AV 29th July 2023

PAYING A HEAVY PRICE

70-year-old pensioner Parminder* was on her way to meet her friend in London, after carefully planning her whole day She packed her bag of medicines and emergencies and d r o v e t o t h e n e a r e s t r a i l w a y station, before planning to take the 1 2 : 5 5 t r a i n t o a L o n d o n s t a t i o n U p o n r e a c h i n g t h e t r a i n s t a t i o n , w h i l e t r y i n g t o g e t a p a r k a n d d i s p l a y t i c k e t , s h e r e a l i s e d t h e machine was out of order There was a notice to pay by app or scan a d i s p l a y c o d e , a n d a l t h o u g h P a r m i n d e r o w n s a s m a r t p h o n e , she only uses it to make calls, chat w i t h f r i e n d s o n W h a t s A p p a n d check Facebook – apps that were d o w n l o a d e d b y h e r d a u g h t e r w h e n s h e g i f t e d P a r m i n d e r t h e phone on her 67th birthday

Continued on page 06

Heavy rain lashes Gujarat, Junagadh, Navsari worst hit

Winners Dr Yogendra Kothari and Dr Anju Kothari, Lord Loomba and CB Patel

with Keith Vaz

PR AG NA SR E E G OL L A PA L L I

Pragna Sree Gollap alli, is f ifteen years old , studying in class 11 in Delhi Public School in Ugand a S he is a fun-loving girl She likes traveling to d ifferent countries, a food lov er, and a sports enthusiast

Pragna plays active roles in th e school teams like foo tball, basketball, and v olleyball and in her free time enj oys playing ch ess and carrom s

She is very keen to learn new th ing s which will enable her to grow in her career She wants to be a successful d octor

She is a nature enthusiast, whenever Pragna comes across beautiful things found in nature, she takes the best shot with her phone camera She has four dogs and a tortoise Pragna adopted an elephant and a lion cub in the zoo Academically she is interested both in maths and sciences Also, she likes to participate in cultural activities and she takes up new challenges

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

UGANDA! Uganda is a beautiful landlocked countr y located in East Africa surrounded by the second largest lake “Lake Victoria'' This place became my home countr y for my whole life (about 15 years) as it has a ver y special place in my heart, and I always fall in love with it

2) What are your proudest achievements?

D u r i n g t h e C o v i d -19 p a n d e m i c , I mobilized all my personal savings amount and some which was gifted and contributed it to the UWEC animals as they were not getting steady income I presented a collage of photos to the President H E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and he was really proud of my efforts and love towards animals Another proud moment was recently, on the 1st of June 2023, I was a winner in the ambassador for a day competition and I shadowed as the Sweden ambassador for a day

3) What inspires you?

Happiness, self-motivation, and success inspires me My def inition of happiness is to enjoy the living moment and to be grateful for what you have While selfmotivation keeps driving me for ward and helps me to f ind myself Success inspires me to never give up, work hard and push yourself until the end

4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

My biggest obstacle in my career was t h e t r a n s i t io n b e t w e e n my ol d s c h o ol (igcse-curriculum) to my new school (cbsecurriculum) This was ver y diff icult for me as in my new school they taught me about I n d i a n h i s t o r y, c i v i c s , a n d e c o n o m i c s which I have never learnt before

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

My mother has always been the biggest influence and inspiration in my life She makes all my problems be solved and helps me get through all my obstacles She gives the best advice and guides me on my career My mother is always there for me even though I make mistakes in my choices I adore her so much in ever ything she does, and she is the best person ever!

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

The best aspect of being a student is

Moksha Roy, seven, receives Points of Light award

Moksha Roy, an exceptio nal girl, has been honoured w ith the esteem ed British Prim e M i nis ter's Poi nts of L ig h t aw a rd Her in cr ed i bl e ac h ie v em en ts and d ed i catio n to environm ental sustainability hav e earned her this prestigio us recog nition

consider this,” said Dowden

Moksha Roy

the memories you make at school with your friends, teachers and even your parents I strongly believe that the student life is the best part of an individual's life as when you keep getting older, more work and responsibilities are given to you But for a student is to just focus on their education and have the best times of their lives with friends and families

7) And the worst?

The worst aspect of being a student is the pressure you get either from your parents or teachers to work harder and get the best scores in your class Also, sometimes you might have to sacrif ice and focus on more important things Things might get harder as it can be diff icult to balance s c h o o l w o r k , e x t r a c u r r i c u l a r a c t i v i t i e s , your personal life, and some students (like me) are preparing for universities, all at once

8) What are your long-term goals?

My long-term goal is to become a doctor But I haven't decided yet which type of doctor I want to become This year, I am really liking veterinar y sciences as I am an animal lover and also, I am a bit into cancer research because it seems fascinating to me as there is no cure for it and I really want to research and know more about cancer

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

If I were Prime Minister, one aspect I would change is that corruption of any manner will be dealt with in the strictest way and severe penalties will be awarded to dishonest individuals This is because the more corruption, the more it weakens the democracy and the economy of my countr y

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

If I were marooned on a desert island, I would love to spend my time with PolishFrench physicist Marie Curie She was the f irst woman to win a Nobel Prize Marie Curie is remembered for her discover y of radium and polonium, and her huge contribution to f inding treatments for cancer I would love to spend my time with her because she would stimulate my brain with new discoveries, and she also inspires me to become an oncologist in the future

L a s t w e e k , D e p u t y P r i m e M i n i s t e r Ol i v e r Dowden had presented the p r e s t i g i o u s a w a r d t o Moksha, recognising her as t h e w o r l d's yo u n g e s t s u stainability advocate She has been a vocal advocate for the i n t e g r a t i o n o f t h e s e v i t a l goals into school curricula, recognising the importance o f e d u c a t i n g t h e y o u n g e r

generation about global sustainability challenges

“Mo k s h a h a s s e t a n

e xc e l l e n t e x a m p l e i n h e r

w o r k c h a m p i o n i n g U N

Su s t a i n a b l e D e v e l o p m e n t

Goals (SDGs) She has gone

t o s i g n i f i c a n t l e n g t h s t o have these included in the school curriculum and has b e e n i n c o m m u n i c a t i o n

w i t h l e a d e r s a l l o v e r t h e world to encourage them to

“Her school no longer uses plastic glitter, confetti or plastic art supplies – this is a testament to her strong beliefs and ability to change those around her to create a better world,” he said The bright seven-yearold schoolgirl with Indian heritage, has captivated the world with her extraordin a r y p a s s i o n fo r e nv i ro nm e n t a l s u s t a i n a b i l i t y He r incredible journey began at the tender age of three when she enthusiastically volunteered for a United Nations' initiative focused on combatting microplastic pollution

Braverman facing legal action after failing to aid asylum seekers

A jud ge has ruled that the h o m e s ec ret ar y, S u ell a Brav erman, acted unlawfully b y fa il i ng to p ro v i d e essential supp ort to asylum seekers, including vulnerable grou ps such as yo ung c h i ld re n and p re g na nt wo men

As a result of the successful challenge brought by f ive individuals in the high c o u r t , c h a n g e s m u s t b e introduced to benef it thousands of asylum seekers

T h e l e g a l a c t i o n w a s t a ke n o n t h r e e m a i n g r o u n d s F i r s t l y, s o m e c l a i m a n t s c h a l l e n g e d t h e delays in receiving f inancial support, while others contested the lack of cash payments to pregnant women

and children under the age of three

Ju s t i c e Sw i f t 's r u l i n g found that the home secretar y was in breach of the law by withholding payments of £3 per week intended for h e a l t h y fo o d fo r c h i l d r e n aged one to three and pregnant women As a result, she is now required to initiate t h e s e p a y m e n t s fo r t h e t h o u s a n d s o f p r e g n a n t w o m e n a n d f a m i l ie s w i t h children under three living in hotels

Additionally, the judge d e c l a r e d t h a t t h e s y s t e m used by the home secretar y for managing asylum support payments was unlawful due to prolonged delays in processing requests for such

Suella Braverman

payments

M a n y a s y l u m s e e ke r s rely entirely on the Home O f f i c e fo r t h e i r s u r v i v a l , receiving weekly payments of £45 if they are in shared housing or £9 10 if they are residing in a hotel The ruling aims to address the def iciencies in providing adequate support to this vulnerable population

Drugs causing havoc and fear in UK city

A d ru gs expert has raised alarm ing concerns about the potential spread of a lethal substance in th e UK , as an increasing number of people have started experim enting with it, particu larly in one specif ic city

Among the myriad illegal drugs prevalent in society, certain substances are known to be signif icantly more hazardous than others Cr ystal meth, in particular, is often portrayed as one of the most extreme drugs due to its highly addictive n a t u r e a n d i t s a b i l i t y t o

i n d u c e i n t e n s e h i g h s , a c c o m p a n i e d b y s e v e r e comedowns

The drug has the potent i a l t o i n d u c e a s e n s e o f alertness, but it can also lead to feelings of paranoia and a g g r e s s i o n i n i n d i v i d u a l s Us i n g t h i s s u b s t a n c e increases the risk of experiencing a heart attack and s e v e r e p s y c h o s i s , b o t h o f which can have serious cons e q u e n c e s fo r o n e's w e l lbeing

I n a d d i t io n , lo n g -t e r m usage of the drug can result in various health issues that

p e r s i s t t h r o u g h o u t l i fe , including strokes, and damage to the lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal system These lasting health effects underscore the signif icant dangers associated with its use

Despite the considerable r i s k s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e d r u g , r e s e a r c h e r s f r o m M a n c h e s t e r Me t r o p o l i t a n Un i v e r s i t y a n d G r e a t e r M a n c h e s t e r C o m b i n e d Authorities have reported a t r o u b l i n g i n c r e a s e i n i t s u s a g e w i t h i n t h e c i t y o f Manchester

The secret behind Covid ‘super- dodgers’ cracked

Res ea rch ers be li ev e th e y m ay h av e u n co v ere d t h e mystery behind why certain ind iv iduals, wh o tested po siti v e fo r C o v i d -1 9 , n ev er experienced any sym ptoms

The key appears to lie within their g enetic m akeup

T h e s e u n i q u e i n d i v i d u a l s , referred to as Covid "superd o d g e r s , " p o s s e s s s p e c i f i c mutations in their immune s y s t e m t h a t e n a b l e t h e i r bodies to recognize the virus as similar to a common cold As a result, they can eff iciently eliminate the virus from their system at an early s t a g e , p r e v e n t i n g i t f r o m

p r o l i fe r a t i n g a n d c a u s i n g t h e m t o b e c o m e i l l T h i s stands in stark contrast to those without the mutated gene, who may experience more severe symptoms

T h r o u g h a n a n a l y s i s o f genetic data from approximately 1,500 individuals, scie n t i s t s h a v e fo u n d t h a t those with this genetic quirk were eight times less likely to fall ill with Covid-19 The discover y sheds light on the f a s c i n a t i n g i n t e r p l a y b e t w e e n g e n e t ic s a n d t h e b o d y 's r e s p o n s e t o v i r a l infections

A p p r ox i m a t e l y o n e i n 1 0

i n d i v i d u a l s i n t h e g e n e r a l population are believed to possess the specif ic genes that provide them with this form of protection against C o v i d -19 T h e m u t a t i o n s responsible for this protection impact the functioning of human leukocyte antigen (HLA), a protein marker that signals potential threats to the body's immune system for elimination

W i t h t h e a l t e r e d p r o t e i n , these individuals' immune systems could swiftly recognize Covid-19 as a threat, p r o m p t i n g a n i m m e d i a t e immune response to attack

the virus This early recognition signif icantly increases the likelihood of overcoming the infection before it has a chance to cause illness or trigger symptoms I n c o n t r a s t , i n d i v i d u a l s w i t h o u t t h e s e m u t a t i o n s rely on their immune system to learn how to identify the virus from scratch, by which time the virus may already b e s p re a d i n g w i t h i n t h e i r bodies and causing illness

The discover y highlights the critical role of genetics in determining an individual's ability to effectively fend off the virus

Balancing Britain with Barbie

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party faced setbacks in a trio of special elections, losing two important parliamentary seats but narrowly retaining former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's suburban London constituency The opposition Labour Party and centrist Liberal Democrats secured victories by overturning significant Conservative majorities in one seat each

The election results reveal the Conservatives' waning support among different voter groups, from suburban L o n d o n e r s t o r e s i d e n t s i n t h e n o r t h a n d s o u t h w e s t Although the losses don't change the current government's majority, they raise concerns for the party ahead of the potential general election next year

While looking forward to strategic talks at G20 and the much-awaited Free Trade Agreement between UK and India, Sunak is seamlessly living a calm and rather inspiring personal life as a father, taking his little girls to watch Barbie at the theatres Britain is moving forward despite its challenges

Labour leader Keir Starmer is also not leaving any stone unturned to strengthen the UK-India partnership ahead of the upcoming general elections Starmer recently said “ a strategic partnership with India will be key” to a future Labour government in the UK and that he thinks that the UK-India relationship should be based on the future, not

the past

Starmer has acknowledged the lessons to be learned from the Uxbridge by-election defeat He attributed the loss to London Mayor Sadiq Khan's plans to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez), which became a contentious issue in the campaign

Over the years, the Labour Party's funding structure has evolved, with trade union donations decreasing from 66% in 1992 to around 33% today A decline in membership from 400,000 to 260,000 has also impacted donations On the other hand, the Conservative Party's financial health is stronger due to lower campaign spending and significant c o n t r i b u t i o n s f r o m p r o m i n e n t d o n o r s l i k e M i c h a e l Ashcroft, John Paul Getty Jnr, and Stuart Wheeler

As the party conferences are due sometime in the coming months, in a new move by the Conservative party the entry fee for foreign journalists has been waved off, which opens gates for more free coverage - good or bad, that time will tell

In conclusion, the recent by-election results have shifted the political landscape, with the Conservative Party facing losses in key seats and Labour gaining momentum The focus on green policies and climate change remains a critical topic of discussion, with both parties urged to work together for the benefit of the country

NGOs should work for the betterment of Indians

The government has suspended the leading think-tank Centre for Policy Research (CPR)’s licence under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) for allegedly violating the provisions of the law The suspension was ordered based on prime evidence that certain provisions of FCRA were not followed After suspension, a thorough investigation has been ordered and further action will be taken after the findings of the investigation CPR has since 1973 been involved in research with a focus on India’s 21stcentury challenges In September, the income tax department surveyed records of CPR, NGO Oxfam India, and Bengaluru-based Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation as part of a probe related to foreign funding According to people in the know, the decision on suspending CPR’s licence was taken after the IT department submitted its findings to the government Most of the foreignfunded NGOs have to show loyalty to their foreign bosses rather than to follow the norms set by the Indian government Oxfam India’s foreign funding was earlier blocked in December 2021 when the union home ministry refused to renew its FCRA licence

included campaigns against climate change, workers’ rights, or even the disposal of e-waste by India’s massive IT sector

The Ford Foundation was also among those named For a period of time, all the foundation’s funds coming into India were scrutinised by the Indian home ministry

Thought for the week

Political Sketchbook

Alpesh Patel

A Shame Upon The Nation Says the PM

Today, I write to yo u with a message that is profound yet unequivocal, one that I hop e resonates in ev ery corner of our global comm unity Recently, I had the honour of cohosting an event in Parliament, as Ch air of C ity Hindu s, and as President of the India Leag ue, that sou ght to ad dress som e o f the m ost p ressing issu es our w orld is facing Our event was ‘E m po w eri ng Wom en: Bus iness, Finance and T ech’

A leaked report by India’s Intelligence Bureau (IB) sent a chill across Indian civil society several years back NGOs were accused by the IB of reducing India’s GDP by a staggering 2-3% per annum, by campaigning against projects that the Indian government argued to be integral for economic growth The fallout was profound NGOs, including Greenpeace, Amnesty and Cordaid, were accused of “ serving as tools for foreign policy interests of western governments” by sponsoring campaigns to protect the environment or support human rights

Anti-development activities

In India, prior to the IB report, there were already constraints and increased scrutiny of NGOs FCRA was introduced in 2010, requiring all NGOs to apply for a license to receive foreign funding The act was initially targeted at international political funding, but NGOs were included in its remit Before the leaked IB report, some hailed the increased scrutiny as potentially positive: This is good for India; it will force Indians to be more conscious of the role of NGOs and to take ownership for our issues, said G Ananthapadmanabhan, who had been the CEO of both Amnesty International and Greenpeace in India The civil society sector, especially those that receive foreign funding, doesn’t enjoy societal credibility, says Biraj Patnaik, a human rights activist India’s new education policy envisages academic exchanges and cooperation between Indian and global institutions to raise the standard of higher education and research in the country India also wants to emerge as a centre of technological excellence and manufacturing Collaboration with the world requires the flow of information, personnel and funds in both directions At any rate, for a country growing as fast as India, a massive expansion in capacity for research is the need of the hour Along with public funding, private and philanthropic funding are essential for India to continuously expand its knowledge horizons in all fields The government should facilitate the emergence of institutions which take India to new heights

Indian youth wants to have greater say govt policies

Although the general elections in 2024 are still a few months away, it is clear that the struggle for control has already picked up steam India, the most populous country in the world must take advantage of the circumstances and unleash its youth power to strengthen its fundamental democratic values by giving priority to their increased participation in politics and democracy Policymakers must ensure youth participation in India’s political and democratic processes, considering their aspirations amid a fastchanging world order

Young people's goals and attitudes regarding general elections in India can differ greatly and are influenced by a number of variables, including social, economic and political dynamics There has been an increase in political awareness and interest among the youth, facilitated by social media, digital platforms, and access to information For instance, ahead of India’s general election in 2024, political parties in the country are chasing social media i n f l u e n c e r s t o s w a y v o t e r s P r i m e M i n i s t e r N a r e n d r a

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has held a series of meetings with influencers in recent months Political parties not only chase celebrity influencers, but also seek out those with smaller and more niche audiences In June 2023, the government of Rajasthan where Congress is in power, said it would pay influencers between $120 and $6,000 to promote its welfare schemes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Many young people in India struggle with issues relating to employment and education, therefore, they want to have aspirations for political leaders who focus on issues like job creation, skill development and reforms to the edu-

cational system With more than 15 million people entering the labour force in the last three quarters, the Indian labour market has improved under the current administration Out of them, over 11 2 million people were able to find jobs demonstrating that willing people were able to obtain employment According to the most recent data, India's labour market showed signs of weakening during the final quarter of 2022–2023 The labour participation rate (LPR) declined from 40 5% in December to 39 8% in March 2023

The youth often seek change and reforms in the political system They might be critical of the way things are done now and look for politicians or parties that will promote inclusive and progressive growth The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has announced in the Lok Sabha that the government has prepared a new draft of the National Youth Policy They have presented a 10-year road map for youth development that India would like to achieve by 2030 The World Development Report 2023 claimed that the report estimated a 120% income gain for Indians who migrate to another country for work, compared to a 40% rise in the case of internal migration Every year, millions of young Indians from all over the country enrol at overseas universities They think that going overseas to study is the best way to gain useful knowledge, experience of other cultures, build a strong professional network, and achieve high social status Indian-origin CEOs now lead global businesses worth over $1 trillion in revenue, including companies in the IT sector, healthcare and industrials The combined 12-month revenues of 35 companies managed by Indian CEOs stood at $1 08 trillion at the end of December 2022

In the past weeks, the eyes of the world have been focused on India, where the actions of a few have cast a long and disturbing shadow The violent atrocities committed against women have shaken us to our core and led the Prime Minister of India to declare that these acts have brought shame upon the nation Think of it A PM saying of his own nation, that it has been shamed More leaders need to say it, more often, of their own countries –shamed by the violence to women within their own borders Yet in this darkness, it is essential that we draw strength from unity and solidarity, rather than disperse in despair To the Modi supporters – raise up your fists, not against women, but for them To all of us, raise your fists in anger, for, not against women

When we talk about creating change, whether it's to combat climate change, to end gender violence, or to engineer a more equal and inclusive society, we must remember: Men play an indispensable role This isn't a task solely for the women who have bravely stood at the forefront of these battles, but a call to action for every individual, regardless of gender, to rise and join this fight

We need to ensure that our fathers, brothers, sons, and friends understand their power and responsibility in fostering a safer, more equitable world This isn't about replacing one form of dominance with another, but about creating a cooperative balance where we all thrive together

Men are not just bystanders in the fight for equality and justice they are our allies, our partners, and our equals The world has already witnessed the boundless potential that is unleashed when we break down barriers and work together It's time we harness this power to address the biggest challenges of our times

President Barack Obama once said, "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time We are the ones we've been waiting for We are the change that we seek " So, to the men who stand beside us, who champion equality and fight against injustice, we thank you And to those still finding their footing, we invite you to join us

The challenges we face are not insurmountable The burden of progress is not one that should be carried by half of us, but by us all As we look ahead, let's remember that everyone has a role in shaping the society we want to see And together, we can create a world that reflects our shared values of justice, equality, and respect for all

Thank you for standing with us in this mission Together, we are unstoppable

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Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.

-

Potter Stewart

Islamic preacher accused of terrorist offenses

L ast w eek, the 56-year-o ld B ri ti s h r ad i c al I s lam is t p reacher, Anjem C houd ary, w as arrested in L ond on On

M o nd a y ( 2 4 ) , t h e p o l ic e announced that he has been ch arged with three terrorism offenses

T h e s e c h a r g e s i n c l u d e membership in a proscribed organisation, directing a terr o r i s t o r g a n i s a t i o n , a n d a d d r e s s i n g m e e t i n g s t o encourage support for a proscribed organisation

C h o u d a r y , o n c e t h e m o s t h i g h - p r o f i l e I s l a m i s t preacher in Britain, had previously been imprisoned in 2016 for promoting support

Anjem Choudary

for the Islamic State He was released in 2018 after serving half of his five-and-ahalf-year sentence

Five jailed for murder of man at Coventry mosque

F o r m e r l y h e a d i n g t h e now banned organisation alM u h a j i r o u n , C h o u d a r y gained notoriety for praising the individuals responsible for the 9/11 attacks in the US and expressing his desire to convert Buckingham Palace into a mosque His followers have been associated with various plots worldwide

Additionally, a 28-yearold Canadian man, Khaled Hussein, was also charged with membership of a pros c r i b e d o r g a n i s a t i o n a f t e r being arrested on the same day as Choudary when he arrived at Heathrow Airport on a flight

British Asian woman jailed for stealing £1m

A c cor di n g t o r e p o r t s, a B ritish Asian woma n, Ma njit Singh, age 60, from Toxtet h, was senten ced t o t wo ye ars in pr ison a fte r admitting to e ight count s of fraud Singh had st ol en n earl y £1 mill ion from her employe r, Le i Dat a nd Baig Solicitors, l ocate d o n R e n s ha w St r e e t in Liver pool city centr e, where she had b een empl oyed since 2014 S i n g h t r a n s f e r r e d £958,180 from her employe r ' s a c c o u n t s t o a n o t h e r a c c o u n t , b e l i e v i n g i t belonged to her online lover, Ravi Jani, whom she had met on a dating site called asians h a a d i c o m J a n i i n i t i a l l y r e q u e s t e d h e r a s s i s t a n c e with a few thousand pounds

Subsequently, he asked for l a r g e r s u m s , a s s u r i n g h e r that he would reimburse the money D u r i n g t h e c o u r t p r oceedings, Singh revealed that s h e h a d s p o k e n t o J a n i around four to five times a day and had seen him on F a c e T i m e o n c e o r t w i c e However, investigators later d i s c o v e r e d t h a t t h e s t o l e n f u n d s w e r e t r a n s f e r r e d t o two other untraceable bank accounts

Upon checking his business account on October 6, 2 0 2 1 , N a e e m B a i g w a s shocked to find the expected balance of £800,000 reduced to just £40,000 Eight transactions had been made in the past two weeks, all directed

to the same account Singh claimed she had mistakenly m a d e t h e s e t r a n s a c t i o n s from the company account instead of her own

To support her actions, Singh presented Baig with a picture of a check from Jani, s e e m i n g l y r e f u n d i n g t h e amount, and screen captures of a bank account purportedly belonging to her partner, showing a balance of over $2,000,000 However, from O c t o b e r 7 o n w a r d s , J a n i stopped responding to messages, leaving Singh with no way to recoup the funds

Upon examining Singh's bank accounts, there was no evidence that she had financ i a l l y b e n e f i t t e d f r o m t h e fraudulent activity

Five peop le h ave been jailed for mo re than 125 years in total after th ey were convic ted of the murder of a man who was fatally stabbed as h e left a Coventry mosque in Octo ber last year

A d a m R a z a a q , 2 1 , o f L o n g L a n e , H a l e s o w e n , a n d J e n a i d M a h m o o d , 1 9 , o f Markby Road, Birmingham, were today sent e n c e d t o l i f e i m p r i s o n m e n t a t W a r w i c k C r o w n C o u r t f o r t h e m u r d e r o f H a j i Choudhary Rab Nawaz and the attempted murder of his brother Faisal Mohammed, 30, of South Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to a minimum term of 27 years, Hasnian Razaaq, 24 of Long Lane, Halesowen, was sentenced to a minimum term of 26 years, and Hasham Razaaq, 23, of Long Lane, Halesowen for a minimum term of 25 years

The five defendants were previously convicted on 19 July 2023 at Warwick Crown Court, having denied participation in the assaults They were unanimously convicted by the jury following the trial

On 2 October 2022, Mr Nawaz and his brother attended the Coventry mosque to pay their respects following the death of a family friend As they left the premises, the five d e f e n d a n t s , w h o w i e l d e d k n i v e s a n d a n extendable baton, followed the men and subjected them to a savage and unprovoked attack

Both men were stabbed, and despite his injuries, the second man was able to drive a w a y t o t h e m o s q u e e n t r a n c e w h e r e t h e brothers retreated for safety Their ordeal c o n t i n u e d a s t h e d e f e n d a n t s u s e d t h e i r weapons to attack their vehicle while continuing to threaten them

Three of the defendants were Mr Nawaz’s nephews while the remaining two were related to him through marriage

Despite the best efforts of the emergency services sadly Mr Nawaz died shortly afterwards in hospital while the second man sustained injuries that were not life-threatening

Pension related tax loophole to be fixed soon

A n A cc ri n g to n m an h a s r ec ei v e d a 1 2 -y ea r p r is o n sentence for his d angero us d riv ing , wh ich trag ically led to the d eath of a pregnant w oman last spring

Adil Iqbal, 22, recorded himself driving at a shocking speed of 123 mph in a b l a c k B M W H i s r e c k l e s s behaviour included weaving erratically between vehicles and dangerously undertaking others on the M66 in Bury on May 13 Tragically, his speeding vehicle collided with Frankie Hough's stationary Skoda Fabia on the hard shoulder The impact o c c u r r e d a t a n e s t i m a t e d speed of 92 mph

NEW MEASURES ENSURE ENHANCED WORK FLEXIBILITY

The Flexible Working Bill has received royal assent, granting millions of workers in the country increased freedom in choosing their work locations and schedules, according to an official statement With this new legislation in place employees will now have the right to request flexible working arrangements right from the start of a new job Employers are obligated to consider all such requests and provide a valid justification in case they need to refuse the request Flexible working encompasses various options, such as part-time termtime, flexi-time, compressed hours, or adjusting start and finish times Additionally, it also includes the possibility of working from home or a satellite office, which can significantly reduce commuting time and enhance work-life balance This bill aims to empower workers and create a more inclusive and adaptable work environment that accommodates individual needs and preferences, allowing employees to strike a better balance between their personal and professional commitments Based on CIPD research, it was found that 6 percent of employees switched jobs last year due to a lack of flexibility while 12 percent decided to leave their professions entirely These percentages represent approximately two and four million workers respectively To gain a better understanding of the extent of flexibility in the labor market the government has launched a call for evidence on non-statutory flexible working In line with these changes, the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service (ACAS) will update its statutory Code of Practice following a consultation process, ensuring that employers and employees are equipped with the necessary guidance to implement flexible working arrangements effectively

FRONTLINE WORKERS TO BE HONOURED WITH NEW MEDALS

G r e a t e r M a n c h e s t e r P o c e

s o n s a n d a n e p h e w trapped inside their vehicle Sadly, Hough succumbed to her injuries two days after the collision

Th e gov ernm ent has rev ealed its intentio ns to close a relativ ely obscure tax loopho le that allows indiv iduals to inherit a p ension taxfree

H o u g h , w h o w a s 1 7 weeks pregnant at the time of the crash, was making a phone call to inform someone of her delay when the d e v a s t a t i n g a c c i d e n t h a ppened Despite being able to free himself from his car, Iqbal's actions left Hough and three children her two

I n c o u r t , A d i l I q b a l pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving, and the M i n s h u l l S t r e e t C r o w n Court in Manchester sentenced him to 12 years in prison Additionally, he has been disqualified from driving for 13 years

D e t e c t i v e C o n s t a b l e Richie Hughes highlighted that Iqbal deliberately and willingly chose to speed his car, displaying little regard f o r t h e s a f e t y o f o t h e r drivers on the motorway

Migrant workers at risk due to audit stall

Earlier this year, Tesc o, J S a i n s b u r y , Wa i t r os e , a n d o t he r p r om i n en t f oo d r e t a i l er s e x pr e s s e d t h e i r c o mm i tm e nt to i n de pe nd e nt as s es s m en t s o f U Kb ased recruiters authoris ed t o hi re t e m p or a r y f a rm w o r k e rs f r om ov e r s e a s T h i s m o ve c a m e i n r e s p on s e t o i n ve s t o r d e m a n d s to a dd r e s s a n d e l i m i n a t e t h e w i d e l y r e p or t e d i n c i de n t s of e x p l oi t a t i on w i t hi n t h e i ndustry

However, as per infor-

mation from three sources closely associated with the t a s k f o r c e , i t h a s b e e n revealed that only one out of the six licensed recruitm e n t c o m p a n i e s h a s undergone an independent audit at present

In February, supermarkets communicated to their suppliers that the assessments were anticipated to occur in April or early May, s t r a t e g i c a l l y s c h e d u l e d ahead of the summer season when numerous foreign workers arrive in the

UK to partake in fruit harvesting The primary focus of these assessments was to e v a l u a t e t h e r e c r u i t m e n t process of UK agencies and their counterparts abroad, rather than directly assessi n g c o n d i t i o n s o n t h e farms

In order to ensure better practices, the retailers expressed their expectation that "growers in our supply c h a i n w i l l o n l y u s e " recruiters who have undergone both a self-assessment and an independent audit

Since 2015, it has been possible to inherit an untouched pension pot from someone who passed away before the age of 75 without incurring any tax However, if the person who passed away was above the age limit, the usual practice is that the inheritor must pay income tax on their withdrawals

In a recently published consultation, the government suggested that from next April, the age limit for tax-free inheritance of pension pots may be eliminated As a result, anyone inheriting a pension pot may be required to pay income tax when making withdrawals

The proposed change comes in conjunction with the government's decision to abolish the lifetime allowance, which is the £1 07 million limit on how much one can save into their p e n s i o n w i t h o u t f a c i n g s i g n i f i c a n t t a x charges These measures aim to streamline and modernize the pension taxation system in the UK

A newly established Humanitarian Medal is set to recognize and honour individuals who engage in humanitarian relief efforts during emergency situations arising from natural disasters and conflicts across the globe

The UK Cabinet Office recently unveiled plans for this prestigious medal, outlining that it will be bestowed upon individuals involved in what are categorised as "Serious Emergency (Level 2)" or "Catastrophic Emergency (Level 3)" situations The medal will be awarded to those who serve in public roles and members of organisations that contribute on behalf of the UK government This includes charities that respond to crises, offering support for human welfare both during and in the aftermath of emergencies It encompasses efforts made in combating life-threatening crises, providing disaster relief, and offering aid both within the United Kingdom and internationally

Disabled teenagers locked out of their savings

A s m any as 80, 000 ch ild ren with sp ecial need s or disabilities are at risk of being "locked out" of their savings wh en th ey reach the ag e o f 1 8 , a cc o rd i ng to fi na nc ia l expert Martin Lewis These children have funds tied up in tax-free child trust fund acco unts, w hich were o rigina ll y cr eat ed to p r ov i d e them w ith a financial head start when th ey com e of age Campaigners have estim a t e d t h a t a p p r o x i m a t e l y £210 million could be tied

u p i n t h e s e a c c o u n t s b y 2029, and a similar problem applies to Junior ISAs, which replaced the child trust fund accounts Between 2005 and

2 0 1 1 , e v e r y B r i t i s h c h i l d received £250 at birth and on their seventh birthday, with disabled children and

t h o s e f r o m l o w - i n c o m e families receiving £500 on each occasion Parents were allowed to make additional c o n t r i b u t i o n s , a n d m o s t children could access this money when they turned 18

H o w e v e r , p a r e n t s o f children with special needs face a costly and time-consuming process to access the f u n d s w h e n t h e i r c h i l d reaches 18 They must apply to the Court of Protection for a judge to decide if they can act as their child's financ i a l d e p u t y M o r e o v e r , young people with learning disabilities may face a reduction in their universal credit e n t i t l e m e n t i f t h e y h a v e more than £6,000 in such accounts

Adil Iqbal

Accrington man jailed for leading to the death of a pregnant woman

Continued

Speaking to Asian Voice she said, “I don’t know how to download apps or scan a QR code to go on a link to make payments online or using my phone I have never done it myself My daughter helps me with everything to do ‘with internet’, but she i s o n h o l i d a y a b r o a d w i t h m y grandchildren I have 24 hours to make the payment, but how do I access it? I went around for some t i m e i n t h e c a r p a r k , t h i n k i n g about what to do, but then I went back home, as I had no idea how to park my car without relying on the App

Another of her friends who was meant to join the same party, was taking a train from Hertfordshire

But she had to cancel the plan, as she had no way to buy a ticket at the station using a machine “I do not know how to use a machine or a debit card or order tickets online

There was no ticket counter open or assistant at the station, to help me through the process, so I decided to go back home ”

M ohan*, who is 62, considers himself tech-savvy and often uses apps to make payments on phone and other purposes In a rush to catch a train to London, to visit Harrow on work, he parked his car outside a station in the Southeast suburbs, near his home While his usual route of travel faced disruptions due to repeated strikes, he used a different route to access London trains

In hurry, he scanned the QR code for an “apparent” new parking company, the third one on his phone, and made the necessary “quick” payment in a rush to board the train Soon he received a call from his bank alerting him about f r a u d u l e n t a c t i v i t i e s o n h i s

account “I first thought this was a scam call So, I hung up and called my usual number for the bank to check on the transactions ” He was told, within a few mins of paying for the “so-called” parking, there were a few more attempts to take money from the linked card So, he had to cancel his card and now awaits a new one

Local auth orities mo ve to pay by ap p, poses challenges

As local authorities increasingly move to pay-by-app systems, p e n s i o n e r s w h o d o n o t h a v e a smartphone find themselves high and dry at parking bays in the UK’s towns and cities

Britain’s leading vehicle breakd o w n r e c o v e r y p r o v i d e r S t a r t Rescue had predicted that millions of mature drivers will be restricted from taking simple trips to the town simply because they don’t have the capacity to pay for parking

The move away from cash and card payments has been accelerate d b y m o b i l e p h o n e p r o v i d e r s switching off 3G data networks, on w h i c h s o m e p a r k i n g m a c h i n e s operate

T h e L o n d o n b o r o u g h o f Bromley removed all its machines in April citing a £1 million outlay even though 27% of parking transa c t i o n s w e r e s t i l l c o n d u c t e d b y cash as recently as November 2022

B r i g h t o n a n d H o v e C i t y Council is to scrap all of its pay and d i s p l a y m a c h i n e s b y M a y 3 1 because it doesn’t want to shell out for the costly required updates In H a r r o w , a l l c a r d a n d c a s h m a c h i n e s h a v e a l r e a d y b e e n r e m o v e d w h i l e o t h e r b o r o u g h s s u c h a s R i c h m o n d , M e r t o n , Barking and Dagenham are starting the process of getting rid of

PAYING A HEAVY PRICE

their existing machines, too

Currently, there are at least 30 different smartphone apps to pay parking charges Britain's biggest parking app is RingGo with 19 million users, but other major players such as ParkMe, Parkopedia, Just Park, and PayByPhone are looking t o e x p a n d M o s t o p e r a t e u s i n g apps but with some, such as RingGo, you c a n c a l l a n d b o o k y o u r s p o t o v e r t h e phone There is still no way of paying by card or cash directly, though

W h i l e t h e younger generation of d r i v e r s w i t h s m a r tphones may well be unaffected by the proliferation of parking apps, there could be l i t e r a l l y m i l l i o n s o f

e l d e r l y p e o p l e w h o won’t be able to pay f o r p a r k i n g j u s t b e c a u s e t h e y d o n ’ t have a smartphone

Data from Ofcom shows that o n l y 6 8 % o f t h o s e a g e d 6 5 o r overuse a smartphone to go online

With more than 9 2 million drivers on our roads in the same age group according to the DVLA, that suggests there are potentially 2 9 million older drivers without access to apps to enable them to pay for parking And with the UK’s ageing population, that figure is only likely to grow over time

Concerns about how mature drivers will pay for parking have been raised by several organisat i o n s i n c l u d i n g t h e N a t i o n a l Pensioners Convention Jan Shortt, General Secretary of t h e N a t i o n a l P e n s i o n e r s

C o n v e n t i o n s a i d , “ T h e d r i v e towards digital-only seriously disadvantages millions of older people who cannot afford smartphones, tablets or broadband to get online We appreciate it is more conven i e n t f o r c o u n c i l s a n d p a r k i n g companies to opt for digital-only payments, but cash is still legal tender, and in the Queen’s Speech the government announced legislation to ensure that the option to pay by cash must remain

“Technology is fine for most things, but when it excludes individuals from services, or does not work efficiently, then we have to ask why and especially if it is not compatible with the Equality 2010 Act that says goods and services m u s t b e a c c e s s i b l e t o a l l c u stomers ”

Fraud sters access cashless system s

With increasing car parks now operating on a totally cashless system, using a QR bar code similar to the popular during Covid-19 or d o w n l o a d i n g p a r k i n g a p p s , t h e

D a i l y E x p r e s s e x p l a i n e d h o w fraudsters have now begun targeting these systems in an attempt to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting victims

This is done by using a fake QR code that is stuck to a payment machine disguised as a “quick pay ” option

Last year, the Isle of Wight council warned that a motorist had m o n e y s t o l e n f r o m t h e i r b a n k

a c c o u n t a f t e r t r y i n g t o p a y f o r parking using a fake QR code The council also reminded drivers that its pay and display machines do not u s e a Q R c o d e W h i l e i n i t i a l l y poorly worded or spelling errors could be an indication to scam people, this no longer remains an issue

But payment scams are not the o n l y i s s u e s f a c e d b y t r a v e l l e r s , including pensioners Speaking to t h e n e w s w e e k l y , C ar o li ne Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said, “Millions of older people are not online and therefore relying on traditional methods, including face-to-face ones, for everyday

might not be digitally literate or may be new to a city

“For them to have access to humans at the ticket counters is very important One can reach the same information via mobile apps and ticketing machines, but the ticket counters maintain a channel ”

that these changes will result in more disabled people being stranded without the support they need It’s already far too difficult for disabled people to travel on public transport in this country We continue to hear of disabled people being left on trains and stranded at stations One in four of us is disabled Disabled people must be fully consulted and listened to ”

In addition to the legal challenge brought forth by the disabled activists, five city mayors from the Labour Party are also preparing legal action over what they consider to be a "totally inadequate" consultation process

transactions such as buying train t i c k e t s I t ’ s u n f a i r i f t h e y a r e e x c l u d e d f r o m a c c e s s i n g t h e cheapest prices, just because they don’t own a smartphone or other digital device Companies should be legally obliged to treat all their customers fairly when it comes to prices and access, whether people are internet savvy or not ” T he rail industry m ust m odernise?

While most tickets are now sold through self-service machines, o n l i n e p l a t f o r m s , o r c o n t a c t l e s s p a y m e n t , a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 2 % o f tickets are still purchased at staffed offices Though a minority, this still represents a significant number of transactions considering the vast 1 4 billion passenger journeys made in Great Britain last year A petition titled ‘Require train operators keep ticket offices and platform staff at train stations’ is garnering signatures online It reads, “ W e w a n t t h e G o v e r n m e n t t o r e q u i r e t r a i n o p e r a t o r s t o k e e p ticket offices and platform staff at train stations, to help maintain health and safety standards and customer information Train companies provide an important public service, and some are subsidised by the Government, and should be required to maintain standards ” R e s p o n d i n g t o t h i s p e t i t i o n , the Department of Transport said, “The rail industry must modernise to provide the service passengers deserve, moving staff from behind t h e t i c k e t o f f i c e s c r e e n s T r a i n operators are consulting passengers on the proposed changes

There has been a significant shift in the way passengers purchase tickets, with just one in every ten transactions taking place at a ticket office in 2022/23, down from one in three a decade earlier 99% of all transactions made at ticket offices last year could be made at TVMs or online ”

D r A l ia A m ir , R e s e a r c h Associate, at SOAS University and A s s o c i a t e P r o f e s s o r i n E n g l i s h Linguistics, at Halmstad University has used the train and tube services extensively in the UK In her opinion, “The closing of ticket counters at the station can disrupt the transp o r t a t i o n e x p e r i e n c e f o r p e o p l e because, in case of any delays, or c a n c e l l a t i o n s , h u m a n a s s i s t a n c e might be necessary While automat m a c h i n e s a n d d i g i t a l a c c e s s t o information is becoming more and more common, it is crucial for i n c l u s i v i t y a n d f o r p e o p l e w h o

“As the population of London g r o w s a n d w i t h t h e i n c r e a s i n g number of incoming tourists, public transport needs to provide more possibilities ” I n a s t a t e m e n t s h a r e d w i t h

A s i a n V o i c e , T S S A ’ s I n ter im General S ec retary, Peter Pend le, said, “Ticket offices are essential to our communities, they make stations safer, make it easier to get the best deal on tickets, and help a whole range of passengers access the railway

“To give an example from my own family, my elderly mother was disabled and did not use a smartp h o n e W h e n s h e t r a v e l l e d b y train, she relied exclusively on ticket offices It would not be practical for someone with her access needs, and someone who is also digitally excluded, to use a ticket machine at peak times

“The government’s plans are simply unnecessary Ticket offices are currently being used by passeng e r s i n l a r g e n u m b e r s A c r o s s England, as many as 360 million journeys each year are a result of interaction with ticket office staff

“The short-sighted and cruel closure of ticket offices will make our railways less accessible and less safe I urge your readers to sign this petition to keep the ticket offices open https://petition parliament uk/petitions/636542”

Lang uag e barrier and trouble for internatio nal travellers?

Many elderlies, disabled members and South Asian community who are not well-versed in the English language, continue to fail to use these apps and websites regu l a r l y T h e T r ai nl in e A p p t o l d Asian Voice that their app is available in 14 European languages and contact channels are available in o u r 5 c o r e l a n g u a g e s ( E n g l i s h , F r e n c h , G e r m a n , I t a l i a n a n d Spanish) Phone support is available between 8 am and 10 pm For partially sighted customers, their app supports accessibility features too But none for South Asian cust o m e r s w h o o n l y s p e a k H i n d i , Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali or Tamil

L ouise Ru bin, Head of Policy at disability equality charity Sc op e told Asian Voice, “A quarter of disabled people don’t have access to the internet, so could be excluded from travelling by train if these changes go ahead Ticket offices play a much bigger role in making trains accessible, not just selling tickets We're deeply concerned

In fact, an international subscriber and reader of Asian Voice who recently boarded a train from Reading to London (Canary Wharf) was stranded at the station because a l l t i c k e t c o u n t e r s w e r e c l o s e d There weren’t any GWR machines t h a t a c c e p t e d a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l Forex card Shalini (name changed on request), was lucky to have her family standing outside to see her o f f a t t h e s t a t i o n , w h o f i n a l l y b o u g h t h e r a t i c k e t w o r t h £ 2 4 online through a UK bank card, o t h e r w i s e , s h e w o u l d n ’ t h a v e k n o w n h o w t o c o m e b a c k t o L o n d o n w i t h o u t a n y c u s t o m e r support from National Rail services

For Khush i T hakkar, a student at the University of Bristol, her experience with London's railway t r a n s p o r t c a n b e c o m p a r e d t o going through a maze Even with a train line application, she felt cluel e s s g o i n g t h r o u g h t h e V i c t o r i a Coach station She told us, “There were no directions to varied lines and the crowd just kept rushing Thankfully a stranger helped me, but I was looking forward to more of the railway staff on board to guide tourists Additionally, I also realised I could have got a student d i s c o u n t , b u t I d i d n ' t h a v e a n Oyster card, not that I was aware of one I managed to get on the platform I needed to be, but it was surely an experience I would not want to have again

“Once at the Coach Station, my card was accepted and before I could get through with my suitcase, the gate closed and I was at a loss There’s supposed to be personnel in the office by the gates who can help you with such situations but there wasn’t I had to tap my card again and was charged twice This is, I believe, due to a sheer lack of responsibility and a shortage of staff The presence of staff to help people out in these situations is a must because stuff like this happens a lot “

K aran M alu kar, a student at t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f W e s t m i n s t e r said, “People rely majorly on public t r a n s p o r t , e s p e c i a l l y t u b e s T h e strikes cause inconvenience and it surely was for me ”

He usually prefers the tube as c o m p a r e d t o t h e t a x i s a n d t h e b u s e s a s i t i s q u i c k e r t h a n t h e busses and cheaper than the taxis Karan uses his Oyster card for the c o m m u t e a n d t o p s i t u p e v e r y month “Once I recharged my card through the machine at the station, and there was an issue with the payment on the first try While the second try was also unsuccessful, £160 was deducted from my account This is a huge sum for a s t u d e n t , a n d I c o u l d n ’ t g e t t h e a m o u n t b a c k f o r t h e n e x t t w o weeks ”

Keir Starmer blames

Sadiq Khan for Uxbridge by-election loss

S ir Keir S tarmer attri bu ted Labo u r's narro w defeat in Bo ris Jo hnson's former seat to Sadiq K han's charge on p o lluti ng veh ic les D esp ite th is setback, h e emphasised th at th e party remains c ommitted to its green pledges

BBC

George

passes away

T h e L a b o u r l e a d e r revealed that he discussed t h e U l t r a L o w E m i s s i o n Z o n e ( U l e z ) w i t h t h e London mayor and called f o r t h o u g h t f u l c o n s i d e r ation of the expansion plans a n d h o w t h e y a r e b e i n g implemented L a b o u r ' s i n a b i l i t y t o overturn a 7,000 majority in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, which was previously held

b y P r i m e M i n i s t e r B o r i s Johnson, has prompted public scrutiny of Sadiq Khan's plans to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to all London boroughs N o n e t h e l e s s , L a b o u r experienced success in three by-elections, most notably o v e r t u r n i n g a m a s s i v e 20,000 Conservative majority in Selby and Ainsty The swing of nearly 24 percentage points was the secondlargest achieved by Labour at a by-election since 1945, c o m p a r a b l e t o t h o s e w i tn e s s e d d u r i n g S i r T o n y Blair's leadership leading up to his landslide victory in 1997

y b o d y w h o knew him, whether it was a f r i e n d , a c o l l e a g u e o r a

member of the public ” Reacting to the news of G e o r g e ’ s p a s s i n g , N H S England’s national clinical d i r e c t o r f o r c a n c e r , P r o f e s s o r P e t e r J o h n s o n , said: “I am very sorry to hear that George Alagiah has died with bowel cancer and my t h o u g h t s a r e w i t h h i s friends and family

“ T a l k i n g a b o u t c a n c e r c a n s a v e l i v e s a n d t h a t George was able to speak so openly and honestly about l i v i n g w i t h c a n c e r w i l l undoubtably make a difference to many others: I am very grateful that he felt able to do this

“With all cancers, acting at the first sign of symptoms can make a big difference to how cancer can be treated, a n d a s G e o r g e r e m i n d e d people, it’s important to be aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer – so if you have noticed any changes such as blood in your poo, a change in bowel habits or pain and bloating – please do come forward for checks as soon as possible ”

In 2014, Alagiah received a d i a g n o s i s o f s t a g e f o u r

bowel cancer, leading him to u n d e r g o 1 7 r o u n d s o f chemotherapy while maint a i n i n g h i s p r e s e n c e o n s c r e e n s D e s p i t e n e e d i n g breaks for additional treatm e n t a s t h e c a n c e r p r ogressed, he remained committed to returning to the newsroom whenever possible L a s t O c t o b e r , A l a g i a h made the difficult decision to step away from broadcasting duties for the final t i m e H e e x p r e s s e d t h a t working in the BBC newsroom had been a vital source of energy and motivation for him throughout his career Despite the challenges he faced, Alagiah's dedication to his profession and pass i o n f o r j o u r n a l i s m remained unwavering

S arfraz Manzoor – screenw riter, journalist and author – was officially declared as C hancellor of the U niv ersity o f Bed ford shire during the first d ay o f its su mmer gradu ation ceremonies on 19th Ju ly

Addressing the audience at the afternoon ceremony for the University’s Faculty of Creative Arts, Technology & Science, Manzoor delivered inspirational words of wisdom from his own univ e r s i t y e x p e r i e n c e t o Bedfordshire’s Class of 2023

He said: “Graduation is an important day as it’s a time of passing into the next stage of your life but there will always be some uncertainty So what I want to do as Chancellor is to give you a f e w l e s s o n s I h a v e l e a r n t over the last few years which I wish someone had told me

“People believe that your past should never shape your future We’ve got two lives – one we are given and the o t h e r w e m a k e T h e l i f e you ’ re given, you may not always be in control of It may be one where your class, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation may hold you back – but you ’ re more than that So don’t forget where you came from but don’t be a prisoner to it And do what you love!”

H e c o n t i n u e d : “ S e c o ndly, make friends with people who are different from you We live in a world of g r e a t d i v i s i o n , i n b u b b l e s surrounded by people who

think and look like us And finally, don’t be scared of f a i l u r e – a n y o n e w o r r i e d a b o u t t h e f u t u r e i s n o rmal!”He finished: “Looking at you all, you ’ re all so young – I l i t e r a l l y h a v e t - s h i r t s older than you! – but the thing is, it passes and you ’ re not always going to have the freedom and opportunities, so make the most of everything, and good luck for the future ”Following the ceremony, Manzoor joined staff i n c o n g r a t u l a t i n g g r a d uates during the exit parade, b e f o r e e n j o y i n g r e f r e s hments and chatting to attend e e s i n t h e p i c t u r e s q u e grounds of the Putteridge Bury campus His role as Chancellor is a n h o n o r a r y p o s i t i o n s o a l t h o u g h h e w o n ’ t b e involved in day-to-day activities he will act as an ambass a d o r f o r t h e U n i v e r s i t y , helping to raise its profile and seek reflective and valuable opportunities for students and the wider community, such as hosting works h o p s a n d a r r a n g i n g t a l k s with friends from the creative industry

George Alagiah

Sir Keir Starmer Sadiq Khan

New Chancellor advises graduates to “make the most of everything”

Sarfraz Manzoor

SRMD London Youth Festival 2023 celebrates unity, positive impact and collective community energy

T h e m u ch -a n t i ci pa t e d S R M D Lo n d on Yo ut h Festival , the first of its kind i n t h e U K , l e ft a l a s t in g impression on ea ch of the 3 50 youth who tra vell ed from a ll over the UK t o att end O r g a n i se d b y Sh r i ma d R a j ch a n d r a M is si on D harampur UK (SRMD UK), t h i s e x t r a o r d in a r y e v e n t b r ou gh t t og e t h e r y o un g

Why do we lose credibility?

Rohit Vadhwana

m e r C h a i r m a n o f B A P I O , Professor JS Bamrah CBE, Lead social worker at Kent a n d M e d w a y P e r i n a t a l Mental Health Service, Priti J o s h i , s e l f - m a d e E n t r e p r e n e u r , P h i l a n th r o p i s t a n d F o u n d e r o f R e d s k y H o m e s G r o u p , T e j i n d e r S e k h o n , C of o u n d e r o f R e f i l l A b e l l , Sameer Kassam and Chief of

Cre dibility is e ar ne d ha rd and mainta ined ev en ha rde r It' s not ea sy to gain high trustwort hine ss f or a nyone , individua l or bu sine ss or an org anisatio n We se e name s of sp ecif ic companies a nd instantly re pose a le vel of cre dibility to the ir prod ucts and se rvices Simila rly, we can re ly on some individua ls for th eir prof essiona lism and cre dibility This h app ens becau se o f past expe rie nce s of o ur own or of o the rs It a lso ma y be be cause of consiste ncy in th e de liv ery o f prod ucts, serv ices and beha viour Unless th at co nsiste ncy is m ainta ine d, th e cre dibility is in da ng er Big bra nds sp end millions t o buil d th at bra nd va lue and good will, which is e qu iva le nt t o re puta tio n a nd standing

As an individual, others have certain expectations of us either because of our personality, personal relationship or professional capacity It is pertinent for us to maintain the same If we fail in delivering that expectation, our credibility is lost While it is true that credibility is about reasonableness We cannot certainly satisfy people with highly unrealistic and sensitive demands, and that should not be considered our fault But if the demand or expectation is reasonable, what we are supposed to do for them, what is expected out of us as an individual or company or organisation, failing into that is really a cause of concern The soundness of your character is affected in such a situation

m in d s f r om va r i o us b a c kgr ounds, foste ring a sense of t oge therne ss an d empowering t he m to be cat alysts for posit iv e change T h r o u g h a n a c t i o npacked schedule of 25 curate d e v e n t s , a c r o s s w i s d o m , wellness, service, culture and s p o r t , t h e S R M D L o n d o n Youth Festival brought about a transformative experience t h a t i g n i t e d c r e a t i v i t y , instilled empathy, and motivated the youth to embrace t h e i r p o t e n t i a l a s c h a n g em a k e r s M o r e o v e r , t h e organisers took steps to mini m i s e t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a l i m p a c t b y d e c o r a t i n g t h e e n t i r e v e n u e a n d c r e a t i n g feature walls using upcycled m a t e r i a l s s u c h a s w o o d e n crates and milk cartons E m b o d y i n g t h e t a g l i n e ‘ M e e t t h e R e a l Y o u ’ , t h e Festival commenced with a session led by global youth speaker and Head of SRMD Y o g a , A t m a r p i t S h r a d d h a j i o n t h e t o p i c ‘ U n m a s k i n g Y o u r s e l f ’ T h e s e s s i o n inspired participants to take a moment to truly reflect on t h e i r a u t h e n t i c s e l v e s a n d r e m i n d e d a l l p r e s e n t t h a t they do not need to fit in by changing who they are, but instead instilled a sense of belonging by being exactly who they are!

Panel s an d a ctivities

M a n t h a n T a s w a l a , Trustee of SRMD UK and o r g a n i s e r o f t h e S R M D L o n d o n Y o u t h F e s t i v a l shared, "Drawing from the guidance we have received f r o m P u j y a G u r u d e v s h i R a k e s h j i , t h e F o u n d e r o f S R M D a n d H i s p o w e r f u l vision for the youth, our aim was to create a dynamic and safe space where the youth could connect, collaborate, and draw inspiration from one another Through this Festival and future event, we aspire to nurture a community of compassionate and e m p a t h e t i c l e a d e r s w h o actively contribute to a better world " A h i g h l i g h t o f t h e

F e s t i v a l w a s t h e Changemakers’ Panel, composed of powerful women who have challenged the status quo The panel included philanthropist and trustee of the Serendipity Foundation, V a r s h a S e h g a l , A s s i s t a n t Head of Coaching at QPR

F C M a n i s h a T a i l o r M B E and Head of ESG Strategy, W h o l e s a l e L e n d i n g a t Barclays, Heeral Shah The interactive discussion captiv a t e d t h e a u d i e n c e a n d opened their eyes to the various ways they could contribute to making a change i n s o c i e t y , r a n g i n g f r o m helping those whose voices are not heard, using sports as a medium to connect, and by e n c o u r a g i n g c o n v e r s a t i o n s about diversity to empower people from all walks of life

To foster the notion of t e a m s p i r i t a n d p r o m o t e p h y s i c a l a n d m e n t a l w e l lbeing, the Festival included a l i v e l y s p o r t s t o u r n a m e n t consisting of over 40 teams playing football, cricket, badm i n t o n , a n d n e t b a l l Moreover, the youth were e n e r g i s e d a n d f o u n d t h e i r zen with a specially curated ‘Techno Yoga’ session and ‘Glowstick Meditation’ Who said yoga and Mindfulness was boring?

The wet weather also did not dampen the energy of t h e y o u t h t h a t f l o w e d through the weekend with over 200 participants overcoming their fears and focusing on mind over matter, by walking on fire!

O n e s u c h p a r t i c i p a n t f r o m L e i c e s t e r , f o u n d o u t about the festival through social media and travelled 90 miles each day to attend, “I didn't know anybody prior to the start of the Festival and was greeted with a bunch of warm, friendly, vibrant and welcoming people It was so refreshing to meet not only like-minded people but also people from different backg r o u n d s I t h o r o u g h l y enjoyed every moment and glad I put myself out there n o w T h e e v e n t s w e r e

incredibly well planned with so much thought and organisation that went behind this to make this such a magical experience for us all ” P a r t i c i p a n t s w e r e a l s o mesmerised by the exciting ‘ImmerseVerse’ - an immers i v e c o l l e c t i o n o f u n i q u e e x p e r i e n c e s a n d s t a l l s including blind drawing and d o o d l i n g , a n a f f i r m a t i o n wall, ‘jamming’ corner, board game bazaar, ‘readers’ retreat and opportunity to engage in experience booths such as ‘The Art of Smart Living –Life Hacks to Take Home’, a n d ‘ F l e x Y o u r M e n t a l Muscle, Unlock Your Brain’s Potential’

Turning cha ll enges to opport unities

The two-day event culm i n a t e d w i t h t h e S o c i a l Impact Hackathon, a unique concept to turn challenges into opportunities, opportunities into ideas and ideas into innovation The Social Impact Hackathon included 45 participants, divided into 8 teams who worked together to create solutions to 3 key c h a l l e n g e s t h e y o u t h f a c e today;

1) Breaking down barriers - i m p r o v i n g a c c e s s t o m e n t a l h e a l t h s e r v i c e s within the South Asian community

2) Opening doors - bridging the housing accessibility gap for young professionals

3) Less waste, more tastem i n i m i s i n g f o o d w a s t e and combat the impact of climate change With a combination of b r a i n s t o r m i n g , p r o b l e ms o l v i n g a n d m e n t o r g u i dance, participants managed t o d e f i n e t h e i r c h a l l e n g e , refine their ideas and design a c o m p r e h e n s i v e s o l u t i o n ; all in 36 hours Of the teams, 3 were selected to pitch their solutions in front of a panel of 6 esteemed judges includi n g E x e c u t i v e C o a c h a n d Host of globally renowned podcast 'A Millenial Mind', Shivani Pau, highly distinguished Psychiatrist and for-

Sharing her thoughts on t h e e v e n t S h i v a n i P a u shared, “I was really blown away, there is a really wond e r f u l e n e r g y h e r e a n d I don’t think I’ve been to an event like this If this was every year or regular, I am sure loads of people would l o v e t o m e e t l i k e - m i n d e d individuals as this provides a space for people, regardless of background, religion, or culture ”

The winning team of the S o c i a l I m p a c t H a c k a t h o n p i t c h e d t h e i r s o l u t i o n t o improving access to mental h e a l t h s e r v i c e s a n d w e r e invited by Dean Russell, MP for Watford and Co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mental Health, to discuss their idea further at P a r l i a m e n t L e a v i n g t h e youth with a motivational message, Mr Russell shared “ F a i l u r e s a r e s t u m b l i n g b l o c k s t o l e a r n f r o m a n d opportunities to pick yours e l v e s u p , l o o k b a c k a n d u n d e r s t a n d w h a t c a n b e done differently If we all look that way, we can make a difference It is only when we work together and weave ourselves together and when we ’ re a community, that we c a n m a k e t h e i m p o s s i b l e happen Continue planting the seed of your ideas in the ground; water it, nurture it and let it grow and you will make the world a different place ”

In today's interconnected world, cultivating a sense of community and understanding among the youth has become paramount The S R M D L o n d o n Y o u t h F e s t i v a l r e c o g n i s e d t h i s imperative and has provided a platform for young individuals to share their unique p e r s p e c t i v e s , e x p e r i e n c e s , and talents By doing so, the Festival has successfully nurtured a generation of empat h e t i c l e a d e r s w h o v a l u e diversity can harness positive community energy and spirit

To maintain credibility, we need to make sure that we deliver what we promise This promise may be direct or indirect, expressly conveyed or indirectly inferred Take the example of an executive in a company who is required to present a report to higher management but he is unable to deliver it within the timeline If it happens once, acceptable Happens twice, questionable If it happens again and again, he won't have any credibility in the company, and maybe after some time, he won't even have the job Same thing about a company which sells some products or services Customers would buy them once or twice, but the third time they would not trust them This is more relevant in the hospitality industry and after-sales services The dependability of customers on your offered services reduces

In a relationship, if you promise to help someone, and don't remain true to your words, no one will rely on you That's called loss of credibility It also means when you need a loan from them, they won't trust your words about the actual need or your words of returning the borrowed amount at the promised time Credibility is about being trusted and relied upon It is the ability to be convincing and believable It speaks of a person's character

(Expressed opinions are personal)

First ever saree walkathon in London to raise awareness about handlooms of India

A first-ever saree w alkathon will be held in London on 6 Aug ust, 20 23 with an intent to raise awareness about the handloom s of India

The walkathon is being h e l d a d a y b e f o r e t h e

‘National Handloom Day’ in India on 7 August to voice solidarity with the Swadeshi movement which has been a n i n t e g r a l p a r t o f t h e Indian Freedom movement and which started from the T o w n H a l l i n C a l c u t t a (presently Kolkata)

Around 500 women representing different states of India and draping different h a n d l o o m w e a v e s f r o m their states are expected to walk past the iconic and historical London monuments, b e g i n n i n g f r o m T r a f a l g a r

S q u a r e t o t h e h i s t o r i c

P a r l i a m e n t S q u a r e i n

W e s t m i n s t e r , L o n d o n , v i a

10 Downing Street

Anyone can turn up in saree attire on 6 August and j o i n i n t h e w a l k a t h o n a s f o r m o f s u p p o r t t o t h e

cause The concept is to use saree as a means of providing support to the ones who most need it Organiser Dr Dipti Jain, who had also led a group of women in sarees to Royal Ascot last year, reportedly said, “The modern Indian woman of today believes in traversing the world beyond her cocoon and she does all that and more, in a saree while redefining the codes o f p o w e r d r e s s i n g T h e B r i t i s h W o m e n i n s a r e e s group was formed out of this idea It is a group of e m p o w e r e d w o m e n w h o t a k e p r i d e i n f l a u n t i n g handloom sarees and representing the unique cultural melting pot that is India It is a not-for-profit organisation which likes to organise e v e n t s t o p r o m o t e o u r National Heritage and make everyone around the world aware of the toil, handwork a n d a r t i s t r y w h i c h g o e s b e h i n d w e a v i n g e a c h o f these masterpieces ”

Staff at Olio, Rohan Sheth

Youth participants with Dean Russell MP for Watford

Dance performance at the SRMD London Youth Festival Techno Yoga at the Festival

MAGIC raises £2 million investment to unite AI technology with celebrity athletes

Overweight founder raises investment for UK’s First AI Personal Trainer

M A GI C A I ( h t tp s :/ /m a g i c fi t) , th e U K 's fi r st A I P e rs o na l T ra in er , announced a £2 millio n inv estment l ed by t h e bi ll i o n- d o ll ar V en tu re

C ap ital (VC) fund Fasanara Capital, along side Londo n ’ s SFC Capital to e xp a nd th e c o m p an y s i nno v ati v e tech nology across the UK MAGIC is the UK's first AI pers o n a l t r a i n e r , u s i n g c u t t i n g - e d g e holographic technology to offer an i m m e r s i v e f i t n e s s e x p e r i e n c e

Celebrity athletes and sports stars appear as a hologram inside MAGIC’s AI wall mirror They coach users via a series of programmes, giving what f e e l s l i k e 1 : 1 p e r s o n a l t r a i n i n g i n strength, dance, boxing, yoga, and sports techniques

ReflectAI®, MAGIC's proprietary AI technology, makes the experience truly unique An embedded camera in the system tracks your movements, offers instant feedback on your form, and tells you to adjust your position as needed The trainer even counts your reps in real-time and pauses when you do, giving a fully hyper-personalised workout

P o w e r e d b y a d v a n c e d a l g o r i t h m s , ReflectAI® helps users get the most out of every rep and prevent injury, whilst the mirror helps users to see themselves as they follow the athlete’s form

In combination with ReflectAI®, MAGIC has assembled an A-team of celebrity athletes who have come onboard as athletecoaches and brand ambassadors

I n c l u d i n g f o rm e r E ng l an d C r ic k et C ap tain & legend, S ir Alastair C ook, who reveals his secret batting techniques and u p p e r b o d y s t r e n g t h , a l o n g s i d e S tr ic tl y

C ome Dancing champion Katya Jones, who t e a c h e s h e r u n i q u e d a n c e m e t h o d o l o g y T eam GB Olymp ic record breakers A sh a Ph ilip & Desiree Henry coach their techniques to build lower body strength for sprinting, and Eng land Ru gby Star Celi a Quansah reveals her training regime

CEO and Co-founder, Varun Bhanot, said “I went through my own personal health journey losing 25% of my body fat, but in the p r o c e s s r e a l i s e d h o w o l d - f a s h i o n e d a n d expensive personal training was I thought there must be a way to automate this experience at scale using AI and data-driven hardware “I faced imposter syndrome and had no clue how to build a hardware company, but I didn't let that stop me During the COVID19 pandemic, I sold treadmills online, raising £50k to develop our first prototype from my parents' basement After countless rejections, I leveraged that prototype to secure this round Now, we are democratising per-

sonal training, aiming to tackle the UK's alarming inactivity levels and the £6B/year NHS spending on obesity-related ill-health”

Francesco Filia, CEO of Fasanara

C a p i t a l s a y s : “ A s A I c o n t i n u e s t o transform the way we live and work s u c h a s w i t h C h a t G P T a n d M i d j o u r n e y , M A G I C a n d t h e i r

ReflectAI technology is at the forefront of this exciting trend as consumers demand more personalised health and wellness experiences ” Sunil Jindal, Co-founder & Chief of Product stated, "We're thrilled to receive this investment, which will a l l o w u s t o c o n t i n u e p i o n e e r i n g

ReflectAI and our holographic training exper i e n c e S i m i l a r t o h o w s e l f - d r i v i n g c a r s autonomously guide car movement, our system applies the same technology to exercise and thereby democratises access to personal training at scale - saving people £100s a week in fees”

E arly fans include Sir Richard Branson who lent his support as the company is backed by Virgin Startup, along with an Alist of British angel investors including the CEO of JustPark (Anthony Eskinazi), Head of Product at Sp otify (Martin Gould), CEO of OL IO the food waste app (Saasha CelestialOne), former GM of Stripe U K, President of Citym app er, CEO of Heigh ts brain supplem e n t s ( D

Citigroup (Cameron Dick), CMO of Toug h Mud der and co-founder of Beam ery MAGIC AI is now stocked and available to buy at London’s Selfridges and Westfield’s Situ Live

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy addresses diaspora members in London

U nio n

M inister of India for

T ourism , C ulture, and DoNER

G Kishan Reddy interacted w ith

250+ diaspora m em bers at a Meet and Greet event of OF BJP UK- Telangana Chapter in L ond on recently

A vibrant traditional welcome with dhol beats, Vedic chants, and arti, lighting of the lamp, invocatory Guru Vandana, and classical dance by children facilitated by Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence preceded the Minister's speech A short video outlining the work of the organisation was shown on the occasion After the karyakartas felicitated him with a shawl and flowers, the President and General Secretary of OFBJP-UK Kuldeep Singh Shekhawat and Suresh Mangalagiri shared their thoughts briefly In his speech that followed, Minister Kishan Reddy ardently highlighted the economic and infrastructural progress India has made in the last nine years, and how the nation is commanding respect globally He has also spoken of people-friendly initiatives such as the 5 kg rice per person scheme benefitting 85 crore people

He answered questions from the audience members who asked him about his vision for strengthening the BJP party in Telangana, inbound Tourism Development & visitor arrivals, and in what aspects NRIs can help, et cetera Vote of Thanks at the end of the program was followed by dinner

Tata Motors, the Saviour

When it comes to inviting foreign manufacturing multinationals to invest in Britain, we are the least successful nation in the Western world As always, the main reason is the inability of our politicians to negotiate successfully, behaving as if we have an Empire to run, world owes us a living!

Everyone knows that electric cars need batteries, in huge quantity and unless the supply is on our door-steps, our motor industry will suffer, many well-known brands will leave Britain for greener pasture of America, EU, China and Japan

The one factory being built in Scotland was snatched away by America, offering a much bigger subsidy while our government was sleep-walking We behave as if Britain is American colony! If our government had behaved in a similar manner, there would have been diplomatic crisis

As usual these ultra-efficient manufacturing giants have already laid the foundation of some fifty factories that will produce more batteries than they need, exporting to inefficient nations like ours Fortunately Tata Motors who manufacture popular cars like Jaguar, Land Rover, Range Rover and other brands came to our rescue, promising to invest some £2 billion with some £500 million in subsidy, could be even more, that stopped Spain from snatching the deal

Moreover, Tata manufactures most of its vehicles in UK, thus having a battery manufacturing plant on our door-step will help This is a significant investment since 1980s when Japanese car manufacturers chose Sunderland to manufacture and assemble their cars, like Toyota, Honda, Suzuki and Nisan for UK and Europe

At one time UK was the leading manufacturer of cars in the world, now it is not even in top five, overtaken by Germany, Japan, US and France Let’s hope that Tata Motors could be the saviour of our motor industry and lead us back to our glory days

Bh upend ra M Gandhi

Kargil Vijay Divas

We salute all Kargil war heroes who sacrificed their lives on Kargil Vijay Divas (Kargil victory day) on 26 July Many families lost their brave sons, children their father and wives their husbands The Indian Government should ensure that another Kargil like conflict doesn't take place The purpose of all war is peace and when nations fight only weapon sellers win India's flag does not fly because wind moves it, but with last breath of every soldier who died protecting it

T S Kathik

A matter of national shame

It is outrageous to learn from a video that went viral on social media that two Kuki women in Manipur (India) were stripped off their clothes, paraded naked and gangraped by a mob of unruly men two months ago This is heinous and inhuman and deserves to be condemned It is a matter of national shame and a blot to our nation

What was the government doing before the video went viral? Every life matters; stop lynching and save the tribals from further ruin The women were gangraped in broad daylight and that too in front of several policemen and the brother and father of one of the rape survivors were killed by the mob

Violence in Manipur is going on unabated for over three months with the state government doing nothing to stop the atrocities from taking place No breakthrough has been made to restore normalcy in the state yet The Centre and the state can end the violence with force available at its disposal But what prevents them halting the violence is a million-dollar question The Supreme Court has come down heavily on the government that if the government does not act, then they will The state must be kept under suspended animation to restore peace I hope Mr Narendra Modi our Prime Minister is reading this

Jubel D’Cruz

The violence in Manipur and the propaganda war

As violence erupted between many ethnic groups in Manipur the international media is relishing the great opportunity to demonise the Modi led Hindu nationalist government First in the fray though was the European Parliament It condemned the persecution of Christians in India

Christian evenglists can suffer persecution silently in China and in most of the Middle East But India in which tens of millions of Christians live freely is labelled intolerant simply because they cannot accept a Hindu majority and its values and ethos They do not want the Hindu, 'Majoritarianism' and yet all the Christian countries are very much Majoritarian where Christianity is the state religion

A civilisation and culture which is tens of thousands of years old and which does not speak anywhere at all of disrespecting or persecuting anyone is for some reason unable to defend itself or counter the false propaganda There are many saints and swamis with millions of followers but while they are content with their activities the other faiths are busy converting the weak and vulnerable and showing the seeds to break up mother India They must wake up before it is too late

Nitin M eh ta

Two musical worlds collide in a classical and bhangra explosion

O n 9 t h A u g u s t 2 0 2 3 , B h a n g r a Symphonica will perform a spectacular evening of music and dance as East m e e t s W e s t a n d B h a n g r a m e e t s

Classical – never seen before in the UK

The thrilling musical adventure will take place against the stunning backdrop of Ragley Hall in Warwickshire

Bhangra Rock band, Kissmet and one of the UK’s top chamber orchestras, Orchestra of the Swan, will be joining forces to present a breath-taking fusion of music and dance, storytelling and mesmerising spirituality

The fusion of the two musical genres is the brainchild of Ron Singh, Kissmet and David Le Page, Orchestra of the Swan, who add:

“ T h e m e l a n g e o f B h a n g r a a n d Classical music not only works incredibly in harmony together, but we feel it

K A P I L’ S K H I C H A D I

Kapil Dudakia

Keir

Last we ek was ver y in ter estin g Thr ee Tory sea ts came up for a by-e lect ion a nd it ga ve both the Liber al Democra ts and Labour some thing to shout about, and it g ave th e Tor ies some thin g to think about

Though looking at the headlines and the commentary from the Labour group, one would think Keir was already elected as the Prime Minister and in Number 10 Life is of course not that simple Wishful thinking is one thing, getting across that line at a general election is quite another

You have to congratulate Keir of course for steering his party to this significant win As they say, no one cares how you get there, as long as you win And therein we have the answer for both Labour and the Tories For the past several years Labour have promised everything to everyone They have put forward policies to tax, and more tax They will tax the rich, they will impose more taxes on companies and if that is not enough, they will tax them again for daring to be too successful Again, it’s a clear policy, Labour will tax most people and companies to their death, and then give that money away to all those people who want to sit on their backside and do nothing

Keir has hidden the real intent of Labour from the voters quite well I have it from insiders that he may well be considering getting us back in Europe, allowing EHRC even more power in British law, giving the Unions the freedom to hold the nation to hostage, removing the recent immigration legislation (that stops illegals) so more illegals can come to the UK freely, removing provisions f r o m t h e P u b l i c O r d e r A c t 2 0 2 3 s o h o o l i g a n s l i k e Extinction Rebellion, Black Lives Matter, Climate change protestors, and Just Stop Oil are all allowedto make our lives a misery, and the list goes on and on

I have even heard that there are some in Labour who are intent in spreading London like ULEZ zones right across the nation Angela Rayner admitted that the discreditedultra-low emission zone tax "is coming to towns and cities across the whole of the UK" So almost every single Labour voting hotspot will become a target to this mad scheme to tax and make people poorer Think about it, only people with money to pay the tax can drive into these areas, meaning this policy is designed to keep the poor out Now that’s one in the eye for the traditional Labour voter! Interestingly on 10th July Conservative Councillors in Brent staged a walk out because the Labour majority would not allow for a discussion on ULEZ Soon this issue the Tories are on the side of the ordinary citizen Keir and Labour are well ahead in the polls, and they are winning by-elections No party has ever lost a General Election having been so far ahead, apart from 1992 when Neil Kinnock who in a similar fashion to Keir Starmer, paraded across the nation attending events almost as if he was the President elect, and then lost to John Major Can history repeat itself? Time will tell

is representative of modern multicultural life As with music and life in gene r a l , a n y t h i n g a n d e v e r y t h i n g i s enhanced once you broaden your horizons and embrace alternative influences ”

Kissmet have performed all over the world, sharing stages with Kaiser C h i e f s , D u f f y , N i t i n S a w h n e y , a n d Asian Dub Foundation, among many o t h e r s F o u n d e d b y R o n a n d B u z z Singh, Kissmet’s unique sound reflects the brothers’ experience of growing up in multicultural Britain, listening to everything from classical Hindi and Punjabi music, to The Clash and Led Zeppelin Orchestra of the Swan love crossing genres and mixing styles, from Bach to Bowie and Rameau to Radiohead The Swan constantly strives to be accessi-

ble, inviting, surprising, and challenging, blurring the boundaries between genres; working and performing with exciting artists, and as Ron Singh says:

‘What’s most important is the incredible vibe and energy that can be generated by people of all faiths, backgrounds, colours, gender and culture coming together to create something powerfully positive, infectious and memorable ’ T i c k e t s c a n b e p u r c h a s e d a t

Bhangra Symphonica The event is produced by hambletts com

Palak Muchhal to pay tribute to Lata Mangeshkar at the legendary Royal Albert Hall

S i n g e r P a la k M uc h h a l, k n ow n f or he r m e lo d io u s son gs in A ashiqui 2, will be pa yin g a he ar tfelt tribute to t he la t e le g e n d a r y s i n g e r L a t a M a n g e sh k a r a t

L ondo n s pre stigious R oya l

A lbert Ha ll on July 28

She will be accompanied b y t h e B i r m i n g h a m P h i l h a r m o n i c O r c h e s t r a R e f l e c t i n g o n t h e significance of the occasion, P a l a k e x p r e s s e d h e r

a d m i r a t i o n f o r t h e v e n u e , a c k n o w l e d g i n g t h a t performing at Royal Albert H a l l i s a m a t t e r o f g r e a t honor and respect for any a r t i s t T h i s t i m e , h e r p e r f o r m a n c e w i l l b e a h e a r t f e l t t r i b u t e t o t h e i c o n i c L a t a M a n g e s h k a r , celebrating the legacy of the legendary singer P a l a k ’ s i n i t i a l p e r f o r m a n c e a t t h e R o y a l Albert Hall, was also a tibute

to the legendary singer She h a s b e e n d i l i g e n t l y p r e p a r i n g b y c o n d u c t i n g n u m e r o u s r e h e a r s a l sessions with the orchestra over video calls “ I t i s a 1 2 0 - m e m b e r orchestra team Most of the players are from the UK, so it is an honour for them to b e p e r f o r m i n g o n s o n g s made by some of the most legendary music directors of our country,” she said

The Tories of course are their own worst enemy Over the past three years, it seems they have taken a delight in shooting off one toe at a time, until they have shot off the entire foot Their masochistic instinct and capacity to impose self-inflicted wounds never seemsto end The next six months will be a political helter-skelter I see the Tories coming out fighting They will set forth policies that will put clear water between them and Labour Keir will be forced to go down an unwanted route or remain silent and face ridicule Whilst Tories will have to go back to basics, I believe danger remains for Labourwho might also put their foot in The red wall voters at some point will look at Labour and ask why it keeps flirting with extremists After all, do you want the next British Government to have on its front bench ministers who are supporters of extremists? Or MPs who excuse away antisemitism and antiHindu sentiments? Or MPsrefusing to denounce the Pakistani grooming gangs rampaging right across the nation?

Last week I mentioned that Keir has a plan to pack the House of Lords with his cronies Since then, I have heard from sources, upto 15 peerages might be reserved for the faithful from the Muslim community I bet those 26 C h r i s t i a n b i s h o p s c a n ’ t w a i t t o w e l c o m e t h e i r n e w Abrahamic comrades In 2024, if the nation elects the wrong party, that will be 5 years of hell during which time we will become a basket case So do your research now, observe and monitor who says what and when, and ultimatelyask one simple question, ‘do you want a front bench that promotes woke ideology at the expense of the nation?’

We are grateful to all letter writers for more and more versatile letters well within word limit Please keep contributing as always

If you are new, then write to Shefali at shefali.saxena@abplgroup.com

Palak Muchhal

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL receives honorary doctorate

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE

D L , a p ro m i ne nt Br i ti sh A s i an bu s inessman and p hilanth r o p is t, h as be en h o no u r ed w i th an es te em e d a cc o la d e from th e U niv ersity of Leicester in recognition of his significant contributions to society, as stated in an official anno uncement

During the graduation c e r e m o n y h e l d a t D e Montfort Hall on Thursday ( 2 0 ) , h e w a s a w a r d e d a n honorary doctorate of scie n c e , c e l e b r a t i n g h i s o u tstanding achievements and positive impact on various fields

Coming to Leicester as a child refugee with his family in 1972, escaping the oppres-

s i v e r u l e o f I d i A m i n i n Uganda, Dr Kotecha's journey is one of resilience and s u c c e s s G r o w i n g u p i n L e i c e s t e r , h e e s t a b l i s h e d M o r n i n g s i d e P h a r m a c e u ti c a l s f r o m m o d e s t b e g i nnings and steadily built an immensely successful career i n t h e p h a r m a c e u t i c a l industry His international p h a r m a c e u t i c a l s b u s i n e s s f o u n d i t s r o o t s i n Loughborough

Blind Explorer Amar Latif to climb Africa’s highest mountain

“I hope my story helps inspire the next generation of innova-

t o r s a n d entrepreneurs to work hard and follow their d r e a m s o f m a k i n g a positive difference to t h e w o r l d , ” h e s a i d w h i l e s p e a k i n g a f t e r the ceremony

Dr Kotecha's dedication to philanthropy led to the establishment of t h e R a n d a l C h a r i t a b l e Foundation, through which he made significant international contributions to the f i e l d s o f p h a r m a c e u t i c a l s , l i f e s c i e n c e s , a n d i n n o v at i o n H i s r e m a r k a b l e achievements and positive i n f l u e n c e o n s o c i e t y h a v e earned him this prestigious r e c o g n i t i o n f r o m t h e University of Leicester

BBC radio host Nihal Arthanayake awarded honorary doctorate

A ward winning BBC radio h ost Nihal Arth anayake has been aw arded an h onorary d o ct o rat e by S t M ary ’ s U ni v e rs it y, T w i c ken h am ( S M U ) at a ce rem o ny i n Westminster C athedral Nihal, an alumnus of BA H i s t o r y a n d E n g l i s h Literature at SMU, received t h e a w a r d d u r i n g t h e University’s summer graduation ceremonies The honorary doctorate was awarded in recognition of Nihal’s e x t e n s i v e c a r e e r i n t h e British media and his work to improve the quality of our national debate through his Radio 5 Live programme a n d h i s d e b u t b o o k L e t ' s Talk: How to Have Better Conversations

Speaking of the Award, Nihal said, "This is so much of an honour that I can barely process that it is happening to me St Mary's was the first place that I really began to value knowledge, and I will be eternally grateful to t h i s w o n d e r f u l U n i v e r s i t y for that " S t M a r y ’ s V i c eC h a n c e l l o r A n t h o n y M c C l a r a n s a i d , “ W e a r e

d e l i g h t e d t o h a v e t h i s opportunity to celebrate all t h a t N i h a l h a s a c h i e v e d s i n c e g r a d u a t i n g f r o m S t M a r y ’ s T h r o u g h o u t h i s c a r e e r N i h a l h a s d e m o nstrated our values of excellence, respect, inclusiveness, and generosity of spirit, and we are proud to have been part of his journey He is a fantastic role model for this year ’ s graduating class ” Nihal began his career whilst he was studying at St M a r y ’ s a s a p e r f o r m e r , recording artist, and event organiser After graduating he continued pursuing these interests whilst also working as a journalist, writing for t h e O b s e r v e r , t h e S u n d a y T i m e s , a n d a n u m b e r o f musical publications

He launched his nation-

al broadcast career in 1999 with BBC TV appearances, before joining BBC Radio 1 as the host of Asian Beats w i t h D J B o b b y F r i c t i o n

Nihal saw success from the start in his radio career, winning a Sony Radio Award in 2003 In 2007, he went on to p r e s e n t t h e R a d i o 1 W e e k e n d B r e a k f a s t S h o w , where he was one of only two DJs to present both a mainstream and a specialist show on the channel S i n c e 2 0 1 6 , N i h a l h a s p r e s e n t e d t h e a f t e r n o o n show on Radio 5 Live, which f e a t u r e s c o n v e r s a t i o n o n issues affecting the UK and wider world and interviews with celebrities, politicians, and thinkers He also pres e n t s t h e B B C S o u n d s Podcast Headliners, where he interviews some of the biggest names in the music industry

Located in Twickenham, SMU was established in 1850 and is rated in top 5 in the country for teaching quality a n d t o p t e n f o r s t u d e n t e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e 2 0 2 3 S u n d a y T i m e s G o o d University Guide

Pharmacists will now be able to prescribe medicine

In a pro act ive mea sur e t o r educe t he burd en on ge nera l p r a ct i t io n e r s (G P s ) a n d h os pit a ls, ph a rm a cist s w ill n ow ha ve the a ut hority t o p r e sc r i be m e d i ci n e s f or common m in or ailmen ts

This significant step, init i a t e d b y H e a l t h M i n i s t e r Stephen Donnelly, aims to streamline the process and provide patients with quicker access to the medications they require To ensure the s u c c e s s f u l i m p l e m e n t a t i o n of this decision, an expert t a s k f o r c e h a s b e e n e s t a blished to offer support and

facilitate the expansion of pharmacists' roles in healthcare M r D o n n e l l y s a i d : “ P h a r m a c i s t s a r e h i g h l y t r a i n e d , v a l u e d h e a l t h c a r e p r o f e s s i o n a l s w h o a l r e a d y use their extensive training and expertise in medicines to help people every day

T h e I r i s h P h a r m a c y

U n i o n ( I P U ) e x p r e s s e d a warm welcome to the minist e r ' s a n n o u n c e m e n t , acknowledging that it has the potential to bring about a transformative change in c o m m u n i t y c a r e T h e y

I n A ug u s t t h i s s u m m er , bli nd ex plorer A mar Lati f wi ll undertak e on e of his bi ggest physic al challenges to date: to c limb the infam o u s 5 90 0 m h i g h M t Kili manj aro

He will be accompanied by two sighted companions w h o w i l l v e r b a l i s e w h a t t h e y a r e s e e i n g t o h i m , e n a b l i n g h i m t o f e e l h i s w a y u p a n d d o w n t h e mountain with every step he takes Amar is undertaking this epic mission in aid o f R a f i k i T h a b o F o u n d a t i o n , a c h a r i t y w h i c h e n a b l e s e d u c a t i o n for disadvantaged children across East Africa, many of whom are living with disabilities, of which Amar is a patron As with every expedition he goes on, Amar will u s e h i s o t h e r s e n s e s t o experience just as rich of an a d v e n t u r e a s h i s f e l l o w sighted hikers, who include E n g l a n d C e r e b r a l P a l s y f o o t b a l l e r H a r r y B a k e r , Everest world record holder Kami Rita Sherpa and C h i l d r e n ’ s p r e s e n t e r Maddie Moate, who he will teach to smell, hear and feel way along the climb too The Kilimanjaro expedition will be led by Grand Slam Explorer Bob Bhania

A m a r ’ s o w n l i f e h a s b e e n f r a u g h t w i t h c h a llenges Losing his sight as a child, he was denied access t o m a n y o f h i s d r e a m s , including being told that he could not travel However, t h r o u g h e q u a l e d u c a t i o n and opportunities afforded to him in the UK, he defied everything and founded a t r a v e l c o m p a n y w h i c h enables blind travellers to explore the world

A s t a t e m e n t f r o m Rafiki Thabo Foundation said: “Amar is all too aware o f h o w d i f f e r e n t h i s l i f e c o u l d h a v e b e e n h a d h e been born in his parent’s n a t i v e P a k i s t a n , w h e r e views towards disability are very different - hence his genuine connection to the w o r k o f R a f i k i T h a b o

a c r o s s E a s t A f r i c a W e b e l i e v e t h i s s t o r y a b o u t Amar and his Kilimanjaro climb is one worth telling We want people to both learn about what it takes to climb a mountain as a blind explorer, and also to unders t a n d t h e r e a s o n s w h y Amar is driven to undertake such an extraordinary and physically demanding challenge – so that young people living with a disability in East Africa have the chance to get an education and follow their dreams in life too ” T h e e x p e d i t i o n t a k e s p l a c e 1 8 - 3 1 A u g u s t 2 0 2 3 The team will be sharing d a i l y u p d a t e s o n A m a r ’ s progress up Kilimanjaro on t h e i r s o c i a l m e d i a @RafikiThabo

believe that the empowerment of pharmacists to prescribe medicines for common minor ailments could be revolutionary for healthcare services

However, the IPU also cautioned that for the implementation of this new role, t h e r e w i l l n e e d t o b e a n increase in the level of fees p a i d t o p h a r m a c i s t s T h i s increase is seen as crucial to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the expanded services provided by pharmacists in their enhanced role as prescribers

Blind explorer Amar Latif

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL

Nihal Arthanayake

Asian Voice organises breast cancer awareness programme virtually, to raise awareness among ethnic minority women

Badal Lakhlani

On the occasion of golden jubilee celebrations, Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice organised a special zoom event on breast cancer awareness to mark the Ethnic Minorities Cancer Awareness Month (EMCAM) which was attended by prominent community leaders and doctors from the UK and India

The moderator of the zoom event was Jyotsna Shah, Consulting Editor of Gujarat Samachar Expert speakers- Dr Toral Gathani and Dr Bhavesh Parekh talked about awareness, stigma and misconceptions regarding breast cancer in Asian communities

Welcoming those present at the event, C B Patel, the Editorin-Chief of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, said, “I consider your support and cooperation as the grace of God when we celebrate this occasion The sayings 'first happiness is self-made' and ‘ our happiness is in our hands' are true Eighty years ago, tuberculosis was considered incurable, but now with advanced treatment it is a curable disease Now cancer is considered as a life threatening disease, but with early detection and expert treatment, the scenario has changed a lot Medical science, doctors, health services and the pharma industries and pharmacists have advanced a lot in treating cancer ”

Indian women are more susceptible to Breast Cancer, believes Dr Gathani

Dr Toral Gathani- MD MEd FRCS, Senior Clinical Research Fellow and Consultant

Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at Oxford University said, “Indian women are more likely to develop breast cancer as compared to other ethnic minority women Even though they are less likely to get breast cancer compared to white women, it is still the most common cancer that is diagnosed in the UK It is important to be aware of the symptoms you need to look for The most common symptom is a lump, and if you feel that there is a lump in either of the breast or under the arm, then it's important that you seek help The other problem may be changes in the nipples, such as a discharge that may be either clear or bloody It may develop an ulcer or become inverted General skin changes on the breast are important, particularly if there is an ulcer that doesn't heal If these issues persist, it is necessary to visit a doctor If you live in the UK,

you should first register with a general practitioner, and later they will make an assessment And if necessary, they refer you to the local hospital's breast clinic In a breast clinic, they will ask you some questions, examine you, take some pictures, do an x-ray of the breast, which is called a mammogram, or do an ultrasound scan And sometimes they will even do a biopsy You don't need to be concerned if you have the tests; it doesn't imply you have cancer; it just means they need to know more If you are over the age of 50 in the UK, you’ll be invited to go for a mammogram And if you are invited for this test, it is crucial that you take it since it will detect breast cancer before you show the symptoms I've been describing You will receive a letter or mail every three years inviting you to the clinic ”

“Age is the main risk factor for breast cancer Consequently, your risk of developing cancer increases as you age Things such as being overweight and drinking alcohol can also increase the risk factor Treatments such as Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) are slightly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, so it is necessary to discuss these things with your GP,” Dr Gathani added She further said, “We have very good and successful medical treatments available The main treatment will be an operation to remove the cancer and some normal tissue around and to take one or two lymph nodes from under the arm For most people, this

operation will take place in one day, and the recovery is very quick Other treatments that we use for breast cancer include radiotherapy, which is x-ray treatment that is given to the breast and the lymph nodes under the arm We also have drug treatments; the most common ones are tablets that people often take for up to five years ”

“The treatment that everyone worries about, chemotherapy is less common but still a possibility However, it is not the most frequently used treatment for breast cancer So the treatments for breast cancer are safe, effective and the side effects can be managed In my opinion, the most crucial thing is not to be afraid about it because, if we don't know that you have a problem, we can't address it, so the sooner you come forward, the better,” she said

Dr Parekh says, Breast cancer is completely curable

Dr Bhavesh Parekh- Head of Shalby Cancer & Research Institute said, “Even though cancer and breast cancer are completely curable, it creates unnecessary fear among the patients and her entire family ” Describing the effectiveness of the treatment, Dr Bhavesh said, “ a woman from Kenya - Africa had breast cancer and it was stage four It had spread to the bone and liver She was told that she would live only for about 3 to 6 months Since a woman is considered as the pillar of an Asian or African family, the entire family was worried Her son was studying

in Ireland and her husband had undergone bypass surgery She cried on the phone and said 'what will happen to us now?' I asked her to come to Ahmedabad When she arrived, we did a biopsy and treated her with just subcutaneous injections without surgery or chemotherapy Today after one and a half years her PET scan report is normal ”

He said, “Once a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the woman and the entire family generally request us to remove the breast, which I oppose We do not remove a woman's breast at any stage in our hospital We give them chemo and do a small operation on the breast to remove the lump and also remove the lump from the armpit Apart from this it can be completely cured by giving radiation therapy and hormonal therapy ”

Dr Bhavesh said there are many misconceptions prevalent in the society about cancer. Some think it is hereditary, contagious and one should not wash the clothes and utensils of the patients with others or one should keep the clothes of the patients separately and one should not eat food with such people or visiting hotels Dr Bhavesh said there is no truth in these beliefs and there is no problem in mingling with such people

He added, “Even if women had her breasts removed, I support them by helping them to reintegrate with society by undergoing plastic surgery, prosthetics, and therapy I believe that cancer cannot be

cured by medicine alone, counseling is very necessary With the platform of Gujarat Samachar UK, I want to remove the mental anguish of many patients Even such diseases are not harmful, yet we have made this disease dangerous If any woman gets cancer in her 50s or 60s, we will help her with care and treatment that can assist her to fight the disease We must take some precautions beforehand For that, avoid drinking, smoking and avoid being fat. After cancer is discovered, there is no need to show excessive concern. Do physical exercise, go to the gym, do yoga, meditate or listen to your favorite music By eliminating the worries in your life, you can ignore your cancer and you can have a successful and a happy life”, he said Dr Jayashre e Sha h - Retired NHS integrated medical GP said, "If any women wish to get the screening done after the age of 71, they may still seek to have their own screening Since there is good treatment available, the objective is to catch it early, but even if it is diagnosed a little late, it can be treated and cured However, the screening that is conducted here indicates that 1 out of every 200 people have the symptoms Therefore, undergo screening, even if you may not have any symptoms Sometimes you may be called for a second time and it is only to make sure that you are free of any problems Every woman should test themselves by standing in front of a mirror in case there is a problem or a small change in her own breast to avoid any unfortunate circumstances Many training workshops are conducted by nurses and doctors about self-examination Also, there is a lot of support available in this nation, and there is also an Asian Women's Group for individuals who have been diagnosed "

Present participants asked questions on topics such as genetic issues, ethnic community beliefs, men's breast cancer, taboos in the community, the ageing population, to mention a few

The vote of thanks was presented by Group Editor Mahesh Liloriya

Scan to watch this zoom event or visit our Youtube channel: @abplgroup8772

CB Patel

Dr Bhavesh Parekh

Dr Toral Gathani

Dr Jayshree Shah Mahesh Liloriya Jyotsna Shah

Over 500 young Zoroastrians from all over the world attend the 8th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress

Shefali Saxena

T he 8th World Zoroastrian

Y o u th C o ng r ess ( 8 W ZY C ) w as h eld in L ond on from Ju ly 21 st - 26th 2023 A fter 27 years th e World Zoroastrian

Yo uth Co ngress returned to L ond on, w here it galv anised o ver 515 Young Zoroastrians from over 15 different countries

T h e Z o r o a s t r i a n f a i t h ,

a r o u n d t h e w o r l d a n d empowering them to shape the future of their community The event not only celebrated the rich heritage of t h e Z o r o a s t r i a n f a i t h b u t also inspired the next generation to embrace its values and contribute to a more u n i t e d a n d s u s t a i n a b l e world

L o r d K a r a n B i l i m o r i a CBE DL told Asian Voice, “It

Exploring South Asian flavours and its versatility

Parsee construction company and the new Parliament building built in Delhi by the Tatas and here in the UK the announcement that the Tatas through their company Jaguar Land Rover will be building a Giga factory in Somerset “ I s p o k e t o t h e Zoroastrian youth about the importance of integrity for which the Zoroastrian com-

A s w e c el eb rat e S o u th A s i an H er i tag e M o n th , Aw ard-winning Dietitian Azmina Govindji, auth or o f V e g an S a v v y : t h e Exp ert's Guide to a Plantbased Diet spoke to Asian Voice about So uth Asian cu i si ne, its tr ans fo rm ati o n, ev ol u ti o n an d i ts ef fo r tle ss in fu s i o n in to veganism

Howhas South Asian cuisine transformed in the past few decades? Has the concept of fusion led to the loss of the original taste and flavours?

We, primarily, have to r e c o g n i s e t h a t t h e t e r m South Asians is often used as a " c a t c h - a l l ' ' , b u t t h e r e i s d i v e r s i t y i n p r a c t i c e s amongst different religious g r o u p s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s f r o m t h e s a m e r e l i g i o u s group, and even within fami l i e s T h o s e w h o s t i l l l i v e within an extended family setting may be more likely t o h a v e m a i n t a i n e d t h e i r traditional meal practices S e c o n d - g e n e r a t i o n i m m igrants may prefer a fusion meal pattern, while those w i t h y o u n g c h i l d r e n m a y want to provide more bland foods like pasta

part of family life, there will be a continuation of original tastes, flavours and cooking methods

How, according to you, is South Asian cuisine bound to evolve?

mithai when it's so easy t o b u y d e l i c i o u s o n e s from Asian stores But the staples like dhal, various c u r r i e s , a n d p i l a u r i c e have a lot of life in them yet!

What are some of the go-to South Asian cuisines that are effortlessly plant-based and can be easily adapted by those beginning their journey as a vegan?

which has endured for over 3500 years, carries a prof o u n d m e s s a g e o f G o o d Thoughts, Good Words, and G o o d D e e d s I n a w o r l d increasingly divided, with a current population of only around 200,000, it is crucial to gather the next generation to ensure the survival a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h i s a n c i e n t r e l i g i o n T h e 8 W Z Y C a i m e d t o h o s t a variety of speaker sessions, workshops and social events to foster diversity and inclusion within the Zoroastrian community

The congress reignited c o n n e c t i o n s b y i n s p i r i n g y o u n g Z o r o a s t r i a n s t o a d d r e s s t h e c h a l l e n g e s o f d w i n d l i n g n u m b e r s a n d leverage their diverse popul a t i o n O v e r 7 0 d i s t i ng u i s h e d s p e a k e r s s h a r e d insights on various topics, i n c l u d i n g i n t e r - f a i t h m a rr i a g e , L G B T Q + r e l a t i o nships, conversion, and the a c h i e v e m e n t s o f y o u n g Zoroastrians in media, arts, and sports

I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e enriching sessions, evening events provided a platform f o r y o u t h t o n e t w o r k , engage, and explore different aspects of their identity

A t t e n d e e s w i l l h a v e t h e opportunity to experience Persian dancing and instrumental performances, fost e r i n g c o n n e c t i o n s t h a t t r a n s c e n d b o r d e r s a n d amplify the global voice of Zoroastrianism

T h e 8 t h W o r l d

Zoroastrian Youth Congress promised to be a transformative experience, uniting y o u n g Z o r o a s t r i a n s f r o m

was a privilege for me to be the keynote speaker at the 8 t h W o r l d Z o r o a s t r i a n Youth Congress Gala dinner held at the Guildhall in the City of London on the 23rd of July There were over 500 young Zoroastrians from all over the world This is the 8 t h W o r l d Z o r o a s t r i a n Youth Congress, being held in London, in conjunction w i t h Z o r o a s t r i a n T r u s t Funds of Europe, the oldest Asian faith based voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom, founded in 1861 “ T h e r e w a s a t r e m e nd o u s a t m o s p h e r e T h e Congress was opened on the 22nd by Sir Ron Kalifa and H i s E x c e l l e n c y t h e H i g h C o m m i s s i o n e r o f I n d i a , Vikram Doraswami, spoke at the event as well I quoted the High Commissioner in my speech saying that ‘the Z o r o a s t r i a n P a r s e e s a r e a community we admire more and who have contributed more and disproportionately’, he also said that they are ‘the most successful community that India has ever seen ’

“In my speech I spoke about the amazing achievements of this community, which was started by the profit Zoroaster 3,500 years a g o I t h e n s p o k e o f t h e achievements going back to Cyrus the Great, 2,500 years a g o , a c h i e v e m e n t s d u r i n g B r i t i s h r u l e a n d s i n c e I n d e p e n d e n c e r i g h t u n t i l t o d a y , w h e r e I g a v e t h e example that on Saturday I had drove past the brand new secretariat building in H y d e r a b a d b u i l t b y S h a p o o r j i P a l l o n j i , t h e

munity is renowned I spoke t o t h e m o f t r u s t , entrepreneurship and guts ( w h i l e r e c a l l i n g t h e entrepreneurial journey of starting my business, Cobra Beer, from scratch, a brand which I am proud to say is now a household name in the UK), leadership through adversity, the importance of f a m i l y v a l u e s , t h e i m p o rt a n c e o f e d u c a t i o n , t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f h a r d w o r k and how that it is not good enough to be the best in the world but also being the best f o r t h e w o r l d ; s o m e t h i n g t h e Z o r o a s t r i a n P a r s e e s have always done, putting back not only into their own c o m m u n i t y b u t i n t o t h e wider community

“As Mahatma Ghandhi said about our community, ‘Parsee thy name is charity’ and he also said ‘in numbers b e n e a t h c o n t e m p t a n d i n contribution beyond comp a r e ’ I e n c o u r a g e d t h e Z o r o a s t r i a n y o u t h a r o u n d the world to be proud of our tiny community and wished them good luck, with the best definition of luck being ‘when determination meets opportunity’ I told them to ‘aspire and achieve against all odds with integrity’ and t o b e l i e v e i n t h e m s e l v e s because to paraphrase the w o r d s o f M a h a t m a G h a n d h i , ‘ y o u r b e l i e f s become your thoughts, your t h o u g h t s b e c o m e y o u r words, your words become your actions, your actions b e c o m e y o u r h a b i t s , y o u r habits form your character and your character determines your destiny’ ”

I n m y o p i n i o n , w h e r e parents or grandparents are

I b e l i e v e m a n y p e o p l e still have a desire to go back to their roots and learn to cook dishes our mums and grandmothers used to feed us The more elaborate dishes where potatoes, onions, a n d o t h e r i n g r e d i e n t s a r e fried separately before being added to the cooking pot This process will probably die away I can't imagine we will create and fry our own samosas and bhajias/pakor a s o r m a k e r i c h s w e e t

Here are some great o p t i o n s : w h o l e g r a i n s , beans, lentils, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds If you already enjoy foods like vegetables, dhal, and beans, it's even easier to make this dietary change Plant-based foods have lots of benefits for your longt e r m h e a l t h Y o u c a n t r y Channa Masala with Brown Rice, Dal with Roti, Palak P a n e e r a n d V e g e t a b l e Sambar with Idli along with Mushroom and Pea Curry and Baingan Bharta R e m e m b e r , t h e r e a r e c o u n t l e s s p l a n t - b a s e d options in Indian cuisine, a n d t h e s e a r e j u s t a f e w examples By incorporating more whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits into your meals, you can create a healthy and diverse plantbased diet

The week-long 8th Zoroastrian Youth Congress was held in London for the first time in over 25 years HC Vikram Doraiswami felicitated the organizers, praising the community's selfless service and contributions to all host nations worldwide as an inspiration

Azmina Govindji

Giving children a shared understanding of the Empire’s past with “The Story of Now”

Anusha Singh

Shelina Janmohamed is an accomplished author, delving into crucial subjects affecting girls and women today. Her writings encompass profound explorations of identity, our position in the world, and, perhaps most importantly, the power of autonomy in decision-making

As a non-fiction author, her books have soared on the bestseller lists, resonating with readers across the globe With a specialized focus on women's representation, Shelina has garnered recognition as a leadi n g g l o b a l e x p e r t i n t h e field Her articulate voice is a familiar presence on radio and TV, where she fearlessly advocates for empowering women and amplifying their voices

Asian Voice reached out t o S h e l i n a r e g a r d i n g h e r upcoming book, “Story of Now: Let's Talk about the British Empire” which has been illustrated by Laura Green Here’s what she had to say-

What was your inspiration behind The Story of Now ?

W h e n t h e s t a t u e o f E d w a r d C o l s t o n f e l l i n

2020, it was a huge national e v e n t M y c h i l d r e n w e r e fascinated and I wanted to help them read and better understand what was happening, by understanding what had happened during the British Empire To my shock, I couldn’t find any for their age group, which w a s u n b e l i e v a b l e S o I decided to write something m y s e l f , s o m e t h i n g t h a t would be serious, but also give children the power to b e a d v e n t u r o u s , c u r i o u s and thoughtful I wanted my book to engage children whatever their background – from the industrial towns of the north, to the families of the W i n d r u s h g e n e r a t i o n , t o those who live in the four nations and children of the diaspora like me The story o f t h e B r i t i s h E m p i r e i s often seen as historic and limited to minority groups What I set out to do was to h e l p c h i l d r e n u n d e r s t a n d ‘ now ’ and to show children of all backgrounds that this is a story for them Which is why we called it the Story of Now And just in case it w a s n ’ t c l e a r , w e a d d e d “This is not a history book” Why did you fell that it was important to write a book that could explain the Empire s history to the children?

The British Empire was the biggest ever empire in the history of the world It was bigger than the Roman Empire, the Incas, Mayas,

Addressing the stereotypes and casual discrimination faced by South Asian Diaspora

kids of the industrial revolution and many more I’ve m a d e i t i n t e r a c t i v e w i t h quizzes and posing questions for them to solve But m o s t o f a l l , I ’ v e c e n t r e d them: the book is written from scratch for children for them to make sense of the world

Aztecs, Mughal, Ottoman and any other European, Asian, African or American power In fact, it was so vast that “the sun never set on the British Empire ”

What works related to the empire and diaspora history, according to you should be included in the study curriculum across the UK?

My focus has been on Key Stage 2 and Key stage 3 c h i l d r e n , a r o u n d 8 – 1 6 years old, bringing to life, the stories of the British Empire and its impact on us today and in the future

“Tick Box 2 ” is a captivating and insigh tful semi-autobiog raphical one-w oman p lay by L ubna Kerr, that delv es i nt o p ro f o u nd t h em e s o f ra ce , p er ce p ti o n, id ent it y, and the p ressu re to m eet expectatio ns w hile growing up as a p erson of colour in 1 9 7 0 s G las g o w T h e p la y ex p er tly w eav es be tw ee n na rr ati v e a nd h u m o ro u s com mentary As the protagonist, Lubna, sh ares captiv ating insig hts into her ow n life and that of her parents

We teach our children about all the other empires, yet breathe barely a word of t h e b i g g e s t , w e a l t h i e s t , m o s t p o w e r f u l a n d m o s t i n f l u e n t i a l e m p i r e i n t h e history– the British Empire I wanted to change that

While history is important, I wanted to ensure children have the tools to work out who we are now And it seems to me that h a v i n g a s h a r e d u n d e rstanding of the past – and the many and varied stories each of us have – is the s t a r t i n g p o i n t P l u s i t e x p l a i n s s o m u c h a b o u t what we are as a country today, and why the world works as it does

This is how good conv e r s a t i o n s a n d r e s p e c t f u l societies begin: by knowing o u r s t o r i e s a n d t a l k i n g a b o u t t h e m K i d s d o n ’ t n e e d c u l t u r e w a r s , t h e y n e e d c o n v e r s a t i o n s A n d they need to start from the point of what’s relevant to them

The Empire s history is a vast and complex topic for children s understanding How does your book make it easier for them to understand this history?

M y a i m h a s b e e n t o stand in children’s shoes to see the world as it matters to them – everything from the heated debates to climate change, technology, migration, social and racial e q u a l i t y , g l o b a l r e l a t i o nships and big businesses

And I’ve told it through the s t o r i e s o f c h i l d r e n l i k e them, so they can hear the voices of kids through the ages and around the world: e n s l a v e d c h i l d r e n , t h e home children who were sent away from Britain, the

This is the age where not only are our ideas of the world formed, but crucially it’s the age where we form our ideas of who we are and how we fit into the world Thankfully there are some r e a l l y w o n d e r f u l b o o k s c o m i n g o u t f o r t h i s a g e g r o u p S o m e o f m y favourites include Lands of B e l o n g i n g : A H i s t o r y o f India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Britain by Vikesh Amey B h a t t a n d D o n n a A m e y Bhatt And books by Sufiya Ahmed including the story of Noor Inayat Khan and P r i n c e s s S o p h i a D u l e e p Singh

Do you think that the diaspora stories in history are easily sidetracked and forgotten when the Empire’s history is narrated? How can these excluded stories be highlighted?

Diasporas around the w o r l d t r a c e t h e i r o r i g i n s back to the British Empire a n d t h e s u b c o n t i n e n t a l d i a s p o r a i s p r o b a b l y f a r more widely spread than we can imagine I know my o w n s t o r y a s a n E a s t A f r i c a n I n d i a n i s r a r e l y told But the more I read, t h e m o r e I d i s c o v e r –Indians in the Caribbean, in South America and in countries such as Suriname a n d e v e n i n t h e P a c i f i c Islands, and so much more The key is establishing a shared understanding that t h e E m p i r e s t r e t c h e d a c r o s s v a s t g e o g r a p h i e s , o v e r f o u r c e n t u r i e s a n d covers stories, varied and c o m p l e x W h e n w e h a v e t h a t f r a m e w o r k w e c a n start to uncover and place t h e v a r i e d a n d c o m p l e x diaspora stories One of t h e t h i n g s I s u g g e s t t o readers to do is to collect t h e o r a l s t o r i e s o f t h e i r older family members and capture them, so they can be shared, and even show them how to do it The oral stories of our family are so powerful and important –after all, they shaped our lives!

Drawing from her Asian h e r i t a g e , L u b n a f e a r l e s s l y a n d c l e v e r l y t a c k l e s t h e stereotypes attached to her b a c k g r o u n d t h r o u g h h e r unique sense of humour and talks about the same in an interview with Asian Voice Th e idea behind th e inception of “Tick Bo x ”

L u b n a ’ s i n s p i r a t i o n behind “Tick Box” and “Tick Box 2 ” is her parent’s story T h e f a m i l y m o v e d t o Glasgow after her father got scheduled to do a PhD in c h e m i s t r y f r o m t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f S t r a t h c l y d e “ M y f a t h e r b r o u g h t m y mum over from a very middle-class life When I think back to what she was used to be, back home, and what she had to adapt to when she moved to Glasgow, which is not middle class at all, it's q u i t e t h e o p p o s i t e T h e r e was a cultural shock and the casual discrimination didn’t help ”

S h e f e e l s t h a t S o u t h Asians, Pakistani people in particular, are campaigned as bad people and need to have more positive stories

“Tick Box” is her attempt to r e d r e s s t h e b a l a n c e a n d change the rhetoric Why name it “Tick Box” L u b n a l o v e s p i c k i n g titles that can have different meanings She asks, “Have y o u e v e r f e l t t h a t y o u r e i n c l u d e d i n s o m e t h i n g

because they're just ticking the box? It might be because you're female, it might be b e c a u s e y o u ' r e y o u n g o r because you're a woman of colour?”

She explains, “The name just came to me in a vision that this is what I want to call it, “T ICK BOX” because I am always ticking boxes for o t h e r p e o p l e a n d I d o n ' t want to tick all these boxes ”

The representation o f

South Asian heritage

Lubna feels that while there’s a definite lack of representation, there are even fewer people in Scotland “I can probably count on one hand, the number of Asian a c t r e s s e s t h a t I k n o w , whether it's stage or television So I think yes, we don't have enough and yes, we do need to have more But what is important is having a role model and we need more than just a few role models ”

A n adv ice for the South Asian future of theatre Lubna advices the youth to follow their passion and dream She advices to, “Do what you want to do Life is too short to be in an unhapp y j o b , w h e r e y o u ' r e j u s t making money And yes, it will be difficult, but find the truth in your life Find the story that you want to tell, and tell it from a point of truth and authenticity

“Do not let other people direct your thought process, especially white people who

d o n ' t u n d e r s t a n d w h a t y o u ' r e g o i n g t h r o u g h B e realistic about your expectat i o n s , b u t n e v e r l o s e t h e dream and passion, because that's what will keep you going ”

Making serious issues relatable L u b n a m a k e s s e r i o u s s u b j e c t s r e l a t a b l e b y d a bbling into comedy When we laugh, we produce endorp h i n s O n c e t h e m i n d i s relaxed and when we are relaxed, we can take in more information She focuses on the science of the art, relaxing people with comedy and t h e n s h o c k i n g t h e m w i t h hard-hitting stuff when they are relaxed

The ev olution from “Tick Box” to “Tick Box 2 ” I did “Tick Box” last year and since then we ’ ve had three Prime Ministers and one new First Minister I needed to there are some parts of my play that are political and so I need to just slightly update them

Secondly, I’ve had the play redirected by a British Nigerian woman, which is the other end of the spectrum She read the script and told me that I was being too soft and needed to lay on the racist issues And so, I had to rewrite the bits that were too soft T h i r d l y , t h e p l a y w a s very much side to side and this time around, I’ve tried to add dimension to it

Vocalist and composer Ganavya releases meditative new track

I nt ern ati o na ll y ac c la im ed v o c al is t, m u lt i- i ns tr um enta li s t an d c o m p o se r Ganav ya is all set to bring to g eth e r h er d iv ers e u n iv erse of sounds in a brand new single ‘ Forgive Me My’, w h i c h w as r ele as ed o n S h a bak a H u tc h i ng s ’ la be l Native Rebel Recordings, on 21st of Ju ly

Born in New York and r a i s e d i n S o u t h I n d i a , Ganavya’s visionary, otherw o r l d l y a p p r o a c h h a s caught the attention of the l i k e s o f Q u i n c y J o n e s , W a y n e S h o r t e r a n d E s p e r a n z a S p a l d i n g , a n d

marks her out as a singular exponent of spiritual music

Conceived during the pandemic, ‘Forgive Me My’ was inspired by Nigerian author Teju Cole’s words, “Forgive me my forgetfulness, no one can forget gentleness”, a text reflecting on death

Talking about her song, she says, “‘Forgive Me My’ was born when I took to

social media to explain the spiritual and pilgrimage tradition I came from, where pilgrims would make songs o f p o e t r y t o g e t t h r o u g h walking long days I offered to make songs of any poems or lines that people loved, and started singing to many people who wrote to me ”

G a n a v y a r e c e n t l y f e atured as a solo vocalist on E s p e r a n z a S p a l d i n g ’ s S o n g w r i g h t s A p o t h e c a r y L a b , w h i c h r e c e i v e d a

G r a m m y A w a r d f o r ‘ B e s t Jazz Vocal’, as well as contributing to Wayne Shorter’s opera Iphigenia, and guesting on the Quincy Jonesproduced track Tocororo

Shelina Janmohamed

Lubna Kerr

Neasden Temple featured in Royal Mail’s coronation stamp

BA P S S h r i Sw a m i n a r a y a n

Man dir, Lon don – popular ly

kn own as ‘Ne asde n Temple’

– h a s f e a t u r e d i n R o y a l

M a il ’ s ‘ Di v e r s it y a n d

Shefali Saxena

“ How will you build a comp any being a mother of two y oung k ids?” a V C investor a ske d Rajeshwa ri Iye r, CoFo und er & CEO , MP hil from Ca mbrid ge and PhD from I mperial, when she a nd h er c o-founde r K avitha Rav ind ra n were raising m oney for the ir Ed -Te ch s ta rt-u p,sAInaptic

While Rajeshwari is an experienced research and data scientist with a PhD in computational neuroscience from Imperial College London and an MPhil in computational biology from the University of Cambridge, she also brings in strategy and thought leadership from her experience in both academia and the NHS Kavitha Ravindran, Co-founder & Chief Content and growth Officer, has a PGCE in secondary science from the University of Cambridge She has over 12 years of experience as a secondary science teacher and GCSE examiner

“As a female founder people don't take you seriously The first call that I had with a VC fund, the first question they asked me was not ‘what does your product do?’ But ‘how will you build a company being a mother of two young kids?’ Nothing about how much money I need? Or what am I going to do with that money? These kinds of people make it incredibly hard for a female founder to progress, but the other problem is - there are not enough female investors who might understand female entrepreneurs better than their male counterparts

It is not just about building the company, but as part of trying to motivate more women to take technical subjects and more women to just know that anything is possible, if you put your heart and mind to it,” Rajeshwari

Iyer told Asian Voice

Sustaining an Ed-Tech business

Explaining the key challenge to sustain their business model, Rajeshwari and Kavitha said, “We operate two business modelsconsumer focussed, where kids can use the app for free and upgrade for more features and masterclasses, and schools focussed, where teachers try the app and get their departments to adopt/pay We anticipate that the consumer app will be used for test/exam prep, which will result in seasonal usage This could be a challenge but we hope that with the complementary schools model, where sAInaptic becomes part of homework policy and is

used regularly, throughout the year, usage will even out With schools using the app, we will be able to target our users at scale but funding in schools remains a big barrier More work is needed from the local and national governments to adopt technology like ours at scale across the nation ”

The dilemma around science

So far, the two women have carefully studied and observed some of the fundamental issues related to lesser students pursuing science Their biggest learning is that teenagers think Science is difficult

They believe that this could be due to two main reasons: How it is taught - as a content-heavy subject that expects one to memorise a lot of facts. But actually, when you look at exams and the kind of questions that students are tested on, they are very applicationbased, real-world problems If the subject is taught in a manner that students can link it to daily life, it will make science a more relatable and 'sticky' subject for students; Lack of confidence - there is very little focus on science in Primary Education, and even up to KS3 Students struggle to keep up with the breadth of knowledge that needs to be covered at GCSEs

This has an impact on their confidence, affecting their grades and leading to reduced uptake of STEM subjects in higher education

sAInaptic's instant and effective feedback, provided at a perquestion level, empowers students to assess their understanding and reinforce their knowledge more efficiently This feedback-driven learning approach boosts students' confidence in STEM subjects, ultimately leading to a greater number of students pursuing science in higher education

Learning made easy without guilt or shame of feedback

Iyer and Ravindran who met in Cambridge while studying, started sAInaptic, an AI-based learning web-app that automati-

cally marks descriptive student responses to openended questions to give instant, personalised teacher-like feedback, while drastically reducing the marking workload for teachers It is commercialised as a web-app and sold to students as a monthly subscription for independent, feedbackdriven revision and to schools as annual subscriptions, for auto-marked homework and tests

sAInaptic is entering a global billion-dollar tutoring & assessments market, starting with schools, with a bold vision to integrate with any online course using an API sAInaptic has over 15k+ users from over 1000 schools and 19 countries; more than 40 schools have used the app, including top grammar schools in the country

Feedback-driven learning always improves student performance and outcomes

The two Ed-Tech co-founders also explained to the newsweekly that there's a lot of scientific capital to show that feedback-driven learning always improves student performance and outcomes

Rajeshwari and Kavitha are working towards helping kids to consolidate their knowledge

Classroom knowledge needs to be retained in the brain and their app helps students to recall information and then answer questions in a coherent manner as if they are applying that knowledge This helps with long-term retention of concepts and lessens the burden on the teacher in the classroom, while also taking away the shame/stigma of asking the teacher to repeat a chapter or concept because they weren’t clear to a particular pupil in the class AI empowers students and teachers that way and sAInaptic is facilitating just that

The Ed-Tech entrepreneurs signed off by saying, “With our story, we want to encourage and empower anyone to pursue their passion for building products that can make a positive impact in education Don't be afraid to take risks and challenge the status quo Especially if you are a teacher, you are already impacting the lives of your own students, imagine having the ability to bring about this change at a global scale ”

After all, PM Rishi Sunak, a quintessential South Asian did say earlier this year, “One of the biggest changes in mindset we need in education today is to reimagine our approach to numeracy ” Iyer and Ravindran have done exactly this in Science

C o mm u n i t y ’ co r o n a t io n

st a m p, o n e o f f ou r n e w

st amps in a set mar king the

ne w re ig n of His M aj est y

King Cha rle s III

Royal Mail, established in 1516 by King Henry VIII, design and produce all UK

decades, and since this was only the third time in the Royal Mail’s over five hund r e d - y e a r h i s t o r y t h a t w e w e r e p r o d u c i n g a s e t o f stamps to mark a coronation, we realised we had to do something very special ”

M r G o l d w e n t o n t o share the themes of the four stamps that are collectively titled ‘A New Reign ’ One s t a m p d e p i c t s t h e n e w

p o s t a g e s t a m p s , i n c l u d i n g special stamps, which celeb r a t e i m p o r t a n t a n n i v e rs a r i e s a n d m a r k m a j o r n a t i o n a l o c c a s i o n s a n d achievements A set of special stamps to c o m m e m o r a t e the coronation o f T h e i r Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla w a s i n t r oduced in May

An artistic i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of the Mandir was chosen for i n c l u s i o n i n t h e ‘ D i v e r s i t y a n d Community’ stamp, which reflects the multi-faith comm u n i t y a n d t h e c u l t u r a l d i v e r s i t y o f c o n t e m p o r a r y B r i t i s h s o c i e t y , i n c l u d i n g s o m e o f t h e m o s t i c o n i c p l a c e s o f w o r s h i p f o u n d a r o u n d t h e c o u n t r y I t a f f i r m s N e a s d e n T e m p l e being an integral part of the religious landscape of the United Kingdom

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Public

P o l i c y a t R o y a l M a i l , w a s joined by Andrew Davidson, t h e s t a m p s ’ d e s i g n e r , a n d

Ian Chilvers, design consultant at Atelier Works, at an inspiring community event at Neasden Temple on 24 May 2023 to formally pres e n t t h e ‘ D i v e r s i t y a n d

C o m m u n i t y ’ c o r o n a t i o n s t a m p t o H i s H o l i n e s s

Mahant Swami Maharaj and the Hindu community

In explaining the significance of this latest set of stamps, Mr Gold said, “It was indeed a challenge to produce a set of stamps worthy of a coronation that was h a p p e n i n g a f t e r s e v e n

monarch’s coronation cerem o n y i n W e s t m i n s t e r Abbey, with the other three representing issues that the King has championed over s e v e r a l d e c a d e s o f p u b l i c s e r v i c e – t h e C o m m o n w e a l t h , t h e e n v i r o n m e n t , and diversity H e a d d e d , “ W i t h s o m a n y f a i t h s , l a n g u a g e s a n d c u l t u r e s i n this country, it was i m p o r t a n t t o u s t h a t w e d e p i c t e d N e a s d e n T e m p l e , b e c a u s e b e s i d e s b e i n g a h u g e l y important global architectural icon, it is also a beacon for what makes this country special “ T h i s i s a p l a c e t h a t opens its doors and opens its heart to all of us regardless of our faith or whether we have no faith at all And so I am proud that we are here today to celebrate not only the King’s coronation, but the fact that a humble stamp that will be seen around the w o r l d a l s o c a r r i e s t h e imprint of this great temple ” Mr Davidson, an intern a t i o n a l l y a c c o m p l i s h e d artist with a longstanding career in gouache paintings a n d w o o d e n g r a v i n g s , shared his personal experience of designing the stamp “As you may well imagine, the Diversity stamp was the hardest to design and the most sensitive, as all faiths which share this small island must be represented fairly and respectfully From a pers o n a l p o i n t o f v i e w , I thought this temple was the m o s t p e r f e c t t o r e p r e s e n t your faith ”

CHANGE OF NAME

V VAHORA

residing at 16, Dawlish Drive, Ilford IG3 9ED, London-U.K., hereby give notice of my intention to change my name to

SAIMINABEN SIRAJBHAI VAHORA, so relinquished to the intent that I may here after be called/ known and identified by my new name

Two British Indian mums successfully launch an Ed-Tech start-up to promote feedback driven learning in science

Rajeshwari Iyer and Kavitha Ravindran

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj presented the stamp to the congregation and blessed the team from Royal Mail

The Diversity and Community’ coronation stamp features Neasden Temple as an iconic Hindu place of worship in Britain

C E L E B R A T I N G C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E A N D P H I L A N T H R O P Y A C R O S S T H E T W O N A T I O N S

As ABPL Group continues to celebrate the golden jubilee of its flagship publication Gujarat Samachar, it organised the second edition of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations as UK-India Triumph Awards in the Houses of Parliament

The awards were presented to recipients for their contributions to public life, philanthropy and community service in the UK or in India. Lord Loomba CBE hosted the event at the House of Lords. As the event commenced, moderator Smita Joshi took to stage and welcomed the dignitaries and guests She extended a special welcome to Lord Loomba, thanking him for hosting the event She then extended a warm welcome to Lord Rami Ranger and Lord Swraj Paul Deep gratitude was expressed to Lord Dolar Popat, Virendra Sharma MP, Shrai Madhvani, Aparna Madhvani for adding prominence to the event

Councillor Hitesh Tailor, the worshipful Mayor of Ealing, High Commissioner of Uganda to the UK and Ambassador to Ireland, Her Excellency Nimisha Madhvani as well as Shashi Bhusan, Second Secretary for High Commision of India to the UK also marked their presence at the event and were warmly received

CB Patel, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar and Chairman, ABPL Group was then acknowledged for his prolific and tireless contribution to the British Asian community over the last 51 years and for being the inspiration behind the prestigious awards and then, one by one, the dignitaries were invited on the stage to address the audience.

Host, Lord Loomba addresses the guests at the award function

Lord Loomba took the stage and discussed his philanthropic work for widows around the world and urged everyone to join in on the cause

He said, “It's my great pleasure to host the celebration to recognise the strong bond between the two great nations, the UK and India As Indians, we always believe passionately in giving back and making a difference Our values teach us that happiness does not result from what we get, but what we give Regardless of how much you do, one thing is certain, the world is a better place when we all give

“I'm going to tell you about the two r e c e n t a c h i e v e m e n t s o f t h e L o o m b a

Foundation We marked the International Widows Day in London and eleven cities in India on 23 June The history of International Widows Day can be traced back to 2005 when it was launched with the aim to raise awareness about the plight of widows in India and around the world

“There are an estimated 46 million widows in India and I would like to urge everyone p r e s e n t h e r e t o d a y t o c o m m e m o r a t e

International Widows Day, every year, on the 23 June, and raise awareness on the plight of widows, especially in rural India, where they are mostly uneducated, unable to get a job, and have to depend on their family members, who often abused them physically, psychologically and sexually, in a practice of modern-day slavery

Praising CB’s efforts as a supporting pillar of the community, he said, “He is creating awareness and enlightening the community

by means of Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice newspaper His newspaper, for the last five decades, has done extremely well

“I can say that CB Patel is on a mission to serve the community He always stands with and fights for the rights of the common people CB is committed to strengthening our community culture and our values through the newspaper ”

CB Patel on the strengthening UK-India relationship

Addressing the guests, CB said, “There are two bright spots in the world, India and UK They are both countries with a longer tradition ”

“What we contribute here, not only as Indians, Asians or Afro Caribbeans, everybody, is for this amazing country No other country in the world has got this large a heart And that s why everybody wants to invest here Everybody wants to live here But more

than living and investing, we are creating a new beacon so thank you for joining me here ”

“Giving is always good if it helps people"

- Lord Paul

Being deeply impacted by the u n t i m e l y l o s s o f h i s d a u g h t e r Ambika, Lord Swraj Paul set up the Ambika Paul Foundation, in memory of his beloved daughter, making significant philanthropic and charitable contributions

T h r o u g h t h e A m b i k a P a u l F o u n d a t i o n , h e p r o m o t e s t h e well-being of children and young people all over the world His long list of accolades and awards i n c l u d e s t h e m o s t p r e s t i g i o u s Padma Bhushan, which he was a w a r d e d i n 1 9 8 3 b y P r i m e

Standing:

Seated:

Anusha Singh

Lord Loomba addressing the audience

Awardees from India Dr Yogendra Kothari, Dr Anju and Mr Maru brought a special turban of M From Left to Right: Lord Ranger, Mahesh Liloriya, Lord Loomba, Dr Anju, Smita Joshi, Dr Yogen Shashi Bhushan SAHC, Manish Maru, Lord Paul, CB Patel, Aparna Madhvani, Shrai Madhvani.

CB Patel Dr Kamlesh Patel (Daaji)

L to R: Tarun Ghulati, Shrai Madhvani, Vinod Thakrar, Sanjay Rughani, Vraj Parkhania, Deepak Jatania, Nilesh Shah, Aparna Madhvani

Cecil Soans, Surendra Patel, Tulan Patel, Dr Priyan Khakhar Ismail Patel Kishore Parmar Ajay Modhwadia and Dev Parmar

Niraj Sutaria, Lord Dolar Popat, Kapil Dudakia, Mamta Tolia

Nitin Palan Kamuben Palan CB Patel HE Nimisha Madhvani, Arnav Shah, Anuj Chande

HE Nimisha Madhvani CB Patel

Subhas Patel Kalpana Patel Deviben Parekh, Jyotsnaben Shah, Namita J Shah, Team Daaji - Vishwas Subramanyam, Tejal Rathod, Mamata Venkat Subramanyam, Mayank Gupta, Alain Desvigne, Pankaj Srivastava

Minister Indira Gandhi herself

Education, Culture and health are some of the areas where Lord Paul's work has made a significant impact Just this month, he donated half a million pounds in memory of his late wife lady Aruna, to the maternity wing of Northwick Park Hospital It's a deeply significant contribution

Following CB’s address, Lord Paul shared his message for all

He said, “CB, distinguished guests, thank you very much for asking me to come here

The kind of service you have been providing for so many years to the Indian community makes us all very proud of you May you live a long life because we need you

“A long time ago I was doing an interview with the BBC and the interviewer asked me, what percentage of me was British and what

percentage Indian I told him that I'm 100% Indian and I am 100% British If you can't add up that's your problem(claps soar) and that is what I feel We are living in this country and we owe it a lot of things ”

Following the speeches by the dignitaries, it was time to present the awards to the Guests of Honour

Mahesh Liloriya, Group Editor of ABPL Group presented the vote of thanks

(Photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, PrMediapix)

Ranger, HE

Winners Dr Yogendra Kothari and Dr Anju Kothari, Lord Loomba and

The Awards were presented to:

- D R Y O G E N D R A K O T H A R I, Chairman, Anuyog

-

-

-

Bonding

The Commonwealth Partnership & Community

I), Fourth

guide in the Sahaj Marg system of Raj Yoga meditation

Awarded for Spiritual Catalyst For Heart-centred Approach To Life Worldwide

alva which reflects the United colours of India and the UK ndra, H E Nimisha Madhvani, Sunny Suri,

Dr Yogendra and Dr Anju

Manish Maru

Manish Maru Honouring Lord Paul with a special turban

Smita Joshi

Lord Paul addressing the audience

Lord Ranger with Nimisha Madhvani

CB Patel

Lord

Nimisha Madhvani, CB Patel and Mahesh Liloriya

Shashi Bhushan, SAHC, Lord Ranger, winner Manish Maru and CB Patel

Team Daaji, Lord Loomba and CB Patel

Financial Voice Reader,

Alpesh Patel OBE

As the summer sun warms our spirits, (well the central heating does this summer), it's time to t urn our attention to the of ten-overlooke d real m of personal f inanc e

The world of stocks offers a veritable treasure trove of opportunities for the discerning investor It's my firm belief that individuals should take the reins of their financial destiny, learning the ins and outs of investing and mastering the skill of stock picking As Warren Buffett, one of the world's most successful investors, once said, "Investing in yourself is the best thing you can do Anything that improves your own talents; nobody can tax it or take it away from you This sentiment echoes my belief in the importance of learning about investing and stock picking

This is not just an opinion, but a fact backed by academic research A comprehensive study by Barber and Odean (2013) d e l v e s i n t o t h e b e h a v i o u r o f i n d i v i d u a l i n v e s t o r s , highlighting the importance of self-education in making informed investment decisions It supports our argument that individuals should take the reins of their financial destiny by learning about investing and stock picking

But the journey doesn't stop there Harnessing the power of tax-free wrappers such as Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) and Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) can significantly enhance your financial health For instance, in the UK, you can contribute up to £20,000 per year into an ISA and up to £60,000 per year into a SIPP, with these contributions being exempt from income tax This is a powerful tool for wealth accumulation

T h e i m p o r t a n c e o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g o n e ' s p e n s i o n portfolio and the potential benefits of tax-efficient vehicles like SIPPs and ISAs is underscored by the research of Poterba, Venti, and Wise (2011) They provide empirical evidence that strategic use of such vehicles can significantly enhance one s financial health in retirement

I advocate for a strategic approach: investing in a diversified portfolio of 15 stocks over a 12-month period, followed by a thorough review This strategy not only spreads the risk but also allows for potential high returns from any of the stocks that perform exceptionally well I also suggest exiting if any stock drops 25% from the peak when you bought it

While I'm a strong proponent of the U S market, it's important to remember that investment strategies should be tailored to individual risk tolerance As Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, wisely said, "The investor’s chief problem and even his worst enemy is likely to be himself " This underlines the importance of understanding one's risk tolerance and investment goals

The importance of this advice is underscored by the performance of global markets The NASDAQ, for instance, has soared by an impressive 44% this year, dwarfing the FTSE's modest 10% growth These figures, along with insightful quotes and data, will serve as the bedrock of our discussion For me, my selection

In conclusion, managing investments and pensions effectively requires a blend of self-education, strategic use of t a x - e f f i c i e n t v e h i c l e s , u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f p e r s o n a l r i s k tolerance, and a keen eye on global market trends Armed with these tools, you can navigate the financial landscape with confidence and poise As we move forward, remember that the journey to financial freedom is a marathon, not a sprint With patience, discipline, and the right knowledge, you can secure a prosperous financial future

Adrian Mardell takes over as JLR CEO for the next three years

Jagu ar Land Rover (JLR), a su bsidiary o f Tata Motors, has appo inted Adrian Mard ell as its C hief Executive Officer for a tenure of three years This d ecision comes sh ortly after Tata S ons, the parent com pany of Tata M otors, announced its p lans to construct an electric v ehicle battery facto ry in the U K, w hich will supp ly to JL R's facilities

Mardell, a British national, had been serving as the interim CEO since November 2022, following the departure of former CEO Thierry Bollore In his new role, Mardell, aged 6 2 , w i l l o v e r s e e J L R ' s a m b i t i o u s t r a n s f o r m a t i o n p l a n s , including a substantial investment of 15 billion pounds over five years in electric vehicles JLR has committed to introducing a new electric Jaguar model by 2025

Prior to his appointment as interim CEO, Mardell held the position of JLR's Chief Financial Officer Beyond his professional pursuits, he is known for his enthusiasm for National Hunt horse racing and is an avid supporter of American football, particularly the Detroit Lions There is speculation that, like his predecessors Bollore and Ralf Spieth, Mardell might join the board of Tata Motors in the future

In addition to the CEO appointment, JLR has also confirmed Richard Molyneux as the permanent Chief Financial Officer Molyneux had been serving as the acting CFO since December 2022, having previously spent six years as JLR's finance director

Tata's gigafactory to have transformative impact in the UK

India's Tata G roup put an end to months of antic ipation by announc ing i ts decision to construct a subs tantial £4 billion gigafactory in the UK The factory's siz e wi ll be l arge e nough n ot only to cater to its luxury c ar m a n uf a c tu re r, J a g ua r Land Rover (JLR) , but also to serve other customers in the E ur opea n a utom obi l e industry The UK governme n t , d e s pi t e ex p re s s i n g di scomfort with i ndustrial policy, managed to outbi d Spain and secure this highly coveted investment in the au to mo ti v e i nd us t ry of Europe

The deal was unveiled by Rishi Sunak in collabora-

t i o n w i t h N a t a r a j a n Chandrasekaran, the Chair of Tata Sons, at JLR's factor y i n G a y d o n , Warwickshire The financial support offered for this v e n t u r e w a s d e s c r i b e d a s

"large" by Grant Shapps, the Energy Secretary Tata's planned gigafact o r y i n B r i d g w a t e r , Somerset, is estimated to h a v e a c a p a c i t y o f 4 0 gigawatt hours, making it

"twice the size of the average battery plant," accordi n g t o S t e p h e n G i f f o r d , C h i e f E c o n o m i s t a t t h e F a r a d a y I n s t i t u t i o n , a research organisation specialising in electrical storage technologies

Moreover, it is expected to fulfil 40% of the projecte d d e m a n d f o r b a t t e r i e s from UK car manufacturers by the year 2030 This subs t a n t i a l i n v e s t m e n t i s poised to have a transformative impact on the UK's automotive industry, with significant implications for e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e m a n u f a ct u r i n g a n d t h e c o u n t r y ' s d r i v e t o w a r d s a g r e e n e r future

More than 50 per cent rise in UK car insurance prices

Recent data indicates th at t h e s it u at i o n m ay n o t imp rov e any t ime so on f or p eo p l e o n t h e h u n t f o r ren tal h om es Ac co r ding t o p r o p e r t y w eb si t e Ri g h t m o v e, t h e av er a g e r en t f o r p r o p e r t i es i n London and acr oss the UK h as r ea ch ed a n a l l -t i m e high F o r t h o s e s e e k i n g a c c o m m o d a t i o n o u t s i d e o f L o n d o n , t h e a v e r a g e monthly rent has risen to £1,231 Meanwhile, properties within London have soared to a record price of £2,567 per month The figu r e s , e n c o m p a s s i n g t h e entire UK for the second quarter of this year, reveal t h a t t h e a v e r a g e a s k i n g r e n t f o r a t y p i c a l h o m e outside London has seen a s i g n i f i c a n t 3 3 % i n c r e a s e c o m p a r e d t o t h e s a m e period in 2019, rising by

£ 3 0 8 f r o m £ 9 2 3 p e r month S i m i l a r l y , L o n d o n rents have surged by 28% ( £ 5 5 9 p e r m o n t h ) c o mpared to the same period in 2019 This indicates a c h a l l e n g i n g s c e n a r i o f o r renters, with rental costs continuing to rise steadily over the past few years

Furthermore, there are i n d i c a t i o n s t h a t s o m e landlords are opting to sell their properties instead of continuing to rent them o u t C u r r e n t l y , 1 6 % o f properties listed for sale were previously available for rent, a notable increase f r o m t h e f i g u r e o f 1 3 % recorded in January 2019 This shift in the market signals a potential change in the investment strategies of property owners, possibly influenced by prevailing market conditions

Th e recent cost o f liv ing bu lleti n from the Offi ce fo r National S tatistics indicated a slo wdow n in inflation to 7 9% in June, driven by a notable drop in petrol and diesel prices by ov er 20% However, a closer look at the data rev eals a co ncerning trend : car insurance prices have surg ed by a sig nificant 50 9% in the last 1 2 months

A c c o r d i n g t o m a r k e t r e s e a r c h f i r m C o n s u m e r Intelligence, the average car insurance quote has seen a substantial increase of 34% in the year leading up to May The rising costs have affected different age groups differently, with under-25s experiencing the highest impact, facing an average policy cost of £2,145 Those aged between 25 and 49 are paying an average of £850, while the over-50s group is facing an average cost of £568 For new drivers, there s additional bad news as there are fewer telematics policies available, which are typically more affordable

Amidst higher food and energy costs, consumers are expressing concerns that they are being taken advantage of to boost insurers' profits However, experts argue that the car insurance sector operates on slim profit margins, and many companies were caught off guard by the significant increase in claims costs during 2022 As a result, they are now trying to recoup losses by raising premiums

With September being a significant month for renewals due to new car registrations, Ian Hughes, the chief executive of Consumer Intelligence, warns that Britons returning from their summer holidays might face a major shock when renewing their car insurance policies

Bank warned against closisng accounts of customers over political views

The Br itish go ver nm en t is con temp lat ing t he in troductio n o f n e w la ws t o sa fegua r d fr e e s pe ech by p reven ting ba nk s from t urnin g a w a y cu s t o m e r s s o le l y be c a u se of t h e i r p o li t i ca l beliefs Bank s may r isk losin g t h e i r l ic e n s e s i f t h e y de cide to close cust ome rs' a cc o un t s b a se d on t h e i r political views

A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e Treasury is said to be plann i n g a n a n n o u n c e m e n t

r e g a r d i n g a n e x t e n s i o n o f the notice period given to customers for closing their accounts This period could b e e x t e n d e d f r o m o n e m o n t h t o t h r e e m o n t h s Banks would be required to provide a clear explanation for why they are closing an account, customers having the right to appeal such decis i o n s T h i s d e v e l o p m e n t comes in the aftermath of the closure of Nigel Farage's b a n k a c c o u n t s b y C o u t t s ,

citing a misalignment of his views with the bank s values

I n r e s p o n s e , s o m e s e n i o r C o n s e r v a t i v e M e m b e r s o f Parliament have been exerting pressure on Coutts and its parent company NatWest in light of the account closures involving Farage

During the press briefing after PMQs, Sunak's press secretary expressed serious concern, deeming it "incredibly concerning and wrong" i f F a r a g e ' s a c c o u n t w a s

closed merely because of his political opinions Foreign S e c r e t a r y J a m e s C l e v e r l y e c h o e d t h i s s e n t i m e n t , e m p h a s i s i n g t h a t s u c h a decision "completely undermines the trust we have in our banking and financial systems " The Financial Conduct Authority also weighed in, announcing its intention to engage in discussions with NatWest to address the situation

Asda and Morrisons pay zero business tax

P ri v at e eq u i ty- b ac ke d su p e rm ar ke ts A sd a an d M o rri s o ns d i d no t p ay a p enn y o f c o rp o ra ti o n tax last year, as new disclosures sh ed lig ht on how bu yout firms minimise tax by loading companies w ith debt In the decad e before they were boug ht out by Issa broth ers, they p aid more than £20 0 million of corpo ration tax a yea r o n a v era g e b etw een

them However, since the buyouts their profits have been reduced to losses, largely due to hefty interest paym e n t s o n t h e n e w d e b t being loaded onto their balance sheets As corporation tax is levied only on profits, they pay nothing

Accounts filed by Asda at Companies House this month showed its finance

c o s t s , p r i n c i p a l l y i n t e r e s t payments on debts, came to

£ 3 9 5 5 m i l l i o n , p u s h i n g

Britain’s third largest supermarket to a £74 million pret a x l o s s M e a n w h i l e , Morrisons shelled out £406

million on financing c o s t s , w h i c h c o ntributed to a £1 3 bill i o n p r e - t a x l o s s Asda was acquired in 2021 by Issa brothers, w h o m a d e a f o r t u n e i n p e t r o l f o r e c o u r t s , a n d London based private equity firm TDR Capital for £6 8 billion It is now saddled w i t h £ 4 8 b i l l i o n o f n e t debt

Rental rates reach a record high in the UK

Adani to sell financial services biz to US firm Bain

Go First's flights resumption plan gets conditional nod

C a sh - st r a p p e d a ir l in e G o Fir st may resume scheduled fli g h t op e r a t i on s on t h e a v a i la b il it y o f i n t e r im fu n d i n g a n d a p p r o v a l o f fli g h t s ch e d u le by t h e

Dire ctora te Gen er al of Civil Aviat ion

I n a s t a t e m e n t , t h e

Mind over matter

by the office and the same is accepted by the Competent

A u t h o r i t y , s u b j e c t t o t h e

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

B i ll io n ai re Gau t am A d ani h as signed an agreement for t h e sa le o f h i s f i nan c ia l s erv ices busi ness , marking an exit from a segment that h e ente red s i x ye ars ag o A d an i F i ns er v e, a c lo s el y h eld com pany, will sell 90% o f A dani Capital and A dani H o u s in g t o A m e ri ca n i n v es tm e nt fi r m B ai n

C ap ital fo r an undisclosed amo unt Adani Capital and Adani Housing are led by Gaurav G u p t a , w h o j o i n e d t h e group in October 2016 to start the financial services b u s i n e s s f o r t h e conglomerate Gupta owns 10% of Adani Capital and A d a n i H o u s i n g , w h i c h t o g e t h e r m a n a g e s a s s e t s worth £410 million He will

continue to hold the 10% a n d r u n t h e f i n a n c i a l s e r v i c e s b u s i n e s s u n d e r B a i n ' s o w n e r s h i p A d a n i C a p i t a l o f f e r s l o a n s t o M S M E s w h i l e A d a n i Housing provides affordable h o u s i n g l o a n o p t i o n s f o r rural areas Bain will infuse £139 4 m i l l i o n i n t h e f i n a n c i a l services unit to facilitate its growth The unit, reportedly valued at £200 million, will continue to use the Adani name for some time till the t r a n s i t i o n t a k e s p l a c e including getting approval from the RBI The AdaniBain deal, stitched together b y A v e n d u s C a p i t a l a n d Rothschild, is expected to be concluded before the end of this year

Resolution Professional (RP) a p p r o v e d b y t h e N a t i o n a l C o m p a n y L a w T r i b u n a l ( N C L T ) p r e s e n t e d a r e s u m p t i o n p l a n o f t h e a i r l i n e t o t h e a v i a t i o n regulator on June 28 As a result, a special audit of Go F i r s t f a c i l i t i e s w a s c a r r i e d out in Mumbai and Delhi from July 4-6

The audit s main areas of a t t e n t i o n w e r e s a f e t yr e l a t e d i s s u e s , o n g o i n g adherence by an operator to the requirements to hold an air operator certificate, and the physical verification of the preparations made for t h e r e s u m p t i o n o f f l y i n g operations

“In this regard, it is to i n f o r m t h a t t h e p r o p o s e d r e s u m p t i o n p l a n d a t e d 2 8 6 2 0 2 3 , a m e n d e d v i d e c o m m u n i c a t i o n d a t e d 15 7 2023, has been examined

o u t c o m e s o f t h e w r i t p e t i t i o n s / a p p l i c a t i o n s pending before the Hon'ble h i g h c o u r t o f D e l h i a n d H o n ' b l e N C L T , D e l h i Accordingly, Go First as a g o i n g c o n c e r n m a y commence flight operations s u b j e c t t o t h e f o l l o w i n g conditions”, the DGCA said in a statement According to the DGCA, t h e a i r l i n e i s r e q u i r e d t o c o n s t a n t l y c h e c k t h a t a l l legal requirements are met in order to maintain an air o p e r a t o r c e r t i f i c a t e Airworthiness of the aircraft engaged in operations must a l w a y s b e e n s u r e d , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e a v i a t i o n regulation N o a i r c r a f t s h a l l b e d e p l o y e d f o r o p e r a t i o n s w i t h o u t u n d e r t a k i n g a satisfactory handling flight, t h e D G C A a d d e d “ A n y c h a n g e i n t h e c o m p a n y which has a bearing on the resumption plan submitted by the RP shall be promptly notified to the DGCA”, the statement added

GQG buys stake in Indian food group fronted by Yoga Guru Ramdev

The investme nt in Pata njali Foods is a new wager by G Q G o n I n di a a f t e r i t i nvested n early $2 billi on in the troubled c on glomerate o f i n f ra s t r uc tu r e t y c o on G a uta m A da ni in M ar ch R am de v , w h os e y og a c ha n n e l i s w a t c he d b y m i ll i o n s , i s th e f a c e of P a t a n j a li an d a n o nex ecutive direc tor

In the past, he ran a controversial campaign for I n d i a ' s p r i m e l e a d e r , N a r e n d r a M o d i , c a l l i n g modern medicine a "stupid bankrupt science during the pandemic In a filing to

I n d i a n s t o c k e x c h a n g e s ,

GQG said it had acquired 2 1 5 m i l l i o n s h a r e s i n Patanjali, 5 96 per cent of total shares of the biscuitsto-edible oils seller GQG did not disclose how much it paid for the stake but the clearing price

f o r p r o f e s s i o n a l b i d d e r s w a s R s 1 , 1 0 3 8 p e r s h a r e , according to the BSE stock e x c h a n g e T h i s w o u l d suggest GQG paid about $290 million

GQG is betting heavily o n I n d i a ’ s e c o n o m i c growth In a blog posted on

Reliance separates SIL to form Jio Financial Services

Reliance Ind ustries Lim ited ( R I L ) o n 2 0 th J u ly s u c ce s sf u ll y e xec u te d i ts d em e rg er p lan, s ep aratin g i t s s u b si d i ar y S t rat eg i c I nv estm en ts L im i ted ( S IL ) t o f o rm J i o F in anc i al S ervices ( JFS)

SIL will be renamed and listed on stock exchanges at a later date As of now, JFS is n o t t r a d a b l e a n d w i l l b e i n c l u d e d i n t h e N i f t y 5 0 index with a constant price u n t i l t h e l i s t i n g d a t e i s officially announced T h e d e m e r g e r s c h e m e e n t i t l e s s h a r e h o l d e r s t o receive one share of the new e n t i t y , R e l i a n c e S t r a t e g i c I n v e s t m e n t s ( R S I L ) , f o r e v e r y s h a r e o f R I L h e l d With the demerger, JFS has been valued at an impressive ₹261 85 per share during a s p e c i a l s e s s i o n o n t h e

T h i s v a l u a t i o n h a s s u r p a s s e d a n a l y s t e x p e c t a t i o n s , w h o h a d initially estimated its worth to be between ₹125 to ₹225 p e r s h a r e T h i s h i g h e r valuation is attributed to Jio F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s ' ownership of approximately 6% of Reliance Industries' treasury shares

Following the demerger, RIL stock price has settled at ₹ 2 , 5 8 9 p e r s h a r e o n t h e B o m b a y S t o c k E x c h a n g e (

₹ 2 , 8 5 3 p e r s h a r e

Despite this drop, the k e y b e n c h m a r k indices in India, Nifty, and Sensex, may not n e c e s s a r i l y f a l l significantly JFS (Jio F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s ) will be listed as the 51st share on the Nifty 50 index, and its weight will b e a d j u s t e d a c c o r d i n g l y T h i s a d j u s t m e n t e n s u r e s that the combined weight and price of Reliance plus J F S r e m a i n e q u i v a l e n t t o Reliance's weight and price a s o f t h e p r e v i o u s d a y ' s closing Overall, the demerger of S I L i n t o J i o F i n a n c i a l Services marks a significant step for Reliance Industries a n d p r e s e n t s n e w opportunities for investors i n t h e e v o l v i n g f i n a n c i a l landscape

We hav e inv estors w ho p urpo rt to want to inv est into a p roperty Ho wev er, when an opp ortunity is presented they p roceed to tell us wh y it’s not a g ood investm ent T he resp onse wou ld be a few reasons relating to the p roperty, th e majority of the other reasons relating to the state of th e economy in g eneral; for which th ere is plenty of fuel available from the mainstream m ed ia It’s a fact i n ter es t ra tes ar e ri s in g , an d p ro p e rty p ri c es are d ecreasing

Clearly we are in a flux in the property market

Recently, we sourced a river facing flat in Battersea, which was a distressed sale, it was on a high floor overlooking the river from the majority of the flat The property was severely discounted, close to 40% off the market price We presented it to the client, who wanted immediately to come and see the property even before I had a chance to review the flat

Once I had agreed the price and terms to execute the deal, she then proceeded to send me articles of the mainstream press predicting a drop in real estate of 10%

This sequence is illogical If you ’ re convinced now is not a good time to invest into property, why would you even waste your time let alone mine to want to go and see the property in the first place?

It is illogical, because logic is not what governs human behaviour We are ruled by emotions, not logic

This manifests in various ways, with a variety of reasons why not to do something - we get to hear them all

Logically this property will never come on the market again, it is unique For this client the alternative was to keep the funds in the bank, not stagnating, but declining At the current rate of inflation in real terms money in the bank is being eroded This was not a development project, hence very few variables to contend with It was a buy and hold opportunity to be bought in cash, with probably enough of a buffer to see through the coming times

its website in June, GQG praised Modi for making b u s i n e s s - f r i e n d l y r e f o r m s a n d “ f o l l o w i n g t h e playbook” of world leaders i n c l u d i n g M a r g a r e t Thatcher, Ronald Reagan a n d L e e K u a n Y e w o f Singapore G Q G ’ s f o u n d e r a n d c h i e f i n v e s t m e n t o f f i c e r , R a j i v J a i n , w a s t h e f i r s t major investor to bet on the Adani Group after US s h o r t s e l l e r H i n d e n b u r g R e s e a r c h h i t t h e conglomerate with a short s e l l i n g a t t a c k i n J a n u a r y this year

The point being investing, or any other activity for that matter, is 80% a matter of psychology and only 20% the actual activity

I vividly remember the Tyson and Bruno fight a few decades ago It was brutally obvious Bruno, before he even got in the ring, was going to lose the fight It was written on his face, the face being the closest thing to the mind Lo and behold he was knocked out However, the fight was lost before it was even started

Of course I am not advocating it’s all psychology You must of course do full due diligence, run different scenarios, check the what ifs, and there are always risks involved However, the major dominating factor is mindset, and unless this is not aligned there is little point in dabbling in the activity You will be simply burning energy and wasting time at best, and at worst make a wrong decision

India seeks more trade deals in local currency

R up e e- d i rh a m tra d e w i th the UA E has started as Ind ia talks w ith other nations o n dealing in local currencies

“There were a few deals r i g h t a f t e r t h e a g r e e m e n t w a s s i g n e d r e c e n t l y , ” a n o f f i c i a l s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t u n d e r t h e c u r r e n t mechanism India and the U A E a r e p e g g i n g t h e e x c h a n g e r a t e t o t h e U S dollar but will have a direct e x c h a n g e i n t h e c o m i n g m o n t h s , o f f i c i a l s o u r c e s said During PM Narendra M o d i ’ s v i s i t t o U A E , R B I g o v e r n o r S h a k t i k a n t a D a s and his counterpart signed an agreement for trade in local currency, which will a l l o w I n d i a n e x p o r t e r s t o get the payment in dirhams, while an Emirati exporter can receive the proceeds in Indian rupee

T h e g o v e r n m e n t i s e x p e c t i n g t h a t b u s i n e s s e s a n d f u n d s f r o m t h e G u l f c o u n t r y w i t h a s i z a b l e

Indian diaspora will use this window to invest in India While the surplus that the UAE will have as a result of a good trade balance can be t u r n e d i n t o U S d o l l a r s , e n t e r p r i s e s w i l l a l s o h a v e the choice to do so O f f i c i a l s s a i d t h a t a number of similar deals are in the works but neither the

government nor RBI a r e w i l l i n g t o disclose any names M e d i a r e p o r t e d a b o u t I n d o n e s i a b e i n g o n e o f t h e c o u n t r i e s w i t h w h i c h t a l k s a r e

currently underway, Singapore and either Brazil or Argentina c o u l d b e t h e o t h e r candidates The deal with t h e U A E h a s , h o w e v e r , generated a lot of interest a m o n g o t h e r c o u n t r i e s , including some in Europe, w h i c h h a v e t r a d i t i o n a l l y been in favour of using their c u r r e n c y W h i l e t h e g o v e r n m e n t h a d b e e n p u s h i n g f o r r u p e e - b a s e d trade, the progress had been s l o w e r t h a n e x p e c t e d a l t h o u g h n e a r l y 2 0 countries were signed

Hindu temple in Bangladesh vandalised, accused detained

DH A K A : A n id ol i n a Hi n du t emple in t he Brahm anbar ia ar ea of Ban glade sh was van dalize d by a 3 6 - y e a r -o l d m a n T he lo c a l Hindu com munity was out rag ed by the in cid ent The Niam at Pur Durg a t emple in Niama tpur villag e is wher e t he inciden t took p l a ce T he a cc u se d ha s b e e n id ent ifie d as Kha lil Mia

As the news of the vandalism spread, the locals quickly took matters into their own hands and assisted the police in chasing and catching the accused K h a l i l M i a w a s a r r e s t e d , b u t B r a h m a n b a r i a P o l i c e S u p e r i n t e n d e n t M o h a m m a d

Shakhawat Hossain said the rea-

son for it is yet unknown Why he turned to such a heinous deed is still a mystery

A c c o r d i n g t o J a g d i s h D a s ,

t h e P r e s i d e n t o f N i a m a t p u r Sarvajanin Durga Temple, the sudden act of vandalism sparked anger and discontent among the

Lanka passes anti-corruption bill as part of IMF bailout plan

COLO MB O: T he International Mo netary F und ( IMF ) has p ro vided S ri Lanka with a $2 9 billion bailo ut, and as p art of that agreem e nt , t h e co u nt ry 's p ar li a me n t h as ap p ro ved a la w to figh t c o rru p tio n an d i mp ro ve go vernance in the crisis-stricken nation

The legislation was passed without a vote in the 225-member house “The bill is p a s s e d w i t h a m e n d m e n t s , ” S r i L a n k a P a r l i a m e n t S p e a k e r M a h i n d a Y a p a

Abeywardena told lawmakers after more than two dozen pages of amendments were included in the draft legislation during the morning session

After a severe foreign exchange crisis pushed Sri Lanka to default on its foreign debt last year, which resulted in skyrocketing inflation and a sharp depreciation in its c u r r e n c y , t h e i s l a n d n a t i o n ' s e c o n o m y plunged into the worst financial crisis in more than 70 years

Pakistan

m e m b e r s o f t h e l o c a l H i n d u community

Khalil Mia was visiting his sister at her home in Niamatpur village when the terrible tragedy took place, according to investigations He vandalized not just one, but five or six idols inside the Durga temple after an argument with some locals allegedly got out of hand

J a g d i s h D a s f i l e d a c a s e u n d e r t h e H u r t i n g R e l i g i o u s S e n t i m e n t s a n d S p e e d y T r i a l Act Authorities have assured a thorough investigation, ensuri n g t h a t a p p r o p r i a t e l e g a l actions will be taken against the accused

44 killed as heavy rains unleash flash floods in Pak, Afghanistan

But the country’s fortunes improved after it locked down a $2 9 bn programme with the IMF in March, which included introducing new anti-corruption legislation to strengthen governance and bring it in line w i t h t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s C o n v e n t i o n Against Corruption

This is the first time an IMF programme has been linked to such a measure in Asia

T h e C o m m i s s i o n t o I n v e s t i g a t e Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in Sri Lanka, which is tasked with conducting extensive investigations, would have more authority and resources according to the Anti-Corruption Bill It can now work on collaborative investigations with regional and global partners

The new bill also makes it mandatory for electoral candidates to declare their assets, which will be published ahead of elections, and expands bribery offences to include private sector stakeholders

International Airlines leasing London Heathrow airport slots

I S L A M A B A D : P ak i s ta n Internatio nal Airlines (P IA) is leasing o ut its slots at London Heath row Airpo rt (LHR) to other carriers du e to being blo cked by the UK Civil Aviatio n Au th ority (CAA) Alth ough flights will remain banned this su mmer, the airline ho pes that servi ce to th e UK will retu rn

Although not actively flying to London, PIA's strategy of leasing its slots allows the airline to continue to h o l d t h e m H o w e v e r , L H R h a s reportedly been aiming for PIA to lose its landing rights

According to ch-aviation com, PIA has given up six weekly slot pairs for six months t o V i e t n a m A i r l i n e s f r o m A p r i l 1 s t t o October of this year Kuwait Airways will pick up PIA's ten weekly slot pairs from March 26th to October 22nd In 2020, the CAA banned PIA after a scandal involving the carrier's pilots and the validity of their licenses

LHR makes slots available to airlines as long as they are constantly used Any carrier that holds a slot at the airport must use them at least 70% of the time With PIA leasing out the slots it holds to other airlines that will use them, the carrier still complies with the terms of its slot contract Still, despite not controlling slot assignments, the airport has been pushing for PIA to lose its slots for some time, according to ch-aviation com

Islamabad airpo rt to be 'o utsourced'

Meanwhile, the Islamabad airport would

INDIAN TEEN SHOT DEAD IN CALIFORNIA

A 17-year-old boy a native of Kottayam in Kerala, was shot dead in Gilroy, California, according to relatives back home The teen’s name was Jackson, son of Sunny Kavil Sunny s sister said she got a phone call from her brother informing her about the death She said she wasn’t aware of the reason for the killing Sunny had left for the US in 1992 He runs a restaurant in Gilroy and his wife works as a nurse in the US The couple has four children Jackson was the youngest

PAK FINANCE MINISTER MAY BE NAMED INTERIM PM

be outsourced for 15 years to improve its 'operational activities', Pakistan Minister for Aviation, Khawaja Saad Rafique said in the National Assembly

The Minister, however, claimed that the m o v e d o e s n o t e q u a t e t o p r i v a t i s a t i o n , instead, it aims to bring in proficient operators to enhance airport operations " He added that open competitive bidding will be g u a r a n t e e d , g i v i n g t h e b e s t b i d d e r t h e chance to run the airport He also emphasised that the process would be profit-orie n t e d , e v e n t u a l l y h e l p i n g t h e n a t i o n a l exchequer H e s a i d , " T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l F i n a n c e Corporation will act as the consultant, and 12 to 13 companies have already expressed interest in taking part in the bidding process " Additionally, he gave his word that the procedure would be open and follow all laws and standards However, the aviation minister said that the runway and navigation operations would not be included in the outsourcing process

I S L A M A B A D : Ov e r t h e pa s t t hr e e d a y s, seve re flooding brought on by sea son al ra in s in Afgha nista n has k illed a t least 31 pe ople an d left scor es m issing, while in n eighboring countr y, Pa kista n, 13 people per ishe d in lan dslide s a nd hea vy r ains

At least 31 people have been killed, 74 have been injured, and 41 are still missing, according to Shafiullah Rahimi, the Taliban's designated spokesperson for Afghanistan's state ministry for disaster management The provinces of Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, and Kabul were all affected by flash floods The majority of the casualties, he continued, were in west Kabul and Maidan Wardak

The most recent flash flood happened in t h e J a l r e z d i s t r i c t o f M a i d a n W a r d a k province west of Kabul, killing 12 people, said T a l i b a n s p o k e s m a n Z a b i h u l l a h M u j a h i d Rescue crews were busy performing search and rescue operations while at least 40 more p e r s o n s w e r e r e p o r t e d m i s s i n g , h e s a i d

According to a statement from the provincial governor's office, hundreds of homes were either damaged or destroyed, and the missing people are likely buried beneath the wreckage of those dwellings

Pakistan’s election body issues arrest warrant against ex-PM Khan

I S L A M A B A D : Pa k i st a n ’ s E l e ct i o n Commission has issued a non-ba il abl e arr est warr ant aga inst Imran Khan in the lat est l egal chall enge facing the for me r pr ime minist er

The latest case came on Monday, the s a m e d a y K h a n w a s g r a n t e d b a i l b y t h e Supreme Court in a different case Khan has b e e n s l a p p e d w i t h m o r e t h a n 1 5 0 c a s e s , including “terrorism” since he was removed as prime minister in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April last year

The warrant, issued in Islamabad, said K h a n w a s i n c o n t e m p t o f t h e E l e c t i o n Commission’s proceedings and had failed to appear before the commission despite earlier notices and bailable warrants

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party posted an image of the warrant, saying it was received at Khan’s residence in Lahore by a member of his legal team The 70-year-old politician has been accused of using “intemperate language and contemptuous remarks” against the Election Commission

It has directed the capital’s inspector general of police to arrest Khan and present him before the election body Addressing his supporters on YouTube shortly after the arrest warrant, Khan said he was “ready for jail”

Khan has used his strong social media following to address his supporters as Pakistan’s media regulatory body has banned local telev i s i o n c h a n n e l s f r o m b r o a d c a s t i n g h i s speeches and naming him

Following the conclusion of the current National Assembly's term next month, the ruling PML-N party is reportedly considering designating Ishaq Dar, the finance minister, as the interim prime minister According to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the current administration's term will end on August 14 and the election commission will choose the date for the subsequent general election According to media Sharif may dissolve the national legislature on August 8 days before its term is set to expire If the national assembly completes its term polls are to be held within 60 days But if it is dissolved prematurely, even if by a day, it would give the government 90 days to conduct elections The caretaker PM will administer the country till a new government is formed

PAK SC SNUBS SHARIF GOVT ON IMRAN PROTEST TRIALS

Pakistan s Supreme Court turned down the Shehbaz Sharif-led government s request to constitute a full court to hear pleas challenging military court trials of protesters charged with attacking army facilities following ex PM Imran Khan s arrest in an alleged graft case on May 9 this year Imran is among those who have filed the petitions contesting such trials “It is impossible to make a full court at this time Three judges had excused themselves from hearing the case, some judges are not in the country,” chief justice Umar Ata Bandial, leading a six-member bench, said CJ Bandial pointed out that two more judges had recused themselves on the first day of hearing

17 KILLED, OVER 35 INJURED AS BUS PLUNGES INTO POND

As many as 17 people were killed and more than a dozen others were injured after a bus plunged into a roadside pond in Chhatrakanda area of Jhalakathi Sadar upazila in Bangladesh There were seven minors and five women among the victims The Barishal-bound bus from Bhandaria upazila to Pirojpur fell into the pond as its driver lost control of the wheels near the local union parishad office while giving side to an auto rickshaw Jhalakathi

Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Nasir

Uddin said At least 35 passengers were injured in the accident and were taken to Jhalakathi District Hospital Rescue workers recovered 13 bodies from the scene, while four others died in the hospital according to Dr Zahirul Islam the district s civil surgeon

IRAN BANS FILM FESTIVAL OVER HIJAB ISSUE

Iranian authorities have banned a film festival that put out a publicity poster featuring an actress who was not wearing a hijab, state media reported The ban comes after the Iranian Short Film Association (ISFA) released a poster for its upcoming short film festival featuring Iranian actress Susan Taslimi in the 1982 film “The Death of Yazdguerd”

“The culture minister has personally issued an order to ban the 13th edition of the ISFA Film Festival, after using a photo of a woman without a hijab on its poster in violation of the law, state news agency reported The festival had been scheduled to be held in September Wearing a hijab covering the head and the neck has been compulsory for women in Iran since 1983 shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution

KNIFE-WIELDING MAN INJURES 3 IN JAPAN

Three people were hurt in a knife attack on a train in western Japan, with police saying they had arrested a man for allegedly carrying out the stabbings The victims - a train conductor in his 20s and two male passengers aged in their 20s and 70s - were taken to hospital with nonlife threatening injuries The 37-year-old male suspect was armed with three knives when he was arrested at Rinku Town station in the Osaka region, local police said He was arrested for attempted murder and has already admitted to carrying out the attack, police said Violent crime is rare in Japan but there are occasional stabbings and even shootings, including the assassination of former PM Shinzo Abe last year

PUTIN TO SKIP BRICS MEET IN AUGUST

Vladimir Putin has agreed not to attend an economic summit in Johannesburg next month after being asked to stay away by host country South Africa, which was facing a major legal quandary over whether to arrest the Russian president on an International Criminal Court warrant The office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Putin will not attend the Brics summit after a mutual agreement South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC and would have been obliged it to arrest him

Though Russia has dismissed the warrant, Putin has not travelled to any country that is a signatory to the court s treaty since he was indicted by the ICC for war crimes over abduction of children from Ukraine

CHINESE FIRM DON'T WANT DRINKERS, SMOKERS AND MEAT EATERS

A job posting by a Chinese electronics business seeking individuals who do not smoke, consume alcohol, or eat meat has gone viral

The unnamed corporation in Shenzhen, southern China, garnered widespread condemnation on social media because of its requirements An applicant uploaded screenshots of the job advertisement and the conversations with the company’s human resources online on July 8 According to the applicant an anonymous HR professional argued that eating meat was an act of killing

Meat consumption is a sin Killing is inhumane

Not eating meat is doing good, she said

A LAVISH WEDDING OF DOGS DRAWS BACKLASH IN INDONESIA

Two Indonesian women have apologised after a lavish “wedding” for their dogs sparked a backlash in the country where wealth distribution is one of the most unequal in the world Two Alaskan Malamutes were wedded at a mall in the capital Jakarta, donning traditional Javanese costumes alongside their owners and relatives at a fake ceremony that reportedly cost 200 million rupiah ($13,350) A social media uproar followed forcing the owners into a contrite news conference “We would like to apologise for the Javanese culture enthusiasts and all Indonesians who were uncomfortable and hurt by the event ” Indira Ratnasari owner of female dog Luna said

EU’S HIGHEST FLAGPOLE IN BLOC’S POOREST BULGARIA

A soaring mast in the mountains of Bulgaria has made the EU’s poorest country the home of the bloc’s highest flagpole filling some with pride and drawing scorn from others The immense 1 110-square-metre flag was hoisted up the record breaking 111-metre pole last week in a forest meadow in the Rhodope mountains With it Bulgaria takes the flagpole crown from Finland - which has a 100-metre one - though it does not nearly touch the heights of some outside Europe which are almost twice as high

Pro-Khalistan supporters use bots to jack up violence against India

T OR O N T O: Fr om pr opaga ting con spiracy t heor ie s to ta rge ting India’ s se nior-most diploma ts in Can ada an d its mission s in the coun tr y, pro-Khalist an bot a ct ivity has escala te d in re ce nt t ime s on socia l med ia That bot activity first came to the fore in summer last year as t h e s e r i e s o f d e s e c r a t i o n s o f Hindu temples and busts and s t a t u e s o f M a h a t m a G a n d h i occurred in the country Many of the handles involved appeared to be linked to Pakistan and were generated days before swamping Twitter with propaganda Those e v e n t s u s u a l l y f e a t u r e d p r oKhalistan slogans and videos of

the vandalism were tweeted out simultaneously

T h a t a c t i v i t y h a s b e c o m e even more pronounced this year:

F i r s t d u r i n g t h e m a n h u n t f o r Waris Punjab De leader Amritpal S i n g h i n I n d i a , f o l l o w i n g t h e murder of Sikhs for Justice’s principal figure in British Columbia Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the parking lot of a gurdwara in Surrey on June 18

This activity may be part of a larger pattern as suggested by a report released by the Princeton, N e w J e r s e y - b a s e d N e t w o r k Contagion Research Institute or NCRI

Responding to queries about

t h e r e c e n t s p u r t o f a c t i v i t y , NCRI’s chief operating officer

Jack Donohue said their report “confirms that a subset of these accounts, roughly 20%, were selfi d e n t i f i e d P a k i s t a n i a c c o u n t s based on user descriptions and user reported locations ” “The involvement of these self-identified Pakistani that are “bot-like” (accounts exhibiting coordinated inauthentic activit y ) s u g g e s t s n o t j u s t b o t - l i k e activity but raises the possibility of a broader effort for covert i n f l u e n c e T h e o p e r a t i o n o f t h e s e a c c o u n t s a l i g n w i t h P a k i s t a n i s t r a t e g i c i n t e r e s t s , s u g g e s t i n g t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f

s t a t e - i n v o l v e d i n f l u e n c e , ” h e added

The bots amplified the infamous ‘Kill India’ posters targeting senior diplomats not just in Canada, but also the United States, United Kingdom and Australia They propagated the SFJ allegation that India was behind the “assassination” of N i j j a r , w h i l e t h e I n t e g r a t e d Homicide Investigation Team or IHIT has yet to complete its investigation In fact, on July 4, a r e p o r t f r o m t h e a g e n c y C a n a d i a n P r e s s s t a t e d t h a t “police say they have found no link to India in their investigation ”

Record hot summer spikes heat-related illness in US

W A S H I NG T O N : He at-re lated illnesses have sp iked as th e US bakes in a record-hot sum mer, forcing so me hosp itals to call in more staff to treat a surg e in p ati e nts T h e p ro p o rt io n o f em ergency-roo m v isits linked to heat skyrocketed in Texas and surrounding states, accord ing to Centers fo r Disease Control and Prevention data, w ith so me weeks surpassing levels seen last year

Rates soared in other parts of t h e c o u n t r y , i n c l u d i n g t h e Southwest, in late June and July

Doctors in Arizona and Texas said it’s the worst summer yet, with a higher number of patients c o m i n g i n a n d s o m e n e e d i n g treatment for severe conditions like heat stroke, when high body temperatures can damage vital organs and sometimes lead to d e a t h T e m p e r a t u r e s h a v e s e t m o n t h l y a n d a l l - t i m e r e c o r d s

around the country in the past month, spiking well above 38°C in many places Most of the US has a high chance of warmert h a n - n o r m a l t e m p e r a t u r e s through August 3, according to the Climate Prediction Center

In Phoenix, where temperat u r e s w e r e o n t r a c k t o h i t 43°Celsius or higher for a 22nd consecutive day, the Valleywise Health system has called in extra staff to handle its highest volume

of patients since the pandemic Summer time heated-related illnesses are “not an uncommon p r o b l e m , ” i n P h o e n i x , s a i d Valleywise Chief Clinical Officer Michael White, “but the number of patients that we ’ re seeing now with heat exposures has risen ” At least 18 people died of heatrelated causes this year through July 15 in Maricopa County A f u r t h e r 6 9 d e a t h s a r e u n d e r probe

US based terrorist Pannun threatens to target

Amit Shah and Jaishankar

W A S H I N G T ON : I n a v id e o, US- bas ed de sig nated terroris t G S Pan nu of the outlawed Sikh for Jus tice (SFJ) orga niz at i o n o f f e r e d a r e w a rd of $ 125 ,0 00 to a nyon e with in forma tion about th e fore ign trips of In dian High Commi ss ione r t o C a n a d a S a n j a y K u ma r Ve r ma , Mi n i s t e r o f Ex t e r n a l A f f a i r s S J a i s h a n k a r, a n d Home Mini ster Amit Shah f or their i nvolvemen t i n the plot to ki ll an other Khalis tan terrori st, H a r d e e p S i n g h N i j j a r , i n Vancouver i n June

Pannun, a dual citizen of t h e U S a n d C a n a d a w h o i s w a n t e d b y t h e N a t i o n a l I n v e s t i g a t i o n A g e n c y ( N I A )

Amit Shah & S Jaishankar

under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, vowed to hold the aforementioned individuals liable under international law for the murder of Nijjar, who was shot dead during gang rivalry among Sikh extremists

Indian student dies in Canada after being assaulted during carjacking

T O R O N T O : A 2 4 -y e ar -o l d Indian student , who worked as a food deliver y par tner in Canada, has been killed after he w a s v io l en t l y as s au l t e d du r in g a d e ad l y c ar jac k in g , accor ding t o media r epor ts Gurvinder Nath w as deliverin g p iz z a on J ul y 9 i n Mi ss is s aug a ’ s B r i t an n ia an d C r e di t - vi ew r oa d s, w h e n unknown suspect s confronted him an d t ried to st eal his vehic l e, C T V N ew s c ha n n el report ed “ I n v e s t i g a t o r s d o b e l i e v e that there are multiple suspects involved and that the food order was placed as a means of luring the driver to this specific area, ” inspector P h i l K i n g o f p e e l r e g i o n a l

police’s homicide bureau said, adding that investigators have obtained an audio recording of the Pizza Pizza order placed before the attack

After Nath arrived, he was “violently assaulted” and left critically injured by a suspect who robbed him of his vehicle and fled the scene, police said Multiple witnesses came to his aid and called for help before Nath was rushed to a trauma centre where he was pronounced dead on July 14 Siddhartha Nath, consul general of India in Toronto, said Nath’s death is a “heartrending loss” and he extended his condolences to family, friends and the wider community, the CBC reported

The SFJ has given a call to Sikh radicals based in Canada to l a y s i e g e t o I n d i a n diplomatic premises in Ottawa, Toronto a n d V a n c o u v e r o n August 15 and also d e c l a r e d S e p t e m b e r 1 0 f o r a s o - c a l l e d Sikh referendum in Vancouver

T h e i n t e l l i g e n c e agencies and local law enforcement was already informed by the Indian diplomats based in Canada about the bounty on heads of Shah, Jaishankar and Verma, the inaction of India’s close ally US on Pannun is all

the more intriguing as the two countries have robust cooperation on counter-terrorism

E v e n t h o u g h e x t r e m i s t P a n n u n h a s d e c l a r e d t h e reward ostensibly for picketing these top leaders and a diplomat when on foreign visit, the f a c t i s t h a t t h i s i s a n o p e n threat by the terror leader to t a r g e t S h a h , J a i s h a n k a r a n d V e r m a i n t h e c o m i n g d a y s W h i l e I n d i a ’ s t o p d i p l o m a t Jaishankar travels abroad most f r e q u e n t l y , H o m e M i n i s t e r Amit Shah has no interest in travelling outside India till the time Indian NRIs are allowed to vote in Indian general election

Gujarat-origin expert nominated to Singapore parliament

SI N GA PO RE : A Gujarat-origi n chief exec utive i s among three Indian-ori gin people named to b e a pp oi n te d a s N om i n a te d

Members of Parliament (NMPs) in Singapore

N e i l P a r e k h N i m i l , Chandradas Usha Ranee and R a j J o s h u a T h o m a s a r e t h e t h r e e I n d i a n - o r i g i n d i s t i nguished people among the nine appointments to be made in Singapore parliament They will b e s w o r n i n a s N o m i n a t e d

Members of Parliament (NMP)

next month

Parekh, 60, is partner and h e a d o f A s i a , A u s t r a l i a , a n d N e w Z e a l a n d a t T i k e h a u Capital and chief executive of Pegasus Asia, a special-purpose acquisition company listed on the Singapore Exchange

He is also Chairman of the

Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and c o u n c i l m e m b e r o f t h e Singapore Business Federation

His elder brother, Sunil Parekh is a Gujarat-based senior industry veteran who advises several entrepreneurs on various business operations N e i l P a r e k h N i m i l w a s s c h o o l e d i n S t C o l u m b u s i n Delhi and did his MBA from the U S A A m o n g t h e o t h e r t w o I n d i a n s , C h a n d r a d a s U s h a R a n e e i s a n a r t m a g a z i n e f o u n d e r w h i l e R a j J o s h u a

Thomas is an eminent lawyer Parekh has also contributed to Elevandi, a platform established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, to facilitate dialogue between the public and private s e c t o r s i n a d v a n c i n g f i n t e c h within the digital economy

International Widows Day commemorated in various Indian cities

June

23 wa s marke d as the day to r aise a wa rene ss ab out the pl ight of widows worl dwide and t o a dvocate for their r i gh t s a nd we l l - b ei n g Th e occa s ion ser ves as a reminder of the difficul ties w idow s e x pe rie n ce a nd th e pr e ssing n eed t o sol ve t heir social , economic an d l egal pr ob lems

Various events were organised in d i f f e r e n t c i t i e s i n I n d i a t o r a i s e awareness among widows about their rights, foster a sense of community and s u p p o r t f o r w i d o w s , p r o m o t e empowerment and provide resources for widows to improve their livelihoods a n d a d v o c a t e f o r p o l i c y c h a n g e s t o address the specific needs of widows Motivational speakers, advocates and p r o f e s s o r s s p o k e o n t h e i s s u e s o f

Financial Management, Need for Skill Development, Legal & Human rights a n d S t r e s s M a n a g e m e n t o n t h e occasion

Dhilwan, Punjab

Venue – Shri Jagiri Lal Loomba Govt S e n i o r S e c o n d a r y S c h o o l , D h i l w a n ;

Organizer’s Name – Mrs Anju Sharma, Principal Chief Guest- Kuldip Pathak, Chairman, Dhilwan Market Committee, Guests of Honour - Gurditta, Chairman, School Management Committee, Kinder D h i l l o n , C o u n c i l o r D h i l w a n Scholarship cheques were distributed to 4 8 m e r i t o r i o u s s t u d e n t s o f L o o m b a

Memorial Senior Secondary School and Govt Girls Smart High School Dhilwan who secured 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions in classes VI to XII (Academic Session 202223) The cheque was Rs 3100, 2,100 and 1,100 respectively for each student as per rank Further, 20 students of widows were given a scholarship for the first instalment of Rs 3000 for the session

2023-24

Ludhiana, Punjab

V e n u e – S h i m l a R e s t a u r a n t a n d

Banquet Hall, Shimlapuri, Near DSSO Office Ludhiana Organizer’s name –M r s R a j v i n d e r K a u r , P r o j e c t C o o r d i n a t o r , P u n j a b , T h e L o o m b a

Foundation

Chief guest Mrs Rajinder Pal Kaur

Chhina, MLA Ludhiana South Special

Guests - Sardar Charan Singh, President

Guru Amar Das Apahij Ashram, Sarabha, Mrs Rajinder Pal Kaur, CDPO, Sudhar Around 50 widows, dignitaries attended the event

Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Venue – SEWA Office, Ahmedabad

Dismissed Rajasthan minister creates ruckus in the assembly

C ong ress legislator Rajendra S i ng h G ud h a, w h o w as r ec ent ly d i s m i ss ed as m i n is te r, d em a nd e d to s p eak abo u t a m ys teri o us “red d iary” that he alleged h a d i nc ri m i n ati ng d e tai ls that cou ld send CM Ash ok Geh lot “to prison”

Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir)

Venue

N a m e

IIT Jammu Organizer’s

K a l l p o o s h F o u n d a t i o n , R

Wanchoo, Event Coordinator

Justice Sunil Hali (Retd ), former justice of J & K High Court was chief

g u e s t A r o u n d 6 0 w i d o w s a n d participants assembled Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

V e n u e – L o k B h a r t i T r a i n i n g

C e n t e r , B i g h u K a k o r i O r g a n i z e r ’ s

Name – Lok Bharti Skilling Solutions

P v t L t d – M s P r i y a l J a i n , E v e n t

C o o r d i n a t o r E v e n t – C e r t i f i c a t e distribution was organised among the candidates who successfully completed the vocation course Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

V e n u e – P r a b h u n a r a y a n I n t e r

C o l l e g e R a m n a g a r , V a r a n a s i , U t t a r

P r a d e s h O r g a n i z e r ’ s N a m e – A w a z Foundation, Varanasi, Dr Ashok Dubey, President and Ms Nitu Singh, Secretary, Awaz Foundation Chief Guest Ashok

Tiwari (Mayor), Varanasi, Special Guest Dr Prabhash Jha, Principal, Smt Usha Singh, Senior Teacher, Prabhunarayan Inter College, Varanasi, Madan Mohan

T i w a r i , C o u n s e l o r , S a r a i n a n d a n ,

Jaipur, Rajasthan

V e n u e – G r a m P a n c h a y a t

Administration, Ram ji Kalan, Rural Area of Jaipur Organizer’s name – Dr O P Yadav, Editor, DD News, New Delhi

C h i e f g u e s t H a r i P r a s a d S h a r m a , President Subordinate Services Selection Board Guest of Honour - Dr Mohal Lal Yadav, Divisional Commissioner Sikar and Smt Jaswinder Kaur Sandhu, Social Worker Two hundred and sixty widows were honoured during the event Sarees were given to widows who were present Udaipur, Rajasthan

Venue – Rajasthan Bal Kalyan Samiti

H e a d q u a r t e r J h a d o l , U d a i p u r

Organizer’s name Girija Shankar Sharma, S e c r e t a r y a n d M a n a g i n g D i r e c t o r , Rajasthan Bal Kalyan Samiti Chief guestS m t H i m m a t , P a t r o n R a j a s t h a n B a l

K a l y a n S a m i t i A r o u n d 2 0 0 w i d o w s participated in the event Mumbai, Maharashtra

H o w e v e r , t h e s p e a k e r r e f u s e d , a n d B J P M L A s protested by rushing to the well of the House, shouting s l o g a n s a n d w a v i n g r e d diaries Amidst the turmoil, G u d h a a t t e m p t e d t o a p p r o a c h t h e s p e a k e r ’ s chair, demanding a platform to speak Gudha then aggressively a p p r o a c h e d p a r l i a m e n t a r y a f f a i r s m i n i s t e r S h a n t i D h a r i w a l , s e e m i n g l y a t t e m p t i n g t o m a n h a n d l e h i m R e a c t i n g s w i f t l y , Congress MLA Rafiq Khan a n d m i n i s t e r R a m l a l J a t intervened, pushing Gudha away to protect Dhariwal

Other MLAs rushed to the scene as things got more h e a t e d i n a n e f f o r t t o control the fired minister The house was eventually d e l a y e d a f t e r m a r s h a l s eventually removed Gudha from the session Following t h e b e d l a m , D h a r i w a l proposed the suspension of

both Gudha and BJP MLA

M a d a n D i l a w a r f o r t h e i r “ u n r u l y b e h a v i o u r ” T h e proposal was subsequently p a s s e d b y t h e H o u s e , marking a rare move as a governing party MLA was s u s p e n d e d a l o n g w i t h a n opposition member for the r e m a i n d e r o f t h e c u r r e n t assembly’s term Dhariwal asserted that Gudha was trying to hurt h i m p h y s i c a l l y a n d emphasized the importance of the marshals' quick action in averting a "big incident" G u d h a ' s b e h a v i o r w a s l a b e l l e d " s h a m e f u l a n d u n p a r l i a m e n t a r y " b y Dhariwal

O u t s i d e t h e a s s e m b l y , Gudha addressed the media, alleging that he had been m a n h a n d l e d b y C o n g r e s s M L A s w i t h i n t h e s t a t e assembly “The red diary will lead Gehlot to jail It will expose the chief minister I w a s b l o c k e d f r o m t a b l i n g the red diary in the assembly t o d a y I w a s t h r a s h e d C o n g r e s s M L A s a n d ministers manhandled me I was asked to apologise, but I w i l l n o t W h y s h o u l d I a p o l o g i s e ? I s i m p l y s p o k e the truth about atrocities on women in the state,” he said

O r g a n i z e r ’ s N a m e

M s

S e l f - E m p l o y e d W o m e n ’ s A s s o c i a t i o n ( S E W A )

Prutha Ben, Event Coordinator Around 60 widows were present during the event

Varanasi, Sanjay Singh, Advocate, Sales Tax, Varanasi More than 35 widows were honoured during the event and sarees were distributed as a token of respect Bangalore, Karnataka Venue – Thindlu Boys Vocational Training Center, Above SBI, Thindlu Organizer’s name – In association with Lions Clubs Bangalore, Santhi, event c o o r d i n a t o r C h i e f G u e s t : L i o n B S Rajashekaraiah, pmjt District Governor 2022-23 Sixty seven widows were tested for HB Count and over 30 were given i r o n t a b l e t s T h r e e l a p t o p s w e r e donated to young widows

V e n u e – S a n a C o m m u n i t y H a l l , Sandhurst Road, Mumbai Organizer’s name – Ms Fauzia Khan, Coordinator, The Loomba Foundation Chief GuestAmin Patel (MLA), Guest of HonourAdv Javeed Hussain, Dr Anita Marwah, M r s K a r u n a , K h a i r - e - U m m a t T r u s t Around 60 widows took part Thane, Mumbai Venue – Kashinath Ghanekar Mini Auditorium, Thane Organizer’s name – Rotary Clubs of Thane Northend

C o o r d i n a t o r - R t n A R a v i n d r a n , C h a i r m a n P r o j e c t D i g n i t y C h i e f

Guest- Rtn AKSM B M Sivarraj, Past District Governor (2017-18), Rid 3142

G u e s t o f h o n o u r - S m t P a r i s h a t a i S a r n a i k , C o r p o r a t o r , T M C S p e a k e r

Ruchika Shinde on the Fundamental F r e e d o m s a n d H u m a n R i g h t s o f W i d o w s A r o u n d 2 1 0 w i d o w s w e r e present during the event

16 electrocuted at Uttarakhand river project site

S i x tee n p eo p le , i n cl u d i ng a s u binspector and three m em bers of the h ome g uard, were electrocuted at the N am a m i Ga ng e p ro j ec t' s s ew a g e t rea tm e nt p la nt ( S T P ) o n th e

A laknand a riv er in the C hamoli district o f U ttarakhand

Six seriously injured were airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh of whom two are in c r i t i c a l c o n d i t i o n F i v e p e o p l e h a v e been admitted to a local government hospital in Gopeshwar, headquarters of Chamoli district, according to the state emergency operations centre Chamoli chief medical officer Dr Rajeev Sharma said that in all, 27 people were affected District magistrate Himanshu Khurana said that he has ordered a magisterial probe to ascertain the exact cause of the tragedy

According to sources, Ganesh Lal who works as an operator at the STP, did not return home at night after his 10-hour shift His family frantically searched for him all night and in the

morning called the STP A supervisor from another STP was sent to the site and the body was discovered in the morning ”

Jal Sansthan officials said that the instruments that were discovered from Lal's body were burned, pointing to an "electrical fault " After the news spread, almost the entire village had gathered there, threatening to not move the body till compensation was given In

27 killed, 100 missing as landslide buries hamlet in Maharashtra

M ah a ra sh t ra w a s struck by its biggest natu ral d is ast er th i s year In the K halapur tehsil, at the base of th e Sahyadri rang e in Raigad district, a larg e la nd s li d e t h at w a s caused by m ore than 4 0 0 m m o f rai nf al l completely destroyed th e remote tribal ham let of Irshalwad i

The rescue effort is being led by four teams from the 5th battalion of the National D i s a s t e r R e s p o n s e F o r c e ( N D R F ) f r o m P u n e u n d e r the direction of S B Singh

The place is not reachable by a motorable road Rescuers have found 27 r e m a i n s , b u t i t s t h o u g h t t h a t u p t o 1 0 0 p e o p l e p e r i s h e d w h i l e t h e y s l e p t after being swept away by mud and rock rivers There w e r e 4 8 T h a k u r h o u s e s l i v i n g i n t h e h i l l y v i l l a g e c l o s e t o K a r j a t w h o w e r e reliant on farming, raising cattle, and farm work

the meantime, another major electrical fault happened

Due to the second electrical fault, a surge of electricity is believed to have passed through a metal railing installed on the stairs in the premises of the p l a n t , w h i c h e l e c t r o c u t e d m a n y o f those present at the site Among the dead were a sub-inspector, three home guard personnel and the rest were local people

Officials said 88 villagers are believed to have survived Karjat sub divisional officer Ajit Nairale said, “Houses of 1 8 f a m i l i e s w e r e d a m a g e d and seven others partly ” An incessant downpour slowed d o w n r e s c u e w o r k a n d p r e v e n t e d e x c a v a t o r s f r o m

being transported to the hilly site Singh said, “The rescue

operation was called off and w i l l r e s t a r t t h e n e x t morning There is no landing p o s s i b i l i t y t o a i r l i f t excavation machinery using Air Force aircraft, given the h i l l t e r r a i n a n d b a d w e a t h e r t h e r e i s l i t t l e c h a n c e o f s u r v i v a l o f t h e victims,whoever are trapped The exact number of trapped p e r s o n s s t i l l r e m a i n s unclear ” T h e d e a d i n c l u d e 1 2 adults and 4 children NDRF teams rescued 21 villagers and s o m e l i v e s t o c k i n c l u d i n g a b u l l o c k C h i e f m i n i s t e r Eknath Shinde rushed to the site and later walked up to the l a n d s l i d e - h i t z o n e t o t a k e s t o c k H e s a i d t h e administration was trying to trace all those missing; some o f t h e c h i l d r e n f r o m t h e v i l l a g e w e r e a t r e s i d e n t i a l schools while others were out for work He announced an ex gratia of Rs 500,000 for the next of kin of the deceased and asked for shelters for the survivors

Heavy rain lashes Gujarat; Junagadh, Navsari worst hit

S ev eral d istricts in Gujarat's s ou th and S aurash tra had strong to very h eavy rainfall, w h ic h re su l te d i n u rb an areas floo ding and sh utting d own of v illag es du e to rising w ater levels in dams and rivers th at reached dang ero us levels

Numerous parked cars and cattle were swept away in the raging waves during the downpour The worsta f f e c t e d d i s t r i c t s w e r e N a v s a r i a n d J u n a g a d h , w h e r e d e l u g e s i n v a r i o u s residential areas and mark e t s w e r e b r o u g h t o n b y severe rainfall

Junagadh collector Anil

Ranavasiya said, “Our main focus now is towards cleanliness in the city Junagadh district received 55 mm of rainfall, while there was no rain in the city Three people, including two women have died due to the heavy downpour in the district ”

Rain-battered Navsari worries about health

Navsari is trying to get back on its feet after receiving 13 inches of rain, and t h e N a v s a r i - V i j a l p o r e

m u n i c i p a l i t y h a s b e g u n cleaning the city In order to prevent outbreak of illness, cleaning crews have been placed on the highw a y s a l o n g s i d e h e a l t h e x p e r t s w h o h a v e b e g u n p e r f o r m i n g d o o r - t o - d o o r inspections

Guj arat records third highes t deaths

As rain fury continues to lash parts of North India, B i h a r h a s r e c o r d e d t h e highest death toll this monsoon so far at 518, according to the data released by the disaster management divis i o n o f t h e m i n i s t r y o f home affairs (MHA) It is followed by 200 deaths in

Ensure life of dignity for Tamils, PM Modi tells Lanka president

P ri m e M i ni s ter N are nd r a

M o d i to l d S r i L an ka n

Himachal Pradesh and 139 in Gujarat, putting the state on the third spot nationally The data covers the period from May 1 to July 23

G o i n g b y t h e r e p o r t s , n o r t h G u j a r a t a n d Saurashtra regions account for a majority of the deaths i n t h e s t a t e T h e M e t d e p a r t m e n t o f f i c i a l s s a i d that the impact of Cyclone Biparjoy, along with two to three spells of heavy to very h e a v y r a i n f a l l , c a u s e d widespread devastation in several parts of the state Recently, Jamnagar, Kutch, D e v b h o o m i D w a r k a a n d other districts were pounded by torrential rains

P re s id ent Ran i l Wickrem esinghe du ring his v isit to India th at th e security in te res ts an d d ev elo pm e nt o f th e t w o n ati o ns were intertwined and that it w a s c ru c i al f o r th e m to cooperate while keeping in mind each other's safety and sen siti v ities Ind i a and its d ebt- ri d d en nei gh bo ur Sri L a nka s i g ne d f i v e ag r eements and released a bilateral v ision document for economic cooperatio n M o d i a l s o e x p r e s s e d confidence that Sri Lanka would fulfill Tamil aspirations, notably by adopting the 13th Amendment, which e n s u r e s d e v o l u t i o n o f power, and holding provincial council elections, amid p e r s i s t e n t c o n c e r n s a b o u t the island nation's commitment to the cause of the Tamil minority He stated that India wanted Sri Lanka to guarantee the Tamil community a life of dignity and respect

A s s e r t i n g t h a t I n d i a stood shoulder to shoulder

Gyanvapi mosque committee moves HC against survey

T he An ju m a n In t e z a m i a M a s ji d C om m it t e e , whi c h t akes care of the Gyanvapi m osque m oved the Al lahabad H i gh C our t c ha l l e n gi n g a V aranas i c ourt order al lowing the Arc ha eological Sur vey of India to conduc t a s cientifi c s ur v e y o f t he m os q u e prem is es T h e c o m m i t t e e approached the High Court a d a y a f t e r t h e S u p r e m e Court stayed the Varanasi court order till July 26 and directed the petitioners to

a p p r o a c h t h e H i g h C o u r t

The Supreme Court order had come hours after a 30m e m b e r t e a m o f t h e

Archaeological Survey starte d t h e s u r v e y o f m o s q u e p r e m i s e s a t 7 a m o n

Monday The Varanasi court had allowed the survey on Friday in response to a petition by a group of Hindu litigants seeking the right to h o l d p r a y e r s i n s i d e t h e mosque compound D i s t r i c t j u d g e A K Vishvesha had ordered the

Isro preparing to launch Singapore's, 6 more copassenger satellites on July 30

A m id t h e o n g oi n g Chan draya an-3 mission, Isro is al so pre pa ring to l aunch the P S LV -C 5 6 r oc k e t t h a t w il l c a r r y a Si n g a po r e sa t e l l i t e (D S-SAR), along wit h six copassenger satel lite s, fr om the f ir s t l a u n ch p a d of t h e Sr ihar ik ot a spa ceport in the morning of July 30

The space agency tweeted that Isro’s commercial arm NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) p r o c u r e d t h e P S L V - C 5 6 t o d e p l o y t h e 3 6 0 - k g D S - S A R s a t e l l i t e f r o m D S T A & S T Engineering, Singapore T h e s i x c o - p a s s e n g e r satellites are VELOX-AM, a t e c h n o l o g y d e m o n s t r a t i o n micro satellite, atmospheric c o u p l i n g a n d d y n a m i c s explorer (ARCADE), an experimental satellite, SCOOB-II, a 3U nanosatellite flying a technology demonstrator payload, N u L I o N b y N u S p a c e , a n a d v a n c e d 3 U n a n o s a t e l l i t e enabling seamless IoT conn e c t i v i t y i n b o t h u r b a n &

remote locations, Galassia-2, a 3U nanosatellite that will be o r b i t i n g a t t h e l o w e a r t h orbit, and ORB-12 STRIDER, a satellite developed under an i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o l l a b o r a t i o n , according to Isro I s r a e l A e r o s p a c e Industries (IAI) created the s y n t h e t i c a p e r t u r e r a d a r

(SAR) payload that is carried by Singapore's DS-SAR satell i t e D u e t o i t s a b i l i t y t o image at one meter resolution at full polarimetry, the DS-SAR can offer coverage in a l l w e a t h e r c o n d i t i o n s d a y and night

D S - S A R i s d e v e l o p e d under a partnership between Singapore’s Defence Science a n d T e c h n o l o g y A g e n c y ( D S T A ) r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e

G o v e r n m e n t o f S i n g a p o r e a n d S T E n g i n e e r i n g O n c e deployed, it will be used to support the satellite imagery r e q u i r e m e n t s o f v a r i o u s a g e n c i e s w i t h i n t h e Singapore government

survey, including excavation if necessary, to determine if the mosque was built on a temple as the Hindu petit i o n e r s h a v e c l a i m e d M u s l i m s s h o u l d n o t b e r e s t r i c t e d f r o m o f f e r i n g p r a y e r s d u r i n g t h e s u r v e y and no damage should be d o n e t o t h e m o s q u e , t h e court had told the authorit i e s T h e A l l a h a b a d H i g h Court had held in May that a s c i e n t i f i c s u r v e y c o u l d b e d o n e o f a n o v a l - s h a p e d object found in the mosque

premises The oval-shaped object was found in May last year d u r i n g a s u r v e y o f t h e mosque premises ordered by a Varanasi civil court The Hindu litigants in the case claimed that the object was a shivling – a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva H o w e v e r , t h e c a r e t a k e r committee of the mosque c l a i m e d t h e o b j e c t w a s a defunct fountainhead in the w a z u k h a n a , o r a b l u t i o n tank

with the people of debtr i d d e n S r i L a n k a i n t h i s hour of crisis, Modi said I n d i a w o u l d s t r e n g t h e n maritime, air, energy and p e o p l e - t o - p e o p l e c o n n e ctivity between the people o f b o t h c o u n t r i e s “ T h e v i s i o n i s t o a c c e l e r a t e m u t u a l c o o p e r a t i o n i n t o u r i s m , p o w e r , t r a d e , higher education and skill development This is the vision of India’s long-term c o m m i t m e n t t o w a r d s S r i Lanka,” the PM said M o d i r e m i n d e d S r i Lanka not to permit the C h i n e s e t o c o n d u c t a n y action on its territory that

c o u l d j e o p a r d i z e I n d i a ' s s e c u r i t y i n t e r e s t s i n h i s remark about the need to respect one another s sensibilities

T h e l e a d e r s o f I n d i a and Sri Lanka have agreed to improve their countries’ economic and energy ties, as well as consider building a land link between them India’s support of nearly $4bn between January and July last year was critical for Sri Lanka after it almost ran out of dollars and sank into a financial crisis that left it struggling to fund essential imports including fuel and medicine

24th anniversary of Kargil War victory commemorated

Every year on July 26, Ind ia celebrates K argil Diwas to remember and ho nor India's tri u m p h o v e r P ak is tan i n th e K argil War, which w as fough t in 1999 During this war, brav e Ind ian sold iers defeated P akistani intruders who illegally tried to captu re Ind ian posts in Kargil

The 527 martyrs who g av e

Chinese smartphone makers avoid to pay taxes worth £900 mn: Govt

The government told the P a r l i a m e n t t h a t C h i n e s e smartphone manufacturers l i k e O p p o M o b i l e , V i v o I n d i a , a n d X i a o m i h a v e been caught avoiding taxes in India to the tune of £900 million According to data p r e s e n t e d i n t h e R a j y a Sabha by Minister of State f o r E l e c t r o n i c s a n d I T Rajeev Chandrasekhar, tax fraud totaling almost £900 million - including customs duty and GST - was discovered between 2018–19 and 2022–23

The Minister has said that major Chinese mobile handset brands which are o p e r a t i n g i n I n d i a a r e O p p o , V i v o , X i a o m i ,

T r a n s s i o n , R e a l m e a n d

O n e p l u s " T h e s e c o m p a -

n i e s m a n u f a c t u r e t h e mobile handset either by themselves or through contract manufacturers Their c u m u l a t i v e t u r n o v e r i n 2021-22 was estimated to be £ 1 5 b i l l i o n i n I n d i a T h e t o t a l d i r e c t e m p l o y m e n t

generated by them in their manufacturing operations is more than 75,000 They also have sales and operational workforce of around 80,000 workers," he said

He also said that primarily, these Chinese comp a n i e s h a v e s e t u p t h e i r own manufacturing units "However, they work with c o n t r a c t m a n u f a c t u r e r s l i k e B h a r a t F I H L i m i t e d a n d D B G T e c h n o l o g y

(India) Private Limited and a l s o s e t u p E l e c t r o n i c s

M a n u f a c t u r i n g S e r v i c e s

(EMS) operations in India

The distribution of mobile handsets is mainly handled

by Indian companies Some of the Chinese companies like Oppo and Vivo have some Chinese distributors also," Chandrasekhar said

"The company-wise list of Chinese mobile handset companies reported in evasion of customs duty along with the amount of tax evasion detected and recove r e d d u r i n g t h e p e r i o d 2017-18 to July 1, 2023 are Oppo Mobile, which has been found evading £508 6 million in taxes Vivo has evaded taxes worth £292 32 million," according to the w r i t t e n r e p l y b y t h e Minister

th eir liv es in the fig ht for th e c o un try ar e al s o rem embered on this day

The war was fought for over 60 days and ended with India taking back control of all the territories that were held by Pakistan The day is celebrated across India with great enthusiasm

In honour of Kargil Vijay Diwas, a group of mount a i n e e r s f r o m t h e I n d i a n A r m y ' s D a g g e r D i v i s i o n a c c o m p l i s h e d a n a m a z i n g feat by climbing Mount Kun in a time-record and practicing yoga at the summit, which rises to a lofty height of 7,077 meters “The journey commenced on July 8, when the team was flagged off from Baramulla by Maj Gen Rajesh Sethi, SM, VSM, GOC 19 Infantry Division Setting off from the base camp on July 11, the brave m o u n t a i n e e r s l e d b y C o l R a j n e e s h J o s h i a c h i e v e d their long-awaited victory as they summited Mount Kun on the 18th of July, according to a press note by the Indian Army “ A d d i n g a n e x t r a o r d inary touch to their accomp l i s h m e n t , t h e m o u ntaineers performed Yoga at an altitude of 7,077 metres, marking it the highest point ever where Yoga has been practised,” it further added To celebrate the Diwas, v a r i o u s c e l e b r a t i o n s a r e o r g a n i z e d n a t i o n w i d e b y g o v e r n m e n t a g e n c i e s a n d o t h e r o r g a n i s a t i o n s Parades, and cultural activities were just a few of the activities

Ranil Wickremesinghe & Narendra Modi

Karnataka HC to hear plea to disqualify CM Siddaramaiah Telangana govt to provide Rs

B E N G AL U R U : T h e

High Cou rt of Karnataka has said that it will hear o n Ju l y 2 8 a p e t it io n ch allenging the election o f C h ie f Mi ni s t er Si dda r a m ai ah t o t h e As se mb ly f ro m V aru na co ns titu enc y Th e petitio n blames the elec tion manifest o of th e C ongres s party wh ich p romised f ive ' guarantees ' as 'c o rru p t p rac tic es amo u nt ing t o b ri b er y a nd a l s o u nd u e in f l u e nc e u n de r Se c t io n 1 2 3 (2 ) o f t h e Representatio n of th e P eopl e Act " T h e p e t i t i o n a l l e g e s t h a t S i d d a r a m a i a h h a d b r e a c h e d t h e provisions of the Constitution and the r u l e s a n d g u i d e l i n e s u n d e r T h e Representation of the People Act

Siddaramaiah

9 HELD FOR URINATING ON TRIBAL YOUTH

respondent

The consideration was the vote in favour of the Respondent as a gratification with the motive and reward "

T h e E l e c t i o n p e t i t i o n f i l e d b y K M Shankara, a private citizen from the c o n s t i t u e n c y , c a m e u p b e f o r e t h e single-judge bench of Justice S Sunil

Dutt Yadav

T h e p e t i t i o n a l l e g e d t h a t S i d d a r a m a i a h d u r i n g t h e r e c e n t l y c o n c l u d e d a s s e m b l y e l e c t i o n indulged in corrupt practice during the election period Senior advocate

100,000 aid to minority communities

HY D E RAB AD : Th e Telangana government issu ed orders fo r p roviding Rs 100, 000 financial assistance to mi no rity co mmu nities with 1 00 per cent su bsi dy S tate ch ief minister K Ch andrasekhar Rao's decision to extend financial help to t h e m i no r i ti e s u n ve i le d an o th er h i s t o ri c al m i le s to n e towards achieving economic self-reli ance of the mi no rity co mmu nities in th e country, an official release said KCR, as he was popularly known, said the "state government is putting all efforts with a vision to eliminate poverty in all sections irrespective of the caste and religion"

T h e g o v e r n m e n t i s a l r e a d y e x t e n d i n g s u p p o r t t o t h e deserved sections, he said

The petition claims that the "The said guarantees are in the nature of o f f e r a n d p r o m i s e s m a d e b y t h e candidate and by the Indian National Congress party This was done with t h e c o n s e n t o f t h e r e s p o n d e n t (Siddaramaiah)

T h e y a r e i n t h e f o r m o f g r a t i f i c a t i o n t o t h e e l e c t o r a t e o f Varuna Constituency and with the o b j e c t o f d i r e c t l y i n d u c i n g t h e electorate to vote for the Congress p a r t y c a n d i d a t e n a m e l y t h e

Pramila Nesargi, appearing for the petitioner, submitted to the court that everyone who sought votes in the name of the five guarantees are guilty of breaking the model code of conduct but only Siddaramaiah has been made a respondent as an example

"All the persons' names which find a place in the manifesto are all jointly a n d s e v e r a l l y r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e corrupt practice of 123(1) and 123(2) of the RP Act," the petition says The high court adjourned the hearing after d i r e c t i n g t h e p e t i t i o n e r t o c o m p l y with the office objections raised to the petition

As per the order, financial aid would be a one-time grant that would be provided to only one member of a family The individual age limit fixed for applicants is from 21 years to 55 years as on June 2, 2023

The annual income of the applicant shall not exceed Rs 150,000 in rural areas and Rs 200,000 in urban areas The Chief Minister reiterated that his government is committed f o r t h e d e v e l o p m e n t a n d w e l f a r e o f a l l m i n o r i t y communities

E f f o r t s a r e b e i n g m a d e t o w i p e o u t p o v e r t y a n d backwardness of minorities by implementing a slew of s c h e m e s i n v a r i o u s s e c t o r s i n c l u d i n g e d u c a t i o n a n d employment The action plan executed by the government in this direction is already yielding desirable results, the Chief Minister said

KCR made it clear that the government will safeguard 'Ganga Jamuni Tahzeeb' (syncretic culture) by supporting all cultures and religious traditions equally, the release added

Dera chief gets parole, 5th since Feb 2022

C H A N D I G A R H : De ra S ac h a S a u d a c h i ef G u rm e et Ra m R ah i m S i ng h , w h o is s er v in g sentences in two rape cases and l i fe im p ri s o nm en t i n tw o separate m urd er cases, h as been g ranted another 30 -day bail by the Haryana g overnm ent This m ark s h i s f i fth p a ro le i n 1 7 m on th s, and th e s ec o nd t h is year

His parole history includes previous releases for 21 days in February 2022, 30 days in June 2022, 40 days in October 2022, and 40 days in January this year After his conviction in two rape cases in August 2017, he was

WEST BENGAL

released from “sunrise to sunset” on October 24, 2020 to meet his a i l i n g m o t h e r a t a G u r g a o n h o s p i t a l T h e H a r y a n a g o v e r n m e n t h a s c o n s i s t e n t l y defended the furlough to the chief of the influential Sirsabased dera, citing that it falls

w i t h i n h i s l e g a l r i g h t s a s a

convict According to the jail manual, a convict (sentenced to more than 10 years) is entitled to 98 days of parole in a year, and the period spent outside of jail is added to the sentence without reducing the overall sentence D e s p i t e s u c h p r i v i l e g e s , parole eligibility is not granted to all jail inmates and depends on various factors, including the d i s c r e t i o n o f a u t h o r i t i e s a n d

administrative clearance

T h e d e r a c h i e f , c u r r e n t l y incarcerated in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail, has been granted parole on the condition that he remains

present at the Shah Satnam Ji A s h r a m D e r a S a c h a S a u d a B a r n a v a i n U t t a r P r a d e s h ' s Bagpat district and obtains prior p e r m i s s i o n f r o m t h e d i s t r i c t magistrate (DM) before leaving The decision was made after the Bagpat DM provided clearance in his report dated July 18 T h e o r d e r i s s u e d b y t h e Rohtak division commissioner s t a t e s t h a t t h e d e r a c h i e f i s entitled to be released under the H a r y a n a G o o d C o n d u c t Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022, based on reports from the Rohtak jail superintendent, the DM and the SP of Bagpat

2 women candidates stripped during Bengal panchayat polls: BJP

NE W D E LH I: BJP cam e down h e a vi l y on W e s t Be n g al C M M amat a Banerjee over the alle ged s tripping of two of its women c an d id a t e s in t h e re c en t p a n c ha y a t p ol l s Ad d re s s in g a pres s conferenc e, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee cl aim ed t hat on t he day of panchayat polls , July 8, a w om a n g r a m s ab h a c a n di da t e was b eaten, st ripped nak ed and p a r ad e d in H owr a h’ s Pa n c hl a , a d d in g t ha t th e s ta t e pol ic e r efused to f il e an FIR until it was f or ced t o do so by BJP’s protes ts Chatterjee, a BJP member of L o k S a b h a f r o m W e s t B e n g a l , said the police were yet to register an FIR on another incident of stripping of a woman who was “groped and assaulted by TMC goons ” , inside a counting centre in Howrah’s Domjur T h e M P , w h o w a s accompanied by West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar, broke down while narrating the two i n c i d e n t s w h i c h , a c c o r d i n g t o h e r , w e r e p a r t o f a s e r i e s o f atrocities on women committed b y T r i n a m o o l C o n g r e s s

members “We have knocked almost all doors but to no avail Mamata B a n e r j e e s a y s t h e s e a r e s m a l l incidents and cases have been r e g i s t e r e d , ” C h a t e r j e e s a i d , alleging that TMC “ goons ” with p o l i c e p a t r o n a g e w e r e o n a rampage but the state had not acted against them The press c o n f e r e n c e c o i n c i d e d w i t h M a m a t a ' s a t t a c k o n t h e B J P government at the Centre over the stripping and rape of two women in Manipur “ T h e M a n i p u r i n c i d e n t i s highly unfortunate, we condemn i t B u t w h a t h a s h a p p e n e d i n

West Bengal is equally shameful

T h e e l e c t i o n s h e l d i n W e s t Bengal have not been panchayat e l e c t i o n s b u t ‘ k h o o n k a chunaav’,” Chatterjee said “In a s i n g l e d a y , t w o w o m e n w e r e paraded naked at Alipore Gate and Birbhum in Bengal But the w a y t h e h o n o u r o f w o m e n i s being played with in West Bengal is very worrying,” she added No e vidence: Bengal DGP B e n g a l D G P M a n o j

M a r t y r s ' D a y e v e n t i n K o l k a t a , Abhishek urged led forward party w o r k e r s f r o m e v e r y b l o c k a n d ward of Bengal to peacfully gherao the houses of BJP workers from 10 am to 6 pm on August 5 A b h i s h e k a l s o s a i d T M C leaders will go to Delhi to launch a massive protest against the BJP for

Nine people, including three juveniles, assaulted and urinated into the mouth of a 26-year-old tribal youth in Ongole town of Andhra Pradesh The accused were allegedly drunk called the victim to an isolated place attacked him with sticks and stones and forced the youth to keep his mouth open as they urinated into his mouth One of the juveniles recorded the incident and circulated it among his friends Although the act took place on June 19 it came to light after the video went viral on social media sparking an outrage and prompting cops to book the accused under the SC and the ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act A special team has been formed to nab them The arrested accused were produced before a court that remanded them in judicial custody Prakasam DSP said the 9 accused and the tribal youth were childhood friends and were involved in property related crimes

DKS, KARNATAKA'S DY CM, IS INDIA’S RICHEST MLA

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and the state’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar is the richest MLA in India, with assets worth £141 3 million, according to a report from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) That s not all Karnataka MLAs dominate the list of richest legislators in India, with 12 in the top 20 ADR report says that 14% of the Karnataka MLAs are billionaires (worth £10 million) the highest in the country and the average asset of the legislators is £6 43 million The advocacy group has analysed 4 001 sitting MLAs from 28 state assemblies and two Union territories The poorest MLA is Nirmal Kumar Dhara from Indus constituency in West Bengal with an asset of Rs 1 700 and no liabilities The poorest MLA who was elected to the Karnataka assembly is BJP s Bhagirathi Murulya, who has declared assets of Rs 28,00,000 and Rs 200,000 of liabilities

PUNJAB SUFFERS LOSS OF OVER £100 MN DUE TO FLOODS: MANN

h a d n o t y e t r e c o r d e d h e r s t a t e m e n t b e f o r e a j u d i c i a l m a g i s t r a t e d e s p i t e r e p e a t e d pleas The DGP also pointed out t h a t c e n t r a l f o r c e s , m o b i l e election teams, or state police squads had not reported the alleged assault

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that the state has suffered a loss of over £100 million due to floods The chief minister said the survey of crops, houses, roads, drainage system and infrastructure was still going on and the exact loss would be ascertained only after its completion The chief minister who reached Nangal to hold a meeting with officials of Bhakhra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and district administration, said the situation was under control and there was no possibility of any floods The BBMB was also in comfortable situation as the Bhakra dam was filled only upto 1,553 feet against its optimum capacity of 1580 and according to meteorology department there will be no rains in its catchment area and Punjab for next five days, he said He said that the officials had been directed to conduct the survey with utmost transparency so that the victims can be compensated appropriately

stopping the funding to the state

He said, “I announce from here after taking the permission of our leader Mamata Banerjee The way BJP is stopping our funds (to the state) - we will go to Delhi on 2nd October, on the day of Gandhi Jayanti On 5th August, we will g h e r a o a l l B J P l e a d e r s ' h o u s e s peacefully ”

A d d r e s s i n g a M a r t y r s ' D a y rally, Abhishek said, “The Centre, because of vendetta politics, has stopped funds for Bengal As I had s a i d e a r l i e r , w e w i l l l a u n c h a massive protest in Delhi against the BJP-led Central government against blocking funds of Bengal under MGNREGA On October 2, we will organise a protest outside

Krishi Bhavan ”

S e c o n d i n g h e r n e p h e w , Mamata said that if their October 2 rally was stopped, they would sit down and begin protesting right there She added, “Our movement against the Union government and B J P w i l l c o n t i n u e u n l e s s o u r demands are fulfilled and dues are cleared BJP has become simply intolerable now ”

T h e T M C g e n e r a l s e c r e t a r y also said that the whole country was resonating with the slogan of the Opposition alliance - ‘Jeetega Bharat’ He added that BJP will be ousted and the alliance I N D I A will form the government after w i n n i n g t h e 2 0 2 4 L o k S a b h a elections

TMC calls for sit-ins outside BJP leaders’ homes

on August 5

PM Modi to inaugurate IECC complex at Pragati Maidan in Delhi

T h e I nt ern ati o n al exp o sit i o n - c u m - C o n v e n t i o n C entre (IE CC ) com plex at P ragati Maidan will be offic i al ly o p e ned b y P ri m e

M inister Narendra Mod i on J u l y 26 ( We d ne s d ay )

A ccord ing to th e PMO, it w ould rank amo ng the top exposition and convention com plexes in the world

According to the PMO, the facility was created as a national project at a cost of r o u g h l y £ 2 7 0 m i l l i o n a n d has a campus area of about 123 acres It was built after t h e o l d a n d o u t - o f - d a t e buildings in Pragati Maidan were renovated

The IECC complex has b e e n d e v e l o p e d a s I n d i a ' s l a r g e s t M I C E ( M e e t i n g s , I n c e n t i v e s , C o n f e r e n c e s , a n d E x h i b i t i o n s ) d e s t i n a -

tion In terms of the covered space available for events, the IECC Complex finds its place among the top exhibition and convention complexes in the world, it said

T h e n e w f a c i l i t y i s i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h M o d i ' s objective of having a topn o t c h i n f r a s t r u c t u r e f o r hosting meetings, according

t o t h e s t a t e m e n t , a n d includes numerous cuttinge d g e a m e n i t i e s i n c l u d i n g the convention center, exhibition halls, and amphitheaters among others "It is a grand architectural marvel, designed to host large-scale i n t e r n a t i o n a l e x h i b i t i o n s , t r a d e f a i r s , c o n v e n t i o n s , conferences, and other pres-

SC to hear Rahul

t i g i o u s e v e n t s , " t h e P M O said Its majestic multi-purpose hall and plenary hall have a combined capacity of 7,000 people, which is larger than the seating capacity of the famous Sydney Opera H o u s e i n A u s t r a l i a T h e building's shape is derived from a conch shell, and its v a r i o u s w a l l s a n d f a c a d e s feature a variety of traditional art and cultural elem e n t s , s u c h a s " S u r y a S h a k t i , " w h i c h h i g h l i g h t s the nation's efforts to harness solar energy, "Zero to ISRO," which celebrates its achievements in space, and "Pancha Mahabhuta," which represents the elements that make up the universal foundation: sky, air, fire, water, earth and among others

Outrage in India over video of Manipur women being paraded naked, raped

A v i r a l vi d e o f ro m t h e M ani pur, s howing doz ens o f m e n pa r a d i n g a n d as saulting two wom en who have been s tri pped naked, h a s t ri gg e r e d o ut r a g e i n

I ndia

In the 26-second video, a group of men, some of whom look to be as young as 15, are shown groping and assaulting women from t h e K u k i - Z o t r i b e b e f o r e leading them to an empty field At least one of the women, aged 21, was gang raped, according to the first i n f o r m a t i o n r e p o r t ( F I R ) filed by the survivors The police complaint says the other woman was 42

The incident took place on May 4, a day following violent riots between the primarily Hindu Meitei and primarily Christian KukiZ o t r i b e s i n t h e i s o l a t e d

Gandhi's plea for stay of conviction on Aug 4

Former Congress presi dent

Rahul Gandhi was convicte d a n d g i ve n a t w o- y e ar sentence in the Modi surn am e d e f am a ti o n c a s e , whi ch resulted in his di squalifi cati on as a member of parliam ent Last week , the Suprem e Court set a detailed hearing on his petition for a stay on convic tion for August 4, rejecting his reques t for an imm ediate suspensi on of convi ction

Mishra issued notice to the c o m p l a i n a n t , B J P M L A Purnesh Ishwarbhai Modi, w h o w a s r e p r e s e n t e d b y s e n i o r a d v o c a t e M a h e s h

Jethmalani

northeastern state of India, which is ruled by Bharatiya

J a n a t a P a r t y ( B J P ) T h e M e i t e i s , w h o c o n s t i t u t e m o r e t h a n h a l f o f Manipur’s 3 5 million population, mainly live in capital Imphal and the prosperous valley around it, while the K u k i - Z o a n d N a g a t r i b e s live in the surrounding hill districts

The two survivors' family members told the media

t h a t t h e y r e p o r t e d t h e event which took place on May 4 to the police on May 18 However, it took them almost a month to transfer the file to the police station where the crime was comm i t t e d E v e n a f t e r t h a t , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e l o c a l s , n o t h i n g w a s d o n e T h e y claimed that the government didn t take any action until the viral video

Speaking to the media,

t h e f a m i l y o f t h e s e x u a l assault survivors said police officers were with a Meitei mob when it attacked their B P h a i n o m v i l l a g e i n Kangpokpi district, about 40 km from the state capital, Imphal

“My husband was killed by the mob We pleaded with the police to rescue us, ” said the mother of the 2 1 - y e a r - o l d s u r v i v o r S h e s a i d t h e p o l i c e i n i t i a l l y escorted her along with her d a u g h t e r a n d 1 9 - y e a r - o l d son, but on seeing the mob, d r o p p e d t h e m b a c k t o where the body of her husband lay on the ground

It was there that her 21year-old daughter was surrounded by the mob and s e x u a l l y a s s a u l t e d W h e n her brother tried to stop them, he was also killed, said their mother

Tejas, BrahMos feature in India-Argentina defence talks

A rgenti na and Ind ia h ave r es o l ve d to ex p a nd th ei r bilateral defense indu strial c o l l ab o ra ti o n , a nd T ej a s fighter jets, Brah Mo s su pers o ni c cr ui s e m is si les , a nd o th er military gear may be expo rted to Argentina in th e fu tu re D e f e n c e m i n i s t e r

Rajnath Singh held delegation-level talks with his visiting Argentinian counterpart Jorge Enrique Taiana to discuss the ongoing defence c o o p e r a t i o n i n i t i a t i v e s , i n c l u d i n g m e a s u r e s t o enhance the defence-industrial partnership “India and A r g e n t i n a a r e w o r k i n g c l o s e l y t o g e t h e r t o m a k e d e f e n c e e n g a g e m e n t s a n i m p o r t a n t f a c e t o f t h e i r strategic partnership, which was elevated to that level in 2019, ” a MoD official said “An MoU on defence cooperation too has been in force since 2019 while both sides a r e e n g a g e d t o c o n c l u d e

f u r t h e r i n s t r u m e n t s t o deepen the engagement,” he added

T a i a n a w e n t t o t h e BrahMos Aerospace headquarters in New Delhi, and is slated to visit the facilities of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), which manufactures Tejas jets and Dhruv advanced light helicopters, in Bengaluru As was reported earlier, Argentina now wants India to submit a form a l p r o p o s a l f o r i t s p r o -

p o s e d a c q u i s i t i o n o f 1 6 Tejas fighters But the count r y h a s a l s o i n s i s t e d t h a t there should be no Britishorigin parts in the Tejas jets, given its lingering dispute with the UK

An Argentine technical t e a m h a d a l r e a d y v i s i t e d India to assess Tejas A HAL delegation and the Indian a m b a s s a d o r t o A r g e n t i n a , D i n e s h B h a t i a , m e t w i t h

Taiana and the head of the Argentine Air Force, Brig

H e w a s d i s q u a l i f i e d from serving as the MP for W a y a n a d o n M a r c h 2 4 u n d e r S e c t i o n 8 o f t h e R e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h e P e o p l e A c t a f t e r b e i n g f o u n d g u i l t y b y a S u r a t c o u r t o n M a r c h 2 3 H i s appeal was denied on April 2 0 b y a s e c o n d s e s s i o n s judge, and on July 7 the G u j a r a t H i g h C o u r t d e c l i n e d t o s u s p e n d h i s c o n v i c t i o n a w a i t i n g t h e o u t c o m e o f h i s p e t i t i o n a g a i n s t t h e t r i a l c o u r t ' s decision

An SC bench of Justices

B R Gavai and Prashant K

A f t e r R a h u l ' s l a w y e r , s e n i o r a d v o c a t e A M Singhvi, said the SC may c o n s i d e r e i t h e r g r a n t i n g interim stay on conviction, which would have allowed Rahul to be reinstated as an MP, or fixing final hearing within the shortest possible period, the court granted him 10 days to make his answer

T h e b e n c h c h o s e Singhvi’s latter option and said, “The limited question arising in this petition is w h e t h e r t h e c o n v i c t i o n deserved to be suspended or not ” Singhvi said a stay on the trial court’s verdict was essential and legitimate as the “frivolous conviction” had already ousted Rahul f r o m P a r l i a m e n t f o r 1 1 1 d a y s , s h u t t i n g d o w n t h e voice of Wayanad’s people in Parliament

Nine killed as speeding car ploughs into Ahmedabad crowd

At least nine peo ple w ere killed and 13 injured in one of th e worst traffic accid ents on th e Iskcon flyover in Ah med abad last week Tathya Patel, a 19-year-old m otorist in a fast automo bile, plough ed troug h the crow d that h ad gathered there iro nically to inv estigate an accident w hich had happened a few hours earlier

Two police officers and home guard jawan who were investigating the earlier collision in which a youngster had smashed his Thar SUV into a dumper, were among those killed The tragedy was captured by video footage, revealing the horrific impact of the Jaguar car colliding with the crowd, and flinging the bodies of young victims across a 200m stretch The road turned into a tragic scene of devastation, stained with blood, and littered with the belongings of the deceased and injured victims

S ix includ ing car d riv er, his fem ale friends held

G e n e r a l X a v i e r I s a a c , l a s t month to discuss 'Make in I n d i a ' d e f e n s e p r o d u c t i o n capabilities, particularly the Tejas and Dhruv choppers

Three Botad friends who were just hired as government school teachers and two who were enrolled in college in Ahmedabad were among the deceased The government announced that acting city police commissioner Premveer Singh will monitor the investigation to be conducted by a team consisting of additional CP (traffic), three DCPs, and seven PIs The son and father of the Jaguar have been booked along with his three girl frieds

Justice Sunita Agarwal sworn in as Gujarat HC CJ

J u s ti c e S u ni t a Ag a rw a l wa s s worn in a s th e 29th Ch ief Jus tice of Gu jarat h i g h co u r t G o v e r n o r

Achary a Devv ra t a dminis te red th e oa th of office a t t h e R a j B h a v a n i n

G andh inaga r

Justice Sunita graduated in law from Awadh University in 1989 and embarked on her journey as an advocate on December 16, 1990 Over t h e y e a r s , J u s t i c e Agarwal built her expertise mainly on the civil s i d e a t t h e A l l a h a b a d high court

She first stepped into t h e l e g a l s y s t e m o n November 21, 2011, as an

a d d i t i o n a l j u d g e , a n d o n A u g u s t 6 ,

2013, the Allahabad High Court elevated her to the position of permanent judge Justice Sunita will hold her new posit i o n u n t i l A p r i l 9 ,

2 0 2 8 , w h e n s h e i s scheduled to retire A m o n g t h o s e p r es e n t a t t h e s w e a ri n g - i n c e r e m o n y were CS Raj Kumar, a s s e m b l y s p e a k e r Shankar Chaudhary, CM B h u p e n d r a P a t e l , a n d several judges

Justice Sunita Agarwal

Grand re-opening of the Brahma Kumaris’ Global Retreat Centre in Oxfordshire

e G l o b a l R e t r e a t C e n t r e i n

Th

N u n e h a m C o u r t e n a y , Oxfordshire, opened its doors to the public again on Sunday 23 July after f i v e y e a r s ’ c l o s u r e f o r e s s e n t i a l r e n o v a t i o n O v e r 1 , 7 5 0 p e o p l e attended the Grand Opening event F e e l i n g P e a c e - T h e M e d i t a t i o n

Experience

Uplifting and vibrant, the event was a rich mix of stage performances, music and dance and the sharing of w i s d o m a n d i n s i g h t s , p e r s o n a l experiences and good wishes from senior meditators from around the world, local community leaders and friends

P e o p l e w e r e i n v i t e d t o c o m e earlier in the afternoon to explore the b e a u t i f u l g a r d e n s a n d t h e s t a t e r o o m s , s o a k u p t h e p e a c e f u l a t m o s p h e r e a n d e x p e r i e n c e t h e informal meditation activities set up a r o u n d t h e g r o u n d s T h e r e w e r e movement meditations, affirmation meditations, grounding meditations and even tea meditations - all offering a taster of the meditation that is studied, practised and taught there There were also informal sitar and v i o l i n p e r f o r m a n c e s , a m e d i t a t i o n tent and tea and snacks for all Many visitors remembered the Peace in the Park festivals that took place every summer for many years and attracted thousands of people, while a lot were discovering the place for the first time

The main stage was stunningly decorated with a brightly coloured, h a n d - p a i n t e d b a c k d r o p o f f l o w e r s and peacocks under a canopy of stars

The first Lord and Lady Harcourt, the

original residents of the 18th century h o u s e , w e r e t h e r e t o w e l c o m e everyone - brought to life in a light a n d e n t e r t a i n i n g p e r f o r m a n c e b y M i n a l P a t e l a n d M a r n e t t a V i e g a s

spoke about different elements that enable us to feel peace and how meditation and a spiritual awareness is essential for our wellbeing

'Ind e p e n d e n c e t o F r e e d o m ' i s a n autobiography based on the story o f m i g r a t i o n f r o m r u r a l G u j a r a t t o Nairobi, Kenya, and the impact of the s t r u g g l e s f o r i n d e p e n d e n c e f r o m B r i t i s h r u l e o n a t r a d i t i o n a l H i n d u G u j a r a t i f a m i l y t h a t m i g r a t e d t o London in 1949.

The author, Viram Jasani, was born i n K e n y a i n 1 9 4 5 a n d s h i f t e d t o England with his family He became a l e a d i n g a u t h o r i t y o n I n d i a n m u s i c through his work as a performer, a powerful advocate, and as the major producer of Indian music in the UK The author was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts (FRSA) in 1993, winner of the Asian Voice Asian

They gave an imaginative peep into their world, and how our world and the retreat centre might look to them I n t r o d u c i n g a n d i n t e r w e a v i n g t h e speeches and reflections were songs b y L u c i n d a D r a y t o n , a r a p performance by Lacky C & Jaini and dance performances by Pearl Jordan and Sharon

O’Regan Senior meditators of

the Brahma

K u m a r i s f r o m a r o u n d t h e w o r l d

Achievers Award in 2003, winner of the HSBC Indo-British Award in 2003 for p r o m o t i n g g o o d r e l a t i o n s b e t w e e n India and the UK, and awarded an H o n o r a r y d o c t o r a t e f r o m t h e University of York in 2007

T h e f a m i l y n a v i g a t e d a l i f e i n b e t w e e n t w o c u l t u r e s , m a i n t a i n i n g and imbibing the best of both Jasani from a very early age, fell in love with Indian classical music His abilities and interests were diverse, though, so he did not mind playing his sitar with jazz, playing with Jimmy Page on Led Zeppelin, or composing for films, TV a n d r a d i o , w h i l e a l s o d e v e l o p i n g a successful career in business His aim t o r a i s e a w a r e n e s s f o r o n e o f t h e w o r l d ' s m o s t s o p h i s t i c a t e d m u s i c systems prompted him to establish himself as a performer, advocate, and producer of Indian music throughout the UK and Europe

T h e b o o k i s d i v i d e d i n t o 1 8 chapters, and each chapter gives us an insight into the lives of Jasani and his f a m i l y I t s t a r t s w i t h t h e K a r s a n

Baroth, who took refuge in Viram Jasani’s grandparents' home in Aktot (Gujarat), India, during the rule of the British The author also devoted a chapter to his parents, Hemkunver and Manilal, detailing their journey from East Africa to London and how their traits influenced his interest in I n d i a n m u s i c a n d c u l t u r e H e

mentioned The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Indian music department and how he got to meet prominent musicians like Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, Pt Nikhil Banerjee, etc He even got a chance to lecture in Indian music at Kingston Polytechnic - at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama - at the Music Faculty of King’s

S i s t e r J a y a n t i w h o i s Additional Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris and CEO of Brahma Kumaris UK - and v e r y m u c h b e h i n d t h e renovation project - brought the evening to a close by leading the audience into a beautiful, guided meditation for the self, for the world and for nature, ending with s e v e r a l m i n u t e s o f p o w e r f u l , ‘ p i n d r o p ’ s i l e n c e S h e c o n c l u d e d b y saying, “We would like you to carry away the peace that you have felteven for a few fleeting moments or perhaps longer than that away with yourselves so that you can b e i n s t r u m e n t s f o r p e a c e wherever you may be, and that peace becomes available for you a t a n y m o m e n t , a t e v e r y moment you choose ” S a r v j e e t S o o d a n , H e a d o f Political, Press & Information Wing at the High Commission of India in London, said, “On behalf of the High Commission of India, I congratulate you for this grand opening and for making the centre available to all of us A chance to take a break from the magic of our computer and mobile screens and away from the confines of our offices to find ourselves, to find inner peace and tranquillity ” The evening ended with a joyful song by Lucinda entitled ‘Abundance’ a n d d o z e n s o f c o l o u r f u l b a l l o o n s filling the marquee

College London The book includes the detailed experience of Jasani, who served on the music advisory panels for the Arts Council of Great Britain

J a s a n i s p o k e a b o u t h i s e n c o u n t e r s with the "arts establishment and elite" and their prejudices, ignorance, and p o l i c i e s o f r e p r e s s i o n i n t h e U K ' s funding system

Overall, the book is intriguing and describes how immigrants adjust to l i f e i n a n e w c o u n t r y T h e b o o k c o v e r e d a w i d e r a n g e o f i s s u e s , i n c l u d i n g c u l t u r a l i d e n t i t y , d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , l a n g u a g e b a r r i e r s , family dynamics, etc The author has a d d r e s s e d t h e s e s i t u a t i o n s i n numerous chapters The narration is very simple, and there is no use of c o m p l i c a t e d w o r d s , w h i c h i s q u i t e u n d e r s t a b l e f o r e v e r y r e a d e r T h e cultural representation in the book is a u t h e n t i c , r e s p e c t f u l , a n d w e l l portrayed Many themes and messages in the book connect with today's socio p o l i t i c a l c l i m a t e , s u c h a s d i s p a r i t y

b e t w e e n p o w e r a n d w e a l t h , l o s i n g identity, multiculturalism, racism etc

This book binds the histories of India, East Africa and UK and talks about the ongoing fight for democratic values, w h e t h e r i t i s f o r f r e e d o m o r t h e exchange of cultural ideas

I n d e p e n d e n c e t o F r e e d o m , captures the successes and struggles of an immigrant family This book is a must read for those who have a keen interest in the history of India, East Africa and the UK from a South A s i a n p e r s p e c t i v e T h e a u t h o r o v e r c a m e t h e d i s c r i m i n a t i o n h e encountered from the British artistic elite and envious Indians by pursuing a voyage into Vedic philosophy to find his freedom

Asian Voice invites creative pieces from children aged between 5 to 12

Submit your child s poetry, drawings, essays, stories and jokes via email to shrijit rajan@abplgroup com

The best entries will be published in Asian Voice very week

Sister Jayanti

Sarvjeet Soodan

Some bad habits that ruin your sleep

Strug gling w ith sleep seem s all too com mon no wad ays, w ith many of us having issues when it com es to nodd ing off But one d octor has shared five comm on mistakes w e m ight be m aking w hen it comes to getting a g ood night's rest

Dr Karak Rajan boasts millions of followers on social media, sharing his medical knowledge to help users better understand their bodies and how to help them He's shared a top list of five things you might be doing which are ruining your sleep

I n a T i k T o k v i d e o , D r R a j a n recounted the bad habits "Your sleep i s b e i n g r u i n e d b y f i v e c o m m o n h a b i t s " H e r e a r e t h e f i v e t i p s h e shared with his viewers:

Eating before bed : Dr Rajan warns that eating a large amount of food before bed can have a negative impact o n y o u r s l e e p I t i n c r e a s e s y o u r chances of indigestion in the middle of the night "It takes 90 minutes for 50 per cent of your stomach to empty into the small intestines, so the more full your stomach is, the higher the chance of acid reflux," he said Downing water before bed: Staying

hydrated is something a lot of us will be guilty of neglecting But you might want to rethink that huge bottle of water next to your bed "If you drink lots of water before bed, it can suppress the production of ADH [hormone] - so you pee more, and you wake up more and it ruins your sleep," he continued

Your bed is too cosy: While there's little else that feels as comforting as being cosy in bed, it could be that you're just a tad too cosy It's actually important to keep cool if you want to get your full eight hours Dr Rajan showed a graph in the video, revealing how peak body temperature typically

h i t s a t 7 p m A f t e r t h i s , i t d r o p s , p r o m p t i n g d r o w s iness

O ne to o m a ny d ri nk s : I f you're planning on having a n i g h t c a p a f t e r a l o n g d a y before you head to bed, you might want to rethink that decision Alcohol can have an effect on the type of sleep you're having, and therefore the quality "Alcohol messes up your REM sleep," Dr Rajan e x p l a i n e d R E M i s t h e s l e e p c y c l e where you have dreams Booze often makes us "pass out" fast, causing us to linger for longer in the first stage of REM This throws your sleep cycle out of whack, making you wake up at odd times of the night

Dr Rajan s final tip was to avoid s o u r c e s o f c a f f e i n e s e v e r a l h o u r s before bed And this doesn't just mean coffee Caffeine can block a neurotransmitter called adenosine This is the molecule that makes you feel tired " C a f f e i n e d o e s n ' t m a k e y o u m o r e alert," he explained "It just makes you feel less sleepy, because it prevents the accumulation of the sleep molecule "

Anti-inflammatory medicine may work well in Alzheimer's treatment

T he S anders-Brow n C entre o n Ageing at the University o f K ent u ck y ’ s L i nd a V a n E l i d e, P h D , r ele as ed a n article in PLOS ONE on th e id ea th at a number of antii nflam m ato ry dru gs mi gh t w or k w e ll as A l zh e im er ’ s d is e as e tre atm ent s T h is investig ation focused on th e p 38 pro tein, which has been i n v es ti g a ted i n n u m ero u s labs as a potential target for the creation of d rug s to treat neuroinflamm atory diseases

like A lzheimer’s

In order to halt the synthesis of p38 in the main i m m u n e c e l l t y p e i n t h e b r a i n , t h e m i c r o g l i a , V a n E l d i k a n d h e r t e a m employed genetic approache s T h e y i n v e s t i g a t e d

Environmentally friendly foods could enhance your lifespan

whether this might affect t h e t r a j e c t o r y o f a m y l o i d plaque production, a crucial aspect of AD pathology, in an early-stage mouse model of the disease T h e p r o p o r t i o n o f m i c r o g l i a a r o u n d t h e plaques was reduced, despite

t h e f a c t t h a t t h e p l a q u e s themselves were unaffected

This finding suggests that m i c r o g l i a l p 3 8 r e d u c t i o n may have an impact on how these microglia interact with various components of AD pathogenesis P38 inhibitors, which are

n o w u n d e r g o i n g c l i n i c a l development and have prod u c e d p o s i t i v e r e s u l t s i n recent human clinical trials, a r e a m o n g t h e c l a s s e s o f anti-inflammatory medications However, it is still not clear when during the dise a s e p r o c e s s t h e s e p 3 8 inhibitors should be administered and whether longterm suppression of p38 is harmful

The findings reported by the lab indicate that early i n h i b i t i o n o f p 3 8 m a y b e a b l e t o a l t e r i n t e r a c t i o n s between brain immune cells and AD pathology, and they suggest that long-term supp r e s s i o n o f p 3 8 d o e s n o t c a u s e n o t i c e a b l e a d v e r s e effects

Omega-3 fatty acids help in maintaining lung health

O me g a- 3 f at ty a c i ds a re promi sing for mai ntaini ng lung health, suggests new r es ear ch fr om a stud y in healthy indivi duals funded b y the National I nsti tutes of H ea l th Th e s tu dy hi g hl i g ht s t he i m p or ta n c e of c o ns u mi n g om e ga - 3 f at ty ac ids, especi ally in light of t h e f ac t t ha t m a ny Americans do not consume enough of them, and provides the mos t compelli ng evidence of this connection to date

“We know a lot about the role of diet in cancer and cardiovascular diseases, b u t t h e r o l e o f d i e t i n c h r o n i c l u n g d i s e a s e i s s o m e w h a t u n d e r s t u d i e d , ” said corresponding author

healthy diet, may also be important for lung health ” T o l e a r n m o r e , r e s e a r c h e r s d e v e l o p e d a two-part study investigati n g t h e l i n k b e t w e e n omega-3 fatty acid levels in the blood and lung function over time In the first part, the researchers conducted a longitudinal, observational s t u d y i n v o l v i n g 1 5 , 0 6 3

Americans from the NHLBI Pooled Cohorts Study a l a r g e c o l l e c t i o n o f N I Hfunded studies that helps researchers to study determ i n a n t s o f p e r s o n a l i s e d risk for chronic lung disease

i p a n t s f o r a n a v e r a g e o f seven years and up to 20 years

The longitudinal study showed that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in a person ’ s blood were associated with a reduced rate of lung f u n c t i o n d e c l i n e T h e r e s e a r c h e r s o b s e r v e d t h e s t r o n g e s t a s s o c i a t i o n s f o r d o c o s a h e x a e n o i c a c i d ( D H A ) , a n o m e g a - 3 f a t t y acid found at high levels in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines DHA is also available as a dietary supplement

o m e g a - 3 f a t t y a c i d s i n c l u d i n g D H A w e r e associated with better lung function

The participants studied were generally healthy when t h e s t u d y b e g a n , a n d t h e majority had no evidence of chronic lung disease They comprised a racially diverse g r o u p o f a d u l t s , w i t h a n average age of 56 years, and 55 per cent were female The researchers followed participants for an average of seven years and up to 20 years

A ccord ing to new research, eating more fo ods that are g ood for the env ironment m ay help you live a long er, h ealthier life Researchers discov ered th at those who ate m ore sustainably w ere 25 per cent less likely to pass away than th ose wh o d idn’t The research expand s o n earlier studies that identified foods th at are beneficial to both h uman h ealth and the env ironment, such as wh ole grains, fruit, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, and u nsaturated oils, as w ell as foods that may be detrimental to both, such as egg s and red and processed meats

According to the latest research, consuming more healthful meals may lower one's risk of dying from conditions including cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses, and neurological disorders “We proposed a new diet score that incorporates the best current scientific evidence of food effects on both health and the environment,” said Linh Bui, MD, a Ph D candidate in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health

“The results confirmed our hypothesis that a higher Planetary Health Diet score was associated with a lower risk of mortality ”

With the new study, the researchers aimed to create a simple tool that policymakers and public health practitioners could use to develop strategies to improve public health and address the climate crisis

“As a millennial, I have always been concerned about mitigating human impacts on the environment,” said Bui “A sustainable dietary pattern should not only be healthy but also consistent within planetary boundaries for greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental parameters ”

To create their Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), researchers reviewed existing research on the relationships between various food groups and health outcomes based on the EAT-Lancet reference diet that accounts for the environmental impacts of food production practices They then applied the index to analyse outcomes among over 100,000 participants in two large cohort studies conducted in the United States The data set included over 47,000 deaths during a follow-up period spanning over three decades from 1986-2018

“We hope that researchers can adapt this index to specific food cultures and validate how it is associated with chronic diseases and environmental impacts such as carbon footprint, water footprint, and land use in other populations,” said Bui

MIND diet linked to improved focus in children: Study

Patricia

A Cassano, Ph D , director of the Division of N u t r i t i o n a l S c i e n c e s a t C o r n e l l U n i v e r s i t y i n I t h a c a , N e w Y o r k “ T h i s study adds to growing evid e n c e t h a t o m e g a - 3 f a t t y acids, which are part of a

The participants studied were generally healthy when the study began, and t h e m a j o r i t y h a d n o e v idence of chronic lung dise a s e T h e y c o m p r i s e d a r a c i a l l y d i v e r s e g r o u p o f adults, with an average age of 56 years, and 55 per cent w e r e f e m a l e T h e researchers followed partic-

In the second part, the researchers analysed genetic data from a large study of E u r o p e a n p a t i e n t s ( o v e r 500,000 participants) from the UK Biobank They studied certain genetic markers in the blood as an indirect m e a s u r e , o r p r o x y , f o r dietary omega-3 fatty acid levels to see how they correlated with lung health The results showed that higher

“This large populationbased study suggests that nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties may help to maintain lung health,” said James P Kiley, Ph D , d i r e c t o r o f t h e N H L B I ’ s Division of Lung Diseases “More research is needed since these findings raise i n t e r e s t i n g q u e s t i o n s f o r future prospective studies a b o u t t h e l i n k b e t w e e n

o m e g a - 3 f a t t y a c i d s a n d lung function ”

A re cent study sug gests t hat a die t cre at ed t o pre ven t cognitive d ecline in a dult s ma y also help in crea se att ent ion in preado le sce nt s The new st udy look ed at the hea rt -hea lt hy Medit err an ean -DASH Inte rve nt ion for Neur od ege ner at iv e De la y ( MIN D) diet It combine s the Me dite rra nea n diet with the hea rt-he alt hy Diet ary Appr oaches t o Stop Hype rte nsion (DA SH) diet a nd the Healthy Ea ting Inde x - 2015 (HEI-2015), which is ba se d on the Diet ar y Guide line s for Ame ricans Shelby Keye, Ph D , who performed the work as a doctoral student in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said, “We assessed how adherence to these diets was associated with children’s attentional inhibition - the ability to resist distracting stimuli - and found that only the MIND diet was positively linked with children’s performance on a task assessing attentional inhibition This suggests that the MIND diet could have the potential to improve children’s cognitive development, which is important for success in school ”

The diet in question emphasises fresh fruit, vegetables, and legumes like beans, lentils, and peas However, it also includes recommendations for specific foods, such as leafy greens and berries, which promote brain health The new research used data collected in a previous cross-sectional study led by Naiman Khan, Ph D , a professor of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Alia says her daughter Raha will become a scientist

Actress Alia Bhatt recently said at an event that she feels her daughter Raha Kapoor will grow up to become a scientist Currently busy promoting her upcoming movie, Karan Johar-directorial ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem

Kahaani,’ alongside co-star Ranveer Singh, she made the statement at an event in Mumbai

A video from the event was shared on a paparazzo account on Instagram It shows Alia looking pretty in a sky blue saree and bindi and saying, "I look at my daughter and I s a y , “ T u t o s c i e n t i s t b a n e g i ( y o u w i l l become a scientist ” The video received a mixed response from internet users A fan wrote, “She will play the role of scientist ” Another said, “Le Karan Johar after 20 years making movie name Scientist ” M o s t o f t h e m w e r e , h o w e v e r , n o t convinced and claimed that Raha would definitely become an actor, just like her parents, Alia and Ranbir Kapoor A person asked, “To fir 3 idiots ke lesson ka kya? Barbaad (did it go waste)?” Another said, “Ranbir Kapoor ke beti hai actor bohot achi banegi (she will become a very good actor as she is Ranbir's daughter) ” One more wrote, “Raha mother s side father s side ka tradition barkarar rakhegi, acting pe hi ayegi (she will continue the tradition and will become an actor) ” “Last me heroine hi banegi (she will b e c o m e a h e r o i n e i n t h e e n d ) , ” r e a d a comment

A comment also read, "Baby chota ho to sb yahi kehte hai specially you Bollywood people sabko acting me ghusa dete hai Bina talent k (everyone says this when the baby is small specially Bollywood people but they eventually put everyone into acting even those without talent) " A person even gave Janhvi Kapoor's example, “Sridevi ko b Janhvi ko doctor banana tha but wo b actress ee Bani lol (Sridevi wanted to make Janhvi a doctor but she became an actor) ”

Alia and Ranbir Kapoor welcomed Raha on November 6 last year The couple had tied the knot in April of the same year

Bollyood actors extended support to Sunny Leone after her 2016 controversial interview

Actress Sunny Leone transitioned from the adult film industry and made her Bollywood debut with ‘Jism 2’ in 2012 Since then, she has steadily progressed in her career Loved for her charms and wit in various interviews, she found roaring support from her audience during a controversial interview with TV journalist Bhupendra Chaubey in 2016.

The journalist faced criticism for asking q u e s t i o n s t h a t w e r e p e r c e i v e d a s s e x i s t However, viewers admired Sunny for the g r a c e a n d d i g n i t y s h e d e m o n s t r a t e d i n handling the situation Now, looking back, she mentions that several Bollywood stars reached out to her in support after the i n t e r v i e w , d e s p i t e a p p r e h e n s i o n s a b o u t working with her before

Speaking in an interview, she shared, “There were a few people who heard about the interview or saw it and got that cringe and reached out to say hello, which was really nice Aamir Khan called me, Mr Anil Kapoor was one of them, I think Hrithik Roshan also called me, Sonam Kapoor as well There were a few people, and all of

them just said things like, ‘proud of you ’ and ‘stay strong’ ”

Sunny also opened up about her mindset when dealing with trolls and negativity on s o c i a l m e d i a W h e n a s k e d i f h a t e f u l comments hurt her, she said, “I just don’t deal with it If you pull all the layers of the cards I have up then of course, it hurts my feelings because you don’t want people to say such rude, nasty things but for the most part, I don’t pay attention I have broken it down as to - they don’t know me, I don’t know them ”

She added, “They are completely entitled to their opinion and I just leave it at that I can’t take what they say seriously because maybe they don’t take themselves seriously, maybe they are so angry with their lives They are unhappy people, they have to say something bad about someone else ”

On the work front, Sunny received heaps of praise from critics and audiences for her impactful performance in Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Kennedy ’ The movie premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival It follows the story of a n i n s o m n i a c e x - c o p w h o h a s b e e n presumed dead but seeks redemption

Lisa Ray reacts ‘noooo’ to ‘insensitive’ line on Auschwitz in ‘Bawaal’ Nitesh

Tiwari’s Varun Dhawan-Jahnvi Kapoor-starrer ‘Bawaal’ was released on Amazon Prime Video on July 21 The film has received mixed reviews from critics, with many questioning the reference to the Holocaust in the equation of a present-day relationship. Many social media users have expressed shock at some of the dialogues in the movie. Most recently, actor Lisa Ray reacted to a line that equates Auschwitz with a relationship

F i l m c r i t i c R a j a S e n t w e e t e d , “Apparently, there is a line in #Bawaal where Jahnvi Kapoor says, “Har rishta apne-apne Auschwitz se guzarta hai ” That’s all, folks ” (The line translates to, "Every relationship goes through the Auschwitz ") Reacting to the line, actor Lisa Ray reacted in disbelief with, “Noooooooo "

Several other social media users were also quick to convey their shock in the c o m m e n t s e c t i o n O n e s a i d , " E x t r e m e l y insensitive line! Another wrote, In today s episode of Hindi Movies losing their plot " A tweet read, "Why are these European (Auschwitz) and American (Balboa) cultural r e f e r e n c e s c o m i n g i n o u r m a i n s t r e a m e n t e r t a i n m e n t , a s i f w e d o n o t h a v e references of our own Looks so forced and contrived " Another comment read, "Are you serious?”

At the trailer launch event, which took place in Dubai, Nitesh Tiwari broke his silence on references to Hitler and World War II in the film He said, “While creating a character, you can go back and look at the events and incidents which can play an important role in the overall arc of that character and the relationship in general It’s not just about Hitler There are many more things that you may not have seen in the trailer Every incident has been very carefully chosen that can have an impact on the overall arc ”

Actor Ranveer Singh recently revealed how veteran star Amitabh

Bachchan had an unexpected reaction to his look at an event He said although he was wearing a “pretty costly” suit, it didn’t impress Bachchan, who instead compared him to a plant

Known for his bold and experimental sartorial choices in the industry, Ranveer often makes the headlines with his quirky outfits He recently shared an interaction on his look at an event he had attended When asked recently if he ever regretted wearing any of his outfits in public, Singh promptly said he has

He said, “I have There was one suit that was pretty costly and we were at a discussion and Amitabh Bachchan was at that event too I thought I was wearing the best suit of the world and when I asked Big B, ‘Sir, how do I look?’ He said, ‘ Son, you are looking like a plant’ ”

Last year, Ranveer went fully naked for Paper Magazine and talked about many things, including his maximalist style He said that he works hard and loves to wear nice clothes, and added if anyone judges him for it, he doesn't care He added, “I work 20-hour days I’m not complaining I’m only too happy and too grateful ”

On the work front, Ranveer anticipates the release of his upcoming movie ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani,’ on July 28 Directed by Karan Johar, the film stars him alongside Alia Bhatt It also features veterans like Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi, and Jaya Bachchan

Ranveer recalls Amitabh’s reaction to his expensive suit

Kareena, Saif enjoying holiday in Europe with sons Jeh and Taimur

Star couple Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are living their best life in Europe along with their kids Jeh and Taimur.

Manish Malhotra confirms directing Meena

Kumari's biopic

Aftermuch speculation, celebrity designer Manish Malhotra has confirmed that he will be making a biopic based on the life of legendary Bollywood actor Meena Kumari He admitted for the first time in an interview that he is working on the project and revealed that the film is at the scripting stage

CBFC recommends cuts and changes to KJo’s ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’

Karan Johar’s upcoming romantic comedy

‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ is gearing up for its long-awaited release in cinemas Ahead of the premiere, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has issued the movie a U/A certificate However, it came at the cost of certain cuts and changes.

KJo’s directorial comeback after seven years, the movie is releasing in his 25th year as a filmmaker Co-produced by his Dharma P r o d u c t i o n s a n d V i a c o m 1 8 S t u d i o s , t h e m o v i e s t a r s R a n v e e r S i n g h , A l i a B h a t t ,

Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi, among others

According to a media report, the CBFC

has enforced certain cuts and alterations in ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ before issuing a U/A certificate

The changes include changing the word ‘bra’ to ‘item,’ replacing a cussword and replacing the name of a popular alcohol b r a n d T h r e e d i a l o g u e s w e r e c u t o f f , including a reference to Lok Sabha and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a lingerie shop scene that was deemed to be “vulgar” and “degrading” to women A scene with a Rabindranath Tagore reference that featured in the film’s trailer as well has been reportedly altered ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’s final runtime is now said to be two hours and 48 minutes

Kangana dances at sister-in-law Ritu Ranaut’s baby shower

In the latest picture from their European holiday, shared by a fan account, Saif and Kareena can be seen enjoying a sunny day with their sons, Taimur and Jehangir by a lake In the first picture, we can find mom K a r e e n a s m i l i n g w h i l e l o o k i n g a t h e r husband and sons as they hold a fish in hand The family is dressed in their casual b e s t a n d l o o k s a d o r a b l e I n t h e s e c o n d picture, we can see Saif, fixing bait to a fishing pole with little Jeh beside him

Sharing the pictures, the fan account wrote, "Family time Tim & Jeh fishing with Pops while Beboo watching enjoying the view "

A few days back, Kareena posted a frame s h o w c a s i n g t w o p l a t e s o f p a n c a k e s Kareena s caption read, Anyone else always ends up eating their kids breakfast?

Before it, the actor posted a gorgeous picture of herself against a mesmerising location a few days back The beautiful mountains and clouds have added an extra edge to the frame Kareena didn't waste much time thinking about the caption and simply wrote, "Framed " Kareena's cousin Riddhima Kapoor Sahni was among the first to drop a comment under the post She shared a red heart emoji

In an interview, when Manish was asked about the reports of him directing Meena Kumari’s biopic, he said, “I don’t know how it got out but it is happening We are still working on the script The script is key, always I have been reading her books The film is based on her books I have always been fascinated by Meena Kumari ”

He also shared a heartwarming anecdote about how veteran actor Rekha inspired him to take up this project “Rekha told me once that you know when you turn 40, you will understand the genius of Meena Kumari And that is true But I was young and I was busy working but when I turned 40 I not only understood the genius of Meena Kumari but even Nargis ji and Dilip Kumar and Guru Dutt I started watching that cinema and understanding it so much better I think M e e n a K u m a r i i s p h e n o m e n a l w i t h h e r expressions, the way she uses her eyes and her adaa,” he said

Before Manish’s confirmation, there were a l r e a d y r e p o r t s c i r c u l a t i n g a b o u t h i m directing the Meena Kumari biopic Tajdar Amrohi, the stepson of Meena Kumari and son of legendary filmmaker Kamal Amrohi, had reportedly expressed his discontent and even threatened legal action against Manish M a l h o t r a a n d K r i t i S a n o n , w h o i s b e i n g considered to play the late actress on the big screen Meena Kumari, known as The Tragedy Queen of Hindi cinema, fell gravely ill just three weeks after the release of her famous f i l m ‘ P a k e e z a h ’ S h e w a s a d m i t t e d t o S t Elizabeth’s Nursing Home in March 1972 but her condition deteriorated rapidly She passed away on March 31, 1972, at the age of 38

Rohit Shetty drops son Ishaan at London's Central Film School

Kangana Ranaut’s family came together recently to celebrate the godbharai (baby shower) ceremony of her brother Aksht Ranaut’s wife, Ritu The actor chose a pink silk saree for the occasion and showed off her hennaed hands in photos shared by her on Instagram She was also seen posing with her sister and manager Rangoli, their parents and the soon-to-be parents

“Sharing some precious moments from Ritu Ranaut’s Godbharai Our hearts are full and

we all are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Baby Ranaut thanks for all your well wishes and blessings ” In one of the photos, Kangana was also seen dancing A n u p a m K h e r , w h o i s w o r k i n g w i t h Kangana Ranaut in her upcoming directorial ‘Emergency,’ posted in the comment section, “Congratulations! Jai Ho! ”

On the work front, Kangana Ranaut made her debut as a producer on OTT with the Prime Video film, ‘Tiku Weds Sheru ’ Kangana has films like ‘Emergency,' ‘Tejas,’ and ‘Chandramukhi 2 ’ in the pipeline

Filmmaker Rohit Shetty had a proud father moment recently as he dropped off his son Ishaan at London’s Central Film School He will be following in his father’s footsteps and joining the film industry in future Shetty took to his Instagram handle and shared a photo with his son as he dropped him off T h e p h o t o f e a t u r e d t h e father and son twinning in black and posing in front of the popular film school Rohit wrote in the caption, “From dropping him to a play school to a film school Time flies ” Soon after the photo w a s s h a r e d , s e v e r a l c e l e b s c o n g r a t u l a t e d

Rohit Actor Ranveer Singh wrote, “Wow! Amazing! God bless!” Shilpa Shetty wrote, “Oh wow! Wishing him all the best ” R Madhavan added, “All the very very best He will make you proud ” While Anupam Kher c o m m e n t e d , “ G o o d l u c k , ” R a h u l V a i d y a called the director, “Great father ” R o h i t i s t h e s o n o f a c t o r - a c t i o n

choreographer MB Shetty He is best known

f o r t h e ‘ G o l m a a l ’ f r a n c h i s e a n d h i s c o p universe of films He has also directed other f i l m s , i n c l u d i n g ‘ B o l B a c h c h a n ’ i n 2 0 1 2 , ‘Chennai Express’ in 2013, ‘Dilwale’ in 2015, ‘Simmba’ in 2018 and ‘Sooryavanshi’ in 2021 His last film ‘Cirkus,’ did not work at the box office It starred Ranveer Singh in dual roles Rohit had previously admitted to the failure of his film and clarified that he wasn't hurt or disappointed by the outcome The filmmaker will soon be marking his web series debut with ‘Indian Police Force ’ It f e a t u r e s S h i l p a S h e t t y a n d S i d h a r t h

Malhotra

Ram Charan shares an emotional video on Upasana's birthday

Ram Charan's wife Upasana Konidela

celebrated her 34th birthday last week

On the occasion of her special day, he took to Instagram to share a heartwarming video of them documenting the joy and relief of welcoming their newborn daughter Klin Kaara Konidela

Employees federation lays down controversial new rules for Tamil movies

The Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) has stirred up quite the storm by introducing a new set of guidelines for Kollywood The new rule dictates that only Tamil artists can be engaged in Tamil films Another rule mandates that filming must exclusively take place within Tamil Nadu

Ram shared the video and wrote in the caption: Happy Birthday dearest Upsi & Happy one month birthday dearest Kaara

You are our best gift (red heart emoticon) @ u p a s a n a k a m i n e n i k o n i d e l a C r e d i t s : @josephradhik”

The video begins with the news that the baby has arrived and the family members reacting to the picture and saying how cute she looks Upasana then says, "Eight months was a breeze " Ram adds, "After that the real game started " Chiranjeevi then says, "All of us are eagerly waiting to hold the little star " Upasana's parents also appear in the video and say that it has been a build-up of excitement for the last 11 years Ram says that there was a lot of stress involved as well "11 years got over What are they doing?" he says “I guess everything finds its own place in time And this baby found its time then And it happened ”

The video then takes us through a flashback 11 years ago to a montage of Ram and Upasana s wedding Ram then says how in their relationship, no one has sacrificed more than the other person Upasana then says that how in the last two months, she could not move and got "emotional with everything " She also said, "I just feel like being a mom completes me " The video then goes on to show the scene at the hospital where family members wished all the best to the couple before the delivery

A few moments later, an emotional Ram is seen coming out with the baby girl in his arms and meeting his family Upasana then shares that she is grateful for the love that has been showered on them with the news of their newborn The clip shows the fan crowding outside the hospital in Hyderabad "I want my child to become a part of the Chenchus I don't want any tags behind the child I think that they should earn their titles It should come with no pressure, but hard work she says The video ends with a traditional puja and celebration at home, with Chiranjeevi announcing the name of the baby to everyone present

Ram and Upasana tied the knot on June 14, 2012 The two announced her first pregnancy in December 2022 They welcomed their first child on June 20 Upasana shared a photo with her daughter and Ram on Instagram later and thanked fans for their love and blessings

The new rules were issued as part of a m o v e t o e n s u r e m e m b e r s o f t h e F E F S I remain employable within the industry, a media report said The federation has also made it mandatory that film shoots should not be conducted in other states or foreign c o u n t r i e s u n l e s s a b s o l u t e l y n e c e s s a r y Additionally, FEFSI has insisted that in cases where shoots exceed the scheduled time or the allocated budget, proper written communication must be provided to the producers concerned, along with appropriate reasons for the delay or budget overrun

The organisation reportedly also stated that any violation of these rules will result in disciplinary action being taken Directors have been told to take accountability for story copyright issues, if they write the story

According to the report, members of the FEFSI faced difficulties in finding employment as Tamil films frequently cast stars and actors from other industries Moreover, the shooting of many films in foreign locations exacerbated the issue, resulting in a scarcity of job opportunities for FEFSI members Reportedly, these factors prompted them to draft stringent rules in response

Meanwhile, this move has generated considerable backlash, with numerous cinema viewers and industry experts voicing their opposition and disapproval of the regulations introduced by the federation While industry tracker Sreedhar Pillai stated that the FEFSI demands were unreasonable, a netizen ridiculed the guidelines and noted on Twitter, “They forgot to add one more point: All Tamil movies should release only in Tamil Nadu ”

An organisation that consists of technicians belonging to 23 different unions from various fields in the Tamil film industry, FEFSI reportedly has around 25,000 members

Samantha surprises fans with her new haircut

Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu took to her Instagram handle and surprised fans with her new haircut Her fans and friends alike approved of her new look The video featured Samantha at a beach. She wore greencoloured swimwear as she flaunted her new short hair and flashed her evergreen smile for the camera. Sharing the video, Samantha tagged her hairdresser.

Reacting to the video, a fan wrote in the c o m m e n t s e c t i o n , “ L o o k s l i k e y o u h a v e understood the real meaning of life, I'm very happy for you ” “Only she can be cute and hot at the same time,” added another one Someone also said, “The biggest project is waiting ahead 2024 ”

M e a n w h i l e , H a n s i k a M o t w a n i c o mmented, “Beautiful as always ” “You are just beautiful inside and out,” added Samantha s hairdresser Singer Sophie Choudry called her, “Gorgeous girl and bestest ” S a m a n t h a i s c u r r e n t l y o n a n a c t i n g break She arrived at the decision after wrapping up the Indian chapter of the web series ‘Citadel ’ The break is to primarily focus on h e r h e a l t h a n d u n d e r g o t r e a t m e n t f o r autoimmune condition myositis in the US, as per a source close to the actor

“Few months back, Samantha decided that she will be taking a break from acting, and was just waiting to wrap up her projects

Kushi with Vijay Deverakonda and the I

o f C i t a d e l w i t h V a r u n Dhawan When I checked with her a few months back, she told me that she is not signing any projects currently,” the source said earlier

Ever since Samantha has been on the acting break, she has been keeping her fans updated about her life From visiting temples to going on road trips, she has been making the most of her free time

Recently, she took to Instagram to share a bunch of pictures from her recent visit to Isha Foundation Her post read, “A while ago, sitting still without thoughts flooding, without twitching, itching, twisting and turning seemed almost impossible But today, a meditative state is my most powerful source of strength Of calm Of connect i o n A n d o f c l a r i t y W h o w o u l d h a v e thought that something so simple could be so powerful ”

Filming begins on Mohanlal-starrer ‘Vrushabha’

Ektaa

Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms has partnered with Connekkt Media and AVS Studios for Mohanlal’s upcoming pan-India film. Shooting for the project titled ‘Vrushabha’ is now underway, the makers announced Lal took to his official Twitter account to share the update with his fans He tweeted, “Vrushabha takes its first step towards the frame! As the clapboard snaps shut for #Vrushabha, we ask for your love and blessings ” Billed as India’s most-awaited epic action entertainer, filming of the movie began last week

Makers tweeted in a press note, “The Vrushabha team are beyond elated and grateful to have the opportunity to bring to life this one of its kind pan-India epic adventure full of jaw-dropping action, intense drama, and raw emotions ”

Directed by Nanda Kishore, the film also features Roshann Meka, Shanaya Kapoor and Zahrah S Khan It w i l l b e r e l e a s e d w o r l d w i d e i n M a l a y a l a m , T e l u g u , Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi next year

‘Oppenheimer's sex scenes spark controversy over Bhagavad Gita link

Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ has fared as well as expected worldwide However, some of its scenes garnered mixed reactions from the film’s Indian viewers, especially an intimate scene featuring a mention of the holy Bhagavad Gita

Prabhas, Deepika’s sci-fi ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ teaser unveiled at Comic-Con

‘Oppenheimer’ is Nolan’s first f i l m t o i n c l u d e a s e x s c e n e

w a s n ’ t h i s t o r i c a l l y a c c u r a t e o r n e c e s s a r y S o m e d e f e n d e d t h e d e c i s i o n , t h o u g h , s i n c e t h e characters don’t regard the book as “holy” and only as “Sanskrit ”

Nag

Ashwin’s upcoming Prabhas and Deepika Padukone-starrer ‘Kalki 2898 AD,’ previously titled ‘Project K’ was unveiled at the San Diego Comic-Con Produced by C Aswani Dutt’s Vyjayanthi Movies, it stars Indian A-listers Prabhas, Deepika, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Hassan, and Disha Patani

In Hindu mythology, Kalki is the 10th and final incarnation of the god Vishnu, who appears in order to end the Kali Yuga, the darkest period in mankind’s history “When the world is taken over by darkness, a new force will arise,” the movie teaser shared Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media has boarded t h e f i l m a s i t s i n t e r n a t i o n a l m a r k e t i n g a n d distribution partner Spirit has unveiled several other projects at San Diego Comic-Con

Kannada and English languages

Karan Johar to turn ‘Student of the Year’ franchise into a web series: Report

Karan Johar is reportedly turning his ‘Student of the Year’ movie franchise into a web series The next instalment of the franchise, ‘Student of the Year 3’ will also mark the OTT debut of budding actor Shanaya Kapoor, the daughter of Sanjay and Maheep Kapoor.

While Shanaya is set to make her acting debut with Mohanlal’s panI n d i a f i l m ‘ V r u s h a b h a , ’ s h e h a s a l r e a d y w o r k e d a s a n a s s i s t a n t director on actor Jahnvi Kapoor’s ‘ G u n j a n S a x o n : T h e K a r g i l G i r l ’ M e a n w h i l e , a r e p o r t s a i d K J o i s turning the ‘SOTY’ franchise into a w e b s e r i e s i n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h D i s n e y + H o t s t a r T h e p r o j e c t i s currently in the writing stage and is scheduled to go on floors in the last quarter of this year

T h e s h o w i s e x p e c t e d t o introduce more fresh faces alongside Shanaya, and the casting process is reportedly underway While nothing has been proven yet, the work on the series is going on in full swing at D h a r m a ’ s d i g i t a l c o n t e n t a r m , D h a r m a t i c E n t e r t a i n m e n t T h e director for the series is expected to be finalised within a month

In 2012, Johar introduced Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, and Sidharth Malhotra in his high-school drama

The film was turned into a franchise seven years later with 'Student of the Year 2 ’ The second movie, directed b y P u n e e t M a l h o t r a , l a u n c h e d A n a n y a P a n d e y a n d T a r a S u t a r i a into films; they were seen alongside Tiger Shroff Now, four years later, the high school movie franchise is set for one more edition, albeit as a web series

However, the director felt it was important to accurately portray J Robert Oppenheimer’s (played by C i l l i a n M u r p h y ) l i f e a n d h i s passionate relationship with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), though s o m e h a v e f o u n d t h e s c e n e s

offensive

Viewers have taken to Twitter to voice their anger at the film’s sex scene featuring the Bhagavad

G i t a A T w i t t e r u s e r

@ H a r r i s S u l t a n b l a s t e d Oppenheimer as disrespectful for having a sacred book used in a sex s c e n e S o m e v i e w e r s w e r e a l s o surprised that when Oppenheimer was released in India, the sex scene was blurred, but the Bhagavad Gita r e f e r e n c e s t a y e d d e s p i t e b e i n g potentially seen as “blasphemy ”

Many also noted that the scene

The Bhagavad Gita’s presence in the sex scene isn’t the only time the book appears in the movie Part of its significance is based on h i s t o r y , a s i n r e a l l i f e , Oppenheimer had a fascination w i t h S a n s k r i t a n d b e c a m e immersed in ancient Hindu texts, including the Bhagavad Gita He w a s a l w a y s c u r i o u s a n d knowledgeable about religion and language, but it seemed the Gita resonated with him, considering it p h i l o s o p h i c a l b u t n e v e r c a l l i n g himself a conventional Hindu A q u o t e f r o m G i t a a c t u a l l y plays a big role in the film, as when the eponymous physicist sees the terrible power of the atomic bomb he helped create, he says, “Now I am become Death, destroyer of worlds ” This was also historically a c c u r a t e , a s t h e r e a l - l i f e Oppenheimer later said that it was this Gita quote that came to his m i n d w h e n h e f i r s t s a w t h e explosion of the atomic bomb

Kiku Sharda sets the internet ablaze with his show in Times Square

'Rocky

Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' fever has now reached New York's Times Square, all thanks to Kiku Sharda The comedian-actor, who is popularly known for his many, many characters in The Kapil Sharma Show, was seen grooving to the beats of the song What

Jhumka from the Karan Johar directorial 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' in New York's Times Square along with dancer Tara Jean Popowich. Kiku Sharda and his team from The Kapil Sharma Show are currently on a US tour and are performing live at different venues across the country.

Recently, he took some time out from his busy schedule to shake a leg to the catchy track Sharing

" Actress Archana Puran Singh reacted to the video by dropping heart emojis What Jhumka has been sung by Arijit Singh and

Jonita Gandhi The music has been composed by M

Amitabh Bhattacharya and the choreography is by Ganesh Acharya

A few days back, the movie's lead pair shared a fun video on Instagram, performing to the hook step of their latest song The clip begins with both Alia rushing towards a studio so that they don't miss the drop of their newly-released song What Jhumka Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh captioned the post, "POV: When you simply have to make it in time for the Beat Drop #RockyAurRaniKiiPremKahaani "

Prideview Cricket Cup raises £35,000 in annual charity event

N o w i n i t s e l e v e n t h y e a r , P r i d e v i e w

G r o up ’ s a n n u a l cr i c k e t e v e n t , t h e

Pr idevi ew C ricket C up, rai se d £35,000 for chari table cause s He ld a t the Merchant

T a yl or ’ s S choo l i n Nor th wo od, Gre at er

L on don on 18 July , the even t supported

L andA id f or the fi rst ti me alongs ide lon gte rm cha rity partne r, On e Kind Act With thi s y ear ’ s fun ds, the P ridevi ew C ricket C up has ra ise d over £200,000 for One K ind Act s ince i ts ina uguration The g roup s upports vari ous chari ties i n the UK and g lob ally

O n e K i n d A c t , s e e k s t o c r e a t e a sustainable improvement in the lives of people suffering from poverty of health a n d e d u c a t i o n a r o u n d t h e w o r l d T h i s year ’ s funds are being split between YUVA U n s t o p p a b l e w h i c h s u p p o r t s disadvantaged children in India with basic needs and education, and LandAid, the property industry charity which works to end youth homelessness in the UK

T h e d a y c o n s i s t e d o f s i x 6 - a - s i d e c r i c k e t t e a m s b a t t l i n g i t o u t f o r t h e

# P r i d e v i e w C r i c k e t C u p M a j o r E s t a t e s Harrow took home the #PrideviewCricket Cup for the second year running, while newcomers to the event, Cordage Group came second

Knight Frank, joined by the Middlesex D40 (Disability) Team won The Prideview Champions Trophy The team showed that physical and neurodiverse differences are no barrier to partaking in sports Participants in the event included six f o r m e r i n t e r n a t i o n a l c r i c k e t e r s , O w a i s Shah, Yasir Arafat, Alex Tudor, Ali Brown, S a j M a h m o o d a n d U s m a n A f z a l , e a c h supporting one of the 6-a-side teams Alongside the cricket, a lively auction and raffle helped to reach the total of £35,000 N i l e s h R a j P a t e l , P r i n c i p a l a t T h e Prideview Group said, “I’d like to thank all our sponsors, supporters and spectators for

in brief HARMANPREET SLAMS UMPIRES AFTER BANGLADESH TIE

India women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur took an unprecedented swipe at the umpires after the third match of the ODI against Bangladesh ended in a tie on Saturday

digging deep and making this event the huge success it is While the day is always great fun, the overall purpose is always to raise as much money for charity, and we are thrilled to have reached the amount we h a v e I ’ m p r o u d o f a l l t h e t e a m s a n d thankful for everyone ’ s support Bring on #PrideviewCricket 2024!”

Sponsors and supporters of the event included Knight Frank, Harold Benjamin, Allsop LLP, Vascroft Contractors Ltd, R R Sanghvi & Co, Handelsbanken, Cordage Group, Bircroft, Major Estates Harrow, Axiom DWFM, Oyster Properties, Church

Cricket fever reaches peak as Maharashtra Cricket League in London concludes inaugural edition

The inaugural edit ion of the M aharas htra Cricket League, organis ed b y M ahar ashstra M an da l Lon do n, s et t he c r ic ke t in g s c e ne a blaze with an unmatc hed dis pl ay of talent a nd sportsm anship T h e t o u r n a m e n t w i t n e s s e d t h e e n t h u s i a s t i c p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f s i x t e a m s , i n c l u d i n g M M L M a v a l e , R e a d i n g Y o d h a , L o n d o n M a r a t h a , S B I U K , T h e H i g h C o m m i s s i o n o f I n d i a , a n d O l d M e r c h a n t Taylor's Cricket Club

The teams embraced the spirit of cricket with colorful attire adding to the spectacle of the games M a h a r a s h t r a M a n d a l L o n d o n ' s d e b u t endeavour in organising a cricketing event showcased professionalism and meticulous

attention to detail, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience for all participants

I n a n i n t e n s e f i n a l e , M M L M a v a l e , e m e r g e d a s t h e u n d i s p u t e d c h a m p i o n s , c a p t i v a t i n g t h e a u d i e n c e w i t h t h e i r o u t s t a n d i n g p e r f o r m a n c e d e f e a t i n g O l d Merchant Taylors Cricket Club by 10 wickets

India win series 1-0 against West Indies

T o r ren ti al ra in p l aye d sp oilspo rt on the fifth and final d ay of the final Test between Ind ia and th e West I n d i es o n M o n d ay T h e m atch was ultim ately called o ff and declared a draw with India winning th e series 1-0

A rain -m arred fo urth d a y saw India pick two w ickets to leave West Indies at 76 for two in their second innings, h a v i ng s et an i m p o s in g target o f 3 65 runs to win th e m atch and lev el the tw om atch series, w hich is p art o f th e Wo r ld T es t C hampionship (WTC ) cycle R o h i t S h a r m a ' s s i d e were already 1-0 up in the s e r i e s , w i n n i n g b y a n innings and 141 runs in the first Test at Dominica This game was also the 5 0 0 t h I n d i a c a p f o r s t a r b a t s m a n V i r a t K o h l i w h o m a d e t h e o c c a s i o n m e m o r a b l e w i t h h i s 7 6 t h

international century His t o n a n d R a v i c h a n d r a n A s h w i n ' s h a l f - c e n t u r y h e l p e d I n d i a p o s t 4 3 8 i n their first-innings

After a solid start, West Indies collapsed on Day 4 morning to get bowled out for 255 India batted with aggression in their second innings to swell their lead to 3 6 4 , a n d b r o k e a w o r l d record in the process for the fastest-ever Test 100

T h e y d e c l a r e d s o o n after, leaving the hosts with the choice of either going all out attack to try and chase a big total or batting out Day 5 to claim a draw after losing two early wickets in their second innings West Indies, who ended day 4 at 76/2, n e e d e d 2 8 9 r u n s t o w i n w h i l e I n d i a n e e d e d e i g h t wickets But incessant rain meant no play was possible on Day 5

chasing 99 runs in 8 1 overs

E s t e e m e d g u e s t s , i n c l u d i n g B r e n t councillors and dignitaries, graced the grand f i n a l e t o h o n o u r t h e p l a y e r s f o r t h e i r exceptional performances The presence of revered elders from the community added a sacred touch to the event, showering their blessings on the talented players

Undoubtedly, the Maharashtra Mandal

L o n d o n C r i c k e t t o u r n a m e n t ' s r e s o u n d i n g success was made possible by the generous support and sponsorship from SBI UK and was co-sponsored by Ashton Birch Solicitors and Bamboo House restaurant

The tournament not only celebrated unity and diversity but also emphasised the unifying power of sports within communities

The tie in Dhaka meant the series ended 1-1 and Harmanpreet was displeased “The type of umpiring that was happening there, we were very surprised,” Kaur said in the post-match presentation “The next time whenever we are coming to Bangladesh, we’ll have to make sure we have to deal with this kind of umpiring and accordingly we’ll have to prepare ourselves ” she added

In the decider on Saturday India were all out for 225 in 49 3 overs equalling Bangladesh’s 225-4 Harmanpreet smashed the stumps after being given out for 14 during the chase, and later criticised the umpiring

A Bangladesh Cricket Board official said that Harmanpreet could be fined 75 per cent of her match fee for her criticism of the umpires

AUSTRALIA RETAIN ASHES AFTER WASHOUT

Australia retained the Ashes after the fourth Test at Old Trafford was drawn on Sunday with no play possible on Day 5 due to rain, leaving England trailing 2-1 in the series with one match to play England needed to take five more wickets in Manchester on the final day of a thrilling fourth Test to level the series at 2-2 and ensure the final Test at the Oval in London next week was a decider, but the wet weather broke home hearts Having won the last Test at Headingley, England did everything within their power to storm back and restore parity in the series in Manchester After posting a colossal 592 in their first innings – their highest Ashes innings total on home soil since 1985 – in reply to Australia’s 317 all out they were frustrated as the tourists battled well on a rain-hit Day 4 to reach 214-5 in their second innings Australia still needed 61 to make England bat again or stay at the crease through to stumps on Day 5 to earn the draw that would ensure they remained holders of the Urn The Manchester weather, however, came to their aid, as not a single ball was possible in torrential rain, ensuring that England s eight-year wait for a series victory

Satwik-Chirag pair clinches

Korea Open title

D oubles specialists Satwiks ai raj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty extended their splendid r un b y c li n c h i ng t he Kor e a O pe n badminton title on Sunday

The third seeds annexed their fourth title of the year and their first in Korea as they rallied to beat world No 1 Fajar Alfian a n d M u h a m m a d R i a n A r d i a n t o o f Indonesia 17-21, 21-13, 21-14

This was the Indian duo’s third straight victory against the Indonesians, who won silver at the Asian Games and are two-time b r o n z e m e d a l l i s t s a t t h e W o r l d championships

The Indians have won all the four finals they played They won the Swiss Open S u p e r - 3 0 0 t o u r n a m e n t o n M a r c h 2 6 , b e c a m e A s i a n c h a m p i o n s o n A p r i l 3 0 , claimed their first Super-1000 title at the Indonesia Open on June 18 and on Sunday won in Yeosu, South Korea

Shetty said that they were happy to win “We didn’t start well but are happy we could w i n t h a t s e c o n d g a m e a n d k e e p t h e momentum until the end Extremely happy we could win consecutive titles ” S a t w i k s a i d t h a t t h e y p l a y e d s o m e

amazing badminton this week “It’s been a pretty good week for us I am happy with the performance today We want to maintain the momentum next week in Japan So, we’ll rest and focus again,” added Satwik and thanked their supporters

The final was a see-saw battle with the world No 1 Indonesian duo keeping the shuttle flat They seized control at the net and dominated the first game They led 181 0 b e f o r e t h e I n d i a n s w o n s i x s t r a i g h t points But the gap was too big

The second game saw Satwik-Chirag pushing the shuttle back Once they got the height, Satwik-Chirag smashed hard Their rivals found it hard to return the smashes and the Indians started controlling the pace

With their coach Mathias Boe taking a break, chief coach Pullela Gopichand filled in for him Gopi said consistency and power are the key to the Indian duo’s dominance “ T h e y w e r e c o n s i s t e n t t h r o u g h o u t t h e w e e k W h i l e t h e i r o p p o n e n t s f o u n d i t difficult to return their smashes, SatwikChirag’s retrieving was good That is why they were able to claim more points,” said Gopichand