AV 31st July 2021

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE Many South Asian women are still entangled in the food myths SEE PAGE - 15

164 killed, 100 missing in Maharashtra floods SEE PAGE - 22

‘If we lose the few artists we have what happens to the voice of British South Asians?’

SEE PAGE - 28

Cops raid Shilpa's home, seize 48 terabytes of ‘mostly adult’ images SEE PAGE - 23

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inside

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

31 JUL - 6 AUG 2021 - VOL 50 ISSUE 13

RNLI calls Loch Lomond mishap a "truly harrowing incident"

Britain grieves the sudden demise of Dr Kailash Chand OBE

Kargil Diwas: President Kovind pays homage to armed forces

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THE TABOO REMAINS Indian students and citizens arriving in the UK continue to receive inferior treatment. Does India’s ‘special’ friendship with UK really matter?

Disabled women of working age experience disproportionately high death rate in pandemic

Shefali Saxena and Rupanjana Dutta India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla who was in the UK for a two-day visit last week to discuss global issues and the implementation of Roadmap 2030, told Asian Voice that he has raised the issue of India continuing on the Red List, even after daily cases have fallen below UK’s current numbers.

Mr Shringla told us, “During my meetings, I briefed (the UK authorities) on the Covid-19 situation in India. It was also pointed out that France is allowing visitors from India without quarantine if they are double vaccinated. I also told them that in the US, which has various travel schemes or levels, India has gone up by one notch. So, I encourage UK to do the same. And I think they took notice.”

Continued on page 14

A new government green paper titled Shaping Future Support has revealed that ministers are considering measures to cut rising spending on disability benefits and the possibility of merging personal independence payment with universal credit.

Disability News Service reported, “It is only in the final chapter of the report that they begin to hint strongly at the need to cut projected spending on disability benefits. There is also no mention in the 46,000-word document of any of the deaths of disabled claimants that have been linked to DWP’s actions and failings. And the green paper fails to mention the 97 internal reviews DWP has carried out into the deaths of claimants since July 2019.”

Continued on page 14

2 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

31 July - 6 Aug 2021

with Keith Vaz

Missing Bolton girl found safe in London

Aakash Odedra Aakash Odedra is a dancer, choreographer and teacher born in Birmingham and living in Leicester, UK. He trained in the classical Indian dance styles of kathak (Nilima Devi, Leicester and Asha Joglekar, India) and Bharatanatyam (Chitraleka Bolar, Birmingham and Chhaya Kantaveh, India); then moved to India as a student of the renowned Bollywood choreographer Shiamak Davar.

His Company was formed in 2011 as a vehicle for commissioning work and to develop his own choreography. His award-winning debut performance Rising featured four solos by master choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan, Russell Maliphant and Aakash himself. He has collaborated with celebrated dancer Hu Shenyuan and composer Nicki Wells to create the duet Samsara. In 2020 he was invited by the British Council in China to present the documentary Making of Samsara as part of the #ConnectdByCreativity UK-China Contemporary Culture Festival. 2021 marks the 10th Anniversary of Aakash Odedra Company and he began the year with an honour by The Queen; receiving the British Empire Medal (BEM) in recognition of his services to dance.

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

Simple - LEICESTER (Belgrave) What are your proudest achievements?

There are many now that I’ve had time to reflect over lockdown, Being Awarded a BEM on the queen's honours list, winning the Bessies in the USA for the James Brown project, working and Franchising with world-renowned Bollywood choreographer Shiamak Daver, choreographing for the Royal Ballet and royal Opera house, Travelling the world than bringing the world to Belgrave.

What inspires you?

Endless hours of work, day and night have no concept when you’re in a studio, going on stage regardless of how injured, emotionally exerted you feel, knowing the trauma you will be putting yourself through on stage (its unexplainable) Not having enough resources to help everyone.

What are your long-term goals?

Life, waking up each morning knowing it’s a new opportunity. Seeing change within the community environment that we are based in. seeing Art grow in people’s hearts.

What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?

My Skin colour my humble background, being stereotyped and much more, However, I always say obstacles are made to be conquered, I will happily keep hitting my head against a glass Ceiling whether it breaks or not at least I tried to make room for future generations.

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

My Spiritual guru baba ji, My dance Guru's Nilima Devi Chitra Lekha Bolar, Shiamak Daver, Chhiya Kanvatta ( they formed the pillars of my existence today ) By Sharing their knowledge and allowing me the space to grow and find my own path.

What is the best aspect of your current role?

The Unpredictability, no two days are the same, every day there is a new challenge, I always say if lemons are thrown at me, I should be able to make lemonade! I am privileged and blessed

Life is short, I keep it simple, I want to bring change to the place I love the most (Belgrave) I think My British Asian Brothers and sisters deserve more and in the process of all the blood sweat and tears on stage if I am able to open a door for even single individual it will make life's struggles seem worthwhile. I want to help create a place we can all call home in Belgrave.

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

I would give schools more money to invest into the arts. Creativity is the new currency of the future, we Need to Nourish the new generations do not diminish them.

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

The poet Kabir, "All know that the drop merges into the ocean, but few know that the ocean merges into the drop" I want to immerse myself into his mind because his prospective challenged all social norm and searched for the essence of life, maybe he can help me answer the three biggest questions of my life who am I, Why am I here , and where I am going.

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because I get to express my inner most thoughts and feeling through dance and creativity. I love getting to meet people from every walk of life, which makes me appreciate people for whom they are not what they are worth.

And the worst?

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Fatuma Kadir, 11, who went missing with a considerable amount of money has been found "safe and well" in London, as informed by police.

The girl left without informing her parents last Thursday before travelling on several trains to get to London Euston in the early hours of Friday morning.

Speaking at a news conference, earlier last Saturday, her father Asheem told the press, “Her behaviour was normal before she left, adding he had "no idea what's caused this, no

idea whatsoever".

Fatuma was seen at the London Eye at 3 pm last Friday and had asked a person to use their mobile's data hotspot.

Speaking before she was found, Paul Robinson, detective chief inspector with

Bolton Police, said Fatuma had told a member of the public that she was going to meet her aunt in London and she is 15 years old.

Mr Robinson said on Saturday: "We are happy to confirm that Fatuma Kadir has been found safe and well from London. We would now ask that their privacy be respected, so they can be together as a family."

Greater Manchester Police have said they are now working to reunite Fatuma with her family.

UK trials its first driverless buses to city’s streets with 300 passengers The UK's first driverless buses have been trialled on the roads of Cambridge with more than 300 passengers experiencing them first-hand. The Express reported that managers behind the task said it was a huge victory, others were concerned about safety and their cost.

Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), Smart Cambridge, and engineering firm Aurrigo worked jointly

to conduct the project. Cllr

Neil Gough, chair of the GCP executive board, told the publication: "We’re looking for innovative, future-proof transport solutions and this technology could prove to be a vital component in the Greater C a m b r i d g e Partnership’s highquality public transport routes."

Police commence probe after four men attempted to abduct two teenage girls in Berkshire On 13 July, two girls were walking through a residential street in Thatcham, Berkshire when the group of four men had encouraged the girls to get into their BMW, but they refused.

The Daily Mail reported,

“Thames Valley Police confirmed they were informed after the young women fled the scene, leading to their public statement last week.”

A spokesman said: 'On 13 July at around 10 pm a report was made to Thames

Valley Police of a car approaching two girls on Chapel Street, Thatcham.

The investigation is still in progress but officers are aware of this vehicle and carrying out reassurance patrols in the area.'

Mum attacked by more than 100 rats while walking in London park The mum of one, Susan Treftub, said she was set attacked by rodents while walking in Blondin Park in Northfields, Ealing on July 19.

She told My London: “I have never seen that many animals let alone rats. I can't be sure but I thought there were around 100 rats jumping on me and I felt like I was going to be sick."

She further added: "The worst thing was I just felt helpless as who do I call or notify? I

can hardly call the police and tell them but it’s dangerous

and pest control needs to go out there and sort it out.”

A spokesperson of Ealing Council said: “Encounters with pest species are clearly undesirable for any person involved.

We can all help reduce the chances in local parks by keeping the park clean and taking home all litter. It is also necessary not to feed animals as the left out food may attract rodents in search of an easy meal.”

Heathrow boss apologises as passengers wait for hours After e-gates at Heathrow broke down during the busiest week of the year for one of the most famous airports in the world, Heathrow’s boss has apologised.

According to MailOnline, passengers complained of staff deficit due to the pandemic, with one passport official left to man the desks. Many tourists who came back from amber list countries are said to have missed their

pre-booked taxi or coaches.

Evening Standard reported that Heathrow Airport was expecting around 128,000 passengers last weekend. The airport’s chief executive, John Holland- photo credit: 1000 Words / Shutterstock.com Kaye told the Border Force officers being media, “They were caught pinged and some of the eout by a combination of

gates not working. A lot of people going through the border at Heathrow are having a very good experience; they’re getting through in a few minutes. That is the norm. I’d just apologise to those passengers who were caught up on Saturday.”

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COMMENTS 3

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

31 July - 6 Aug 2021

Boris’ tryst with destiny Boris Johnson has completed two years on 24 July in his office as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Two years of many ups and downs, perhaps more downs than ups, he is a man with a mission, who has been planning his place as the head of UK’s Cabinet table for years. From careful planning of hijacking the Brexit drama and gently ousting Theresa May, Boris has done it all. As he completed two years, the Prime Minister spent the day in Covid isolation, perhaps reminiscing about the “good old days” in his Chiltern mansion, hidden in 1500 acres of sprawling green fields.

When Boris took over as the Mayor of London, he ran the city like a successful businessman. London saw money, investments and increasing interest in innovation- the growth of East London.

He found the hidden talent of the otherwise neglected and shunned East London and developed it into a destination to be.

As he moved his focus to Brexit, he walked the country into winning the challenge, while majority votes came from middle England- an otherwise labour dominated ‘Remain’ supporters.

Boris’ Cabinet today is the most diverse. His Health Secretary, Home Secretary, Chancellor and COP 26 President are of Indian or Asian origin. His relationship with India and its Prime Minister is at its best, with growing importance of the Indo-Pacific Roadmap. He has interacted with the Indian Journalists’ Association (UK) most in various capacities and visited India a few times. His ex-wife, Marina Wheeler, is half Indian, while Boris himself has Turkish lineage- making him an ‘immigrant’ friendly PM. Boris’ great grandfather Ali Kemal, as history goes, was a Turkish journalist, newspaper editor, poet and liberal leaning politician and government official of part Circassian origin, who was for some three months Minister of the Interior in the govern-

ment of Damat Ferid Pasha, the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. He was murdered by paramilitary officers during the Turkish War of Independence.

Kemal is the father of Zeki Kuneralp, who was the former Turkish ambassador in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Spain. In addition, he is the paternal grandfather of both the Turkish diplomat Salim, and the British politician Stanley Johnson- Boris’ father.

Politics, journalism and governing nations perhaps have been in Boris and his siblings’ blood. He won the 2019 general election stunning a nation with 80 majority votes- mainly from otherwise loyal Labour supporters- crushing the ‘red wall’.

Extraordinary in every way, his problems lie in the inability to trust and be trusted. Covid-19 has thrown spanners at his government, with all the ridiculous challenges a developed country should not face. He has still delivered. But in a nation full of 70% vaccinated people – many still can’t rest their faith in him or his government. Why? That is because Boris cannot keep friends. His relationship with truth isn’t great either. His squabbles with ex-advisor Dominic Cummings, once his so-called best friend or now plotting against Chancellor Rishi Sunak regarding social care or ousting Sajid Javid only to bring him back later- say a bit about his strange nature. He never questioned his Ministers like Matt Hancock, while suspended 21 Tory MPs, who were pro EU. As Sky News say, his track record makes him ‘dishonest, inconsistent and disorganised’ as a PM. But to his supporters, he is still a hero who delivered Brexit and brought glory upon Tories since Margaret Thatcher’s days. Public memory is short lived. But one wonders how far will Boris' ‘tryst with destiny’ take him- an answer time will give?

Are we ready to mark the 70th UN Refugee Convention Day? India’s 75th Independence Day is around the corner. UK-India relationship is apparently at its best with equally enterprising Prime Ministers, cherishing each other’s undying commitment to make this partnership work. This year is seeing a number of visits by Ministers, Permanent and Foreign Secretaries and virtual summits.

The G7 Summit promised better cooperation in areas of climate change and counter-terrorism.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is looking forward to his visit in autumn while India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Glasgow in November to attend COP26. India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla was in the UK last week, discussing several issues, including India’s permanent seat in UN’s Security Council with UK support. A potential individual UK visa will also soon be available to Indians coming to the UK without job, a sort of revisit to the once existing Highly Skilled Migrant Programme route, that was initially scrapped by the same Tory government (under different leadership). The English apples are making their way to India, first time in five decades, as Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Trade Minister Renil Jeyawardena rejoiced, albeit prematurely.

While tightening of borders remains Tory government’s prerogative, skilled migrant shortage isn’t the only problem UK faces since Brexit. Refugees arriving to the shores of Britain have a completely different story to tell.

In 6 weeks, the last of American troops will retreat from Afghanistan. The Economist pointed out, 650 troops will remain there to protect the Embassy and airport. Figures published by the UN on 26 July found that civilian casualties from armed conflict in Afghanistan rose by nearly 50% in the first half of 2021, compared to 2020. The violence is nearing the level constant before American diplomats began negotiating with the Taliban in 2019.

A UK government official website said, as Operation Toral, the UK’s contribution to NATO Resolute Support, draws to a close, a

small number of UK military personnel will temporarily remain to support the transition to a new phase of UK Government support to Afghanistan. Since 2001, 457 members of the UK Armed Forces have sadly lost their lives in Afghanistan, with more sustaining lifechanging injuries. Prince Harry and Prince William have served the nation in Afghanistan.

While US President Joe Biden declares an end to America’s forever wars, where do the displaced homeless people, suffering humanitarian crisis, from war torn Libya, Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan go, especially as developed nations refuse their safekeeping?

The day that Home Secretary Priti Patel launched her nationality and borders bill, a departure from UK’s previous compassionate policies, Mr Justice Wall, a judge, ordered that the home secretary use her “best endeavours” to bring back a 38-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker from Darfur who passed through Libya, where he says he was sold into slavery and tortured when he was en-route to Europe after escaping persecution in his home country, The Guardian reported.

As we go to press, it marks the 70th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention, which the UK actually helped to launch and ratify in 1951. It also witnesses launch of a dictionary defining only one word - refugee - containing over 1,000 personal definitions submitted by members of the public, including faith leaders, local communities, high profile figures and refugees themselves. ‘The Refugee Dictionary’ demonstrates a strong sense of solidarity and helps to illustrate the stories, lives and contributions of refugees in the UK. While economic migrants need UK’s relaxing borders and opportunities, maybe it is time not to forget those less fortunate?

After all one of UK’s richest diaspora (Indians) once came as refugees from East Africa. May be it is time for the nation to remember its history?

Blinken's visit likely to strengthen India-US ties US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his India visit is expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including continuing cooperation on the Covid-19 response, Indo-Pacific engagement, shared regional security and democratic values and addressing the climate crisis. There are also other issues like H-1 B visa, US sanctions against oil and arms supplies to India etc. In tomorrow's world, there is less chances of major wars in the world, because most of the countries are nuclear-armed. If America also accepts that logic then the US should further cultivate India.

Indians are playing an important role in the education field in the US. Many of the top US educational institutions are headed by Indians. Though America, has helped India in several ways in its early years of Independence , India's contribution in the development of America in he field of business and other fields are significant. Many Indian Americans are occupying important role in the Biden administration. Blinken's visit is a testimony to the importance the US attaches to India.

The shared regional security interests may include discussion on the Afghan situation. The state of affairs is causing considerable concern in New Delhi, which has been a strong supporter of the Afghan government that was established in the wake of the US invasion in 2001. Under the US security umbrella, India has poured in development aid worth billions into the country. India has strong memories of the Taliban’s perfidy, beginning with the dubious role it played in the hijack of the IC 814 in 1999. In the following years, it experienced a series of deadly attacks that were executed by the Taliban at the instance of Pakistan. These included the attacks in 2008 and 2009 on the Indian embassy in Kabul, on the Hamid Guest House housing Indian doctors in 2010, and against Indian consulates in Herat, Jalalabad and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Therefore, India is likely to focus on the Pakistan-Taliban relationship in the discussions with Blinken, as well as on the continuing Pakistani support for terror activities against India, especially after the recent incidents involving armed drones.

Dealing with China is another important item on the agenda.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to brief Blinken about his recent talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in Dushanbe. The readouts by the two foreign ministries following the Jaishankar-Wang meeting clearly shows the dissonance between the positions of the two countries on the border issue. After the successful first ‘Quad’ summit in March, which laid down the agenda for the grouping, efforts are on to conduct an in-person event later this year. In the meantime, the efforts of the United Kingdom and the European Union to support the “rule of law” and “freedom of navigation” in the South China Sea, which suggest a growing coalition pushing back against China, have boosted the relevance of the Quad.

The Indo-US bilateral front, where trade in goods and services is flourishing, things look good; the same is true for the FDI relationship, even though India’s perceived protectionist stance does not sit well with Washington. Defence trade and ties are flourishing as well. But the big issue for Blinken and the US is whether New Delhi is in a position to play a larger role towards the American goals in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. The US is keen to have New Delhi take up a greater burden in assisting the Afghan government. India, for its part, is not entirely enthusiastic, since it is one thing to issue declarations on the IndoPacific but quite another to be on the ground in war-torn Afghanistan.

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. — Albert Einstein

Alpesh Patel

The India League I was asked by Lord Ranger and the Publisher/Editor of this paper, CB Patel, to take over the running of The India League which was established in 1928.

The League has a proud herigate as the Open University explains: “The India League was a Britain-based organization whose aim was to campaign for full independence and self-government for India. The activist, lawyer and editor V. K. Krishna Menon was the driving force behind it. It evolved from the Commonwealth of India League (est. 1922) – which in turn evolved from Annie Besant’s Home Rule for India League (est. 1916).

Menon became joint secretary of the Commonwealth of India League in 1928 and radicalized the organization, rejecting its objective of Dominion Status for the greater goal of full independence and alienating figures such as Besant in the process. It was in the early 1930s, with Menon at its helm, that the organization flourished, expanding into multiple branches across London and in a range of other British cities including Bournemouth, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin, Hull, Lancashire, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Southampton and Wolverhampton.”

So what could possibly be my vision? These are my thoughts, and you are all invited to send in your own via the League’s website (www.theindialeague.org) At a time when the UK pivots in trade and security towards India, our role has never been more important or needed.

Keeping with its fine heritage and with the times of today and the needs of tomorrow, the India League will work: To strengthen UK-India ties in all facets - InterGovernmental, academic, cultural, economic for a more prosperous and stronger UK and India as two leading global liberal democracies. We believe the prosperity and well-being of the UK and India and by extension, given they are the world’s 4th and 5th largest democracies, much of the world which shares our values, lies with those who with a sense of history and an eye to the future build stronger alliances to resist tyranny, extremism, poverty and look to solve the world’s biggest problems together.

To support and lead on Indian Diaspora Issues globally, including resistance to hate-speech and discrimination.

Working with other organisations to provide an additional strong voice for our goals of liberalism and democratic ideals of liberty and equality which the League always stood for.

Inform and educate the Indian diaspora on their rights and duties as citizens in keeping with the founding principles of the League to have strong, Indian origin peoples, independent minded, well informed of their rights and equal partners in their relations with peoples of the world.

To ensure the wrongs of Empire, and importance of the Indian Independence struggles are not forgotten, and to remember the contribution of Indians to the UK and to world freedom, today and in the past as a model to inspire future generations.

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Lord Bhikhu Parekh: Critical advice towards the Human Rights situation in India should be accompanied by humility Lord Bhikhu Parekh recently addressed the human rights situation in India, especially as it relates to academics, Muslims, Christians and Dalits. Lord Parekh explained that the Supreme Court of India has acted as the custodian of those rights and has been vigorous in enforcing them. According to him, religious minorities enjoy far better rights in India than elsewhere.

They enjoy religious freedom and the right to set up educational and constitutional institutions and are governed by their own personal laws.

“However, this is the formal side of it only; at a more substantive level, Hinduism, Islam and other religions have interacted and created a composite culture,

to which they all have contributed and in which they all participate. For example, the law of karma, which is supposed to be a Hindu doctrine, is shared by 77% of Muslims. As a result, it has become ridiculous to talk about Muslims or Christians “in India”; they are Muslims or Christians of India because India has shaped them,” Lord Parekh said.

He further mentioned that in a country with a population of 1.3 billion, incidents are bound to occur when minorities—and even majorities—feel oppressed or treated unjustly. The system needs to be robust to deal with such situations.

Speaking about Dalits, he said that Dalits have occupied positions of power and influence, and

Lord Bhikhu Parekh

have fought for their rights with determination. He added, “It is beginning to mount and put pressure on the Government. It is also worth bearing in mind that even after 200 years the Americans are still struggling with the legacy of racism, as witnessed by the Black Lives Matter movement.”

Addressing the matter of academics, Lord Parekh said, “Many academics have freely criticised the Administration of Mr Modi, but none has come to grief. My own family foundation has given 3 million rupees to Jawaharlal Nehru University and we have not come to any grief, nor have we done so for giving 1 crore rupees to the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.”

Concluding his speech, Lord Parekh said, “India welcomes critical advice—if not, it should welcome critical advice—provided that advice is accompanied by humility, is not condescending or patronising, and is based on a sympathetic understanding of India’s problems and predicament.”

Virendra Sharma MP hosts the annual Youth Summit with over 100 students Virendra Sharma MP hosted the second annual Youth Summit yesterday with more than 100 Sixth Form students from Elthorne Park High School, a local secondary school in his constituency.

He was also joined by Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, the Ealing Council Cabinet Member for Decent Living Incomes.

Councillor Mahfouz’s portfolio consists of Covid-19 recovery, community development, post 16 education, apprenticeships, skills, employment, further edu-

Virendra Sharma MP

cation and higher education amongst other responsibilities.

The Ealing Southall MP welcomed the students and later answered their questions with Councillor Mahfouz on issues that matter most to them. The students were then placed in six groups of policy areas to discuss, debate, and write up a threepoint manifesto which they later presented to all attendees. The topic areas included citizenship & political representation, education, physical health, mental health, economy-economic inequality and environment.

Opening the Youth Summit,

Virendra Sharma MP said: “You have immense energy, skills and ideas to shape and improve society and our environment today.

The pandemic has maybe forced you to grow up faster than you would have. So, it is important now more than ever that elected representatives empower you to be active citizens and to voice your concerns. By taking action in your local communities, you will gain skills and experiences that will help you achieve great things after school life in further education and employment.”

Horizon IT scandal: Sub-postmasters to receive £100,000 as interim compensation The Sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted of criminal offences in the Post Office IT scandal will each receive interim compensation of up to £100,000 funded by the government, The Times has reported.

This comes as an interim relief against the unfortunate miscarriage of justice where

Industrial Strategy has taken this step in order to make sure that sub-postmasters are “not left out of pocket” as they and the Post Office worked towards full settlements.

700 sub-postmaster continue to fight this battle, many of which were forced into bankruptcy, their children couldn’t attend or afford higher education, and some were wrongfully imprisoned for a crime they did not commit.

sub-postmasters were wrongly convicted of fraud by the Post Office, which in fact was the result of a technical glitch by Horizon IT. The report also mentioned that The Department for Business, Energy and 24 hour helpline e

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Breakthrough possible for developing a human ear in a lab A ten-year-old girl Radhiyah Miah from south Wales, Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire in all probability will become the first person in Britain to have a “3Dbioprinted” ear.

According to The Times, researchers won £2.5 million for a pioneering project.

Miah suffers from a congenital condition known as microtia, which means she was born without a properly formed left ear.

The report suggested that researchers from the University of Swansea might be able to decode a procedure to help people like Miah

which will involve “taking a small sample of cartilage cells, possibly from her nose, and using them to create a living inner structure for her ear.”

Radiyah’s father, Rana told The Times that his daughter would want to tie her hair and also get her ears pierced.

Researchers might be able to achieve a breakthrough by developing an ear in a lab via 3D printing process which otherwise has the potential to leave scars and create complications for the ten-year-old should she undergo regular surgery.

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in brief in brief FOR WHOM DID A TEETOTALLER SUNAK BUY WINE WORTH £163?

Rishi Sunak is one of the rare members of the government who is a teetotaller.

The chancellor abstained from an age-old tradition of having an alcoholic beverage in the chamber while presenting the budget. He has reportedly come closest to having a drinking issue due to his love for Coke.

However, he made heads turn when he recently spent about £163 on a case of English sparkling wine.

According to a Sunday Times report sourced from official documents, “the chancellor bought six bottles of bubbly back from his department in March, after the Treasury retained it as an official gift.”

The gift is said to be for his wife Akshata Murthy who occasionally enjoys wine.

HINDUS PUSH FOR “MULTI-BENEFICIAL” YOGA IN ALL WALES SCHOOLS Hindus are urging that all Wales (UK) schools should urgently adopt yoga as a part of their curriculum, providing an opportunity to students to avail the multiple benefits yoga offered.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), exhorted all state, independent/private, religious, special, free and other schools of Wales to embrace yoga as part of their curriculum so that pupils did not miss a learning chance in this competitive world.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford, Education Minister Jeremy Miles, and Health Minister Eluned Morgan; to wholeheartedly work towards formally introducing yoga as a part of the curriculum in all Wales schools; thus incorporating highly beneficial yoga in the lives of Wales students.

Political and educational leaders of Wales needed to wake up to the needs of Wales pupils and support the introduction of multi-beneficial yoga in schools, Rajan Zed pointed out.

MAN URINATED ON CARPET AND THEN POURED BLEACH OVER HIS MOTHER’S HEAD The Court has been told that Aadil Choudhary poured bleach on his mother’s head as she was trying to clean up Aadil’s urine from her carpet. Prosecutor Dean Easthope at Warwick Crown Court said in a hearing that on September 27 last year, the police went to St George’s Road, where Aadil was residing with his mum Husnahar, to arrest him for another matter. Aadil asked for the phone and Mrs Choudhury refused and went downstairs where she saw Aadil had urinated on the carpet and she started cleaning it up. As she was cleaning, he snatched it from her and poured the bleach over her.

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Private diaries and letters of Lord and Lady Mountbatten come to light amid a legal battle The link between Edwina Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru might be cleared after all as the private diaries and letters of Lord and Lady Mountbatten which are within the Broadland Archive have come under the spotlight. This is a battle to drive the publication of all.

This development will furthermore open the curtain on the equity of drawing the Partition borders and the Mountbattens’ views of Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah.

Diaries belonging to the 1960s have been digitally launched four days after 22 British MPs signed a document that was tabled within the House of Commons on July 19 calling for “their publication without additional obfuscation and delay”.

According to The Times of India, “Andrew Lownie, the creator of “The Mountbattens”, has spent £250,000 (Rs 2.5

lakh) and raised £50,000 (Rs 51 lakh) by a crowdfunding marketing campaign to fund a court docket battle to get all their diaries as much as 1960, and the couple’s letters to one another, launched.”

TOI quoted a University of Southampton spokesperson saying, “After communication

from the Cabinet Office, the college has been capable of making accessible on-line early diaries of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, for the interval 1918-1934, and diaries of Countess Mountbatten of Burma, 1923-1934. In addition, some chosen diaries as much as 1960 have additionally now been revealed. The materials are online. As a part of the allocation of the archives in August 2011, the University was directed to maintain a small variety of the papers closed till we have been in any other case suggested. The college has at all times aimed to make public as a lot of the gathering as is feasible while balancing all its authorized obligations. They haven’t launched all of the diaries and I’ll verify if any are redacted and so they haven’t launched any of their letters to one another. So nonetheless a lot is held again. Why are they withholding the 1947/1948 diaries.”

Starmer’s stoic silence on retracting campaign leaflet It wasn’t too long ago when the Labour Party candidates during a campaign in Batley and Spen flashed message boards with Boris Johnson and Indian PM Narendra Modi’s photo which said “Don’t risk a Tory MP who is not on your side”. While this incident raised many eyebrows and left many people of Indian origin fuming, the Labour Friends of India had published a clarification condemning this move.

However, Labour Leader Keir Starmer has been tight-lipped about this. While a suitable explanation or apology is expected of him, Johnson has asked Starmer, saying, “May I ask him [Starmer] now to retract this leaflet I have here that was produced by the Labour Party

during the Batley and Spen by-election, which was condemned by his own MPs as ‘dog-whistle racism’.” Widely reported in the media, Starmer responded saying, “The Prime Minister is not kidding anyone in this House, he is not kidding the public and he is not even kidding his own MPs.” This comes after the racial abuse at the Euro2020, wherein Boris stood in the Parliament, defending Priti Patel.

“We love and admire the England side and what they did. They represent the best of our country. Nobody defends booing the England side. But what the Home Secretary has been trying to do all her life is not just fight racism,

but take practical steps to advance the cause of black and minority ethnic groups, which she has done successfully, notably in the police,” said Johnson, in defence of his Cabinet minister.

Rashmi Samant gets relief in cyber-bullying case University of Oxford’s investigation into allegations of cyberbullying and anti-Hindu sentiment against a staff member which was based entirely on controversial social media posts that targetted Indian student Rashmi Samant has reached its end.

According to a statement issued by Rashmi Samant’s lawyer, Adhitya Srinivasan, “The University of Oxford has finally concluded its investigation into the harassment complaint raised by Ms Rashmi Samant, who I represent. The various events that compelled her to file the complaint are widely known given that they were played out to a large degree on social media.

“The period between when these events transpired and today has no doubt been emo-

tionally wrecking for Ms Samant, and I have nothing but admiration for the stiff fight she has put up. I am delighted that a decision has been reached, albeit somewhat belatedly, and I am pleased with the outcome of the investi-

gation. At this stage, we are precluded from sharing further details,” he said.

Samant expressed on social media that she is relieved. She shared a photo of her parents who were targeted for their religion.

The University statement read: "The outcome of the independent investigation into online comments made by a staff member from a private, nonUniversity account, has now concluded and made its recommendations.

“The process remains confidential and the University will not be making any further comment on the case, and has asked all parties concerned to respect the confidentiality of all involved."

50,000 dementia cases remained undiagnosed during the lockdown Alistair Burns, national clinical director for dementia and older people’s mental health at NHS England and NHS Improvement has revealed that about 50,000 dementia cases remained undiagnosed during the lockdown.

Bruns told the Daily Mail: “There was an effect of 40,000 to 50,000 people who should have been on the dementia register but who were not. We hear a lot about the effect of lockdown on cancer . . . but there is an effect on dementia as well.”

NHS England said: “It is understandable

that during the pandemic some older people felt they were unable to seek help . . . the number of referrals is now increasing.”

Reportedly, one in ten new cases were being missed because referrals were slower at the start of the pandemic. Legend has it that 475,000 people in England have dementia. The number surprisingly fell when the pandemic began and stood at 427,000. Burns has gone on record to say that “GPs did as they were told”.

in brief in brief DUKE OF SUSSEX’S SECOND BOOK TO BE ‘DELAYED UNTIL QUEEN’S DEATH’

While Harry is all set to pen his memoir about his personal life, which he has claimed he’s not writing as a “Prince” will also have a sequel, a second book.

However, in a bizarre piece of news and quite inevitably so, it has been revealed that the second book will be published only after the Queen dies. This is a part of Prince Harry’s four-book deal, which is apparently worth £29 million. The Sussexes who have locked a deal with Netflix and Spotify respectively, have also bought a new property. Media in Britain has reported that two publishers were in the race for this bidding war which started at £18 million. Penguin Random House won the bidding war and the first book will be released next year. No reactions have been recorded from the lawyers or the officials at Buckingham Palace. The proceeds from the book would be donated to charity.

FAKE CAR INSURANCE POLICY BROKER MADE OVER £18,000 30-year-old Gurwinder Virdee happened to sell over 40 fake car insurance policies, illegally earning about £18,000. Virdee has now been sentenced to 23 months and two weeks in prison, suspended for two years. He was sentenced at the Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday. It was reported that he did this over a fiveweek period in 2017, wherein £150 to £200 were credited into Virdee’s bank account, citing “insurance” as the motive. FT reported, “The payments totalled £17,700, which raised suspicions as Virdee’s salary was £1,300 a month. Police have redoubled efforts to crack down on insurance scammers, who are targeting young motorists on social media. Victims are offered cheap cover and given fake documents. They find out they are uninsured only when they make a claim.”

INDIA RECEIVES APPLES FROM THE UK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 50 YEARS

Girl claims she was pulled into sea and raped while playing on Bournemouth beach Last week, a young girl was playing games with her friends on busy Bournemouth Beach, near the Oceanarium, and was raped in the sea by an attacker who pulled her into the water after her ball landed near him, police said According to the report, the boy threw the ball back to one of the groups and then began talking to the victim. Metro further reported that he the police added

that he ‘pulled her out deeper into the sea where it is reported that he raped her’.

Detectives have described the attacker as possibly of Pakistani descent. Listing his features, the publication reported that he has tanned skin and height between five feet to five feet seven inches, a thin but muscular build with short dark hair and looked freshly trimmed. He was wearing black or grey swimming shorts.

Detective Inspector Wayne Seymour, of Dorset Police, said: ‘A full investigation is in progress. Meanwhile, I am appealing to anyone who was in the area and may have witnessed what happened to please come forward. Also, I would urge anyone who was on the beach in the vicinity to check any footage taken to see if they have captured anything of relevance.’

The UK has exported apples to India for the first time in 50 years. UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss thinks that this is a sign of the UK-India Enhanced Trade Partnership in action. Truss tweeted that a farm in south-east England marks a first for the UK-India trade relationship in 50 years.

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Hugely successful vaccination roll out made possible by UKIndia business partnership The High Commissioner of India, Gaitri Issar Kumar visited Wockhardt UK on Monday 26 July at its pioneering sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Wrexham, North Wales.

The visit was part of a tour of Indian backed or supported businesses in the United Kingdom, and Wockhardt UK is a subsidiary of global firm Wockhardt Limited based in Mumbai.

As part of her visit, The High Commissioner was provided with a tour of the state-of-the-art vaccine fill finish facility which is currently contracted by the UK Government to manufacture the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine until August 2022.

Indian High Commission delegation outside the Wockhardt Factory in Wrexham

The High Commissioner was also joined by the Indian Honorary Consul for Wales, Raj Aggarwal OBE, RNR. Her Excellency Mrs. Gaitri Issar Kumar said, “The United Kingdom’s vaccination programme has been a beacon for the world in many ways. It is a matter of great satisfaction that an India-UK collaboration in vaccine manufacture here in the UK has played a vital part in the roll out. The contribution of Wockhardt at Wrexham is one

Inside the Wockhardt vaccine factory: High Commissioner of India to the UK, Gaitri Issar Kumar, Rohit Vadhwana (First Secretary, Economic), Indian Honorary Consul to Wales Raj Aggarwal and Ravi Limaye, MD Workhardt

of the best examples of the success and significant potential of India-UK partnerships in the healthcare sector” Dr Habil Khorakiwala, Founder Chairman of Wockhardt emphasised, “The Covid-19 pandemic has been a challenge for all and it needed a concerted effort to overcome. We are proud to be an Indianled company working in collaboration with the UK government with our innovative international operations in Wales. It is an honour to be recognised for our capability and commitment by the visit from the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Gaitri.”

Ms Kumar’s visit is the latest one in a series of high-profile VIP attendances at the Wockhardt UK site, HRH Prince Charles and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have also visited Wockhardt UK to witness the fill finish production of the vaccines.

Foreign Secretary’s recent visit shows a strong UK-India ‘Roadmap’ ahead Rupanjana Dutta

be on counterterrorism... UK and India both have common interests. And it is reflected India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan also in our joint statement that we just Shringla was in the UK for a two-day visit on issued about combating counterterrorism last Friday to discuss global issues and the together taking appropriate measures. implementation of ‘Roadmap 2030’.

“There was also discussion on how UK is The Roadmap 2030 is a 10-year plan that supportive of our efforts to become a perwas unveiled on 14 May 2021 by PM Modi manent member of the UN and PM Johnson virtually, for Security Council.

We bilateral partnership and a expressed the need for support Foreign Trade Agreement in to India and its aspiration to the future. Key areas include become a permanent memtrade and economy, climate ber.” Mr Shringla also spoke change defence and security about India’s ongoing relationamong others. ship with the UK and US and Mr Shringla held meetings how the world came forward on Friday with his counterpart to help India during the second Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister of Harsh Vardhan Shringla wave of Covid as a reciprocity South Asia in the Foreign of India’s assistance with vaccination and Office, Philip Barton, the Permanent Covid drugs during the pandemic. His disUnder-Secretary of the Foreign, cussions also included topics such as India’s Commonwealth and Development Office 75th Independence Day, climate change, (FCDO) on Friday. He also met David and Prime Minister’s Modi’s upcoming visit Quarrey, Boris Johnson’s International to Glasgow during COP26.

Affairs Adviser and Deputy National Matters of security with growing Security Adviser, Jo Johnson and a few releTaliban unrest in Afghanistan and several vant think tanks like IISS. ongoing extraditions to India from the UK, Discussions with various people encomespecially the cases of Vijay Mallya, Nirav passed many issues. With PM Johnson’s Modi and deportation of Jayesh Patel were upcoming visit possibly in September for highlighted. He condemned the death of the Health Summit in India, and India’s photo journalist Danish Siddiqui in Presidentship in the Security Council in Kandahar.

August, Secretary Shringla discussed India’s He also discussed matters such as vacpossible permanent seat in the Security cine passports, vaccination hesitancy and Council and the prospect of UK backing it.

Europe’s stand on not letting people in, He said “We have three major events especially those who have taken the Indian that we plan. One is around maritime secumanufactured Astra Zeneca. rity, which would be at the summit level.

While India is expecting several minisThe second would be on peacekeeping, terial visits from the UK in the coming few where we would introduce a new peacemonths, including that of Trade Secretary keeping app called unite aware, which will Liz Truss before Mr Johnson, UK will see provide UN peacekeepers with a greater the visit of Minister of Commerce and safety and security and awareness of the Industry Piyush Goyal and Finance Minister area in which they operate. So thereby Nirmala Sitharaman towards end of August. increasing their efficiency and the third will

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RNLI calls Loch Lomond mishap a "truly harrowing incident" Shefali Saxena Waris Ali’s family (wife and son) and friends decided to stop by the Loch beach. Little did Ali know that he would lose his family that day in Loch Lomond. “Edina Olahova, 29, and Rana Haris Ali lost their lives alongside their friend Muhammad Asim Riaz, 41, near Pulpit Rock on Saturday evening,” Sky reported.

They were on their way back from the Isle of Skye. They miscalculated the depth and drowned. By the time Ali rushed to save them, they were gone.

Mr Riaz's wife called the emergency services and a Scottish man arrived and saved Mr Riaz's son, but could not save the other three. Mr Riaz’s son is in the hospital in Glasgow in an ICU. Unfortunately, none of them except Asim knew how to swim.

Waris Ali and his family; Image source: Twitter

Michael Avril, Water Safety Lead for the RNLI in Scotland, told Asian Voice, “The thoughts of all at the RNLI are with the families, friends and loved ones of those who lost their lives in Loch Lomond at the weekend. Our thoughts are especially with Mr Ali who has experienced an unthinkable loss. It was a truly harrowing incident, one which makes us all the more determined to reach more and more people with our safety messaging, in the hope that we can prevent future tragedies

like this one.

“Despite how hot the weather has been in Scotland over the past few weeks, the water temperatures in both inland bodies of water and around our coast remain cold year around, never really getting much above ten degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, our bodies are likely to have an extreme reaction to submersion in water that is anything below 15 degrees Celsius. Even for experienced swimmers, Scotland’s waters can be shockingly cold and falling in unexpectedly, as in this situation, will almost certainly trigger cold water shock. We’d encourage anybody who has read about these tragic events to visit our website and learn a little more about what you can do should you fall into the water and how you can stay safe.”

Government wasting millions on PPE A group of an influential committee of MPs has warned that the government is wasting vast amounts of money on PPE that is still “not fit for purpose” and has predicted “significant financial risks for decades to come”. The estimated lifetime cost of all the government’s Covid measures was reported £372bn in May 2021.

Reportedly, official figures predict

that “7 per cent of all items purchased by the health department have failed quality checks while ministers are spending £6.7m every week to keep it stored.” The Independent has reported that an eye-watering 2.1 billion items have already been found unsuitable for use in medical settings and 10,000 shipping containers are still to be unpacked.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have worked tirelessly to source lifesaving PPE to protect health and care staff, and we have delivered over 12.7 billion items to the frontline at record speed. As the National Audit Office has recognised, all NHS providers they spoke to were able to get the equipment they needed in time.”

After Liverpool, Stonehenge may be the next UK site to lose world heritage status Liverpool recently lost its status as a World Heritage site. Following this terrible development, Britain global reputation is at stake again. If reports are to be believed, Stonehenge is expected to be next in line to lose its coveted World Heritage status.

The UN’s heritage body has placed Stonehenge on its “in danger” list – if a £1.7bn road tunnel goes ahead as planned, The Guardian said.

Other Heritage bodies under the spotlight are about 31, some of which include the Palace of Westminster and Kew Gardens. It is imperative to note that Liverpool is now the third place in nearly 50 years to be stripped of its world heritage status.

The Guardian further mentioned that other sites expected to come under greater scrutiny from the UN agency include Stonehenge, Edinburgh’s new and old towns, the Tower of London and Cornwall’s historic mining area, all of which have attracted concerns over controversial developments.

Chris Blandford, the president of World Heritage UK, said: “These are places of international significance.

They are the best of the best of our cultural heritage. At a time when we’re out [of the European Union] and want to be taken seriously internationally, why not use these incredible assets of such significance to help us do that?”

A government spokesperson said: “Protecting the heritage and archaeology of the Stonehenge site is a priority for the government and Highways England and we will continue to work closely with Unesco, Icomos [the International Council on Monuments and Sites] and the heritage and scientific community on next steps.”

Missing Sikh girl found 12-year-old Mannat Kaur Mann went missing from Wanstead Park Road, Ilford last weekend. Her photo was widely circulated on social media and numerous Sikh organisations, local radio stations and people came to amplify her search requests. Met Police Sikh Association confirmed on July 26 that they were pleased to confirm that 12-year-old Mannat Mann who was reported missing from Wanstead Park Redbridge on Thursday, July 22 was found safe and well.

Meanwhile, amid numerous crimes against women and girls in the past few weeks in the UK, Boris Johnson said, “Making this country safe is the single best and most effective way of levelling up – so that young people grow up in safer neighbourhoods everywhere.”

Victims’ Commissioner London responded to this tweeting: “PM wants to ensure every victim has a named police officer. Not sure how this is a new initiative? It’s already an entitlement in the Victims Code of Practice -

Mannat Kaur

every victim is entitled to ‘the contact details of the police officer dealing with your case’.”

No confidence in Priti Patel says Police Federation As the government froze the policy pay, the officers announced they have zero confidence in Priti Patel, the home secretary. Last Wednesday, Priti told that officers who are earning more than £24,000 would be hit by the freeze while those earning less will be given the yearly increase of £250. She further said in a statement that the move was to ensure fairness between public and private sector wage growth.

A recruitment drive was uplifted by the police to replace 20,000 officers lost to austerity since 2010, which was Tory general election policy as the party tried to restore its image on law and order. The argument echoes their clashes with Theresa May, who was disliked home

secretary among police.

On the basis of inflation, a newly eligible officer earns about £7,200 (22 per cent) less than in 2010, with the most experienced PCs earning about 8 per cent less, according to an Analysis by Matt Ashby of the Jill Dando Institute at the University College London.

A true tribute to a dead person is not grief but gratitude

Rohit Vadhwana Sometime back, unfortunately, I received news of sad demises of a very senior spiritual figure, which certainly made me sad.

Later during the day, I had news of another senior person from local political leadership and by night I had to bear with news of the passing away of a senior medical professional who had not only cured thousands of people but also raised the profile of medical fraternity.

Three of such shocking news in one day was hard to bear.

None of them were my family members or relatives in a literary sense, but I had had interactions with two of them personally on many occasions and have always felt a connection with them. This might have happened to you also sometimes – receiving bad news which hurts. It is evident that whoever is born, will have to die, someday or another. But some deaths affect more people than others. Some individuals have a wider reach and connect due to their nature, philosophy of life and achievements.

Life is not measured in years but on the outcome. How one has lived life, how one has been instrumental for the happiness and hope of others in the society, that matters. If one has solely spent all his/her life for personal wellbeing and progress, nothing wrong with it, but certainly his death will remain only personal sorrow to his family members. On the other hand, those who have spent time, energy and resources for others will receive wider gratitude on death.

Though death is mournful, painful and not easy to handle, a true tribute to a dead person is not grief but gratitude. No one can be immortal, and therefore, a true obituary will be to appreciate the life and deeds of the gone person and adapt to whatever possible. One dies but his ideas, philosophy and good work remain in the future. Someone rightly said – that fellow is greater whose shadow is longer on the future. Let those who have been giving us calming and comforting shadow even after death lives till eternity. Everyone cannot be Gandhi or Vivekananda in terms of reach and guidance, but every small contribution has its own values and we must applaud it.

A lot has been written and spoken on death, but it has always remained the misery of human existence. Though we know it’s certain, but that’s the only certainty that we fail to accept. We keep planning for all those uncertain things in life, except death. At least, being ready for death, emotionally and mentally, is important. No death should be a sudden shock, especially if a person has lived full and satisfying life. Grief may be converted into gratefulness and death may be accepted with respect and reverence to the departed soul.

(Expressed opinions are personal)

Was racism the reason?

Former star Anita Rani has alleged that racism may have been the reason why her place in BBC1 dance contest finale was under threat.

She was eliminated from the semi-final of the 2015 show when she was partnered with Russian pro-Gleb Savchenko. Anita, 43, told The Sun: “I still find myself wondering whether I would

Anita Rani

have got into the final if I didn’t have a brown face.”

‘The Refugee Dictionary’ unveiled to mark the 70th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention On July 28, a dictionary defining only one word refugee - was unveiled to mark today’s 70th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention, which the UK helped launch and ratified in 1951. Containing over 1,000 personal definitions submitted by members of the public, including faith leaders, local

communities, high profile figures and refugees themselves, ‘The Refugee Dictionary’ demonstrates a strong sense of solidarity and helps to illustrate the stories, lives and contributions of refugees in the UK. The dictionary was created by the UN Refugee Agency’s UK charity partner, UK for UNHCR.

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NHS 3 per cent pay rise “bitterly disappointing” Last week the Government announced it was to give consultants in England a 3% uplift.

Whilst this represents an increase compared to the paltry 1% offer from the Government at the start of the year, it remains well below what consultants had been calling for.

Since May, almost 2,500 consultants have written to their MP demanding the Government delivers a fair and significant pay uplift for consultants in England, Consultants, more than any other group of healthcare workers, have been hit hardest by years of below-inflationary pay rises from successive governments, with the estimated take-home pay for the average consultant in England falling by 28.6% in real terms.

BMA has said that since March of this year, its consultants’ committee has lobbied for a pay award of at least 5% as part of the Fairness for the frontline campaign. With the retail price index already at 3.9% and the consumer price index currently predicted to increase to close to 4% later this year, this socalled uplift should be seen for what it really is – another real-terms pay cut.

BMA to survey senior hospital doctors to test the depth of anger on 3% pay award

The BMA is surveying tens of thousands of England’s most senior hospital doctors to find out what they think of the pay award, and what action, if any they want the BMA to take on their behalf. The survey gets underway today and it will ask consultants for their views of the uplift, the impact the award has had on their morale and whether or not they wish to consider any form of action, including possible industrial action.

The findings will be reviewed by the BMA and help determine whether there is a need to proceed to a formal ballot.

Pay award of 3 per cent is bitterly disappointing The Chair of the BMA’s Consultants Committee, Dr Vishal Sharma said, “A below-inflation pay award of 3% is bitterly disappointing, and it shows once again how little the Government values the dedication and expertise of consultants in England, many of whom have been brought to the brink of breaking point by the pressures of the past 18 months.

“What we do next is of vital importance to all consultants in England, which is why in the coming days we will be asking all consul-

“Pingdemic” or “Paindemic”?

Industry bosses have warned that if the staff shortage crisis is not resolved, the Test and Trace “pingdemic” will leave supermarket shelves empty in just weeks.

This warning is based on the figures from last week that showed more than 600,000 Brits were forced to self-isolate after being alerted by the NHS Covid-19 app. Three key sectors that’ll face the repercussions of this are hospitality, manufacturing and retailers.

FT has reported that the UK Hospitality, the trade body, now estimates up to a fifth of workers are self-isolating at any one time and that is on top of the sector lacking 10 per cent — or 200,000 — employees.

It is essential to acknowledge the role that corner shops have played during the pandemic. Most of these corner shops in the UK are owned by members of ethnic minority communities. According to the data, insights and consulting company Kantar’s report last year, it was reported that “over the lockdown period corner shops and independent grocers have reported a 63% upsurge in trade. The three months leading to 17 May saw sales made by independently-owned retailers increase by more than two times that of the fastestgrowing supermarket chain Co-op.”

However, in last week’s issue of Asian Voice, Anjum Khan, Director of ABCC (Asian Business Chamber of Commerce) had given a similar assessment and said, “Asian businesses will be, like other firms, exposed to staff shortages, if their staff are required to isolate after being exposed to Covid and contacted by Test and Trace.

Lots of Asian firms operate in the hospitality, retail and wedding industries, sectors that heavily rely on in-person staffing. If a business operating in this sector has a number of staff isolating at once, this could result in more closures, postponement of events and cash losses for these businesses, which have already been hit extremely hard during this health crisis.”

While No10 has already declared that critical sectors - such as medicine, emergency services and border control - that certain staff can bypass 10-day isolation and instead take daily tests.

The Mirror has reported that the Covid operations sub-committee of Cabinet will consider widening the number of jobs eligible for the testing regime, or whether to boost the numbers for existing sectors.

Among these are 10,000 workers in the food sector who might be included in the scheme for fully vaccinated workers to be exempt from isolation if they test negative.

In his opinion piece for The Independent, Jonathan Portes, professor of economics and public policy at King’s College London wrote that a “major structural change” and “net immigration” will govern the labour crisis and employment in the near future. He also added, “.. .there are very clear and consistent reports of staff shortages as businesses – especially in the hospitality sector – reopen. And there is clear evidence that there was indeed a large exodus (even if we remain uncertain as to its magnitude) of EU-origin workers during the pandemic. It’s entirely reasonable to suggest that the two are connected.”

Covid-19: Cases fall, bills rise!

UK’s Covid bills have hit £372bn and MPs have warned that it will take decades to pay them. This figure has been calculated by Public Accounts Committee.

This cost is said to be three times higher than the public spending watchdog estimated last year. A news website reported that more than a quarter of the bill relates to measures to support the government's furlough programme, which aided employers and their staff during the outbreak. The report also emphasises concerns about the government's spending on personal protective equipment revealing £10bn was spent on equipment and that some of it were "not fit for purpose". This includes items from imports, whose storage costs £6.7m a week.

On Sunday, UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid had to apologise after he tweeted that people should not "cower" from Covid-19.

While the UK’s number of cases fell on the sixth consecutive day last week, the number of patients in hospital with Covid19 is still rising - although at a slower rate than during previous waves because of the impact of vaccinations, BBC reported.

The latest government data showed there were 5,238 in-patients on 23 July, compared with 4,612 a week ago.

Many under 30 are still reluctant to take jabs because of misnomers surrounding fertility issues related to the vaccine which is false information. It has been reported that ‘Seriously ill’ young people are constituting the current Covid admissions.

Meanwhile Downing Street has left open the prospect of requiring students to get jabbed to attend university lectures or live in halls of residence.

tant members to tell us what they think of the pay award and what action, including potential industrial action they would like to see from the BMA. Consultants have given their all in leading the fight against Covid-19.

Some at the expense of their own health.

Others with their lives. And this pressure will only intensify as we begin to tackle the backlog of delayed treatment caused by the pandemic.”

The survey will run until the 16th of August. Junior doctors will also be launching a similar consultation with members in the coming days.

Doctors’ Association UK ‘dismayed’ In a public statement, the Doctors’ Association, UK said: The Doctors’ Association UK is dismayed at the government’s less than inflation uplift for NHS workers and call for ‘fair say on fair pay’. At a time when doctors have given their lives and livelihoods to the pandemic, with no clear end in sight, it is an insult that the government sees a 3 per cent uplift as fair remuneration The Telegraph reported that the official figures show 21 per cent of staff working in

credit: JessicaGirvan / Shutterstock.com

NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups were black or from ethnic minority backgrounds last year, above the 14 per cent share of the UK population, and those in senior management roles have increased by 41.7 per cent since 2017. It is common knowledge that most ERs and GP practices depute health workers from ethnic minorities for night shifts. Amid this, and institutional racism against which the BMA and other bodies have perpetually voiced out their dissent, it is going to be a matter of immense challenge and responsibility for the government to take notice of what the medical practitioners have to say.

Umesh Patel MBE takes a bow from University of Sunderland board After serving a maximum of nine years on the Governing Body of University of Sunderland, outgoing pharmacist Umesh Patel was recently felicitated with a dinner in his honour. In a message to Asian Voice he said, ' When I first started my course in pharmacy, I had never dreamed of becoming a Governor and receiving an honorary doctorate of science for my services to pharmacy from an institute which truly provides life-changing opportunities to so many graduates. It was a great honour to be part of this world-class university.'

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Taking precautions after 'Freedom Day’

Hold an afternoon tea this August

Restrictions have now been lifted, but the pandemic is still very much with us.

The Government-branded ‘Freedom Day’ has sparked significant anxiety amongst many in our community, especially the clinically vulnerable.

In addition, at the time of writing, over half of London’s adult population still haven’t had both doses of the vaccine.

Therefore, it’s important that we continue to take simple measures to protect each other, such as getting both doses of the vaccine and wearing masks in shops and on public transport. Remember that this is still mandatory on the Transport for London (TfL) network.

I am also encouraging local people without symptoms to take at least two lateral flow tests a week. You can get these online through the NHS or at your local pharmacy.

We now need to see the Government urgently provide reassurances that an adequate vaccine supply will continue into London and that the Test and Trace system will be able to cope in the coming months with the surge in Covid-19 cases.

We can’t see a repeat of their mishandling over previous waves. Too many lives have already been lost to this deadly virus.

Krupesh Hirani AM London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow

As someone who has recently lost a loved one to breast cancer, I’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact that this disease can have.

Four days before the UK went into national lockdown, I lost my beautiful mum to secondary breast cancer. I was 11 weeks from giving birth to my daughter, Sofia Lily, she would have been my mum’s first grandchild.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented situation for us all but losing my mum and grieving during this time has been incredibly difficult. I desperately want to do everything I can to support Breast Cancer Now, who provide essential support services so that people living with the disease, like my mum, are supported the whole way through their breast cancer experience, but they can only do so with your help.

Since the start of the pandemic, Breast Cancer Now have faced huge disruption. Their researchers lost thousands of precious hours in the labs, and they’ve been forced to cancel hundreds of their community support events – taking away a crucial lifeline for many.

That’s why I’m joining the thousands of others across the UK and having an Afternoon Tea this August.

Whether it’s a cuppa in the garden or delivering delicious treats to friends, anyone can take part. And no matter how you choose to have your Afternoon Tea, all money raised will help Breast Cancer Now provide world-class research and life-changing support for anyone affected by breast cancer.

So, if there was ever a time to pop the kettle on and get baking, that time is now. Fundraisers can register to claim a free fundraising pack at breastcancernow.org/cuppa.

Lions of Gujarat Recently Gujarat was in the news for all the wrong reasons on wild-life front when lions are mentioned. Gir is the only place in Asia where wild lions roam free since time- memorial but the narrow-minded attitude on part of Gujarat government is putting at risk the entire population of Gir lions.

Although lion population has increased to a record level of 700, never seen before, so many lions confined in a small place like Gir forest, is detrimental for their well-being.

Some thirty lions died in the last five years from tick-born parasite causing babesiosis that infects blood and is fatal, especially in lion cubs. Some such infectious disease or even a forest fire could wipe out the entire lion population.

It is time; either Gujarat government takes brave but overdue steps and transfer some lions to other States like Kerala and Madhya Pradesh which all have well managed wild-life sanctuary to accommodate excess lion population.

Another option, although not as good or as safe as the above mentioned one, especially Kerala, where lion population can expand without restrictions, is to open up large part of Gujarat surrounding Gir forest to give more space and variety of diet, as many lions looked pale and anaemic.

Junagadh is just few miles from Arabian Sea. If a 50 to 100 square miles area, stretching to the sea is added to Gir Forest, it will give space, variety, and purpose to lion preservation efforts. Some tribal people are already living in Gir forest, side by side with lions without any serious incidents, even when some lions stray into villages in search of food, as people of Gujarat are vegetarian on most part, love and protect wildlife.

Clearing such vast area, turning into forest, resettling villagers will cost a fortune, but Gujarat has some of the richest billionaires in Ambanis, Premjis, Tatas and many more who could fund the project in partnership with Gujarat if invited, enticed by BJP government. This will help in attracting Western tourists that India is aiming at.

Bhupendra M. Gandhi

Credibly investigate snooping allegations “Credibly investigate snooping allegations” in AV dated 2430 July 2021 is interesting to read but not surprising because we know that the technology can be used in many ways.

When there are so many users and applications in addition to innovation continuously coming up, it is very difficult, if not possible to remain away from getting spied.

Since ages, different states including superpowers have been involved in getting secret information from different countries mostly for military purposes and to dominate small countries. Phone hacking and taping are not new.

Time and again it comes into the limelight. Many European countries’ political leaders’ phones were hacked.

I think, there is no short-cut or fool proof system where surveillance is not possible. If the intention of the government is to use this kind of technology to deter terrorist or subversive activities, then it is justifiable. With the changing and advanced nature of criminal activities, it is apparent that the states need to be prepared.

Suggestions to have a credible investigation by the government of India is a welcome step but keeping in mind the sensitivity of the issue, a cautious approach is required, as inept handling may endanger the lives of people working for national security. Privacy, freedom of speech and personal freedom are important and integral parts of democracy however national security is of paramount importance especially when a country like India has been facing multiple challenges from its neighbours.

Hitesh Hingu London

Andrea Springthorpe Breast Cancer Now supporter

We are letting down our future generations A recent discussion on climate change on the iGlobal wellness show, struck a deep chord within me. Which is that, if we do not commit ourselves to taking better care of our planet than we are letting our future generations down. Indeed, the present generation is already experiencing the impact of our disturbed eco system through floods, heat waves, plastic pollution and so on. These are just a few examples of how communities around the world are suffering. Just imagine what it will be like for our grandchildren and their future generations if we continue to be complacent about the issue.

We can all do quite a lot to make a difference daily.

Cut down on plastic waste, grow your own vegetables and follow a plant-based diet, stop the wastage of water, connect more with nature, respect nature and the magnificent gifts it bestows on us daily. Look up your Council website for local initiatives and volunteer on these. Our Sanatan Dharma is based on science and principles of nature. Let us live by those and NOT let down our future generations.

Hansa Pankhania Surrey, UK

Friendship Day Friendship Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of August every year, not just in India, but also in several other countries of the world too. This year, it is being celebrated on August 1. The bond with friends is a strong one.

Friendship Day is the perfect occasion to show your friends that you care for them and to remember the good times spent together.Friends are the lifelines in a person’s life, but they can have both positive and negative impact on people. It depends on the person how he/she is selecting his/her friends. If you are in a good company, you will be a successful person. A good friend can guide you whenever you are in a perplexed situation. He/she is the one who can show you the right path. He/she tells you not to go on the wrong track, so that you do not get in trouble. Moreover, if you are in a bad company, you will not be able to achieve anything in life. They will not correct you or guide you to go in the right direction. We should listen to our friends, but we should not follow them blindly. Each person has a positive and a negative effect. So, it is totally our choice which way to opt.I would like to conclude by saying that - a friend is noble, friendship is divine. A true friend is really a gift of God. There are instances of man sacrificing their lives for their friends. So, everyone should know how to choose a friend because if we have a good friend, we will be successful but if we are in a bad company, we will suffer in our lives.The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.

Jubel D'Cruz Mumbai, India

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Kapil’s

Follow me on Twitter: @kk_OEG

My Name is Bharat Kapil Dudakia My name is Bharat. Bhārat Gaṇarājya is the land of the most spiritually advanced people on this planet. A land that was borne out of Satya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa. A land that gave us the eternal truth, ‘dharma eva hato hanti dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ tasmād dharmo na hantavyo mā no dharmo hato'vadhīt — Manusmriti 8.15’. In short, ‘those who protect Dharma, are protected by Dharma’. And a land that gave us the eternal way of life, Sanathan Dharma.

On this land, its people lived civilised enlightened lives whilst the rest of the world was composed of barbarians. Yet, this land with the greatest achievements in human history fell foul to these barbarians. Wave after wave of invaders from the west and the Middle East brought with them barbarity, bloodshed, genocide, rape and the destruction of people, language and culture. Each wave leaving behind their legacy, in our psyche, in the landscape, in our language, in our cuisine and in our history. History after all is confirmation of the narrative of the invader. The victims who suffered forgotten in the midst of time.

Today in Bharat, after more than 70 years of gaining independence from the tyranny of the last invader, the nation and its people still abide by the narrative set by the oppressors of the past. Bharat is a nation that teaches history that is of the invaders and the barbarians. It’s a nation that still celebrates the brutality of these barbarians by allowing its towns and cities to be known by names given by these invaders. Lost is the true Bharat and the legacy of our ancestors of thousands of years.

We call it Hindustan, India (by the new constitution) or the real name of Bharat which in history past was known as Aryavarta. Let’s look at a few other examples: Kanpur was Kanhapur Delhi was Indraprastha Hyderabad was Bhagyanagar Allahabad was Prayag Aurangabad was Sambhaji Nagar Lucknow was Laxmanpuri Ahmedabad was Karnavati Patna was Patliputra Ujjain was Avantika Deoria was Devpuri (UP) Sultanpur was Kushbhavanpur There are hundreds, if not more, such examples throughout Bharat. When will our government (and State Governments) put right the wrongs of the past? We have to applaud the fact that some effort has been made, for example going from Madras to Chennai and Bangalore to Bengaluru.

So on August 15th when Bharat celebrates Independence, is it now not time for the nation, its government and its people to finally move from slave mentality, to that of a people proud of their historical heritage? I would like the honourable PM Modi ji to make a step change and become even more proactive in rectifying the ills of the past. Maybe the following list will help: A. Change every book used in education to reflect the TRUE history of Bharat.

B. Create a library of official text that is freely available to anyone that gives evidenced based true narrative of Bharat.

C. Change names of towns and cities to their true historical names.

D. Become proactive in defending Bharat, its legacy and its people throughout the world.

E. Challenge the world view on discoveries and inventions with historical evidence.

F. Pakistan occupied Kashmir must become integral to Bharat in the next few years.

The list is not exhaustive, but it gives a flavour of what Bharat needs to do, and do so now.

A free nation cannot continue to act like slaves. In the 21st Century, the power of social media must be harnessed.

It’s our time, so make it count.

Indians are tolerant and enjoy religious freedom A recent study carried out by the Pew research organisation concluded that Indians are tolerant and enjoy religious freedoms. The Pew Research Centre survey took a closer look at religious identity, nationalism and tolerance in Indian society. According to the Pew survey, people of all six major religious groups - Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists- overwhelmingly believe they are very free to practice their faiths. As far as I am aware, none of the UK TV channels reported the findings of this survey. If the Pew survey findings had been negative, I suspect that it would have found airtime to malign India and Indians! Positive news is not considered newsworthy.

Dinesh Rai 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 Rupanjana at rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com

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A Creative Diplomat

Ruchi Ghanashyam Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam is the former High Commissioner of India to the UK. With a career in Indian Foreign Service for over 38 years, she has been posted in many countries including South Africa, Ghana, before arriving in the UK. She was only the second woman High Commissioner to the UK since India’s independence and during her tenure, she witnessed a number of significant developments in the UK-India relations.

Last week, my husband and I had a special invitation. Anju Ranjan, our Consul General in Edinburgh until October 2019, and currently the Consul General in Johannesburg, South Africa, invited us to a reading of her books at the Sahitya Academi, India's National Academy of Letters.

This week, I was planning to write about the reported abduction and harassment of the daughter of Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan. That story reminded me of some of my own experiences while posted in Islamabad. I was also struck by the soaring

temperatures in Canada and the US and thought it is important to talk about climate change. But after attending the book reading and getting to know Anju better, I thought that her inspirational story deserves to be told first.

Anju Ranjan has already published three books in Hindi, adding to the rich fare available in Hindi literature. Two are collections of poetry and one is a collection of short stories. Anju’s first collection of poetry titled ‘Prem ke Vibhinn Rang’ (Different Shades of Love) expresses the different aspects of love that each one of us feels: the love for a beloved, especially when separated, love of a mother, and the love for one's land are some of the emotions covered in this collection.

Most touching is her poem that describes how she understood the meaning of love while lovingly bringing up her autistic son, Adi. ‘Visthapan aur Yaadein’ Anju Ranjan (Displacement and Memories) is the second poetry collection containing nostalgic memories of her simple childhood life in her village while sitting thousands of miles away in her place of posting. Even the sight of an aircraft flying in the air reminds her of how it is an instrument of her separation from her motherland.

The collection of her short stories is titled ‘Voh Kaagaz ki Kashti’ (That Paper Boat). It is a “beautiful bouquet” of her memories from her childhood till she joined the Indian Foreign Service. It’s a profile of the life of a young girl from an interior village in Jharkhand to joining a premier Service of India.

The book reading at Sahitya Academi was a special occasion. It was the first event

held at the premises of the Academi after the long interregnum caused by Covid. A small gathering of writers and editors and three former Ambassadors of India were amongst those present. Anju’s husband, Ranjan Kumar, is in the Indian Administrative Service and is currently the Commissioner of Lucknow, the capital of India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh.

Despite his preoccupation with Covid management and preparations, Ranjan travelled from Lucknow to join this special occasion.

Sahitya Academi is the central institution for literary dialogue, publication and promotion in India. It is the only institution in the country that undertakes literary activities in 24 Indian languages, including English. This valued institution has made a yeoman’s contribution to the promotion of Indian literature. Several renowned writers of India have been associated with it during its long history. Sahitya Akademi was formally inaugurated by the Government of India on 12 March 1954. The constitution of the Akademi was set forth in a Government of India Resolution and described it as ‘a national organisation to work actively for the development of Indian letters and to set high literary standards, to foster and co-ordinate literary activities in all the Indian languages and to promote through them all the cultural unity of the country’. The Academi has been set up by the Government of India and functions as an autonomous organisation. It was registered as a society way back on 7 January 1956, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. A book reading at this prestigious

St Luke’s Hospice Midnight Walk Despite feeling the wrath of the pandemic, St Luke’s Hospice – a well-known and local institution in North London – carried on with their annual Midnight Walk which was postponed last year due to the lockdown.

Over 650 people gathered at Bryon Park in Harrow to join the muchmissed charity walk in the area.

The walk usually attracts over 1500 people, but numbers were reduced this year due to the implications of the pandemic. However, for the first time men were permitted to join this flagship charity walk.

The walk was officially started by one of the Founding Members and Chief Patron of the Hospice, Lord Dolar Popat who cut the ribbon for the walk. The grand launch was marked with support from the Kingsbury Temple. Local fitness groups were invited to help with the warmup activ-

Cllr Ameet Jogia, Alpana Malde and Lord Dolar Popat

ities.

The annual walk first started in 2008 and has been growing year on year ever since. Participants came together from all communities, backgrounds, abilities and ages ranging all the way from 16 to 80, to take part in a specially coordinated walk around Harrow. The walk was particularly popular, as many had the experience of walking throughout the

pandemic.

Speaking at the start of the walk at Bryon Hall, Harrow Lord Popat said, “Last year has been a very difficult year for all of us. A year in which the whole world has turned upside down.

However, the pandemic has also shown the very best of humanity – in helping us to become more considerate and supportive of each other.”

“St Luke’s Hospice has always been an incredibly valuable resource for our community…however, this pandemic has made the role of St Luke’s even more important in supporting families.”

Lord Popat paid a special tribute to all the volunteering team at St Luke’s Hospice – particularly key frontline workers - who had worked tirelessly through-

out the pandemic to put their lives at risk for the safety of others.

Alpana Malde, Chief Executive of St Luke’s Hospice also said, “it is wonderful to see so many people come out again after a difficult year to support such a superb charity. The funds raised tonight will make a difference in the lives of so many local people.”

The Hospice is currently open to everyone with an incurable illness, providing invaluable care, not just to patients, but support for family and carers. St Luke’s has become a haven for people to die with dignity and is heavily subscribed.

This year’s walk is expected to raise over £260,000 to help continue free care for patients. To find out more about St Luke’s, or to find out how to get involved with other fundraising activities, please visit www.stlukeshospice.org.

Bengal Heritage Foundation to commemorate the 175th death anniversary of Dwarkanath Tagore In a video tribute shared by Sarbjit Mitra, Swagata Ghosh and Sourav Niyogi, it was mentioned that the Bengal Heritage Foundation will celebrate the 175th death anniversary of Dwarkanath Tagore on August 1, at 1 pm at the Kensal Green Cemetery.

The grave of Dwarkanath Tagore is located at the dissenters’ section of the Kensal Green

Rabindranath Tagore.

Regrettably, this is how he is mostly remembered.

However, he was a prominent personality who often featured in the English Press during the Victorian era. He was also the first Bengali merchant-entrepreneur to set up an Indo-British business partnership that traded sugar, salt, tea, coal and indigo.

Cemetery. To a layman, he is

the

grandfather

of

institution is, thus, a recognition of a different aspect of Anju’s personality.

The inspirational story of Anju Ranjan began in a small village in a humble farmer’s house where she grew up with her four sisters and a brother. Until she passed the Matric examination, no girl from her entire village had achieved this milestone. One of her stories describes the anxiety she felt when her Matric results came out. After a lot of missed heartbeats, it was discovered that Anju had topped her district in Matric.

She moved to Hazaribagh for her college and finished her Masters in Chemistry with gold medals both at graduation and postgraduation. In her first attempt at civil services, she joined the Indian Audit & Accounts Service, joining the prestigious Indian Foreign Service in 2002 in her second attempt, becoming the first female success story from the state of Jharkhand.

After the death of her father, Anju helped her siblings in their education and helped with their respective marriages. Following her lead, two of her sisters joined the civil services, while one is a Reader at a Government College and another is a doctor. Her brother is an engineer. The humble farmer’s six children are today contributing to making a better India in different fields!

Despite her achievements, Anju remains rooted to her land and culture. She is not shy to talk about her humble origins.

Rather, she affectionately recalls her innocent village life. And why not? Anju has travelled an amazing distance. She has earned the right to be proud of what she has achieved. There are millions of Anjus in India. We may not know their stories but their contribution adds a unique flavour to the story of India.

Government's new campaign to reduce spread of Covid The UK Government has launched a new campaign reminding the community to continue healthy behaviours to reduce the spread of Covid.

New research shows that nearly nine in 10 (86%) hope that people will proceed with caution and common sense, three quarters (77%) will continue to wear face masks, 81% will practice social distancing where possible and 83% say they will continue to wash hands thoroughly and often.

As the country moved into step 4 of the roadmap and restrictions have been cautiously lifted, a short new film, narrated by TV doctor and practising GP, Dr Amir Khan has been launched. The message encourages the public to meet outside if they can, let fresh air in when inside, wear a facecovering in crowded places, check-in into venues and test regularly, even if they have been vaccinated. The film shows how those positive actions that have become second nature to many people over the pandemic should continue to be implemented into everyday lives.

Michael Whine moves on from Community Security Trust after 35 years Michael Whine Council of Europe MBE, UK & Bureau member states on Member, ECRI human rights, has Council of Europe grown since he and a friend of the was elected to its Indian community executive at the in the UK, is not end of 2019 and retiring but has Michael Whine then to chair the taken on the role Working Group of Senior Consultant at the tasked with renewing the World Jewish Congress General Policy focussing on certain strateRecommendation on gic and security-related Combating Antisemitism in matters. He was previously early 2020. “I expect that the Director of Government this work will occupy even and International Affairs at more of my time once the the Community Security Committee of Ministers, Trust, where he was based the senior body of the for 35 years.

Council of Europe discusses the GPR at its next meeting His work as the UK in September,” he told Asian Member of ECRI, the standVoice. ing committee that advises

12 MEDIA WATCH

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SCRUTATOR’S SCRUTATOR’S India-made missiles tested successfully The India-made new-generation Akash surface-to-air missile, with an interception range of 25-30 km, and the man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM), with a 2.5 km strike range, were successfully tested by the DRDO last week. Both the missiles are still undergoing developmental trials but will boost the firepower of the armed forces once they are fully operational for induction. The earlier version of the Akash missiles, which can intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and subsonic cruise missiles at a range of 25 km, have already been inducted in large numbers, with orders worth around £2.4 billion being placed. “The new Akash-NG weapon system, once deployed, will prove to be a force multiplier for the air defence capability of IAF,” said a DRDO scientist. The missile was tested from Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the Odisha coast. “The flawless performance of the entire weapon system was confirmed by the complete flight data captured by radars, electro-optical tracking and telemetry systems. During the test, the missile demonstrated high manoeuvrability required for neutralising fast and agile aerial threats,” he added. The low-weight, fire-and forget MP-ATGM was also successful in hitting the target, which was “mimicking a tank”, in a direct-attack mode and destroying it with precision.

The Army at present has a huge shortage of ATGMs. “The missile is incorporated with state-of-the-art miniaturized infra-red imaging seeker along with advanced avionics. (Agency) Mosque gifts land to Kashi Vishwanath trust

Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust (SKVTT) and the adjacent Gyanvapi mosque have entered into a deal to exchange lands to facilitate the construction of the proposed Kashi Vishwanath Dham. While the Gyanvapi administration is giving land measuring 1,700 square-feet, for the development of Kashi Vishwanath Dham (corridor), the temple administration has given a piece of land measuring 1,000 square-feet to the Muslim community. The deal was signed on July 9, though the announcement was made only last week. However, the dispute between Kashi Vishwanath Temple (KVT) and Gyanvapi mosque regarding the survey of the entire premises by the Archaeological Survey of India to find out whether a temple existed in place of the mosque is still in the court. The exchange deal was signed by chief executive officer (CEO) of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, Sunil Kumar Verma, on behalf of the UP governor and Abdul Batin Nomani of the Anjuman Intezamiya Masajid, the management committee of the mosque.

(Agency) Andhra family locks themselves fearing Covid death

Andhra police rescued a family, who confined themselves to a tent house for almost 15 months in Kadali village in fear of getting infected by Covid-19. According to Kadali village sarpanch, Ruthamma, 50, Kanthamani, 32, and Rani, 30, locked themselves almost 15 months ago when one of their neighbours died due to Covid.

The matter came to light when a village

volunteer went to get their thumb impression. The volunteer informed the matter to village sarpanch and others. The sarpanch said that the family of Chuttugalla Benny, his wife, and two children, have been residing here. They were afraid of Corona so they locked themselves in the house for almost 15 months. They informed the police, who came and rescued the family. The police said their condition was very pathetic when they came out. They did not have bath for many days. The police rushed them to the government hospital and are now undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The sarpanch said they would have died if they continued in the same way for some more days. (Agency)

job, they also started escalating their demands and began asking for a tortoise with 21 toenails, one black Labrador dog, a Buddha statue and a samai lamp stand.

The market value for a 21-nailed tortoise is between Rs 500,000 to 10,00,000. The woman's family looked for the rare tortoise, but were unable to find one.

When they told the groom's side of their inability to find such a tortoise, the groom's family called off the marriage. A police complaint was lodged by the woman's family after the man and his family refused to return the valuables given to them. The police later booked the man and five members of the groom's family. (Agency) A ‘retirement home’ for police dogs

UP girl killed for defying ‘no jeans’ diktat A 17-year-old girl was allegedly killed by her uncles and grandfather in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district after she defied their ‘no jeans’ diktat. The teen had taken a liking to western wear after her brief stay in Ludhiana but was being pressured to shift back to Indian wear when she returned to her native village. The girl hit a wall and bled to death during a scuffle at home with her uncles and grandfather.

The accused allegedly threw the body off the Patanwa bridge on Kasya-Patna highway but it got stuck on the grille of the bridge. The body kept hanging there for hours and was spotted by passers-by, who informed the police. According to police, the girl had begun wearing trousers and tops after her family shifted to Ludhiana. When the victim and her mother returned to their village, she refused to switch back to Indian wear despite pressure from the family elders.

Instead she spent more time outside the house to avoid them. The girl’s grandfather and an auto driver, Hasnain, were arrested while her uncles are still on the run. (Agency) Unusual dowry demands of a bridegroom An FIR has been registered against a man and his family in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, for demanding a tortoise with 21 toenails and a black Labrador as dowry. According to the report, the man an Army jawan was engaged to a woman in February this year. The bride's family had given Rs 200,000 in cash and 10 grams of gold as dowry to the groom's family. After the engagement, the groom's family reportedly demanded Rs 10,00,000 from the bride's family under the pretext of getting her a permanent government job. However, not only did the groom's family fail to get the woman a permanent

Gujarat police will soon open a retirement home for the dogs once they retire from the tough service of sniffing out narcotics, explosives and helping detect crimes by tracking down accused.

The facility readied at Anand police headquarters will be inaugurated by state DGP Ashish Bhatia. The home will begin with14 retired dogs and will be expanded up to 50 based on the requirement, said officials associated with the project. The unit, which is getting finishing touches, has shelters, open ground, obstacle course, etc to ensure an active retired life for the canines. Vikas Sahay, DGP (training), said that apart from Indian Army, he is not aware of any such facility for the retired canines across India, especially among state police units. Canine units are an integral part of any police force. After a lifespan in force, they sometimes don’t get the right treatment. We thus decided to take the step as our moral responsibility to ensure a decent life for them,” said Sahay.

Gujarat currently has about 150 dogs in service, whereas 100 others will soon join the force. According to senior officials, annually about seven to eight dogs get retired due to age. Ajit Rajian, Anand SP, said that the existing kennel is expanded and re-designed for the purpose. “The kennel would have everything that the dogs would need – from medical attention to recreational facilities. Some of the

former staff members of the canine unit have been roped in to take care of the dogs,” said Rajian. (The Times of India) Pet cat prevents cobra from entering house A pet cat in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, stood guarding a house while a menacing cobra lurked right in front of it. The daredevil cat did not give the snake any chance to enter the house till snake helpline workers reached the place to catch and transport the snake back to its natural habitat. In the picture, the white cat was photographed sitting alert in front of the house while the cobra with its spread hood waited in front of it.

The cat stood guard for half an hour while locals waited for snake helpline workers to arrive. It was quite a feat for the cat as cobras are known to attack cats if conditions call for it. Sampath K Parida, a resident of the house, said that their cat is only one-and-a-half years old. "It lives with us like a family member," Parida added.

The post garnered many reactions. Some chose to bring up their experiences with their protective cats. One user wrote, "Here's mine. Once they select you as their pet, they will save you from the dangers which only they can see." (Agency) £227,000 seized from govt official The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials in one of its biggest seizures found £227,000 cash from Nipun Choksi, a government official who was arrested on July16 for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1,21,000. The ACB termed it as the biggest seizure in its history. The ACB also recovered 300 grams of gold worth Rs 10,00,000 from one of the lockers of Choksi, state project engineer (class 2) with the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) office in Gandhinagar. The ACB officials said that during the search they found a locker in the Gandhinagar Nagarik Co-operative Bank branch and recovered Rs 74,50,000 from this locker. In other two lockers in Gandhinagar Co-operative Bank they found £152,000. Choksi was trapped while accepting Rs 121,000 after a contractor who had completed some work for the SSA in Patan approached the ACB with a bribery complaint. The probe has found that Choksi used to charge a ‘commission’ of 1% on the amount paid to contractors for work completed. (The Times of India)

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Indian community loses its renowned leader and social worker Shri Lalubhai Parekh Is no more.

He succumbed to covid 19 on Monday afternoon (26 July 2021) having been admitted to hospital a few days earlier. He was 88. Shri Lalubhai was a well known social worker and leader of the Indian community in London.

He was born in Rajkot, Gujarat in 1932 and had his formal education there. He graduated in law and then migrated to East Africa where he established his successful law firm in Mwanza (Tanzania). In 1971 he emigrated to the UK and settled in London. He owned a post office in Central London

which he sold after few years and went into the hotel and property business. He lost a young son in a tragic accident which had a deep impact on the family Apart from his business, he was socially very active. He became a 373 Swayamsevak of RSS in 1944 (at the young age of 11) and became close friends with political stalwarts like Keshubhai Patel (former CM of Gujarat) and Vajubhai Vala (former Governor of Karnataka).

He knew Narendrabhai Modi (present PM) for many years, before he joined politics. He was in regular touch with Narendrabhai Modi

SHRI LALUBHAI PAREKH ( 12.11.1932 - 26.07.2021)

when he was CM of Gujarat. In UK he was one of the most senior and respected leader of the Sangh Parivar. He was president of Overseas Friends BJP (UK) for a number of years. He was also president of National Congress of Gujarati Organisations (NCGO) and Trustee of Navnat Vanik Organisation. In spite of his age, he was active and attended all Sangh Parivar events, including shibirs, till his last days.

He was a quiet person but jovial and very friendly by nature.

He had immense self confidence and willingness to learn new tech-

nology, particularly engaging in social media. He had a vast pool of friends who respected him and listened to his advice and guidance.

He will be immensely missed by the community and particularly Sangh Parivar in UK. He leaves behind a deep vaccum in the lives of Nimuben (wife), Mamta (daughter) and Sunil (son in law) and his beloved grandchildren Curran and Rahul We pray for eternal peace and sadgati to the puniya aatmaa and for strength and resilience to the family to bear this great loss.

Aum Shantih Shantih Shantih

Britain grieves the sudden demise of Dr Kailash Chand OBE During the late evening of July 26, Dr Kailash Chand OBE’s son Dr Aseem Malhotra tweeted that his father had suffered a cardiac arrest in Manchester after central chest pain. A few hours later, Britain lost one of the pioneers in medicine. He was 73.

Dr Kailash Chand OBE was the Honorary Vice President of BMA, Ex-deputy chair of BMA council & chair of NHS trust.

Tributes poured in from all medical bodies like BMA, BAPIO and reputed doctors who were extremely fond of Dr Chand.

Kailash was born in Shimla, in Northern India, in 1948. His father worked on the Indian rail-

ways and Kailash was educated in Punjab. He graduated in medicine from the Punjabi University Patiala and was employed as a medical officer at Kurukshetra University. Kailash was already married with two sons before coming to the UK to take up a clinical attachment at the Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool and also to study Tropical Medicine at Liverpool University.

He intended to return to his family once he had improved his qualifications. However, he decided to remain after his wife and children joined him in the UK and saw for themselves the

Renowned linguist, writer, academic Shamsuddin Ismail Agha passes away Shamsuddin Ismail Agha, President of the Indian Muslim Federation (UK) was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) India. He received his B.A. (Hon) and M.A. from Bombay University and theatre training in Bombay and London. He was a lecturer of classical Persian and English in India.

He came to England in 1964 and after working in different jobs and living for a short period in Bolton he worked as a teacher in London.

He was a linguist and worked as a curator at Leyton Library and later retired from London Borough of Newham as Head of the Translation Unit 25 years ago.

He was a founder member and trustee of the Indian Muslim Federation (UK) established in 1969, the largest and oldest organisation of Indian Muslims in the UK which has NGO status with the United Nations. The Indian Muslim Federation has its offices and a community centre in east London. Under Agha’s leadership, IMF has organised many seminars and meetings on the plight of Indian Muslims and has held protest marches against antiMuslim pogroms in India. After being accredited as with NonGovernmental Organisation status by the United Nations in 1999, the IMF delegation under Agha’s leadership attended many UN conferences and meetings in Geneva, New York and South Africa to raise the plight of Indian Muslims at the international level and published papers and booklets on the plight and suffering of Muslims in India.

Agha was a linguist, writer,

Shamsuddin Ismail Agha (19.06.1936 – 21.07.2021)

academic and above all a community person. He has written and acted in many plays in India and Britain. He was responsible for the production and direction of a series of one-act plays in Urdu, Gujarati, Marathi and English.

His books of plays in Urdu “Wahshat Hi Sahi” (Madness Rules Okay) and plays “Mirza Ghalib in London”; “Tipu Sultan” and “Flight Delayed” were published in India and the UK and were well received in the academic circle.

His burial was held on Thursday, 22 June 2021 at Muslim Burial Trust Cemetery, Waltham Forest, London, and was attended by many leaders across the community. Condolence messages were received from many organisations with whom Agha worked closely including cabinet members and councillors of Waltham Forest Council and Newham Council, General Secretary of Muslim Council of Britain and Minister Co-ordination of Indian High Commission, London. Agha is survived by his daughter, son and one granddaughter.

high degree of care and attention his older son, who was born with Down’s Syndrome, received. Dr Chand became the first Asian to be elected as Deputy Chair of the British Medical Association Council (BMA) representing 150,000 doctors in the UK. Kailash worked for 25 years as a GP in Ashton under Lyne, receiving various accolades such as ‘Dedicated Doctor of the Year’

by Doctor magazine and ‘GP of the Year’ from the Royal College of General Practitioners. He was also a Senior Fellow of the British Medical Association and received an OBE for his services to the NHS. He had retired both as a GP

Dr Kailash Chand OBE

and as Chair of Tameside and Glossop Primary Care Trust. His wife Dr Anisha Malhotra passed away in the year 2018.

Even during his last hours, Dr Chand did campaign against the issues that bothered the NHS health care workers. He mentioned in one of his tweets addressed to Sajid Javid to ‘Stop “cowering” from Covid is the language of “stupidity combined with arrogance and a huge ego!”’ calling his apology meaningless.

The fact that the NHS was etched in his heart reflected in one of his most memorable last tweets where he said: “Lesson for life- Actions speak louder than words. We can apologize over and over but if our actions don't change, the words become meaningless...! "Start the Change."..”

New diversity targets for NHS’s tech and data staff The organisation responsible for the technology and data behind the NHS has pledged to increase its diversity by 2025. Around one in five NHS employees are Black, Asian or from minority ethnic groups and NHS Digital has made a new commitment for its staff to have the same diversity at all levels of the organisation.

The public body, which employs around 3,500 people across England, has been at the

heart of the digital response to the

pandemic from setting up the Shielded Patient List to running the online systems for booking and recording the Covid-19 vaccine.

NHS Digital is striving for 19% of its staff to be Black, Asian or from minority ethnic groups, 14% to be disabled, and 50% to be female by 2025.

NHS Digital is putting a range of measures in place to encourage greater diversity and inclusion in the organisation.

King’s College London Hindu Society opens UK’s first Dharmic Prayer Room The UK’s first Dharmic Prayer Room was opened for all Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist students and staff at King’s College London in accordance with national lockdown guidelines on June 30th, 2021 by the KCL Hindu Society.

Dhra Gandhi, Co-President of KCL Hindu Society, was quoted saying online that: “As soon as we step foot in the Dharmic Prayer Room we all felt a sense of belonging, and were confident that this would be a space where we can reflect on

the qualities and aspects of ourselves and improve our efforts to practice Hindu Dharma.” The NHSF (UK) feels it’s their duty to provide multi-faith/meditation spaces for the numerous Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist students at all universities.

Letters to Patel for tackling migration The Bishop of Durham, the Right Rev Paul Butler, vice-chairman, APPG on refugees, vicechairman APPG on migration; Baroness Neuberger, rabbi emerita, West London Synagogue; Anne McLaughlin, co-chairwoman,

APPG on refugees; Tim Farron, vice chairman, APPG on migration; Lord Teverson, APPG on migration and eight other signatories wrote a letter to The Times. In the letter, they have stated that the £412 million annual costs to tax-

payers of the Nationality and Borders Bill (news, Jul 19) undervalue the cost that society will pay if it fails to respond with compassion to those running off their homelands and in quest of protection in the UK.

Students offered £10,000 to defer degree If the aspirant doctors postpone their degree place for a year, they will be offered free accommodation and £10,000 in cash. In compare to last year, 20 per cent more have applied to study medicine this

year but the number of places universities can offer is capped by the government.

According to BBC’s report, “Exeter University has asked the students to take a gap year and

postpone until next year. The ones who will accept the offer will be guaranteed a place next year, with free accommodation of around £6,000, and a £10,000 cash bursary this October.”

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Sanam told Asian Voice that around 90,000 students will arrive from red list countries and might need to be quarantined in hotels in September. “Where is the capacity? How will this be managed? I hope we get very timely answers to these questions and a significant reduction or waiver of this astronomical 1750 hotel bill!” Sanam exclaimed. £1750 too much for students Jetal Zala, a student at the University of Stirling is currently quarantining at a hotel in London after returning from India. Speaking to us about the shortcomings of quarantine, she said, “The Wi-Fi connection has failed to Jetal Zala meet the satisfaction as being a student, we must attend the classes online and study. Being a vegetarian, I don’t eat eggs and thus the meal choices provided to us contain eggs and we are left with no other option.

During this time, home-cooked food, which I carried way back from home feels like a blessing. Thankfully, I was able to share the quarantine cost with one of my friends which cuts down our cost to £1200 each rather than paying £1750 each. It is still “too much” for us as we are students in the UK. We have opted for deferred payment which allows us to pay the amount monthly thus lessening our burden of paying the whole amount at once, given the condition that we should be already an existing student holding a British Residence Permit (BRP card).”

Vegetarians in trouble Zala is sharing her quarantine room with Jil Sheth who is pursuing PhD in Urban Studies at Heriot-Watt University. Sheth said, “Compulsory quarantine at that, despite taking two vaccine shots already. The price of which is sky high, with around £1,750 per perJil Sheth son which might increase by £500 soon. Spending 10 days in quarantine is not a cakewalk. It sometimes feels suffocating to not open the windows.

Though, we are allowed a monitored outdoor activity for around 20 minutes a day.

Despite repeatedly mentioning food allergies, we are bombarded with food containing the allergens. I had checked horrific reviews about quarantine accommodations before and thus brought some essential food with me. The refrigerator is disconnected, stating

THE TABOO REMAINS Continued from page 1 At the moment, people returning from ‘Red List’ countries, such as India need to quarantine in hotels for 10 days, which costs £1750 per person. However, UK Ministers are now trying to increase the price of hotel quarantine to £2,250, according to recent reports.

Lest we forget, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of Textiles Piyush Goyal are due to visit the UK from India and UK ministers are due to visit India likewise. However, despite the lengthy list of tasks and strategies surrounding the UKIndia Living Bridge, Indo-Pacific alliance, health summits, COP26 and Roadmap 2030, ahead of India’s 75th Independence Day in August, the UK-India partnership seems to be no work all play. Students and citizens arriving from India have shared numerous accounts of difficulties they’ve faced while coming back to the UK, which leaves enough room to ponder whether India’s ‘special’ friendship with the UK, is entirely onesided?

Secretary Shringla has also urged countries to recognise India’s vaccine certification on a mutual reciprocal basis, recognising the integrity of that process. Soon after his visit, a new ‘high potential individual’ visa route is reportedly going to be introduced by the UK could attract more highly skilled Indians to the country. “Under the new visa programme announced last week, applicants meeting certain criteria can enter the UK on a work permit without having a valid job offer,” Economic Times reported.

Students are being forced to pay this amount by virtue of India being on the red list NISAU UK Founder and Chairperson Sanam Arora listed the issues pertaining to students who are arriving in the UK from red list countries, especially because many of them are starting their new courses this August.

Sanam Arora She told Asian Voice, “There is significant stress and anxiety amongst the Indian student community on this topic. Firstly, as we have repeatedly raised, students are finding it extremely hard to pay the £1750 (nearly 200,000 INR) required for the mandatory hotel quarantine. This is bad enough for all students but particularly true of the current

Harshvardhan Shringla with Philip Barton in the UK; Image tweeted by @PhilipRBarton

students for whom the charge was unexpected and unplanned.

“It is also these students who must be in the country latest by 27 September in order to be eligible to apply for the Post Study Work visa which was a key reason a lot of them chose to come to the UK!” Sanam worries that these students are being forced to pay this amount by virtue of India being on the Red List or are forced to let go of the post-study work visa if they can't afford to be in the country. She argued why they can't quarantine on university campuses where the net economic impact to them will be a lot lower.

‘Jab’-saw puzzle Although the vaccines minister has said that the government will recognise UKauthorised jabs given overseas from next month, with incoming students, the big question is the uncertainty around whether India will still be on Red List in September?

One cannot overlook the fact that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to India is slated sometime in the same month and Indian PM Narendra Modi will arrive in Glasgow in November for COP26. While the UK grapples with vaccine approval for ‘made in India’ vaccines, it is imperative to note that PM Modi has taken two jabs of Bharat BioTech’s Covaxin which is yet to be approved by the WHO, let alone the UK or US. Addressing the issue surrounding the vaccine, Sanam said, “There also doesn't appear to be enough clarity on the vaccine situation. International students are eligible to get the Covid vaccine from the NHS when they arrive since they have already paid the Immigration Health Surcharge, but what about those who have had the vaccine already?”

“What about those who have taken a vaccine-like Covaxin which isn't approved in the UK yet? It's also quite confusing why Covishield is not being considered on par with Astrazenica's vaccine in the UK?” she asks.

now-infamous [Downing Street] whiteboard of ‘who do we not save?’ people like me were clearly not considered worthy of saving. We would be collateral damage.”

She added: “If we were prioritised by the government, the plan to support those of us who were shielding would not have been created as an afterthought in under 48 hours… but it was. If we were prioritised by the government, very many people would not initially have been left off the vaccine priority list, despite being at far higher risk of hospitalisation and death from Covid-19… but they were.”

Cloak of invisibility Organisers of a conference that will be run by people with dementia say they hope it will help to remove the “cloak of invisibility” that comes with having an invisible impairment.

All the speakers at the 100/6000 Dementia Activism Conference in September will be people with dementia or other cognitive impairments.

In a newsletter shared with

Disabled women of working age experience disproportionately high death rate in pandemic Continued from page 1 Meanwhile, the Disability strategy is delayed again as government consultation faces high court challenges after four disabled people were granted permission to challenge the legality of its consultation process in the high court.

Speaking exclusively to Asian Voice, Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy, Disability Rights UK said, “Disabled women in the UK have had a very hard time during the pandemic. Disabled people have accounted for almost 60% of deaths and disabled women of working age have experienced a disproportionately high death rate.

“BAME and disabled people often live in poorer areas, experience inadequate Covid treatment.

Initially, 2.2 million people were identified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable to Covid, and this went up to 4 million in January 2021.

This significant group of people found themselves having to isolate

themselves from the wider community resulting in loneliness, difficulties getting food and medicines and struggling to access health and care services.

“Disabled people outside the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable group also experienced significant challenges in accessing public services such as education, care and health. They found that online supermarket delivery slots had been prioritised for CEV people, often leaving them without accessible ways of shopping for food.

Disabled people with sight impairments or learning difficulties found social distancing challenging and this prevented them from going out and about. Disabled people who couldn’t use face coverings found themselves the victims of hate crimes. There is also evidence that disabled people disproportionately lost jobs or experienced reductions in hours.”

In a 91-hour action spread over three weeks, disabled activists from the Women’s Equality Party

(WEP) chanted, “Who did they not save? Disabled women!” beneath a statue of the suffragist Millicent Fawcett last Tuesday, as they drew attention to the government’s failings during the pandemic.”

First reported by Disability News Service (DNS), it showed that “working-age disabled women with higher support needs were nearly twice as likely to die from Covid-19 than non-disabled women of the same age.”

Asian Voice had also reported in its previous issue that ONS research and researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that this group of disabled women were 91 per cent more likely to have died from Covid-19 than non-disabled women, even after allowing for factors such as underlying health conditions, and whether they lived in poverty, or in a care home.

During the protest, disabled WEP activist, Dr Sarabajaya Kumar, was quoted saying, “When considering the question of that

Covid guidelines as an excuse. The hotel had no dental kit or soaps. Laundry is limited to 7 small pieces for 10 days of accommodation.

Sometimes, the food packs don’t even have their contents mentioned. Thankfully, I chose to share accommodation with a friend, which at least gives me some company, which reduced our cost of stay (£2400 total).

The Wi-Fi here is so slow that we can barely attend meetings or video calls. Services are not par to the cost borne by the qurantiners.

It feels like being punished for living in socalled red list countries despite having fewer cases in those countries as compared to that in the UK.” If you have a home, you should be allowed to isolate there instead Lady Kishwar Desai and her husband Lord Meghnad Desai were in quarantine at a hotel when she spoke to Asian Voice last week. A disgruntled and worried Lady Desai said that both she and her husband had taken RT- Lady Kishwar Desai PCR tests before leaving India and after reaching and have still tested negative. The Desais have a home in the UK which Lady Desai said is “fairly isolated” with no one living there other than two of them.

“I do believe that when you have a home in the UK, and if you have room to isolate there, then you should be given a choice to go home. Given my husband's age, health and need to be on a certain type of diet, it is impossible to find that in a quarantine hotel.

Somebody needs to look into it because we do not eat so much salt and sugar in food, but there are no other alternatives available!” she told the newsweekly.

“It is not possible for us to have a one size fits all kind of diet,” she added. “If you are elderly or suffer from health issues such as hypertension or diabetes, then the government should allow you to go and quarantine at home.

“I would strongly advise the government to consider it. Instead of giving a blanket rule to everybody, anyone over the age of 60 or 65 should be allowed to go home, because they need to exercise properly and eat the food they can actually digest, something that goes with their daily required medications.”

By next Tuesday, a revised list of Red List countries will be released by the UK government. While the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (RO8) has reached India most likely, the ship of inferior treatment of Britons towards Indians hasn’t sailed. The taboo remains.

Asian Voice by the Head of Policy, Disability UK, researcher Dr Miro Griffiths (a research fellow in disability studies at the University of Leeds, and a member of the equality watchdog’s disability advisory committee) said the Covid-19 crisis had led many disabled people to feel lonely and that they were a “burden” on others. Griffiths, who is also an adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care, said the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the UK had shown how difficult it would be to determine if someone was being coerced into opting for an assisted suicide.

Fall may be near but the delay in strategies for disabled people, especially women as crime and domestic abuse continues to rise amid the pandemic in the UK, is extremely worrying. Its publication was originally planned for Spring but will now see the light of the day only by fall. It is being reported the government hasn’t consulted disabled people’s organisations about the strategy. If the government doesn’t hear the story from the horse’s mouth, we’ll all collectively as a society will lose the race.

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in brief in brief

Menopause could be a cause of divorce

According to a report published by The Independent, a law firm ran a poll and figured that lack of sex life due to menopause could be one of the major causes why couples are separating or filing for divorce. Stowe Family Law, which polled 534 women who were aged 40 and older, found 65 per cent of women say being menopausal has impacted their marriage.

While almost half believed their relationship could have been rescued if the NHS had better help for those struggling with symptoms of menopause. Online data suggests that 3.4 million women between 50 and 64 in the UK could be having symptoms of menopause.

DIGITAL FEMINIST FESTIVAL

The Women's Equality Party are bringing you #WEPstock - a digital feminist festival to bring together inspirational women from across the UK WEPstock is a digital feminist festival taking place from 1st - 4th September 2021, brought to you by the Women's Equality Party. The festival will be hosted on an app, where attendees are able to socialise, connect, browse the marketplace and see more information about the sessions running over the four days. It will include Open Mic Night, Panel Discussions, Social Sessions, Quiz Night Fundraiser, Pre-records and videos and Taster sessions.

MPS SEEK CLARITY ON ISSUES SURROUNDING SEXISM DUE TO MENOPAUSE Commons cross-party women and equalities committee is launching a campaign to help working professionals who are undergoing menopause. In an eleven-month-old study, it was found that female doctors were retiring early due to sexism faced because of menopause. According to The Guardian, the British Medical Association (BMA) had found a strong pattern of highly experienced women leaving GP partnerships, ending their positions as clinical leaders and directors and leaving medicine early, because they were struggling to cope with menopause symptoms with no support from management or peers. This number was close to a million. MPs are now seeking written submissions by 17 September on several issues surrounding menopause in the light of this inquiry.

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MANY SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN

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Fareeha Jay Shefali Saxena Fareeha Jay graduated in 2000 with a Masters in Anthropology from Quaid-IAzam University in Pakistan. She worked for various organisations as an Anthropologist in Pakistan before immigrating to the United Kingdom in 2004.

It was here in the UK where she started working in a health-based organisation as a Community Development Officer. I worked alongside dieticians and was impressed how dietitians had a positive impact on people’s lifestyles by giving good advice on food and diet. Because Jay specialises in South Asian Diet, in an exclusive Q&A with Asian Voice, she addressed some pertinent issues about nutrition in South Asian women.

- What is the first and foremost advice on nutrition you'd like to give South Asian women?

Most South Asian women neglect their dietary needs. My advice for them would be to focus on nourishing their bodies. Increase fruit and vegetables include whole grains, high fibre foods and choosing beans, lentils, and lean meat for their protein.

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- How does a woman's body change in their 30s and 40s versus 20s, and what kind of diet and nutrition do they require?

Many women report increased visceral fat (fat around the belly) after their 30s and 40s. Partly it is hormonal but also with each passing decade the metabolism of our bodies slows down. We become less active and tend to lose muscle mass. We can surely slow down this process by watching our food portions, increasing activity, and getting plenty of sleep.

- What is your perspective on diets like Keto, Paleo, Vegan, etc.?

Being vegan is a personal choice and can be because of religious, personal, or environmental reasons. But diets like keto and paleo are usually done for weight loss. Yes, you will lose weight with them, but these diets cut out essential food groups which mean you will always have nutritional consequences for them. These diets are not sustainable and once you stop, the weight creeps back. As a dietitian, I would always advise a diet that includes all food groups in moderation.

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Preet Kaur Gill MP nominates Sophia Duleep Singh for UK’s Hidden Heroes statues campaign Labour & Co-op MP for Birmingham Edgbaston and Shadow International Development Secretary Preet Kaur Gill has nominated Sophia Duleep Singh for UK’s Hidden Heroes statues campaign.

This is Kaur’s attempt to bring more diversity to new commemorative monuments across the UK. Sophia Duleep Singh, daughter of the last ruler of the Sikh empire Maharaja Duleep Singh.

Sophia Duleep Singh

Preet Kaur Gill, MP

Princess Sophia Duleep Singh is best known as a suffragette and campaigner for women's rights.

Daughter of deposed Maharaja

- Where do you think most South Asian women go wrong when it comes to taking care of their nutrition?

Many South Asian women are still entangled in the food myths, and a lot needs to be done as far as awareness is concerned.

Secondly, the belief that looking after themselves and their bodies is selfish is very common. They would go out of the way for their family and extended family but when it comes to looking after themselves, that’s never a priority.

- What is the right way to identify which food will suit women and how can one go about making sure they don't go wrong with their food?

The right way to identify foods is to include everything in your diet. Making nutritious choices but at the same time honouring your cravings. Denying your cravings will only want you to have those foods more and more. The key is to have everything but in moderation.

- What kind of case studies/observations do you have among your clients? Is there a common thread between all the people who consult you?

Most of my clients are women and almost all of them reach out to me for weight loss.

One thing which is common among almost all my consultations is that women feel the need to lose weight not because they want to but because of the pressures of society. Many are not even overweight but insist on losing more weight just because of the negative comments being made by their friends and family.

- What is the one essential ingredient every woman must consume daily?

Although a balanced diet is extremely important, I would specifically stress calcium intake for women. In my experience, many women try to limit their dairy intake because of the belief that it will cause weight gain.

Calcium is extremely important in all phases of life specifically when reaching into perimenopause and menopause. The hormonal change in the body affects bone density increases the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Therefore, all women should make sure they include 2 to 3 portions of milk, yoghurt, cheese, or dairy alternatives in their diet every day.

Duleep Singh and goddaughter of Queen Victoria she used her fame, position and tenacity in the fight for gender equality in the early 20th century.

Reportedly, Kaur has said that ‘The last few years, we have seen our country more polarised. As an MP, I want to use my voice to bring people together and to build cohesion in the UK.’ She believes that Britain needs to celebrate the achievements of what makes it a multicultural society with a rich history.

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The UK ignores pregnant women amid heatwave The UK government has received criticism from researchers for not including pregnant women in their agenda to protect them from the heatwave.

The BMJ released research titled: Associations between high temperatures in pregnancy and risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirths: systematic review and meta-analysis.

“Pregnant women have only recently been included among the groups most vulnerable to heat stress, and it will take time for that recognition to translate into action. Studies in 2011 and 2015, for example, showed that the large majority of heatwave response plans in European Union countries had not identified pregnant women as a high-risk group.

The public also appears largely unaware of the risks of heat exposure during pregnancy,” said a state-

ment from the journal.

Expressing concern about marginalised women, the Human Rights Watch reported, “Ensuring heatrelated protections for pregnant people is an issue of women’s rights as well as racial and economic

inequality. In the UK, stillbirths and preterm births are already more likely among Black and Asian babies. Black women are four times more likely and Asian women twice as likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than white women, and those living in the most deprived areas are nearly three times more likely to die than those in more economically advantaged areas.”

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PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION

HOW CAN BUSINESSES SUPPORT LOCAL TALENT? UK Government is helping young people and businesses through schemes like Kickstart, Apprenticeship, Traineeship and T Level qualification.

Rupanjana Dutta he UK Government’s Plan for Jobs is designed to support businesses, protecting jobs, and levelling up the country. The initiatives will help in economic recovery by protecting, supporting and creating jobs. Businesses will have access to incentives through the Kickstart, Apprenticeship and Traineeship schemes. The incentives offer businesses support to find new young talent, invest in building the capability of young people and guide future generations into work.

The schemes will focus on skills and training, ensuring that young people right across the whole of the UK have the skills they need to get the jobs they want, and ensuring that businesses are empowered to support and create jobs. The levelling up agenda will work towards creating a society where everyone, wherever they live, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, education or age can succeed.

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Civil engineer Mustafa Hamed, Jones Brothers 21-year-old Mustafa Hamed is an apprentice civil engineer with Jones Brothers and the youngest of three siblings. His father runs a takeaway business, and the family came to Britain as refugees from Iraq. But Mustafa grew up in Wigan in Greater Manchester from the age of seven.

He’s currently working for the Dogger Windfarm on laying a 36 km onshore cabling installation in Cottingham near Hull to Ulrome near Skipsea, which is set to be the world’s biggest offshore windfarm. He lives in a company accommodation away from home, with colleagues and feels this apprenticeship has taught him a great deal about independence and responsibility and given him the skills and experiences to last a lifetime.

One of Mustafa’s GCSE subjects was engineering and going forward, he wanted to focus on it. He said, “In the beginning my heart was set on doing aeronautical engineering.

Then I changed over to

Civil engineer Mustafa Hamed, Jones Brothers photo courtesy: Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK

mechanical and did a national extended diploma in college that covered all three different types of engineering viz. mechanical, civil and electrical.

“I passed all my work to a good level which resulted in a year at the University of Salford, where I completed the first year in mechanical engineering and I enjoyed it. But I didn’t feel a connection between the university and myself.

So, I thought why not try an apprenticeship route?

“When I was looking for apprenticeship programmes, though I was a confident speaker, I did not know how to approach interviews. Jones Brothers were doing a road job in Wigan at that time. I walked up to the security guards and asked to speak to the site manager. I said I was just 19 and one of the local lads and wanted to have a chat with someone. The project manager asked me, ‘how can we help you?’

I asked him how I could get a job with them. Then I worked my way up from being a labourer to my second apprenticeship for civil engineering. I’ve made myself known to the company and built up a good reputation for myself. I am very grateful and lucky to have this opportunity.”

When Mustafa first joined Jones Brothers, he started with driving diggers, bulldozers, dumpers which allowed him to gain experience and the

knowledge of how a site works.

“Coming from labouring to cable installation, now I can go to a site where there’s drainage, as well as a road job and I know about both,” he said. “At university, I was revising to pass, but I thought in the long run, that’s not going to benefit me in any way. By working on a site, I can see and understand why we might do things a certain way.

“When I wanted to work my way up to becoming a site engineer, I asked if I could do an apprenticeship, and they asked me what qualifications I had.

They later confirmed that I was more than welcome to do it.”

Mustafa started his first apprenticeship in June 2019 and in the future wishes to be a project manager, running his own job.

Rhyanne Marshall and cofounder Sarah Thornton, Furniture Works Furniture Works is part of Futureworks NY, a Community Interest Company founded in 2012. It is a not-for-profit organisation that helps local learners from school age upwards, enabling them to acquire life skills, confidence, practical skills, and qualifications in an environment that suits their individual requirements.

Futureworks NY has an office and learning space in The Street, Scarborough, and its core values include compassion and integrity.

Their retail outlet, Furniture

Works, is based at 39 St Thomas Street and opened in autumn 2020. The premises include a retail unit at the front and a spacious workshop at the back.

Co-founder Sarah Thornton said, “We became involved in the kickstart scheme due to Yorkshire in Business in Scarborough.

Rhyanne joined us in early April and works in Furniture Works 25 hours a week for the next six months. She is a retail assistant at Furniture Works, the retail outlet and workshop space in St Thomas Street, which is part of Futureworks NY’s portfolio of support, training, and learning.

The aim of the scheme is to give mentoring support to a young person while they are being paid during their training.

This reduces the risk of longterm unemployment. One of the key aspects is to build up

Rhyanne Marshall and co-founder Sarah Thornton, Furniture Works

confidence for the future as job opportunities return to our local economy. While we don’t have sales targets, we encourage Rhyanne to build upon her skills portfolio to include interactions with customers and liaise with the workshop team, so she knows what is being currently renovated.

Young people already have a lot to bring, and it is our job to get them ready for the job market. Rhyanne is also teaching me things about new technology.”

18-year-old Rhyanne Marshall said, “I am originally from Bradford and now live in East Ayton, near Scarborough. School was not really for me. I am really pleased to be part of the team here at Furniture Works. It has had a massive impact on my confidence. I suffer from anxiety and could not get on a bus before I started work here. I used to take a taxi to and from work. But Sarah encouraged and supported me. She said, ‘Just stick in your headphones, listen to your music, you can do it.’

“The skills I am learning include customer relations, product selling, stock control, taking orders, overseeing deliveries, posting items for sale on Facebook, updating the website and cash handling.

Retail is the line of work I am interested in. I applied for the role and was successful following an interview with Sarah. The role is for six months. I hope to be kept on afterwards. One of the many benefits of the scheme is that I will have the skills I need to continue a career in the retail industry.”

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WITH UK GOVERNMENT

“Young people are actively looking for opportunities that support them to learn and grow in quality employment. Schemes such as Kickstart, Traineeships, Apprenticeships, T Levels and Sector Based Work Academies, give young people the opportunity to start experiencing work, grow their skills and boost their confidence…

Employers can utilise these schemes to grow their youth employment strategy, support skill development and increase productivity.

Young people are curious, talented, and bursting with potential. They are looking for quality, youth friendly opportunities which is why we are happy to support the development of this Toolkit and the organisations already supporting young people.”

- Laura-Jane Rawlings, CEO, Youth Employment UK

Traineeship opportunity

by David Lett, co-founder, New Meaning “Helping young people figure out how they’re going to earn their

David Lett, co-founder, New Meaning

own living is the only reason we exist,” says David Lett, 53, co-founder of New Meaning.

Launched in 2015, the social enterprise runs Traineeships and helps youngsters to find meaningful work placements.

Many of the 15 and 16-yearolds joining their work and study programme have found school and college settings unsuited to them but are motivated to start work. “The biggest challenge that young people have, irrespective of academic abilities, is they’ve got no experience,” explained Lett.

“They’ve got nothing to draw on what they might enjoy unless they’ve had a part time job from a very young age.”

About a third of the youngsters coming to them have no qualifications, while

the majority have up to three.

“It’s rare to get more than three qualifications,” said Lett. “But they still have an expectation of progress – they want to develop.

What we wanted was to be a role model as a progressive, socially orientated employer. So, for every project we have, we want a training component attached so there’s opportunity for young people to come through.”

New Meaning’s training business launched in 2015 and their construction in 2018. They offer a construction skills course, through which 16 to 24-year-olds are given workplace experience on their sites. So far 12 graduates from their Toolshed course have been employed on Traineeships, and two of their best decorators have now themselves become trainers, gaining a teaching qualification in the process.

“There’s no one better to teach young people who have had a bit of a rough time in school than people who pass the course who also had a rough time at school. It works well.”

It’s a win-win situation for employers such as Lett, and for the young trainees. “We get new

Adam Stallwood, Toolshed

The incentives for businesses Kickstart: Employers of all sizes can apply for funding which covers: • 100% of the National Minimum Wage (or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a total of 6 months • Associated employer National Insurance contributions • Minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions • For each young person you take on, as a direct employer you will receive 100 per cent of the national minimum wage and a £1,500 grant to support them becoming more employable.

Apprenticeships: • Current apprenticeship incentives for employers will be extended for another 6 months to 30 September 2021. Will move to a flat payment for all ages of £3,000 for new starts until 30th September 2021 in England.

Traineeships: • Additional funding of £126m in academic year 2021/22 for continued growth of Traineeships to support more young people into employment.

• Continued employer incentives of £1,000 per trainee per employer for up

to 10 trainees per region (9 regions) for delivering a work placement lasting a minimum of 70 hours.

• Continued flexibilities to enable providers to deliver a more flexible and tailored programme, including a longer programme duration up to 12 months.

• Traineeships are available in England only.

T Levels: • £1,000 incentive payments for employers who host placements until the 31 July 2022.

• T Levels are available in England only.

talent, new capability, a modern vibe, and an understanding of new trends.” In addition, Lett notes that older staff members benefit from learning how to train young people and build trust and rapport. “They get the reward of giving back; their job becomes much more meaningful. And young people get the opportunity to experience something and have a go.”

Adam Stallwood, Toolshed With his tutoring job, former trainee Adam Stallwood is a long distance from when he left school aged 16 year with few qualifications and little direction.

“I didn’t really have a good vision for where I would go in the future,” the 24-year-old from Wycombe recalls. “I was taking it one step at a time and seeing where I would go.”

After seeing his best friend Tom’s success, he joined the Toolshed Traineeship programme with New Meaning, gaining newfound experience in construction as well as focus.

“I’d never used a drill, I’d barely touched a screwdriver, I really had no practical experience at all,” said Stallwood. “I was quite a different person, and learning these skills and trades gives you more of a disciplined mindset.”

What Stallwood values most is the opportunity Toolshed gave him to find a path; he knew that at the end of the training course, there was a chance of employment. “But you have to earn it, and you have to have the right attitude,” he said. “It gave me an opportunity and it got me in that mindset of working hard.

I wanted it and I knew I had lots of other students I was up against who I felt were more qualified than me. So, I worked really hard to get the job.”

For four years he worked in the painting decorating trade, before he was given the opportunity to teach students with Toolshed – a dream he’d harboured before he received his GCSE results.

“I quite liked the idea of being an art teacher, and obviously that did not pan out at all. Now I am teaching, which is what I wanted to do years ago, and I never thought in a million years that would happen. It’s crazy.”

It helps too that he feels connected with the students he teaches at Toolshed.

“The first group is the ones like me who tried but didn’t click with school. The next group of students just wanted to get into trades, and the third group had a hard time and fell through the system. Because I was one of them, there’s a lot more relatability.”

What are the support schemes available?

Businesses should check their eligibility for each of the schemes.

Kickstart Scheme: • On applying to the Kickstart Scheme, for six months the Government will fund employers to provide a job role for a young person aged 16-24 on Universal Credit and at risk of long term unemployment.

• For each young person you take on, as a direct employer you will receive 100% of the National Minimum Wage and a £1,500 grant to support their learning.

• You will be able to give a young person who has been unemployed for a while a potentially life changing opportunity. Get your application in soon to give the best opportunity of taking advantage of the Kickstart Scheme.

• The Kickstart scheme is available to businesses in England, Wales and Scotland.

• For details available on incentives for Northern Ireland please visit https:// www.communities-ni.gov. uk/articles/apply-jobstartscheme-funding.

Apprenticeships: Expand and upskill your workforce; create a new job for someone looking to retrain or upskill or who has recently been made redundant.

Traineeships: Allows you to help support young people into meaningful work; you can design a programme that suits both the needs of your business and the needs of the trainee.

Traineeships are available in England only.

T Levels: Industry placements are an ideal solution for entry-level skills; placements give you the chance to work alongside the next generation of workers entering your industry, making sure they develop the knowledge, attitude, and practical skills to succeed.

T Levels are available in England only.

For more information on the support available to employers and young people visit the Plan for Jobs page gov.uk/plan-forjobs.

18 UK - FINANCE

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31 July - 6 Aug 2021

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel The US stock market just keeps shooting up. Why does it not fall? And what does it mean for a pension like mine which over the past few years has earnt more than I have (almost).

Are the good times over? No. After a dip caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, the US stock market rallied back and closed out the year at an all-time high. This has continued throughout the start of 2021, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average now at over 31,000 points. But despite the vaccine rollout, unemployment and economic disruption still remain high, which begs the question: what exactly is going on?

Does the Buffet Indicator Suggest a Stock Market Crash?

The “Buffet Indicator” has long been known in Wall Street circles as a stock market valuation metric worth paying attention to. It’s a straightforward ratio that takes the total market capitalisation of U.S. stocks and divides this by the nation’s GDP. In early February, this hit 195%, which may cause alarm among US investors.

It should be remembered that the Buffet Indicator is a heuristic, and as such, it isn’t a certainty that it can foretell a crash as it did in 2008. Because it compares the current value of stocks to the previous quarter's gross domestic product, it fails to account for the portion of the Dow Jones value involved in business overseas. However, when added to other sets of observations, it’s an indication that US stocks are at least overvalued.

Is the US Stock Market in a Bubble?

Concerns that the US stock market is in a bubble have been floated for some time. However, there is very little consensus on this. One thing is for sure: last year, the US economy suffered one of the most significant shocks in its history, which resulted in an unprecedented stimulus package to stave off economic collapse.

Which Parts of the Stock Market are Overvalued?

However, even inside Goldman Sachs, there are warnings that all might not be well in the market. Goldman’s U.S. equity chief David Kostin believes that the S&P 500 will reach 4,300 by the year’s end, but warns that there are parts of the market that are overvalued.

Kostin singled out 39 stocks that he felt were due for a market correction, and the bulk of them are in tech. Tech recovered far quicker than other stocks during 2020, and with investors ploughing into the sector, he feels that reality will set-in when these companies underperform on their potential.

Will the Market Crash?

That’s the big question. No one can say for sure, but anyone with a memory of the dotcom bubble from the 90s will undoubtedly be feeling a sense of deja vu. Back then, littleunderstood tech stocks' prices were soaring as investors sought the next big thing.

Tesla has joined Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and PayPal in investing big in Bitcoin. Some are calling this a hedge against the dollar; others feel that it is a sign that cryptocurrency is now seen as a legitimate option. Time will tell, but with regulatory difficulties faced by the coin — and the strong suspicion that its price is being inflated by Tether Inc, a shady offshore player — there is plenty of reason to be cautious about the upcoming year.

While no one can predict the future, those investing or trading should be conscious of the potential of a market crash and adjust their strategy accordingly. Alpesh Patel offers his insights into investing during a bubble, which focuses on buying reliable stocks versus their more speculative counterparts.

What Could Cause the Crash?

While there are many ways a crash might happen, it would take a combination of a few events.

Continued COVID-19 Problems Though things are looking positive, we’re not entirely out of the woods yet. The vaccine rollout has been encouraging, but further mutations or variants could render that mute.

Were that the case, additional lockdown measures could push the economy to a breaking point.

The unprecedented stimulus packages were all that kept the market from destruction in 2020, and a failure to get this right during further waves would be catastrophic. However, all in all, this outcome is remote.

Loan and Credit Delinquencies While the market has performed well since March, out on the ground things are far from normal. A series of loan, mortgage and credit delinquencies could hurt US financial stocks badly. And with government funds already being hoovered up by covid stimulus packages, the financial markets could find themselves unable to receive the assistance needed.

Shiller Is Right If the Shiller index is correct — and the market is overvalued — that will hit at some point, and will lead to some panicked and erratic behaviour as consumer confidence evaporates. As long as the market continues to perform, people will ride the wave. But a few poor annual returns from tech stocks, in particular, could see sentiment change quickly and violently.

Vijay Mallya declared bankrupt by UK high court A British high court has granted a bankruptcy order against beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya, allowing a consortium of Indian banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) to pursue a worldwide freezing order for repayment of owed debt.

Chief Insolvencies and Companies Court (ICC) Judge Michael Briggs, said in his ruling during a virtual

hearing of the Chancery Division of the High Court, “As at 15.42, I adjudicate Dr Mallya bankrupt.”

Barrister Marcia Shekerdemian, of the law firm TLT LLP, representing the Indian banks, argued for the bankruptcy order to be granted. Mallya, meanwhile, remains on bail in the UK while a “confidential” legal matter is resolved in con-

Vijay Mallya

nection with the unrelated extradition proceedings. His barrister Philip Marshall sought a stay as well as an adjournment of the order while legal challenges remain ongoing in the Indian courts. The requests, however, were turned down by the judge who concluded that there was “insufficient evidence” the debt will be paid back to petitioners in

full within a reasonable period of time.

Marshall also submitted an application seeking permission to appeal against the bankruptcy order, which was refused by Judge Briggs.

Mallya's legal team contends the debt remains disputed and that the ongoing proceedings in India inhibited a bankruptcy order being made in the UK.

Tesco Bank to close all current accounts by Nov In a shocking announcement, Tesco Bank said that it will close all current accounts from November as there were not enough customers using their current accounts. The bank asked them to close all their personal and business current accounts at the end of November. Customers will soon asked to withdraw all their money from the accounts before November 30, and change any standing orders or direct debits.

213,000 Around accounts are currently open

with the bank, but it estimates that fewer than one in eight of these are being used as primary accounts.

Most of the accounts have ‘limited activity’ or are being used as savings pots. The bank said the move will allow them to focus on other products and services that ‘meet the needs of Tesco shoppers’.

It provides more than five million customers with banking and insurance products and will continue to offer credit cards and loans, among other things.

Department store Selfridges on sale for £4 billion The Weston family, the owners of Selfridges, announced that it launched a formal auction to sell the historic department store.

It is understood that advisers at Credit Suisse will start looking for a buyer, with the company valued at as much as £4 billion.

Even though no formal bid has been opened, but a small number of parties have already expressed interest with sovereign wealth funds of Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Qatar all named possible bidders alongside Hong Kong’s Lane Crawford.

The Qataris already own Selfridges’ arch rival Harrod’s, which was

bought from Mohamed Al Fayed in 2010 for £1.5 billion, and both stores are popular with Middle Eastern shoppers.

Selfridge’s 25 outlets worldwide, including its flagship Oxford Street store and Birmingham site within the Bullring. The firm was founded in 1908 but has been controlled by the Weston family since 2003, who took it private in a fiercely fought £600 million takeover.

The deal was led by W Galen Weston, who died in April aged 80 having stepped down chairman of Selfridges Group two years earlier to make way for his daughter Alannah Weston.

‘With so few of our current account customers using it as their primary account, we want to support them to find a suitable alternative dependent on their circumstances', said Tesco Bank chief executive Gerry Mallon. He said that the customers who have been using current account as a

savings pot may be better suited to one of their tailored savings products. And shoppers who are looking for a payment option which allows them to continue collecting Clubcard points in and out of Tesco may want to consider Tesco Clubcard Pay or a Tesco Bank credit card.

British economy not out of the woods: BoE A Bank of England policymaker has warned that the British economy is not out of the woods yet and the damage caused by the ongoing pandemic has only been partially repaired. Jan Vlieghe said Threadneedle Street should be cautious about raising interest rates to counter higher levels of inflation emerging after lockdown.

He said the UK was still grappling with the Delta variant, and that it remained unclear what impact the removal of government support would have on the economy. He said, “We are not out of the woods yet in terms of the virus and the impact on the economy. Yes, the economy has been growing in rapidly, but on the most recent data it remains an average recession away from full employment.”

Vlieghe also said the BoE should ignore a temporary rise in inflation and that taking early action to bring down the cost of living would be a mistake. Vlieghe said, “I think it will remain appropriate to keep the current monetary stimulus in place for several quarters at least, and probably longer. And when tightening does become appropriate, I suspect not much of it will be needed, given the low level of the neutral rate.”

Vlieghe’s intervention reduces the chances of the Bank acting on 5 August, with only two members of the eight-strong MPC so far publicly supporting tighter policy in response to a rise in the annual inflation rate to 2.5 per cent.

Sadiq Khan seeks £500mn bailout as city transport takes cuts London Mayor Sadiq Khan has demanded a £500mn bailout in transport budget as the city's Tube and bus services takes major cuts. Transport for London is to cut weekend and off-peak services from next year as per a report in The Telegraph. Fares are expected to go up by over 4pc in January, and bus services will be reduced in the following years. The cost of a monthly travelcard, in the increase, between zones one and four in London would increase from £204.30 to around £212.47.

Khan said the authority still required an additional £500m from Westminster to avoid services grinding to a halt between January and March next year. Khan said, “If we don’t get further Government support in December, there could still be a £500mn gap this year and so I urge Ministers to treat TfL as they do the private rail operators, and commit to a

long-term funding agreement.

This is vital not only for the good of London, but for the whole counSadiq Khan try.”

Chairman of passenger watchdog London TravelWatch, Arthur Leathley said, “Londoners will be worried about an overall reduction in the number of miles that buses travel. And they will be concerned about reductions in offpeak Tube services which contradict the new way that people are moving around, with more use of off-peak services because of home-working and an increased demand for leisure travel.”

He added, “It is also disappointing that the need to make savings has reduced TfL’s ability to deliver active

travel and [London] borough travel schemes, as cycling and walking were popular during the pandemic. This latest report once again highlights TfL’s reliance on fares revenue, the uncertainty around future demand for public transport in the capital and the need for a long-term settlement from the Government.”

London Transport Commissioner Andy Byford has repeatedly called on Westminster to agree to a long-term rail subsidy instead of a number of short-term bailouts. TfL has previously asked for more than £15bn to fund a long-term deal to keep the authority afloat until the end of the year.

Byford said, “The revised budget will ensure our services operate safely, while keeping vital capital investment going. This budget protects service levels, supports economy recovery and will help build a greener economy.”

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Zomato market cap crosses Tata Motors, M&M on debut Food delivery services pioneer Zomato enjoyed a successful listing, which is being hailed as a tribute to Indian entrepreneurship.

Zomato had a stellar opening as the stock jumped over 53% over its IPO price of Rs 76 on debut to quote at Rs 115. After hitting an intra-day high of Rs 138 on the BSE, the stock finally closed at Rs 126, giving the company a market valuation of £9.87 billion, ahead of traditional giants like Tata Motors, M&M and Coal India.

Zomato’s strong debut also proved a lot of Dalal Street pundits and doubters wrong who had questioned the new-age company’s preIPO valuation of £6 billion.

Even those who believed in the loss-making company’s

valuation then, were expecting its listing gain to be limited at 25%-30%. On July 16, the company had closed its IPO bidding process with an over 38 times oversubscription and advanced its listing date by at least four days to Friday.

S Ramesh, MD & CEO, Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, one of the merchant bankers that took the company public, said such a strong market debut

was a testimony to the fact that investors “are willing to bet big on new-age technology companies which have the characteristics of a disruptive business model”.

“With growing internet penetration and the number of smartphone user base increasing month after month, the entire private digital ecosystem will enable wealth creation and further deepen our capital market in the coming years,” Ramesh added. Market veterans said in 1993, the IPO of Infosys was on the verge of being withdrawn till a clutch of market veterans recognised its future growth prospects and bailed it out. The rest, as they say, is history. Over the

last 30 years, Infosys has ranked among the top wealth creators in the Indian market.

Zomato’s success would give confidence to new-age tech companies planning to go public, along with their merchant bankers, to move ahead, industry players said.

Digital payment solutions companies PayTM and Mobikwik, online auto classified company CarTrade and ecommerce logistics startup Delhivery have already filed for IPOs. There are also a host of other such tech-enabled companies in their late stage of PE-driven growth for which Zomato was a testcase. All these companies are likely to rush to D Street to go public, they added.

Government expects to receive financial bids for Air India by September The government of India expects to receive the financial bids for Air India by September, minister of state for civil aviation V K Singh told Parliament.

The minister, however, did not disclose the names of the qualified institutional bidders (QIBs).

The government, Singh said, has received “multiple” expressions of interest for the privatisation of the cashstrapped national carrier.

The government also clarified that the lawsuits filed by Cairn Energy and Devas in an US court would not have any impact on Air India’s disinvestment. ‘‘Cairn Energy and Devas Multimedia have filed lawsuits in the US seeking declaratory and money judgment against Air India Limited as an alter ego of the Republic of India,’’ Singh said in a written reply to the

Lok Sabha.

Air India is a separate corporate entity with its own management and board and so there is ‘‘no likely impact’’ of the lawsuits on its ongoing disinvestment process, the minister said.

Cairn Energy and Devas Multimedi are seeking $1.725 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively, from India as part of lawsuits won in international arbitrations.

The Centre had invited expressions of interests for

Air India on January 27, 2020. The last date of submission - after multiple extensions because of the Covid-19 pandemic - of EoIs was December 14, 2020. ‘‘Multiple EoIs were received by the transaction adviser.

Requests for proposal along with a draft share purchase agreement have been shared with the QIBs by the transaction adviser on March 30, 2021, for submission of the financial bids,’’ Singh stated. ‘‘The

financial bids are likely to be received by September 15, 2021.’’

The Centre has not revealed the names of the QIBs as yet. After the consortium of Air India employees, backed by NRI businessman Laxmi Prasad and his New York-based Interups Fund, was disqualified, the Tata group and SpiceJet are the two buyers reportedly left in the race to buy the national carrier.

Of the airline’s total debt of over £6 billion as of March 2019, the buyer would be required to absorb £2.32 billion while the rest would be transferred to Air India Assets Holding Ltd (AIAHL), a special purpose vehicle.

Singh said the ‘‘monetisation proceeds of the non-core assets of Air India are to be used to offset the debt of Air India transferred to AIAHL.’’

Airtel, Intel join hands to accelerate 5G network development in India

India's telecom major Bharti Airtel and the US tech corporation Intel will collaborate to accelerate 5G network development in the country by leveraging vRAN/O-RAN technologies.

Airtel said the collaboration is part of its 5G roadmap for India as it transforms its networks to allow its customers to reap the full possibilities of Industry 4.0, cloud gaming, and virtual/augmented reality.

Notably, Airtel is conducting 5G trials in major cities and is the first telecom operator in India to demonstrate 5G over a live network. vRAN is the virtualised radio access network technology that's crucial for advancing 5G. It helps in converting hardware-driven functions, making them virtualised. ORAN (Open RAN) is a term used for industry-wide standards for RAN

interfaces that support interoperation between vendors' equipment and offer network flexibility at a lower cost.

Airtel said it will deploy Intel’s latest 3rd gen “Xeon Scalable processors, FPGAs and eASICs, and Ethernet 800 series to build a solid foundation for rolling out wide-scale 5G, mobile edge computing and network slicing”. "As members of the O-RAN Alliance, Airtel and Intel will work closely for developing a range of Make in India 5G solutions and enabling world-class telecom infrastructure in India through local partners," the company said in a statement.

As per the company, the O-RAN technology will be

an area of tremendous innovation and creativity in the coming years. "These ORAN platforms will leverage Intel FlexRAN, a reference architecture with both software and hardware components, and enable software-based radio base stations that can run on general-purpose servers located at the network edge."

Randeep Sekhon, CTO– Bharti Airtel said, “Airtel is delighted to have Intel as a part of its rapidly expanding partner ecosystem for 5G. Intel’s cutting-edge technologies and experience will contribute immensely to Airtel’s mission of serving India with world-class 5G services."

Bite Size hunks Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

I viewed a couple of freehold blocks yesterday, they were diagonally on the other side of London from the North West.

One of them is more something which would suit an investor to park their funds, medium to long term. It’s a commercial with residential uppers, which requires full refurbishment. You could ascertain that the previous occupant was not only a heavy smoker but also an owner of a cat.

This property comes with the benefit of a tenant on the commercial ground floor and basement. They are in the kind of trade which requires an in person visit, and therefore cannot be replaced by the likes of Amazon. One of the few businesses which hopefully will not be going bust in years to come. Furthermore, it is run by an independent owner.

There is a strong case and many live examples which would confirm why this is a more secure tenant than a corporate.

In short, the corporates have the money and the in house expertise to duck and dive in order to get themselves out of lease obligations, including going into voluntary administration.

Therefore, this is a valuable tenant, which has both stability and longevity. The rent will be paid without any deductions, unlike a residential tenant where as the landlord you have to take care of all maintenance, void periods, agents fees etc for managing the let. Here you get the income straight into your account quarterly, without any hassle factor attached to it. This is something any landlord should consider, as there might be more dire times to come.

The robustness of the tenant should be considered. The residential rentals for Central London have suffered during recent times, we have had properties drop by 30%; unsurprising when foreign visitors and students have declined massively. There are even reports of tenants moving in to the centre from the outskirts to take advantage of the rental sale. In contrast the outskirts of London have faired better, easy to see when you look at the tenants, typically they are builders, bus drivers, teachers etc.

The best way forward for this investment would be to do a quick refurb of the existing flat as is, and then rent it either as a 3 or 4 bedroom flat. You should be able to attract about £18K of income. Again, in order to be mindful of the residential rent it is worth getting a rent guarantee insurance on the tenancy.

When you have about £40K coming in from the commercial and the residential, you can then afford to take your time and work on the planning on the existing building and also a new build in the garden. The latter is not intuitively obvious, however, I cannot see why this would be disallowed, as this is a corner property and there is already access from the side street. A basement and ground floor unit would not affect any of the neighbours and therefore I expect there would be little contention.

Planning generally is best done in bite size chunks; you start with the easiest kills and then get increasingly more ambitious with your subsequent applications, which you can afford to do as you have the insurance of having bagged permissions already. This freehold is in a brilliant location close to all amenities and in an area of London where there is still growth. It is available now and we are in the process of matching it to an investor.

Reliance's Q1 profit rises by 4% to nearly £1.4 bn Reliance Industries (RIL) reported a modest rise in quarterly profit, helped by higher price realisations in its retail, oil-tochemicals (O2C) and the digital services (Jio) businesses. Profit grew 4% to £1.38 billion in Q1FY22. Revenue totalled over £14 billion, up 58%, even as it faced disturbance in its activities due to the second wave of the pandemic. If the £496.6 million exceptional gain of Q1FY21 is excluded, then the company’s Q1FY22 profit is up 67%.

Operating profit edged up 28% in the April through June months, aided by strong earnings in its three main businesses.

“The results demonstrate the resilience of Reliance’s diversified portfolio of businesses that cater to large parts of the consumption basket,” said chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani. Operating profit of digital services climbed 19% to £926.8 million due to higher data usage by people, while remaining sheltered at homes due to Covid.

However, average revenue per user (ARPU), a key metric that influences income, was down to Rs 138 even as the company added 14 million subscribers in Q1FY22. ARPU is the total revenue of the telecom operator divided by the number of users on its network. Launched in 2016, Jio has 441 million customers and saw data and voice traffic growth of 39% and 20%, respectively, on its network. ARPU in the year-ago period was Rs 140. Operating profit of O2C increased 50% to £1.22 billion due to higher exports and price realisations. The company had combined its refining and petrochemicals units to form O2C. Significantly, digital’s profit was higher than its traditional bread and butter O2C business.

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Taliban seeks removal of Afghan president for peace deal ISLAMABAD: The Taliban say they don’t want to monopolise power, but insist that there won’t be peace in Afghanistan until there is a new negotiated government in Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani is removed. In an interview, Taliban spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, who is also a member of the group’s negotiating team, laid out the insurgents’ stance on what should come next in a country on the precipice. The Taliban have seized strategic border crossings and are threatening a number of provincial capitals, as US and Nato troops leave.

Shaheen said the Taliban will lay down their weapons when a negotiated government acceptable to all sides in the conflict is installed in Kabul and Ghani’s government is gone. “I want to make it clear that we do not believe in the monopoly of power because any governments who (sought) to monopolise power in Afghanistan in the past, were not successful governments,” said Shaheen.

“So we do not want to repeat that same formula.” But he was also uncompromising on the continued rule of Ghani, calling him a war monger and accusing him of using his speech on Eid-al-Adha to promise an offensive against the Taliban. Shaheen dismissed Ghani’s right to govern, resurrecting allegations of fraud that surrounded his 2019 election win. After that vote, both Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah declared themselves president. After a compromise deal, Abdullah is now No. 2 in the government and heads the reconciliation council.

US carries out airstrikes The US has carried out air strikes to support Afghan government forces who have been under pressure from the Taliban as US-led foreign forces carry out the final stages of their withdrawal from the country.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told

Suhail Shaheen

reporters the air strikes were in support of Afghan forces in recent days but did not provide details.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes were on the outskirts of the southern city of Kandahar, killing three of their fighters and destroying two vehicles. “We confirm these air strikes and we condemn this in strongest term, it is a clear attack and violation of the Doha deal as they can’t have operations after May,” he said, referring to an agreement between the US and the Taliban for the withdrawal of US forces. “If they conduct any operation then they will be responsible for the consequences.” Under the original deal, all foreign troops were expected to be gone by May but President Biden announced in April that US troops would withdraw by September.

Af soldiers seek refuge in Pak Dozens of Afghan soldiers slipped across the border into northwestern Pakistan, the Pakistani army said. The Afghan troops were fleeing after their border post was overrun, apparently by the Taliban. The statement said a total of 46 members of the Afghan forces, including five officers, crossed the border on Sunday near the Pakistani border town of Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

“The Afghan soldiers have been provided

food, shelter and necessary medical care as per established military norms,” the Pakistani army said, adding that it had informed Afghan authorities of the development. There was no immediate response from Kabul and no information about the fighting on the Afghan side of the border.

The Taliban have swiftly captured territory in recent weeks in Afghanistan, and seized strategic border crossings with several neighbouring countries. They are also threatening a number of provincial capitals.

The insurgents are said to now control about half of Afghanistan’s 419 district centers. The rapid fall of districts and the seemingly disheartened response by Afghan government forces have prompted US-allied warlords to resurrect militias with a violent history. For many Afghans weary of more than four decades of wars and conflict, fears are rising of another brutal civil war as American and Nato troops leave the country.

Civilian casualties at record level: UN Nearly 2,400 Afghan civilians were killed or injured in May and June as fighting between Taliban insurgents and Afghan security forces escalated, the highest number for those two months since records started in 2009, the UN said on Monday.

The UN’s Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a report it had documented 5,183 civilian casualties between January and June, of which 1,659 were deaths. The number was up 47% from the same period last year. “Of serious concern is the acute rise in the number of civilians killed and injured in the period from 1 May, with almost as many civilian casualties in the May-June period as recorded in the entire preceding four months,” UNAMA said in a statement.

Daughter of Pak ex-envoy killed amid Afghanistan security row Islamabad: A former Pakistani diplomat’s daughter has been murdered in Islamabad, according to a media report, just days after a major diplomatic row broke out between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the alleged abduction of the daughter of Afghanistan’s ambassador in Islamabad.

Noor Mukadam, 27, the daughter of Shaukat Mukadam, was found dead in the capital’s upscale Sector F-7/4 area last week, Dawn newspaper reported. Shaukat Mukadam has in the past served as Pakistan’s ambassador to South Korea and Kazakhstan. Noor was killed after being shot at, the daily quoted the police as saying. A friend of Noor has been arrested in connection to the murder, police said. “A man named Zahir Jaffer, who was allegedly involved in the murder, was arrested on the

spot and taken to the police station,” Samaa TV quoted Islamabad police as saying.

Police, meanwhile, decided to seek a ban on foreign travels of the accused Jaffer, son of an influential businessman, who was a family acquaintance and in whose house the woman was found dead. Jaffer who had lived in the US and UK was reportedly trying to sneak out of Pakistan when arrested. To avoid any chance of his escape, IGP Islamabad asked the investigation team to ask the government to put his name on the Exit Control List The killing comes as a storm brews over the safety of diplomatic missions and its personnel in Pakistan. On July 16, Silsila Alikhil, the 26-year-old daughter of Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan Najibullah Alikhil, was briefly abducted

Noor Mukadam

from Islamabad and tortured, the Afghanistan foreign office said in a statement last week. The incident triggered a major diplomatic row between the two neighbouring nations, which are coping with the resurgence of the Taliban as the US and Nato reach the final phase of their troop pull-out operation. Pakistan has stoutly denied the allegations made by Afghanistan, saying the police in Islamabad have found no supporting evidence of the alleged abduction.

South Africa unrest hits 40,000 businesses PRETORIA: At least 40,000 South African businesses were looted, burnt or vandalised during widespread rioting that broke out after the jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma, the government said. Hundreds of shopping centres and warehouses in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province were ransacked. The rampage later spread to Johannesburg, inflicting a devastating blow to an economy already battered by the coronavirus.

Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, minister in President Cyril Ramaphosa's office, told reporters that "40,000 businesses were affected" in KZN. The total losses to the national economy are estimated to be 50 billion rand ($3.4 billion), according to a government statement. In KZN, 161 malls and a similar number of liquor outlets and distributors were "extensively damaged", Ntshavheni said.

More than 200 shopping centres and 100

malls were looted or burnt, while at least 1,400 ATMs were damaged and 300 banks and post offices vandalised in the southeastern province. Meanwhile a total of 90 pharmacies were destroyed "beyond revival" as the country grapples with a brutal coronavirus third wave.

Ramaphosa told business leaders that

"there is virtually no part of the economy that has not been affected by the violence". Damage to businesses is still being assessed in Gauteng province, which includes the economic hub of Johannesburg, Ntshavheni said.

KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are South Africa's most populous provinces and account for half of the country's GDP. Ramaphosa has admitted that his government was "not sufficiently" prepared for violence and that security forces could have responded quicker.

The violence has abated after claiming 215 lives, the government said, with no fresh incident reported. At least 200 of more than 2,500 suspects have appeared in court for looting and public violence. The unrest erupted after Zuma began serving a 15-month jail term for snubbing a corruption inquiry.

in brief BIDEN TO NAME BIG TECH CRITIC AS TOP ANTITRUST COP The Biden administration has said that it would nominate Jonathan Kanter to be the top antitrust official at the justice department, a move that would add another longtime critic of Big Tech and corporate concentration to a powerful regulatory position. Kanter is an antitrust lawyer who has made a career out of representing smaller rivals of US tech giants like Google and Facebook. Kanter, 47, is the founder of Kanter Law Group, which bills itself online as an “antitrust advocacy boutique.” If he is confirmed by the Senate, Kanter will lead a division of the justice department that last year filed a lawsuit arguing Google had illegally protected a monopoly over online search services. The antitrust division of the agency has also been asking questions about Apple’s business practices.

GIRL DIES OF PLAGUE IN COLORADO People in Colorado were urged to remain cautious after a 10-year-old girl died of plague in La Plata, the first death from the disease in six years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, plague is a disease caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis, which can infect humans and other mammals through flea bites. Animals such as prairie dogs, squirrels, chipmunks and other rodents often carry the disease.

The authorities said that the disease is very rare and asked public to seek medical care if they have symptoms. The CDC reports that the disease, known for killing millions in Europe in the middle ages, can be treated today with antibiotics. Cases are often seen in rural areas in the western United States.

MYANMAR JUNTA REPLACES ENVOY TO BRITAIN Myanmar has appointed a new temporary head of its embassy in London, Britain’s foreign ministry said, replacing the previous ambassador who was ousted after breaking ranks with the military government over its February 1 coup. The selection of the new “charge d’affaires ad interim” did not require the consent of the British government, a foreign ministry spokesperson said, which first reported the move. Over 900 people opposing the junta have been killed by security forces since the coup, drawing international condemnation and sanctions including from Britain. “The consent of the receiving State is not required,” the spokesperson said in a statement, citing the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The statement did not name the new appointee. A spokesperson for the militarycontrolled government did not respond to calls seeking comment.

FAKE VACCINE GIVEN TO 800 IN UGANDA When Uganda is battling surge in Covid cases from the fourth wave, unauthorised people have vaccinated 800 citizens in the country. The counterfeit jabs were administered over May and June when new infections soared to record highs of about 1,700 cases per day in the country. The fraudsters targeted people looking to pay for immunisation at a time when vaccines were in short supply, said Dr Warren Naamara, the director of a health services monitoring unit under the presidency. "Some unscrupulous individuals with intentions of making money, duped members of the public into a fake Covid-19 vaccine exercise," Dr Naamara said.

"We have arrested two medical workers in the scam, and one medical doctor is on the run." He said those conned into getting a fake vaccine should not be alarmed as tests indicated the vials contained nothing dangerous. "Some had water in them," he added.

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in brief BID TO KILL MADAGASCAR PRESIDENT FOILED Madagascar said it had foiled an attempt to assassinate President Andry Rajoelina and various other Malagasy figures. According to Minister of Public Security Rodellys Randrianarison among the arrested were two French nationals. The journalists who were reporting corona cases and the burgeoning famine in the south of the country were earlier threatened. It's the second time in a short period that an assassination attempt on a high profile official has been thwarted by authorities. On Madagascar's Independence Day celebrations on June 26, the gendarmerie announced they had foiled an assassination murder on their boss, General Richard Ravalomanana, who is also Rajoelina's righthand man. President Rajoelina, first seized power in March 2009 from Marc Ravalomanana with the backing of the military.

10 NIGERIANS JAILED FOR SHIP HIJACKING Ten Nigerian pirates were jailed for 12 years each for for hijacking the Chinese merchant ship FV Hailufeng II in the Gulf of Guinea in 2020. Hijacking of ships for ransom have become common in the Gulf of Guinea, which runs from Senegal to Angola, taking in the southwest coast of Nigeria. The perpetrators are usually Nigerian pirates. Judge Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos said the sentences were intended as a deterrent to others. They were also fined 250,000 naira ($610) each. The ruling was "a major victory for Nigeria’s new anti-piracy law," said Suleman Dahun, a spokesman for the Nigerian navy which was acting as prosecutor. The navy rescued 18 crew members on board the Chinese vessel from pirates on May 15, 2020, also arresting their 10 captors. Last year, Nigeria carried out its first ever trial under a new piracy law adopted in 2019, under which pirates are dubbed economic saboteurs working against the country.

WOMAN TO HEAD SOUTH SUDAN PARLIAMENT Jemma Nunu Kumba, the incumbent secretarygeneral of the ruling party, will become the first woman to preside over the parliament of South Sudan, the world's youngest country, which gained its independence 10 years ago.

She will be responsible for the implementation of the peace agreement. President Salva Kiir, who is also chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), announced that Kumba had been appointed to head a newly "reconstituted" parliament. "Jemma (Nunu Kumba) will be the next Speaker of Parliament," he said at a general assembly of the party in the capital Juba. The announcement drew applause and cheers from the audience. After independence in 2011, Kumba held several official positions, including the governor of the southwestern state of Western Equatoria.

CHINA UNVEILS WORLD’S FASTEST MAGLEV TRAIN China unveiled a maglev train capable of a top speed of 600 kmph per hour, state media said.

The maximum speed would make the train, developed by China and manufactured in the coastal city of Qingdao, the fastest ground vehicle globally. The train can travel with two to 10 carriages, each holding more than 100 passengers, according to Ding Sansan, chief engineer of the project. Using electro-magnetic force, the maglev train “levitates” above the track with no contact between body and rail.

China has been using the technology for almost two decades on a very limited scale.

Shanghai has a short maglev line running from one of its airports to town. While there are no inter-city or inter-province maglev lines yet in China that could make good use of the higher speeds, some cities including Shanghai and Chengdu have started to conduct research.

Indian American engineer helps design Jeff Bezos’ New Shephard rocket TEXAS: Jeff Bezos blasted into space on July 20 on his rocket company Blue Origin’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft.

Following Richard Branson show where he carried Indian American Sirisha Bandla and fellow space travelers on his shoulders after successfully flying to the edge of space, it is time for Amazon founder to applaud Sanjal Gavande, one of the key engineers who designed the New Shephard rocket that took Bezos and the crew to the edge of space aboard what is touted as the world's first unpiloted suborbital flight.

Born in Kalyan, Maharashtra, Gavande is an Indian American systems engineer at Blue Origin who always dreamt of designing aerospace rockets. After completing her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Mumbai, she flew to the US in 2011 to pursue a master's in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University. She

also applied for an engineering job at the NASA space agency but finally landed her dream job at Blue Origin as a systems engineer.

Bezos was accompanied by his brother Mark, aviation pioneer Mary Wallace 'Wally' Funk and other passengers on the rocket. Bezos chose July 20 as the launch date to honor the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. On July 12, Bandla touched the edge of space with three oth-

ers, including Virgin Galactic's billionaire CEO Richard Branson. “Best day ever!”

Bezos said when the capsule touched down on the desert floor in remote West Texas after the 10-minute flight.

“My expectations were high and they were dramatically exceeded,” Bezos said later. Blue Origin - founded by Bezos in 2000 in Kent, Washington, near Amazon’s Seattle headquarters - hasn’t revealed its price for a ride to space but has lined up spots for other auction bidders. Ticket sales, including the auction, are approaching $100 million, Bezos said. Two more flights are planned by year’s end.

Gavande, the daughter of Ashok Gavande, a retired employee of the KalyanDombivli Municipal Corporation, and Surekha, a retired MTNL employee said that their daughter had been interested in space since she was a child. "I am really happy that my childhood dream is about to come true. I am proud to be a part of Team Blue Origin," Gavande said.

Community leader Pandit Ramlall honoured NEW YORK: Officials in Queens, New York, recently honored an influential community member by naming the 133rd Street and Liberty Avenue junction Pandit Ramlall Way. Caribbean Life reports that the Richmond Hill Queens community recently paid tribute to Ramlall, the late founder of the Annual Phagwah (Holi) parade, community advocate and scholar.

With Pandit Ramlall Way, Ramlall’s life, legacy and contributions will forever be remembered.

Guyanese-born, Dharmacharya Pandit Ramlall, who also founded the Diwali Motoracade and the Aryal Spiritual Center of New York, a stonesthrow from the intersection, was remembered as someone who lived an extraordinary life filled with purpose, the report said.

Council member Adrienne Adams said the street sign honoring the spiritual leader’s legacy “is a fitting tribute for the leader who contributed so much to the cultural, spiritual, and educational fabric of our city,” according to a news release.

“As we celebrated the unveiling of Pandit Ramlall Way, the sun was as brilliant as our

illustrious Nana (Grandfather). May his name and legacy forever inspire thinking minds and determined characters,” said Nivedita Balgobin, the granddaughter of Pandit Ramlall, at the unveiling ceremony.

Ramlall was born on Feb. 28, 1928, in Guyana to Indian parents. He migrated to the United States in 1974 and settled in Queens. He continued his studies and received both a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a diploma in education at Rochelle College.

He worked for the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation in a leadership role, and served as a representative for Service Social Employees Union Local 371, a civil service union. Ramlall later served as a volunteer chaplain of the New York City Transit Authority and secretary of the Queens Interfaith Council, the Caribbean Life said.

He was a Vedic scholar who wrote several books, the report added. He was an educator, and motivational speaker. In January 2005, he was honored by the India International Friendship Society with the “Bharat Gaurav” Award at a ceremony in Mumbai, India, the report said. He won several other awards in the United States, and Canada. Ramlall died on Jan. 26, 2019 at 90 years old.

'Indians deserved it’, Rana reportedly told Mumbai attack mastermind Headley WASHINGTON: The US is seeking to extradite Tahawwur Rana to India for his alleged involvement with David Coleman Headley, who masterminded the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, which killed more than 166 people at various venues throughout the city over a three-day period beginning Nov. 26.

In a July 15 court filing at the US District Court of Central California, attorneys for the US Justice Department laid out the case against Rana and his involvement with Headley. The Justice Department claimed Rana knew about the attacks before they occurred, yet did nothing to stop them.

Attorneys also claimed that Rana applauded those who carried out the attacks, saying they should receive Pakistan’s highest military honors.

He also reportedly told Headley that “they (Indians) deserved it.” Rana has been declared a fugitive in India, where he is wanted on several charges related to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, including “Waging War or Conspiracy to Wage War,” and “Conspiracy to Commit a Terrorist Attack.” India has also charged Rana with murder; the Indian Supreme Court has established that a suspect need not be at the scene of the crime when a murder is committed.

“Because members of the conspiracy

Tahawwur Rana

committed acts resulting in death with the intention of causing death, or at minimum committed those acts knowing its imminent dangers, there is sufficient evidence that the elements for murder would be satisfied.

Under Indian law, other members of the conspiracy also would be liable for murder, even if they were not physically present. In this case, death resulting from the attacks was foreseeable,” wrote attorneys for the Justice Department, in laying out their case for the extradition of Rana.

India issued an arrest warrant for Rana in 2018. He is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence in Los Angeles, California, on charges of providing material support to the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was plotting an attack on a US newspaper. He was sentenced in 2013, released on June 9, 2020 for humanitarian reasons, but re-

arrested a day later to be held for extradition.

In court documents, US attorneys said they had established sufficient proof that Rana had helped Headley plan the Mumbai attacks. As early as August 2005, Rana was aware that his childhood friend, also known as Daood Gilani, was involved with the Lashkar-e-Taiba, and participated in terrorism training in Pakistan, including weapons training, ambush training, raids training, and military training, according to court documents.

“Throughout his numerous trips to Mumbai on behalf of LeT and other co-conspirators, Headley kept Rana apprised of his activities, providing updates on his surveillance and communications with his terrorist contacts in Pakistan,” they wrote in court documents, adding that on several occasions, Headley returned to Chicago to meet with Rana immediately after meeting with LeT members and other conspirators in Pakistan, providing specific information about the surveillance he conducted during his trips to Mumbai. Rana’s attorneys argued that if he were to be extradited to India, the US would be violating the Fifth Amendment double jeopardy clause, which prohibits successive prosecutions for lesser-included and greater offenses, because they are considered the same offense.

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164 killed, 100 missing in Maharashtra floods The death toll in rain-related incidents in Maharashtra rose to 164 after the recovery of 11 more bodies in Raigad and two each in Wardha and Akola, the state government said, while deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar toured flood-hit villages in Sangli district and said a decision on providing financial relief will be taken in a couple of days.

As many as 100 people were still missing and so far, 2,29,074 persons have been evacuated from the flood and rain-affected affected areas and moved to safer places, the government said in a statement in Mumbai. The administration of Raigad, the worst-hit district located in the coastal Konkan region, called off the search operations for 31 missing people in Taliye village which was ravaged by a massive landslide after heavy rains last week, an official said.

The state secretariat said 28 more deaths were reported from the Satara district in western Maharashtra and 8 from the Raigad district in the coastal region. The government said 60 deaths were so far reported in Raigad, 21 in Ratnagiri, 41 in Satara, 12 in Thane, seven in Kolhapur, four in suburban Mumbai, and two each in Sindhudurg and Pune.

A total of 875 villages in Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Pune were affected by the torrential rains, the statements aid. “Five relief camps have been set up in flood-hit Chiplun city in Ratnagiri district. Twenty five teams of the NDRF, four teams of the SDRF,

two teams of the Coast Guard, five teams of the Navy and three teams of the Army are conducting the relief and rescue operations,” it said.

The state government has provided a emergency financial aid of £200,000 each to Raigad and Ratnagiri districts. Satara, Sangli, Pune, Kolhapur, Thane and Sindhudurg, also affected by rains, were provided with a financial aid of Rs 50,00,000 each, the statement said. Earlier in the day, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray visited Chiplun, the site of severe flooding, and interacted with residents, businessmen and shopkeepers. He promised them all help from the state government to restore normalcy in the area.

Besides landslides, several people were swept away in floodwaters. The landslide in

Raigad district took place near Talai village in Mahad tehsil.

NDRF teams and local officials were engaged in rescue work in Mahad. Landslides also hit Ambeghar and Mirgaon villages in Satara’s Patan tehsil, , burying a total of eight houses, said Ajay Kumar Bansal, superintendent of police, Satara rural.

Saurashtra rain fury claims 7 lives As incessant rains continued to lash Saurashtra region of Gujarat, for the second consecutive day, four person have reportedly lost their lives in rain-related incidents since Sunday night. Rains continued in parts of Amreli, Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts on Monday. Three death were reported from Saurashtra region on Sunday. Sunday night, a woman and her son died in wall collapse in Rafaleshwar area of

Morbi town. The woman Kesar Mathur (30), her son Pavan (12) and other family members were sleeping in a room near a ceramic factory.

However, due to heavy rain, one of the walls of the room collapsed killing Kesar and Pavan.

The woman’s husband Ramji and her other son Sonu suffered injuries.

Both Kesar and Ramji used to work as labourers in a ceramic factory.

In another incident, a 35-year-old woman Baghi Rada, from Sonvadiya village of Jamjodhpur taluka in Jamnagar drowned in a lake on Monday morning. Sources said that Rada slipped into the lake due to heavy rain when she went there to attend nature’s call.

On Monday morning, police found the body of Ashok Vadecha (45) from a river near Dhutarpar village of Jamnagar district. He was drowned on Sunday evening in Fuljar river of the village. It is suspected that he drowned in the river.

Incessant rain was reported from several parts of Gujarat, causing waterlogging and damage at various places due to which 56 roads in the state were closed for vehicular movement, the state government said on Monday. The roads include a state highway, 54 roads under various panchayats and one uncategorized road.

These were shut following the heavy downpour, while all the

national highways passing through the state were open for traffic, the government release said.

10 killed in Karnataka The flood situation in Karnataka continued to remain grim with 10 people losing their lives in rain related incidents and two reported missing over the past two days, even as Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Sunday that he would write to the Centre to release funds for carrying out flood relief work. Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Dharwad and Haveri bore the brunt of the heavy downpour among the 11 affected districts, officials said.

Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Authority commissioner Dr Manoj Rajan said 10 people have lost their lives in the state so far while two are still missing. He said 46,425 people have been evacuated to safety while over 31,000 people have been put up in 246 relief camps.

"We are receiving excellent coordination from SDRF, NDRF, Fire forces, Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Police, Dam authorities with untiring efforts of the District administration," Rajan said.

Meanwhile, Yediyurappa told reporters after inspecting flood affected areas in Belagavi district that he would write to the Centre to release funds to enable the state carry out relief work in the flood hit regions. The Chief Minister said 19,035 people in the district have been evacuated, while 8,975 people have been shifted to 89 relief centres.

Farmers allowed to hold protest in China's Xi 'secretly' visits Jantar Mantar till Aug 9 Tibetan town bordering India Chinese President Xi Jinping has made a rare visit to Nyingchi, a strategically located border town close to Arunachal Pradesh, during his first visit to Tibet, the official media reported. Xi arrived at the Nyingchi Mainling Airport last week and was greeted by local people and officials of various ethnic groups, Xinhua news agency reported.

He is perhaps the first Chinese leader to visit the town at the India-China border. Xi's politically significant visit was kept under wraps by China's official media. During his visit to Nyingchi, Xi, 68, visited the Nyang River Bridge to inspect the ecological preservation in the basin of the Brahmaputra river, which is called Yarlung Zangbo in the Tibetan language.

China this year has approved plans to build a huge dam over the Brahmaputra river during the current 14th Five-Year Plan, which raised concerns in the riparian states of India and Bangladesh.

Nyingchi is a prefecture-level city in Tibet that is adjacent to the Arunachal Pradesh border. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet, which is firmly rejected by India. The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). India and China have been locked in a military standoff at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year.

The two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong

Lake in February following a series of military and diplomatic talks. The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points. Chinese leaders periodically visit Tibet. But Xi, who also heads the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) and the powerful Central Military Commission is perhaps the first top leader in recent years to visit Tibet's border town.

In video footage shared on Chinese social media, he was seen greeting residents in Nyingchi, known as the Switzerland of Tibet.

Nyingchi was in news in June when China fully operationalised its first bullet train in Tibet, which besides improving the connectivity in the remote Himalayan region also bolsters the Chinese military’s ability to move troops and weaponry to the Indian borders at a much faster pace.

The train connects Tibet's provincial capital Lhasa with Nyingchi. It has a designed speed of 160 km per hour and operates on a single-line electrified railway covering 435.5-km. The Lhasa-Nyingchi railway is Tibet's first electrified railway.

With Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) permitting protesting farmers to hold what they call the Kisan Sansad at Jantar Mantar in the heart of New Delhi till August 9, there was hectic activity at the site. Before Delhi police commissioner Balaji Srivastava visited the capital’s traditional protest space to take stock of the situation, several layers of barricades had already been erected and paramilitary personnel deployed there.

The security cameras installed at Jantar Mantar, which is close to Parliament House, have been inspected to ensure the cops can monitor the situation.

DDMA has directed that the protesters be conveyed to the site in buses with police escorts.

Strict observance of Covidappropriate behaviour is to be enforced. DDMA has allowed a maximum of 200 protestors at Jantar Mantar each day from July 22 to August 9 between 11am and 5pm.

Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella organisation of farmers’ bodies, said that in order to avoid a reprise of the violence that broke on January 26 when the agitating farmers entered

Delhi from their sit-in locations on the borders, only 200 people bearing identity cards will participate daily in the Kisan Sansad. The list of the 200 will be shared with police each day. The approval for the extension of the farmers’ protest from the border sites to Jantar Mantar was given by lieutenant governor and DDMA chairperson Anil Baijal. Darshan Pal, SKM leader, said “We have capped the number of people who will be protesting at 200.

Each of the 200 will have to submit a copy of their Aadhaar card. We will give them identity cards to hang around their necks for quick identification. As Parliament’s monsoon session is in progress, our

Kisan Sansad too will carry on from 11am to 5pm every day. In order to ensure Covid-appropriate behaviour, the 200 protestors will commute in five buses every morning.”

There, the protesters will appoint a ‘speaker’ and ‘deputy speaker’ each day to coordinate the discussions on agrarian issues. “We want to protest peacefully,” said Pal. “The seating arrangement at Jantar Mantar has been done keeping social distancing requirements in mind. On July 26, when the movement completes eight months, only women protestors will participate here. On August 9, since it’s the anniversary of the Quit India Movement, we will conduct a special session at Jantar Mantar.”

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Cops raid Shilpa's home, seize 48 terabytes of ‘mostly adult’ images Police have have seized 48 terabytes of "mostly adult" images and videos from Shilpa Shetty's home in a raid following her husband's arrest over his alleged involvement in a porn production ring.

Businessman Raj Kundra was arrested last week by police in Mumbai after allegedly luring a woman into making an X-rated film with the promise of an acting job. His custody has been extended until July 27 amid an ongoing investigation, with his wife Shilpa denying any involvement in the alleged offenses.

Cops are now seeking to clone her phone and may also bring her in for a second round of questioning, reports said. One terabyte is equal to around one million megabytes - with one photo usually one or two megabytes, and a tenminute video around 240 megabytes. Shilpa told cops when questioned that she believed Kundra was innocent and claimed his co-accused Pradeep Bakshi was the one involved with the "Hotshot" mobile app, which

Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty

allegedly streamed pornographic content. She told police she was "unaware of the exact nature of the content" on the app, describing it as "erotica" rather than pornography. Cops are investigating whether Shilpa benefited from her husband's alleged links to the porn film business as part of her position as director of his firm, Viaan, from which she has now resigned after allegations came to light.

An investigation was launched on February 3 after a woman

approached the cops and complained about being forced to do a porn film after being promised an acting job, according to a report.

The film company was allegedly set up by Kundra and his brother and registered in the UK to evade Indian cyber-laws.

Key conspirator "We've arrested Kundra in this case as he appears to be the key conspirator of this. We have sufficient evidence regarding this," the Mumbai police commissioner said

in a statement. The videos were allegedly shot in houses and hotels rented in Mumbai, transferred using WeTransfer to the UK and released on paid mobile apps. The models were wooed with promises of film offers and "forced" to shoot naked scenes for porn films, according to reports. Kundra faces charges of cheating and "obscene and indecent advertisements and displays".

Publishing or transmitting "obscene" material including porn is illegal in India and punishable by up to seven years in jail. Model and actress Poonam Pandey previously filed a complaint against Kundra and his associate in the Bombay High Court after claiming Kundra's company had misused her photographs. Kundra dismissed the allegations against him and said he had nothing to do with it.

ED likely to probe money laundering angle The Enforcement Directorate is likely to probe the money laundering angle in Kundra case, as the

Mumbai crime branch found suspicious financial transaction between him and the South African bank account of Mercury International company (online betting and casino gaming). Crime branch for the third time carried out a search of Kundra’s Viaan Industries office in Andheri and found several files pertaining to financial transactions stuffed in an almirah which was hidden between two walls.

The crime branch has initiated a forensic auditing of Viaan Industries, Armsprime and Hotshot app that he bought and sold to his brother-in-law Pradeep Bakshi’s company Kenrin. “We have brought these files, which will be studied by the forensic auditing team. We are sending eight servers seized from Kundra’s office for forensic analysis as prima facie we have found pornographic data deleted after police busted the racket in February. Experts can find out if these servers have been used to upload pornographic material to Kenrin,” said an official.

Tax men search Dainik Bhaskar offices at 30 places In a major action, income tax (I-T) officials last week conducted searches on 30 premises across several cities, including Indore, Bhopal, Jaipur, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Korba and Ahmedabad, against the Bhaskar media group and its promoters in the Panama paper leak case.

The action sparked protests from the opposition and media bodies, which called it an attack on press freedom. The Bhaskar Group dubbed the action as a retaliation against its aggressive coverage of the pandemic.

Government sources, however, refuted the charge, and said the searches were part of a probe into the alleged round-tripping by the Bhaskar Group, which has interests in other sectors, besides media.

The three Agarwal brothers Sudhir, Pawan and Girish - are promoters of the Bhaskar Group and control media conglomerate

DB Corp Ltd, which has diverse investments in power, textile and real estate with a turnover of around £600 million. The flagship DB Corp controls at least 100 companies where the I-T department has alleged large-scale tax evasion and round-tripping of investments through the Mauritius route. Several shell companies controlled by the group allegedly have employees of the company as shareholders and directors.

Government sources claimed that the DB Group has figured in the 2016 Panama paper disclosure case, which is being probed by a multi-agency group (MAG) consisting of the I-T department, Enforcement Directorate, Financial Intelligence Unit and the RBI. A statement released by the Bhaskar Group said that I-T raids were conducted on its premises in MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat and

Maharashtra for its aggressive journalism. Laptops and mobile phones of its editorial and digital staff were seized despite these persons having nothing to do with financial transactions of the company, and they were detained illegally. News updates suffered for several hours, it said.

The opposition also linked the I-T action to the media group's reporting on alleged under-counting of Covid deaths and the matter was raised in the Rajya Sabha by former MP CM Digvijaya Singh. Thereafter, several opposition leaders and parties condemned the action against Dainik Bhaskar. Answering a question as to whether the IT action was an attack on journalism, information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said the agencies were working without any interference of the government and added it would be a folly to reach conclusions on the basis of incomplete

information. The Panama paper leaks had mention of over 400 Indian entities but the multiagency enquiries later found only 146 cases were “actionable” in which the government has so far unearthed undisclosed income of more than £2 billion.

While no official statements

have been made by the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the apex cadre controlling I-T authority, on the searches on the two media groups, government sources alleged that people from the Bhaskar Group were involved in alleged round-tripping of investments.

Sebi, DRI probing some Adani Group firms for non-compliance of rules The market regulator and customs authorities are investigating Adani Group for non-compliance of rules, the government told Parliament last week. While the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is investigating some of the companies “with regard to compliance with Sebi regulations”, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is probing “certain entities belonging to the Adani Group of Companies under laws administered by it", Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in a written reply to a question.

He, however, added that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was not probing these companies.

Chaudhary said the accounts of three of the six Mauritius-based funds that invested most of their money in Adani Group firms were frozen in 2016 over the issuance of Global Depository Receipts (GDR)

by certain listed firms. The funds included Albula Investment Fund, Cresta Fund, and APMS Investment Fund. No freeze was, however, ordered for their holding in other firms.

Sources said that Sebi was looking into the holding structure of the three funds, while the DRI was investigating Adani Power and other group firms in connection with the “over-invoicing” of

imported coal and power plant equipment. While the minister cited the Sebi probe, a clarification was earlier issued by the National Securities Depository (NSDL) that these accounts were not frozen in the case of Adani companies.

In a statement later in the day, Adani Group said it had cooperated with Sebi in the past, and that it was yet to receive any further communication or information requests. “We have always been transparent with all our regulators and have full faith in them. While we have always been fully compliant with applicable Sebi regulations, we have made full disclosure to Sebi on specific information requests from them

in the past. However, we have not received any communication or information requests recently," the statement said. “With regard to the DRI matter, it issued a show-cause notice to Adani Power, about five years back.

Subsequently, the DRI passed an order in favour of Adani Power, confirming that there is no overvaluation of equipment. The department has approached the tribunal and the matter stands sub judice," it added. The DRI is currently investigating two separate cases against Adani companies.

The one against Adani Power, where it had issued a show-cause notice in 2014, is with the DRI’s adjudicating tribunal. The DRI notice had come after it investigated three Adani Group companies involved in the import of power generation equipment. The DRI had alleged significant overvaluation of the imports.

Subsequently, it had issued two more show-cause notices to other group firms, alleging similar overvaluation in their transactions.

The overvaluation of power equipment allows firms to make a case for artificially raising tariffs before the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission or state regulatory commissions.

Ultimately, this affects consumers, who have to pay a higher cost for power.

The second case that is against a few Adani companies is for alleged invoicing of coal imports between 2011 and 2015. The matter went to the Supreme Court, which in January 2020 had stayed the Bombay High Court order quashing the letters rogatary sent by the DRI to its foreign counterparts to get judicial assistance in the matter involving alleged overvaluation of Indonesian coal imports.

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SOUTH INDIA

Karnataka CM Yediyurappa submits resignation to governor BENGALURU: Putting to rest speculation that lasted a fortnight, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa submitted his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot in Bengaluru, ending his fourth stint at the helm exactly two years after he took charge. A communique from Raj Bhavan said that his resignation had been accepted.

Yediyurappa told reporters soon after emerging from Raj Bhavan, "I have happily resigned. The Governor has asked me to continue in the post till the next Chief Minister is appointed. The resignation is voluntary. I want to allow a chance to others to helm the government. There was no pressure. I had decided to resign two months ago."

The 78- year-old Chief Minister said that his successor will get full cooperation from his side. The veteran leader

B.S. Yediyurappa

expressed his gratitude to the people of Karnataka for allowing him to be the Chief Minister of the State four times. This stint could well draw the curtains on his over four-decade-old political career during which he rose from the ranks of the RSS in Shikaripura in Shivamogga district in the Malnad region to become the Chief Minister of the State. The four-time CM is the tallest leader in the Lingayat community, which is among the biggest voter base for the saffron party in Karnataka.

Amid speculation over his replacement in the last 15 days, Yediyurappa's camp had tried to grab the Lingayat political optics as Lingayat -Veerashaiva seers and the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha rallied behind him, urging him to stay put while asking the BJP high command not to replace him.

When asked about speculation of him being appointed a Governor, Yediyurappa said, "There is no question of becoming a Governor. I will work for the party. Even when (late) Atal Bihari Vajpayee had asked me to join the Union Cabinet, I had declined."

Earlier, announcing his resignation at an event to mark two years in office, an emotionally charged Yediyurappa said, "I have decided to go to Raj Bhavan after lunch and hand over my resignation. This is not out of sadness, but out of happiness."

In an emotional speech during which he broke down a couple of times, the veteran leader, who had been under intense pressure to step down, said, "I am thankful to the high command. I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for having allowed me to continue in office for two years despite the rule of no power for those above 75 years."

He recalled his bumpy ride into the office of the Chief Minister for a fourth term, and obliquely expressed his displeasure towards the high command for tying his hand. "I had to face a lot of challenges when I formed the government.

The high command did not allow me to form the cabinet for one-and-a-half months despite flood and rains in Karnataka. I had to roam around like a mad man. Last one-and-a-half years, I had to fight Covid-19."

PUNJAB

Punjab CM Amarinder, Sidhu bury hatchet CHANDIGARH: The muchawaited meeting between Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu happened with the former hosting the new PCC chief and other Congress MLAs and MPs over tea at Punjab Bhawan and the two warring factions of state Congress projecting a united face.

Minutes later, the CM attended the ceremony at the Punjab Congress office as Sidhu formally took charge as PCC chief. Amarinder congratulated him and talked about “working together for the welfare of Punjab”, just days after putting a precondition of a public apology by the Amritsar East MLA for his tweets against the CM. The cricketer-turnedpolitician indicated hitting a six – mimicking his batting style – as he went past the CM on the

with companies. “CM saheb, there are issues that need to be resolved,” he said.

“Punjab is asking questions. Why should electricity be bought at Rs 18 per unit? Why shouldn’t the truth of the power purchase pacts be brought out?”

On the other hand, Amarinder listed the Navjot Singh Sidhu and Amarinder Singh achievements of his dais to deliver his speech at the government and stressed on event. Amarinder struck a strengthening the party. “When conciliatory note, telling party Sonia ji told me that they want workers, “It is your to make Navjot Singh the new responsibility to support the president, I came out and told party president.” Sidhu spoke of the press that we will bow infusing new life in the party before the decision of the cadres, while listing the various Congress president. Now we issues facing the state – farmers’ will have to be together in the stir, sacrilege case, protests by fight for keeping Punjab and various employee groups and our country safe.” the previous government’s Sidhu hosts 62 Cong MLAs power purchase agreement Earlier, in what appears to

be a show of strength, Sidhu hosted 62 party MLAs at his residence in Amritsar. The meeting assumes significance as it comes amid a public tussle between Sidhu and Amarinder Singh, who was strongly opposed to the former's elevation.

Among the prominent ministers who reached Sidhu's house were Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria besides outgoing state unit chief Sunil Jakhar. Only 18 out of the 80 Congress MLAs in Punjab skipped the meeting.

Later, Sidhu, along with the MLAs, boarded luxury buses and went to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where a large number of Congress supporters gathered.

They also went to the Durgiana temple and Ram Tirath Sthal.

WEST BENGAL

Mamata meets PM Modi; discusses Covid, demands more vaccines New Delhi: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday - the first proper meeting between the two leaders after Mamata became the state’s chief minister for a third consecutive time. The two leaders had met very briefly when PM Modi visited West Bengal to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Yaas in May. Calling it a “courtesy” meeting, Mamata, who is also the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, told reporters that she raised the issue of the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic and also demanded more vaccines and medicines for West Bengal.

“During the meeting, I raised the issue of Covid and the

need for more vaccines & medicines in the state. I also raised the pending issue of the change of name of the state. On this issue, he said, “He will see,” she was quoted as saying.

Her visit comes at a time when Mamata Banerjee & PM Modi Parliament's monsoon session is on in which Supreme Court-monitored the opposition parties are probe into the matter. The chief protesting on a range of issues, minister's request for a probe including the allegations of comes exactly one day after the surveillance through Pegasus West Bengal government spyware, price rise, and repeal of ordered an inquiry into the three farm laws. snooping scandal, the first state Mamata said that PM Modi across India to do so. should call an all-party meeting Earlier in the day, Congress over the Pegasus hacking leaders Kamal Nath and Anand controversy, and demanded a

Sharma met the Trinamool Congress chief. "I appreciate her for how she fought the recent polls and won. She has come to Delhi for the first time after victory, so I came and had tea with her," Sharma told mediapersons after the meeting.

Mamata, who has been in the national capital since Monday, is also expected to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday along with other opposition leaders such as Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.

in brief ELECTION OF 3 TAMIL NADU MLAS CHALLENGED The Madras High Court ordered notice to the Election Commission on petitions challenging the voctory of three candidates, including Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan, in the April 6 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.

Justice V Bharathidasan ordered the notice to the respective successful candidates and the Election Commission of India, returnable

by September 6. Losing candidates from Katpadi, Viralimalai and Perundurai constituencies had challenged the election of Duraimurugan, C Vijayabaskar and S Jayakumar, respectively. Vijayabaskar and Jayakumar belong to the AIADMK. In his election petition, V Ramu of Gudiyatham, the AIADMK candidate, submitted that rival Duraimuguran won the election by a thin margin of 746 votes and the counting of postal votes was not conducted according to the rules.

TELANGANA MP CONVICTED OF BRIBING VOTERS May be for the first time, a sitting Member of Parliament has been convicted for bribing voters during the 2019 general elections. TRS Lok Sabha MP Kavitha Maloth and her associate were convicted by a special court for MP and MLA cases in Hyderabad. The Lok Sabha MP from Mahbubabad and her aide, Shaukat Ali - who is incidentally the first accused, were sentenced to six months in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. The court has granted them bail to file an appeal before a higher court. Kavitha will appeal in the high court, according to reports. Ali had been caught by a flying squad distributing cash to people in the parliamentary seat. A case was filed under the Burgampahad police station limits The special court has so far convicted two MLAs for different offences.

63% HAVE ANTIBODIES AGAINST COVID IN PUNJAB As many as 63.4 per cent people in Punjab have developed antibodies against Covid-19 after two waves swept the state. The fact came to the fore in the fourth sero survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). During the survey, antibody test (anti SI-RBD antibodies) was carried out on 1,585 persons in four districts - Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Patiala and Jalandhar - last month.

Ludhiana tops the chart as 71 per cent people were found positive for antibody test. It was followed by Jalandhar with 65.6 per cent and Gurdaspur 63.4 per cent. Patiala was at the bottom with just 52.6 per cent people having antibodies. The survey also corroborates with the ground situation as Ludhiana contributes the highest cases and deaths to the state’s total cases. In the district, 87,262 cases and 2,093 deaths have been reported. The first case of Covid in the state was reported in March last year. Since then, the state has reported 598,000 cases and over 16,000 deaths.

BENGAL FORMS PANEL TO LOOK INTO PEGASUS SNOOPING ROW The West Bengal government has constituted a two-member commission to look into allegations of snooping on politicians, officials and journalists using Israeli spyware Pegasus.

The decision to form a panel, with retired judges as its members, was taken at a special cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister Mamata Banerjee. "We thought the Centre would form an inquiry commission or a courtmonitored probe would be ordered to look into this incident. But the Centre is sitting idle... So we decided to form a ‘commission on inquiry' to look into the matter," Mamata said. The commission will be headed by former Calcutta High court Chief Justice Jyotirmay Bhattacharya. Former Supreme Court judge Madan Bhimrao Lokur is its other member.

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Kargil Diwas: President Kovind pays homage to armed forces President Ram Nath Kovind visited Drass on the 22nd anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas to pay homage to the indomitable courage and sacrifice of the Indian armed forces during the Kargil conflict of 1999 at the Kargil War Memorial.

Kargil war was declared over on July 26, 1999, after Indian soldiers pushed back Pakistani troops, a bulk of them drawn from the neighbouring country's Northern Light Infantry, from the captured peaks in Kargil.

The day is observed as 'Kargil Vijay Diwas' to commemorate India's victory. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat also participated at the celebrations in Dras, Kargil on Monday. President arrived here on Sunday for a fourday visit to Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

According to the statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President graced and addressed the 19th Annual Convocation of the

University of Kashmir in Srinagar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the countrymen to salute the brave hearts who made the nation proud in 1999, a day ahead of Kargil Vijay Diwas on Monday. "It is only natural to be filled with emotions in respect for the one who raises the Tricolour for the country. This feeling of patriotism unites us all," PM Modi said while addressing Mann Ki Baat.

"Tomorrow, i.e. July 26 is also Kargil Vijay Diwas. The Kargil war is a symbol of the valour and discipline of our armed forces, which has been seen by the whole world.

This time this glorious day will also be celebrated in the middle of 'Amrit Mahotsav'. That's why it becomes even more special. I would like you to read the thrilling

story of Kargil and salute the heroes of Kargil," PM Modi added during his monthly radio programme.

On Sunday, a day ahead of Kargil Vijay Diwas, CDS Rawat visited the Dras sector in Kargil district to review the prevailing security situation and operational preparedness of forces in the Union Territory. CDS also interacted with troops and complimented them for their high morale and exhorted them to remain resolute and steadfast. The epic battles of Tololing, Tiger Hill and others were recalled and 559 lamps lit in a tribute to the martyrs at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass area of Ladakh as events to mark the 22nd Kargil Vijay Diwas commenced on Sunday in the presence of top military officers, family members of the army personnel and others.

Telangana temple, Gujarat's Dholavira Taliban may target Kashmir, Kerala after Kabul: Pak journalist in UNESCO World Heritage list Experts believe that after making steady advances in Afghanistan with active support from Pakistan, Taliban may create massive security implications for India. According Pakistani journalist Amjad Ayub Mirza, the Pakistan Army has been planning to use the chaos inside Afghanistan to fuel insurgency not just in Kashmir but also in Kerala, which has become the latest hotbed of radical Islamic movements in India. Pakistan, which has made no secret of being a safe harbour for terrorists, has been accused of played its part in destroying Afghanistan. It now intends to incite Muslims from Kerala and Kashmir to keep India busy.

According to Mirza, Pakistan-sponsored terrorism will now lead to renewed insurgency in Kashmir and may lead to similar situation in Kerala. Experts believe that Pakistan will try and use radical Islamism in Kerala to its advantage. As the Taliban take over Kabul, Pakistan may now focus on radicalising Muslim youth in Kerala for launching terror attacks in India. Mirza says that the Talibanisation of Kerala is not just a coincidence but a well thought out strategy

by Pakistan’s jihadi militancy.

Besides, thousands of terrorists belonging to Pakistan sponsored outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and are currently fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. As the Taliban continue to wrest control of key parts of the country from the Afghan government, thousands of terrorists from Pakistan have joined Taliban forces to unleash terror inside Afghanistan.

The LeT and JeM terrorists are active in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces in eastern Afghanistan and Helmand and Kandahar provinces. The Pakistani terrorists may continue to train in Afghanistan without hindrance and carry out attacks inside India, especially with the active ground support from Islamists in Kerala and Kashmir.

Indian intelligence agencies are on alert as they fear that with increase in Taliban strength, the repercussions will be felt in Kerala as well in terms of narcotics smuggling. The officials in narcotics department believe that the increased seizures of high quality processed drugs like heroin and cocaine in India, including Kerala is a sign that the influence of Taliban is increasing.

Recent drug seizures in Kerala had Afghanistan as point of origin. NCB officials say that despite presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan for over two decades, Taliban has continued to cultivate opium as its primary source of funding. Though India enjoys tremendous goodwill in Afghanistan, it has not taken any official side in the Afghanistan government vs Taliban faceoff.

However, with rapid advances made by the Taliban, India faces a dilemma as Taliban may then advance towards Kashmir where Pakistan is actively trying to disrupt peace by instigating terrorist activities. In fact, Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh had accused Pakistani Army of guiding the Taliban terrorists. He has even accused Pakistan of supporting, training and giving safe haven to Taliban terrorists.

UP cops’ notice to Twitter India MD quashed Calling it mala fide and an arm-twisting method, the Karnataka high court has quashed the notice issued to Twitter India Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari by the Uttar Pradesh police.

Police in Ghaziabad, which had issued the notice, said they were awaiting a copy of the order. "We will take a call only after going through it," Ghaziabad SSP Amit Kumar Pathak said.

The notice was issued on June 21 under CrPC Section 41-A asking Maheshwari to report at the Loni border police station on June 24 regarding a communally sensitive video

uploaded by a user on Twitter.

Maheshwari moved the Karnataka HC as he lives in Bengaluru.

Disposing of Maheshwari’s petition, Justice G Narendar said the notice should be read under CrPC Section 160, and if the investigating officer desires to secure a statement or any information, UP police can question the Twitter India MD via a video link or meet him at his residential or office address.

"The action of the respondent (UP police) trying to invoke Section 41-A leaves no doubt in the mind of the court that it is used as

an arm-twisting method as the petitioner refused to heed the notice issued under CrPC Sec 160. The respondents inferred it as an audacious act of refusing to bow to its command (sic)," the judge noted in his order. On June 24, the HC had directed UP police not to take any coercive action against Maheshwari and maintained that he could be questioned via video-conferencing. In a lengthy order, the judge pointed out that the notice threatens punitive action and deprivation of liberty, which admittedly is a fundamental right.

Dholavira, a Harappan-era city in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch, has been added to the list of World Heritage Sites by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

This comes days after the ongoing 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO inscribed the 13th-century Rudreswara/Ramappa Temple in Telangana as a heritage site.

Gujarat so far has three world heritage sites - Champaner near Pavagadh, Rani ki Vav in Patan and the historic city of Ahmedabad. Following UNESCO's latest move, Union minister of culture and tourism G Kishan Reddy took to Twitter to say that Dholavira is now the 40th treasure in India to be given the inscription.

"It gives immense pride to share with my fellow Indians that #Dholavira is now the 40th treasure in India to be given @UNESCO's World Heritage Inscription.

Another feather in India's cap as we now enter the Super-40 club for World Heritage Site inscriptions," he wrote on Twitter.

"Today is a proud day for India, especially for the people of #Gujarat. Since 2014, India has added 10 new World Heritage sites - onefourth of our total sites. This shows PM @narendramodi's steadfast commitment in promoting Indian culture, heritage and the Indian way of life," he added.

India now has 32 cultural, seven natural and one mixed heritage property. Italy, Spain, China, Germany and France are the only other countries that have 40 or more World Heritage sites.

The Harappan city of Dholavira is one of the very few well preserved urban settlements in South Asia dating from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE. It is the sixthlargest of more than 1,000 Harappan sites discovered so far. Occupied for over 1,500

years, Dholavira not only witnesses the entire trajectory of the rise and fall of this early civilization of humankind, but also demonstrates its multifaceted achievements in terms of urban planning, construction techniques, water management, social governance and development, art, manufacturing, trading, and belief system.

With extremely rich artefacts, the well preserved urban settlement of Dholavira depicts a vivid picture of a regional centre with its distinct characteristics that also contribute significantly to the existing knowledge of Harappan Civilization as a whole.

Rudreswara Temple Rudreswara Temple, known as Ramappa temple, located at Palampet, Mulugu district, near Warangal in the state of Telangana has made it to the list. The decision was taken at the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO held on Sunday in China. The iconic Ramappa Temple showcases the outstanding craftsmanship of great Kakatiya dynasty.

The 13th century temple was named after its architect, Ramappa. The temple complex was built by Racherla Rudra Reddy during the period of the Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva. It was built using sandstone and its construction, which began in 1213 CE, is believed to have continued for over four decades.

Giraben Sarabhai, NID founder, is no more The exceptionally gifted Giraben Sarabhai, who died at 97 on July 15 at Ahmedabad, was the youngest and last surviving of the eight Sarabhai siblings. She was an architect, designer and the co- Giraben Sarabhai founder of the National Institute of Design (NID) and creator of the Calico Museum of Textiles.

Giraben who was trained under American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in Wisconsin, returned to India with an understanding and sense of space that were instru-

mental in realising the vision that she and his brother, Gautam shared for the building of the NID on the banks of the Sabarmati river.

In a report, “Ahmedabad based graphic designer Subrata Bhowmick (75) said, “Giraben was the design mother of this country as every designer in the country who has grown from NID had gone through her touch. The entire design education is her baby. Any designer who had come to India is because of her. It is really a sad day for the design community.”

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits India US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in India on a two-day visit aimed at further boosting bilateral ties and deliberate on the rapidly evolving security situation in Afghanistan as well as to expand cooperation in the IndoPacific region under the framework of Quad. On Wednesday, Blinken will hold extensive talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

He is also scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi before leaving for Kuwait as part of his two-nation tour.

Just before leaving for India, Blinken said he was looking forward to consultations with partners of the US for further cooperation in support of its shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East.

“Wheels up for my trip to New Delhi and Kuwait City. I look forward to consultations with our partners to further cooperation in support of our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East,” he tweeted.

This is Blinken’s first visit to India after assuming charge as the US Secretary of State and the third by a high-ranking Biden administration official after it came to power in January. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin visited India in March while US Special Envoy on Climate Change John

Kerry travelled to New Delhi in April.

“Secretary Blinken’s visit is an opportunity to continue the high-level bilateral dialogue and bolster the IndiaUS global strategic partnership,” the Ministry of External Affairs said last week while announcing the visit. “Both sides will review the robust and multifaceted India-US bilateral relations, and potential for consolidating them further,” it said.

Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson said on Friday that the discussions will focus on expanding ties in areas of security, defence, cyber, and counter-terrorism cooperation.

“We collaborate across the government on these issues, including through regular US-India working group meetings, and we look forward to further strengthening our ties with

India to ensure a safer and more secure world,” he said. People familiar with the agenda of the visit said both sides will extensively deliberate on the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan with the Taliban increasing its hostilities in an attempt to seize control of new areas in the country.

The two sides are also expected to explore ways to deepen defence collaboration, including exercises, defence transfers and technologies ahead of the next edition of the 2+2 defence and foreign ministerial dialogue to be held in the US later this year, those familiar with the development said.

Both sides will also discuss ways to deepening engagement in the IndoPacific region as well as in enhancing Covid response efforts. They are also expected to focus on ways to augment trade and investment ties besides looking at opportunities in healthcare, education, digital domains, the people cited above said.

In the talks, India will continue to push for ensuring open and consistent supply chains for materials and items required for vaccine production, the people cited above said. Boosting defence and strategic ties is expected to also figure in the talks.

Baba Ramdev's Patanjali may launch IPO next year

Baba Ramdev

Baba Ramdev's Ayurveda company Patanjali is going to launch its IPO. During an interview, the Yoga guru said that a decision regarding Patanjali IPO can be taken by the end of this year. Ramdev said that there is no plan to launch Patanjali IPO this year, but a decision can be taken by the end of the current financial year. Ramdev said that soon a decision will be taken on Patanjali's IPO. He also said that these days, he is busy meeting various institutional investors ahead of the £430 million follow-on public offer (FPO) of Ruchi Soya. That is, Ramdev is paying attention to the expansion of Patanjali.

Ramdev especially wants to increase the edible oil business. He said that investors are showing their interest for the Ruchi Soya issue and they will fix its price in the interest of all the shareholders. Ramdev said that potential investors in Ruchi Soya can rejoice that the company is aiming to transform itself into a premier FMCG company.

At the same time, he said that we will ensure that the size of the commodity business also increases.

It may be noted that Patanjali did a business of more than £3 billion in the financial year 2021. Out of this, Ruchi Soya contributed £1.63 billion to the sales. Sales in FY20 stood at £2.5 billion, of which £1.31 billion was contributed

by Ruchi Soya.

Amid row over Eid relaxations, Kerala logs 22,129 new Covid cases Even as the Supreme Court pulled up the state for allowing a three-day relaxation for Bakrid festival, Kerala on Tuesday clocked another spike in Covid-19 infections reporting 22,129 cases with a high test positivity rate (TPR) of 12.35 per cent.

Statistics released by the state health ministry shows it is the highest tally and TPR in a month and the state contributes more than 50 per cent of total cases of the country - in last 24 hours the country reported 39,361 cases with a TPR of 1.68 per cent. Of 430,000 active cases, the state’s share is 126,000.

Though many experts have started talking in terms of a possible third wave, the state government stuck to its repeated theory that the

second wave started very late and what the state was witnessing is the peak of the second wave. But a close look at infection pattern shows the state is showing no sign of plateauing. When infections started declining rapidly across the country, Kerala is the only state that reports high volume of cases for more than a month.

The Union ministry of health and family welfare said that the number of new infections of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have continuously declined following its peak in early May. After the SC rap, the state has decided not to give any relaxation after Bakrid and weekend lockdown will continue for one more month. “On Friday we will do 300,000 tests. High TPR is a big concern and we should increase our

vigil and surveillance,” said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan after the pandemic review meeting.

As the threat of third wave looms large, some experts have called for a strict monitoring of high incidences in Kerala and Maharashtra. But others said the presence of antibodies in Kerala is only half of the national average. “In the latest sero survey around 67 per cent of the total population in the country have antibodies but in Kerala it is below 30 per cent. So there are large pockets of uninfected people who are susceptible. It was expected,” said public health expert Dr N M Arun.

He said it was too early to talk about a third wave but the state needs utmost vigil.

As cases rise exponentially last

week the CM had announced a series of relaxations for Bakird which came in for heavy criticism.

At least 40 people will be allowed in places of worship and shops and business establishments were opened till 8 pm. And the number of pilgrims in Sabarimala hill temple was also doubled from 5000 to 10,000.

The SC had criticised the state and warned that it will be held responsible for any possible outcome. Besides concessions for Bakrid, certain activities like film shooting and relaxations for places of worship were also announced.

But many experts and the apex body of doctors, Indian Medical Association, came down heavily on it saying “it was most ill-timed and inappropriate.” The number of

people who succumbed to the virus rose to 16,326 with 156 more deaths.

As many as 13,145 people have been cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 31,43,043 and the number of active cases to 1,45,371, a state government release said. Five districts in the state reported more than 2,000 fresh cases. Of the new cases, 116 are health workers, 124 had come from outside the state and 20,914 were infected through contact, with the source of contact being not clear in 975 cases, the release said.

In the last 24 hours, 1,79,130 samples were tested and the TPR was found to be 12.35 per cent. The cumulative number of specimens examined so far is 2,65,36,792. There are currently 4,36,387 people under surveillance in various districts.

Five killed in Assam-Mizoram border clashes At least five Assam Police personnel were killed after the old boundary dispute between Assam and Mizoram exploded in violent clashes at a contested border point on Monday. In October last year, residents of Assam and Mizoram had clashed twice in the space of a week over territory, in which at least eight people were injured and a few huts and small shops were torched.

What happened in October 2020?

Residents of Lailapur village in Assam’s Cachar district clashed with residents of localities near Vairengte in Mizoram’s Kolasib district. Days before this clash, on October 9, similar violence had taken place on the border of Karimganj (Assam) and Mamit (Mizoram) districts. On October 9, a farm hut and a betel nut plantation belonging to two Mizoram residents were set on fire.

In the second incident in Cachar, some people from Lailapur had pelted Mizoram police personnel and Mizoram residents

with stones. “In turn, Mizoram residents mobilised and went after them,” Kolasib Deputy Commissioner H Lalthangliana had said.

What led to the violence and clashes?

Lalthangliana said: “According to an agreement between governments of Assam and Mizoram some years ago, status quo should be maintained in no man’s land in the border area. However, people from Lailapur broke the status quo and allegedly constructed some temporary huts.

People from Mizoram side went and set fire on them.” On the other hand, Keerthi Jalli, then Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, said that the contested land belongs to Assam as per the state’s records. In the October 9 incident, according to Mizoram officials, the land claimed

by Assam has been cultivated for a long time by residents of Mizoram.

The Karimganj DC,

Anbamuthan MP, however, said that although the contested land was historically cultivated by Mizoram residents, on paper it fell within the Singla Forest Reserve that is under Karimganj’s jurisdiction. Anbamuthan said that the issue was being resolved.

Mizoram’s civil society groups blame “illegal Bangladeshis” (alleged migrants from Bangladesh) on the Assam side. “Illegal Bangladeshis are creating all this trouble. They come and destroy our huts, cut our plants and this time pelted stones on our policemen,” said B Vanlaltana, president of the students’ union MZP (Mizo Zirlai Pawl).

In the Northeast’s complex boundary equations, showdowns between Assam and Mizoram residents are less frequent than they are between, say, Assam and Nagaland residents. Nevertheless, the boundary between present-day Assam and Mizoram, 165 km long today, dates back to the colonial era,

when Mizoram was known as Lushai Hills, a district of Assam.

The dispute stems from a notification of 1875 that differentiated the Lushai Hills from the plains of Cachar, and another of 1933, that demarcates a boundary between the Lushai Hills and Manipur.

A Mizoram Minister said that Mizoram believes the boundary should be demarcated on the basis of the 1875 notification, which is

derived from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act, 1873. Mizo leaders have argued in the past against the demarcation notified in 1933 because Mizo society was not consulted. MZP’s Vanlaltana said the Assam government follows the 1933 demarcation, and that was the point of conflict. Before the incidents of Monday and last October, the last time the boundary saw violence was in February 2018.

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HEALTH

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31 July - 6 Aug 2021

Gastrointestinal abnormalities a symptom of Vit B12 deficiency According to a study, if frequent supply of vitamin B12 isn't absorbed by your body, the deficiency can turn into megaloblastic anaemia leading to gastrointestinal abnormalities.

Megaloblastic anaemia is a condition whereby the bone marrow produces usually large, structurally abnormal, immature red blood cells that aren't able to transport oxygen effectively around the body.

According to the National Organisation of Rare Disorders (NORD), gastrointestinal abnormalities include diarrhoea and nausea. A lack of healthy red blood cells can also make some people lose their appetite.

When symptoms of anaemia are more apparent, you may suffer from fatigue, shortness of breath, lightheadedness and dizziness.

Common effects on a person expe-

riencing megaloblastic anaemia include pale skin colouring. You could also encounter a fast or irregular heartbeat when you're deficient in vitamin B12. An adequate supply of the vitamin is required for the body and mind to function normally.

Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, and eggs. Those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet are usually at high risk of these complications. They are also at the risk of the nutrient not being effectively absorbed by the body – called malabsorption.

Watching more TV increases risk of obstructive sleep apnoea A recent study found that spending more than four hours a day sitting in front of the TV increases one's risk of getting obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) by 78 per cent. Scientists at the Harvard Medical School monitored the health of around 138,000 people for 10-18 years. They found that increased levels of sedentary behaviour and corresponding low levels of physical activity, increased the risk of OSA. OSA is a condition in which one's airways can become completely blocked at night, interrupting normal breathing and leading to snoring and disrupted sleep. If left untreated, it can increase the risk of cancer, glaucoma, heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes, type 2 diabetes and cognitive and behavioural disorders.

Paper author and epidemiologist Tianyi Huang of the Harvard Medical School, said, “We saw a clear relationship between levels of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and OSA risk.

People who followed the current World Health Organization physical activity guidelines of getting at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week and spent less than four hours per day sitting watching TV, had substantially

lower OSA risk.”

They added, “Importantly, we saw that any additional increase in physical activity, and/or a reduction in sedentary hours, could have benefits that reduce the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnoea. The difference in OSA risk between sedentary work and time spent sitting watching TV could be explained by other behaviours that are related to those activities.”

“For example, snacking and drinking sugary drinks is more likely to go along with watching TV compared with being sedentary at work or elsewhere, such as sitting during travelling.

This could lead to additional weight gain, which we know to be a risk factor OSA.” While none of the participants had sleep apnoea at the start of the investigation, 8,733 participants had been diagnosed with the condition by the end of the study period. The team found that participants found that those who engaged in more physical activity had a significantly lower risk of developing OSA. Those who ran the equivalent of three hour's worth were 54 per cent less likely to develop the disorder than those who only got the

equivalent amount of exercise as walking for two hours a week.

European Respiratory Society president Anita Simonds said, “Obstructive sleep apnoea is a common and pervasive disorder that can have a serious impact on the quality of people’s lives.

Although OSA can be managed with modern treatments, only a minority of studies focus on prevention. Health professionals should prioritise prevention and support people who are at-risk of developing OSA to be more active before it is too late. This study adds to the evidence on the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle in preventing lung disease, and it is encouraging that even a small increase in physical activity or reduction in sedentary hours could reap potential benefits.”

Nightmares about being stuck in crowded places common during lockdown: Study A study has suggested that nightmares about being stuck in crowded places are more common when people are in lockdown.

People also had a harder time falling asleep when they were under strict restrictions compared to when curbs were eased.

Scientists in Italy surveyed 90 people in the week ending May 4 and the week ending May 11, when it was lifted.

They asked people to record their dreams at home, and complete a sleep diary each morning.

They found people's quality of sleep was worse in lockdown. They experienced more dreams and nightmares about crowds after the nationwide shutdown. Researchers at the University of Rome believe the pandemic may have changed people's sleeping habits due to “collective trauma”.

Authors, led by Serena Scarpelli, said the survey showed a significant difference between quality of sleep and dream content under pandemic restrictions and without them.

They wrote, “The coronavirus 2019 outbreak critically impacted the worldwide population. In the first phase of the pandemic, Italy was one of the most affected countries, and the government quickly adopted restrictive measures between March and May 2020 to contain the infection. Confinement and social distancing provoked remarkable daily life

changes that significantly influenced sleep patterns.”

The study, published in the Journal of Sleep and Research, included 72 women and 18 men aged 19 to 41. Participants were recruited on social media and 50 out of 90 were students. They were told to dictate their dream experiences into a tap recorder 15 minutes after waking every morning during the two weeks studied.

Participants filled out a dream diary ranking their ease of falling asleep, number of awakenings during the night, what time they fell asleep and when they woke up.

The most common dreams recorded were about loved ones, with crowded places the second most frequent both during lockdown and after it.

They dreamt more about

food, travelling and the pandemic once restrictions had been lifted.

Emotional Stability Is Your Birthright Psychologist Mamta Saha On a scale of 1-10, how much do you love yourself? What does self-love even mean to you? Do you say “yes” when you actually mean “no”? Do you habitually neglect your self-care? I know it’s difficult to contemplate and think about some of these questions, I get it, I too have walked in these shoes.

As a community we are raised to put everybody else’s needs before ours. As a result of my conditioning, I became a classic people pleaser, striving to make everybody else happy before I even gave myself a look in! This left me feeling tired unappreciated and somewhat resentful. I felt like I was living for everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I love selfless service and its one of the reasons why I became a psychologist, but I struggle with feeling taken advantage off and unappreciated.

I have seen these sentiments resonate across the community and often coach many women and men who are frustrated with having to give to everyone else and be left with not much respect or energy for themselves.

When we begin to pay attention to the discomfort around the choices we made, we get into the driving seat of how we want our life to be. Self-love is your secret weapon because when you are topped up, you are in a better place to give to others.

Your inner world creates your outer world and lived experience. How you feel on the inside will be mirrored on the outside. I shared some brilliant tools and techniques on my Emotionally Stronger Masterclass which you can now access on my website: www.mamtasaha.com. Here are a five insights and affirmations which were inspired from the Masterclass.

1. Self- Acceptance – No matter much you judge yourself and improve yourself, it will not be enough if you do not accept yourself. Affirmation: Everything I need is within me.

2. Self-Care- When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. Self-care encourages you to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself so that you can transmit the good feelings to others. Affirmation: I make time to take care of myself.

3. Boundaries- Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for the relationships you have with others. When you treat yourself with love and respect, you give others permission to do the same. Affirmation: I honour and respect my boundaries.

4. Treat yourself well- Take time to appreciate yourself. Affirmation: My love for myself increases each day.

5. Taking responsibility for your happiness- Now that you are awakened to the fact that no one owes you happiness, you can always strive to keep yourself happy. It is very simple because happiness already resides in you, all you have to do is bring it to the surface. Affirmation: My happiness comes from within me.

For more like this article: Download your free e-book on www.mamtasaha.com, tune into Saha Mindset Podcast, Follow me on IG: Saha-Mamta and FB: Mamta Saha. Send me your challenges and I would love to help you with any advice: mamta@mamtasaha.com. M x

Drinking coffee can reduce your risk of heart arrhythmia A study has concluded that coffee can help reduce your risk of abnormal arrhythmia. Researchers from the University of California analysed the impact of coffee consumption on arrhythmia incidence among more than 380,000 people. They found that every additional cup consumed on a daily basis appears to lower the risk of developing an irregular heart rhythm by 3 per cent.

The study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, said, “In this prospective cohort study, increasing amounts of

habitual coffee intake were associated with a lower risk of arrhythmia.

Particularly for atrial fibrillation and supraventricular tachycardia, with no evidence that genetically determined differences in caffeine metabolism modified these associations.

Common prohibitions against caffeine to reduce arrhythmia risk are likely unwarranted.”

Genetics and coffee consumption habits of 386,258 participants were

analysed over the course of five years. The data was collected by the UK Biobank. Over the followup period, 16,979 participants were found to develop an incident arrhythmia.

After adjusting for confounding factors, like demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions and lifestyle habits, the team found each additional regular cup of coffee consumed to lower the risk of incident arrhythmia by three per cent.

To Our Readers

We are publishing these reports in good faith. Before you try any of these remedies, please consult the doctor. We are not responsible for any adverse effects.- Editor

28

ART & CULTURE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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31 July - 6 Aug 2021

Shefali Saxena

‘If we lose the few artists we W have what happens to the voice of British South Asians?’

Suman Kaur is an artist specialising in portraiture and figurative work. She is the winner of the BBC Big Painting Challenge 2017 and Royal Scholar under the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship trust. She is a Sikh artist and is based in the United Kingdom.

As an emerging artist, her works have featured within numerous exhibitions including Sunday Times Watercolour Competition, Patchings Art Festival, Cass Art - Artist of the Year Exhibition, with work permanently acquired by Leeds Art Galleries and Museums.

In an exclusive conversation with Asian Voice, Kaur spoke about the evolution of art, challenges and the future of art post the pandemic. ow has your perspective and approach towards creating art changed during the pandemic?

It hasn’t. What I do comes from a mindset that is constant, it’s almost meditative. If anything the reminder that life is fragile and is to be cherished has brought me peace that I am doing something I care about. ow challenging is it to sell art in such times and get the right price for your creativity?

Suman's Nan fixing her hair.

Image courtesy: Suman Kaur Covid has hit all businesses. I try to be realistic when I price my work. I bear in They didn’t understand. And I had mind my current to have a lot of courage as an only collectors and what they child to take a different path. I have paid, however, I do have built my business myself, I discount work from time have looked for opportunities, for to time. Art really has no example, I later won the BBC Big value but what I or Painting Challenge competition. someone else looking at it When I couldn’t afford schooling, I gives it; art itself is found and won a scholarship and priceless. am now a Painter of the Queen ow supportive has Elizabeth Scholarship Trust. My your family been in parents support me emotionally helping you advance in a Maharaja Duleep Singh, and are there to make sure I am career in the arts?

Royal Collection Trust; not without a home as the career is Initially like most Image courtesy: Suman Kaur still building. It’s new for them to parents would be they have an artist working in the were apprehensive that I was leaving a family, they are just as unclear as to how I career in a bioengineering field to do art.

H

H

H

Shobna Gulati to play Mari Hoff in The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice Producers Katy Lipson and Glass Half Full Productions have announced the UK tour of a brand-new production of Jim Cartwright’s The Rise And Fall of Little Voice directed by Bronagh Lagan (Cruise, West End). Twotime Drama Desk nominee Christina Bianco, whose extraordinary diva videos have been viewed over a 25million times on YouTube to great international acclaim, will play LV. Shobna Gulati, whose work includes Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (West End/film), Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith), Coronation Street and Dinner Ladies will play Mari Hoff. Shobna Gulati became a household name for her roles as Sunita in Coronation Street and Anita in Dinnerladies.

She has performed extensively on stage and screen, most recently as Ray in the West End production and upcoming film of

Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith) and as a presenter on Loose Women. Her memoir Remember Me was published last year.

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will open in Southampton on 23 March 2022 and tour to The Capitol Horsham, Exeter Northcott, Malvern Theatres, Theatre Royal Brighton, Liverpool Playhouse, Theatre Royal Wakefield, Crewe Lyceum Theatre, The Lowry Salford, Blackpool Grand, Mercury Theatre Colchester, Richmond Theatre and York Theatre Royal.

Prabhakar Pachpute wins Derek Williams Trust Purchase Prize The award enables a work of art by an Artes Mundi shortlisted artist to be acquired by Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales for its permanent collection of contemporary art. Previous recipients of the award have included Ragnar Kjartansson, Bedwyr Williams, Tanya Bruguera and Anna Boghiguian. Pachpute’s work is currently on display at National Museum Cardiff as part of the UK’s largest biennial international exhibition and art prize – Artes Mundi 9 – which runs until 5 September 2021.

Pachpute has exhibited internationally from São Paulo to Istanbul, from Barcelona

will be in future. But they know I am happy. hat according to you is the future of arts post the pandemic? How do you think the UK government can help artists?

There are fewer opportunities for people in lower-income families to access the arts as a career. Art is voice and freedom and voices should not only be represented by a few of privilege. If I didn’t have the support I have I couldn’t be an artist, I understand from my own experience that getting to a ‘high’ level in the arts, meaning to exhibit or to be recognised is more easily achieved when you are of a certain background or by luck. I am sure many people recognise that art is not something that is very much encouraged in our South Asian communities. In the past, I have turned to help from within our community and been ignored. It is only now after getting to this level, that people view me as having any worth. Perhaps that is another emotional tip, be mindful and remember those who are there when you are ‘nothing’.

Anyway in the case of South Asian art, we never really had a voice, if we lose the few artists we have what happens to the voice of British South Asians? Support needs to be given so that representation in art is diverse. And I do not mean to simply be used to tick a box of diversity in a project, but to be in permanent collections and shown.

To check out more of Suman's work, you can log on to her website https://www.sumankaur.co.uk/

TIPS FOR READERS WHO WANT TO PURSUE ART AS A CAREER In a practical sense:

v Don’t be arrogant, look at all types of art and decide what you love and read and learn about it v Work on your skillset, study how to use whatever material you are interested in working with properly v Don’t use cheap or low-quality materials – paints for example if oil should be of good quality. v Budget: studio space, marketing, materials, entering competitions costs money, be prepared if you are not financially stable to struggle occasionally. v Always credit any inspiration you have used. v If you come from a lower-income background there may be fewer opportunities for you to enter into the ‘art world’ accept this and keep pushing forward regardless.

In an emotional sense:

v Do not have an ego v If your primary goal of being an artist is making money; forget it. Art should come from your soul. v Do not compare your work to anyone else’s, you will never be them as they will never be you, respect yourself and your individuality. v If you are not respected by other artists, do not disrespect them. v Believe in yourself, you will meet many people and be in many situations that will discourage you.

Still believe.

Artes Mundi. Together, these works form to Brisbane, and yet this part of Pachpute’s presentation at Artes acquisition marks the first Mundi 9 and draw on a shared cultural time that work by the Indian heritage between Welsh and global mining artist has been purchased by communities including Pachpute’s own a museum or institution in familial history, workers in the coal mines the UK as well as a of central India for three generations. significant milestone in the Prabhakar Pachpute said: "I am ongoing development of an deeply honoured and feel humbled internationally significant to know about the decision of the contemporary art collection for Derek Williams Trust Artes Mundi Wales.

Purchase Prize. The gesture of Rattling Knot (2020) and The appreciation is very important for an Close Observer (2020) were Prabhakar Pachpute artist to keep on working. This selected for the award by a jury acknowledgement for my practice comes including Nick Thornton of National with more responsibility and it truly means a Museum Cardiff and Dr. Zoé Whitley of lot to me. I hope I will grow wiser with it."

Chisenhale Gallery in London, alongside

in brief KENYA BORN INDIAN AUTHOR’S NOVEL LAUNCHED

Ashwin Dave launched the novel 'When Elephants Fight' on Amazon in June 2021. It is a thriller based on Dave’s short story 'The Ivory Towers' - which is one of seven short stories published in Dec 2018.

Dave told Asian Voice about being one of the minority Asian authors, and how it is difficult at the best of times. “A catch 22 situation for new authors trying to market without any 'brand' presence,” Dave said.

The book summary is as follows: “When British vet Alec Dunlop is stopped at customs on the way home from a trip to Africa, he’s unexpectedly thrown into a dangerous world of illegal ivory smuggling, blackmail and murder. Drawn back to East Africa, Alec is soon working with wildlife cop Sam Samana trying to uncover a gang of ivory poachers – and falling in love with the beautiful Ava. But when Ava is murdered, a heartbroken Alec is set on a fatal collision course with a criminal cartel that has roots not only in East Africa but in Dubai, Bombay, London and beyond. And when Sam comes up with a risky plan to set a trap for the crime lords, it could be Alec that’s in the firing line. As deadly secrets and hidden identities are uncovered, can Alec trust anyone at all? And will he make it out alive?”

LONDON'S NEWEST HARRY POTTER™ EXPERIENCE IS NOW OPEN!

A new Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition, in all set to open at Covent Garden. It promises exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and London's only bottled Butterbeer™ bar. Tickets and hotel start from £49pp*. As a part of the magical staycation, The Harry Potter Studio Tour at Watford, Hertfordshire is offering a package of hotel & breakfast for £56 per person. The Studio Tour is based at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, a purpose-built, state-of-the-art film and television studio where all eight Harry Potter films were produced! This incredible experience is a must for anyone who is spellbound by the Harry Potter film series. The Studio Tour offers up a treasure trove of props, costumes and sets, with something new to discover around every corner.

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BOLLYWOOD 29 31 July - 6 Aug 2021

Ananya Panday seeks love advice from Shanaya Kapoor During an appearance on Feet Up With The Stars, Ananya Panday said that Shanaya Kapoor is the one she goes to when she needs advice on relationships.

“She is a very bad person but I still go to her. I don’t know why,” she joked. “The best love advice she gave me was to chill and stop acting crazy. But I need to still follow through with that,” she continued.

On the show, Ananya also opened up about her equation with Shanaya and Suhana Khan, who have been her best friends since childhood. “For me, mujhe nahi lagta ki meri family sirf chaar logon ki hai (I don’t think my family consists of only four members). I feel like I have a very big family because I have grown up around Suhana and Shanaya, and we have so many memories together. Even when Shanaya’s mom

(Maheep Kapoor) was pregnant with her, I used to lie on her mum’s stomach, so I feel like Shanaya and I have a connection even before she was born,” she said.

Ananya revealed that when they were younger, she would play ‘Mother Mother’ with Suhana and Shanaya, a game which involved them imitating each other’s mothers - Bhavana Pandey, Gauri Khan and Maheep Kapoor.

Ananya is set to make her pan-India debut with Puri Jagannadh’s 'Liger', which also stars Vijay Deverakonda as a boxer. The film will release in five languages - Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. She also has Shakun Batra’s next, alongside Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi, in the pipeline.

Sonam Kapoor puts pregnancy rumours to rest

Arjun Kapoor opens up about struggling with obesity Arjun Kapoor has yet again lost a lot of weight and is flaunting a fitter body these days. As gorgeous as he looks, his fitness journey hasn't been easy because of certain health issues.

Sharing in his latest interview, Arjun said, “Not many know, but I have been battling obesity for the longest time. I was just not a fat kid, it was a health issue. It hasn't been easy. My underlying health condition has always made it a struggle for me to constantly stay a certain size.”

Arjun weighed a whopping 150 kgs at the age of 16. He later followed a rigorous fitness regime and stunned everyone with his body transformation before he made his Bollywood debut.

The weight, however, came back a few years later, leading to social media trolling and excessive body shaming on the internet.

Arjun said, “The pressure to be relevant in the industry is immense and the negativity does get to you.

When my films weren’t working to the level that I expected them to, the negativity just mounted. The triggers that had caused my health issue in the first place came back, but I tried hard to keep going and make every day count. When you are constantly engulfed in work, you don’t realise the slide that you could be going through. You could be crumbling from inside while putting on a brave face. It happened

Grapevine is abuzz with rumours revolving Sonam Kapoor Ahuja's pregnancy ever since she returned to Mumbai from London after over a year. The 36 year old, however, put all rumours to rest with a social media post. Sharing a boomerang video in which she was seen holding a hot cup of tea, Sonam wrote, “Hot water bottle and ginger tea for first day of my period...”

The actress has been in London since 2020. She could not travel to India for work or to meet her family due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. She returned last week and was visibly emotional to see her father Anil Kapoor who had gone to the Mumbai International airport to pick her up.

On the work front, Sonam recently wrapped up 'Blind', a remake of a 2011 South Korean thriller. She plays a visually challenged cop in search of a serial killer.

Kareena and Karisma collaborate for 'something exciting' Bollywood's favourite Kapoor sisters, Karisma and Kareena Kapoor Khan are reportedly coming together for “something exciting”. The two recently shot for a new project with 'Student of the Year 2' director

to me; it happens to a lot of people.”

The success of his last release 'Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar' helped Arjun achieve a better physique. He shared, “The success of this film meant a lot for me. I have been able to achieve a better physique and I credit my state of mind to be a huge factor for this.” On the work front, he is currently working on his next 'Ek Villain 2'. He also looks forward to the release of 'Bhoot Police' starring Saif Ali Khan, Yami Gautam, and Fatima Sana Shaikh.

Punit Malhotra. Both ladies shared behind the scenes pictures from the sets.

Sharing a picture with Bebo, Karisma wrote on Instagram, “Always special shooting with bebo something exciting coming soon”. In the picture, both the sisters are seen cracking up. While Karisma looks chic in a neon top and black pants, Kareena looks gorgeous in a red dress. Punit commented on the post, “Finally got to work with you maam. And loved the graph @therealkarismakapoor @kareenakapoorkhan.”

Punit too shared a picture with the Kapoor sisters which seems to be clicked in a building lift. He captioned the picture, “Oonchi hai building, lift teri band hai . The funniest shoot with the loveliest @therealkarismakapoor & my favourite @kareenakapoorkhan.”

On the work front, Kareena is looking forward to the release of her next film 'Laal Singh Chadha', also starring Aamir Khan in the lead role.

She is also preparing to release her new book 'Pregnancy Bible'.

30 BOLLYWOOD

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31 July - 6 Aug 2021

Deepika drops new monochrome photo Actress Deepika Padukone dropped a brand new monochrome of herself on picture Instagram, leaving her fans in awe of her. As soon as she posted the picture, her husband and actor Ranveer Singh was one of the firsts to drop a comment. He tagged her as “Gorg.”

The actress' fans too commented a lot of hearts on the post. One of the fans commented, “You are heart”, while

Tiger Shroff opens up about past financial difficulties

another wrote, “Let me present you all who is she! Deepika Queen Padukone.” On the work front, Deepika is currently shooting for “Fighter”, in which she shares the screen with Hrithik Roshan.

She also has Nag Ashwin's tentatively titled magnum opus 'Project-K' which has gone on floors. This will be her first film with Prabhas.

Tiger Shroff, the actor son of Jackie and Ayesha Shroff, has certainly made a mark in the Indian film industry. He is far different from what you would expect a star child to be. In an interview, the actor elaborated on how his parents' financial difficulties were a motivator for him to do something with his life. He says he was only 11 when he saw their home being sold as a result of his family going bankrupt.

“I remember how our furniture and stuff was sold off, one by one. My mother's artwork, lamps... Things I'd grown up seeing around us started disappearing. Then my bed went. I started to sleep on the floor. It was the worst feeling of my life. I wanted to work at that age but I knew I could do nothing to help,” he said.

The Shroffs had to sell their four-bedroom Bandra apartment and move into a smaller apartment after 2002 movie 'Boom', produced by Ayesha, leaked on the internet and Jackie ensured its release despite distributors pulling out. Tiger said the uncertainty of those years was a powerful motivator and after he joined the film industry, he promised his mother that he'd buy their house back. Which he did in 2017.

Touched by the gesture, his parents, however, declined. Jackie in a recent interview had said, “I'm just proud of both my children. They are strong enough to get the house back; my wife didn't want it back. She said, 'Let it be, what's gone is gone'. But his thought was nice, his thought was beautiful that he wants to make a house for his mother and his family.”

Kartik Aaryan's 'Captain India' first look revealed Kartik Aaryan's first look from Hansal Mehta's directorial 'Captain India' was revealed over the weekend and the actor is seen dressed as a pilot with his face hidden behind the captain's cap. The movie is inspired by one of India's successful rescue missions from a war-torn country. The film is produced by RSVP and Baweja Studios, and will reportedly revisit “one of the most successful rescue operations in Indian history.”

Kartik said in a statement, “Captain India is inspiring and thrilling in equal measure and it gives me great pride and honour to be a part of such a historic chapter of our country. I have immense respect for Hansal Sir’s body of work and this was the perfect opportunity to collaborate with him.” Director Mehta added, “Captain India which is inspired by true events will revisit a moment in time where a man goes beyond his own pain and suffering to save thousands. I’m happy to collaborate with Ronnie Screwvala and Harman Baweja on the film and I look forward to working with Kartik.”

Writer and producer Harman Baweja said the movie “will resonate with every Indian.” Kartik has an interesting line up of movies ahead, including 'Bhool Bhulaiya 2', Netflix's 'Dhamaka', and an untitled film to be directed by Sameer Vidwans.

Salman apologises for not following Athiya Shetty on Instagram Bollywood's 'Bhai' Salman Khan recently made an appearance on brother Arbaaz Khan's chat show 'Pinch' Season 2, where he was asked about the people he is following on social media. Arbaaz mentioned that while the actor has 42.2 million followers on Instagram, he follows only 27 people.

He gave Salman three options – Katrina Kaif, Sangeeta Bijlani, and Athiya Shetty, and asked him to guess which of the three he wasn't following on Instagram. While Salman guessed Sangeeta, Arbaaz let him know it was actually Athiya. Sallu went on to apologise to the actress with folded hands and said he will follow her from then on.

While the actress herself is yet to react to the segment, her father and actor Suniel Shetty

found the gesture cute.

Speaking to a daily, Suniel said, “Salman is family.

Whatever he does he does from his heart. When he said sorry to Athiya on screen, it is the cutest thing to happen.

They have a beautiful relationship. As for me, I cherish my relationship with him. And, it takes a man to say sorry.

Fantastic!”

The show featured a segment where Salman was told about the comments people left for him online. He was also shown a comment that called him an expert at “dikhawa wala acting” (showboating).

He responded, “Theek hai, aap bhi kar lo. Dikhawe wale acting mein bhi na ek bohot bada seena aur bohot bada gurda chahiye hota hai (Okay, then you do it too. Even to show off, you need a big heart and courage).”

Will 'survive challenges' amidst husband's porn case: Shilpa

Shilpa Shetty posted a page of a book and a quote by James Thurber on her social media, a first after husband Raj Kundra's arrest for allegedly creating and distributing porn via mobile applications. Shilpa's post read, “Do not look back in anger; or forward in fear but around in awareness.”

“We look back in anger at the people who’ve hurt us, the frustrations we’ve felt, the bad luck we’ve endured. We look forward in fear at the possibility that we might lose our job, contract a disease, or suffer the death of a loved one. The place we need to be is right here, right now - not looking anxiously at what has been or what might be, but fully aware of what is. I take a deep breath, knowing that I’m lucky to be alive. I have survived challenges in the past and will survive challenges in the future. Nothing need distract me from living my life today,” the quote added.

At least 11 people, including Kundra have been arrested in the case. Mumbai police said they have “sufficient evidences” against the businessman. Investigators have learnt that the pornographic clips made in India were transferred to UKbased Kenrin, which would further upload the videos on the app Hotshots, formerly under the ownership of Armsprime Media. Kundra was a co-owner of Armsprime, and resigned after the application was sold for $25,000. Police have not found any involvement of Shilpa in the case till now.

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31 July - 6 Aug 2021

Aish, Abhishek and Aaradhya spend time with Sarathkumar and family Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, husband Abhishek and daughter Aaradhya spend some quality time with her 'Ponniyin Selvan' co-star Sarathkumar over the weekend. Sarathkumar's daughter Varalaxmi took to Instagram to share her fan girl moment. She said she was “overwhelmed” with the couple's humility and love.

“Met 3 of the warmest and most humble people last night.. none other than the gorgeous @aishwaryaraibachchan_arb the handsome hunk @bachchan and their sweetest daughter

#aaradhyabachchan,” Varalaxmi wrote.

She added that despite their lineage, “Their humility and warmth was so amazing, I was just overwhelmed with their love! It was so sweet of you to meet us and spend time with us.. may god shower all his blessings on your family!”

Sarathkumar and Aishwarya will be seen in Mani Ratnam's magnum opus film 'Ponniyin Selvan'. Filmmakers shot about 75 per cent of the film before the second wave of the coronavirus interrupted production. The rest of the shoot will be completed in about 50 days.

Nandamuri Balakrishna claims he doesn't know AR Rahman Veteran actor Nandamuri Balakrishna stirred up controversy recently by claiming he does not know Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman. A short clip

trolling the actor for his response.

One pointed out that it's a tragedy to not know a global icon such as Rahman. While another wrote it's this attitude that makes people

Prabhas welcomes Amitabh as 'Project K' goes to floors Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan gave the muhurat shot of the much-awaited Prabhas-starrer 'Project K', on Guru Purnima.

Directed by Nag Ashwin, the movie will also star Deepika Padukone.

Prabhas shared a picture on Instagram, informing his fans that work on the film has started. He wrote, “On this #GuruPurnima, it is an honour for me to Clap for the Guru of Indian cinema! ... it now begins!! #ProjectK”.

Amitabh later shared the same still from the sets of the movie. He tagged Prabhas as the “icon” who “Created cinematic magical waves throughout the country and the world with Bahubali.” His post read, “.. for the Mahurat shot of #ProjectK .. what an honour to be behind the clap being given by the icon that created cinematic magical waves throughout the Country and the World with Bahubali

@actorprabhas”.

A whole new set is being created in Hyderabad's Ramoji Film City and it is said to be one of the most expensive Indian projects to this date.

Nag Ashwin said in an interview, “Story, script and entire universe that is going to be built for Prabhas' film. We are still in the planning stage.

Every property for this movie has to be created from zero, and Prabhas and I are trying to give our best to the project.”

Nag Ashwin’s directorial marks Prabhas and Amitabh’s first project together. On the work front, Prabhas will also be seen in 'Radhe Shyam' and Om Raut’s 'Adipurush', while Deepika has '83' and 'Fighter' to her credit. Amitabh recently shot for 'GoodBye', which stars him opposite Rashmika Mandanna. The film has been directed by Vikas Bahl.

Priyamani says 'very secure' with husband Mustafa Raj

from the interview has made its way to social media, and Nandmuri can be heard saying, “I don't know who Rahman is. I don't care. Once in a decade, he gives a hit and gets an Oscar award.”

The interview led to people

hate Nandamuri.

On the work front, Nandamuri is gearing up for the release of his upcoming Telugu film 'Akhanda', which marks the third time reunion of the star with director Boyapati Srinu.

TV Listing * Schedule is subject to change

MON 2 AUG FRI 6 AUG 2021 6.00 VAAV 13.00 MAHAVIR HANUMAN 14.00 RASOI SHOW 15.30 JAI SHRI KRISHNA 16.00 SAU DAHDA SASUNA 18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MANMILAP.COM 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

In a recent interview, actress Priyamani said she and husband Mustafa Raj are in a “very secure” relationship. The comment comes after Mustafa's ex-wife Ayesha alleged that she is still married to him and his marriage with Priyamani is “invalid”.

In an interview, 'The Family Man' actress said, “Communication is the key. If you’re asking about the relationship between me and Mustafa, by far, we are definitely very secure in our relationship, even though right now, he is in the US. He’s working there. We make it a point that we talk to each other every day. If he’s busy with work, he’ll probably call me or text me once he’s free. Or vice versa, if I’m busy with shooting, I would do that.”

20.30 SHANI 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI SATURDAY 31 JUL 6.00 CHUNDADI NI LAAJ 13.00 MAHAVIR HANUMAN 14.00 RASOI SHOW 15.30 JAI SHRI KRISHNA 16.00 SAU DAHDA SASUNA 18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MANMILAP.COM 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 SHANI 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI SUNDAY 1 AUG 15.00 Vifreli Vaghan 18.00 RASOI SHOW 19.00 Ventilator 22.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

She said they don't let the different time zones affect them. “We definitely make it a point to communicate with each other. If not anything, just a small thing like ‘Are you OK?’ That really goes far; if he’s tired or if I am, if somebody is there to ask him, it speaks volumes about the person and what they feel about you.

We are very secure, we make it a point to talk to each other, and that is the key to every relationship.”

Mustafa and his ex-wife separated in 2013. They have two children. He later married Priyamani in 2017.

Responding to Ayesha's recent allegations, he said, “The charges against me are false. I am paying for the children’s maintenance to Ayesha regularly. She is trying to extort money from me.”

22.00 ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN 3

SATURDAY 31 JUL

16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS

17.30

DESI BEAT (SEASON 3)

18.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 2 AUG - FRI 6 AUG 2021 8.30 BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 18.30 19.00 20.00 20.30 21.00 21.30

TUM KAUN PIYA DIL KA RISHTA BHAGYA KA LIKHA DIL SE DIL TAK BARRISTER BABU EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA

20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK

20.30 DESI BEAT RESET

21.00 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

SUNDAY 1 AUG

16.30 RASOI SHOW -

DESI FLAVOURS

17.30 DESI BEAT (SEASON 3)

18.00 BOLLYWOOD KI SHAAM

BLOCKBUSTER KE NAAM RAJA HINDUSTANI

21.30 DESI BEAT RESET

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Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu wins silver medal in Tokyo Mirabai Chanu ended India's 21-year wait for a weightlifting medal at the Olympics by clinching a silver medal in the 49kg category to open the country's account on Saturday.

The 26-year-old lifted a total of 202kg (87kg+115kg) to better Karnam Malleswari's bronze in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. With this, she exorcised the ghosts of the 2016 Games where she had failed to log a single legitimate lift. The gold went to China's Hou Zhihui with an effort of 210kg (94kg+116kg) , while Aisah Windy Cantika of Indonesia took home the bronze with an effort of 194kg (84kg+110kg).

Considered her weakness in the run up to the marquee event, Chanu attempted 84kg in her first snatch attempt. The Manipuri took her time and cleanly heaved the barbell. She lifted 87kg in her next

attempt and raised the weight to 89kg, which was one 1kg more than her personal best of 88kg that she had lifted at the

national championship last year.

However, she was unable to better her personal best and settled for 87kg in the snatch event only behind leader Zhihui, who created a new Olympic record with an effort of 94kg. In the clean jerk, Chanu, the world record holder in the section, lifted 110kg and 115kg in the first two attempts.

However, she was unable to raise 117kg in her final attempt but it was enough to fetch her a medal and open India's account.

The diminutive Mannipuri broke down after realising that she has secured a medal and hugged her coach in jubiliation. She later broke into a dance too to celebrate the historic podium finish.

India win first T20 against Lanka by 38 runs India outplayed Sri Lanka by 38 runs in the opening T20 International at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday night, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. A superb half-century by the in-form Suryakumar Yadav (50) and a 46-run knock by skipper Shikhar Dhawan helped India put up 164 for five as Sri Lanka put in a decent performance with the ball after electing to field first.

However, a shoddy performance by the bat, except Charith Asalanka, who smashed a quickfire 44 on his debut, saw the hosts crash to 126 all out in the 19th over.

Asalanka showed some fight as he struck a few big blows, but once paceman Deepak Chahar had him caught at deep mid wicket and then castled Wanindu Hasaranga in a double-strike in the 16th over, India had the game in the bag.

While Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked four for 22, the pick of the Indian bowlers was leg-spinner Yuzuvendra Chahal, who bowled 10 dot balls while giving away just 19 runs in four overs. The way he castled a bamboozled Dhananjaya de Silva with a ‘jaffa,’ which pitched near leg stump but went on to kiss the off stump, was

excellent, displaying the high quality of this world-class bowler.

As expected, India gave a maiden international cap to ‘mystery spinner’ Varun Chakravarthy, who showed a bit of promise while taking one for 28 in four overs. Earlier, pacer Dushmantha Chameera and leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga bowled superbly, taking two wickets each as Lanka took the pace off the ball in damp conditions to keep India in check.

2nd T20I postponed The second T20 international match between Sri Lanka vs India at Colombo on Tuesday has been postponed after India all-rounder Krunal Pandya tested positive for coronavirus. In a statement, the BCCI said that following the Rapid Antigen Tests conducted ahead of the match on Tuesday morning, Pandya was found to be positive.

The medical teams have identified eight members as close contacts. The entire contingent is undergoing RT-PCR tests to

IPL resumes on Sept 19 in UAE with MI, CSK clash Defending champions Mumbai Indians will meet Chennai Super Kings in Dubai on September 19 when the IPL resumes in the United Arab Emirates, the BCCI announced. The tournament was suspended in May after multiple Covid19 cases were reported in its bio-bubble.

“The 14th season, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the pandemic, will resume on 19th September in Dubai with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians,” said the BCCI in a statement. A total number of 31 matches will be played in the duration of 27 days including seven doubles headers (five were held in India).

After the CSK-MI clash, the action will shift to Abu

ascertain any further outbreak in the squad. The match will now be played on Wednesday (July 28).

Lanka beat India in 3rd ODI Sri Lanka beat India by three wickets in the third and final one-dayer to lose the series 1-2. Chasing 227 for a win under D/L calculations, Sri Lanka reached the target with 48 balls to spare. They reached 227 for 7 in 39 overs. Opener Avishka Fernando topscored with 76 while one-down Bhanuka Rajapaksa contributed a 56-ball 65 to help Sri Lanka script the win.

For India, Rahul Chahar was the most successful bowler with three wickets for 54 runs. The match was reduced to a 47-overa-side affair after rain interruption in the first innings. Opting to bat, India were all out for 225 in 43.1 overs.

SURYAKUMAR, SHAW TO JOIN TEAM IN ENGLAND Opener Prithvi Shaw and middle-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav have been added to the Indian Test squad for the five-match series against England starting August 4 as replacements to injured players Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar. Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was in stand-bye has been added to the main squad with standbye pacer Avesh Khan also going back home with a fractured left thumb. Gill is out with shin splints while Sundar has an injury to his right-hand bowling finger. “The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav as replacements,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a release. Both Avesh and Washington sustained their injuries while turning up for County XI in the warm-up game against their own side. This was done after multiple players in the home team were ruled out either due to injury or because of Covid-19 isolation. There were reports that off-spinner Jayant Yadav was also supposed to go Washington’s replacement but it was learnt that he won’t be required as of now.

UK TO MAKE VACCINE PASSPORTS COMPULSORY The government is set to introduce vaccine passport a must to enter football stadiums. If you are not double-jabbed you will be barred from entry. The move would apply to all professional clubs in England, raising financial problems for lower down clubs. The move will affect 800,000 fans who attend the Premier League games each week. Taking out children, that leaves 704,000 and out of that 30 per cent are not double-jabbed. It means, 210,000 would be locked out- plus many more in the Second tier championship, League One and Two. Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawal said widening the passport scheme was the right thing to do. He said the venues could insist on proof of double vaccination. The announcement about the scheme would be made before the commencement of the season. Those who have had Covid will be able to provide proof of their positive test, which is then valid for six months as evidence of antibodies.

PRIYA WINS GOLD AT WORLD CADET CHAMPIONSHIPS Indian grappler Priya Malik clinched gold at the World Cadet Wrestling Championships in Budapest on Sunday. Priya defeated Kseniya Patapovich 5-0 in the summit clash and as a result, she won a gold medal at the World Cadet Championships in Hungary. Priya won in the women’s 73kg weight category and she has given the country another reason to smile.

Hameed, Robinson in England squad for first 2 Tests against India

Dhabi where the Kolkata Knight Riders will square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Sharjah will host its first game on September 24 when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on CSK. In all, 13 matches will be held in Dubai, 10 in Sharjah and 8 in Abu Dhabi.

“There will be 7 double headers (5 matches already played in India total of 12 matches) with the first

match starting at 3:30 pm IST. All evening matches will start at 7:30 pm IST,” added the statement.

The final league game will be played between RCB and Delhi Capitals on Oct 8.

The first Qualifier will be played in Dubai on Oct 10, the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will be played in Sharjah on Oct 11 and 13 respectively with Dubai hosting the final on October 15.

England named a 17member strong squad for the first two Test matches against India. The fivematch series starts with the opening Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on August 4. Jofra Archer misses out as he is still recuperating from his elbow surgery and so does Chris Woakes, due to a bruised heel. The squad, led by Joe Root, has all the usual suspects with the old firm of James Anderson and Stuart Broad leading the seam bowling unit. Sam Curran and Mark Wood have been named in the squad along with Ollie Robinson, who returns to international

duty after serving a suspension due to his old 'sexist and racist tweets'.

Opening batsman Haseeb Hameed of Nottinghamshire has also been included in the squad.

This puts pressure on the likes of Dom Sibley and Rory Burns. Hameed played the last of his three Test matches for England at Mohali in 2016. He was one of the finds of that series, scoring 219 runs at an average of over 43. It's a great opportunity for the youngster to pull his career out of cold storage.

Johnny Bairstow and Jos Buttler have both been recalled after being rested

for last month's series against New Zealand, which the hosts lost.

England Men’s Test Squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire) Captain, James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Dom Bess (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Mark Wood (Durham)