Asian Express National - January Edition 2014

Asian

Express JANUARY 1ST EDITION 2014

Madhuri Dixit-Nene

National

talks about her role in see page 32

‘Dedh Ishqiya’

®

Asian’s takeover the TV screens see page 29

Multi-million pound settlement for girl’s glue injection

Cont Page 6

Record £24million compensation

By Ashley Grint ashley@asianexpress.co.uk

A young girl, who has suffered permanent brain damage due to a hospital mix-up which saw glue injected into her brain, has been awarded a record £24million in compensation.

Maisha Najeeb, 13, was admitted to the Children’s Clinic at Great Ormond Street in 2010 for treatment on a rare condition which had meant that her arteries and veins were tangled in her brain.

The proposed surgery would see the girl injected with harmless dye, to allow doctors to see how well blood was flowing in her brain.

Yet, when the doctors were performing the surgery, the syringe was mixed up with one containing glue, leading Maisha to suffer irreversible brain damage.

Speaking outside London High Court, the now 13year-old’s father, Sadir Hussain, said: “Her life is ruined. All her dreams have been broken.

COMPENSATION: Maisha Najeeb was awarded millions in compensation after she suffered brain damage following a mix-up in the hospital

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HERO: 15-year-old Aitzaz Hasan intercepted a suicide bomber outside his school saving the lives of some 2,000 children

Aitzaz Hasan: Pakistan’s braveheart

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15-year-old who intercepted a suicide bomber outside his school is recommended for award

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By Anush Ansari anush@asianexpress.co.uk

Tributes continue to pour in for the Pakistani teenager who is being hailed a ‘hero’ and ‘braveheart’ after he was killed when tackling a suicide bomber targeting his school.

15-year-old Aitzaz Hasan, was with friends outside his school in the Ibrahimzai area of Hangu district, when they spotted a man wearing a suicide vest. There were almost 2,000 students in

attendance at the time of the attack.

Despite the pleas of his fellow students, he decided to confront and capture the bomber who then detonated his vest.

There have even been calls for him to receive the highest award for his courage.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has recommended a bravery award – the Sitara-eShujjat, which can only be awarded once Pakistan's president has approved it.

“Shaheed Aitizaz's brave act saved the lives of hundreds of students and established a sterling

example of gallantry and patriotism,” a statement from the prime minister's office said.

The Minister for Information in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province, Shah Farman, said on Thursday that Aitzaz was a “real hero and true face of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.

Local authorities have also said they will offer compensation for Aitzaz's family.

His family insist that rather than focus on the sorrow brought about by his death, they want to focus on their pride in his actions.

On Twitter, users have been paying tribute to Aitzaz using the

hashtags #onemillionaitzaz and #AitzazBraveheart echoing the language used online around figures such as Pakistani education campaigner Malala Yousafzai and the Delhi rape victim, whose death galvanised Indian public opinion and prompted changes in rape laws there.

Hangu is close to Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal regions, which have a strong Taliban and al-Qaeda presence and the area is also known for sectarian violence against Shia Muslims.

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India marks three years since its last reported polio case on this week, meaning it will soon be certified as having defeated the ancient scourge in a huge advance for global eradication efforts.

The milestone confirms one of India's biggest public health success stories, achieving something once thought impossible, thanks to a massive and sustained vaccination programme.

India's health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, along with global groups who have been working to eradicate the virus, hailed the three years as "a monumental milestone".

"In 2009 India accounted for over half of the global polio burden and today is the historic day when we have completed three years without a single case of wild polio," the minister told reporters in the capital.

With the number of cases in decline in Nigeria and Afghanistan, two of only three countries where polio is still endemic, world efforts to consign the crippling virus to history are making steady progress.

"In 2012, there were the fewest numbers of cases in endemic countries as ever before. So far in 2013 (records are still being checked), there were even less," Hamid Jafari, global polio expert at the World Health Organisation said.

"If the current trends of progress continue we could very easily see the end of polio in Afghanistan and Nigeria in 2014," added Jafari, hailed as having played a crucial role in India's victory.

Despite the success, isolated polio outbreaks in the Horn of Africa and war-wrecked Syria emerged as new

causes for concern in 2013.

To celebrate India's success, the Rotary International charity, which has been a key donor, will illuminate the India Gate and Red Fort monuments in New Delhi with a message of congratulations.

India ‘proved to the world how to conquer this disease’ despite its population density and sanitation problems, said Nicole Deutsch, head of polio operations for UN children's arm UNICEF in India.

Countries are certified by the WHO as being polio-free if they go 12 months without a case, and are then said to have eradicated it after a period of three years without new infections. India will likely receive this endorsement only in March.

There also remain reasons for caution, with the virus still considered endemic in neighbouring Pakistan, where vaccinators are being killed by the Taliban which views them as possible spies.

A fake vaccination programme was used by the CIA to provide cover for operatives tracking Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, who was killed in Pakistan by US Special Forces in May 2011.

Hopes of progress were given a boost last month when Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan pledged to personally spearhead vaccination efforts in the troubled northwest of the country.

In India, the wretched sight of crippled street hawkers or beggars on wheeled trolleys will also remain as a legacy of the country’s time as an epicentre of the disease.

In the absence of any official data, most experts agree there are several

million survivors left with withered legs or twisted spines who face discrimination and often live on the very margins of Indian society.

The country's success was built on a huge vaccination programme that began in the mid-1990s with the backing of the central government and a coalition of charities, private donors, and UN agencies.

An army of more than two million vaccinators, backed by local religious and community leaders, canvassed villages, slums, train stations and public gatherings in even the most remote parts of the country.

The country reported 150,000 cases of paralytic polio in 1985, and it still accounted for half of all cases globally in 2009, with 741 infections that led to paralysis.

In 2010, the number of victims fell to double figures before the last case on January 13, 2011, when an 18month-old girl in a Kolkata slum was found to have contracted it. The girl, Rukshar Khatoon, is now attending school and leads a "normal life", although she still suffers pain in her right leg from the disease.

Jafari from the WHO highlighted the immense knock-on benefits for India, which is still afflicted by other preventable diseases, widespread malnutrition and poor sanitation.

"India has now set other important public health goals as a result of the confidence that the country has got from the successful eradication of polio," he said, citing a new measles eradication goal.

January 2014 - 1st Edition

Priyanka Chopra wows fans at GUESS flagship store, London NEWS

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Bollywood royalty descended on London's West End on Monday 20th January when Priyanka Chopra made a special appearance at the GUESS flagship store, Regent Street, to meet and greet fans at the exclusive sneak preview of her new single, ‘I Can't Make You Love Me’.

In-store, Priyanka interacted with admirers and well-wishers, posing for photos and signing autographs as Caroline Flack performed a DJ set that included the forthcoming single.

Bringing Regent Street to a standstill as she addressed the crowds gathered outside the store from as early as 8.00am, Priyanka said: “I keep coming to London and keep seeing you all. It feels really great that all of you have come here to see me. Thank you all so much!”

Following the event, the world-famous artist attended a VIP dinner, hosted by GUESS at the Penthouse of The London EDITION Hotel.

Additional guests

included David Gandy, Dylan McDermott, Eliza Doolittle, Pixie Lott, Oliver Cheshire, George Craig, Elarica Gallacher, Reggie Yates, Siva Kaneswaran, Sarah Jane Crawford, Laura Whitmore and Zara Martin.

The Bollywood icon, former Miss World, actor and recording artist is one of the most recognised and celebrated talents in India and recently starred in the GUESS Holiday 2013 advertising campaign, guided by Paul Marciano, Creative Director for GUESS? Inc., and shot by former GUESS collaborator and musician, Bryan Adams.

The Bollywood icon was captured for her classic glamour in stunning black and white images.

In relation to featuring Priyanka Chopra in the campaign, Paul Marciano said: “Priyanka’s confidence, strength and sensuality reflect the qualities I always look for in a model. Priyanka reminds me of the young Sophia Loren and the top actresses of the 1950s.

Choosing Priyanka reinforces our celebration of multi-talented, dynamic and accomplished women.”

In speaking about the event in London, Anjula Acharia Bath, CEO, Desi Hits!, said: “This is such a

proud moment - not only as Priyanka's management, but as a fellow woman of Indian descent. As the face of GUESS, Priyanka has managed to do so much more than serve as a beautiful face for a

massive brand. She's changed the idea what the girl next door should look like and has managed to make brown girls relevant.

Many thanks to GUESS for a wonderful evening and for making the world just a little but smaller.”

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Legal battle

An Iranian bank plans to file a claim worth hundreds of millions of pounds against the British government next month as part of efforts by Iranian companies to dismantle Western sanctions against them, a lawyer for the bank said.

Bank Mellat will demand at least £500million in a filing at Britain's Commercial Court on the 7th February, after the Supreme Court ruled last year that the government was wrong to slap sanctions on it, said the lawyer, Sarosh Zaiwalla.

It is the first time that an Iranian plaintiff against sanctions in Europe has reached the stage of claiming damages after a top court found in its favour, he said.

By making British taxpayers potentially liable, the case may put pressure on Western governments to ease their measures against Iranian firms in general, added London-based Zaiwalla, who represented Bank Mellat in its appeal to the Supreme Court.

UK investigate SAS link

Prime Minister David Cameron has directed his cabinet secretary to establish the facts behind claims that Margaret Thatcher's government may have helped Indira Gandhi plan Operation Bluestar in 1984.

Labour MP Tom Watson and Lord Indarjit Singh had demanded an explanation after recently declassified documents indicated that Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) officials had been dispatched to help India on the planning on the raid of the Golden Temple to flush out militants from the shrine, an operation left more than 1,000 people dead.

“These events led to a tragic loss of life and we understand the very legitimate concerns that these papers will raise. The Prime Minister has asked the cabinet secretary to look into this case urgently and establish the facts,” a UK government spokesperson said in a statement issued here yesterday night.

Charges admitted

A former British military intelligence officer denied at a public inquiry on Thursday that he had made death threats and fired shots while questioning Iraqi detainees in 2004.

He described shouting and using a tent peg to bang on a table as part of a range of methods to disorient detainees and maintain the "shock of capture", but denied beating or physically threatening the Iraqis.

The man, referred to only as "M004" because of his intelligence background, was giving evidence at the long-running Al-Sweady inquiry into events during and after a battle in southern Iraq on 14th May, 2004.

It is trying to get to the bottom of allegations by local Iraqis that British soldiers captured up to 20 men alive and later killed them at an army camp, and separately that they mistreated up to nine detainees.

The British soldiers say the 20 died fighting on the battlefield, and deny any mistreatment.

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UK’s most expensive REPOSSESSED: The property sits in a super-expensive street called Bishop’s Avenue dubbed 'Billionaire's row'

BATTLE LOST: Pakistani Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan and his family lost the battle with Deutsche bank following a lengthy High Court battle

r eposs ess i on

By Tanya Shah tanya@asianexpress.co.uk

A mansion on one of the world's most expensive streets has been put on the market for a whopping £30 million in what has been dubbed the UK's most expensive repossession.

Dryades is located in the centre of The Bishops Avenue, a leafy street dubbed Billionaires' Row. The owner of the property former senator Waqar Ahmed Khan, has had it seized by the bank following a lengthy High Court battle.

The home was bought for around £12 million in 2005 by the family of Waqar Ahmed Khan as they looked to invest in the London property market.

In 2007 it was used to secure a £50 million loan with Deutsche Bank, but a lengthy debt and possession dispute between both parties resulted in the family losing the home earlier this year.

The home has now been put on the market by the bank but anyone who

£30 million mansion, formerly owned by Pakistan Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan, seized

buys it won't live in the 8,000 sq/ft pad.

Instead it's set to be knocked down and replaced with the UK's largest new home. Under the approved proposals, the multimillion pound home can be replaced with a staggering 46,000 sq/ft property - 50 times the size of a typical home.

Despite being minutes from the busiest parts of London, it will boast 21 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and 12 reception rooms when completed and have 1.5 acres of gardens.

The front will have a 63-metre frontage and there will also be staff quarters, an orangery and a huge centrally-positioned staircase reached by walking through a grand vestibule.

As with many mansions, the property will also have a lavish basement, which will feature an underground car park, swimming pool, sauna, gym, steam room, billiards room, cinema, bar and bowling alley.

Its value could be approaching the £100 million mark when completed, making it one of the country¹s most valuable new residences.

The receivers, Eddisons, have appointed the Knight Frank estate agency to sell Dryades.

It currently lies boarded up on The Bishops Avenue and the grounds are beginning to look overgrown.

Grant Alexson, head of Knight Frank¹s Hampstead office, called the property ‘an exceptional opportunity’.

He said: “The house, which is currently quite modest, is set in 1.5 acres of prime land on The Bishops Avenue.

“The value is in the planning permission. A piece of land like this is worth a lot more if you can build on it.

“It would be the largest home on The Bishops Avenue and one of the largest new homes in the UK. “It is an exceptional opportunity to buy one of the finest pieces of land on The Bishops Avenue and it is likely to appeal to an international client.

“It has just come onto the market and there is already a lot of interest.”

The Bishops Avenue, dubbed Billionaires' Row, is one of the world's most well-known residential streets. It is a favourite among oligarchs and oil magnates and is sought after because of the size of the homes and the large plots of land that they occupy.

The Saudi Royal Family recently cashed in on the street, selling their ten homes to an investment group for a reported £80 million.

Judge fears for missing sisters It’s believed that three young sisters have been put on a plane unaccompanied by an adult and sent to Pakistan, after their parents feared that they’d be taken into care.

The High Court heard how Alyssa Din, 15, and her sisters Safia, five, and Amani, then three but now four, flew to Karachi via Islamabad in October last year after leaving their home in Preston, Lancashire.

Their whereabouts remain unknown, a judge was told.

Mr Justice Hayden described the missing girls' ordeal as "alarming", "brutal" and "almost impossible to imagine".

Details emerged at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court, as the judge ruled that the identities of the children and their parents could be revealed in the hope that publicity might lead to the youngsters being found.

Sources close to the case said the girls had flown from Heathrow. The airport refused to comment on the matter.

Mr Justice Hayden said the girls' father, Ilyas Din, and mother, Mazeley Din, are in prison for contempt of court after failing to provide information about the children's whereabouts.

Mr Din, who is in his late 40s, was given a 12-month term and Mrs Din, who is in her 30s, a sixmonth sentence.

The couple, who have other children and have been together for 17 years, were jailed following a hearing in Liverpool in December.

Mr Justice Hayden had decided at that stage not to reveal the family's identities because he thought publicity might harm any children still in England.

But at the latest hearing, in London yesterday, he said he had changed his mind - concluding that the balance had been tipped in favour of the media's right to "freedom of expression".

Following the December hearing, Mr Justice Hayden published a written ruling.

"What is clear in this case is that, on the 7th and 8th of October, three of the children were flown out to Pakistan," he said.

"There has been much discussion about how those children came to be put on that plane in that alarming and, in my view, quite brutal manner.

"What seems likely, doing the best I can on the evidence available to me, is that they were

put on the plane without any adult to accompany them. The burden for looking after the two younger ones appears to have been placed on the 15-year-old.

"The children's final destination was Karachi. That took them by Islamabad. One cannot begin to imagine the anxiety that that trip must have caused to those children.

"It is not difficult for any adult member of the public to understand why, when a family feels the local authority to be circling in, they might panic and run away together to evade the consequences of intervention. I do not for a moment condone that, of course. But I do understand it.

"What is far more difficult to understand is the parents who would put a three-year-old on a plane to an alien continent in this way. They must both have become very removed from their children's most basic emotional needs."

He added yesterday's hearing: "It is almost impossible to imagine how traumatic this experience will have been to these children."

The couple appeared at the hearing yesterday via video-links from jail.

"What am I supposed to do?"

Mrs Din asked the court.

"I am trying to get my children back but nobody is helping me get my children back. You have just put me in prison."

Mr Din apologised, and said he had been in contact with a relative in Pakistan and hoped that the three children would soon be returned to England.

"There has been a mistake down to our panic," Mr Din told the judge. "We are loving parents but we were afraid because we were threatened by social workers."

He added: "We are not bad people. We just made a mistake.

People do make mistakes. We do apologise."

A lawyer representing Lancashire County Council's social services department told the judge that the local authority had been "simply seeking to make inquiries regarding the children's welfare".

She said there had been no application to remove the children "prior to the parents' actions".

A Heathrow spokeswoman said today: "Unfortunately we can't comment on individual cases but parents can book children as unaccompanied minors with an airline and the airline's staff

would then escort them through security."

She could not say whether Heathrow had carried out an internal inquiry.

Mr Justice Hayden told yesterday's hearing that the "mother's will had been subjugated by the father".

And he outlined some of the background to the case.

The judge said people had been "so concerned" about the "noise of violence" coming from the Din home that they had twice called police.

He said Mr Din had stood trial accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Mrs Din but had been acquitted after Mrs Din told jurors that there had been a "terrible accident".

Prior to the judge entering court for the hearing yesterday, Mr Din could be heard speaking via the video-link.

He said: "You are going to witness some crazy stuff going on in this court... in the name of our great nation, England."

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Syrian death toll continues rise

Nearly 700 people have been killed in nine days of fierce clashes between an al Qaeda affiliate and other Islamist and rebel groups, activists said last weekend.

Forces from the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have increasingly come into conflict with Free Syrian Army fighters and other hard-line factions opposing the Syrian regime, while ISIS attempts to impose its strict form of Islamic Sharia law on areas coming under its control in northern Syria.

In just nine days, 697 people have been killed in the fighting, activists said, with many being children and civilians.

The victims include 351 combatants from the Islamist and non-Islamist rebel battalions, 246 ISIS fighters, and 100 civilians, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The activist group said the deaths took place between 3rd January and 12th January.

World’s most deadly reservoir

The World Health Organization on Friday declared Pakistan's troubled northwestern city of Peshawar as the world's "largest reservoir" of polio and called for urgent action to boost vaccination.

Almost every polio case in 2013 in Pakistan, one of only three countries where the crippling disease remains endemic, could be linked genetically to strains of the virus circulating in Peshawar, said the WHO. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital, and adjoining tribal districts where Taliban and al-Qaida linked militants have hideouts are particular polio hotspots.

Efforts to stamp out the disease have been hampered by opposition from militant groups, who see vaccination campaigns as cover for espionage, as well as long-running rumours about the drops causing infertility.

Natural Beauty photography

Entries which just missed out on being included in a fantastic wildlife photography exhibition set to be launched at Leeds City Museum next month could be given a lifeline by the public vote.

Over 1,000 entries were submitted to the ‘Natural Beauty’ wildlife photography competition, which was divided into seven categories: Beautiful Yorkshire, Leeds Wildlife, Wild Yorkshire, Animal Behaviour, British Wildlife, World Wildlife and Beautiful Botany.

The competition gave keen photographers of all ages and abilities the chance to showcase their work to a panel of expert judges, which included professional photographer Sara Porter and the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Thomas Murray.

After much consideration, just over 100 of the entries have been chosen to feature in the new 'Natural Beauty 2' exhibition and be considered for the top prize in each of the categories.

The winners in both the 15 years and under and 16 years and over age ranges will be revealed when the exhibition opens early next month.

To find out more about Natural Beauty visit the webpage at www.leeds.gov.uk/naturalbeauty

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January 2014 - 1st Edition

Multi-million pound settlement for girl’s glue injection

Record £24million compensation for teen who suffered brain damage

By Ashley Grint ashley@asianexpress.co.uk

“I hope that by bringing this case, lessons will have been learned to avoid this happening to other families.

“We are grateful that agreement has been reached with Great Ormond Street to ensure that Maisha’s care needs are met.”

Maisha will initially receive a lump sum of £2.8million from Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Trust, whilst Judge William Birtles also ruled that she would receive £383,000 a year until her 19th birthday, then £423,000 per year for as long as she lives - experts estimate she could be as old as 64.

Her solicitor, Edwina Rawson, said Great Ormond Street could have avoided the tragic mix-up in June 2010 if the syringes for the treatment had been properly labelled.

“What is so heartbreaking about this case is that the injury was so avoidable,” she told the court. “If the syringes had been marked-up

so the hospital could see which contained glue and which contained dye, then Maisha would not have suffered what is an utterly devastating brain injury.”

Neil Block QC, representing Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Trust, added: “We can’t wind the clock back.We hope there are now systems and procedures in place to ensure such a tragic mistake cannot be made again.

“While money can’t restore what Maisha has lost, we are sure a great burden has been lifted from the family by coming to the settlement we have.”

Mr Block added that her parents should also be praised for their handling of the situation and engaging with the trust, saying this meant that the hospital could learn from what happened and make improvements.

The compensation will be spent on care and accommodation for Maisha who now requires assistance with all basic daily tasks and has lost the majority of her bodily and cognitive abilities.

COMPENSATION: Maisha Najeeb was awarded millions in compensation after she suffered brain damage following a mix-up in the hospital

Cont from cover

front cover story cont.

Following headteacher’s arrest school criticised for misleading parents In the latest of the ‘Kings Science Academy’ saga, the Chairman of the Governors has been criticised for informing parents that its principal, who was arrested last week on fraud allegations, had been ‘exonerated’.

Sajid Hussain Raza, headteacher and founder of the flagship free school at Lidget Green, had actually been ‘bailed pending further inquiries’, rather than being ‘released without charge’ after being arrested on Thursday 9th January.

The phrase ‘released without charge’ is used if police release a suspect when no further action will take place. A police spokesman confirmed that Mr Raza had been bailed pending further inquiries, rather than being released without charge.

The police had originally launched their inquiry into the school after the Department for Education (DfE) found last year that the school submitted fabricated invoices to claim thousands of pounds of public money.

An investigation by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) found ‘serious failings’ in the financial management of the school.

Kings Science Academy was one of the first free schools to open in September 2011 and was praised by Mr Cameron on his visit in March 2012.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has now confirmed that Kings Science Academy was without a chairman of governors for over a year after its opening.

Now, the patron and benefactor of

the school, Tory vice chairman Alan Lewis, 75, who was himself arrested last year over an historic rape allegation but later cleared of all charges, has come under fire.

Bradford Member of Parliament David Ward told MPs that Mr Lewis had amended an audit report into the school by a company he recommended.

During education questions in the Commons, he asked Michael Gove for clarity over a comment made by a spokesperson for Alan Lewis who said that at no time did Mr Lewis have responsibility for financial management or governance at Kings Science Academy.

Mr Ward said: “If, as I have been told, the report by the auditors recommended to the school by Mr

Lewis was presented directly to him and amended by him as a result of his comments, would you agree that this provides evidence of both financial management and governance within the school?”

Mr Gove replied: “Mr Lewis was responsible for commissioning a report, which you quite rightly draw attention to, which played a part in helping to ensure that Kings Science Academy moved from a difficult position to a better one, but I must stress that I don’t want to say anything that might prejudice an ongoing police report.”

Mr Ward, wants the DfE to be more transparent over the on-going matters involving the school and wants the statement on Kings Science Academy’s website to be corrected.

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136 law firms forced to close ically Leeds and Bradford solicitors publ n Authority named by the Solicitors Regulatio

By Anush Ansari anush@asianexpress.co.uk

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has taken the unusual action of publishing the names of 136 firms that are being forced to close.

The companies are being shut down as a result of failing to secure professional indemnity insurance (PII) by the October 1st deadline and did not obtain new cover during the Extended Policy Period (EPP).

The EPP was introduced for the first time this year and gave firms an extended period of indemnity insurance for 90 days. Firms that did not obtain new indemnity cover during the EPP, namely by 29 December 2013, had to close their practice and are not insured to practise after that date.

In early January, brokers raised concerns over the SRA’s handling of the PII renewal process after the regulator admitted it had lost track of some uninsured firms (8 January 2014).

The SRA does not normally publish the names of closed firms

because firms have an obligation to inform clients and others that they are closing down. Their decision on this occasion to publish the names in the interests of protecting consumers and third parties. Publishing the names adds an extra layer to the protection already in place.

The regulator said most of the firms involved have co-operated with the forced wind-down process the SRA imposes when insurance is not secured, but that there were a “small number of firms that failed to close properly and they are subject to ongoing robust action”.

There has been some confusion over how claims arising from firms that have failed to shut down as the SRA has prescribed would be handled. It is thought that the SRA’s discretionary compensation fund would kick in but the SRA’s rules state that the maximum grant that may be made from the fund is £2m, which would cover sole practitioners but represents a £1m shortfall on the statutory cover required for ABSs and LLPs. Among the firms on the SRA’s

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list are Leeds-based Rafique Partnership Solicitors Co Ltd, Devers & Co Solicitors, Kelly & Co, Richardson & Co Solicitors and Bradford-based Megsons Personal Injury Ltd. The SRA is carrying out a full analysis of all those firms that entered the EPP and the way the legal profession is insured will be examined in the High Court this year in a major test case that could have implications for how all firms obtain indemnity cover.

Firms are aware that they should not undertake work without insurance, although clients have protection in these circumstances. If anyone has concerns that these firms are continuing to practise, they should inform the SRA via report@sra.org.uk and disciplinary action will be taken if that is the case. If clients believe these firms are continuing to progress their matters, they should contact a new solicitor immediately to take over the case.

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SOLICITORS FORCED TO CLOSE A J Bond & Co, 226a High Street, Bromley, Kent A K Law Chamber, 178a High Street North, East Ham, London Aaskells Solicitors and Advocates, Urban House, 43-45 Chase Side, Southgate, London Addie & Co, 2nd Floor, 44 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London Advocates Solicitors, 6 Connaught Road, Ilford, Essex Affinity Solicitors Ltd trading as Adams Moore Family Law, Ashton House West, 409 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes AH Law, 13 Nelson Road, London AHM Law Ltd, Suite 19, 6 Claremont Road, Surbiton, Surrey Alan Smeath & Co, 6 High Street, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes Alastair J Brett, 18 Edenhurst Avenue, London Andersons, Boswell Cottage, 19 South End, Croydon Andersons (incorporating Stephen Webb & Co), 9A Cross Street, Eye, Suffolk Andrew M Higgs & Co, Oakwood, Chase Lane, Haslemere, Surrey Arona Sarwar LLP, 250 C Hoe Street, London Asuelime Solicitors, 185a Dickenson Road, Manchester Atharva & Co LLP, 5 Gladstone Place, Buckland, Portsmouth B E Solicitors, 53 Fountain Street, Manchester B K Ellis & Co, 78 Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire BA Solicitors, 436 Stratford Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham Bagshawes Solicitors, Westerham House, Upton, Aylesbury Bailey & Bailey, 82 Borough Road, Middlesbough Barwise & Co Solicitors, The Magpie's Nest, 71 North Road, St Helens Bernard Cordell, Flat 3, 3 Tasker Road, London Blackstone Law Ltd, Samuel House, St Chads Street, Manchester Bower Harris, South Central, 11 Peter Street, Manchester Brooks & Associates Solicitors LLP, 43 Temple Row, Birmingham CA Law Melbourne House, 27 Thorne Road, Doncaster Castle legal LLP, Barham Court, Teston, Maidstone Cato & Temple, 1 Fisher Lane, Bingham, Nottingham Chris Dickins Parcton Law Chambers, 47-49 Laneham Street, Scunthorpe City Law Solicitors, 12a Albany Road, Cardiff Cole & Co, 23 Tombland, Norwich Cooper Ford, The Island, St Anns Parade, Alderley Road, Wilmslow Cope's Hamnetts, Kings Mympton, Devon Crangle Edwards Solicitors, 159 Councillor Lane, Cheadle Cray Valley Solicitors Ltd, 93 Cotmandene Crescent, Orpington D Fisher & Co, 40 High Street, Borough Green, Kent Dale R Walker, Suite 1, 145 High Street, Kent David W Beech Solicitor, Foxglove House, 166 Piccadilly, London Dennis Brown Solicitors, The Willows, Westwood Hill, Braiswick, Colchester Devers & Co Solicitors, Devers House, PO Box 84, Sherburn - in - Elmet, Leeds Diamond Solicitors Ltd, 108a Whitechapel Road, 2nd Floor, London Duncan Moghal Solicitors & Advocates, 9 Gold Tops, Newport Edward Daniel, Blackwell House, Guildhall Yard, London EOS Law LLP, 82 King Street, Manchester Epitome Law, St John's Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge Exlex Solicitors, The Woodlands, 52 Grosvenor Road, Handsworth, Birmingham Farmer Miller Nathan Gordon, 11 The Quadrant, Manor Park Crescent, Edgware Fruhman Davies Livingstone, Blackfriars House, Parsonage, Manchester FWD Law Ltd, 12 Clifton Road, St Woolos, Newport Gavins Solicitors, 473 Archway Road, London Gershon & Goldstein, 32 Cumberland Gardens, Hendon, London Goldsworth Solicitors, Unit 6620 555 White Hart Lane, London Graham Bash & Co, 26 Wattisfield Road, London Grants Solicitors LLP, Suite 10, Airport House, Purley Way, Croyden Guy & Hinton, Lilac Farm, Minskip, York Guy C Littler, 98 Warwick Road, London Hacking Ashton LLP, Berkeley Court, Borough Road, Newcastle Hadley Law Associates LLP, 3 Union Street, Barnet Harris Cartier Ltd, Queens House, 55-56 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London Heer Manak Solicitors, 434 Foleshill Road, Coventry Henshaw Solicitors, Blair House, 13 High Street, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes Hermeling Solicitors, 27 Birch Row, Bromley, Kent Hilliers HRW Solicitors LLP, The Old Vicarage,132 Bedford Road, Kempston, Bedford Hills Solicitors Ltd, New Mansion House, 63-65 Chorley New Road, Bolton Hoganco, PO Box 1188, Worplesdon, Guildford I A Morcowitz, 11 Viceroy Lodge, 143 Kingsway, Hove I R Gannicott, Vine House, High Street, Bourton-on-the-Water, Cheltenham Ian Cowie, 14 Chaloner Street, Guisborough, Cleveland ICS Solicitors, 35a Ecclesbourne Road, Thornton

Heath, Surrey Jacobs Solicitors, 451 Barking Road, East Ham, London Jacobsens, 20 Enfield Walk, Brentford, Middlesex Jacqueline Goodlad, 18 Mayo Street, Cockermouth, Cumbria Jeanette M Silburn, 2 Dene Cottages, Ropley, Alresford, Hampshire Jeremy Jones, Little Orchard, Chapel Lane, Crawley Down Jinnah Solicitors LLP, 229a High Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex John & Co Solicitors, Unit 45 Ground Floor, Camberwell Business Center, 99-103 Lomond Grove, London John Halson Solicitors, 2 Bedford Road (Corner of County Road), Liverpool John Morley & Company, 29-31 High Street, Rainham, Gillingham John Neville & Co, 1st Floor / Suite 1, 135/143 Stockwell Road, London Johnson & Clarence LLP, 6th Floor, 28-30 Cornhill, London JST Lawyers, Colonial Chambers, 3-11 Temple Street, Liverpool Kelly & Co, 49a St Paul's Street, Leeds KKS Solicitors, 286 Mitcham Road, Croydon Krish Solicitors, 86A High Street, Southall L Sharma & Panaawala Solicitors, 2 Beal Road, Ilford, Essex Lancasters, 11 Quay Road, Bridlington, North Humberside Law Management, Dalton House, 60 Windsor Avenue, London Lawvue Solicitors, 9 Wighton Mews, Isleworth LeeLanes Solicitors LLP, 6th Floor, 28-30 Cornhill, London Li & Co Solicitor, Flat 1, 162 Westbourne Park Road, London Louis Ssekkono Solicitors, 1 Warmair House, Green Lane, Northwood, Middlesex Lumsdons Solicitors LLP, Salford House, 29 Bridge Street, Stourport on Severn, Worcestershire M & S Legal, 2nd Floor, 75a King Street, Knutsford, Cheshire M J O'Donoghue & Co, Bickfield Business Centre, High Road, Thornwood, Epping Matthew John Green, 14 Carfax, Horsham, West Sussex Megsons Personal Injury Ltd, Arndale House, Charles Street, Bradford Nelson Nichols, 36a London Road, Portsmouth Nelsons, Bell House, Bells Lane, Tenterden, Kent Nicholas & Co, 75A High Street, Kings Heath, Birmingham Nicholas Hart Solicitors, Faygate Place, Wimlands Lane, Faygate, Horsham Niman & Co, 10 Lockmead Road, London Northfield Solicitors, 62 Spotland Road, Rochdale Patrick Newman & Co, 3 Riverdale, Church Lane, Lewes Peters & Company Solicitors, Terminus House, Terminus Street, Harlow R S Gough & Co, Technology Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton Rafiq Partnership Solicitors Co Ltd, 291 Roundhay Road, Leeds RB Partnership Solicitors, Suite 125c, Building 3, North London Business Park Oakleigh Road South, London Richardson & Co Solicitors LLP, Phoenix House, 3 South Parade, Leeds Robin F Clarke & Co, 183A Parrock Street, Gravesend, Kent Robinsons, 7 Queens Avenue, Dale Street, Liverpool Rock Solicitors, Office 204, 11 Courtenay Road, East Lane Business Park, Wembley Ronald Butler Lynton, South Drive, Tehidy, Camborne, Cornwall Sampson & Co, 12 Church Green East, Redditch, Worcestershire Saunders Bearman LLP, 60 Welbeck Street, London Savages Solicitors, 4 Middle Street, Corbridge, Northumberland Schneider Page, 18 North Tenter Street, Aldgate, London Sheehans, 40/41A Alfred Street, Neath, West Glamorgan Simon Bergin, 335 Wellington Road North, Stockport, Cheshire Sweetmans Solicitors Ltd, Yew Tree Lodge, Bickley Moss, Whitchurch, Shropshire T P Glover, 22 Home Croft Drive, Packington, Leicestershire Taylor Legal Ltd, Unit 21, Brierley Business Centre, Mirion Street, Crewe Teo & Co Solicitors, 238 Haggerston Road, London The Compensation Clinic, 21a Bank Street, Ashford, Kent Thomas Milner & Co, 41a Station Road, Littleport, Ely, Cambridge Towells Solicitors, Thornhilll House, Thornhill Street, Wakefield Trevor Lyttleton, 23 Bryanston Court, George Street, London Trinity Solicitors LLP, 18 South Ealing Road, London Vaughan & Co, 467a Otley Road, Leeds W & J Solicitors, 109 Victoria Road, Romford Waldegraves, Ealing House, 33 Hanger Lane, London Werenowski Solicitors, 9 East Stockwell Street, Colchester White Solicitors, 7 Mornington Road, Bingley Widdows Mason, 20 King Street, Leigh Wood-Atkins Commercial Law, The Old Post Office, 17 High Street, Aylesbury WP Solicitors, 148 West Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne

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follow us on twitter: Prison for Islamic teacher

An Islamic teacher has been found guilty of committing sexual activity with a child during lessons.

Suleman Maknojioa had denied allegations that he touched the girl.

But after a week-long trial and around two hours of deliberations, a jury unanimously found the 40-year-old defendant, of Audley Range, Blackburn, guilty of the five charges.

Speaking after the verdict, Maknojioa said he had 'no comments' to make.

Preston Crown Court had heard how the teacher would stroke the leg of his victim, put his hand under her headscarf and squeeze her chest.

The defendant had maintained that he only ever touched the girl to pat her on the back when she had done well or to show her praying positions.

Maknojioa, who was released on bail, will be sentenced on the 19th February.

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U.S. & British spy agencies piggyback on 'leaky' apps for intel U.S. and British intelligence agencies have plotted ways to gather data from Angry Birds and other smartphone apps that leak users' personal information onto global networks.

It was citing previously undisclosed intelligence documents made available by fugitive American spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.

The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and its British counterpart, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), have been taking advantage of increasing volumes of personal data that spill onto networks from new generations of mobile phone technology.They’ve been developing capabilities to piggyback onto "leaky" smartphone apps, such as the wildly popular ‘Angry Birds’ game, that transmit users' private information across the internet, according to top secret documents.

The U.S. and British agencies were working together on ways to collect and store data from smartphone apps since 2007.

The agencies have traded methods for collecting location data from a user of Google Maps and for gathering address books, buddy lists, phone logs and geographic data embedded in photos when a user posts to the mobile versions of Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, Twitter and other services.

Snowden, who is living in asylum in Russian, faces espionage charges in the

United States after disclosing the NSA's massive telephone and Internet surveillance programs last year.

His revelations and the resulting firestorm of criticism from politicians and privacy rights activists prompted U.S. President Barack Obama to announce intelligence-gather reforms on January 17, including a ban on eavesdropping on the leaders of close allies and limits on the collection of telephone data.

The report said the scale of the data collection from smartphones was not clear but the documents showed that the two national agencies routinely obtained information from certain apps, including some of the earliest ones introduced to mobile phones.

The agencies also made use of their mobile interception capabilities to collect location information in bulk, from Google and other mapping apps.

One basic effort by GCHQ and the NSA was to build a database geolocating every mobile phone mast in the world – meaning that just by taking tower ID from a handset, location information could be gleaned.

A more sophisticated effort, though, relied on intercepting Google Maps queries made on smartphones, and using them to collect large volumes of location information.

Scooping up information the apps are sending about their users allows the agencies to collect large quantities of

mobile phone data from their existing mass surveillance tools – such as cable taps, or from international mobile networks – rather than solely from hacking into individual mobile handsets.

Exploiting phone information and location is a high-priority effort for the intelligence agencies, as terrorists and other intelligence targets make

substantial use of phones in planning and carrying out their activities, for example by using phones as triggering devices in conflict zones. The NSA has cumulatively spent more than $1bn in its phone targeting efforts.

The disclosures also reveal how much the shift towards smartphone browsing could benefit spy agencies' collection efforts.

OUTRAGEOUS: GCHQ documents its use of the popular ‘Angry Birds’, which was reportedly downloaded more than 1.7bn

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New website now live, please visit: www.asianexpress.co.uk Syrian funds

The United States will provide an additional £230million in humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the war in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry announced Wednesday.

“The humanitarian situation in Syria is an outrage that should offend every reasonable conscience, and the anguish of the Syrian people demands our collective action,” Kerry said at a donors' conference in Kuwait.

“The Syrian people desperately need the global community to provide urgent humanitarian support, to press for a political solution that will put a stop to the violence, once and for all.”

Kerry said the latest pledge brings the total American commitment to more than £1billion.

The money will fund relief for people inside Syria, as well as refugees and host communities in neighboring countries.

Nations taking part in Wednesday's conference pledged more than a £800million.

Final Patrol

Timeline 1967 Arrives in the UK at the age of 10 and settles in Huddersfield

Yorkshire bobby heads out after 32 years of service FINAL ROUNDS: Jawaid Akhtar (right) and his son, Moshin, patrolled the streets of Huddersfield for one final time last week

1982 Joined West Yorkshire Police under the Graduate Entry Scheme, posted in Huddersfield

1998 Takes up First Divisional Command at Halifax

2004 Appointed Assistant Chief Constable holding several portfolios

Buddhist rampage

A Buddhist mob has torn through a town in an isolated corner of Burma, hacking Muslim women and children with knives and killing more than a dozen, reports say.

A government official said the situation was tense, but denied any deaths.

Burma, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 60million people, has been grappling with sectarian violence for nearly two years. More than 240 people have been killed and another 140,000, mostly Muslims, forced to flee their homes.

Chris Lewa of the Arakan Project, an advocacy group that has been documenting abuses against members of the Rohinyga Muslim minority for more than a decade, said the violence occurred on Tuesday in northern Rakhine state.

She said tensions have been building in the region since last month, when monks from a Buddhist extremist movement known as 969 toured the area and gave sermons by loudspeaker advocating the expulsion of all Rohinygya.

Scorching temperatures cause bushfires

More than 80 bushfires were burning across Victoria and South Australia states last week as temperatures continued to top 40C for yet another week.

Both states have endured several days of scorching temperatures, with winds helping to increase the speed of the fires.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said one person died at their home in Roses Gap in the Grampians region, northwest of Melbourne, adding the death was fire-related, but gave no other details.

Victoria Fire Commissioner Craig Lapsley said a blaze burning over 52,000 acres of woodland near the Grampians generated a seven-mile high convection column - a column of rising hot air - that was triggering lightning and sparking spot fires.

Residents in the region had been advised to evacuate their homes, but several people decided to stay and protect their properties, he said.

2010

By Ashley Grint ashley@asianexpress.co.uk

With a career in the police force spanning just over three decades, West Yorkshire Deputy Chief Constable Jawaid Akhtar has finally called time on his dedicated service.

Back in Huddersfield where it all began some 32 years ago, DCC Akhtar was accompanied by his son and colleague, Moshin, for one final patrol of the town before hanging up his boots for good.

The 56-year-old will perhaps be remembered most as the senior officer at the lead of the Bradford ‘Crossbow Cannibal’ case which saw three women brutally murdered by Stephen Griffiths.

Speaking after his final shift, DCC Akhtar said: “I am extremely proud to have served West Yorkshire’s communities for almost 32 years.

“The challenges and the way we police have changed vastly in that period, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.”

Born in Pakistan, the Yorkshire resident arrived in the UK at the age of 10, settling in Huddersfield where he went on to attend local school and college before completing a BSc (Hons) degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

In 1982 DCC Akhtar joined the West Yorkshire Police Force under the Graduate Entry Scheme, with his first posting in Huddersfield. Since then he has gone on to serve the whole county, rising through the ranks to become one of the most senior, currently serving, BME officers in the country.

Mr Akhtar took up his current role as Temporary Deputy Chief Constable in November 2012 having previously acted as the Assistant Chief Constable since 2004.

Mark Gilmore, Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, spoke in tribute to his Deputy and said the time he had spent working alongside him had been a ‘privilege’.

He said: “I want to pay tribute to Jawaid Akhtar for the very significant and selfless contribution he has made to West Yorkshire Police, to our communities and to British Policing for almost 32 years.

“His depth of knowledge, integrity, sound advice and ability to challenge issues in a positive and robust way have been a real asset to West Yorkshire Police and indeed the British Police Service.

“I would like to join with all colleagues in wishing Jawaid every success for his retirement. I know he will be greatly missed, not only by his Chief Officer Team colleagues, but

also, I suspect, across the organisation.”

Likewise, Mark Burns-Williamson, Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, added his sentiments for his colleague, “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Jawaid for many years, particularly following his appointment as an Assistant Chief Constable back in 2004.

“It will seem strange not having Jawaid around West Yorkshire Police, but he has clearly earned a successful retirement after nearly 32 years dedicated service to WYP and the public of West Yorkshire.

“It is fantastic that he was able to join his son Mohsin on patrol during his last working day where it all started for him in Huddersfield… clearly his legacy will live on.”

DCC Akhtar was not only highly regarded by his fellow professionals but also on a much wider scale as highlighted by his acceptance of the Queen’s Police Medal at Buckingham Palace in December 2011.

West Yorkshire Police’s new deputy chief constable, Dee Collins, took up the vacant post on Monday and will continue to build on the work of her predecessor.

Graduated from the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Programme in the US

2011 Received the Queen's Police Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours List

2012 Completed the international Leadership in Counter Terrorism programme

2012 Took up his latest role as the Temporary Deputy Chief Constable

2014 Retired from the force with a final patrol in Huddersfield

New Year’s Honours List 2014 Amongst the hundreds of people who have been named on the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List, the Asian community has once again received a healthy acknowledgement with five per cent of the awards.

From Order of Merits to OBEs and MBEs, the 2014 list covers representatives from all sectors whose efforts have helped improve communities and people’s lives throughout the country.

Miss Zanib Rasool is to receive an MBE for services to the community in Rotherham after more than 30 years of volunteer work in the community.

Nominated by a co-worker from a former job, it came as a big surprise to the current director of women’s group

‘Grow’, who explained how the award is credit to everybody she has worked with over the years.

“I was absolutely delighted to receive the news, not just for myself but for everyone I work with,” she said.

“People in the Rotherham community work so hard to develop the lives of people in our local area and a lot of Asian women who I have worked with in particular deserve a lot of credit.

“It did come as a surprise when I received the news and it was great especially for my nieces as I can see it helping to inspire them, and other like them, to put back into the community.”

Also recognised with an MBE was fellow Rotherham-based community champion, Zaidah Parveen Ahmed.

Mrs Ahmed will receive the accolade for her services to the town’s community which includes sitting as a non-executive director on the housing board, helping establish and run summer schools for the past six years, working as a governor for the district and much more.

Like her fellow Rotherham advocate, the South Yorkshire recipient was unaware that she was even nominated for such a title yet regards the MBE as a huge honour.

She said: “When I first got the letter from the Cabinet Office I honestly couldn’t believe it; I had to read it at least three times before it could even sink in.

“There were apparently a few people who had nominated me for the award

and it really does make me feel very privileged and proud to be held in such a regard by these people.”

Elsewhere, Shipley-based Yasmin Shabir Khan was recognised for her services to equality and diversity with an MBE. Mrs Khan is an administrative officer in Bradford for HM Revenue and Customs.

Mr Fathir Khan, 76, from Sheffield, will also receive an MBE for services to the Asian community in Sheffield.

His work has included acting as secretary of the Bangladesh Welfare Association, a member on the Sheffield Racial Equality Council and helping to form the Asian Ladies Club, since moving to the city from his homeland in Bangladesh in 1963.

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£1.2 million fake banknotes scam Brothers jailed for seven years after using their printing firm to produce counterfeit notes

By Tanya Shah tanya@asianexpress.co.uk

Two brothers, who used their printing firm's Christmas and New Year break to churn out £1.2 million worth of fake banknotes, have both been jailed for seven years.

Businessmen Amrit and Prem Karra used specialist paper, inks and foil to run off the near-perfect forgeries of £10 notes at their print-works in Hockley, Birmingham.

They worked through the night to print the notes with a face value of at least £1.27 million.

Birmingham Crown Court was told the brothers acted as ‘masterminds and architects’ of the highly-sophisticated counterfeiting operation.

Sentencing the brothers, and two other men who also took part in the scam, Judge Richard Bond said such offences undermined the integrity of the UK's financial system.

Amrit Karra, 45, and Prem Karra, 43, both from Walsall and their brothers-in-law Rajiv Kumar, 40, of West Bromwich; and Yash Mahey, 44, of Handsworth, Birmingham, were all convicted of conspiracy to produce counterfeit notes

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following a five-week trial which ended in December.

Judge Bond told the men, who are all married with children: “People who commit offences of this type must realise that those who counterfeit currency must expect long sentences of imprisonment.

“In this case the amount of money produced and disseminated into general circulation was enormous.

“Production of counterfeit notes undermines the whole economy of the country... essentially it undermines the whole integrity of the currency system.

“It is so serious that only lengthy custodial sentences can be justified.”

Jailing both Mahey and Kumar for fourand-a-half years, and barring the Karra brothers from acting as company directors, Judge Bond said the offences were motivated by greed.

He told the defendants: “All four of you knew what would happen to the notes.

“You knew that if you were caught it would affect your wives and your children and other members of your immediate family.

“Knowing, as you did, the consequences of being caught, you ignored your families.

The risks taken in this case were high and you must personally take the blame.”

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Asian Express ‘It’s Cameron’s fault for the floods’

A British far-right party has suspended a local councilman who blamed recent severe flooding on the government's legalization of gay marriage.

David Silvester of the United Kingdom Independence Party, who defected from PM David Cameron's Conservative party in protest at the move to allow same-sex couples to marry, made the claim in a letter to his local newspaper.

“I wrote to David Cameron in April 2012 to warn him that disasters would accompany the passage of his samesex marriage bill,” wrote Silvester.

He added: “It is his (Cameron's) fault that large swathes of the nation have been afflicted by storms and floods. He has arrogantly acted against the Gospel that once made Britain 'great' and the lesson surely to be learned is that no man or men, however powerful, can mess with Almighty God with impunity and get away with it.”

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FIZZAH MALIK: RIP little dolly “Feels like someone’s ripped my heart out”

HEART-WRENCHING: Five-year-old Fizzah died in her father’s arms after the hospital sent her home saying it was ‘just a viral infection’

By Andleeb Hanif editor@asianexpress.co.uk

A father from Essex has spoken to the Asian Express about the anger, and subsequent heartache, his family has had to endure following the misdiagnosis of his five-year-old daughters condition, which ultimately led to her death.

43-year-old Marshal Aashtar, took his daughter Fizzah Malik, a fun-loving sweet child, to see their GP at Ilford Medical Centre when she developed a high temperature, rash on her neck and sharp pain in the right side of her abdomen. He was told that all she needed was Calpol and ibuprofen as it was ‘just a viral infection’.

When Fizzah failed to recover, mum Ruby and Marshal decided they would take their little girl to an emergency drop-in centre at King George Hospital in Ilford.

The doctor examined Fizzah, who by this time had the rash on her tummy and gave the all-clear that she didn’t have Meningitis. But the next day she began throwing up.

Marshal says: “She was sat clutching her tummy and rocking

back and forth whispering ‘Allah…

Allah…’

“She’d never done this before and we were quite alarmed. We rang the GP’s surgery wanting to speak to a doctor straight away, but the receptionist wouldn’t even put us through.”

The father carried his daughter downstairs and laid her on the sofa whilst he warmed up a cup of milk for her. He joined his daughter in the living room and sat amongst the floor cushions.

“My beautiful little princess slid off the sofa and lay in my lap.

Within a few minutes she suddenly looked up at me and her eyes rolled back,” said the heartbroken dad.

Fizzah’s father attempted mouthto-mouth resuscitation but was unable to breathe life into the little child.

Marshal says that his wife and sons, Hasnain (16) and Haider (14) are grief-stricken and utterly heartbroken with the loss of their little ‘darling’. Fizzah was the youngest amongst the group of his nine nieces and was the little star of the family and was always the centre of attention.

“No-one can believe she’s gone, not even her school – which opened a book of condolences and have had their flag at half mast since

TRAGIC: It is believed that Fizzah died of a streptococcal infection, possibly linked to meningitis

Fizzah’s passing,” continued Marshal.

The father added that the family wants answers and that he is considering legal action over the medical treatment given to his daughter.

The Asian Express, on behalf of all its readers, would like to send their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of little Fizzah Malik. Rest in peace little angel.

“She was always beating me up. Hasnain even has a 15 minute video from 31st October 2013 of her beat ing me up! But I loved teasing her and getting beats... it was like our little thing.”

Haider Malik (Brother)

Football ground hate crime

Police have arrested a man after pages were torn from the Quran and thrown during a football match.

The incident was reported to police by a match steward working the Birmingham City and Middlesbrough game at St Andrew’s on Saturday 7th December.

On 21st December a 25-year-old man from Bicton Heath in Shrewsbury was arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. He has since been bailed while the police investigation continues.

Whilst on bail the man has been banned from attending the St Andrews ground, barred from attending any football matches and must not visit any city where Middlesbrough FC are playing.

Between April and December 2013 2,267 hate crimes were investigated by police across the West Midlands. This is up by 1,882 offences compared with the same period the year before.

More diversity ‘needed’ in Police

Police chiefs should be consulted over changing the law to allow greater positive discrimination to boost the number of black and Asian officers in their forces, Labour has said.

The party would also make forces, including the Metropolitan Police, follow in the footsteps of the New York Police Department by setting "active" recruitment policies to increase diversity, which could include creating teams of black and minority ethnic (BME) recruiters to target particular communities.

It comes after heightened tensions in parts of London when a jury last week concluded that Mark Duggan, whose death sparked riots across the country in 2011, was lawfully killed by police.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government must take action because progress in making forces more representatives of the areas they police has stalled.

Around five per cent of police officers in England and Wales are from an ethnic minority background compared to around 14 per cent of the population, according to Labour.

“Painting was also one of her favourite hobbies, we have several drawings and paintings of hers and she was definitely daddy's little girl, but mum's best friend.” - Marshal (Dad)

“She wouldn't leave my side, followed me everywhere, to the point where I found it difficult to study, because I guess she adored me so much and always wanted to play.” - Hasnain Malik (Brother)

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Islamic Relief hands in petition at No.10 to strengthen action for Syria As news reports the suspected murder, torture and mutilation of 11,000 detainees by the Syrian regime, British Muslim students and Islamic Relief and community representatives have delivered a UK-wide call for action signed by thousands to 10 Downing Street.

This was followed by an address from Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening, in which she set out a £2m grant for Islamic Relief’s work supporting Syrian refugees in Jordan with education, shelter and cash assistance.

“I think we could be seeing the start of a significant change in the way ordinary Muslims are engaging and campaigning with the government,” says Islamic Relief’s UK Director Jehangir Malik.

“Mosques, students and community members increasingly want to do more than just give money when they see suffering or injustice. They are now demanding political solutions and taking peaceful direct action.

“Islamic Relief’s Stand up for Syria petition reflects the compassion and passion of our supporters, and sends a strong message to the Prime Minister on the eve of the Geneva peace talks.”

Liverpool psychology student Raisah Chowdhury says: “My local community has worked hard to collect signatures for the petition.

Doing this has made me feel that we are at last doing something proactive to help and that our

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concerns will be heard.”

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said:“The UK has been a leading voice on the Syria conflict. We have pledged £600 million, our largest ever response to a crisis, and have been clear that others must step up with the

funding and the political will required to get aid through. I welcome the chance to hear from Islamic Relief’s supporters and to look at how we can work together to reach even more people in need.”

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Asian Express Terrorism charge

Two women have been charged in relation to funding terrorist activities in Syria, Scotland Yard has said.

Amal Elwahabi, 27, and Nawal Msaad, 26, both from northwest London, were arrested on January 16.

Msaad was detained at Heathrow Airport while Elwahabi was held later that day in northeast London.

Scotland Yard said the pair is accused of “becoming concerned in an arrangement as a result of which money was made available or was to be made available to another, and they knew or had reasonable cause to suspect that it would or may be used for the purposes of terrorism.”

The alleged offences are said to have taken place between January 13 and 16 and relate to terrorist activity in Syria, a spokesman said.

He added: “SO15, the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, will continue to pursue individuals and networks in the UK seeking to support terrorists engaged in the Syrian conflict.”

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Murder Charge Police have questioned two men and released them on bail following allegations of racist remarks on micro-blogging site Twitter during the search for threeyear-old Mikaeel Kular.

The two men, 19 and 26, who have not been named, were held over ‘making offences of a racial nature’.

They were first reported to Edinburgh Police during the search for the missing toddler, before officers in Scotland then worked alongside Hampshire Constabulary and Derbyshire Constabulary to identify the accused.

Chief Supt Mark Williams, Police Scotland Edinburgh Divisional Commander, said: “Any reports of racist, offensive and abusive comments made online will be thoroughly investigated and those responsible will be brought to justice.

“If you commit an offence we will investigate it and you will be prosecuted.”

Meanwhile, Derbyshire Police added: “Officers arrested the 26-yearold Heanor man this morning on suspicion of committing a racially aggravated public order offence.

“Members of the public in Edinburgh had complained about the content of some Twitter messages linked to the disappearance of threeyear-old Mikaeel Kular.

“The man was questioned and released on police bail while the Crown Prosecution Service considers the case.”

Mikaeel Kular’s mother appears in court

By Ashley Grint ashley@asianexpress.co.uk

The mother of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular appeared in court earlier this week charged with the murder of her son.

Rosdeep Kular, charged under her married name Adekoya, went before Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday 20th January where she was also charged with trying to defeat the ends of justice during a brief private hearing.

Kular made no declaration or plea and was remanded in custody following the hearing. She will appear in front of the court once again on Tuesday 28th January.

As is common for first appearances in Scotland, the appearance was closed to both the press and the public.

Kular’s youngest son, Mikaeel, was reported missing by his mother last week, sparking a huge search for the toddler who was initially believed to have just got up and walked out of his home during the night.

Yet, after almost two days of searching, the body of the young boy was found more than 30 miles away from the family home in Drylaw,

Edinburgh, buried behind Rosdeep’s sister’s home.

Chief Con-stable Assistant Malcolm Graham confirmed the news at a 1am press briefing saying: “The investigation into the disappearance of Mikaeel Kular has been wide-ranging and fast moving.

“As a result of inquiries the body of a young child was recovered in Fife just before midnight.

“We strongly believe this to be the body of Mikaeel.

“A person has been detained in connection with the recovery of the body and members of Mikaeel’s family have been informed.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with them at this time.”

Hundreds of volunteers had helped search the area surrounding the Kular family home upon the report whilst more recently, soft toys, candles and floral tributes have all been placed outside the house following the incident.

Later in the week, pictures emerged of Kular on a dating website, posing with her son of whom she is accused of killing.

Writing about her children, she told potential suitors: “I’m a single mother of five beautiful monsters, so if you’re not keen on kids I suggest you ‘move on’.

CHARGED: Rosdeep Kular is charged with the murder of her three-year-old son, Mikaeel, after she had reported him missing nearly two days before his body was found

TRIBUTES: Flowers were laid outside the family home in Edinburgh following the disappearance of Mikaeel

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New website now live, please visit: www.asianexpress.co.uk He’s not going anywhere

In st an t me s s a g es to surge th i s y ea r

By Anush Ansari anush@asianexpress.co.uk

Instant messaging services on mobile phones will carry more than twice the number of messages sent by text in 2014, according to global predictions by Deloitte.

As 50 billion instant messages are set to be dispatched, 21 billion text messages are expected to be sent - a rapid growth from 2012 when 11 instant messages were sent for every 10 texts, the firm said.

While instant messaging services such as WhatsApp and Snapchat may win the battle for volume this

year, text messaging will be victorious in revenue terms, according to the predictions in the technology report which will be launched tomorrow.

Text messaging is expected to continue to generate significantly greater revenues until 2018, by which point global text message revenues are expected to have started falling.

Deloitte expects

COMMUNICATION: 50 billion instant messages are set to be dispatched

instant messaging services on mobile phones to continue to supersede text messages and all other forms of communication, including email and phone calls.

Despite the huge burgeoning volumes of messages carried over instant messaging services, text messages are expected to generate more than £60 billion in 2014, equivalent to

Deloitte predicts that the fastest growing part of the smartphone market in developed countries will be among the over-55s

approximately 50 times the total revenues from all instant messaging services.

Deloitte predicts that the fastest growing part of the smartphone market in developed countries will be among the over-55s.

Nearly half (47 per cent) of this group will own smartphones by 2014, an increase from 40 per cent in MayJune 2013.

The first ever text was sent on December 3 1992, when Neil Papworth, a 22-year-old British engineer, used his computer to send the message ‘Merry Christmas’ to an Orbitel 901 mobile phone.

The Pakistan foreign office on Thursday said there was no chance of the government releasing Shakil Afridi, the doctor who helped the US track down former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, due to pressure from the US. A bill recently signed by US President Barack Obama proposes to withhold $33 million in assistance to Pakistan on account of Afridi's detention, Dawn online reported.

Speaking to reporters, Tasneem Aslam, foreign office spokeswoman, said the Afridi issue was subjudice, adding that he would not be released despite pressure from the US. Aslam added that Pakistan did not accept the US demand for Afridi's release in exchange for aid.

Afridi had helped the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to run a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad, a month before the US forces raided a compound and killed Osama bin Laden in 2011.

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New website now live, please visit: www.asianexpress.co.uk Vietnam’s biggest ever drugs bust

Police Watchdog set to investigate Bradford manslaughter case

By Ashley Grint ashley@asianexpress.co.uk

The police watchdog is set to investigate the way West Yorkshire Police handled the shocking case of a four-year-old boy who was left to starve to death by his mother and decompose in his cot.

M o t h e r- o f - e i g h t , Amanda Hutton, was jailed for 15 years last year after she was found guilty of the manslaughter of her youngest child, Hamzah Khan, as well as the neglect of five of her other children.

The body of Hamzah was found in 2011, nearly two years after his death, decomposing in a cot in the family home.

During the 43-yearold’s trial in October 2013 it emerged that a number

of agencies had been in contact with the family, prior to the discovery of the body.

It is reported that West Yorkshire Police had also received allegations of neglect before 2011 yet did not follow up on the complaints.

This information has led the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to launch its own investigation into the force’s handling of the case.The IPCC also said it would look at why the case was not referred to them in 2011.

The watchdog said it contacted West Yorkshire Police after Hutton was jailed to ask about complaints the force had received.

IPCC commissioner Cindy Butts said: “The

death of Hamzah Khan was a truly shocking example of the most cruel neglect imaginable and at the heart of it lies the loss of a young life.

“Our investigation will examine what action West Yorkshire Police took and also why the contact was not referred to us in 2011.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Brennan, head of West Yorkshire Police Professional Standards, added: “West Yorkshire Police referred this matter to the IPCC in November last year and they have decided this will be an independent investigation which we will fully support and assist in any way we can.”

INNOCENT: Four-year-old Hamzah Khan was found in his cot by West Yorkshire Police in 2011, two years after he was starved to death

SENTENCED: Amanda Hutton was handed a 15-year prison sentence for the manslaughter of her son and the neglect of five of her other children

Judges in northern Vietnam condemned 30 people to death and jailed dozens more on Monday for trafficking over 12 tonnes of heroin, delivering the verdict outdoors in what was the Communist country's biggest ever drugs trial.

All 89 defendants were found guilty of trafficking heroin between 2006 and 2012 and each appeared flanked by two police officers at the mass trial in Quang Ninh province, which was held in the yard of a detention centre, rather than a courtroom.

Thirteen received life in jail and 46 were given either prison terms of up to 20 years, or warnings, the government said in a statement on its internet site.

Vietnam has long been used as a connecting point for moving heroin between Laos, Myanmar and China to other Asian countries and Australia. Its courts give harsh punishments to traffickers, which until recently included death by firing squad. It now uses lethal injection.

The trial began on 3rd January and prosecutors had initially sought death sentence for 34 people. The drugs were trafficked between China, Laos and Vietnam in various types, including heroin and synthetic drugs.

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World’s 10 most famous diamonds The Great Star of Africa - 530.20 Carats The Cullinan I or Star Africa diamond is the largest cut diamond in the world. Pear shaped, with 74 facets, it is set in the Royal Sceptre (kept with the other Crown Jewels in the Tower of London). It was cut from the 3,106-carat Cullian, the largest diamond crystal ever found. The Cullian was discovered in Transvaal, South Africa in l095 on an inspection tour of the Premier Mine. The Cullian was cut by Joseph Asscher

and Company of Amsterdam, who examined the enormous crystal for around six months before determining how to divide it.

It eventually yeilded nine major, and 96 smaller brilliant cut stones. When the Cullian was first discovered, certain signs suggested that it may have been part of a much larger crystal. But no discovery of the "missing half" has ever been authenticated.

Blue bling

The Orloff - 300 Carats

This exceptional beauty is slightly bluish green in colour and exceptionally pure clarity. Sourced in India and Moghul-cut, the gem may be found in the Diamond Treasury of Russia in Moscow. There are so many historical episodes involving the Orloff. First, it may have been set at one time as the diamond eye of Vishnu's idol (one of the Hindu Gods) in a sanctuary temple in Sriangam, before being stolen in the 1700s by a French deserter. He went to Madras, and sold the stone quickly to an English sea-captain for £2,000. Time passed, the stone arrived at Amsterdam where the

Russian count Grigori Orloff, an ex-lover of Empress Catherine the Great was residing. He heard about rumours of the stone, and he bought the diamond for £90,000 and took it back to Russia for Catherine's favour.

Catherine received his gift and had it mounted in the Imperial Sceptre.

She gave a marble palace to Grigori in exchange for the Orloff. However, Grigori couldn't get Catherine's

The Regent - 140.50 Carats

Although it is now surpassed in weight by other famous diamonds, the exceptional limpidity and perfect cut of the Regent give it an incontestable reputation as the most beautiful diamond in the world. Discovered in India in 1698, it was acquired by Thomas Pitt, Governor of Madras, who sent it to England where it was cut. In 1717 the Regent purchased it from Pitt for the French Crown. It first adorned the

complete its transformation into the world's largest, most modern-cut, topcolour, flawless diamond.

Possessing 247 facets 164 on the stone and 83 on its girdle - the aptly-named 'Centenary' diamond weighs 273.85 carats, and is only surpassed in size by the 530.20 carat 'Great Star of Africa' and the 317.40 carat 'Lesser Star of Africa', both of which are set into the British Crown Jewels. The 'Centenary' diamond was unveiled, appropriately at the Tower of London in May, 1991. band of Louis XV's silver gilt crown (in the Louvre) at his coronation in 1722, going then to Louis XVI's crown in 1775. Later in 1801 it figured on the hilt of the First Consul's sword (Fontainebleau, MusÈe NapolÈon 1st), and then on the Emperor's twoedged sword in 1812. In 1825 it was worn on the crown at the coronation of Charles x, and during the Second Empire it embellished the "Grecian diadem" of the Empress Eugenie. It can be seen today at the Louvre in Paris.

Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light) - 105.60 Carats An oval cut gem which is now part of the British Crown Jewels. The name of this diamond means "Mountain of Light" and its history, dating back to1304, is the longest of all famous diamonds. It was captured by the Rajah’s of Malwa in the sixteenth century by the Mogul, Sultan Babur and remained in the possession of later Mogul emperors. It may have been set in the famous Peacock Throne made for Shah Jehan. After the break-up of the Persian empire the diamond found its way to India. It may have traveled to Afghanistan with a bodyguard of Nadir Shah, who fled with the stone when the Shah was murdered, to be later

offered to Ranjit Singh of the Punjab in exchange for military help (which was never delivered). After fighting broke out between the Sikhs and the British, The East India Company claimed the diamond as a partial indemnity, and then presented it to Queen Victoria in 1850. When the stone came from India, it weighed l986 carats; it was later recut to l08.93 carats. It was first worn by the Queen in a brooch. It was later set in the State Crown, worn by Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary, and 1937 was worn for by Queen Elizabeth for her coronation.

It is kept in the Tower of London, with the other Crown Jewels.

The Idol's Eye - 70.20 Carats

A flattened pear-shaped stone the size of a bantam's egg. Another famous diamond that was once set in the eye of an idol before it was stolen. Legend also has it that it was given as ransom for Princess Rasheetah by the Sheik of Kashmir to the Sultan of Turkey who had abducted her.

The Taylor-Burton - 69.42 Carats

This is a pear-shape diamond sourced at the Premier Mine, Transvaal, South Africa. It was founded in 1966 in the Premier Mine in South Africa.

The rough, which weighted 240.80 carats, was cut into a 69.42 pear shape diamond. As you might guess from the name, Richard Burton bought and named this stone as a gift for Elizabeth Taylor. Yes, Richard Burton

RARE: The stunning diamond is expected to fetch well over £10 million (picture credit Petra Diamonds)

Rare blue diamond found in South Africa mine

By Anush Ansari anush@asianexpress.co.uk

An exceptional 29.6 carat blue diamond, recovered earlier this month in South Africa, is the latest rare stone to be found in the famous Cullinan mine, located about 25 miles north-east of Pretoria.

“This stone is one of the most exceptional stones recovered at Cullinan during Petra's operation of the mine,” the mining company said.

Petra Diamonds said in a statement this week: “The stone is an outstanding vivid blue with extraordinary saturation, tone and clarity, and has the potential to yield a polished stone of great value and importance.”

It’s expected that the stone will sell for a high price as a stone unearthed by them last year, a 25.5 carat blue diamond, sold for $16.9m (£10.3m) in 2013.

The Cullinan mine has produced hundreds of large stones and is famed for its production of blue

bought it $1,100,000. He also named this stone as an engagement.

After Burton's death in 1979, Liz Taylor sold the stone for charity and reportedly received $2.8 million. She donated in his memory to a hospital in Biafra. It was last seen in Saudi Arabia.

The Sancy - 55 Carats

The Centenary Diamond - 273.85 Carats

Discovered at the Premier Mine, in July 1986, the 'Centenary' diamond weighed 599.10 carats in the rough. Together with a small select team, mastercutter Gabi Tolkowsky took almost three years to

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It was cut in a pear shape and was first owned by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who lost it in battle in 1477. The stone is in fact named after a later owner, Seigneur de Sancy, a French Ambassador to Turkey in the late 16th century. He loaned it to the French king, Henry III who wore it in the cap with which he concealed his baldness. Henry IV of France also borrowed the stone from Sancy, but was sold off in 1664 to James I of England. In 1688, James II, last of the Stuart kings of England, fled with it to Paris. It disappeared during the French revolution.

diamonds - among the rarest and most highly coveted of all diamonds.

The mine was acquired in 2008 by Petra The Blue Hope - 45.52 Carats Diamonds, which also operates in Botswana and Ironically named Hope diamond (named for its Tanzania. purchaser, Henry Thomas Hope) may have had a A similar 26.6-carat blue long and illustrious history before it became rough diamond discovered associated with a run of bad luck for its owners. It is by the company in May thought to be a part of the famous Blue Tavernier Diamond, brought to Europe from India in l642. The 2009 was cut into a near Blue was purchased by King Louis XIV who had it perfect stone and fetched just under $10m at a cut to 67.50 carats from 112 carats to bring out its brilliance. The diamond was stolen during the French Revolution, and a smaller Sotheby's auction. diamond of similar colour was sold in 1830 to Hope, an English Another deep-blue banker. After inheriting the diamond, Hope's son lost his fortune. It diamond from Cullinan was eventually acquired by an American widow, Mrs. Edward McLean, was auctioned for $10.8m whose family then suffered a series of catastrophes: her only child in 2012 and set a world was accidentally killed, the family broke up, Mrs. McLean lost her record for the value per money, and then committed suicide. When Harry Winston, the New York diamond merchant, bought the stone in 1949, many clients carat.

In 1905, the renowned refused to touch the stone. It is now on display at the Smithosonian Institute in Washington.

Star of Africa blue diamond - the world's second largest cut diamond - was discovered at the Hortensia - 20 Carats Cullinan mine.The pearshaped 530-carat stone was A peach coloured stone, named after the presented to King Edward Queen of Holland, the step-daughter of VII and became part of the Napoleon Bonaparte. This gem is part of the French Crown Jewels and may be viewed at British crown jewels. the Louvre in Paris.

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UK food prices among the highest in Europe Global food index compares 125 countries to reveal the best and worst places to eat healthily People in the UK are facing among the highest and most volatile food prices in Western Europe, according to a new global food database released this week.

The ‘Good Enough to Eat’ index is the first of its kind, comparing data from 125 countries to create a global snapshot of the different challenges people face in getting the food they need to eat.

The index, compiled by Oxfam, comes at a time when one in eight people in the world go hungry despite there being enough to feed everyone, and highlights how distribution and prices are important factors. It brings together data on whether people have enough to eat, can afford to eat, the quality of food and the health outcomes of people’s diet.

Overall The Netherlands, by France and followed Switzerland in joint second, are the best places for people to eat in the index, while Chad is the worst closely followed by both Angola and Ethiopia.

Hairy Biker chef Dave Myers has just returned from Cambodia, which is positioned 89th overall, to see Oxfam’s projects to help boost food security.

He said: “It’s terrible to think that so many people go hungry in a world that produces more than enough. I have seen how bringing simple solutions to Cambodia to help farmers double rice production and make more from what they grow. All of this can change lives for good but a concerted global effort is needed if we are to end the shame of hunger which is clearly affecting people everywhere - even in the UK.” The UK is among the worst performers in Western Europe on whether citizens can afford to eat, sharing 20th position with Cyprus, and with only Austrians and Icelanders fairing worse.

At a time of austerity and with more than half a million people using food banks, the index reveals how people in the UK face higher prices for food compared to other goods than almost everyone in Western Europe.

Only Austrians and Italians face the same level of pressure while Cypriots have to pay more. The UK also ranked in the bottom half of all OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries on food price volatility.

This record on food prices means that the UK’s combined score puts it in 13th position.

Instead, The Netherlands, France and Switzerland are joined in the top 10 per cent by Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Australia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Italy and Ireland. All enjoy top marks for their lack of malnutrition and undernourishment and for access to safe water, while other measures, including obesity, have lowered their final results.

At the bottom of the table, one in three children are underweight in Chad, where food is relatively more expensive than anywhere else, apart from Guinea and Gambia. Chad shares fourth worst position on the quality of food consumed.

Oxfam’s Chief Executive Mark Goldring said: “This index lays bare some of the challenges that people face in getting the food they need - regardless of where they come from. It reveals how the world is failing to ensure that everyone is able to eat healthily, despite there being enough to go around.

“The UK’s failure to make the top table is a shocking indictment

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a million people • Overin half the UK are turning to

food banks to feed themselves and their families The UK is among the • worst performers on

whether citizens can afford to eat, sitting at the 20th positions in Western Europe

people • One inin eight the world go

hungry despite there being enough to feed everyone

for the world’s sixth richest country. With a record number of people turning to food banks, the government must carry out an urgent inquiry into how welfare changes and cuts are exacerbating food poverty and deepening inequality.”

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Asian’s takeover the TV screens

ENTERTAINMENT

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Entertainment

THE LATEST ENTERTAINMENT AND CELEBRITY NEWS FROM BOLLYWOOD & HOLLYWOOD

COMPLAINTS: Albert Square’s newest resident, Shabnam Masood, has already been causing controversy in the BBC soap since returning last week

In what seems like a recordbreaking week for Asian storylines, three of the most watched programmes on television have all focused in on the new families on the block.

Perhaps most notably, on Wednesday 15th January, the longawaited return of the controversial Kumar’s finally arrived. With almost 400,000 people tuning in to Sky One, Madhuri and the gang returned to evening entertainment for the first time since 2006 when they left BBC2.

The only difference now is that the family no longer resides in their Wembley home but above the father’s Hounslow gift shop. Guests on the opening show included Daniel Radcliffe, Olivia Colman and a rare appearance from Chevy Chase.

Seven years ago the general consensus was that ‘you either love them or hate them’, and now it seems nothing’s changed with a huge variation of responses on social media about the Kumar’s.

Elsewhere, back on terrestrial TV, Rakhee Thakrar debuted as Shabnam Masood on Eastenders as the character made a return to Albert Square for the first time since leaving in 2008.

Zahra Ahmadi, who used to play the role, left after just 14 months because of a lack of storylines yet the new Shabnam already looks to be offering a new venture for the outspoken resident.

On Tuesday, Shabnam told her father, Masood Ahmed, that he

RETURN: The Kumars are back on Sky One

shouldn’t have dated a white woman (Carol). Cue the complaints.

The BBC acknowledged the complaints yet stuck by the storyline adding that the matter is due to be tackled in upcoming episodes.

“We received complaints from some viewers who were unhappy with a comment made by Shabnam…,” a BBC statement read.

“Shabnam has returned from Pakistan with a renewed religious faith, devoutness and with some strong views. In this episode, Shabnam's comments came from her personal beliefs, but as viewers will see in future episodes, she is strongly challenged on her views by her father Masood.”

With both shows showing heightened interest it is Coronation Street which will be welcoming a piece of history to their soap next as the street’s first Muslim family gets ready to move in next month.

Jimi Mistry, who currently plays fitness trainer Kal, will welcome his family to ITV’s most famous cobbles as Corrie prepares to open its doors to some new cast members.

Marc Anwar, who recently appeared in Hollywood blockbuster Captain Phillips, is the only named family member so far, and will play Kal’s father, Sharif.

With Asian television stars rising up the ladder, watch out for exclusive interviews in upcoming issues of the Asian Express with some of the screen’s biggest names.

Kumars, Eastenders and Corrie welcome new faces to enhance their storylines

What Twitter is saying!

It seems not everybody was overly impressed with the return of Number 42’s former residents but please let us know what you thought of the show by tweeting us @AsianExpressUK Sonia Bhatia wasn't the same :(...bring just rs The #Kuma back Goodness Gracious Me!!!

Elizabeth Wright Some things are better in the past

HISTORIC: Jimi Mistry (right) is currently playing fitness trainer Kal on Coronation Street. Next month, the soap will introduce its first ever Muslim family, with the father’s role, Sharif, to be played by Marc Anwar (left)

Jack Keane Just finished watching #TheKumars. My god, it's like they never left. The cast are all still absolute pros. LONG LIVE THE KUMARS!

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ENTERTAINMENT

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January 2014 - 1st Edition

FILM: Dedh Ishqiya RELEASE DATE: DIRECTED BY: Abhishek Chaubey 15/01/2014 GENRE: Comedy & Thriller STAR CAST: Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Huma Qureshi, Vijay Raaz

Serving up an intriguing tale of romance, the sequel to the award-winning Indian romantic-thriller 'Ishqiya',

which was released on 15th January.

The film follows events after 'Ishqiya' where Khalujan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi) become involved in another escapade.

The widowed Begum of Mahmudabad (Madhuri DixitNene) has announced a festival of poetry at her 12A mansion. The grapevine suggests she's looking for a Madhuri talks to the Asian new husband - preferably Express about her role in one literary and poetic talents.

‘Dedh Isqshiya’ - a movie So, in the hope of catching filled with deception and rage, the Begum’s eye, Khalujan

12A

RELEASE DATE: 21/01/2014 FILM: Josh DIRECTED BY: Iram Parveen Bilal GENRE: Social/Drama STAR CAST: Aamina Sheikh, Mohib Mirza, Khalid Malik, Adnan Shah Tipu, Nyla Jafri Josh (English Title: Against the Grain) is the story of a privileged woman whose life is shattered in a single moment.

Fatima, a committed schoolteacher living the cosmopolitan high life in Karachi, is devastated when her nanny, Nusrat, inexplicably disappears.

Though her friends and family beg her not to disturb the status quo and confront the powerful feudals in Nusrat’s village, Fatima travels there to investigate.

Will the trials and tribulations deter Fatima's resolve? Will the quest challenge an

already complicated romantic relationship?

What all shall Fatima have to sacrifice in the search for answers?

Based on a true story this is a film that tackles issues such as feudalism, poverty and schooling. A gripping tale that has its fair share of twists and turns but which ultimately sends out both a powerful and positive message.

To date the film has received great acclaim and has picked up numerous awards along the way. The film is being screen at Odeon Cinemas across the country for one week only.

poses as a poet and begins his antics.

When Babban arrives at the mansion in the hope of cajoling Khalujan out of the place, his plans soon change as he sets eyes on the Begum's maid - the lovely, sexy Muniraalias Muniya (Huma Qureshi).

However, Muniya is up to no good. Every so often, she sneaks off in disguise to meet with gangsters, as a dangerous kidnap plot is hatched!

The tale is filled with twists, mysterious turns and revenge.

RELEASE DATE: 14/02/2014

FILM: Gunday DIRECTED BY: Ali Abbas Zafar GENRE: Action/Romance STAR CAST: Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Irrfan Khan, Sushant Singh When they ran TBC to save their lives for the first time, they were mere 12year-old boys, and the world called them 'refugees'.

The war of 1971 gave birth to a new country Bangladesh. It also gave birth to two young orphans Bikram and Bala ((Ranveer Singh)and Arjun Kapoor). They witnessed the war and its aftermath, where the world tried to trample over them. Fighting for survival, they clung to each other and escaped to Calcutta.

Before they knew the world, they knew each other. Such was their bond, such was their friendship.

Each time they sought new beginnings, each time they would rise, the world would crush them down.

So, they fought again... and again. Together they were unbeatable. They were unstoppable. They were inseparable.

In the years that passed, Bikram and Bala, became Calcutta's most

loved, most celebrated, most reckless, most fearless and most powerful “Gunday”!

They had everything... then, one fine day, bells rang...

Nandita (Priyanka Chopra), the most beautiful cabaret dancer, walked into their lives, and they lost everything to her.

Their murky world turned magical and colourful. They fell head over heels in love with her.

But that was only a blissful lull before an impending storm... and then entered ACP Satyajeet Sarkar (Irrfan Khan- the right for every wrong, a law for every outlaw and a counter-force for Bikram and Bala.

What follows from here is the most sensational-most thrillingmost dramatic story ever told!

E: RELEASE DAT 24/01/2014

TBC

FILM: Jai Ho DIRECTED BY: Sohail Khan GENRE: Action/ Drama STAR CAST: Salman Khan, Tabu, Danny Denzongpa, Daisy Shah, Nadira Babbar Jai (Salman Khan) is an upright common man is fighting a solitary war against corruption and injustice.

Honest and incorruptible, he has made it his mission to help as many people as he can. His mantra is quite simple - help somebody and then request that person to lend a helping hand to somebody else - thus forming an ever growing circle of people helping each other.

In a strange twist of fate, he finds himself pitted against a powerful politician and his vile family. Jai who is an ex army officer, will not shy away from a battle, however bloody it may get, and firmly believes that you do not have to wear an uniform to serve

FILM: Highway RELEASE DATE: DIRECTED BY: Imtiaz Ali 21/02/2014 GENRE: Drama STAR CAST: Randeep Hooda, Alia Bhat

TB C A kidnapped rich girl forms an unexpected bond with her captor in this Bollywood romantic drama from the director of 'Jab We Met'.

A carefree young city girl (Alia Bhat) is driving along the highway with her fiance.

But her life changes in an instant when she's abducted by a rough gang of rural criminals.

The kidnappers quickly discover that their hostage is the daughter of a prominent industrialist with powerful political friends. But their leader (Randeep Hooda) is undeterred, insisting that they go ahead with their plan.

As their van continues on its lengthy journey, passing through some spectacular landscapes, the girl begins to

your country.

As the politician unleashes his violent goons on brave heart Jai, Geeta, Jai's sister, realises the horrific consequences this can have on her brother and the rest of their family. She persuades a reluctant Jai to make peace with the politician.

When events lead Jai to humiliation, Jai loses his cool and declares all out war. It is an unequal war on side stand the politician with his numerous henchmen and on one side is Jai - alone.

But unknown to him, a silent revolution is taking place. The voiceless public, he has helped in the past, is gathering force. It finally has a voice and this voice cannot...will not be silenced.

feels more free than she ever did before. Indian writer/director Imtiaz Ali made his name with the hit 'Jab We Met'.

He casts Randeep Hooda of 'Once upon a Time in Mumbaai' fame opposite rising star Alia Bhat in this romantic exploration of Stockholm Syndrome. Music is by A.R. Rahman.

AsianExpress.co.uk

January 2014 - 1st Edition

ENTERTAINMENT

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SjEaPnT 2014 TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE

OUT NOW

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

STARRING: BRAD PITT, MICHAEL FASSBENDER, CHIWETEL EJIOFOR, SARAH PAULSON DIRECTOR: STEVE MCQUEEN 15 CERT GENRE: DRAMA Twelve years a slave is based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom.

In the pre-Civil War United States.

Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty (personified by a malevolent slave owner, portrayed by

STARRING: LEONARDO DICAPRIO, MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, JOANNA LUMLEY, JONAH HILL DIRECTOR: MARTIN SCORSESE GENRE: DRAMA, COMEDY

Michael Fassbender), as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon's chance meeting with a Canadian UK RELE AS abolitionist 10/01/2E DATE: (Brad Pitt) will 014 forever alter his life.

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OUT NOW

CERT

Based on a true story, 'The Wolf of Wall Street' lifts the lid on a massive 1990's securities fraud scandal, which was orchestrated by a hard-partying stockbroker.

Jordan Belfort appears to have it all: fast cars, luxury yachts and endless reserves

OUT NOW

OUT NOW

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT

12A

CERT

STARRING: CHRIS PINE, UK RELE KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, ASE 2 4/01/20DATE: KEVIN COSTNER 14 DIRECTOR: KENNETH BRANAGH GENRE: ACTION, DRAMA, THRILLER

UK RELE AS

24/01/2E DATE: 014

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

STARRING: MERYL STREEP, JULIA ROBERTS, EWAN MCGREGOR, CHRIS COOPER DIRECTOR: JOHN WELLS GENRE: COMEDY, DRAMA August: Osage County tells the dark, hilarious and deeply touching story of the Weston family. Meryl Streep stars as Violet, the sharp-tongued matriarch of the Weston's. August begins on the night that Violet's husband of 30 years, Beverly, mysteriously vanishes without a trace.

This deep family crisis draws the couple's three daughters, including eldest Barbara (Julia Roberts), back to the family home, each returning with husbands and boyfriends in tow to solve the mystery of what happened to their father and to comfort the dysfunctional woman who raised them.

Based on the CIA analyst created by espionage master Tom Clancy, ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ is a blistering action thriller that follows Ryan (Chris Pine, "Star Trek") from his quiet double-life as a veteran-turnedWall Street executive to his all-out initiation as a hunted American agent on the trail of a massive terrorist plot in Moscow.

Ryan appears to be just another New York executive to his friends and loved ones, but his enlistment into the CIA secretly goes back years.

He was brought in as a brainy Ph.D. who crunches global data but when Ryan ferrets out a meticulously planned scheme to collapse the U.S. economy and spark global chaos, he becomes the only man with the skills to stop it.

Now, he's gone fully operational,

LONE SURVIVOR STARRING: MARK WAHLBERG, BEN FOSTER, ERIC BANA DIRECTOR: PETER BERG GENRE: ACTION, DRAMA, THRILLER

thrust into a world of mounting suspicion, deception and deadly force.

Caught between his tight-lipped handler Harper (Academy Awardwinner Kevin Costner), his in-thedark fiancee Cathy (Keira Knightley) and a brilliant Russian oligarch (Kenneth Branagh), Jack must confront a new reality where no one can seem to be trusted, yet the fate of millions rests on his finding the truth. With the urgency of a lit fuse, he's in a race to stay one step ahead of everyone around him.

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CERT

Set during the war on Afghanistan, gritty drama 'Lone Survivor' follows a specialist team of Navy SEALs who clash with Taliban forces in the remote Afghan mountains.

The film focuses on an elite army unit who are tasked with tracking down and killing a Taliban official.

But as they venture into hostile territory, the operation takes a dangerous turn and tragedy is close

UK RELE AS

at hand…

'Lone Survivor' is based on the incredible true story of former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, who wrote an eyewitness account of the high-stakes mission.

UK RELE AS

17/01/2E DATE: 014

of money earned by ruthlessly swindling investors. But his high-flying lifestyle won't last forever, as FBI agents cotton on to the dodgy dealings at his firm and the dynamic banker looks set to face federal prison.

GRUDGE MATCH

UK RELE AS

24/01/2E DATE: 014

STARRING: ROBERT DE NIRO, SYLVESTER STALLONE, KIM BASINGER 12A DIRECTOR: CERT PETER SEGAL GENRE: COMEDY In “Grudge Match,” De Niro and Stallone play Billy “The Kid” McDonnen and Henry “Razor” Sharp, two local Pittsburgh fighters whose fierce rivalry put them in the national spotlight.

Each had scored a victory against the other during their heyday, but in 1983, on the eve of their decisive third match, Razor suddenly announced his retirement, refusing to explain why but effectively delivering a knock-out punch to both their careers.

Thirty years later, boxing

promoter Dante Slate Jr., seeing big dollar signs, makes them an offer they can’t refuse: to re-enter the ring and settle the score once and for all.

OUT OF THE FURNACE

UK RELE AS

29/01/2E DATE: 014

STARRING: CHRISTIAN BALE, ZOE SALDANA, WOODY HARRELSON DIRECTOR: SCOTT COOPER GENRE: THRILLER Acclaimed director Scott Cooper takes audiences on a CERT vivid and intense journey into the heart of a fading American Dream in Out of the Furnace, as fate, family and loyalty drive an ordinary man to take heroic measures to fight for those he loves.

Russell Baze (Christian Bale) and his younger brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) were born and raised in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a hardscrabble Rust Belt hamlet that has been home to generations of American steel workers. Russell followed their father into the mills, while Rodney took the only other option open to young men like him and enlisted in the Army, hoping to find a better life outside of Braddock.

But after four brutal tours of duty in Iraq, an emotionally and physically depleted Rodney returns to a recession-weary town that offers even fewer options than before he left. When a cruel twist of fate lands Russell in prison, his younger brother tries to make ends meet by betting on horses and competing as a bareknuckle boxer.

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AsianExpress.co.uk

January 2014 - 1st Edition

Avina’s angelic voice entertains at Asian Express ‘Year End Bash’ British-born Hindi singer Avina Shah from London, has been making headlines in the UK Asian Music scene since her debut with ‘Tere Bina’, which supported the fight against domestic violence and touched many hearts.

Having taken intense voice culture and classical vocal training in India, Avina carries the charm of captivating the crowds with her infectious stage presence and angelic voice. Her speciality is delivering bollywood hits and has performed in various locations within the US, Canada, Europe, Africa and Middle East.

Asian Express caught up with Avina before her perfomance at the Asian Express ‘Year End Bash’ on 27th December, Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford.

A. I’ve been exposed to so many different genres of music throughout my life. As a child, I used to listen to all the old classic songs by Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar and Mohammad Rafi – they were always my favourite. Apart from that, I’ve grown up listening to Pop, RnB, Bollywood, Classical music and I’d like to take an element of all these different styles into the music that I release.

Q. Tell us about what you've been doing over the last year.

A. 2013 has certainly been a very hectic year. I released my last single ‘Aao Na’ in August and earlier in the year shot the video for it in a stunning beach called El Matador in Malibu (LA), where many music videos have been shot by some of my favourite artists like Beyonce, Mariah Carey, etc.

The live performances have been very busy this year – across the UK, Europe, Thailand and the US. This year I have continued my charity work supporting women’s empowerment and also recently got involved with Sewa Day, which involved spending quality time at a Midlands based care home.

Q. When did you begin your singing career?

A. I actually started out as a dancer before I decided to pursue singing… my first stage performance was when I was only three-years-old! I've been singing professionally since I was 16 and have been able to get lots of experience performing all over the world.

Q. Biggest opportunity to date with your singing career?

A. I was invited to perform at Manish Malhotra’s first fashion launch in London earlier this year and other events in the presence of high profile personalities such as Shahrukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Jaya Bachchan, Laxmi Mittal and other dignitaries. The Royal Family of Oman also invited me to sing in a huge open-air concert in Muscat, which was such a memorable and exciting moment. Now my most recent performance at a Global Afghan Awards Ceremony in the world’s entertainment capital Las Vegas has certainly made a mark on my singing career!

Q. What genre of music do you enjoy listening to the most?

Q. Favourite drink and favourite food A. I certainly am a lover of food and

everyone around me tells me I’m a big ‘foody’! Although I love all cuisines across the world, nothing beats a good paneer with naan meal… Indian food will always be my favourite! Favourite drink is a five-a-day fresh juice – it feels good if I know I’m drinking something healthy!

Q. Your favourite bollywood hero of all time and also one currently on the scene?

A. It’s got to be Aamir Khan – his fame is more understated and I respect him thoroughly for the beautiful films he’s created that have an underlying message behind them – such as ‘Tare Zameen Par’ and ‘3 Idiots’. That’s what makes him a true ‘hero’ in my opinion.

Q. Your favourite bollywood heroine of all time and also one currently on the scene?

A. No-one beats Madhuri! She has always been my childhood heroine and I can watch her movies over & over again… her beauty and charisma is simply evergreen.

Romantic and intriguing Q. Best and worst chat up lines that you've had A. Being an artist, I admit you do hear a large collection of strange pickup lines – some are hilarious! A recent funny one was amidst a conversation where he pointed to the clothes he was wearing ‘Feel my shirt… that’s boyfriend material!’ (it is certainly cheesy but it made me laugh!).

Madhuri Dixit-Nene talks about her role in ‘Dedh Ishqiya’

By Anush Ansari

anush@asianexpress.co.uk

Serving up an intriguing tale of romance, the sequel to the awardwinning Indian romantic-thriller 'Ishqiya', Madhuri talks to the Asian Express about her role in ‘Dedh Isqshiya’ - a movie filled with deception and rage, which was released on 15th January.

The film which follows events after 'Ishqiya' where Khalujan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi) become involved in another escapade, where the widowed Begum of Mahmudabad (Madhuri Dixit-Nene) has announced a festival of poetry at her mansion. The grapevine suggests she's looking for a new husband preferably one with poetic talents. The tale is filled with twists and mysterious turns and also stars Huma Qureshi as Muniraalias Muniya.

We asked Madhuri what it was like playing the role of the Begum. She said:

“It definitely challenged me as a kind of role, as there are not a lot of histrionics there.

“There's no shouting and screaming.

It's not very obvious acting.

“With Begum it was like performing on a tightrope as I had to deliver a character who wants people to perceive her different to what she really is. The role had to be underplayed and undertoned.”

On meeting up to the acclaim of ‘Ishqia’ and the pressure of doing a sequel, Madhuri said: “Sequels have to be better and the interest is very high, yet should also look like a different movie.

“Dedh Ishqiya is completely different in terms of story, culture, atmosphere...

We now have these two conmen characters from the first film, put into a haveli setting. The comedy comes off very beautifully. I feel we achieved what we set out to do. It's a very poetical film, but the Urdu is not that complicated that the common man won't understand.”

JOSH

January 2014 - 1st Edition

– Against the Grain

AsianExpress.co.uk

ENTERTAINMENT

Young female Pakistani filmmaker brings her film to the UK

By Anush Ansari

anush@asianexpress.co.uk

DRIVEN: Pakistan’s emergence of new blood into filmmaking sees Iram Parveen Bilal as the Director of the movie gathering much-acclaim ‘Josh’

Pakistani cinema has been in the midst of a metamorphosis with an emergence of new talent and an independent film scene.

Steering this change has been an upcoming breed of new filmmakers who are not only creative but driven to mobilising all the resources to raise funds, crew and a camera or two. This is the new cinema of Pakistan’s filmschool generation, out to change an outdated narrative, one small film at a time.

Iram Parveen Bilal is one

such filmmaker, and her first film ‘Josh’ made history as Pakistan’s first film to be showcased at the London Indian Film Festival, last year.

Originally studying to become an engineer, Iram says that she was far too impatient to wait for a scientific discovery that would help mankind, and desired a more immediate reaction to her work.

Starring two of Pakistani television’s finest actors, and real-life power couple, Aamina Sheikh and Mohib Mirza, ‘Josh’ tells the story of a high school teacher living in Karachi, whose blissful ignorance about the realities of life in rural Pakistan is shattered when her nanny goes missing.

The film is about class separation, education, women’s rights, feudalism and the youth movement. The gripping tale has its fair share of twists and turns, but which ultimately sends out both a powerful and positive message.

Commenting on being a new talent in Pakistan’s film industry, Iram said: “The most important thing is that it’s a movement from the ground up. It’s no longer just people from film families making films. That will hopefully lead to a greater variety of films, and ultimately a cinema which is thick and strong.

“Many of these new films have been largely focussed on powerful social narratives. Pakistan is always in turmoil and so you can either focus on the turmoil or go completely escapist in your narratives. But we’ve only just restarted the process of making films, and the more that are made, the wider the spectrum will get.”

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AsianExpress.co.uk

January 2014 - 1st Edition

AsianExpress.co.uk

January 2014 - 1st Edition

Asian

Express

BUSINESS

Your National and Local Business Round-up

Business news

EUROPA BEDS Bespoke Bed Solutions Europa Beds may be leaders in design and production yet perhaps most importantly it is a name trusted by thousands up and down the country.

Whether it is for a celebrity’s mansion, a style-conscious hotel or just a sleep enthusiast, every job receives the same dedication and commitment from the Europa Beds team, from the design stage right through to the deliverance of the bed.

From their historic Yorkshire base, the manufacturers design, produce and deliver beautiful, bespoke beds to customers in every corner of the UK, using only the highest quality

materials.

For more than three decades, Europa Beds has built a glowing reputation in their industry and continue to be innovators in design and manufacture.

Specialising in the unique ‘round-bed’ design, these models are beautifully crafted to provide the ultimate comfort experience.

Nicknamed ‘the Kings of Luxury Sleepspace’ the stunning creations are generously proportioned to allow extra space and are the perfect addition to any lavish bedroom. Be sure to check out the Europa Beds website to view all the different round-bed

ranges available, from penthouse to studio and city to octagon.

As well as offering beautiful, sumptuous ranges, Europa creates stunning bespoke beds in any size, shape and colour to match your absolute desire.

From honeymoon suite romance to high-tech glamour, the perfect bed can be created for you or your clients.

With celebrity clients ranging from British boxing ace, Amir Khan, to the Big Brother Celebrity house, you know you are in good hands when dealing with Europa Beds.

Passion for the job is clear to see with every design, listening

We love our work and we want you to love it too!

From your initial enquiry onwards we aim to excite you with our products, enthuse you with our capability and impress you with our attention to detail.

It's a promise!

to customers’ specifications and in turn constructing custom style beds which are not only visually spectacular but so comfortable, you won’t want to get up on a morning.

Offering free sampling services on all fabrics there is certain to be something for everyone’s taste.

Lovingly made and handfinished here in Yorkshire, your designer bed will be delivered

T: 01924 420003 E: info@europabeds.co.uk

direct within just a week or two.

Visit www.europabeds.co.uk today to browse the extensive collection on offer at Europa Beds today, or for a totally unique Europa creation, simply call 01924 420003 and speak with a designer now.

Europa House Hick Lane, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 5TD

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AsianExpress.co.uk

January 2014 - 1st Edition

Just so we’re clear

I

n the recent case of Newbury –v- Sun Microsystems the Court provided some words of caution in relation to the formation of contracts and the need for clarity when parties are seeking to settle proceedings.

It is a common aspect of litigation that parties will make offers in an attempt to settle. Indeed, throughout litigation the parties are encouraged by the Court to seek to settle the dispute by alternative methods of dispute resolution. Instead of engaging in more formal methods of alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation, parties often negotiate settlement in correspondence.

In the Newbury Case the Claimant had issued proceedings against the Defendant in sum of $2,028,760 in respect of unpaid commission. The Defendant issued a counterclaim against the Defendant alleging overpayment. The proceedings had been ongoing since 2011 and previous attempts at settlement had been unsuccessful.

However on 3 June 2013, shortly before the parties were due to commence an 8 day trial, the Defendant’s Solicitor wrote to the Claimant’s Solicitor putting forward an offer to compromise the entirety of the claim. That offer letter was not marked ‘subject to contract’. The offer put forward by the Defendant was a payment of £601,464.98 to the Claimant in full and final settlement plus an additional payment in respect of the Claimant’s legal fees. The letter expressly stated ‘such settlement to be recorded in

a suitably worded agreement’.

The Claimant’s Solicitors wrote back to confirm that the offer was accepted and they would forward a draft agreement for approval in due course.

On 5 June 2013 the Claimant’s Solicitor sent a formal Order which recorded the compromise of the proceedings and provided for a payment to be made to the Claimant in full and final settlement of the claim together with an additional payment in relation to legal fees.

The Defendant’s Solicitor responded to confirm that the proposed Order was not agreed. Instead the Defendant’s Solicitor had drawn up a separate Order and a formal Deed of Waiver in which additional terms in relation to taxation and a requirement of confidentiality were inserted. Such terms were not included in the offer and as a result the Claimant’s Solicitor rejected the new proposed Deed of Waiver and the additional terms incorporated it in.

A dispute arose between the parties as to whether or not the correspondence exchanged on 3 June 2013 led to the creation of a binding contract. The Claimant contended that the letters were clearly demonstrative of a contract, the parties had an intention to create legal relations and the acceptance of the offer created a binding contract. The Defendant’s position was that the use of the words ‘such settlement to be recorded in a suitably worded agreement’ meant that the offer was not an offer which was capable of acceptance as

further terms (i.e. the settlement agreement) needed to be negotiated and until such an agreement had been approved and signed, the offer was not binding.

The Court agreed with the Claimant and held that the correspondence gave rise to a binding legal contract.

The Judge stated that had the Defendant’s Offer letter been marked ‘subject to contract’ it would have been clear that the terms of the Offer were not binding until a formal agreement was entered into.

This case acts as an important reminder of the need to ensure that you are not unintentionally creating a contract and for the terms of any offer letter to be clear. Ideally any offer made should state clearly all of the conditions which are attached to that offer because once the offer is accepted it may be too late to seek to impose additional terms into that compromise.

Please contact Luke Patel on 0113 227 9316 or by email at LPatel@LawBlacks.com

A Bitcoin education Out of circulation An English university has become the first public educational establishment in the world to allow students to pay their tuition fees with the digital currency bitcoin.

Students at Cumbria University attending two courses examining the role of complementary currencies will be allowed to use the units.

Last year the University of Nicosia, a private university in Cyprus, announced it would accept bitcoin, but the University of Cumbria is the first public university to do so, and for courses that are already accepting students.

Cumbria's system for accepting payments, via the bitpay system, is already operational, the university said. “We believe in learning by doing, and so to help inform our courses on complementary currencies, we are trialling the acceptance of them,” said professor Jem Bendell, the founder and director of the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability, which will run the two courses.

“Some support bitcoin due to its speed and cost, others due the new era of financial freedom it could enable.”

FIRST: Cumbria University will be the first educational establishment in the world that accepts payment through bitcoin

Indian officials have taken the decision to pull older rupees from circulation in an attempt to tackle the growing problem of counterfeit money in the country.

In a statement issued on Thursday 23rd January, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the old notes, released before 2005, would become voided by the 31st March with all banks across the nation tasked with exchanging the bills for customers.

A spokesperson for the central bank, Alpana Killawala, spoke to CNN about the news and believes it will be beneficial for everybody in society with an emphasis on increased security.

“There are many new features

that didn't exist in those old notes,” Killawala said. The central bank has called on the public ‘not to panic’ and emphasized the affected banknotes are still legal tender.

In a 2013 report published by the central bank, the issue of counterfeit money in India was highlighted as a big concern with the issue on the rise.

The UK is just one of a number of nations which will also be moving into modern currency as polymer notes are introduced in 2016.

More than 25 countries already use the special bills, including Australia, Mexico and Canada.

Plastic notes are more durable and are cheaper to produce over time.

CHANGE: As of the 31st March, rupees issued before 2005 will become voided in India in an attempt to cut down on fake currency

AsianExpress.co.uk

January 2014 - 1st Edition

TH

BUSINESS

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THE 5 ELEMENT EastZEast launches fifth restaurant in style

By Ashley Grint ashley@asianexpress.co.uk

The home of Punjabi cooking made its long anticipated arrival in Whitefield last week, as EastZEast opened its newest establishment on the outskirts of Manchester.

With the Lancashire restaurant signaling the fifth EastZEast to open in the UK, and with a sixth set to open in Birmingham by March, access to the finest Punjabi food is becoming easier and easier for Britain’s food lovers.

At a special opening ceremony, esteemed guests were joined by local residents, all eager to get a peak at what the fine dining eatery had to offer and they certainly weren’t

disappointed.

Alongside an array of mouth watering dishes, an evening of entertainment commenced with everything from dancers to magicians, and DJs to singers, performing throughout the night.

Guests were treated to the classic EastZEast favourites, such as Lahori chicken and Lamb Sookha Bunah, offering just a small taste of what is available at the Punjabi specialists.

The two-floor, 350capacity restaurant is the perfect venue for celebrations, whether it be a romantic meal for two, or a large party of wedding guests; everybody is catered for.

EastZEast has built up a reputation for providing the finest Punjabi meals in the

North of England. The extensive menu has been perfected over a number of decades with chefs fully trained to serve up the most succulent meals on every occasion.

Their dishes have received nationwide recognition and have seen customers flock from across the country to try out the famous menu.

The special EastZEast grill menu is not only vast in options but also provides diners the healthier option.

Whether it be fish, chicken, lamb or prawns, the delectable flavours will leave even the fussiest of eaters satisfied. Don’t just take my word for it though, head down to one of the five restaurants today to experience Indian dining at its best.

EastZEast’s new Whitefield restaurant is open seven days a week (Mon-Thurs, 5pm-11.30pm; Fri-Sat, 5pm-12am; Sun, 5pm-11pm) and is located at 117 Bury New Road, Whitefield, Bury, M45 7EG. To book a reservation today please call 0161 796 7117 or to get a sneak peak at the famous menu, visit www.eastzeast.com

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BUSINESS

ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVES

WANTED We are looking for a Sales Executive to work for a growing company.

Must have at least 3 years of advertising sales experience working in the newspaper and magazine industry.

EARN from £20k to 50k Salary • Bonus Commission • Expenses Car • Mobile Phone

Immediate start if you can answer yes to: Do you have a full UK drivers licence?

Can you work of your own initiative?

Do you have a thirst for money and success?

Please apply with a letter and cv to: Nadim Hanif Managing Director Turbo Consultancy Ltd 4 Armley Court • Armley Road Leeds LS12 2LB nadim@asianexpress.co.uk

AsianExpress.co.uk

January 2014 - 1st Edition

We are looking for

We are looking for an

VAN OWNERS /DRIVERS

ADMIN/OFFICE

WEST YORKSHIRE to work for a growing company in the following areas:

Manchester Birmingham London Leeds Liverpool Nottingham Must have a full UK drivers licence (Rate of pay to be negotiated)

Please apply with a letter and cv to: Nadim Hanif Managing Director Turbo Consultancy Ltd 4 Armley Court • Armley Road Leeds LS12 2LB nadim@asianexpress.co.uk

EFFICIENT

PERSON to work for a growing company in the newspaper and magazine industry.

Immediate start if you can answer yes to: Can you work of your own initiative?

Do you make a good cup of tea?

Are you PC Literate?

Can you Type?

Good at Filing?

Please apply with a letter and cv to: Nadim Hanif Managing Director Turbo Consultancy Ltd 4 Armley Court • Armley Road Leeds LS12 2LB nadim@asianexpress.co.uk

WEBSITE

SALES working for a growing company in the newspaper and magazine industry.

Responsibilities: • Answering enquiries via the website, telephone and incoming emails and respond accordingly.

• Introducing marketing and sales initiatives to the target markets, using your experience and product knowledge.

• Have internal sales / customer services experience.

Please apply with a letter and cv to: Nadim Hanif Managing Director Turbo Consultancy Ltd 4 Armley Court • Armley Road Leeds LS12 2LB nadim@asianexpress.co.uk

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new website now live please visit: @AsianExpressUK

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January 2014 - 1st Edition

In a latest report, an oil company has predicted the death of the petrol-powered car will be in 2070.

Shell has forecasted that by the year 2070 conventionally-engined cars could be killed off. Using future scenarios to build plausible decisions for what lies ahead, Shell has called into question the future of oil-fuelled cars.

Shell’s incredibly detailed 46-page analysis of future fuels and economic scenarios stated: ‘By 2070, the passenger road market could be

Death of petrol cars nearly oil-free. Towards the end of the century an extensive hydrogen infrastructure rollout displaces oil demand for long haul and heavy loads.’

Toyota has already made its first

steps into the world of hydrogenpowered vehicles, with the FCV Concept unveiled in almostproduction form at the Tokyo Motor Show last November.

In theory, hydrogen vehicles will

offer customers zero emissions motoring without the range anxiety associated with electric cars. While a hydrogen-refuelling infrastructure is yet to be put in place in the UK, stations along key routes such as the

MOTORS

M4 and M1 will begin to emerge when the Toyota FCV arrives next year.

However, Shell does continue to say the demand for oil has yet to reach its peak. ‘Entirely removing oil from road transport worldwide is a truly colossal undertaking. With reduced growth of travel demand, increased vehicle efficiency, and natural gas, electricity and hydrogen increasingly in use, liquid fuels for passenger road transport decline after a global peak in 2035.’

Successor to the 1 Series M Coupe?

M-POWER: The BMW M2 is expected to go on sale in 2016 at around £50,000

A source has confirmed that a road-going version of the M235i Racing (a track-only customer race car) had been considered for production. However, the plans were scrapped when it was decided that it would “step on the toes of something else higher up the range.”

A new BMW M2, shown in our exclusive illustration, is expected to use a twinturbocharged version of the M235i’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine. Maximum power output should be in the region of 380bhp, compared to the M235i's 322bhp figure, while leaving enough space to the 425bhp BMW M3 Saloon and M4 Coupe.

However, it's also expected that the M2 will adopt much of the new chassis technology found in the M3 and M4, including an electronically

39

controlled limited slip rear differential dubbed Active M Differential.

To keep the purchase price down, the new M2 may not come as standard with Adaptive M Suspension as standard, but it's expected that there will be a wide variety of settings available to the driver to alter the character of the car.

The M2's predecessor was called the 1 Series M Coupé, as the 'M1' name was used on the company's iconic supercar from the late seventies. There is no official word on what the new junior M car will be officially named, but M2 is the frontrunner.

The BMW M2 is expected to go on sale in 2016 at around £50,000 - ensuring it is distanced from the M3 and M4, which start at £56,175 and £56,643 respectively.

News of a flagship performance model with around 380bhp and tech from the M4

40

MOTORS

AsianExpress.co.uk

Mighty little beast

Mercedes-Benz is making a dynamic statement with it new GLA 45 AMG in the strongly growing segment of the compact SUV. In addition to the Mercedes A 45 AMG and CLA 45 AMG, the GLA 45 AMG is the third vehicle with the four-cylinder turbo engine to appeal to a young target group.

It stands as the most powerful series-production four-cylinder engine in the world puts 360 hp of power and 450 Newton metres of torque on the road. The new GLA 45 AMG high-performance SUV also shines with regard to emissions and fuel consumption figures.

With a fuel consumption of 37.6 mpg (NEDC combined; CO2: 175 g/km) and compliance with EU 6 emissions standards the GLA 45 AMG once more provides proof that at Mercedes-AMG maximum performance does not come at the expense of environmental compatibility.

The SUV also holds the pole position with regard to driving dynamics - it accelerates from zero to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 155 mph (electronically limited).

Mercedes-AMG addresses the basic challenge with regard to the throttle response of a small-capacity turbo engine by using a twin-scroll turbocharger, maximum dethrottling of the exhaust system and an innovative injection strategy.

Twin-scroll technology provides for a more spontaneous build-up of

An all-new British sports car brand is to launch in April this year, with its debut model – codename Project Judi – promising to "refresh the classic British sports car, for the 21st Century." Businessman and enthusiast, David Brown, has set up the company in his own name and brought an experienced team of engineers and designers on board.

A whole new car has been developed from the ground up by David Brown Automotive. A bespoke body and interior trim have been designed, with all materials sourced from British suppliers. Production will be low-volume but the latest manufacturing techniques will be used alongside traditional craftsmanship.

Return of

charge pressure: utilisation of the exhaust back-pressure, exhaust-gas temperature and exhaust-gas pulse has a positive impact. This results in a faster build-up of torque at low engine speeds.

Thanks to the combination of standard-fit performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel-drive and the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7speed sports transmission, the GLA 45 AMG impresses with its equally sporty and efficient drive system concept.

Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of MercedesAMG GmbH: "The response to the Concept GLA 45 AMG during the world première at the Los Angeles International Auto Show has reaffirmed our decision to launch this new AMG model.

“Currently there is no segment growing faster than that of compact SUVs. For Mercedes-AMG it is therefore a logical step to make a dynamic statement in this segment with the GLA 45 AMG. “Our new high-performance-SUV not only offers the world's most powerful series-production fourcylinder engine, but also impressively low fuel consumption and emissions figures. Not least on account of the performanceoriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive, the GLA 45 AMG is a true AMG when it comes to driving dynamics."

A new British sports car brand Former Land Rover Chief Designer responsible for the new design

January 2014 - 1st Edition

Improved model of Subaru WRX STI

By Anush Ansari

Alan Mobberley, Chief Design at Land Rover for 19 years until 2005, has been responsible for the design of the vehicle. Automotive expert Envisage Group has also been involved with the development of the car for production.

“I wanted all the impact and style of a classic sports car, but with modern capabilities and conveniences,” said David Brown.

“This is what I want in a car, but it’s not something anyone really offers.

So, I’ve created it myself.”

The car will be unveiled in April and will eventually be available to buy, in very limited numbers. More details, including a name and performance specifications, will be announced closer to the car’s launch.

anush@asianexpress.co.uk

It seems like only yesterday when the last WRX STI was sold in the UK amid an outcry of sentiment on the sad loss of this iconic model. Less than one year on, Subaru UK confirms the new WRX STI is coming to these shores in summer.

The good news for performance car fans around the country is that as a result of the recent movements in exchange rates, the new model will be priced at a highly competitive £28,995 when it hits showrooms in May, some £4,000 cheaper than its predecessor.

Unveiled at the Detroit motor show earlier this week (14

January) the new WRX STI is based on the WRX saloon car launched at the LA show in November, but with some significant enhancements.

Extensive testing on Germany's Nürburgring circuit has tested its 2.5 litre turbo-charged Subaru Boxer four-pot engine, which in STI guise, produces 305hp and 290lb/ft of torque. The six-speed gearbox has been reinforced and now adopts even shorter throw and slicker, sportier shift feel.

Subaru’s trademark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive employs the latest vehicle dynamics control (VDC) and Active Torque Vectoring for maximum control and driver engagement. Spring and damper rates have been meticulously retuned to provide a more compliant

ride while retaining body composure, and the electronic power steering is now mounted on a more rigid steering gearbox mount for improved fuel efficiency and more ‘direct’ feel and response.

A lot of work has also gone into improving the perceived quality of the WRX STI interior. For the new model, highlights include a new Dshaped steering wheel of smaller diameter and designed to give the driver maximum feel. Soft touch materials are used in key areas while new dials and carbon effect and metal trim is also employed to give the STI both a suitably sporty feel and more upmarket ambience.

UK buyers can expect a comprehensive standard spec, with a starting price of around £28,995.

AsianExpress.co.uk

January 2014 - 1st Edition

the WRX

MOTORS

Vauxhall Astra GTC Packs a Punch!

First seen in the Cascada convertible, and packing 200PS and 300Nm of torque, the all-new, four cylinder unit allows the 1.6-litre GTC to achieve a top speed of 143mph and 0-60mph time in 7.3 seconds, making it the fastest non-VXR model in the Astra range.

Peak power and torque are increased by up to 30 per cent over the previous 1.6-litre turbo model, yet fuel consumption of 51mpg combined and emissions of 154g/km have meant a 13 per cent improvement in efficiency.

The new engine brings sector-leading refinement to the Astra GTC range. It is the only unit in its class to feature twin balancer shafts for smooth running, while a host of sound engineering measures have been made for low noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

Vauxhall has also introduced the innovative Intellilink infotainment system to the Astra GTC range.

Intuitive and user-friendly, the system features satellite navigation, voice control, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, picture viewer and Gracenote album art, all via its high-

resolution 7-inch touchscreen display.

In addition, the top-of-the-range Navi 950 IntelliLink contains Europewide street level mapping with updates easily downloadable via USB. Drivers can also have incoming text messages read out to them, as well as integrating their smartphones’ own voice recognition functions.

“We’ve strengthened our Astra GTC offering with a strong and powerful 1.6-litre petrol engine and the cutting-edge Intellilink infotainment system,” said Stuart Harris, Vauxhall’s Head of Carline Brand. “Vauxhall is really throwing down the gauntlet to UK coupe sector rivals with these enhancements to our Astra GTC range.”

A new Astra GTC is priced from just £20,995 on-the-road. First deliveries expected in the spring.

Pretty in pink to make a comeback on the roads The Q50 Eau Rouge, a high-performance design concept based on Infiniti’s Q50 premium sports saloon, draws inspiration for aerodynamic design from the technical collaboration between Infiniti and four-time Formula One World Champions Infiniti Red Bull Racing.

It will have its world premiere at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 13.

Major bodywork components have been redesigned with aerodynamics in mind and manufactured carbon fibre, Q50 Eau Rouge is lower and wider – only the roof and door profiles remain unchanged from the production Q50.

Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge highlights include deep and detailed carbon fibre front splitter, rear diffuser and side sill skirts; carbon fibre roof and door mirror casings; 21inch lightweight forged alloy wheels and a dual-exit exhaust sports system below a large integrated rear spoiler.

The Infiniti design team, led by Executive Design Director Alfonso Albaisa, was influenced by the aerodynamic styling approach taken by their colleagues at Infiniti Red Bull Racing.

“From our shared passion for performance with Infiniti Red Bull Racing grew a collective desire to produce a vision of what a highperformance Infiniti Q50 could look like,” said Albaisa.

“The design has a number of distinctive Formula One

The red touch

inspired touches. In particular, the sculpted front wing assembly and the rear aerodynamic packaging take their cues from the RB9 race car,” added Albaisa.

Infiniti reveals its Q50 Eau Rouge which features dramatic aerodynamic styling

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Citroën has launched a new range of DS3 special editions, obviously targeting the young female market.

Citroën say that their DS3 Pink is a fun, fresh and fuchsia take on the award-winning supermini.

All DS3 Pink models feature a fuchsia pink roof, door mirrors and wheel centre caps. The striking pink theme continues inside the cabin, with a fuchsia dashboard and a colour coded gear lever knob adding a splash of colour to the interior.

DS3 Pink versions are available with ‘Polar White’ or ‘Perla Nera Black’ body colours and feature additional specification above and beyond the existing DStyle and DSport equipment levels. There are four engines to choose from across the two trim levels.

Owners of the DS3 DStyle Pink will enjoy 16-inch ‘Ashera’ Black or White alloy wheels - to match the chosen body colour -

as well as a HiFi System upgrade with additional speakers on top of the usual DStyle specification.

Meanwhile, the range-topping DSport Pink boasts 17-inch ‘Bellone’ Black or White alloys, plus the addition of a ‘City Signature’ pack, which includes automatic headlights and wipers, rear parking sensors, heated and electric folding door mirrors and a front central armrest.

DS3 DStyle Pink is available with either a VTi 120 petrol engine or an e-HDi 90 Airdream diesel powerplant that produces just 95g/km of CO2. DS3 DSport Pink is powered either by a punchy and engaging THP 155 petrol or an impressively efficient e-HDi 115 Airdream diesel engine - both are mated with 6-speed manual transmissions.

Exclusive to the UK, the eyecatching models are on sale from January 2014, with prices starting from just £15,675.

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MOTORS

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January 2014 - 1st Edition

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RC F: The most powerful Lexus V8 performance car yet Lexus, this week, revealed the RC F, a high-performance version of its new RC coupe, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Lexus brand.

The great visual impact of the RC F is matched by the impressive power of its new 5.0-litre engine. Generating well in excess of 450bhp, it makes the RC F the most powerful V8 performance model Lexus has yet produced.

To harness the engine’s potential with the best possible efficiency, the RC F uses a newly calibrated eight-speed transmission and, in a world first for a front engine/rearwheel drive car, a Torque Vectoring Differential to secure higher levels of traction and vehicle control.

At the heart of the new RC F is a 5.0-litre 32-valve engine developing more than 450bhp and 520Nm of torque. Its cylinder heads and all moving parts have been newly designed to deliver more power at higher engine revs than has previously been

possible.

The specially calibrated eight-speed Sports Direct Shift transmission improves linear response to accelerator pedal inputs, giving the driver more precise control of power and torque delivery.

The RC F driving experience is further heightened by a new system that regulates induction and exhaust sound, creating a deep tone up to 3,000rpm, and a higher-pitched note at as revs rise beyond 6,000rpm under hard acceleration.

The RC F marks a world-first for a front engine/rear-wheel drive car with its use of a Torque Vectoring Differential.

Designed to raise driving

enjoyment by increasing traction and control, the system has three operating modes: Standard, for a balance of agile performance and high-speed stability; Slalom, for an emphasis on nimble response to steering inputs and Track, for consistent, stable cornering in circuit driving, with optimum driver control.

As in the Lexus LFA supercar, the RC F is fitted with an active rear wing, incorporated in the bootlid, this provides additional downforce at speeds a b o v e 50mph.

Audi S1 to be revealed soon

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Audi will reveal its 230bhp S1 quattro model in March, ahead of UK sales starting in May. Audi will unveil its long-awaited S1 hatchback model at the Geneva Motor Show in March, an inside source has confirmed. Powered by a 230bhp version of the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine found under the bonnet of the Audi S3, it will feature quattro four-wheel drive as standard.

As our exclusive image shows, the styling is a subtle evolution of the standard A1, with a deeper bodykit, larger intakes in the front bumper and an S1 badge glued to the grille.

It is expected that the S1 variant will be available in both three-door hatchback and five-door Sportback guises with the option of several unique colours, plus quad exhausts.

A dual-clutch S tronic automatic gearbox will be offered, although it’s still unclear

whether this or a six-speed manual will be standard fit.

Due to be launched in Geneva alongside the all-new Audi TT, the new S1 hatchback should go on sale in the UK in May. There’s no official word on pricing or specification as yet, but a source suggested it will be similar to the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which means a starting price in the region of £27,000.

44

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45

SPORT THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS WITH THE BIGGEST NAMES

Britain’s FIRST female Muslim football agent

AGENT: Shehneela Ahmed made history after becoming an FA registered football agent following a career as a solicitor

A Rochdale woman made history earlier this month after she became the first woman, from an Asian background, to officially qualify as an FA registered football agent.

Shehneela Ahmed broke the mould last week after English football’s governing body officially recognised her in the profession and she now hopes that her advances will open up the door for more Asian women to follow suit.

“At the time when I applied to become a Football Agent I wasn’t even aware that there weren’t any Asian females in the role,” she explained, adding she knew that there were ‘only few females registered with the FA’.

“It’s only after I completed the course that I became aware of the fact and to me personally, this is a big thing.

“It’s a golden opportunity for me to promote females from other ethnic backgrounds to do the same. People are becoming aware that the sports world is no longer just for men with more and more females now involved in the industry.”

Born into an Asian Muslim family, Ms Ahmed grew up in a working class

Pioneering solicitor takes first step into sport industry area of Rochdale before heading to Staffordshire to study Law, going on to do a Legal practice Course at Guildford Law College.

Initially working as an independent solicitor, the law professional is currently employed by one of the largest criminal Firms in the South West, working as a Duty Solicitor Criminal Advocate.

Her first venture into the football industry is likely to pose previously unrecognized challenges yet for Shehneela; it is all part of the job.

“It’s a challenge for me and I am looking forward to this. To date I have been dealing with Hardcore Criminals

so what can be so difficult when it comes to dealing with Footballers, Managers and Agents.”

The former Lancashire resident added that she has now set herself a number of personal goals, besides that of promoting the industry amongst women.

“I want to show the Asian Parents that the Sport Industry is not a bad profession for their children and they should encourage their child to enter it,” Ms Ahmed said.

“It is a respected profession just like being a Lawyer or a Doctor. It is important that they get over any stigma which has surrounded sport in the past.”

Another defeat for hapless England Further anguish for English cricket

By Ashley Grint ashley@asianexpress.co.uk

It wasn’t a whitewash but it wasn’t exactly good.

England’s One Day international series with Australia finally came to an end last weekend as the hosts marched to yet another convincing victory, to seal a 4-1 series win.

Electing to bat first, Michael Clarke’s men notched up a score of 217-9 runs in their 50 overs, a target which, at moments, did look attainable

for the visitors yet like much of their time down under this winter, it simply wasn’t.

Falling five runs short, with two balls remaining, England were bowled out for 212 after James Tredwell was the final man dismissed, going for a duck off Shane Watson, caught by Matthew Wade.

Joe Root topscored for the visitors, claiming the side’s only half-century (55) yet it was the dismissal of Eoin Morgan for 39 that signaled the beginning of the end of the series.

Four wickets were taken for just 39

runs after the Middlesex batsman’s dismissal, as yet another batting collapse cost England the chance of a second victory in the ODI series.

A 4-1 defeat in the ODI series, following on from the Winter Ashes Whitewash, was not exactly the plan for England who had comfortably defeated their Australian counterparts in the Summer Ashes 3-0.

Speaking after the final ODI, England captain Alastair Cook said: “We should have got over the line, we got into some good positions, credit to Australia as they held their nerve

better than we did but there were some poor shots.

“Two of the three other games we could have won but ‘could have’ is wrong. You get confidence from winning games of cricket, Australia have had a great summer and have managed to win.

“It's been a tough couple of months,

we've got a lot of things we can work on, there's a lot of talent and in 12 months’ time we should be in better shape for the World Cup.” England will now face the Australians three more times in the Twenty20 format before finally calling an end to their tour down under, at the beginning of February.

46

SPORT

Manners’ Corner Christmas special - The highs and lows AsianExpress.co.uk

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January 2014 - 1st Edition

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of 2013 and what’s to come in 2014 KID GALAHAD ON THE RISE

FARCE OF THE YEAR TYSON FURY v DAVID HAYE

What a fantastic year 2013 has been for Barry Awad aka Kid Galahad!

British super bantamweight champion Kid Galahad is on the rise.

Rumours are rife that he will be fighting for the European super bantamweight title in 2014.

Winning that, which to me is a sure fire thing, will put him in the mix for the world title fights with the likes of Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg.

Watch this space - this kid just keeps on riding higher and higher.

Poor Tyson Fury was led a merry dance by David Haye this year. Tyson, the heavyweight sensation, talked himself into a multi million dollar showdown only for David Haye to bottle out at the eleventh hour due to sustaining a cut during training. Then the week before the rescheduled fight he received another injury which occurred again during training.

What a farce, what a waste of time.

Hopefully team Fury will not entertain the likes of David Haye again and will all move on with their careers.

The heavyweight future seems quite bright now however, as a recent newsflash has stated that champion Vitali Klitschko has given up his WBC title. This now opens up opportunities for all the heavyweight contenders that are in the mix to fight for the green world championship belt. So Tyson if you are out there go get it son!

THE SPECIAL ONE FOR SPECIAL TIMES

2014 is definitely the big year for the British World Welterweight star contender Kell Brook “the special one” after a punch perfect performance and knockout victory over Ricky Hatton killer Viacheslav Senchenko back in October 2013.

But any lapse of concentration could be Brook’s down fall. As in the 4th round the gutsy Russian hit Kell with a terrific clean shot on the jaw that nearly took the special one out.

Brook turned on the heat in the same round and knocked Senchenko spark out to clinch his world title shot. With the recent demise of former IBF champion Devon Alexander losing to the newly

NATION CALLS FOR REMATCH FROCH RETAINS HIS WORLD CHAMPION BELTS BUT GROVES WINS THE HEARTS OF THE NATION

crowned hungry challenger champion Shaun Porter, surely now this must be the clearest path to date for Brook to achieve his ultimate goal and truly be that special one. Only time will tell.

I am licking my lips for that encounter. I can’t wait.

World super middleweight champion Carl Froch was well and truly beaten up. He was out boxed, out punched, out worked, some would say well schooled in the art of boxing by the young and hungry up and coming contender George Groves.

The highlight was Froch being sent flat on his back in round 1 and that’s a fact.

One would think with those facts Carl had lost the contest, no you guessed wrong. Unbelievably, behind on points on all judges’ scorecards Carl Froch retained his belts controversially as the referee jumped in to stop the fight in round 9 giving Froch the TKO victory.

Some would say that the referee Howard Foster robbed the boxing fans and British public of a fair conclusion.

In my view George Groves deserved the benefit of the doubt. To be knocked either clean out or to recover from a tricky situation and then move on to be able to win convincingly as afforded Froch in round 1. Is this a case of one rule for one and one rule for another?

Howard Foster made a pivotal

decision that made the whole matter stink. It still, for me smells of a rematch, even for the sake of pro boxing. And if there was a rematch the way I see it Groves is way younger, fresher and can only get better.

As for warrior Froch, he is older still tough but stagnant in progression. At his age Carl could just not get any better than he is right now and he would definitely lose if they should ever meet again, which is highly unlikely with bigger matches with the likes of Andre Ward and other big money contenders for Carl to go back to

rematch with George Groves. It would not make financial sense just moral sense.

Froch should consider himself quite fortunate. He got the win that’s for sure. As for Groves, he is young enough and will learn from this and he can definitely come again, that’s for sure.

George, ‘what a fantastic performance’. You have truly proved that you are genuine world class. For a fighter to be booed into the ring and cheered as a hero out it definitely tells a story.

The nation salutes you.

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KHAN v MAYWEATHER MISSION IMPOSSIBLE? HE KHAN’T BEAT HIM Yes, yes, yes the rumours are true, it is almost signed, sealed and delivered; Amir King Khan v Floyd Money Mayweather Jnr super fight.

Khan is probably the most undeserved of fighters to get a shot at Mayweather. But they say it makes sense.

Khan’s speed versus the power of the most gifted unbeaten fighter of our generation Mayweather Jnr. The bookies odds are heavily stacked against Amir Khan of securing a victory over pound for pound the best fighter on the planet. I’m an Amir Khan fan but I just can’t see how he can possibly beat Floyd judging from his last performances against Danny Garcia, Marcos Maidanna and Julio Diaz.

However this payday will be his best ever that is for sure.

What Khan brings to the table is excitement and the unknown like in all his pay per view fights. If this fight comes off, check out my big fight analysis in the New Year.

Back page story continued world champion only for him to jump ship at the first opportunity and join rival Sky promoter Eddie Hearn which to me I think was a bit disloyal considering Hobson bank rolled the whole affair and was then left holding the whole bill.

It should be noted that McDonnell has since been stripped of the IBF title due to not defending it within the time limit specified. And rightly so. This is karma at its best.

Vali and Hobson Jnr are truly what I call the nice guys of professional boxing and well deserve a break in this business.

God must have heard my call! Not only did these two guys get together but also they worked out a deal with Darlington’s bantamweight Stuart Hall and Vusi Malinga of South Africa (a two time world title challenger) so that they could fight for the vacant IBF championship which was staged on 21st December 2013 in the new state of the art Leeds First Direct Arena.

This included a collaboration with Frank Warren’s Queensbury Promotions and also with the BoxNation TV network. And boy what a night that was. In front of a packed crowd of 7000 alongside a UK boxing star studded cast which included Frankie Gavin, Paul McCloskey, Gary Sykes and top prospect Justin Newell, Stuart Hall fought the fight of his life in a 12 round gruelling battle to

SPORT

MEN OF THE MOMENT: (l-r) Dennis Hobson Jnr, Asif Vali and James Powell

Vali and Hobson Jnr make return with new world champ become Britain’s newest world champion.

It is stories like these that make you think that through all adversity there is always light at the end of the tunnel and that good guys don’t always come last.

Newly crowned champ Stuey Hall’s Leeds trainer Michael Marsden, also got the plaudits for becoming one of the country’s newest world championship coaches which is quite an achievement in itself.

This is also good news for Leeds as it puts the city on the map for further championship events, which are sure to

follow.

But, and this is a big but, Vali and Hobson Jnr should not rest on their laurels too long as this business is quite ruthless and unforgiving and rivals will be only too quick to pull them back down again.

But you have to take your hats off to them for being fair, honest and loyal to the people they work and deal with.

This is a rarity in this profession, trust me. The benefits are starting to come through so they must be doing something right.

Dennis and Asif, congratulations are in order.

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him a bit more grounded.

A bit of humble pie will not do Broner any harm whatsoever. The question is, after this defeat, will AB be the same fighter?? I think his handlers, Golden Boy Promotions, moved him just a

Follow us on Facebook Newell’s the first

little bit too quickly on this fight and it backfired on them big time just like the Amir Khan v Lamont Peterson affair in Washington DC a few years back.

Yeah, Broner is a gifted and talented fighter, that is for sure, but let’s not forget Marcos Maidanna. He fought a great fight against the odds.

His punches did all the talking and more. So he beat Broner and won the championship belt like a true warrior. And that’s a fact!

47

PROMOTERS BOUNCE BACK IN STYLE

MAIDANNA SHOCKS BRONER WOW WHAT A SHOCK!!!

Self proclaimed golden boy super star fighter American Adrien Broner suffered a major setback as new WBA Welterweight champion Marcos Maidanna beat him over 12 one sided ferocious rounds and bust the script of the boxing media hype.

Broner known as ‘The Problem’ was as normal, flash crass and all of that, not to mention the demeaning manner of his opponent. I personally was not sold on him being the next heir apparent to Floyd Mayweather Jnr after his last showing against non-punching boxing stylist Paulie Malignaggi who he couldn’t knock out; very disappointing.

Coming back to the Maidanna fight, let’s face it Broner got battered because he was no way focussed nor conditioned for the fight. It seemed to me it was a pure case of believing in your own hype. He deserved to get beat judging from all his antics outside the ring.

This defeat for Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner (trust me this kid has problems), can only make him think, make him focussed on the boxing, make him a better fighter and make

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Justin Newell, the popular Leeds lightweight boxer, made history by being the first professional boxer to compete in the First Direct Arena winning his contest over six rounds, beating tough Manchester fighter, William Warburton on points.

Justin said: “It’s a great feeling to know your boxing in your home town anyway but the icing on the cake for me is being the first to box at this fantastic First Direct Leeds Arena.

“I may not be the main event, like IBF champ Stuart Hall, but the history books will always say Justin Newell was the first to box in the great venue.

It is something to tell my baby son Franklin when he grows up.”

Also on the bill from Rotherham was Asian sensation Atif Shafiq who knocked out his opponent, Ibrar Riyaz in all but one round.

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PROMOTERS BOUNCE BACK IN STYLE Vali and Hobson Jnr make return with new world champ

By Rick Manners rick@asianexpress.co.uk

Promoters Asif Vali and Dennis Hobson Jnr have had a turbulent two years between them.

Vali, having left Amir Khan Promotions, set up on his own. And Hobson Jnr invested in former IBF champ Andy McDonnell from the start, making him into a IBF

Continued on page 55

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