bank fraudsters jailed after stealing from customers' Fraudsters who cheated Barclays Bank customers out of £150,000 while working as apprentice cashiers have been jailed.

Waseem Ahmed, 22, and Hodaif Nadeem, 22 carried out the frauds at Barclays Bank branches in Slough and Bracknell.

Ahmed was jailed for four and a half years, while Nadeem was jailed for three and a half years at Reading Crown Court on Friday after an eight day trial.

A jury found Ahmed guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud, one count of conspiracy to transfer criminal property through fraudulent money transfers and one count of unauthorised access to a computer.

Nadeem was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud and one count of conspiracy to transfer criminal property fraudulently.

Ahmed was arrested on August 8, 2017, while Nadeem was arrested on January 19, 2018. They were charged with the offences on August 15 last year.

(L-R) Aamir and Yunus Hanif were stopped near their Shepherd's Bush home in targeted arrests

Brothers have started long prison sentences after they were caught with guns and bullets near their Shepherd's Bush home.

Aamir Hanif, 27, and Yunus Hanif, 26, were both jailed for nine years and four months each at Isleworth Crown Court on Wednesday (December 18). They had previously pleaded guilty to a number of offences.

The brothers were stopped by Met Police officers in a targeted arrest operation near their home on Bentworth Road. They were stopped on the afternoon of Monday, August 5 and police found three firearms, ammunition and component parts.

Both were sentenced to nine years and four months for conspiracy to sell or transfer a prohibited weapon and the same sentence for conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited ammunition, to be served concurrently.

The younger Hanif brother was also sentenced to seven-anda-half months for possessing a prohibited firearm, 45 months for possessing ammunition without a firearm certificate and three years for having an imitation firearm in a public place.

The older brother was also sentenced to six years for possession of a prohibited weapon.

All of these extra sentences will be served concurrently.

Decorator who stabbed colleague who was 'talking too loudly' sentenced A decorator who stabbed a workmate to death with a dagger while they were renovating a house has been sentenced.

Sulkahan Singh was told he will have to serve a minimum of 22 years behind bars.

The 39-year-old was convicted by a jury on Friday of murdering 47-year-old Sukhwinder Singh and possessing a bladed article.

Enraged by the guilty verdicts, he shouted and swore at jurors.

The killing happened on the morning of Tuesday July 2 in Penrith Avenue, in the Belgrave area of the city.

Just a few minutes after the working day began, the two men were in an altercation, leaving the 47-year-old victim, of St Michael's Avenue, Rushey Mead, Leicester, lying in a pool of blood.

An hour later, at 10.30am, he was pronounced dead in hospital, the city's crown court was told.

Sulkahan Singh, of Constance Road, North Evington, denied the offences claiming he acted in selfdefence.

Giving Singh a life sentence, Judge Philip Head said: "You have been convicted of murder and carrying the murder weapon, a dagger with a 17 centimetre blade, to the scene. You acquired the dagger in its sheath at some time and place unknown.

"On July 2, you brought it with you, on a bus and on foot, as you went to your workplace, a house being renovated. There was no conceivable legitimate reason to take it to work and no legitimate use for it at work."

He said the defendant put the

dagger inside a sock, when he had no defensive purpose to do so.

The judge said: "You took offence that your victim was speaking to a workmate too loudly.

You aggressively and offensively told him to be quieter and when he failed to obey you advanced angrily towards him and pushed him.

"A short scuffle occurred, after which he struck you on the head with a small spanner he was holding. There's no evidence he took that to the confrontation as a weapon and his reason to be holding it was never explored (during the evidence). It caused a laceration to your head.

"Your immediate reaction was to take the dagger from your sock and you stabbed him in the chest.

Immediately afterwards, you angrily declared to two other workmates 'whoever hits me, this is how they get hit back.'

The judge said: "Throughout this trial you've shown not a grain of remorse."

He said the defendant sought to blacken the names of others at the workplace.

The court heard the defendant had three offences of criminal violence against his name, including five months before the murder when he violently resisted arrest and said he would kill the police officer.

Jason Bartfeld QC, mitigating before sentence, said: “He knows he's going to serve an extraordinarily long sentence and will be a significantly older man when he's deported back to India, as he will be at the end of his sentence. It's a country he hasn't lived in for over 20 years."

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Priti Patel meets Harry Dunn's father amid extradition talks

Harry Dunn

Priti Patel and Andrea Leadsom met the Dunn family

Priti Patel, the home secretary, has met with Harry Dunn's father as her department considers requesting the extradition of a US woman charged over his death.

whole saga will be dealt with under the rule of law".

"You hear from some of the most senior politicians in this country... they are going to go to bed tonight feeling reassured."

Priti Patel visited the Dunn family lawyer's home in Northamptonshire.

The meeting comes after suspect Anne Sacoolas was charged by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The family said they were "incredibly reassured" to meet Ms Patel, who was accompanied by their local MP Andrea Leadsom.

The home secretary said she had met the family to explain the extradition process to them and spoken to Mr Dunn's father, Tim Dunn.

She said: "It was a nice opportunity to hear from them, obviously about what they have been experiencing, what they have been going through, and to reassure them at what has been a very difficult and traumatic time for them."

Family spokesman Radd Seiger said they were now "incredibly reassured this

Mr Dunn said it had been a "positive meeting" and a "great way to end the year", but Christmas would be difficult without his son.

Mr Dunn's mother, Charlotte Charles, did not attend the meeting.

Mr Dunn, 19, died in August after his motorbike was in collision with a car driven by Mrs Sacoolas outside RAF Croughton, Northamptonshire, where her husband worked as an

intelligence officer.

Mrs Sacoolas left for the US under diplomatic immunity, but on Friday was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, following a campaign by Mr Dunn's family.

Mrs Leadsom said there was a "clear process" of extradition.

She added: "There's a clear extradition treaty and it is absolutely vital that we get justice for Harry."

Mr Dunn's mother had said the family was "relieved" the 42-year-old suspect had finally been charged.

But US officials said it was not "a helpful development" and Mrs Sacoolas' lawyer said she would not return to the UK "to face a potential jail sentence for what was a terrible but unintentional accident".

After it confirmed Mrs Sacoolas had been charged, the CPS said extradition proceedings had started, noting that the "Home Office is responsible for considering our request and deciding whether to formally issue this through US diplomatic channels".

Two pairs of brothers have been jailed for a combined total of 100 years at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday 19 December for their involvement in serious violent attacks on Birmingham men in April and May 2019.

The jury found that Luqman’s brother Mohammed Osman stabbed Khan three times before being taken to Heartlands Hospital, causing lifethreatening injuries to his neck area.

The prosecution case

was that these attacks were motivated by escalating tensions between rival gangs in South East Birmingham.

The violent incidents on 30 April and 2 May had followed a series of other violent events in the area in the preceding week or so.

On 30 April 2019, the victim Ishaaq Ayaz was attacked and beaten by brothers Jacob and Nathan Emanuel with a shotgun at a flat in Strensham Court, Edgbaston.

After he fled from the scene, the males returned to attack another visitor, Mustafa Afsar, who was shot in the face by Nathan causing life-changing injuries.

In a linked attack, a few days later on 2 May, a second group of brothers kidnapped Hasan Khan from the street in Balsall Heath.

Khan was driven to Caroline Road by Mohammed Luqman and others where he was dragged out of the car as more of the attackers arrived.

Men found guilty of systematically abusing a vulnerable 13 year old girl

Anne Sacoolas

Girl who survived murder attempt by her ex-boyfriend slams 'demon girl' who ordered him to stab her to death A teenage girl brutally attacked by her exboyfriend has slammed the 'demon girl' who ordered him to stab her to death to 'prove his love'.

Iman Nassir, 17, has spoken out after her exboyfriend and the father of her baby Rhett Carty-Shaw, also 17, was jailed for 16 years after repeatedly knifing her and leaving her with terrible injuries.

His girlfriend Kyro Mori Akihiro, then known as Sarah Mohamed, was also jailed for 16 years after she encouraged Carty-Shaw to launch the attack at Ms Nassir's home in Openshaw, Manchester in May. Mohamed had learnt that Carty-Shaw, who has a

Iman Nassir, 17, in hospital

child with Ms Nassir, was seeing his ex behind her back.

She was 'incensed' and sent more than 50 text messages to encourage Carty-Shaw to carry out the brutal attack including one that read: 'Why you taking so long? Hurry up and do it.'

Ms Nassir has since moved away from the home where the attack unfolded.

She underwent surgery and spent four days in hospital after receiving multiple stab wounds.

Months after her ordeal, Ms Nassir takes painkillers and antidepressants.

Both Mohamed and Carty-Shaw are now serving lengthy periods of detention. The pair could not be named during their trial because of their age.

But after their conviction, and after submissions from the press, Judge Alan Conrad QC ruled that there was a 'strong public interest' in revealing the identities of defendants sentenced for such serious crimes.

Miss England hopeful, 22, left unable to walk due to stroke vows to strut down catwalk in first round of pageant A Miss England hopeful left unable to walk unaided after suffering a rare lifethreatening stroke is determined to strut down the pageant catwalk just months later.

Doctors told Freya Ayub, 22, she had suffered a stroke in June 2019, after her blood pressure plummeted when she was left housebound after a series of headaches and severe head pain. She

was rushed to hospital and spent five weeks practically immobile and needing aid when walking due to knee problems caused by being left bedridden by the stroke. But now on the path of recovery and having regained the ability to walk, Freya entered the Miss England pageant on a whim in November and has high hopes of bagging the title when she competes in June.

Ex-beauty queen WAG, 21, turned jihadi bride jailed for 18 Four men jailed for a total of 100 years for violent attacks on Birmingham men months for funding terrorism

Four Midlands men have been convicted of the rape and sexual abuse of a 13 year old girl who was vulnerable following the death of her father.

The Crown Prosecution Service said that the victim was befriended by Tanveer Ahmed, a Pizza delivery man in the Midlands, in 2001, shortly after her father had died.

Ahmed has since been deported to Pakistan for other offences. He was alleged to have arranged for other men he knew, to sexually abuse the victim.

On one particular night he took her to a flat above the Pizza Shop where he

worked and she was raped and sexually assaulted by three other men.

The victim remembers money changing hands between them.

On Wednesday 18th December 2019 at Birmingham Crown Court four of the men were found guilty of sexually assaulting the victim.

Mohammed Ali Sultan, Amjad Hussain, Mohammed Rizwan and Shafiq Younas were found guilty.

Nazam Akhtar, 35, was acquitted of a count of rape and Amjad Hussain was acquitted of one of the counts of indecent assault.

A former beauty contestant and WAG who married a jihadist fighter in an online ceremony was last week jailed for 18 months after being convicted of sending money to a terrorist organisation.

Amaani Noor, 21, fell in love with 'Hakim My Love' after he wooed her with messages sent on her 20th birthday. She planned to join him in Syria, but was arrested by counter-terrorism officers on the day she was planning to fly out to Turkey with her mother.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court heard how she self-radicalised following the collapse of her longterm relationship with a Liverpool footballer. He was not named but she dated Sheyi Ojo who is currently on loan at Rangers.

Noor broke down in tears as she was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Noor, pictured, expressed support for Sharia law and told a fellow sympathiser she didn't have a problem 'with people being killed justly' if they refused to do certain things

'according to Islam'.

She wept in the dock after being convicted of a single count of providing money for the purposes of terrorism.

During her trial she denied the prosecution claim that she wanted the cash - $45.51 (about ÂŁ35) to go specifically to `a fighter or an ex-fighter` on the front line.

The former Miss Teen GB semi-finalist made her

donation at the invitation of Victoria Webster, 28, from Nelson, Lancashire, whom she had met online.

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28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

Christmas travel chaos sparks need for better customer interactions Rupanjana Dutta The weekend before Christmas Day has been believed to be the busiest period for travel this winter, with an estimated 100 passengers flying out of Heathrow every minute alone.

During the great Christmas getaway till the Christmas eve, hundreds of thousands of passengers are inevitably likely to experience delays, lost baggage or other logistical issues that will cause inconvenience and frustration. Online Travel Agents (OTAs) inundated with queries will feel the pressure to work against the clock to resolve every complaint.

One of the most common pain points for passengers is a lack of communication during this disruption.

Without timely and effective direction from staff, countless questions can be left unanswered, and affected customers are likely to turn to social media to voice their irritation. To avoid reputational damage, travel companies are under pressure to provide a personalised customer experience to keep consumers up-to-date.

Vasu* and Yamini* who were travelling to Geneva with their eight months old baby Arav*, from the Luton airport, missed their flight last year on Christmas eve due to an internal workers’ strike, that delayed the shuttle services from the train station to the airport. They

had to rebook on another almost full flight- and pay full fare again. They were extremely angry, and took to the social media to vent their anger, as the airlines was barely ready to help and the airport services were in a chaos.

They told AV, “We saw may families sitting and crying because they had missed their flights as well, due to the strike that was not known about. We at least could pay again to rebook, but our heart broke seeing people who had no money to rebook – and for some there were no other flights to their destinations. They missed Christmas with family. It was a total disaster. It was a shame how there was absolutely no one to guide these people.”

Anish Kapoor, Head of Travel Operations at Teleperformance said,“Each interaction matters, and it is essential that every time a

customer interacts with a company, they leave the experience feeling satisfied.

Passengers therefore need to be kept informed throughout their experience via digitally-connected devices and apps. Industry players need to provide direct support through multiple channels such as chat, voice, email and social media to help customers get answers instantly.”

Teleperformance is a leading company in outsourced omnichannel customer experience management, serves as a strategic partner to 50% of the world’s largest companies in a wide variety of industries.

Anish added, “Better managing social media interactions, and addressing complaints in an active twoway dialogue, will align a brand’s need to safeguard their reputation with customers’ demands. A truly effective Digital Customer

Experience (DCX) comes down to striking the right balance between the human element and digital services.

“A High-Tech, HighTouch approach can give stressed travellers the option to speak to a customer service agent as well as roundthe-clock online chat services. By designing solutions which are constantly looking at improving efficiencies, customers can benefit from improved turn-around-time for claims to less than five days.

“Considering over half (55 per cent) of consumers complain via social networks to request an apology or solution customer interactions must be reimagined if brands are to be presented positively online. By turning social media into true customer care, travel companies can speed up their response times during this busy Christmas period.” (*Name changed on request)

Applying to University for 2020? Use your Christmas break to meet the deadline!

As most schools and colleges are on Christmas holiday it’s important for students to use this holiday time wisely if they still haven’t applied to university – the deadline is 15th January for starting in 2020.

Studying a degree is a significant commitment and it’s a big decision, over 20,000 don’t start their 2nd year so it’s really important to make sure you get as much information as possible over this Christmas break, to help you make the decision that’s right for you.

Applying to university can be daunting, and if you’ve put it off and put it off – you’re really going to have to look lively – so what can you realistically do during over the Christmas holiday?

Dr Lisette Johnston, former BBC World News Editor and Head of School at ScreenSpace (part of MetFilm school in collabo-

ration with University of west London) has given some top tips: l Subject first: Which degree will best suit you?

For example, there is a difference between Film Business & Screen Entrepreneurship and say, Media Studies, so you need to do your homework.

League tables give some idea, but also look at uni websites. Most courses give a course overview to give a sense of what topics you’ll cover across the degree. Are there similarities or differences in the courses you like? l University next: Just

because a university offers your preferred degree subject and ranks well doesn’t mean it’s the best place for you. Reach out to current students via social media and forums – ask them about their experience at the university, try TheStudentRoom.com groups on Facebook etc, also check-out the university’s Insta account – get a feel for what people are responding to and how they are responding.

If you haven’t already, as soon as you can book on an Open Day – you’re probably going to have to apply whether you’ve visited the uni or not at this late stage, but before you accept an offer, try to get to the campus – remember you will spend three or four years there, and may have to move from home, so you want to make sure you will be happy.

Some Unis also offer UCAS Deadline open days or open house a week

before the 15thJan deadline.Also do check out, how easy it is to get to class (are your halls miles away?) Are you on a campus or in a city? Knowing these things will make it easier to make a decision when the offers start coming in. l Think about the future: The decisions you make about where and what to study are only part of the story. l

Find out

If you get to do work experience. l Does the university offer any relevant partnerships with industry and/or are there sandwich course options with year in industry? l Also look at employability rates for the university as a whole and your field of study. At my institution, 87% of our students are working within the creative industries within six months of graduating. This is very different to marketing puff saying ‘a high per-

Vast Christmas: Size of Britain's Christmas tax bill revealed Research by the TaxPayers' Alliance has revealed the extent of the taxman's squeeze on festive spending this Christmas. The typical UK household will spend £1,344on Christmas, of which £212, or nearly 16 per cent, will be tax. That would be enough to buy 18 of Lidl's delicious luxury Christmas puddings.

Whether it's a necklace for your other half, a games console for the kids, a bottle of bubbly for the family or a chocolate yule log for pudding, practically all Christmas purchases will be taxed via levies like VAT, alcohol duty, fuel duty or the sugar tax. The total tax bill will run to £5.9 billion, more thandouble the annual cost of job seeker's allowance payments.

Key findings in the research paper reveals: VAT is levied on nearly all Christmas purchases - 90 per cent of spending on parties, pressies and Christmas meals will be subject to it. As a result, households will pay £5.1 billion in VAT this Christmas, equivalent to £182.80 per household.

The average household drives 302 miles to parties,

relatives' homes and last minute shopping trips during the Christmas season.

This means that the total fuel duty bill will amount to £247 million, or £17.74 a household.

The sugar tax will cost the public £300 million in 2019-20, meaning that the Christmas thirstiness will lead to an additional £7.5 million being paid on the soft drinks industry levy.

John O'Connell, chief executive at the TaxPayers' Alliance, told the newspaper,"Despite families already forking out a fortune for the festive season, the taxman has clearly decided it 'tis not the season to be jolly.

"Scrooge may have seen the error of his ways, but the greedy grinch of Whitehall has not discovered generosity this Christmas, with inefficiency making public services much more expensive than needs be for those who foot the bill.

"Taxpayers are not Christmas puddings to be raided for pound coins - the new government should look to wipe out wasteful spending and reduce the burden for typical taxpayers."

Gifts for a happy and inclusive Christmas for people with dementia Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline has put forward its list of gift suggestions for families with the condition to enjoy this Christmas, and all year round. The Helpline, the only nurse-led helpline for people facing dementia in the UK, regularly takes calls from families who find the Christmas period challenging. This can be the result of families not knowing how best to include or engage a relative with dementia and who are perhaps looking for gift suggestions to help with this. Theirlist of Christmas gift suggestions is focussed around items which have music, interactivity, aromatherapy and identity at their heart: Twiddlemuffs: These are usually made from wool and are attached with various items, such as bobbles, which people can play with. If a person with dementia becomes agitated or is sat there doing things with their fingers, twiddlemuffs can be a great way to ease stress and give the person something to focus on.

Reminescents’ box: Reminiscence is all about evoking memory and emotion centage of graduates are working’ –get the facts! l Know what and when: Even if you aren’t currently studying a “relevant” subject, don’t discount applying to a course that really interests you. To help you learn more about the course that you’re

and the use of scents and aromas can be a way to make this happen. These boxes can be homemade and filled with scents which are really individual for the person with dementia. Young people can get involved too and help to guess the scents with their relative.

Music: Everyone has different types of music which they enjoy and this does not change when someone develops dementia. Some music can evoke some really positive memories so it can always help to gift someone a song, an album of an artist or soundtrack which they have enjoyed previously.

ID jewellery: This type of jewellery is personalised, helping to maintain a person with dementia’s identity and wellbeing. There are many types of this jewellery available on the market, with a number of styles to suit various tastes, such as Pandora style bracelets or even jewellery with a charm on it. It can also include a person’s name, details of their condition for medical professionals as well as contact details for a family member or close friend in case of an emergency. interested in, make sure you call the university as soon as you can after the Christmas break, and have a list of questions at hand and make sure you know about any open days, workshops and/or applicant visits before you accept an offer.

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Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary celebrated in London’s prestigious Guildhall The High Commission of India in London, together with members of the British Sikh society organised Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary at London City’s Guildhall on 19 December 2019.

The event, which included the rendition of shabad kirtan as well as a screening of a special film on Guru Nanak's messages of peace and universal brotherhood, brought together members of the Sikh diaspora and ministers from India and the UK in London on Thursday.

HE Mrs Ruchi Ghanashyam, the High Commissioner of India to UK addressing the audience

Lord Tariq Ahmad addressing the guests

The event explored the concept of encouraging dialogue between different faiths, as propagated by the founder of the Sikh religion, and celebrated various steps taken to mark the anniversary, including the launch of a new London-Amritsar direct flight earlier this year, reported the PTI. V. Muraleedharan, the Minister of State for External Affairs, the Chief Guest at the event organised by the Indian High Commission in London said, “This event marked the culmination of year-long celebrations in UK of Baba Nanak and his teachings.”

HE Mrs Ruchi Ghanashyam, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK said, “The celebration of this anniversary in India, the UK and indeed around the world with such great fervour is a reaffirmation of Guru Nanak Devji's powerful message of humanity and truthfulness.

“His teachings have a timeless rele-

vance and therefore it is extremely appropriate that the government of India has decided to celebrate this very auspicious occasion with enormous enthusiasm. The world needs to remember these teachings today when we are facing so much of violence, extremism, terrorism, radicalisation in so many societies across the globe.”

Lord Tariq Ahmad, the Minister for Commonwealth affairs in the UK Foreign Office, who reminisced about his own family's roots in Gurdaspur said, “This celebration is a reflection of the rich diversity of faith, community

and culture which defines our modern United Kingdom today,” “British Sikhs contribute in so many ways to British life and will continue to be instrumental in strengthening the diaspora's Living Bridge between the UK and India,” he added.

The minister also hailed the contributions of the British Sikh community, reiterating UK government backed plans for a new Sikh war memorial to be set up in the heart of London to honour Sikh military service as part of the British Empire during the World Wars.

Renew OCI cards

by June Rohit Vadhwana Samir and his his wife planned a trip to India during the Christmas vacation of their daughter Sara. As they booked the ticket, teenager Sara was super excited to visit her grandparents in India. The flight was in the early morning from Heathrow airport. As the three reached the airport and were at the check-in counter, the airline staff informed that Sara could not travel to India.

'What? She has a valid ticket.' Samir objected.

'Yes, but not a valid OCI card. She had to re-issue her OCI card when her passport was changed.' Airline staff informed.

Samir did a bit more research on the subject and came to know that the rule required that if an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder who is below twenty years of age or above 50 years of age changes passport, OCI card has to be re-issued. It has to be linked to the new passport.

Any person below twenty years of age has to re-issue OCI card every time the passport changes. But a person above fifty years has to change OCI only once after the change in passport after attaining that age. However, any OCI Cardholder between twenty and fifty years of age does not need to re-issue OCI card on change of passport. But he/she must carry the passport with which the OCI card is linked, even if new passport is issued.

So, the new passport and OCI linked passport should be carried while travelling to India. Samir understood that the rule is effective long back since 2005 but he was not aware of it. Similarly, due to lack of awareness, some OCI holders had not re-issued the OCI cards and airlines denied them permission to board for India. Samir found out a solution. Only options left were to re-schedule the travel and get a visa for Sara. It cost him some amount of money but it was unavoidable. A number of such cases happened recently.

Samir was happy to read that the Government of India decided to relax the rule and give time to get the OCI card re-issued by 30 June 2020. So, OCI cardholders who need re-issuance of OCI have time till mid-year next and can travel hassle-free till then. Samir knows that the rule still remains same but temporary relaxation has been granted and therefore he has to get Sara's OCI card re-issued before 30 June 2020 because her age is less than 20.

Similarly, his uncle who is now 54 and has recently got a new passport will have to get his OCI card re-issued for once. Samir is trying his level best to bring it to the notice of other OCI Cardholders as well. You may also help spread this information!!

(Expressed opinion is personal) Do you have a story or suggestion for this column?

Email at: livingbridgeasianvoice@gmail.com

Sovereign Safe Deposit Centre fundraises over £6,000 for charity Shabad Kirtan

Audience mesmerised by the speeches

A Goodmayes safety deposit box company has raised thousands of pounds for a social care charity recently.

Sovereign Safe Deposit Centres has donated over £6,000 to Vibrance which supports residents with learning disabilities and mental health problems.

The charity provides a range of services including residential care, supported living, outreach and respite services and the money will

be used to buy specialist equipment for its community day project. Paul Allen, CEO of Vibrance said: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank Sovereign and all their customers for the long-standing and continued support."

Sam Patel of Sovereign said, "Sovereign and its members are delighted to raise as many donations for Vibrance as we possibly can, and we will continue to do so in the years ahead."

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18 FINANCE - UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel Dear Financial Voice Reader, So as the New Year approaches, let’s have a look back as everyone does this time of year. Who won, who lost? Who made money, and who messed up?

Well of all the UK listed shares, Petrel Resources won.

It was up over 1500%. It helps it’s a high risk penny stock.

Other winners – probably thanks to some keywords in their names included Leaf Clean Energy (751%) and Silence Therapeutics (+688%) and Shield Therapeutics (+480%).

Of those on my radar meeting my criteria from my algorithms for revenue growth, profits and income are Augean (+204%) and Rockrose Energy (+200%).

Don’t get me wrong – some companies were destroyed in 2019. Take Motif Bio and Cabot Energy. Down 98%!

Even the giant Metro Bank was down nearly 90%. And if you think that makes it a buy, you know what happens if a stock falls 90% and halves again? It’s down 95%. So you may think ‘surely after a 90% drop it can’t fall lower?’ Well, if you think something that drops 90% can drop 95% then you must also believe that something that drops 90% can halve in price and you lose 50% of your money.

Of the biggest fallers, my algorithms tell me that XPS Pensions Group may have been unfairly smacked down and is undervalued with some good growth and therefore recovery possibilities. Then again it was only down 20% in the year.

Of the biggest UK stocks, the world beaters were Future (up 200%), Pets at Home and JD Sports (+130%). Of course these elephant size stocks don’t dance as much as penny shares. Of the 350 largest UK companies, 7 doubled in value in 2019. And 43 were up 50% or more. Indeed 280 out of 350 gave you a better return than your bank account.

And those to be battered in 2019 from the UK’s 350 largest companies? Tullow Oil (-65%) Aston Martin (-56%) and NMC Health (-51%). Whether or not this was down to Brexit, according to our algorithms valuing companies and their revenue growth and income generation we see Plus 500 (-38%) and Cineworld (-13%) as overdone falls.

Arguably also Centrica (-34%).

What if we do the same analysis for the US stock market. Let’s take the US 500 list. The outright winner – Advanced Micro (+134%) and Lam Research (+115%) and KLA (+95%). The stinkers were ABIOMED (-47%) and Macy’s and TripAdvisor (-45% each).

Who are well attractive still – AES (40% (disclosure – we are shareholders)), Albemarle, AT&T, Qualcomm, Oneok. Of the fallers, the better valued according to our algorithms are: Halliburton (which list only 10% anyway in 2019) and Albemarle (also down 10%).

Andrew Bailey appointed Governor of the Bank of England On Friday 20th December, Sajid Javid named Andrew Bailey as the new governor of the Bank of England. Mr. Bailey, was the former chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority since 2016, will take over from Mark Carney on March 16.

He was the “stand-out candidate in a competitive field” with both international standing and experience of running a large complex organisation, the chancellor said.

Mr Bailey was at the Bank of England for 30 years, where he rose to prominence resolving stricken banks and shoring up the system during the financial

Andrew Bailey

crisis before moving to the FCA. He has worked across monetary policy and financial stability and was a deputy governor before joining the conduct regulator.

Mr Javid said: “It is a

tribute to his integrity that he emerged from the most serious crash in living memory with his reputation enhanced.”

However, Gina Miller, the anti-Brexit campaigner

and wealth manager disagrees. She said, “It’s absolutely scandalous — if you look at his record at the FCA and what has happened under his watch — to have someone like that now in charge of Bank. He intervened after things. If you look at all the things on his watch, the culture has been to do things at the very last minute.”

Mr Bailey had been selected by the Conservatives before the election was called but delayed making the appointment until today. Other contenders for the position included former Reserve Bank of India's governor Raghuram Rajan.

Dhamecha Cash and Carry's profit jumps nearly 9 per cent Leading cash and carry wholesaler Dhamecha Group has recorded nearly nine per cent increase in operating profit for the year ended March 31, 2019. It also witnessed a five per cent increase in its turnover during the same year.

The annual results released earlier this week show turnover growing by £40 million to £793m in 2019, from £753m in the previous year.

Operating profit for the year was £13m, compared to £12m in 2018.

Pradip Dhamecha OBE receiving the Editor’s Choice Award for Community service, Philanthropy and Entrepreneurship from CB (left most), Subhash Thakrar (L) and GP Hinduja (R)

Net assets, another key

performance indicator for the

family business, have also seen an eight per cent jump to £82m from £76m in the previous year.

Pradip Dhamecha, Chief Executive of Dhamecha Group, said: “While we remain cautious about the current economic climate, we hope to demonstrate the strength of our business model with the continued support of our employees and successful relationships with our suppliers and customers.”

The board said, in its report, that they expect “further steady growth” in sales for 2019-20.

Jaguar Land Rover Rishabh Gupta appointed as OYO UK's new acquires Bowler business head Indian conglomerate owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has acquired Bowler, the UK-based manufacturer of all-terrain performance cars, parts and rally raid vehicles. The Bowler business now fully-owned

by Tata Motors will continue to operate from its premises in Belper.

Indian conglomerate owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has acquired Bowler, the UK-based manufacturer of all-terrain performance cars, parts and rally raid vehicles. The Bowler business now fully-owned by Tata Motors will continue to operate from its premises in Belper.

Founded in 1985, Bowler pioneered the production of dedicated off-road competition cars in the UK and has achieved success in international rally raid events.

“At special vehicle operations, we are all eager to start working with our new colleagues at Bowler.

Adding the Bowler team’s skills and experience to those of SV, vehicle personalisation and classic is a key step in our strategy to create an exciting and diverse portfolio of products and businesses within special vehicle operations. “Our immediate focus is on ensuring continuity of support for Bowler employees and customers during this transition to Jaguar Land Rover,” said Michael Van Der Sande, managing director, JLR Special Vehicle Operations.

Since its inception, Bowler has had a close affiliation with Land Rover, which was formalised with a brand partnership in 2012 that led to the creation of the popular Defender Challenge rally series by Bowler in 2014-2016.

Rishabh Gupta has been appointed as the new head of OYO's operations in the UK as the fast-growing hotel Indian chain seeks to grow its offering in the country.

Gupta will take over from current UK head Jeremy Sanders, who also co-founded the Italian restaurant chain Coco di Mama. Gupta previously led Oyo’s Indonesian division Founded

by

Ritesh

Agarwal in 2013, Oyo has secured $1.7bn (£1.3bn) funding from investors including Softbank’s Vision Fund and Airbnb. Oyo claims to be the world’s third largest hotel chain by room count, and aims to be the largest by 2023.

The tech-driven chain, which focuses on small budget hotels, has built a portfolio of 200 UK hotels in the past year, with 5000 rooms across 50 towns and cities.

Softbank led a $1bn funding round into Oyo in

September last year, which valued the company at $5bn.

Boeing fires boss Muilenburg amid 737 troubles Boeing has fired its chief executive, Dennis Muilenburg, a move the board of directors said "was necessary to restore confidence" in the firm.

David Calhoun, Boeing's current chairman, will take over as chief executive and president from 13 January.

Mr Muilenburg had faced calls for his resignation over the company's

response to two deadly crashes involving the firm's best-selling 737 Max airliner.

The jet has been grounded since March.

Last week, Boeing said it would halt production of the plane while it waited for regulators to certify the jet's safety.

"The board of directors decided that a change in leadership was necessary to

restore confidence in the company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders," Boeing's statement said.

Boeing added that

Lawrence Kellner would become non-executive chairman with immediate effect.

REAL ESTATE VOICE

SMALLER BITES, EASIER TO CHEW

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Over the weekend I went to show a large stately home in the commuter belt countryside. I have been aware of the property for a few years, but never had the need to see it as it’s not really our bag.

However, a chance meeting with some Mumbaikar Indians changed this. They were interested in previewing properties for a wealthy family to view.

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap London Property Investment

The property was as expected, plush. It has even won awards. It is set in 40 acres of green English countryside. On the day we viewed it there were deer bouncing around the estate.

The inside of the property was stunning, as you would expect with a property with a price tag of £36M. This property was developed originally as an investment. It took many years to piece together all the various pieces of land and to obtain planning.

28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

The problem with taking a big bite from UK real estate is it may cause you indigestion.

Small bites which you can chew well on is a far better proposition.

This statement is of course relative to the location. £750K is a lot of money in say Wembley. You apply this amount to Bayswater and you’re close to the bottom of the pyramid.

This is where we are focusing on now. Both small properties on the residential side which satisfy the need for housing, and very stable commercial deals which are in strong locations with good covenants.

Going into large developments such as this is not for the faint hearted. Your figures can be thrown out by years, things of this size rarely go to plan.

The larger the lot size the stronger the opposition to it. And while it is not sold it is a drain on your cash flow and your money is buried, not doing very much.

There is one spot in South East London where we have done several small deals and will continue to do so. The yields are circa 5% and we believe there is strong long-term growth in this location. This is backed by our in house in depth report which goes into the fundamentals as to why this wave is just about to rise long term at a steady pace.

This end of the market is first affected in the event of a downturn. Hopefully given the recent election result, the backdrop is now secure to close a sale soon, perhaps even from our recent viewing.

We will also be bringing out a development for sale shortly, close to the Crossrail in Slough.

These units will be priced at £250K – £300K. There are two fundamental reasons why these properties will have good long term growth. One

AGONY AGENT IS HERE TO HELP! Q: What responsibilities does a guarantor have as far as my tenants are concerned?

A: A guarantor will more than likely be a close friend or family member. So, to start with they will have a personal interest in the people in the property, along with any financial implications within their role as guarantor.

A guarantor would be responsible for any and all short comings or non-payments with the rent and damages to the property. So, if your tenants fail to pay, you are fully within your rights to

approach the guarantor and furthermore take legal action against them. Now, when they signed the tenancy agreement, or a Guarantor Indemnity, there should have been wording to cover that either the guarantor guarantees the rent proportion for the tenant that s/he is acting for; or the guarantor will guarantee the total rental. The wording is a little more detailed than that, but the nuts and bolts are simply one person’s rent share or the complete rent share.

Should you be renting your property out to students, we would recommend one guarantor per student.

BUY TO LET OPPORTUNITY

London, NW6 Purchase Price: £420,000

19

is they are below the £300k threshold. This means they are in the realm of affordability for a couple who are looking for somewhere to call home. An average couple will earn £50K combined, this entitles them to borrow £250K from the bank, this together with a deposit means they can afford up to £300K. This is one very strong reason. The death of the £300K home in London has been written about in many news articles.

The other is the effect of Crossrail, when it finally opens, this will ensure connectivity into Central London is strong; this will drive property prices upwards in a sustained manner.

To reiterate, the guarantor has agreed to accept the liabilities on behalf of the tenant/s. Basically, in the event of a tenant being unable to meet their obligations under the Tenancy Agreement, if it is for overdue rent, damage to the property or whatever, the guarantor is legally bound to accept the liabilities on behalf of the tenant. To ensure this is enforceable, MAKE SURE you have the correct wording in place at the start.

If you need any other lettings guidance, please do get in touch.

l Large two bedroom first floor flat with balcony l Long lease and low service charges l Moments away from Kilburn High Road and Kilburn Park stations

l Yield of 5% per annum l Recommend as long term buy and hold opportunity Call us now for more information!

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

0207 993 0103

info@sowandreap.co.uk www.sowandreap.co.uk 27 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8HU SowandReapProperties

Sowandreapuk

Turning land into cash Get in touch about our land opportunities

20 FINANCE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

NCLAT restores Cyrus Mistry as Chairman of Tata Group rules aginst Ratan Tata On Wednesday 18th December, Cyrus Mistry, was restored as executive chairman of Tata Sons by a company law appeals court.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) ruled that appointment of N Chandrasekaran as head of the holding company of over $110 billion software conglomerate was illegal. It also noted that the group's chairman emeritus Ratan Tata's actions against Mistry were oppressive.

It, however, stayed the operation of the order with respect to reinstatement for four weeks to allow Tatas to appeal.

Setting aside a lower court order, the NCLAT also quashed the conversion of Tata Sons into a private company from a public firm. It also directed Tata Sons not to take any action against Mistry, whose family owns some 18 per cent interest in Tata Sons.

The remaining 81 per cent is held by Tata Trusts and Tata Group companies along with Tata family members.

Mistry had succeeded Ratan Tata as the Executive Chairman of Tata Sons, in December 2012, a post that also made him the

head of all Tata group listed firms such as Tata Power and Tata Motors. In an overnight coup, he was removed as the Chairman of Tata Sons in October 2016.

He then challenged the removal before the Mumbai bench of National Company Law Tribunal but lost and then went in for appeal at the NCLAT. Tatas had cited alleged failure of Mistry to "deliver on the promises that he had made at the time of his selection as the Chairman" and inability to lead the group in a cohesive manner

and failure in providing proper guidance and support to the group as the reasons for his sacking.

Mistry had contended that he was removed because of his "efforts to remedy past acts of mismanagement", for resisting interference of Ratan Tata and for instituting a formal governance framework to regulate the role of the Tata Trusts.

Mistry has termed the NCLAT judgment as "victory for the principles of good governance and minority shareholder rights", Tata Sons said the NCLAT order appears to have

gone beyond the specific reliefs sought by Mistry and it was not clear as to how the NCLAT order seeks to over-rule the decisions taken by shareholders of Tata Sons and listed Tata operating companies at validly constituted shareholder meetings.

"The proceedings of the sixth meeting of the Board of Directors of Tata Sons Ltd held on Monday, October 24 2016 so far as it relates to removal and other actions taken against Cyrus Pallonji Mistry is declared illegal and is set aside. In the result, Cyrus Pallonji Mistry is restored to his original position as Executive Chairman of Tata Sons Ltd and consequently as Director of the Tata companies for rest of the tenure," the NCLAT said in its order.

As a sequel thereto, the appointment of Chandrasekaran, who replaced Mistry, "is declared illegal," it said. The NCLAT ordered Ratan N Tata and the nominee of the Tata Trusts to "desist from taking any decision in advance which requires majority decision of the Board of Directors or in the Annual General Meeting".

Anand Mahindra steps down as Mahindra Group's executive chairman from next year On Friday 20th December, in an official statement, M&M executive chairman Anand Mahindra has announced that he will become the non-executive chairman of the company effective April 1, 2020.

The company has said that its board has approved the transition of Anand Mahindra's role from executive chairman to non-executive chairman.

"Delighted to announce our leadership transition plan which reflects the group's commitment to good governance. I am grateful to the board & nominations committee for conducting a diligent & rigorous year-long process that will ensure a seamless transition," Anand Mahindra tweeted.

"As non-executive chairman, Mahindra will serve as a

mentor and sounding board for the Managing Director on issues to be presented to the Board, especially in the areas of strategic planning, risk mitigation and external interface. In addition, he will be available to provide feedback and counsel to the Managing Director on key issues facing the enterprise," the company said.

Meanwhile, the company's managing director Pawan Kumar Goenka will be re-designated as MD and CEO with effect from April 1, 2020.

"There will be no change in any reporting relationships as a result of this re-designation. He will retire on 1st April 2021.

Goenka will continue to retain direct responsibility of Ssangyong Motors as Chairman of its Board till his retirement date," the company said.

Anand Mahindra

The company also announced that Anish Shah will become the Managing Director and CEO of the company on

April 2, 2021, with full oversight of all group businesses for a period of four years till March 31, 2025.

RIL counters govt petition seeking to block its $15 bn Aramco deal Reliance Industries (RIL) has mounted a strong counter to the government petition in the Delhi High Court (HC) seeking to block its $15-billion deal with Saudi Aramco. It has said that the petition is an abuse of process as no arbitration award has fixed any final liability of dues on the company.

In a counter affidavit, RIL said it was a ‘falsehood’ that the arbitration tribunal had passed an award requiring the company and its partners to pay $3.5 billion to

the government. It said the petition was an abuse of process as “it portrays that a sum of money is due and payable under the final award and purports to compute the money payable on a basis neither found in the arbitration award nor disclosed in the petition.”

The government, it said, has calculated on its own volition the revised figure of its share of profit from oil and gas production, allegedly due by extrapolating the purported finds.

The affidavit came in response

to the government moving the Delhi HC, seeking to block RIL selling a 20 per cent stake in its oil-andchemicals business to Saudi Aramco for $15 billion, in view of dues of $3.5 billion in the Panna-Mukta and Tapti oil and gas fields.

An international arbitration tribunal issued a partial award in October 2016 in the dispute between the Government of India (GoI), BG Exploration & Production India (BG), and RIL regarding the Panna-Mukta and

Tapti production sharing contracts (PSCs). The tribunal in its 2016 award determined certain issues of principle.

Pending the determination of all issues before it, appropriately, it did not award any monetary sums. Quantification of amounts, if any, by the tribunal is to be done when all issues have been decided.

in brief RBI BUYS 100 BILLION RUPEES OF BONDS India’s central bank bought 100 billion rupees ($1.4 billion) of the benchmark 10year debt while selling 68.25 billion rupees of 2020 bonds as it sought to cheapen longerterm borrowing. The Reserve Bank of India set a cutoff of 6.5462% for the 6.45% 2029 bonds, according to a statement. Yields slid after the auction results were announced, extending last week’s declines.

The concept is similar to Operation Twist used by the Fed in 2011-2012 in an effort to cheapen long-term borrowing and spur bank lending. The Fed then swapped short-term Treasury securities for longer-term government debt, which reduced the gap between two- and 10-year yields.

“The impact on bond market would depend on the strength of RBI’s follow up after the initial auction, and any implied signal about where RBI wants markets to settle,” ICICI Securities Primary Dealership Ltd. said in a note before the auction results. The central bank had announced on 19 December that it will conduct simultaneous sale and purchase of 10,000 crore of government securities of varying tenor on 23 December.

GOAIR SUSPENDS FLIGHTS AMIDST SAFETY RISKS GoAir was forced to cancel around two dozen domestic flights on Monday 23rd December as the aviation regulator stepped up pressure on the budget airline to address safety risks arising from overworking its crew, two people with direct knowledge of the developments said. Regulators globally, including India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), have repeatedly flagged the perils of exhausted pilots falling asleep in the cockpit.

The issue has become widespread as cashstrapped airlines try to squeeze maximum productivity out of their crew. “GoAir was overstretching its staff, which can potentially cause accidents," one of the two people cited above said, requesting anonymity. “What if a crew becomes so sleepy due to overwork that they are unable to perform evacuation in case of emergencies?"

The latest cancellations come amid heightening safety concerns, primarily due to a series of snags on Pratt and Whitney (P&W)-powered Airbus A320neo planes, which make up the bulk of GoAir’s fleet.

IndiGo, the largest domestic airline, earlier faced similar issues. In February, IndiGo cancelled more than 50 flights due to staff shortage. On 22 December, a GoAir A320neo jet headed to Chandigarh from Mumbai had to abandon its journey mid-air because of engine vibrations, stoking fresh worries about the P&W engines. Checks carried out by DGCA earlier in December showed that GoAir had been violating its crew work time for several days, the second person said, adding that the airline was about 30 pilots short.

INDIA PARTNERS WITH BIRMINGHAM RAIL EXPERTS RAILWAYS experts from the University of Birmingham will work with India’s National Rail and Transport Institute of India (NRTI).

The British university joined hands with NRTI to establish a new research centre to support, develop and deliver hi-tech transport systems that improve journeys for people across India.

Both organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreeing to identify joint research interests, and support the development of education programmes that will help produce future transport leaders and world-leading research. Chairman of Railways Board and Chancellor of NRTI Vinod Kumar Yadav and Professor Clive Roberts, Head of the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) at the University of Birmingham, signed the agreement.

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in brief EU strEngthEns hUmanitarian sUpport to rohingyas with €10 million On Monday 23rd December, the European Commission issued a further €10 million in humanitarian aid to address the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh and Myanmar. This is in addition to the €33 million funding already announced earlier this year and aims to ensure life-saving assistance to refugees, displaced people and host communities across Myanmar's Northern Rakhine State and the border district of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.

“The EU's support has helped save countless lives over the last two years since the crisis began, but cannot stop now as hundreds of thousands of Rohingya rely on humanitarian aid to survive. Today's additional funding is another clear sign that the EU remains committed to stand by the side of the Rohingya for as long as it takes,” said Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič.

The additional funding will focus on providing quality health care and help address the under-nutrition for the one million Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh, after living conditions further deteriorated over the last months.

It will also provide food nutrition and protection for all displaced people living in Myanmar's Rakhine state, where the humanitarian situation has further deteriorated this year due to the escalation of violence in the region.

Last week Suu Kyi rejected allegations of genocide against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), despite admitting the army may have used excessive force against the Rohingya.

CitizEnship is “india's intErnal mattEr” says BangladEsh ForEign ministEr

Pakistan government rejects Maryam Nawaz's application to fly abroad On Monday, 23rd December Imran Khan's government decided not to allow Maryam Nawaz to travel abroad after rejecting her application.

Maryam is the vice president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

On Monday, 23rd December Imran Khan's government decided not to allow Maryam Nawaz to travel abroad after rejecting her application.

Maryam is the vice president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Headed by Law Minister Farogh Naseem, the subcommittee of the federal cabinet that deals with ECL cases rejected

proceed to any destination outside Pakistan, the government could stop them from leaving the country for being involved in corruption and loss to government funds.

Earlier, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan had also said that the govern- Maryam Nawaz always been desperately looking ment would not accept for opportunities to victimise Maryam's request. and persecute the PML-N leadMeanwhile, the PML-N ership.

Information Secretary Aurangzeb said that the Marriyum Aurangzeb, in a statePML-N was aware of the "prejument issued on Sunday, said that dice and vengeful mindset" of the government's decision to bar the government that was why the daughter of the ex-prime she had also filed a request with minister from travelling abroad the court to allow her to travel did not surprise anyone, considabroad. ering that the PTI regime had

Ashraf Ghani to form a government again in Afghanistan?

On Sunday 22nd December, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced that Ashraf Ghani was leading the election race with a marginal 50.64 percent of the vote in the September 28 poll.

The results, originally scheduled to be announced on October 19, have been repeatedly delayed with IEC officials citing technical issues, allegations of fraud and protests from candidates.

Ghani is much ahead of Abdullah Abdullah (39.52 percent) and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (3.85 percent) of the 1.9 million votes.

If it holds, the result is enough for Mr. Ghani to avoid a run-off. Candidates now have three days to file any com-

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen has said, that India's Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens are “India's internal issues". However, he also voiced concern that any "uncertainty" in the country is likely to affect its neighbours. He said, "We are the No.1 friend of India. So, if there is uncertainty in India, it is likely to affect its neighbours. That is worrisome.

We hope the situation cools down and India can get out of it...It is their internal issue. It is not our issue. They should deal with it.”

According to him, Bangladesh had recently requested India to provide a list of Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in India, "if any", to be repatriated. He had also cancelled his visit to India beginning December 12. He had cancelled his tour a day after he termed as "untrue" Home Minister Amit Shah's comments on persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh.

However, according to him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while talking to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had assured that under no circumstances it will affect Bangladesh.

her plea. She had initially sought the facility for flying to London to look after her ailing father who is currently undergoing medical treatment.

"The rules concerning placement of the name of persons on Exit Control List [ECL] do not allow the government to entertain her application to remove her name from the no-fly list.

"In fact, the subcommittee is part of the cabinet and a formal announcement to bar Maryam from travelling abroad will be made by the federal cabinet in its meeting," said senior lawyer and aide to the prime minister Babar Awan in a statement to Dawn.

Referring to the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Rules, 2010, the Imran Khan's aide on legal affairs said that even if a person has valid travel documents to

Ashraf Ghani

plaints they may have before final results are announced, probably within a few weeks.

As soon as results were announced, Abdullah claimed fraud in the election. Chief

Executive Abdullah's team, leader of Hezb-i-Islami Hekmatyar and a member of candidate Rahmatullah Nabil's campaign also said that they would challenge the results.

"We would like to make it clear once again to our people, supporters, election commission and our international allies that our team will not accept the result of this fraudulent vote unless our legitimate demands are addressed," the statement read.

Mr. Abdullah lost to Mr. Ghani in 2014 in a divisive election that saw the U.S. intervene to broker an awkward powersharing deal between the two rivals.

U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass said it was vital the full electoral process plays out. The preliminary results come amid year-long peace negotiations between the Taliban and the United States that could see American troops withdraw from Afghanistan.

Sri Lankan president alleges he is 'victim' of Swiss kidnap claim On Thursday 19th December, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced that Sri Lanka’s civil aviation authority will develop the southern airport in Mattala, near the strategically located Hambantota port. Whilst he has effectively ruled out all earlier proposals of a joint venture with India, he has invited Indian companies, especially in the IT sector, to invest in Sri Lanka. He said, “There is no discussion with India on this project. There is a lot of worry about Chinese involvement in this region... the best thing is for other countries like India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and ASEAN countries to invest here... that is how you can counter, just complaining won’t do.”

The President also alleged that the kidnapping of a Swiss

Embassy staffer had been concocted to discredit his election victory. Rajapaksa, who was elected president last month said that he was the real “victim” of the saga. This had earlier triggered a diplomatic spat between Colombo and Bern.

A Sri Lankan national working for the Swiss mission in Colombo was arrested for allegedly falsely claiming she had been abducted and sexually assaulted by unidentified attackers on Nov. 25. The alleged abduction happened a day after a Sri Lankan police inspector investigating cases involving the Rajapaksa family sought asylum in Switzerland. He said, “In this case, the victim is me because immediately after my election, this story came up.

“It is very clear it is a planned thing to discredit me and the government.”

Rajapaksa said he did not believe the Swiss Embassy itself had any role in making the allegations, and insisted he did not want anyone to create tensions between the two countries.

S w i t z e r l a n d Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday criticized the embassy worker’s arrest and “lack of due process in the case,” and asked for evidence that she had faked her claims.

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis also spoke to his Sri Lankan counterpart, Dinesh Gunawardena, about the case.

Cassis informed Gunawardena that Bern had sent an experi-

enced diplomat, Jorg Frieden, to oversee the efforts to clarify the facts and resolve the situation, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Rajapaksa also said that he would dissolve Parliament early March, signalling the likely conduct of general elections in late April.a

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Trump, third American President to be impeached. What next?

On Thursday 19th December, Donald Trump became the third president in American history to be impeached as the House of Representatives voted along party lines to set up a trial in the Senate. Before Trump, Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 were both impeached, while Richard Nixon resigned before he could be impeached in 1974.

The House voted by 230 to 197 to impeach him for abuse of power, and by 229 to 198 to impeach him on obstruction.

However, it must be noted that not a single Republican voted in support of impeachment.

Trump stands accused of abusing his power to coerce President Zelensky of Ukraine into announcing investigations into the business affairs of Hunter Biden, the son of Senior Joe Biden, and into a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, and not Russia, had

Donald Trump and Tulsi Gabbard

meddled in the 2016 US presidential election that brought him to power. Donald Trump is also accused of obstructing Congress from investigating this case.

“Can you believe that I will be impeached today by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, AND I DID NOTHING WRONG! A terrible Thing. Read the Transcripts. This should never happen to another President again. Say a PRAYER!” Trump tweeted before the start of a six-hour debate in the House.

Charges against Trump

“absolutely far fetched”: Putin In the meantime, Russian President Vladamir Putin has condemned Trump's impeachment, saying the charges against him were “absolutely far fetched”.

At his annual press conference in Moscow, Putin predicted that the attempt to remove the US president would fail.

“It [the motion] still has to pass in the Senate where, to my knowledge, the Republicans have a majority.

They would hardly agree to remove a representative of

their party from power for reasons that look absolutely far fetched to me.

“The party which lost the election, the Democratic Party, is trying to achieve results by other means, first by accusing Trump of conspiring with Russia, then it turns out there has been no conspiracy.

This cannot be the basis of impeachment. Now they’ve invented some kind of pressure on Ukraine.”Tulsi Gabbard abstains from voting Tulsi Gabbard, abstained from both votes, saying that she was opposed to a “partisan process”. The Democrat from Hawaii standing for the party’s presidential nomination, was accused in October of being “the favourite of the Russians” in the Democratic race.

Trump is now due to stand trial in the new year. An improbable two-thirds majority is required to convict him, remove him from office and disqualify him from standing again.

Senator Harris supports Jayapal after Indian foreign minister refused to meet American Congresswoman On Friday, 20th December, Democratic Senator Kamala Harris supported Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, after India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar refused to meet her during his visit to the country early this week.

“It’s wrong for any foreign government to tell Congress what members are allowed in meetings on Capitol Hill,” Ms. Harris tweeted.

The first U.S. Senator of Indian origin, Ms. Harris said she stands with Ms. Jayapal.

Pramila is the first Indian American women to be elected to the House of Representatives, has introduced a resolution in the House on Kashmir.

However, according to

Jaishankar, the pending resolution on Kashmir introduced by Ms. Jayapal in the House is not a fair characterisation of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. He said, “I am aware of that (Congressional) resolution. I don’t think it’s a fair understanding of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir or a fair characterisation of what the government of India is doing.

And I have no interest in meeting (Jayapal).”

Jayapal was further supported by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Jim McGovern. Ms. Warren said the “efforts to silence” Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal “are deeply troubling”.

“The U.S. and India have an important partnership—but

in brief ANOTHER SIKH UBER DRIVER ABUSED, THIS TIME IN CALIFORNIA On Sunday 15th December, a second attack in a span of less than 15 days had taken place on an Indian origin Sikh Urban driver in California. 57-year-old, Baljeet Singh Sindhu was brutally assaulted and hit with a with a barbeque grill cover in the head in front of his home in the US state of California.

Sidhu, who works as a mail carrier and a Uber driver, was attacked while he was parking his car outside his home near Hilltop Mall, Richmond, California, after finishing his duties, SFGate.com reported.

While he was parking his car, a man came up to his cab and asked him for a lighter. Sidhu said he didn't have one and the man left, but then he returned with another request.

"He asked me and said he had $5 and he needed a ride. It looked suspicious," Sidhu was quoted as saying by the KTVU television station.

He told the man his shift was over. Then the suspect came back a third time and attacked Sidhu, knocked him down and choked. His family believe the attack to be a hate crime, and he was assaulted because of his Sikh turban and appearance, the SFGate reported.

On Wednesday, 18th December, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) expressed solidarity with the Sikh community of the San Francisco Bay Area.

"We condemn this attack and express our solidarity with the Sikh community," said Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area office of CAIR. "Sidhu and his loved ones are in our prayers.

We urge the Richmond Police Department to investigate a possible bias motive for this incident."

On December 5, an Indian-origin Sikh taxi driver was assaulted and racially abused in the US state of Washington in a suspected hate crime.

INDIAN-AMERICAN IS THE FIRST WOMAN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER OF US' COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Pramila Jayapal and Kamala Harris

our partnership can only succeed if it is rooted in honest dialogue and shared respect for religious pluralism, democracy, and human rights,” she tweeted.

She also retweeted a report

by The Washington Post which said that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar refused to attend a meeting of House Foreign Affairs Committee members that included Ms. Jayapal.

Congressman Lewis promotes Gandhi-King legacy in US House Congressman John Lewis has introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives to promote the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr and sought a budgetary allocation of $150 million for the next five years.

Introduced to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi, the House Bill (HR 5517) affirms the friendship between the two largest democracies of the world and honours the legacies and contributions of Gandhi and King.

The bill proposes establishing a Gandhi-King Development Foundation, which will be created by the United States Agency for

International Development (USAID) under the Indian laws.

The bill seeks a budgetary allocation of $30 million every year for the next five years to the USAID for this foundation. This foundation would have a governing council convened by governments of the US and India and would oversee grants to NGOs in the areas of health, pollution and climate change, education and women empowerment, the bill says.

It is being co-sponsored by six other Democratic lawmakers, three of whom are Indian-Americans - Ami Bera, Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal.

The bill proposes the establishment of a Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative

with an allocation of $2 million for the next five years till 2025.

Welcoming the introduction of the bill, India's ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said it "reinforces the close cultural and ideological bonds" between India and the US. There are two other resolutions on Gandhi pending in the Congress one by Senators Bob Menendez and Ted Cruz in the Senate and other by several other lawmakers led by Congressman Raja Kishnamoorthi in the House of Representatives.

"Mohandas Gandhi, who

employed the principle of satyagraha or fighting with peace, has come to represent the moral force inspiring many civil and social rights movement around the world," the bill notes.

Dr. Monisha Ghosh has been appointed as the first woman Chief Technology Officer at the US government's powerful Federal Communications Commission. She will now advise Indian-American Chairman of the FCC Ajit Pai and the agency on technology and engineering issues, and work closely with the Office of Engineering and Technology.

Ghosh will take charge on January 13 next year.

The FCC regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and US territories.

Ghosh received her Ph.D in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1991, and B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 1986.

She is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

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Saudi Arabia sentences five to death for murder of Jamal Khashoggi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman's top aide not charged for Jamal Khashoggi's murder.

On Monday 23rd December, five men were sentenced to death and another three faced 24 years in prison for their roles in the murder of the dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. However, Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor has exonerated two top figures who were investigated over the killing. Saudi state television reported that Saud al-Qahtani, MBS's aide, had no proven involvement in the killing.

Saudi prosecutors had earlier also said deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri oversaw the Washington

Post columnist's killing in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate in October 2018 and that he was advised by the royal court's media czar Saud al-Qahtani.

However, Qahtani was investigated but not indicted "due to insufficient evidence" and Assiri was investigated and charged but eventually acquitted on the same grounds.

Al-Qahtani has been sanctioned by the US for his alleged role in the operation.

The court also ruled that the Saudi consul-general in Istanbul at the time, Mohammed al-Otaibi, was

not guilty. He was released from prison after the verdicts were announced. The murder of Khashoggi soiled the reputation of the newly appointed crown prince, whom the CIA concluded directly ordered Khashoggi’s assassination, according to a report in the Washington Post.

The Saudi government denies that the prince had knowledge of what it says was a rogue operation. The prince himself told US television in September that he took “full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia”.

After holding nine ses-

sions, the trial concluded that there was no previous intent by those found guilty to murder. All 11 people on trial were found guilty of the killing, which triggered the kingdom’s biggest diplomatic crisis since the 9/11 attacks as world leaders and business executives sought to distance themselves from Riyadh. All 11 defendants may appeal against the verdicts, the deputy public prosecutor, Shalaan bin Rajih Shalaal, said.

No other details were immediately given about the rulings in the highly secretive trial, which began in January.

The identities of the men are unknown and UN investigators have been repeatedly barred from hearings, although a handful of diplomats, including from Turkey, as well as members of Khashoggi’s family, were allowed to attend the sessions. The prosecutor said that the Riyadh court hearing the case held a total of nine

sessions attended by representatives of the international community as well as Khashoggi's relatives.

"We found that Khashoggi's murder was not premeditated," the statement said.

Prince Mohammed has attempted to portray himself as a liberal reformer of the conservative country.

'Do whatever it takes to end it', Ayatollah ordered crackdown on unrest Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gathered his top security and government officials together, and issued an order: “Do whatever it takes to stop them”, the Reuters has reported.

This follows the unrest where about 1,500 people were killed in less than two weeks of protests that started on November 15. Protests first broke out across the country after the government's decision to hike the price of fuel. It quickly spread into one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s clerical rulers since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Internet access was cut in most parts of the country and some reports highlight that state security forces used 'lethal force' to crush the protests as things quickly escalated across the country.

According to the Reuters, this count includes at least 17 teenagers and about 400 women as well as some members of the security forces and police.

A December 16 report by Amnesty International said the death toll was at least 304.

The U.S. State

Department, in a statement to Reuters, said it estimates that many hundreds of Iranians were killed, and has seen reports that number could be over 1,000.

Authorities last week announced that over 7,000 people were arrested during the protests. According to

Iran's interior minister up to 200,000 people took part in the unrest nationwide.

On November 27, he also said more than 140 government sites had been set on fire along with hundreds of banks and dozens of petrol stations, while 50 bases used by security forces were also

attacked, according to remarks reported by Iran's state news agency IRNA. Tehran’s clerical rulers have blamed “thugs” linked to the regime’s opponents in exile and the country’s main foreign foes, namely the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia, for stirring up unrest.

Khamenei has described the unrest as the work of a “very dangerous conspiracy.”

19th India-Iran joint commission and NRC flagged up In the meantime, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif for the 19th India-Iran joint commission with talks on the Chabahar port. The meeting of the two ministers was the first since last month, when Zarif was reportedly “disappointed” that India had allowed itself to be “bullied”

by the United States and stopped all oil imports from Iran.

Earlier, Iran’s Ambassador Ali Chegeni had suggested that India’s adherence to U.S. sanctions was also affecting Chabahar port development plans.

In a tweet after the meeting on Sunday, Mr. Zarif said they had “excellent discussions on closer bilateral relations and regional and global issues affecting our respective countries,” adding that India-Iran ties are “ancient, historic and unbreakable”.

Meanwhile, the Mehr news agency also reported that a “number of Indian businesspersons, professionals, university and seminary students and scholars living in Iran” sought a meeting with Mr. Jaishankar to discuss protests around the Citizenship Act introduced recently in India.

Israeli spyware allegedly used to target Pakistani officials' phones Israeli spyware company NSO Group has allegedly targeted the mobile phones of at least two dozen Pakistani government officials, The Guardian reported on Thursday 19th December.

According to the publication, scores of Pakistani senior defence and intelligence officials were among those who could have been compromised. The alleged targeting was discovered during an analysis of 1,400 people whose phones were the focus of hacking

attempts in a two-week period earlier this year.

All the suspected intrusions exploited a vulnerability in WhatsApp software that potentially allowed the users of the malware to access messages and data on the targets’ phones.

WhatsApp filed a lawsuit against NSO in October in which it accused the company of “unauthorised access and abuse” of its services.

The lawsuit claimed intended targets included “attorneys, journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, diplomats, and

other senior foreign government officials”. Whatsapp lodged the lawsuit after the discovery of the breach in May. NSO however, is contesting the claim and emphasising that its technology is only used by law enforcement agencies around the world to snare criminals, terrorists and paedophiles.

The alleged targeting of Pakistani officials gives a first insight into how NSO’s signature “Pegasus” spyware could have been used for “state-on-state” espionage.

In the meantime, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is also facing questions from human rights activists about whether it has bought NSO technology. Reports earlier suggested that 121 WhatsApp users in India were allegedly targeted including journalists, activists and human rights lawyers. This had prompted the Indian National Congress to seek a supreme court inquiry into the matter.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Indian technology minister, said in a tweet on 31 October

after news of the alleged Indian victims emerged that India was “concerned at the breach of privacy” on WhatsApp. The Indian min-

istry of home affairs said that “no information” existed about the government ever ordering Pegasus, according to local reports.

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BJP looses another foothold, Congress alliance to form government in Jharkhand?

On Monday 23rd December, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress alliance appeared set to form government in Jharkhand. JMM leader Hemant Soren, the son of Shibu Soren, is set to take up the reins of the state for a second term.

The ruling BJP is ahead in 30 seats but a party needs to get 41 seats to form government in the 81-seated Assembly Legislative.

The election was held in the BJP stronghold state of Jharkhand in five phases between November 30 and December 20. In the Haryana assembly elections held in 2014, the BJP, had got a clear majority with the support of debutante Dushyant Chautala to form government.

Now, Chief Minister Raghubar Das conceded defeat as the ruling BJP appeared to be set for second place in the

Raghubar Das and Hemant Soren (right) with Rahul Gandhi

Jharkhand election.

"The BJP will accept the people's mandate," he said, as it became clear that the rival Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance was comfortably past the majority mark of 41.

Earlier, he had appeared confident that the BJP would pull through and win in the end.

"I am hopeful that the result will

be in our favour. I am waiting for final results," he said later.

Raghubar Das was also trailing in Jamshedpur East - a seat that he has been winning since 1995 -- against his own party rebel Saryu Rai. No Chief Minister of the state has ever won consecutive polls.

"There may have been some polarisation in a seat or two... there may also be some anti-

incumbency, but we are very confident that once the final result is out, you will see that the BJP will form the government. We are very confident of that," he had asserted.

In the meantime, former finance minister of India P Chidambaram said the BJP was not unbeatable. He was released on bail earlier this month after spending over 3 months in jail in the INX media case. He tweeted, "Dented in Haryana, Denied in Maharashtra, Defeated in Jharkhand. That is the story of the BJP in 2019. All non-BJP parties must raise their sights and rally around the Congress to save the Constitution of India."

The BJP has conceded its defeat. "The party respects the mandate of the people of Jharkhand," BJP chief and Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted.

Mamata Banerjee writes to opposition leaders, urges them to unite against CAA and NRC West Bengal's Chief Minister described the current situation as ‘serious’ in a series of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed NRC. On 23rd December Monday, Mamata Banerjee urged all the non-BJP and opposition parties to come together and rise against the “draconian regime” of the Centre.

West Bengal's Chief Minister described the current situation as ‘serious’ in a series of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed NRC. On 23rd December Monday, Mamata Banerjee urged all the non-BJP and opposition parties to come together and rise against the “draconian regime” of the Centre.

Stating that democracy in India is under threat from the BJP-led government at the Centre, Banerjee wrote to chief

ministers and senior leaders belonging to opposition parties urging them to unite and chalk out a plan to “save the country”.

Reports suggest that the letter was sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah among others. Her letter noted, “Today, I write this letter to you with grave worries in my mind. The citizens of this country irrespective of caste and creed, particularly the women and children, farmers, workers and members of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs and minorities are in the grip of fear and panic for the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed nationwide NRC. The situation is very serious.”

In the meantime, the Calcutta High Court ordered Banerjee's government to “take off” or remove all ads that said

Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal will not implement the amended citizenship law and the citizens' list. The order by a division bench of Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice Radhakrishnan came after several petitions were filed against the Bengal government for airing the ads against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the NRC amid protests.

The court order came even as the BJP held a massive rally in support of the amended citizenship law in Kolkata attended by BJP MP JP Nadda.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while launching the BJP's Delhi election campaign sought to assure people that there are no talks of taking the NRC across the length and breadth of the country.

Sasikala bought properties with demonetised currency notes On Friday 20th December, an IT notice submitted before the Madras High Court revealed that sellers deposited notes in bank accounts by falsifying their business dealings, The Hindu reported.

The notice was first issued on October 15th to former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s close aide V.K. Sasikala.

However, produced once again before the court this report brought to the fore several claims of how Sasikala had used demonetised currency notes worth ₹1,674.50 crore to purchase immovable properties. It also highlighted that the sellers had deposited the notes in bank accounts by falsifying their business

dealings between November 8 and December 30, 2016.

The Indian government had announced on November 8 that all Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes had been demonetised – and would be replaced with a new Rs 500 and Rs 2000 notes. The Prime Minister, in his speech announcing the new policy two years ago, said that demonetisation would stop black money, reduce corruption and strangle terrorism.

The IT department had informed the high court on Friday that the assessment order has been passed based on proceedings initiated against Sasikala for purchasing a resort, two shopping malls, a software

company, a sugar mill, a paper mill and 50 windmills.

The notice first refers to a s t a t e m e n t obtained from Naveen Balaji, director of Bonjeur Bonheur Private Limited, associated with Pondicherry Lakshmi Jewellery, which runs a resort at Puducherry in the Jayalalithaa name of Ocean Spray.

Sasikala had approached the Madras high court to seek permission to cross-examine

her niece J. Krishnapriya, lawyer S. Senthil and others whose statements had been recorded by the IT department.

in brief BRAC FOUNDER FAZLE HASAN ABED PASSES AWAY The founder of the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), one of the world's largest NGOs, has died in Dhaka aged 83.

Fazle Hasan Abed passed away while undergoing treatment for a brain tumour.

Abed trained as an accountant in London and quit his job with oil giant Shell when war broke out in Bangladesh in 1971. Using the proceeds of the sale of his London flat, he founded BRAC after the bloody battle for independence ended the following year. At first, BRAC helped millions of refugees who streamed back into the new country, and then it diversified into healthcare, micro-finance, agriculture and education.

The NGO's approach has been hailed as one factor behind the drop in the proportion of Bangladeshis living in extreme poverty from 80 percent to around 40 percent of the population.

The approach proved so successful that BRAC, which has more than 100,000 local employees worldwide expanded into Africa -- including southern Sudan -- and has been lauded by world figures such as former US president Bill Clinton.

In recent years BRAC has also worked providing sanitation, health camps and child delivery centres to Rohingya refugees living in sprawling camps in Bangladesh.

The NGO helped nearly 150 million people out of poverty according to the World Food Prize, which honoured Abed as its Laureate in 2015.

Abed also received a knighthood from Britain in 2010 for his work.

ELEPHANTS DRESSED AS SANTA CLAUS DELIVER GIFTS TO SCHOOLCHILDREN

Children at a school in Thailand received Christmas presents from elephants dressed as Santa Claus recently. The elephants dressed up in festive gear to hand out gifts to the students at the Jirasartwitthaya School in Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok.

Children at a school in Thailand received Christmas presents from elephants dressed as Santa Claus recently. The elephants dressed up in festive gear to hand out gifts to the students at the Jirasartwitthaya School in Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok.

This year, four festive elephants and their mahouts visited the school said Lardthongtare Meepan, owner of the Ayuttahaya Elephant Palace, an elephant camp.

The elephants also put up a dance show and performed tricks for the excited audience of schoolchildren.

According to Euro News, the event is a yearly highlight for the students at Jirasartwitthaya School in Thailand - a predominantly Buddhist country. Last year too, five elephants visited the school to hand out stuffed toys and gifts.

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Thackeray announces loan waiver upto Rs 2 lakh for farmers in Maharashtra

Mitul Paniker

A Brief History of Indian Migration to Canada ; Why we need to Celebrate Ourselves Dear Readers,

On Saturday, 21st December, the Uddhav Thackeray led M a h a r a s h t r a government announced a loan waiver of upto Rs two lakh for farmers, with a cut off date of September 30, 2019.

Chief Minister Thackeray made the announcement in the Legislative Assembly on the last day of the winter session of the legislature.

The scheme will be called Mahatma Jyotirao Phule loan waiver scheme besides, a special scheme which would be offered for the farmers who repay their loans on time, said Thackeray.

Finance Minister

Jayant Patil said the waiver would be unconditional, and details would be communicated by the chief minister’s office in due course.

Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis alleged that the government had not fulfilled its original promise of full loan waiver. He also said the Sena-led government failed to give assistance of Rs 25,000 per hectare to farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rain, a demand which Thackeray himself had made earlier before he became CM. Fadnavis and other BJP MLAs

then staged a walk out in protest.

Farm loan waiver was a big issue in the assembly election that was held in October.

The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 105 seats in the 288member Maharashtra assembly. But it could not form government after it couldn't muster up the number needed to reach the 145majority mark.

In the meantime, Uddhav Thackeray is likely to expand his cabinet as well with reports indicating that an agreement between the three major parties in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the deputy CM’s post will go to the NCP.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla appointed new foreign secretary The Narendra Modi government on Monday, 23rd December approved the appointment of Indian ambassador to the United States Harsh Vardhan Shringla as the next foreign secretary.

He will replace Vijay Gokhale folllowing the completion of his twoyear term on January 28, 2020.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla will be superseding three foreign service officers: Ruchi Ghanashyam (1982) who is currently the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Rajeev Chander (1983) who is currently the Indian envoy to the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in Geneva, and Amita Nair (1983) who is serving as India's ambassador to Chile.

A 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and a fluent French speaker, Shringla served as an ambassador to Bangkok from 2014 to 2016 and later as a High Commissioner to Dhaka for two years. He has also served at UNESCO in France, UN in New York besides Vietnam, Israel and South Africa.

Can't Vote

Additionally, he also served in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as Joint Secretary for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives and therefore understands South Asian politics and diplomacy very well.

He was also instrumental in steering the America policy with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

He was critical in ensuring that the decisions of Article 370 and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) did not adversely impact bilateral relations between New Delhi and Washington DC.

Amratlal Bhavanbhai passes away Amratlal Bhavanbhai Chavda who was born on 31st December 1938 in Ethan, India has recently passed away.

Amratlalbhai lived in India for 16 years before moving to Nairobi, Kenya. He lived in Thornton Heath,

Multiple literature and scripts have been written on migration of the Indian diaspora. As a community, our collective success- both professionally and socially has fascinated generations. Joining the trend, I have too dared to reflect on Indian migration to Canada in my previous columns. For me, a first-generation migrant, seeing the thriving South Asian diaspora here is nothing more than magic, especially considering all the roadblocks our people faced when they tried to land ashore in the Great White North. It has been a learning curve for our forefathers and Canada which in the last 100 years transformed its immigration law to be more accommodating, in tiny, baby steps.

The first documented Indian immigrants were of the Sikh community. They first touched base in Vancouver in 1902 (debatable as some people believe it is 1904)- at a time when policies weren't as welcoming as today. South Asian migration to Canada originally began in 1897, when troops from Hong Kong and Malay visited British Columbia on their way back from Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London. Records suggest they spoke about people settling in B.C. To other troops and thus, kicked off a historical migration movement.

There are also records that suggest South Asian immigration was a result of the Coronation of Edward VII. The first Sikhs to travel across Canada in 1902, were part of a Hong Kong military regiment on their way to England to participate in the celebrations on the coronation of King Edward VII. 5000 South Asians were already settled in B.C, by 1908, before the immigration ban. 90 per cent of them were Sikh. They arrived in Victoria aboard the Empress of Japan before sailing to Vancouver where they received a grand welcome.

All of them were inspected by the then head of the Armed Forces in Canada, General Sir Charles Parsons. The Sikh contingent left for0 Montreal by train, after which they left for England with the Canadian contingent in 1902.

Five men landed in Vancouver, and five in Victoria, by mid-1930. An approximate total of 30 men migrated between 1903-04. Majority of them were Sikhs.

South London from 1968 until his passing on 14/12/19.

His funeral will take place at South London Crematorium (SW16 5JG) at 10:00am on Tuesday 24th December.

B.C. Premier Bowser introduced a bill that disenfranchised all natives of India not of AngloSaxon parents. Subsequently, in April of 1907, South Asians were denied the right to vote in Vancouver due to changes in the Municipality Incorporation Act. Federal vote was denied by default as one had to be on the provincial voters' list to be able to do so.

Exclusivity and Violence The Asiatic Exclusion League was formed in Vancouver in August 1907, with the help of Liberal and Conservative local groups. Hundreds of people broke out in riots through the city's Asian district in September, protesting Asian immigration to Canada.

The then Canadian government's first attempt to restrict Brown immigration came in 1908, when the government passed an order-incouncil in January, prohibiting immigration of persons who did not travel on a continuous journey to Canada. The federal government imposed a $200 tax on all Asian immigrants on arrival into Canada. The strict regulations were put into effect to prevent the entry of wives and families of residing South Asians.

Meanwhile, the resilient Sikh community opened the first official South Asian Organization in Canada in January, 1908. The Vancouver Khalsa Diwan Society was created early in the year. South Asians workers dominated mills, farms, and logging sites across B.C.

At the same time, in a bid to stop South Asian migration, the Immigration Act was overhauled, including the Continuous Journey regulation, giving powers to the government to exclude people solely based on their race. A considerably strong community, people started demanding a relaxed law to be able to bring in their wives and children.

In 1914, the infamous Komagata Maru incident took place, where in the ship carrying 376 South Asian passengers were sent back. The ship that arrived in May, was formally ordered

In 1914, the infamous Komagata Maru incident

out in July. Having sailed to Canada via Hong Kong, it challenged Canadian law. By 1923 South Asians in British Columbia were a small size community however, managed to own or operate a number of businesses.

The community steadily grew in the face of adversities, and in 1943, a delegation lead by President of the Khalsa Diwan Society, Naginder Singh, was sent to Parliament Buildings in Victoria to request that the franchise be extended to South Asians. Putting an end to a 40-year struggle, South Asians are granted franchise to vote and become Canadian citizens.

Canada's new immigration laws were tested in 1973, when 7000 Ugandan Asian immigrants came to Canada after being expelled by dictator Idi Amin. It was the first time in the country's history that it accepted a large group of nonEuropean refugees. Most of them belonged to the now prospering Ismaili community, most professionals or business owners. 1982 saw The Honourable Wally Oppal, the first South Asian to be appointed a Supreme Court judge. He later conducted the Royal Inquiry to Policing in British Columbia.

Today, approximately 30,000 Indian citizens become new permanent residents of Canada each year. Over tens of thousand others arrive in the country to visit, work, or study. Over 111 Indian-origin leaders have served as Members of Parliament, and Harjit Sajjan, Navdeep Bains, Anita around 23 have Anand, Bardish Chagger been named Senators. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recently elected Parliament features four Indian-origin MPs in powerful portfolios.

Not just politically, the South Asian presence is much more prominence in professions and businesses. We have doctors, lawyers, and teachers. Indians rule the grocery store business in Ontario and Vancouver. Real Estate? There is an unprecedented South Asian presence in both provinces. The Indian community in Canada today, is one of the most recognised and respected minorities in the country- earned over decades of struggles and fights for equality.

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BJP MLA Sengar sentenced to life imprisonment in Unnao rape case On Friday December 20th, a Delhi court sentenced expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar to jail for his entire life for raping a woman in Unnao in 2017.

Additionally, he was fined with Rs 25 lakh in the case which has to be paid within a month, the court ruled. It also directed that the rape survivor be paid an additional Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the mother of the victim.

“This court does not find any mitigating circumstance, Sengar was public servant and betrayed people’s faith,” the judge said while declining the plea for lenient approach in sentencing him.

The the court noted that conduct of 53-year-old Sengar was to intimidate the rape survivor.

Besides, the court

directed the CBI to continue assessing threat perception to the life and security of the survivor and her family members every three months.

It said they will continue to reside in rented accommodation made available by Delhi Commission for Women for one more year and directed the UP government to pay Rs 15,000 per month Kuldeep Singh Sengar for the rent.

The woman coThe court had convicted accused in the case Shashi Sengar for rape under the Singh was acquitted of all Indian Penal Code and the charges saying that the CBI POCSO Act for offence by a failed to prove that she was a public servant committing co-conspirator with Sengar penetrative sexual assault in the act of sexual assault against a child after holding committed upon the victim the victim to be a minor in and “it appears that she 2017. The court had said the herself was a victim of victim’s testimony was circumstances”. “truthful and unblemished”

against a “powerful person”.

Convicting Sengar, under POCSO Act, the court said the CBI proved that the victim was a minor and he was rightly prosecuted under the special law.

The court had noted that it was proved by the prosecution that the movement of Sengar on the

fateful day was not in sync with the movements of his three mobile SIM cards operating on his two mobile phones.

It had said that after the victim wrote letter to the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, several criminal cases were filed against her family and “imprints of Sengar” were visible in them.

In a separate case, the same woman was allegedly gang raped later by three other persons on June 11, 2017 in Unnao. The trial is yet to commence in that case. The court had also pulled up the CBI for the absence of women officer in conducting the probe

“without bothering for the kind of harassment, anguish and re-victimisation that occurs for a victim of sexual assault”.

It said the CBI itself was not following the manual relating to investigation and prosecution.

On July 28 this year, the car of the rape survivor was hit by a truck and she was severely injured.

The woman’s two aunts were killed in the accident and her family had alleged foul play.

The trial in the other four cases—framing of the rape survivor’s father in illegal firearms case, his death in judicial custody, conspiracy of Sengar with others in the accident case and the separate gang rape case of the survivor by three others—are going on in the court.

Citizenship granted to Pakistani woman in Jammu and Kashmir, no change in visa policy A Pakistani woman, who is married to an Indian man in Jammu and Kashmir's border district Poonch, was granted Indian citizenship on Monday, officials said.

The certificate of registration granting Indian citizenship to Khatija Praveen, wife of Mohammad Taj, was handed over to her by District Development Commissioner, Poonch, Rahul Yadav at his office, they said.

The officials said Khatija Praveen, who was born in Pakistan, was granted Indian citizenship

on the basis of marriage to an Indian under section 5(1)(c) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Khatija Praveen, along with her husband, expressed great happiness and gratitude upon receiving the certificate from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, they added.

In the meantime, Pakistan's Foriegn Office (FO) has said that there is no change in the country's visa policy for residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

The FO made the remarks after reports emerged about changes in the Pakistani visa for

residents of Jammu and Kashmir. The reports are "completely baseless and incorrect, it said.

Pakistan High Commission continues to issue visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the visa policy of the government and related bilateral agreements between Pakistan and India. There has been no change in the visa policy for residents of Jammu and Kashmir, it said. It further stated that Pakistan's High Commission in New Delhi, while deciding on visa applications for the

residents of the region, was also taking into cognizance the situation in the region after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5 to revoke the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked following New Delhi's decision.

Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India and

also expelled the Indian high commissioner.

The FO said those who

fulfil the visa requirements continue to be issued visas as quickly as possible.

Peaceful protests held across India against Citizenship Law Senior Congress leaders led

by Sonia Gandhi sat on a "Satyagraha" at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat.

On 23rd December, Monday peaceful protests were held across the country, with political parties, students and the civil society coming together against the contentious citizenship law.

In Delhi, the Congress held protests at Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, which was attended by senior leaders of the party, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Kamal Nath.

At Chennai's Marina

Beach, the DMK held a rally attended by thousands after getting clearance from the High Court. In Kolkata, students of the premier Jadavpur University

gheraoed the Governor, demanding a dialogue.

Multiple rallies were also held in Bengaluru, Kochi and Mumbai.

In Kerala's Kochi,

separate groups -- including a collective of film and cultural personalities -- held marches in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Shouting slogans,

director and chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Kamal, award winning actress Nimisha Sajayan, directors Rajiv Ravi and Ashiq Abu and actress

Reema Kallingal joined the march.

In Bengaluru, thousands from the Muslim community staged a "Peace Rally". The rally, called by around 35 organisations under the banner of Joint Action Committee of Bengaluru, ended at the Quddus Saheb Eidgah Maidan.

Now, several Chief Ministers have already refused to allow the implementation of the citizenship law in their states. While initially the list included Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Punjab's Amarinder Singh and Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan, five others have joined in.

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Vegans 'need to be aware of B12 deficiency risk' Experts are warning that people eating a vegan diet need to make sure they get enough B12 - because the risk of deficiency is "not a myth".

They were speaking ahead of 'Veganuary', when increasing numbers turn to a vegan diet each January.

The diet is generally high in fibre and low in cholesterol, but some nutrients are harder to get enough of - including B12.

The Vegan Society said it was available in supplements or fortified foods.

Adults need around 1.5 micrograms of B12 a day. It is found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, but not in fruits, vegetables or grains - so those eating a vegan diet are advised to eat fortified foods, like cereals, or take supplements.

B12 deficiency, which can lead to nerve damage, tends to take three or four years to cause symptoms usually first appearing as pins and needles in the hands or feet.

Tim Key, professor of epidemiology and deputy director of the Cancer Epidemiology unit at Oxford University, said: "You're not going to get B12 deficiency in Veganuary."

But Prof Key, a vegan for many years who takes B12 supplements himself, added: "If people become vegan because of that, and

Dr. Smita Naram

How to prevent flu? don't ever bother to read up about what you need to eat as a vegan, I would be worried they won't know about B12."

Suggestions online or on social media that vegans do not need extra B12 are not based on evidence, scientists say.

Tom Sanders, emeritus professor of nutrition and dietetics at King's College London, said: "Of all the micronutrients, B12 is the one we're most concerned about. I'm concerned many people think B12 deficiency is a myth."

He highlighted the case of a breastfeeding mother who had B12 deficiency, and whose child developed neuropathy, leading to longterm damage.

"It's something that can be easily avoided, and what concerns me is that many new people becoming vegan are unaware of the need to combine sources of plant proteins. And they're not aware of the need to ensure

they have adequate levels of B12."

There is limited data on the health effects of a vegan diet - with one UK and one US study covering around 10,000 people.

So far, the evidence suggests people who are vegan are less likely to be overweight, and at less risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. But they appear to have a higher risk of bone fracture, and a recent study suggested an increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke.

Heather Russell, dietitian at the Vegan Society, said: "Whether you're vegan or not, nutritional planning is essential for everyone.

Going vegan is an opportunity to learn more about nutrition, including how to balance food groups, and the roles of fortified foods and supplementation. For example, vegans obtain vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplementation, and guidance is available on on the Vegan Society's website."

GPs 'shun full-time work as pressures take toll' Part-time working for GPs is becoming commonplace, regulators say, raising concerns about the government's drive to recruit extra doctors.

Some 45% of GPs are working less than full-time, with a third cutting their hours in the past year, a General Medical Council survey indicated. The poll also suggested more intended to follow suit amid rising workloads. The regulator said it was essential to retain more full-time GPs if numbers were going to rise.

The findings - part of an annual report into the entire medical workforce - come after the government promised to recruit extra GPs, as part of their election campaign. It has set a target to recruit 6,000 extra by 2025 in England.

But GMC chief executive Charlie Massey said while more GPs were coming through training, it was not enough to keep up with demand.

He said: "The clinical work of GPs is changing.

They're seeing more patients, many with complex needs and some who have high expectations of what primary care can do for them. To break this cycle

Improving immunity is very important to combat any infection. Flu is a kind of viral infection and is highly contagious.

Doctor’s called it influenza and symptoms include extreme body pain, muscle ache, headache, severe cold and stuffy nose with extremely high fever, chills nausea or vomiting. Usually it gets better after five days and sometimes last for 7 days. Even if the flu fever is gone you still feel drain for weeks. So, Ayushakti’s approach is to build an immune system in advance to prevent the flu and if the flu comes again restore the immune system and the energy quickly through herbs, diet and lifestyle.

Diet: When there is flu definitely just take mung and vegetable soup or warm khichdi and stop everything else specially wheat, gluten, dairy, meat and deep fried prod-

ucts. When you give rest to your digestion system it focuses on quickly restoring the immune system and also this kind of food can burn the toxins so the fever is controlled very quickly.

To prevent the frequent flu, one can drink warm ginger water 2-3 times a day.

Home Remedy l l l l

Turmeric powder 2 teaspoon.

Pomegranate juice ½ cup.

Black pepper ½ tsp.

Mix and drink this juice daily to improve immunity and prevent allergic conditions.

Disposable sterile hijabs introduced A hospital trust believes it is the first in the UK to introduce disposable sterile headscarves for staff to use in operating theatres.

Junior doctor Farah Roslan, who is Muslim, had the idea during her training at the Royal Derby Hospital.

She said it came following infection concerns related to her hijab that she had been wearing throughout the day.

It is hoped the items can be introduced nationally but NHS England said it would be up to individual trusts.

Ms Roslan, who works in Lincolnshire, said the idea came to her while she was a medical student with University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust.

"I'd been using [the same headscarf] all day which

Junior doctor Farah Roslan (left) with consultant surgeon Gill Tierney

obviously wasn't clean and ideal," she told BBC Radio Derby.

"I didn't feel comfortable taking it off and I was pulled out from the theatre, respectfully, due to infection control."

She said a middle ground had to be found between "dress code due to faith" and the "passion" of being in the operating theatre.

Ms Roslan looked to

Malaysia, the country of her birth, for ideas before creating a design and testing fabrics.

"I'm really happy and looking forward to seeing if we can endorse this nationally," she said.

Consultant surgeon Gill Tierney, who mentored Ms Roslan, said the trust was the first to introduce the headscarves in the UK. "We know it's a quiet, silent, issue around theatres around the country and I don't think it has been formally addressed," she said.

"It hasn't cost much and hopefully the effect will be enormous."

The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust said the new headscarves were available to use for the first time earlier in December.

Motor neurone disease 'linked to cholesterol'

of workforce shortages we need a clear plan, in all four countries of the UK, for a sustainable increase in the number of GPs." In 2015, the government in England set a target of increasing the number of full-time equivalents by 5,000 by 2020. But latest figures show the numbers have hardly changed.

The survey, of nearly 3,900 doctors - more than 1,000 of whom were GPs suggests GPs are the most likely to work part-time as well as the most likely to report dissatisfaction with their working lives.

Rising workloads and patient expectations were cited as key reasons, with one in 10 having to take

time off work because of stress. Nine in 10 also reported working extra hours beyond what they were contracted to work.

Prof Martin Marshall of the Royal College of GPs said the profession should not be criticised for this.

"Working 'full-time' in general practice is simply not doable for many," he said.

But even when doctors reduced their hours, they may still be contributing to patient care in others through education, research or leadership roles.

The government in England has promised to further increase the number of GPs being trained, do more to improve retention and recruit from abroad.

Scientists say they have discovered a possible underlying cause of the neurological disorder, motor neurone disease (MND).

The University of Exeter team says it has found evidence that MND is linked to an imbalance of cholesterol and other fats in cells. It says the research could lead to more accurate diagnosis and new treatments.

MND affects around 5,000 people in the UK and causes more than 2,000 deaths a year. Motor neurone disease is a group of diseases that affect the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that tell your muscles what to do. Also known as ALS, it causes muscle weakness and stiffness. Eventually people with the disease are unable to move, talk, swallow and finally, breathe.

There is no cure and the exact causes are unclear - it's been variously linked to genes, exposure to heavy metals and agricultural pollution. Scientists at the University of Exeter say they had a "eureka moment" when they realised that 13 genes - which, if altered, can cause the condition - were directly involved in processing cholesterol. They say their theory could help predict the course and severity of the disease in patients and monitor the effect of potential new drugs.

Lead author Prof Andrew Crosby said: "For years, we have known that a large number of genes are involved in motor neurone disease, but so far it hasn't

been clear if there's a common underlying pathway that connects them."

The finding particularly relates to what is known as the "spastic paraplegias", where the malfunction is in the upper part of the spinal cord. Dr Emma Baple, also from the University of Exeter Medical School, said: "Currently, there are no treatments available that can reverse or prevent progression of this group of disorders. Patients who are at high risk of motor neurone disease really want to know how their disease may progress and the age at which symptoms may develop, but that's very difficult to predict."

To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement any advice. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

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Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan reunite after 11 years Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji will be seen sharing the screen after a gap of 11 years. And this time, they are coming back in Bunty and Babli’s fully rebooted sequel. Saif and Rani are a much-loved jodi, having starred in films such as Hum Tum (2004), Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007) and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (2008), and their infectious chemistry always got a thumbs up from fans.

Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji will be seen sharing the screen after a gap of 11 years. And this time, they are coming back in Bunty and Babli’s fully rebooted sequel. Saif and Rani are a much-loved jodi, having starred in films such as Hum Tum (2004), Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007) and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (2008), and their infectious chemistry always got a thumbs up from fans.

The 2005 hit Bunty Aur Babli (2005) had Rani with Abhishek Bachchan in the titular roles. “It got tremendous love and appreciation from audiences, which led to the sequel. Abhishek and I were both approached to reprise our roles as the originals in Bunty Aur Babli 2 but,

Gully Boy Out Of Oscar Race Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy, India’s official entry in the Best Foreign Language category at the 92nd Academy Awards, is out of the Oscars race. On Monday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a shortlist of ten films in the Best International Feature Film category, which will proceed to the next round of voting.

The ten films that have been shortlisted are The Painted Bird (Czech Republic), Truth and Justice (Estonia), Les Misérables (France), Those Who Remained (Hungary), Honeyland (North Macedonia), Corpus Christi (Poland), Beanpole (Russia), Atlantics (Senegal), Parasite (South Korea) and Pain & Glory (Spain).

Gully Boy, inspired by the lives of street rappers Divine and Naezy, told the story of Murad (Ranveer Singh), who rises from the slums of Mumbai and becomes a name to reckon with in the underground rap scene. The film also stars Alia Bhatt, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Kalki Koechlin and Vijay Varma in key roles. No Indian film has ever won an Oscar. Mother India (1958), Salaam Bombay (1989) and Lagaan (2001) are the only three Indian films which made it to the top five.

Earlier, Ranveer had expressed his

happiness when Gully Boy was announced as India’s official entry this year. “It’s a proud moment for our entire team. I’m especially proud of and happy for Zoya! Gully Boy is her baby, and I am blessed to have been a part of her maverick vision,” he told ANI. “Gully Boy echoed the voice of the streets. It will always be one of my most personal films. As always, I will keep striving towards making the flag of Hindi cinema fly high. I’m very happy that the passionate hard work that our cast and crew put into creating Gully Boy is reaping rewards,” he added, hoping to make a “significant mark on the world stage (Oscars)”.

Alia had said in a statement, “Now, that Gully Boy has been selected as India’s official entry for the Academy, I just hope, pray and wish that we make it to the nomination and then win.” She also said that it was a “big deal” for the entire team.

“This is a first and it’s a big deal for us. As a team, we are very excited,” she said.

Director Zoya said, “This has been a great year and I am so overwhelmed with the response our work is getting. I am thrilled and very grateful that ‘Gully Boy’ has been picked as India’s official entry for the Oscars.”

unfortunately, things didn’t work out with him and we will miss him dearly. As a team, we are so happy to welcome Saif.

I have lovely memories of working with him and I’m really looking forward to creating something new and exciting with him in Bunty Aur Babli 2. Hopefully, the audiences will give us the same love that they have given our earlier films,” says Rani about the film which is being directed by debutant Varun Sharma.

The much-anticipated sequel will see a time leap of 10 years and feature two pairs of ‘Bunty and Babli’. Siddhant Chaturvedi of Gully Boy fame and newbie Sharvari are one of them. Now, with Rani back in the franchise and Saif in tow, it will be interesting to see the dynamics between the two on-screen con couples in Bunty Aur Babli 2, which is produced by Aditya Chopra.

Sharing his excitement about joining the franchise, Saif says, “It’s a completely rebooted sequel and is set in today’s time. It is a fantastic script that hooked me instantly. It is an out-and-out entertainer for the entire family to sit and enjoy and this is what I loved and connected with. Also, it’s a new role for me, new language and milieu and that’s what I really look for in a script. I also love the dynamics between the originals and the new Bunty Babli in the film. It’s fresh, hilarious and extremely engaging.

Rani and I have always had a lot of fun working with each other and I’m looking forward to our creative collaboration again.”

Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey team up for murder mystery

Taapsee Pannu and Vikrant Massey are coming together for murder mystery, Haseen Dillruba. Sharing the poster, Taapsee wrote on Instagram, “‘I maybe bad but I’m perfectly good at it’ Stepping into the world of #HaseenDillruba.

Can’t wait for you guys to meet HER in theatres 18th September 2020!”

The film will be directed by Vinil Mathew, who is best

known for 2014 romantic comedy Hasee Toh Phasee.

Kanika Dhillon, the scribe of Manmarziyaan and Judgementall Hai Kya, has penned the script.

The plot details have been kept under wraps. Filmmaker Aanand L Rai is producing the movie through his banner Colour Yellow Production in collaboration with Eros International and Himanshu

Sharma.

“Haseen Dillruba is a murder mystery within a twisted love story, a genre we have not explored before. Really looking forward to entertain and engage the audience with this edgy script,” Rai said in a statement.

Sunil Lulla, Managing Director of Eros International, said, “Unlike other thriller genres, Haseen Dillruba is not just edgy.

to get back into the director’s chair for my next. It’s a relationship drama where the

characters find themselves stuck in a morally ambiguous zone.”

Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday to star in Shakun Batra’s next Karan Johar and Shakun Batra are all set to collaborate on a relationship drama. The movie will feature Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday in pivotal roles.

Batra is known for having helmed movies like Kapoor and Sons and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. “Shakun has directed one of the most acclaimed films of Dharma Productions — Kapoor & Sons. With this

movie, he also turns producer with us. His upcoming directorial is an intriguing relationship drama, which will release on Valentine’s Day 2021. I am proud and excited about Shakun’s vision as a versatile filmmaker,” Karan Johar said in a statement.

Speaking about the movie, Shakun Batra said, “I have had a wonderful journey with Karan and his production house for almost a decade now, and I can’t wait

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28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

Gharaonda's actor Shriram Lagoo passes away Veteran actor Shriram Lagoo died at a private hospital in Pune on Tuesday. A stalwart in Marathi theatre and a prolific character artiste in numerous Bollywood movies who was also an ENT surgeon, was 92 when he passed away because of cardiac arrest.

Lagoo worked in Hindi and Marathi Cinema, and was also a director and theatre artist. He has directed over 20 Marathi plays.

According to his acclaimed autobiography 'Lamaan' (A porter), theatre bug bit Lagoo when he was in school and he became a part of Progressive Drama Group, a non-commercial group of theatre lovers when he was in B J Medical

College, Pune.

Lagoo, however, did not become a commercial actor until he reached his 40s. He became a surgeon and worked in a hospital in Kenya for some years. After quitting practise and becoming a full-time actor, he tasted commercial success with V Shantaram's 'Pinjra' (1972).

Lagoo was born on November 16, 1927, in Satara, Bombay Presidency, British India. He was known for his roles in movies including ‘Gharaonda’ (1977), ‘Gandhi’ (1982) and ‘Swayamvar’ (1980). The director also played actor Anil Kapoor’s father in the blockbuster movie ‘Kishen Kanhaiya’.

Might do a Bollywood movie someday says Dwayne Johnson "You never know, you could see me in a Bollywood action movie," said Dwayne Johnson in a statement to IANS. Dwayne Johnson, the Hollywood star has said that working on an Indian action movie would be fun. Johnson has earlier worked with Global actress star P r i y a n k a Chopra Jonas in Baywatch.

While

Genre : Epic War Film Duratiom : 2 hours 51 minutes

by Vallisa Chauhan

promoting his upcoming film Jumanji: The Next Level, he said, "I wouldn't rule that out.

I have a lot of respect for Bollywood and the history of Bollywood."

Referring to Varun, Hollywood's biggest action star said, "He is such a big fan. I've interacted with him before on social media and I know, he is a big star in India... Yeah, so maybe one day, you never know, you could see me in a Bollywood action movie.

That'd be a lot o f

fun because I know that we have a lot of wonderful fans in India, and we have talked about that."

The wrestler-turnedactor, who is still popular for his wrestling persona of 'The Rock', is a box-office superstar, an author and a fast growing entrepreneur.

As an actor, he is attached to projects such as The Mummy Returns, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Hercules, Snitch, Moana and Fast And Furious Presents: Hobbs And Shaw.

The world of Chris Van Allsburg's book Jumanji, narrating the story of a young Alan Parrish getting trapped in a board game, found its way to the silver screen in 1995. Late Robin Williams was its main lead.

This Christmas another Royal is born…

This festive season, if you are alone and planning to binge on Ben & Jerry's icecream and make the most of your Netflix subscription then “A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby Is Born!” is your go to movie. Rose Mclver and Ben Lamb have come together in the third of the series set in Aldovia. An ancient curse, a royal baby (Kate Middleton's still expecting), a marriage proposal; a recipe for a perfect royal romance.

The twist? They are introducing the future King or Queen to the throne, the Royal Baby.

Queen Amber or Aldovia is never ready to hang up her journalistic shoes and it is no different this time either even if she is heavily pregnant. Amber and Richard are getting ready to take some time off in preparation for the arrival of their first born, but before that they must conduct one last important duty. The King and Queen of neighbouring Penglia have come over to visit and they must complete the signing of a historical treaty dating back to 1419.

This treaty is key for the two countries to live in peace and harmony. But during the course of their visit the treaty goes missing and it must be found and signed before the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve. Otherwise the two countries would have to declare a state of war dating back 600 years.

All the royals seem to be getting on well whilst looking for the treaty however, there is tension as they must

find it in time.

When films are franchises and near the third instalment they can start getting a little lost and feeling very tedious.

Although they have tried to maintain the standards from the first two films it has not managed this. Yes, there is suspense when trying to find out

who stole the treaty and why but apart from that it comes across very cheesy, as if the scenes that were not in the trailer were just put there to pad out the rest of the film.

It is a good film to watch if you have watched all the other Christmas films and just need something to fill your time. However, you may be disappointed if you make it your soul Christmas movie that should cheer you up and kick your festivities off to a great start. One thing that can be said is that watching the snow fall in Aldovia you will start praying for snow to fall and look as pretty as it does in the film.

Bollywood movies to watch out for 2020!

1. Chhapaak : 10th January Starring Deepika Padukone and Vikrant Massey in the lead role, the film by Meghana Gulzar is inspired by the life or acid attack survivor Laxmi Aggarwal. In 2005, she was attacked by a man for rejecting his marriage proposal. After multiple surgeries, she relentlessly petitioned to stop the sale of acids in India which led the Supreme Court to regulate the sale of acids.

2. Chhalaang : 31st January The film is a unique social comedy based in a small town of Uttar Pradesh directed by Hansal Mehta. It stars Rajkummar Rao and Nushrat Bharucha.

It is co-produced by Ajay

Devgn, Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg.

3. Malang : 14th February Malang happens to be a contemporary revenge drama starring Disha Patni and Aditya Roy Kapur. It is directed by Aashiqui 2 director, Mohit Suri.

4. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan : 21st February Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is an upcoming romantic comedy drama and a spin-off of the previous Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. The movie is based on homosexuality and is directed by Hitesh Kewalya, starring Ayushmann Khurana and Jitendra Kumar.

5. Angrezi Medium : 20th March A comedy-drama

directed by Homi Adajania, it is the second installment of a franchise that began

6. '83 : 10th April A biopic based on the life of veteran Indian

with Hindi Medium. It stars Irrfan Khan (who also featured in the first film), Kareena Kapoor and Radhika Madan in leading roles.

cricketer Kapil Dev, the movie talks about the time India won the coveted World Cup in 1983.

Directed by Kabir Khan, the movie stars Ranveer Singh

and Deepika Padukone, the real-life couple pairing up for their first film following their marriage last year.

7. Bhuj - The Pride of India : 14th August Ajay Devgn will essay the role of Wing Commander Vijay Karnik.

During the 1971 Indo-Pak was, Vijay was a squadron leader in charge of the airbase in Bhuj, Gujarat. He was the one responsible to keep the airbase operational despite the bombing from Pakistan.

8. Sardar Udham Singh : 2nd August Shoojit Sircar's directorial 'Sardar Udham Singh' is a biopic on a revolutionary freedom fighter Udham Singh. The

film stars Vicky Kaushal in the lead role.

9. Prithiviraj : 13th November Akshay Kumar and Manushi Chillar will be playing the historical icon Prithviraj Chauhan and his better-half Sanyukta in the period drama directed by Chandraprakash Diwedi.

10. Brahmastra : Release expected around Diwali The Dharma Productions movie starring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna in the lead was slated to release in the summer of 2020. However, with incomplete VFX work and post-production patchwork remaining the film is now pushed to release around Diwali.

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Stormzy calls UK 'racist' believes Johnson made it worse In a recent interview with a leading Italian publication, Stormzy has said Britain is “definitely, 100%” racist and it has worsened under Boris Johnson.

According to Stormzy, the prime minister was a “figurehead” whose actions had made it more acceptable to say racist things in British society.

“If the top person can openly say this racist thing – the ‘piccaninnies’ remarks, ‘watermelon smiles’, comparing Muslim women to a letter box – if that is our figurehead, the top man, the leader we have to follow, and he openly says these things, he encourages hate among others.”

The grime artist, who has just released his second album, Heavy is the Head, said since Johnson had been in office the situation had deteriorated, with people who hold racist views feeling emboldened to express them in public.

“Before, people had to hide their racism. If you felt something bad about about black people, about Muslims, you had to shut up. Now

these people have the confidence to come out in public to say everything.

This is scary to me, that scares the shit out of me.

“It’s like ‘Oh no, we’re not racist’. But there’s a lot of racism in the country,” he said. “The difficult thing with the UK is, as you said, in Italy it’s a clear problem, whereas trying to explain t h a t

Britain is a racist country [to a British person] is the most difficult thing ever. They think: ‘No, it’s not. Stormzy you’re successful. Look at London, there’s loads of black people …’ It’s a more difficult case to fight.”

Stormzy is the latest high-profile black British cultural figure to say they would consider turning down an OBE or MBE. The spoken-word artist and podcaster George the Poet said he rejected an honour earlier this year because of the “pure evil” perpetrated by the British empire.

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SUNDAY DEC 29, 2019

MONDAY DEC 30, 2019

Jodie Whittaker will star in her second series of Doctor Who in 2020. The series also starring Mandip Gill will be a highlight of BBC One’s New Year’s Day schedule.

In a recent interview with the Big Issue magazine, Whittaker has spoken about the pressures of portraying the 13th Doctor.

“I feel like I’ve been accepted as the Doctor,” she said. “There was a pressure. If I’d have been a guy in this role I’d have only been representing my own casting as an individual. But it felt like I could hold people back if nobody liked what I brought to the Doctor.

“The gender question is now going away. Hopefully it won’t make the news next time.”

Whittaker replaced Peter Capaldi as the Doctor in 2018, where she

played grieving mother Beth Latimer.

Whittaker was interviewed by the Radio Times before the new series.

“Being a woman is who I am,” she said. “And with this part, being a woman has less relevance than any other part I’ve played, except for that monumental historical moment of being the first woman Doctor.

In her Big Issue interview Whittaker talks about being inspired by young people, especially climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The new series will include the return of companions Ryan (Tosin Cole), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) and feature Stephen Fry and Lenny Henry as guest stars.

Weinstein faces another sexual assault allegation, after “global settlement”

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BLACKMAIL BAAT BANN GAYI TITOO MBA HASEENA MAAN JAYEGI CHEENI KUM BHAGAM BHAG WELCOME DHAMAAL

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FILM: KUCH KUCH LOCHA HAI FILM: BLUE ORANGES FILM: MASTI FILM: HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN FILM: WELCOME FILM: ALL THE BEST- FUN BEGINS FILM: DOUBLE DHAMAAL

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FILM: KUCH KUCH LOCHA HAI FILM: GREAT GRAND MASTI FILM: THE PERFECT GIRL FILM: KRISHNA ARJUN FILM: NASEEB FILM: ALL THE BEST- FUN BEGINS FILM: DOUBLE DHAMAAL FILM: DON - THE CHASE BEGINS AGAIN

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SUPER DANCER CHAPTER 3 MERE DAD KI DULHAN (SAT) THE CHEF (SUN) THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW INDIAN IDOL THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW (100 EPISODES SPECIAL)

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VIGHNAHARTA GANESHA MERE SAI TARA FROM SATARA ISHAARON ISHAARON MEIN PATIALA BABES BEYHADH 2 MERE DAD KI DULHAN TARA FROM SATARA CRIME PATROL CRIME PATROL

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al sex allegations by his accusers.

In the meantime, Hollyoaks actress, Lysette Anthony is one of around 80 women who claim they were harassed or sexually assaulted by Weinstein. She has now alleged that he raped her on two occasions, first in her London home and subsequently in a hotel during the Cannes film festival.

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Kaja Sokola

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case, in my own name, under New York’s Child Victims Act,” Sokola said in a statement.

Scores of women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct. He faces a 6 January criminal trial in New York on rape and sexual assault charges in state court, where he has pleaded not guilty.

Weinstein has denied any non-consensu-

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TUESDAY DEC 31, 2019

21:27

Gender question is going away, says Doctor Who female lead Whittaker

A fresh lawsuit has been lodged against Harvey Weinstein. A former Polish model has now come forward with allegations that the Hollywood director sexually assaulted her when she was only 16-yearsold.

Kaja Sokola had previously been known as “Jane Doe” in an earlier class action lawsuit. She is now removing herself from that suit and going public, motivated in part by news that Weinstein and his former film studio’s board have reached a wide-ranging settlement that includes a total of $25m for more than two dozen actresses and former employees who claim Weinstein sexually harassed them.

“I cannot accept the proposed ‘global settlement’ as fair or just. There is no accountability for the perpetrators, insufficient compensation for all of the victims, and millions of dollars going to people that I believe enabled Weinstein.

“Therefore, today I am filing my own

TV Listing

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14:30: IIFA WEEKEND WITH STARS 15:00: IIFA MAIN EVENT 2019 18:30: VIDYA 19:00: RAM SIYA KE LUV KUSH 19:30: CHOTI SARDAARNI 20:00: SHAKTI ASTITVA KE EHSAAS KI 20:30: SHUBHARAMBH 21:00: BAHU BEGUM 21:30: BIGG BOSS - SEASON 13 22:30:00BEPANAH PYAARR

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28 Dec - 3 Jan 2020

Skiing across the Alps in Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (usually shortened to Chamonix) is a resort area near the junction of France, Switzerland and Italy. At the base of Mont Blanc, the highest summit in the Alps, it's renowned for its skiing.

Year-round, cable cars take visitors up to several nearby peaks with panoramic views, including Aiguille du Midi above town, and Pointe Helbronner, across vast glacier fields on the Italian border.

The best way to get to Chamonix is to fly to Geneva. From Geneva you

can book private taxis or shared taxi pick ups. The drive is about an hour, and it is picturesque.

Chamonix is well known for its skiing slopes but for non skiers there is plenty to do.

The city celebrates Christmas on the eve, when families come together to have dinner. It’s a rather beautiful city with snow everywhere during Christmas, and snowy mountains at the backdrop- totally like a picture postcard. The city centre has a few expensive hotels, but many options of air b&bs and chalets. If you choose to live slightly away, a glass top toy-train connects the surrounding places with Chamonix.

Chamonix city centre restaurants

colour to ice, are squeezed out by pressure increasing the density of the created ice. From Montenvers you can have the view of the legendary Drus (3754m) and Grandes Jorasses (4208m). This glacier provides hydroelectricity to EDF, the famous energy provider.On another day you could make a visit to Aiguilles du Midi- in the mountain ranges. The cable car which makes a steep climb, oscillating in the wind between ranges, makes two stops.

First at Plan des Aiguilles, where you could walk around the rather flattened surface of snow, and then head to the highest peak at 3842m, from where you can see Mont Blanc clearly. There is a view point and a restaurant with a fabulous view.

A word of caution, breathing gets difficult at such high altitudes, so it is recommended to take short steps or move slow. None of these places are recommended for babies. Snow boots and warm layers of clothes including thermals much recommended.

serve various kinds of food - from Swiss to French to Italian and there are plenty of options for vegetarians.

If you are not a ski lover, you can take a short train ride to the top of Montenvers and then take gondolas right cable cars down, after which you can continue to walk down to the Mer de Glace glacier.

It’s a steep walk down, and could be upto 30 floors. You can then visit the ‘Grotte de Glace’ an ice cave cut into the glacier and the museum of alpine wildlife and the crystal gallery. The inside of the ice cave is a wonderful blue, and it is believed to be France’s longest living glacier. A glacier, appears blue because water molecules absorb other colours more efficiently than blue.

The other reason for the blue colour of glaciers is the lack of air bubbles.

Air bubbles, which give a white

W

hat's special about JBL Charge Bluetooth speakers that sets it aside from others in the range?Aside from the topperforming sound, they allow you to charge your device up while you're blasting out tunes... hence why they're all called Charge.

The fact that JBL Charge 3 is also waterproof, means you can use it at the pool or the beach if you are planning on hosting your Christmas/New Year Party at those spots without worrying about any splashes or water-based accidents. The Charge 3 also features a built-in mic so you can use it as a speakerphone for raising toasts, sharing your drunk sob story or even hosting an improptu karoke!

These speakers can be really cranked up and will have no problem filling a large room. The bass response works best on a flat surface that can help resonate some of the sound, like a tabletop. Outside, they can project sound fairly far but they're best experienced within about 20 feet.

At 213 x 87 x 88.5 mm, the speaker will take up a fair bit of room in your backpack and at 1.76 pounds it is heavy as well. The only disappointment in the sound is that high frequencies, like violins, aren't as sparkly and detailed as competitors like the Bose Soundlink Mini.

Ho Ho Ho...

House party with JBL Charge!

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What’s on l Indian Block Printing - In this half day workshop you will learn to use traditional Block Printing techniques to create stunning designs. After a demonstration we will begin to print onto tissue, and a variety of papers and card which you can take home to use as special gift wrapping , tags and cards. You will choose your favourite blocks to print a calico bag or cotton tea towel.

Date: Saturday 4th January Time: 10am till 1pm Venue: 17 Church Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8JG Price: £45 (https://artique.uk.com/event/indian-blockprinting/) l IOW-ARCH Indian Ocean World Archaeology Conference - A conference on the archaeology, material culture and heritage of the Indian Ocean. The idea is born out of the significant growth in Indian Ocean archaeology that has taken place in recent years, and the fact that there is still no regular forum where researchers can meet, present on their latest research, get to know each other, and discuss relevant topics. The aim is for the forum to be international, informal and research-focussed.

Date: Friday 10th Jan ; Saturday 11th Jan Time: 5.30pm till 7.30pm Venue: Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4ND Price: £15 - £25 (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/iow-archindian-ocean-world-archaeology-conference-tickets66670048911) l IndianRaga Festival 2020 - IndianRaga Festival 2020 is all about bringing out the best in YOU. With a day full of workshops, competitions, performances, the festival promises to be an action packed, fun-filled event, not to mention delicious food served all day long. IndianRaga Festival 2020 takes place on 18 January at the expansive, well appointed Watersmeet Theatre, UK, served by London Metropolitan Line.

Get ready to banish your winter gloom as you get entertained with a blockbuster concert by IndianRaga celebrity artists and London Labs artists- Mahesh Raghvan, Sunil Sunkara, Swathi Jaishankar, Geetesh Iyer and Chiinthu Sarvan.

Date: Saturday 18th January Time: 5pm till 8.30pm Venue: Watersmeet, High Street, Rickmansworth, WD3 1EH Price: £12-£35 (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/indianragafestival-2020-tickets-67470803991) l Paris Laxmi Dancing - Ballet to Bharatanatyam: The Journey of a French Woman Who Fell in Love with India - Paris Laxmi was born in France to Yves Quinio a drama artist and poet and Patricia Quinio, a sculptor. Laxmi expressed her desire to dance even before she walked and never lost the passion for it. Laxmi is an active and wellknown dancer , film and tv artist who has performed throughout India and abroad as a Bharatanatyam soloist and in collaboration with other artists.

Date: Sunday 19th January Time: 1pm till 5.30pm Venue: Beechen Cliff School, Kipling Avenue, Bath, BA2 4RE Price: £10 (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bath-classicalindian-dance-festival-2020-makar-sankranti-tickets86214440713) l Vegan South Indian cookery with Kanthi from Easy Tiger - Chef Kanthi brings the authentic tastes of South India to the Community Kitchen, sharing the cooking techniques and flavour combinations that have evolved over centuries so you can prepare a typical homestyle south Indian meal in Brighton.

You will typically prepare a menu of: aubergine bhajis with beetroot chutney, Keralan vegetable stew, spinach dhal, lemon rice and masala potatoes, with Chef Kanthi demonstrating a coconut pudding to finish. You will prepare the menu working in pairs, with Kanthi's guidance, then sit and eat together, with the option to bring your own drinks to enjoy alongside the meal.

Date: Tuesday 7th January Time: 6pm till 9pm Venue: The Community Kitchen, Brighton Tickets: £55 (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vegan-southindian-cookery-with-kanthi-from-easy-tiger-the-spicecircuit-tickets-58084005825)

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AsianVoiceNews

Government to intervene, if football Monty’s authorities fail to deal with racism Spin AsianVoiceNewsweekly

The government has promised not to rule out taking further steps, if football authorities fail to deal with racism. Play was stopped during Chelsea’s win at Tottenham on Sunday after Antonio Rudiger said he heard monkey noises.

The Professional Footballers' Association has called for a government inquiry following the alleged abuse.

The BBC reported that a Downing Street spokesperson said, "Racism of any kind has no place in football or anywhere else and we must confront this vile behaviour," said a Downing Street spokesperson.

"Clearly there remains more work to be done by the football authorities in tackling this issue and we are committed to working with them on this to stamp it out.

"The FA, Premier League and English Football League have significantly stepped up their efforts, but we expect them to continue to prioritise this issue and to consult with both players and supporter groups, and we will be monitoring how the football authorities implement their plans through the season.

"We will continue working with the authorities on this, including the

Professional Footballers' Association and we don't rule out taking further steps if required."

Sports minister Nigel Adams said he had held positive talks with Tottenham, the Premier League and the PFA, adding: "I am in no doubt that Tottenham are doing all they can to identify anyone responsible, and that they will take the strongest possible

action."

Cheslea centre-back Rudiger reported the alleged racist abuse from the crowd to his captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who told referee Anthony Taylor and the game was stopped.

Shortly after the stoppage, an announcement made over the public address system warned that "racist behaviour is interfering with the game".

London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan in a tweet mentioned, “Is there racism in football? Is there racism in our society?

Do we need to call it out and stand with those who do?

D e f i n i t e l y , 100%.#ShowRacismTheRedC ard.”

The Metropolitan Police is working with Tottenham to identify anyone responsible, with the club promising to "take the strongest possible action".

Eoin Morgan to join Kolkata Knight Riders England’s Eoin Morgan, who led England to World Cup success in 2019, was auctioned for £563,000 to Kolkata Knight Riders, who are coached by Brendon McCullum.

Kolkata Knight Riders also made a bid for Australia's Pat Cummins (£1.7m) the most expensive overseas player in IPL history.

Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer remain with Rajasthan Royals.

The England trio were not part of the auction after the franchise opted to retain them from last season's squad. Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali were also retained

by Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively, according to the

BBC. Roy and Woakes both went to Delhi Capitals for their base price of £161,000, while Curran was bought by

Chennai Super Kings for £590,000.

Somerset batsman Tom Banton, who made his

England debut in the T20s in New Zealand last month, has been also bought by Kolkata for £108,000.

Tennis player Bains proud of her Indian heritage 21-year-old tennis player Naiktha Bains, who was earlier playing under the Australian flag, is now playing under the British flag and says she always thought she would play under the British flag one day.

Bains was born to Indian parents in England but moved to Australia with her parents at the age of eight but earlier this year, she decided she would play under the British flag. She said that she has no plans to represent India as she was born in England so she will always be English and play under their flag. However, she maintains that she loves her Indian roots, especially Indian food back home. In an interview to the Times of India, she said “I am proud to be Indian obviously. I am Indian and always going to be Indian. But I was born in England, so I am English. At the end of the day I am going to represent (the country) where I was born, so that probably isn't going to change, to be honest.”

Monty Panesar

A well-fought contest This one dayer series has been very entertaining for cricket fans in India. We have seen Virat Kolhi not scoring in the first two onedayers and then performing very well in the third ODI. At first people wondered if Kieron Pollard would stand up as captain for the West Indies team. He led from the front, showing great maturity in pressure situations, and took on responsibility as a captain and batsman in the third one-dayer.

The West Indies have a fine team but it was the bowling that let them down in their bid to stop India scoring in the final ten overs of each match. They desperately need to find a frontline spinner. The West Indies bowling attack is one-dimensional and relies heavily on seam and fast bowlers. If the fast bowlers don't take any wickets then they rely on medium pacers who bowl cutters and slower balls.

India must be happy that their opening batsmen have found form. With an opening partnership of 220+ in the second ODI, both Rohit Shamra and KL Rahul scored centuries.

The Indian coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli must feel delighted with the batsmen coming to form. As an all round team they seem to have got more out of the series than West Indies. India were able to post a decent total in the second one-dayer and then chase a target of 300+ in the third one-dayer. This Indian team has the ability to set and chase targets. I think West Indies are able to set targets and their batsmen can keep them in the game, but it is the bowling that is letting them down.

Sheldon Cottrel has become a millionaire overnight in the IPL auction but his bowling was'nt as effective in the recent one-dayers as everyone hoped.

This West Indies team has the potential to upset a few teams in the T20 World Cup in Australia. With a large number of West Indies players playing in the IPL you would expect more from them.

The IPL auction was good for the English team. This was because Eoin Morgan got picked up by KKR. His leadership skills will be effective on subcontinent conditions and will prepare the England team well for the 2023 World Cup in India.

Tom Banton got into the IPL which was good to see especially if Eoin Morgan wants to add youngsters to the England team for the World Cup in four year's time. It is good that the English players are playing in the IPL because they can adapt their game to Indian conditions. The likes of Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes will be good for the English team. Chris Jordan is already playing in the Big Bash League and his experience will be vital for the T20 World Cup. His fielding is a great asset to the team and one of his catches in the recent BBL was a stunner!

You can follow Monty Panesar @MontyChannel