Asian Standard Issue 13 - 19 Feb (Leeds)

Inside

PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS HER JOURNEY TO GLOBAL DOMINATION IS STILL UNFINISHED

– THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING…

This week, our Editor's amazing Tandoori Salmon on a bed of spinach and asparagus recipe CHECK RECIPE ON PAGE 28

BY THE PUBLISHERS OF ASIAN SUNDAY

LEEDS / 15 - 19 FEBRUARY 2021 / FREE

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AIRPORT PLANS GIVEN GREEN LIGHT

BY LEEDS COUNCILLORS

BY RICHARD BEECHAM

Read more on pages 6 & 7

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NEWS IN BRIEF Princess Eugenie beams as she leaves hospital with baby boy and husband

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BY RICHARD BEECHAM

Princess Eugenie looked glowing as she left London’s Portland Hospital after giving birth to a baby boy. The first-time mother, 30, was pictured smiling and waving to photographers as she was driven away by her husband Jack Brooksbank. The royal, who is the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, spent three days in hospital after her son was delivered shortly before 9am on Tuesday, weighing 8Ibs 1oz. She gave a glimpse of the newborn later that evening, sharing a black and white picture of her cradling her son’s hand on Instagram.

New Shadow Edition unveiled for MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman

MINI announces the new Shadow Edition for the MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman, designed exclusively for the UK market. The MINI Shadow Edition includes a higher standard specification across both models, as well as edition-exclusive bonnet design and decals.

The new Shadow Edition has Midnight Black Metallic exterior body paint, with contrasting Silver roof and mirror caps and a Piano Black exterior, creating a dramatic and streamlined look.

Customers can choose between the Cooper and Cooper S engines, in both manual and automatic transmission, with the All4 Plug-in Hybrid also available on MINI Countryman.

The MINI Shadow Edition is available to order now from retailers nationwide, with first customer deliveries in April 2021.

Prices start from £26,805 RRP for the MINI Clubman and £28,755 RRP for the MINI Countryman.

For more information visit www. mini.co.uk.

The soon-to-be new leader of Leeds City Council James Lewis is expected to officially take up the post later this month, it has been revealed.

It follows the announcement late last year that incumbent council leader Judith Blake would be given a life peerage in the House of Lords, which is likely to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Coun Lewis has also announced a reshuffle of senior appointments in his incoming administration, with Coun Blake and Coun Lisa

Mulherin making way for new appointments Coun Salma Arif, Coun Mary Harland and Coun Helen Hayden.

Former portfolio holder for adults and health Coun Rebecca Charlwood stepped down as an executive member recently, with Coun Fiona Venner – herself an executive member for children and families – temporarily stepping in.

In addition to his responsibilities as Council Leader, Councillor Lewis will also continue as the Executive Member for Resources.

Councillor James Lewis, (Deputy Leader of

Council and Leader Elect of the Labour Group) said: “I’m pleased to announce that Salma Arif, Mary Harland and Helen Hayden who are new to Executive Board will work alongside the rest of my Executive team.

“These arrangements bring a breadth of experience from Councillors who represent a diverse range of residents and communities across Leeds.

“They will provide stability in the council’s political structure until the local elections and

REPORT SAYS AIR POLLUTION KILLS 64,000 PEOPLE A YEAR IN ENGLAND Around 64,000 deaths a year in England are linked to air pollution, with disadvantaged communities hit the most, a new British parliamentary report revealed.

Published by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, the report called on the British government to address alarming levels of poor air quality in England, highlighting a strong and established case for tackling air pollution.

Warning of air pollution's deadliness and its disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities, members of the committee reaffirmed that improving air quality should be at the core of the post-pandemic rebuilding.

The report also urged the government to set tougher targets to lower air pollution if it hopes to reduce the health inequalities laid

bare by the Covid-19 pandemic, as the most disadvantaged communities who contribute the least to air pollution suffer the most from its effects.

It also raised concerns that the government's current Clean Air Strategy "lacks the ambition" to fully address the challenges posed by poor air quality.

"In rebuilding after the pandemic, we have a moral duty to put improving air quality at its core.

While the Clean Air Strategy is a step in the right direction, the government needs to be more ambitious," said Chair of the committee Neil Parish.

In January 2019, the UK government announced the Clean Air Strategy setting out plans to meet ambitious legally binding international targets to reduce emission of the five most damaging air pollutants by 2030.

Border collie becomes millionaire after inheriting her wealthy owner’s fortune

or gold bowl for Lulu. She told NewsChannel5 there was no way she could ever spend the vast sum on the collie, then joked: ‘Well, I’d like to try.’ It is unclear what will happen to any money left over when Lulu passes away.

A border collie has just become a millionaire after her wealthy owner died and left her his fortune. The eight-year-old pet, called Lulu who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, got her paws on £5million after her businessman owner Bill Dorris died aged 84 last November.

Dorris’s will said: ‘$5,000,000 will be transferred to a trust to be formed upon my death for the care of my border collie Lulu. This trust is to provide for all the needs of Lulu.

The dog will remain in possession of Martha Burton.’ Lulu now lives with

It’s not the first-time owners have left their beloved pet’s an inheritance. The biggest inheritance ever believed to have been left to a pet was $80 million bequeathed to a German shepherd called Gunther III in 1992. Gunther is said to have been left the sum by a German heiress called Countess Karlotta Leibenstein, although some skeptics claim the will was fake. The biggest confirmed amount left to an animal was the $15million book publisher Miles Blackwell gave to his chicken Gigoo after his death in 2002.

her caretaker, 88-year-old Margaret Burton, an old friend of Dorris’s who cared for Lulu while her owner was working. Commenting on the huge windfall left to Lulu, Burton said: ‘I don’t really know what to think about it to tell you the truth. He just really loved the dog.’ Dorris’s will is in probate, and it is unclear how

much Lulu will be left with when his final bills and taxes are paid.

Margaret files a monthly claim for Lulu’s expenses to a conservator who approves the receipts, before reimbursing them. And despite the dog’s wealth, Margaret says she has no plans to splash out on a diamond-encrusted collar

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MOBILE GIANT O2 FINED £10M FOR OVERCHARGING CUSTOMERS

they will help the city navigate a crucial period in our response to the pandemic.”

A motion to elect Councillor James Lewis as Leader of Leeds City Council will be voted on at a Full Council meeting on Wednesday, February 24.

The appointments in full: Councillor Debra Coupar – Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Communities Councillor Salma Arif – Executive Member for Public Health Councillor Mary Harland – Executive Member for the Economy Councillor Helen Hayden – Executive Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainable Development Councillor Jonathan Pryor – Executive Member for Learning, Skills and Employment Councillor Mohammed Rafique – Executive Member for Environment and Active Lifestyles Councillor Fiona Venner – Executive Member for Children, Families and Adult Social Care

Cllr James Lewis

MEDIA WATCHDOG IMPOSES £50,000 FINE ON KHALSA TV FOR VIOLENT CONTENT, TERROR REFERENCE Media watchdog, Office of Communications (Ofcom) has imposed a fine of £50,000 on Khalsa Television Ltd for broadcasting a music video and a discussion programme that contained an indirect call for Sikhs living in the UK to commit violence.

Ofcom said in a statement that the programme also had a terror reference.

"We have today fined KTV £50,000 for airing content which had the potential to incite violence and cause harm.

KTV also must not repeat the content concerned, and air a summary of our decision," Ofcom tweeted.

The watchdog in a statement said that it has imposed financial penalties of £20,000 and £30,000 on Khalsa

Television Limited in relation to its service KTV for failing to comply with their broadcasting rules.

The £20,000 penalty relates to a music video. The £30,000 penalty relates to a discussion programme.

"On 4, 7 and 9 July 2018, KTV broadcast a music video for a song called Bagga and Shera.

In our decision published on 25 February 2019 in issue 373 of the Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin, Ofcom found that the music video was an indirect call to action for Sikhs living in the UK to commit violence, up to and including murder," the statement said.

Later, on 30 March 2019, in a KTV's discussion programme -- Panthak Masle, Ofcom found that the programme provided

a platform for several guests to express views which amounted to indirect calls to action and were likely to encourage or incite the commission of a crime.

"Ofcom also found that it included a reference to the proscribed terrorist organisation the Babbar Khalsa, and which in our view could be taken as legitimising it and normalising its aims and actions in the eyes of viewers," the release said.

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Mobile network O2 has been fined £10.5m by telecoms regulator Ofcom for overcharging its customers.

According to Ofcom, some customers who were leaving the network were doublecharged some fees on their final bills.

As a result, more than 140,000 pay-monthly subscribers, were affected by the error between 2011 and 2019, totalling £2.4m.

O2 said it had refunded many of the customers, adding an extra 4 per cent to the sum involved.

But it has been unable to contact some of its former subscribers. Those refunds will be donated to charity.

Despite the refunds, Ofcom decided that O2 had broken important rules around providing customers with accurate bills and that it deserved a fine.

On top of the 140,000 who paid the extra amount, a further 110,000 people were overcharged a total of £38m -

but did not end up paying the bill and were not due a refund.

Ofcom said that O2 knew about the "issues with its billing processes" in 2011 but failed to fix them. It kept overcharging customers for a further eight years.

O2 said: "We are disappointed by this technical error and sincerely apologise to customers impacted.

"We identified the issue ourselves and notified our industry billing auditor. We

have also taken proactive steps to refund all impacted customers for the extra charges they paid."

Ofcom said O2 had changed its billing process so the problem would not happen again.

"This a serious breach of our rules and this fine is a reminder that we will step in if we see companies failing to protect their customers," said the regulator's enforcement chief, Gaucho Rasmussen.

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APPEAL FOR WITNESSES - FIRE, BRANCH ROAD, ARMLEY At 7.35pm on Friday 12 February, police received a concern for safety report involving a fire at a flat in Branch Road, Armley

Emergency services attended and a woman was taken to hospital with burn injuries.

Her condition is described as stable but serious An investigation has been launched into the incident and police are working with the fire service to establish the cause of the blaze, which

caused damage to a first floor flat.

Anyone with information about the incident which may assist is asked to contact Leeds District Crime Team on 101 or by using the contact options on the West Yorkshire Police website.

The log reference is 1552 of 12 February.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and remains in police custody.

APPEAL: SERIOUS ROAD TRAFFIC COLLISION, TEMPLE NEWSAM PARK, LEEDS Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses following a serious road traffic collision in Temple Newsam Park on Saturday 30 January 2021.

Leeds District roads policing officers would like to speak to anyone who saw or has footage of the incident in which a Seat Ibiza collided with a tree at about 8.30pm.

They had been travelling on Temple Newsam Road towards the direction of

Temple Newsam House when it came off the road.

Officers believe there were potential witnesses in a nearby carpark and are keen to trace anyone with any information about what happened.

An 18-year-old male passenger in the car suffered a serious leg injury and was taken to hospital for treatment.

The driver also suffered

serious injuries.

Anyone who saw the collision or the car beforehand, or who has video footage, is asked to contact the Eastern Area Roads Policing Unit on 101 referencing police log 1703 of January 30.

Information can also be given online at www. westyorkshire.police. uk/101livechat

FURTHER INCIDENT LINKED TO SERIES OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS, LEEDS Detectives are appealing for information following a sexual assault on a woman in Leeds on Friday 12 February which is being linked to a series of incidents from the previous week.

A 55-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by a male as she walked in Lovell Park Road, Little London, near to the steps that lead to Oatland flats, at about 6.15pm on 11 February.

She intimated she was calling the police and the suspect left the scene.

He was described as black, aged about 15, wearing a black hoody and glasses.

Friday (12 February) night’s incident is being linked to three other sexual assaults on women that occurred in the Little London, Headingley and Woodhouse areas between Wednesday and Friday last

week.

At about 7pm on Friday (5 February), a 30-year-old woman was walking along Lovell Park Road towards Little London when she was grabbed from behind and sexually assaulted.

She screamed and the male

ran off down the steps towards Primrose Circus.

She then saw him again and he ran off through the tunnel that leads to Oatland Court.

He was described as black, aged 15 to 18, slim, with afro style hair. He was wearing black thick-rimmed glasses, a grey

hooded top and black tracksuit bottoms.

At 5.10pm on Thursday 4 February, a 19-year-old woman was sat at a bus stop in Otley Road, Headingley, near to the junction with St Anne’s Road.

A male sat down next to her for about ten minutes before

sexually assaulting her. She challenged him and he walked off towards Headingley.

He was described as black, slim, young with short hair. He was wearing sports clothing.

At about 5pm on Wednesday 3 February, a 29-year-old woman was walking along Grosvenor Hill, Woodhouse, close to the junction with Servia Hill, when she crossed paths with the suspect who was walking in the opposite direction.

He turned back and grabbed the victim from behind and sexually assaulted her before running away.

He was described as black or mixed race, aged around 14 years, 5ft 7ins tall, slim, with afro style hair. He was wearing a dark blue tracksuit with stripes.

Detective Inspector James Entwistle, of Leeds District CID, said: “We are continuing to

carry out extensive enquiries into these incidents and would still like to hear from anyone who has witnessed any of them, particularly last night’s offence, or who has any information that could assist the investigation.

“We are continuing to liaise closely with our colleagues on the local neighbourhood policing team who are increasing their patrols of the areas involved to deter any further incidents and reassure the community.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Leeds District CID via 101 quoting crime reference 13210062195 or online via www.westyorkshire.police. uk/101livechat Information can also be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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AIRPORT PLANS GIVEN GREEN LIGHT

BY LEEDS COUNCILLORS

BY RICHARD BEECHAM Plans for a £150m overhaul of Leeds Bradford Airport have been approved in principle by a panel of Leeds City Councillors.

It follows a mammoth eight-hour debate during which dozens of academics, campaigners and businesspeople spoke out for and against the plans.

The airport wants the “state of the art” terminal, as well as new parking and access facilities, and has a target of 2023 for opening. LBA hopes the number of annual flights could increase from four million to seven million in the coming decades.

Objectors, which included climate scientists, transport experts and residents’ groups, warned such an expansion would help facilitate catastrophic climate change, as well as unbearable levels of noise pollution for those living close by.

But supporters, which included businesspeople and policymakers, said there was a risk the region could be left behind if it did not improve its airport, and that passengers would otherwise travel from other airports anyway.

The application sought to demolish the existing passenger pier to accommodate a new terminal building and forecourt area. This would also include the construction of supporting infrastructure, goods yard and mechanical electrical plant.

Plans were also included to modify

flight time controls, and to extend the daytime flight period at Leeds Bradford Airport, with a likely increase from five to 17 flights between 6am and 7am.

The meeting saw 24 objectors speaking against the plans, each of whom were given two minutes to speak.

Campaigner David Faranoff added: “Climate change is the issue. Without drastic changes the consequences will be dire. Countries such as Bangladesh will become unviable, while places like the Maldives will disappear underwater, bringing millions of climate change refugees.”

Peter Bonsall, professor emeritus on transport planning at the University of Leeds, said: “To add insult to injury, they are offering wholly inadequate contributions to road and rail infrastructure. If LBA get what they

want, Leeds residents will be sold down the river.”

Jefim Vogel, Leeds University Climate scientist said: “Eyes on the ball – the ball here is flight emissions – they are 97 percent of all airport emissions.

Emissions from the terminal are tiny by comparison.”

He added it should be down to LBA to prove flights would be taken from another airport, adding: “That tends not to be what happens. It is like roadbuilding, you build another road and there will be more cars on the road overall.

“Airport expansion drives demand for flights.”

Only five objectors spoke in favour of the application, meaning they were given more time each to speak.

Gerald Jennings from the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of

If (passengers) do not fly from LBA, they will jump in their car and drive to Manchester – it seems to me if they don’t fly out of our airport, they will fly from another. We can’t stop people from flying. The world is bigger than that.

Gerald Jennings West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

Commerce said: “If (passengers) do not fly from LBA, they will jump in their car and drive to Manchester – it seems to me if they don’t fly out of our airport, they will fly from another.

We can’t stop people from flying. the world is bigger than that.”

them – the surface access costs of that will be the same aviation emissions that have been discussed at great length, with more surface access concerns.

“We are the largest economy outside London, but we have a third-rate airport- what message does that send out to people outside?”

“We cannot cannibalise our economy and destroy jobs, of unionised workers, in the name of climate change – it reduces public support for an issue I personally feel passionate about.

Henri Murison, from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “If this is denied today, we will be consigning people to driving to London to access

The tone of the debate from the objectors sadly misses the point – if you turn this down, you are encouraging people to fly from

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London and the southeast.”

Chairman of Leeds Bradford Airport, Andy Clarke, said: “Our scheme will provide significant improvements, benefits to the regional economy and an improved passenger experience.

He promised “stringent noise controls”, and that Leeds Bradford Airport wanted to be “innovative and do things differently”, listing “world class access, state of the art technologies, better facilities, faster check-in, improved food and drink offers.”

Coun David Blackburn (Green) said: “If we don’t do something about Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere by 2030, we might have had it. There should be no expansion of any airport until then.

“Are we the appropriate people to be deciding this – should this not be done centrally?”

Graham Latty (Con): “I do have sympathy with objectors, but I can’t help looking at the airport

– it has been there a long time. Without it, Leeds slips back a division. We want an airport that will be something that will increase the profitability of Leeds.”

Coun Robert Finnigan (MBI): “I am concerned that is this is an economic opportunity we don’t take, someone else will take it and we have the same impact on the environment.”

Coun Peter Gruen (Lab) said: “One the one hand, we have the economy and the jobs, on the other hand we have environmental factors.

“But Leeds needs a better airport.”

Coun Neil Walshaw (Lab): “There is 10 years left to avert catastrophic climate change. This application is about that growth in carbon emissions.

“This application will prevent Leeds from becoming carbon neutral by 2030, and I will be voting against.”

Coun Peter Carlill (Lab) said: “Until the industry can show us how this will work, I think it is much too early to be making a decision of this magnitude.”

Coun Al Garthwaite (Lab) compared the issue of air travel with asbestos, adding: “I don’t want to be part of a decision that will cause illnesses and death in 20 years.”

Coun Elizabeth Nash (Lab) said: “I don’t think there is a single member of the council not concerned about pollution. But we can’t act like King Canute trying to hold back the waves.

“It is essential the new terminal is ready for occupation and the old one is demolished.”

Coun Dan Cohen (Con): “Leeds is a Premier League city, and Leeds needs a Premier League airport, and that it aint at the moment.”

Coun Asghar Khan (Lab): “If we want to be the best city in Europe, you need a good transport infrastructure.

“It will create jobs and bring in investment.”

Councillors voted by nine votes to five to agree to the plans in principle and to ask officers to make further conditions, for the updated plans to come back to the panel at a later date.

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TRUMP ACQUITTED AGAIN IN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL Former US President Donald Trump has been acquitted in his second impeachment trial as the Senate fell short of supporters for convicting him of inciting Capitol riots.

His acquittal comes over a month after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol as legislators were counting the electoral results that certified his loss.

Five people died in the riot, including a police officer.

According to a report by CNN, Trump got acquitted even after seven Republican senators joining 50 Democrats voting to convict, fewer than the 17 needed.

The vote was 57-43, with seven Republicans and the Senators needed a two-thirds majority to convict Trump.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer termed the Senate's decision as "un-American".

"The former President inspired, directed, and propelled a mob to violently prevent the peaceful transfer of power, subvert the will of the people, and illegally keep that President in power," Schumer said.

"There is nothing, nothing more un-American than that...

There is nothing, nothing more antithetical to our democracy... insulting to the generations of American patriots who gave their lives to defend our form of government," he added.

Following the Senate vote to acquit him, Trump thanked his legal team and said he will always have, and always will and be a champion for the unwavering rule of law.

"It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree."

"I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honourably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate," he further said.

Trump also thanked his

legal team and "all of the United States Senators and Members of Congress who stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country," in the statement.

The Senate’s decision to acquit former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial may have been a victory for Trump,

but it is a clear sign that democracy in the U.S. is in poor health.

As a constitutional scholar, Professor John E. Finn, of Emeritus of Government, at Wesleyan University, believes the United States – the world’s first constitutional democracy – is in a state of what he calls a “constitutional rot.”

Writing in The Conversation he says: “In a constitutional democracy, the majority’s authority to govern is limited by the rule of law and by a set of legal rules and principles set out in the Constitution.

“Constitutional rot is a condition in which we appear to be formally governed by constitutional rules and the rule of law, but the reality is quite different. When rot

sets in, public officials and the public routinely ignore or subvert those rules while sanctimoniously professing fidelity to them.

Constitutional rot is not only a failure of constitutional law — it is a failure of constitutional democracy.”

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‘EXTRAORDINARY FEAT’ AS MORE THAN 15 MILLION NOW VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 The United Kingdom has achieved a significant milestone by inoculating 15 million people against COVID-19, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday.

Johnson hailed the "extraordinary feat" attained within two months after the first jab was given on 8 December 2020.

"We have vaccinated over 15 million people. This is an incredible UK-wide achievement. Thank you to the scientists, factory workers, delivery drivers, NHS staff, volunteers and many more who made this astounding feat possible," he tweeted.

In a video message on Twitter, the UK Prime Minister said "Today we have reached a significant milestone in the United Kingdom's national vaccination programme.

This country has achieved an extraordinary feat administering a total of 15 million jabs into the arms of some of the most vulnerable people in the country."

However, the recent results of the vaccination rollout has mounted more pressure on the Prime Minister to commit to a timetable to lift Covid-19 lockdowns.

In a letter to the prime minister, leaders of the Covid Recovery Group (CRG) said the "tremendous pace" of the vaccination rollout means restrictions in England should begin easing from early March, the a local newspaper reported on Sunday.

They said ministers must produce a cost-benefit analysis to justify any controls that remain in place after that date, with a "road-map" stating when they would be removed, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

The letter was organised by the CRG chair and deputy chair, Mark Harper and Steve Baker, and was said to have the backing of 63 Conservative Party lawmakers in all.

The letter was sent to

the prime minister at a time when a government scientific advisor warned that Britain could face another coronavirus wave as big as the current one if lockdown restrictions were all lifted.

Professor Steven Riley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, has said the rollout of the vaccination program did not mean coronavirus controls could be dropped.

"No vaccine is perfect," he told a BBC radio program.

"We are certainly going to be in the situation where we can allow more infection in the community but there is a limit."

"If for some reason we were to choose to just pretend it (coronavirus) wasn't here any more then there is the potential to go back to a wave that is a similar size to the one that we are in now," he added.

The prime minister confirmed on Saturday 13 February that

the reopening of schools "is still his priority", followed by opening shops and then hospitality.

This was further reiterated

by British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who said on Sunday 14 February that the British government remained focused on reopening of schools on 8 March.

During a visit to a vaccine manufacturing facility in Teesside on Saturday, Johnson said he was "optimistic" he could announce plans for a "cautious" easing of the rules when he sets out his "roadmap" out of lockdown on February 22.

However, he said ministers would have to look at the data "very, very hard" before taking any decisions as they did not want to be forced into a "reverse ferret" if the disease started to spread again.

In contrast, the CRG, in their letter, said that the government's "national priority" of re-opening schools in England by March

8 "must" be achieved.

By Easter, they said pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues should be able to open in a way that is Covid-secure but still allows them to operate "in a commercially viable manner".

And by the end of April, when all the government's top nine priority groups, including all over 50s, should have been offered a vaccine, they said there will be "no justification" for any legislative restrictions to remain.

"Covid is a serious disease and we must control it. However, just like Covid, lockdowns and restrictions cause immense social and health damage and have a huge impact on people's livelihoods," the letter said.

"The vaccine gives us immunity from Covid but it must also give us permanent immunity from COVID-related lockdowns and restrictions," it said.

By March 8, the government's top four priority groups, which account for 88 per cent of

deaths and 55 per cent of hospitalisations, will have had their first dose of the vaccine at least three weeks earlier allowing time for protection to kick in, it said.

"All restrictions remaining after March 8 should be proportionate to the everincreasing number of people we have protected," it added.

"The burden is on ministers to demonstrate the evidence of effectiveness and proportionality with a costbenefit analysis for each restriction, and a roadmap for when they will be removed," it noted.

Downing Street refused to be drawn on reports suggesting that restrictions on meeting friends in a park could be among the first to be lifted once schools are back.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING TO KEEP TO A SET EATING PLAN – THEN YOU MUST READ THIS If healthy eating plans keep falling through, it can often be down to five main reasons, according to Dr Rachel Evans - a psychologist who specialises in eating disorder recovery.

can lead to a state of physiological and psychological deprivation.

When we don’t consume enough, we often end up thinking a lot more about food, which is a survival mechanism and can cause us to become irritable and crave ‘junk’ foods. If you believe you are meeting your body’s energy requirements, but are still finding it difficult to stick to your healthy eating plan, then this may be because you are feeling mentally restricted, as when we cut out certain foods it can actually make them more attractive, because typically we want what we can’t have.

From not setting clear goals, to being too restrictive and having subconscious beliefs about food, if you’re struggling to keep to a set eating plan, it’s important to look into exactly why you may be breaking it.

Dr Rachel Evans (PhD) shares five reasons we often find ourselves failing our healthy eating regimes and her professional advice on what to do to stay on track.

3. You think you have ‘blown it’.

She said: “Clear intentions and goals are very important when it comes to setting out long-term healthy eating habits, and if you start by outlining targets that are too vague, or too restrictive, you could be at risk of plans failing right from the outset.

“Based on experiences with my clients, people tend to be much too vague, so they can’t track progress, or they go the opposite way and are too restrictive which puts them into a state of psychological deprivation, and they just end up thinking about food even more.

“Old habits that you may be stuck in and subconscious beliefs about food can also sabotage healthy eating regimes. I have compiled a list of the main reasons many break their healthy eating goals, to help those looking to eat better, decipher the causes behind their failed plans.”

Dr Rachel Evans Here are the five reasons you can’t stick to your healthy eating plan:

1. You haven’t set clear goals.

Goals can often be too vague and it’s not enough to say that you just want to eat ‘less sugar’ or ‘more fruit and vegetables’, as it’s then difficult to know exactly what you’re working towards and track progress. Without clear, identifiable goals – you could

be left feeling unsure about what action you need to take when eating healthily, which can lead to no action being taken!

2. The goals you have set are too restrictive.

Even with clear goals, if you can’t keep to an eating plan, it may be because it’s too restrictive, which

If you believe you have ‘blown it’, in psychology this is called the abstinence violation effect; when you have one thing off plan which leads to total collapse. This cycle of feeling like you have blown it, so you may as well eat everything you want to and start again with healthy eating on Monday, results in people often eating more unhealthy foods than usual, because they believe they won’t be able to eat that food again when they get back on plan - which can be damaging to long term healthy eating plans altogether.

4. You are trying to get by on pure willpower.

We often believe that willpower is all we need to stick to a diet, but my own research has found that good self-control did not predict how well people could stick to their intentions

to eat healthily; habits and how people ate in the past was more important.

5. Subconscious beliefs about food.

If you ever feel like you know exactly what you should be doing to stick to your plan, but something is keeping you stuck in old habits of overeating, it can often feel like you are sabotaging yourself over and over again, and this behaviour is likely to be driven by deep subconscious beliefs about food and yourself which can be difficult to break.

To help get a grip on healthy eating plans, it’s important to be clear on goals, to ensure that they aren’t too restrictive, and to take small sustainable steps. Rather than beating yourself up and eating more, try to learn from slip-ups and form new healthy habits instead of relying on willpower.

One of the most effective ways to combat negative subconscious beliefs and bad eating patterns is to recognise patterns from childhood and when exactly they are showing up in life now. Another way to tackle these behaviours is to look into hypnotherapy, to directly access the subconscious mind and find the root of eating issues - through hypnotherapy, these can be rewired for more helpful thought patterns, to help healthy eating become more achievable.

Image credit: Raindrop Media

13 -19 february 2021 WWW.ASIANSTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS HER JOURNEY TO GLOBAL DOMINATION IS STILL

UNFINISHED

THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING…

TWO

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

TWITTER TROLLS KANGANA RANAUT AFTER SHE COMPARES HERSELF TO MERYL STREEP

KRITI SANON WILL STAR ALONGSIDE TIGER SHROFF IN 'GANPATH'

will star It has officially been confirmed that Kriti Sanon . ath' 'Ganp in Shroff alongside Tiger Both Sanon and Shroff took to their social media accounts to reveal the casting news.

The image shows Sanon on a motorbike !! Super and the actress captioned the shot: "Meet JASSI with my again once up ing Team one!!

Duper Excited for this shoot to the for wait Can't ! ff eshro rjacki @tige l very specia begin! Lets KILL it!" r video on his The news follows after Shroff shared a tease on a motorbike lady g leadin his saw that day yester ram Instag were fans with her head obscured by a helmet. Many even many and day the hout analysing the photo all throug n. woma n hidde the was guessed that Sanon throughout The pair have been seen together several times with each anti' 'Herop in ring the past few years, first appea other in 2014.

es before the Both actors have a long list of upcoming featur working on be next will Tiger ver. release of 'Ganpath' howe .

2' anti 'Herop 'Baaghi 4' and film 'Mimi'.

Kriti is currently awaiting the release of her tely something Kriti Sanon's electrifying new avatar is defini an actionat you can't miss out! The makers have hinted and rival the match will that packed, multi-part film franchise movies. action ing -defin genre ood's standards set by Hollyw a nevery portra will it Set in a post-pandemic, dystopian era, ced by produ and Bahl Vikas by seen-before world. Directed Jackky ukh, Deshm shikha Deep Bahl, Vashu Bhagnani, Vikas year. this mid s begin shoot the Bhagnani,

SARA ALI KHAN IS ALL SET IN THE UPCOMING FILM 'BAAGHI 4' WITH TIGER SHROFF Sara Ali Khan is to star in upcoming action film ‘Baaghi 4’.

The action series is one of the most successful franchises in Bollywood.

Whilst the series has always seen Tiger Shroff in the lead, the female protagonist roles have switched between Shraddha Kapoor and Disha Patani throughout the years.

Since Sara Ali Khan made her debut in Bollywood a few years ago, she has been making huge waves in the film industry and so its no surprise that this star will be taking over from Shraddha Kapoor to be the leading lady in the fourth venture of the 'Baaghi' series.

ANITA HASSANANDANI AND HUSBAND ROHIT REDDY CONFIRM BIRTH OF BABY BOY Anita Hassanandani and her husband Rohit Reddy have confirmed that Anita gave birth to a baby boy on Tuesday.

Reddy took to his Instagram to post a photo of him kissing his pregnant wife with the caption 'Oh Boy!'.

The post garnered hundreds of congratulatory messages from fans and friends alike.

Other posts of the couple in the hospital room together have also gone viral on social media.

Hassanandani and Reddy married in 2013 and the actress announced her pregnancy in October last year. The boy is the couple’s first child together.

This will be the first time that Shroff and Khan have starred on screen together.

Shooting for the film will begin later this year and will be directed by Ahmed Khan and Zeel Thacker.

Actress Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday declared she has raw talent like Oscar winning-actress Meryl Streep, and skilled action capabilities and glamour like actress Gal Gadot.

She also stated that she is "open for debate if anyone can show me more range and brilliance of craft than me by any other actress on this planet".

The actress made her assertion shar ing several images from her upcoming films, "Thalaivi" and "Dhaakad". The photographs show Kangana's phys ical transformation, when she gained weight for her role in "Thalaivi" and shed the extra kilos for the action film "Dhaakad ".

"Massive transformation alert , The kind of range I display as a performer no other actress on this globe has that right now, I have raw talent like Meryl Stree p for layered character depictions but I can also do skille d action and glamour like Gal Gadot #Thalaivi #Dhaakad," she wrote.

"I am open for debate if anyone can show me more range and brilliance of craft than me by any other actress on this planet I promise to give up my arrogance , until then I can surely afford the luxury of pride #Thalaivi #Dhaaka d," she added.

The series of tweets led many Twit ter users trolling Ranaut for the bold statements.

One user wrote "Kangana and Mery l Streep in one breath?

BLASPHEMY. Kangana is nowhere close to Meryl and can never be. Why is Kangana so pom pous?"

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

TAHIR RAJ BHASIN SAYS CHARACTER IN UPCOMING 'LOOOP LAPETA' IS 'THE QUINTESSENTIAL BOLLYWOOD HERO'

THREE

SERIES 2 OF THE FAMILY GETS PUSHED BACK TILL SUMMER

The Family Series 2 has been postponed to a summer release.

Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin on Tuesday dropped his look in the upcoming film Looop Lapeta, his first project as a romantic lead. Tahir says he found it super exciting to play the quintessential Bollywood hero.

time playing him. He's pretty out there in his optimism and lust for life. I'd describe him as all silver lining and no cloud. He's a hustler who believes with all his soul that the universe conspires in his favour," Tahir said.

In an image he posted on Instagram, the actor is seen sporting a nose pin and retro sunglasses. Tahir plays the role of Satya in the film, and will star opposite Taapsee Pannu.

"Playing the quintessential Bollywood hero has been super exciting. When you grow up on your dose of Bollywood, it seems like very familiar territory. Satya is the laid-back charmer that your parents warned you about," he added.

"Satya is an irreverent guy. I'm a risk-chasing charmer in the film and I've had an incredible

The look has him in a loose brown shirt, he dons these

retro sunglasses and has a nose piercing. The actor shared that the still is from a scene that was shot at an abandoned textile mill.

"For director Aakash Bhatia, the locations are an inherent character in the film. They make a visual statement about the vibe of the story and the world. Yes, this particular location plays a central role in the plot but to know more about how and why Satya is there stay tuned for the release date. All I can say at this point is that it'll be a mad ride!" he said.

The directors of the muchanticipated show, Raj and DK, took to Instagram to announce that the show, which was all set for a February 12 release, has been pushed back until the summer.

The creators posted a photo that displayed the statement: “We know you have been eagerly waiting for the new season of The Family Man. We are truly grateful and humbled by all the love! We have an update for you.

"The Family Man Season 2 will premiere on Amazon Prime Video this summer! We have been working super hard to get you a kickass season.

And we are pretty sure you will love it.

Can't wait to bring it to you.”

In 2019, The Family Man became an incredible success. Fans of the show have been eagerly awaiting the release of the second series for some time now and the news comes as a disappointment to many.

The Family stars Manoj Bajpayee as a secret intelligence officer working for the National Intelligence Agency. The show also stars Priyamani, Sharad Kelkar and Neeraj Madhav.

The first series received eleven nominations at the Filmfare OTT awards.

UPCOMING POOJA BHATT SERIES 'BOMBAY BEGUMS' SET FOR RELEASE ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY The upcoming series, Bombay Begums, is set to be released on International Women's Day (March 8).

The show will feature Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswam, Amruta Subhash and Rahul Bose in pivotal roles, and is created and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, who is best known for her 2017 film 'Lipstick Under My Burkha'.

The series touches upon themes of ambition, desire, power and vulnerability and will follow the story of five modern Indian women in Mumbai.

The director commented: "'Bombay Begums' is a story about Indian women that I hope women in India and across the world will connect with.

"The series explores the complex journey of working Indian women who are ambitious for power and

success, but have many other battles to fight too. It's the story of their daily hustle, the story of their dreams - sometimes buried, sometimes fulfilled," she added.

"It's the story of glass ceilings shattered, and also of the hearts broken in the process.

I have tried to create a world that reflects the realities of urban working women. I hope audiences relate to the characters and find pieces of their own journey reflected in the story," Shrivastava continued.

"I am excited and proud that 'Bombay Begums' is coming on the occasion of International Women's Day," she added.

The series will also feature Plabita Borthakur and Aadhya Anand along with Vivek Gomber and Danish Husain and will be available on Netflix.

FOUR

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

'HALF INFORMATION IS AS DANGEROUS AS MISREPORTING' SUNNY LEONE ISSUES STATEMEN : T AFTER CHEATING ACCUSATIONS Sunny Leone has refuted char

RANVEER SINGH FILM '83' HAS BEEN GIVEN A JUNE RELEASE

ACTOR RAJIV KAPOOR DIES OF HEART ATTACK AT 58 a June release.

Ranveer Singh’s upcoming film ‘83’ is set for has set the film Production company Reliance Entertainment things have most that for a summer release with the hopes mic. pande the ing follow l norma returned to releases of the The film is one of the most highly anticipated year. captain Kapil ‘83’ will star Ranveer Singh as Indian Cricket t team’s cricke Indian the of Dev, and will follow the story Cup. The World t Cricke 1983 the at y victor to y journe historic n and Bhasi Raj Tahir one, Paduk film will also feature Deepika m.

Salee Saqib film will be Many have begun to speculate whether the 39th released on June 25 which would mark the exact win but Cup World team’s t cricke Indian the anniversary of this has yet to be confirmed by the studio.

Actor Rajiv Kapoor has passed away at the age of 58 following a heart attack.

Rajiv was the youngest son of legendary actor Raj Kapoor, and the brother of actors Randhir Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor, who also sadly passed away last year following a battle with leukaemia.

Rajiv's sister-in-law, Neetu Kapoor, shared the news on Instagram on Tuesday. She posted a photograph of the late actor with the caption "RIP." Trade analyst Komal Nahta

also confirmed the demise with a tweet posted on Tuesday afternoon where he wrote "Very sad news. Rajiv (Chimpu) Kapoor passes away following heart attack."

Kapoor shot to fame with his starring role in Raj Kapoor's 1985 blockbuster "Ram Teri Ganga Maili", co-starring Mandakini. His other notable works include "Lava", "Zalzala" and "Zabardast".

In 1997, he tried his hand at direction with the Rishi Kapoor-Madhuri Dixit starrer "Prem Granth", produced under the RK Films banner.

KANGANA RANAUT SHARES A SNEAK-PEAK OF HER CHARACTER FROM UPCOMING FILM 'DHAAKAD' Actress Kangana Ranaut took to Instagram to share a new sneak-peek of her character in her upcoming film ‘Dhaakad’.

In the post, Kangana can be seen as her character, Agni, holding a machine gun whilst the set behind her is ablaze. The actress shared that the role was her depiction of the goddess of death, Bhairavi.

"They call her Agni... the brave one #dhaakad I say she is my depiction of Bhairavi the goddess of death ... #dhaakad," she wrote as the caption.

These photos are the most recent images we have seen of the film, following Ranaut’s first glimpse of the character a few weeks ago.

Dhaakad is a spy thriller that will also star Arjun Rampal as the antagonist.

The film is directed by Razneesh Razy Ghai, and is expected to be released on October 1.

Before Dhaakad’s release, Kangana will also be seen in the upcoming 'Thalaivi', a biopic on actor-turnedpolitician Jayalalithaa, directed by A.L.Vijay.

ges of cheating that have been raise d against her.

It has been revealed recently that char ges have been brought against the actress by an events manager in Koch i, who states that the star has stole n Rs 2.9 million which is equivalent to roughly £29,000.

The events manager states that, in 2019, Leone promised to attend certa in events in exchange for the funds but failed to do so.

Leone was recently taken into custo dy and was interrogated by the Kera la Police in Thiruvananthapuram.

Leone has now come forward with her own statement in regards to the issue stating that ‘half information is as dangerous as misreporting’ and that she wants to ‘set the record straig ht’.

"As an artiste, work is worship for me.

I was nothing but gracious, understanding even moving my sche dule multiple times over the organisers. But they wouldn't commit to a set date. It is customary that to lock an actor's time, an advance has to be paid upfront, which wasn 't done till the nth hour," she continue d.

There's absolutely no chance that if I have set a date and time for an even t, I wouldn't show up," Sunny added.

"But due to a lack of timely payment from their end coupled with the fact that they dilly dallied on finalising the date, I bowed out. I have other commitments in Poovar. These are testing times and we have been shooting round the clock, putting ours elves at risk, to make sure the industry is back on its feet.

“Such slanderous claims and unethical behaviour on part of the event coordinators are deeply hurtful and unso licited," she further said.

INDIAN SHORT FILM 'BITTU' MAKES THE SHORTLIST FOR THE OSCARS Short film 'Bittu' has made it to the shortlist for the category of Live Action Short Film for the 93rd Academy Awards.

cinema collective 'Indian Women Rising' which is funded by many Indian female filmmakers including Guneet Monga and Ekta Kapoor.

Bittu is directed by Karishma Dev Dube and follows the true story of a friendship between two school children.

Unfortunately, however, India's entry in the International Feature Film category, Jallikattu, has failed to make the shortlist.

The short film has been picked up on the film festival circuit and has garnered much attention and praise.

Meanwhile, India’s official Oscar entry Jallikattu failed to make it to the International Feature Film shortlist.

The feature was produced under the

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

INDIA’S MOST VALUABLE CELEBRITY HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED

Cricketer Virat Kohli has officially been announced as India’s Most Valuable Celebrity according to the Duff & Phelps Celebrity Brand Valuation Study.

consecutive years now, valued at £173.6 million.

According to the study, which ranks celebrities based on their net worth, Kohli, who was the only non-actor to make the list, is valued at £173.6 million which is double the net worth of his next closest competitor, actor Akshay Kumar, who was valued at £86.8 million.

Check out the full list of India’s top ten most valuable celebrities below.

1) Virat Kohli: The cricketer has been ranked as the India celebrity with the highest net worth for four

2) Akshay Kumar: Kumar is the number one highest-valued actor in India with a net worth of £86.8 million.

3) Ranveer Singh: Actor Ranveer Singh comes in third on the list with a net worth of £75.2 million 4) Shah Rukh Khan: Shah Rukh Khan has been valued a net worth of £37.3 million.

5) Deepika Padukone: Actress Deepika Padukone is one only two

FIVE

women on the list and has a net worth of £36.8 million.

6) Alia Bhatt: The youngest person to solidify a position on this list is actress Alia Bhatt, who has b a net worth of £35 million.

7) Ayushmann Khurrana: Actor Ayushmann Khurrana holds the seventh position in the ranking, who also has a net worth of £35 million.

8) Salman Khan: As both an actor and a producer, Salman Khan has

VIKRAM BHATT AND MAHESH BHATT ANNOUNCE NEW COLLABORATION FOR HORROR FILM 'COLD'

garnered himself the eighth ranking on this list with a net worth of £32.9 million.

9) Amitabh Bachchan: Actor Amitabh Bachchan extended career has given him the ninth ranking on the

list with a net worth of £32.2 million.

10) Hrithik Roshan: Despite having no films released in the year of 2020, actor Hrithik Roshan has maintained a position on this list with a net worth of £28.8 million.

SALMAN KHAN APOLOGISES IN COURT FOR SUBMITTING FALSE AFFIDAVIT Bollywood star Salman Khan has apologised for mistakenly submitting a false affidavit in the Jodhpur session court in 2003, during his hearing in a case related to the poaching of two blackbucks in Jodhpur in 1998.

Salman appeared before the Jodhpur session court for the hearing of his appeal against conviction in the blackbuck poaching case through video conferencing.

His lawyer Hastimal Saraswat told the court that the affidavit was mistakenly submitted to the court on August 8, 2003, for which the actor should be forgiven.

During the hearing, Saraswat said, "The affidavit was mistakenly given on August 8, 2003, as Salman had forgotten that his licence was given for renewal because he was too busy. Therefore, he mentioned that the licence had gone missing in the court."

Filmmakers Vikram Bhatt and Mahesh Bhatt have announced that they are collaborating once again for their upcoming horror film Cold.

The duo is known for the ‘Raaz’ franchise and ‘Cold’ will mark two decades since the pair first worked together.

‘Cold’ will follow the story of a woman who is escaping a very dark period of her life

and will star Akshay Oberoi and Anisha Pahuja.

Speaking about the project, Vikram Bhatt stated " The world has gone through a harrowing time in the past one year and there is a need for a collective catharsis and ‘Cold’ is going to provide the viewers with that.

“Intelligence has always been viewed as the ability to think

and learn but in this postpandemic world we need to view it as our ability to rethink and unlearn."

Vikram hopes to "reinvent" the horror genre with his "mentor" Mahesh Bhatt.

‘Cold’ is written by Mahesh Bhatt and Suhrita Sen Gupta and directed by Vikram Bhatt.

Shooting for the film has begun in Mumbai.

Salman was arrested in 1998 for hunting two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur.

At that time, a case under Arms Act was registered against him and the court had asked him to submit his arms licence.

Salman gave an affidavit in the court in 2003, saying that he had lost the licence. He also lodged an FIR at the Bandra police station in Mumbai in this connection.

However, the court later came to know that Salman's arm licence was not lost, but had been submitted for renewal.

Public prosecutor Bhavani Singh Bhati had

then demanded that a case of misleading the court should be filed against the actor.

A trial court in 2018 had convicted Salman and awarded five-year imprisonment to him for the killing of two black bucks during the shooting of the film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' in October 1998. The actor had challenged the trial court verdict in the sessions court.

SIX

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS

Her journey to global domination is still

UNFINISHED

– this is only the beginning…

BY SUNNY MALIK Priyanka Chopra Jonas has proudly added published author to her resume with her new memoir – Unfinished – out now in the UK. The book chronicles her journey from Bareilly, India to global domination.

After becoming Miss World 2000 here in the UK, the actress made a name of herself in the Indian film industry and subsequently worldwide starting with her hit TV show ‘Quantico’. If that wasn’t enough, the actress has recently won over critics with her layered performance in ‘The White Tiger’, currently the number one film on streaming platform Netflix internationally.

The Bollywood-turned-Hollywood star penned down her milestones for her memoir during quarantine in 2020, which gave her time to shape the book into what it is now. While Priyanka has been known to keep much of her private life away from the limelight, in the book for the first time she reveals her inner thoughts on personal relationships, family dynamics, her father’s passing due to Cancer, and her wedding to singer Nick Jonas among other stories that will surely surprise readers.

Speaking to Asian Style Magazine ahead of the release of her memoir, the 38-year-old actress talked about why she addressed several rumours, the process behind writing her book, and much more…

What was the defining moment for you where you felt you wanted to write a memoir?

image: Raindrop Media

I have always wanted to write a book and thought the easiest thing to do, would be writing a memoir.

I know my life and was approaching twenty years about being in the entertainment business and I thought, “I should talk about how my inner thoughts are.” I call it my in-between interviews books because it talks about all the things that happened in between me interacting with the

press. When we went into quarantine in 2020, I really introspected, and the book took shape.

Prior to that, it was ideas and thoughts. I was home for five months and I took the time to be reflective. Between my pen and paper, and my laptop sometimes, I just started witing milestones that I remember from my memories. Personally, I love reading visual books, so I wanted a visual quality to my book, so that the reader feels coming along with me through the journey. It’s like my older self-looking back at my younger self. I took the time and it flowed out of me and the stories started flowing about things I never spoke about and never addressed. There are a few things I took out of the book because it was too much (laughs). I can’t be so bare all. I was terrified of sharing the book, but I was secure enough and confident enough at the same time. I feel vulnerable and content, but I’m ready to share it with the people who know me and those who are getting to know me.

How much of the book did you have to change after your first draft and why did you title the memoir ‘Unfinished’?

Pam Cannon, the publisher at Penguin, wanted me to dig deeper. She pushed me into it and I’m grateful for that. I’ve been private about my personal life and just because I have a public life, doesn’t mean that I owe explanations about my choices or my life to anyone.

I’m not a head of state, just an actor (laughs). I chose to call it ‘Unfinished’ because there is so much that I want to do in my life. I’m rather young to write a memoir, I want to achieve so much more.

You wrote about what women face in the entertainment business in the book. How do we change that?

Was it tempting to clarify things such as rumours about your plastic surgery and relationships?

I’ve been an advocate for opportunities all my life. That is also a very privileged thing for me to say. Opportunity is a privilege.

There are so many people who live lives without choice, especially girls. We as a community need to come together and fight for it. I’ve always been an advocate for girls to have education, rights in their own lives, and financial independence.

As a generation of women today, we need to leave a better world behind for the next generation to come. I hope that we can achieve that, by example maybe, maybe by discussion.

It was never tempting. I don’t need to clarify anything to anyone. I didn’t write about these things now to clarify anything to anyone. I was in a place in my life where I sat down, wrote about milestones in my life and these happened to be those. Things I have kept personal in my heart, things I have been affected by. I am woman in the entertainment business, which is kind of patriarchal, I had to be very tough. When Entertainers show their weakness, people enjoy pulling you down. I learnt to keep my walls up. I kept them up, did my job and didn’t talk about the things I overcame. I’m much older and self-assured now, which makes it easier to discuss

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

things from the past. This book is not me offering any form of clarification.

It’s the story of my life from my eyes.

SEVEN

How has the pandemic changed how you work as an actor?

I shot both ‘We Can Be Heroes’ and ‘The White Tiger’ before the pandemic and both were always supposed to be Netflix releases. The pandemic has really shown us how much content we are consuming.

Everyone is at home and watching films or shows and someone has to make them. I started filming again in October 2020. In the UK, the government has permitted filming to continue whilst following guidelines. Everyone on set is following the rules, wearing masks and they keep a distance from us actors, as we need to take our masks off. I won’t lie, I think about it, it’s scary. Hopefully, the content we are creating will be worth it.

What advice would you give to South Asians who want to work in the mainstream entertainment industry?

We are not a niche anymore. With global streaming platforms, nothing is niche anymore.

I would implore everyone who is South Asian and wants to be in the arts, pursue it. Hollywood needs it. We need South Asian representation and you should definitely come to me; I’m constantly looking for content.

How did your family react when you told them that you’re writing about your life and including them in the stories?

Everyone who is mentioned in the book, has read the book. I was very clear about that. I didn’t want any surprises later. In fact, I worked on it in a very weird way. When I wrote about my experiences, I penned down my version that I remembered. I would

then call up the person who was part of it, to corroborate my story.

In doing that, my family and extended family were a big part of me writing the book the way it has come out. I needed a lot of filling in the blanks from them. Memory is funny thing; you leave behind a lot. My extended family has been such a big part of who I am. I have been raised with a lot of their support.

It was important for me to give credit where its due. I wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t supported me and taken me into their homes. They were all on board.

The writing in the book has never been tell-all about them, the book is from my perspective. It’s my reactions to the things that happened. So, no one should really have an issue with it.

Well, no one has said anything yet, you never know (laughs).

Has the pandemic changed anything in your lifestyle?

I started working out. I hated exercise but you know, 30s hit you differently (laughs). I realised “you need to start training!”. I never used to work out before. I’m now taking my wellness and health very seriously. I used to have ten cups of coffee and didn’t eat properly. I have become a lot more conscious and would like to take that forward after the pandemic.

Priyanka Chopra – A Memoir is released by Michael Joseph in the UK and now available as paperback and E-Book.

Image: Instagram

Buy your copy from UnfinishedbyPriyanka.com

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WWW.ASIANSTANDARD.CO.UK

FINANCE

Shabab Gulfraz

CHARTERED FINANCIAL PLANNER, AND A CHARTERED MCSI ACCREDITED FINANCIAL ADVISER

Our resident For more infofinance columnist shares hi rmation shab s finance view ab@asianstand s this week. ard.co.uk

21

&

PUZZLES Crosswords CROSSWORD Across 1 Dramatist (10) 7 Be compatible and friendly (3, 2, 3) 8 Mature (4) 9 Ballet dancer's skirt (4) 10 Rectified (7) 12 Eternally (11) 14 Horse-soldiers (7) 16 Fail to include (4) 19 Without feeling (4) 20 Evaluate (8) 21 One not given to travel (4-2-4)

DISADVANTAGES OF NOT REVIEWING TAX WITHIN THE TAX YEAR I tend not to make my columns too controversial; however, I felt I needed to share this week’s incident with you, where I left two of my clients accountants very happy.

I had a phone call from someone, whose client wasn’t happy because his income in the current tax year is around £60,000. The client has had some letters through the post and realised he has had a claw back of child benefit for the tax year 2019/2020. The person in question had not discussed the matter with his accountant, and as usual he had not reviewed his tax position in the tax year in question.

Down 1 Sharp or tapered end (5) 2 Airman (7) 3 Timber (4) 4 Notorious (8) 5 Long-legged long-necked wading bird (5) 6 Rapid (6) 11 Shortest month (8) 12 Pestilence (6) 13 Lower back pain (7) 15 Head of a community of monks (5) 17 Savour (5) 18 Catch sight of (4)

Spot the

5

differences

So here are the figures, on all income over £50,000 tax charge is 40%. If you have any children, you will lose your child benefit based on how much income you have between £50,000, and £60,000. As an example, someone earning £55,000, they will lose 50% of their child benefit. My client earnt just over £60,000; therefore, he lost 100% of his child benefit. He has three children; therefore, his child benefit is £2,501; therefore, on all income between £50,000 and £60,000 his tax bill is 40%, plus as he has to pay back child benefit, then a further 25.01% tax, so an effective tax rate of 65.01% Now, clearly the individual is not happy; however, he is not happy due to lack of information as he was not aware of his tax position, and now that extra cash from a salary increase in his eyes is simply not worth the effort.

I have to be honest I agree with the client it is not worth it, but he agreed with me that tax should be reviewed before the tax year end, rather than leaving it, and then working out figures in January the following year. An expensive lesson, but one we should all not forget.

The child benefit charge will hit this couple because one person is a houseperson, and the other person works hard to make ends meet. A salary/income £60,000 between two people is not a lot, especially when we review that after tax and NI, the person is left with around £3,300 pounds between both of them.

There are methods of mitigating the extra charge, and if you do not need the extra £3,500, and instead intend on not paying an effective rate as detailed above, then please contact me, and we can talk you through your individual situation.

Please note. if you put off doing a review of your taxes in the tax year in question then it limits your choices, and no matter how good the accountant/IFA, their hands are simply tied.

ANSWERS SPOT THE 5 DIFFERENCES 1. The button on Ayushmann's jacket.

2. The green logo on Anubhav's pocket on his T-shirt.

3. The tatoo on Anubhav's his left hand.

4. The logo on the clapperboard.

5. The green colour on the clapperboard.

Sadly, the child benefit I really disagree with because it was meant to be paid to all children, yet the government when they brought in the rules, have actually hit many families. Effectively, in my mindset, as the individual above, they have lost out on nearly a month worth of salary because of the tax benefit loss. I can see the logic if individuals were earning over £150,000 plus, and they lost child benefit, but not when the joint household income is £50,000.

CROSSWORD ANSWER

22

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UK ECONOMY RECORDS WORST YEAR IN THREE CENTURIES.

The UK economy has suffered its biggest slump in more than three centuries last year, with GDP falling by nearly 10 per cent over the course of 2020.

According to CNN, this means that the Covid-19 pandemic has effectively wiped out all growth in the United Kingdom over the last seven years, returning the economy close to the size it was in 2013.

The 9.9 per cent slump in the UK GDP was "less severe than expected" but it surpassed the 9.7 per cent slump experienced during the Great Depression in 1921, "making it the worst annual drop since 1709", according to a Bank of England database. That was when Europe's harshest winter in 500 years caused widespread death and destruction.

"This time it's a pandemic to blame whereas back then, it was a Great Frost, which saw ice in the North Sea, and the War of Spanish Succession ... which was doing the damage," wrote Societe Generale strategist Kit Juckes in a research note, as quoted by CNN According to the Office for National Statistics, there were some signs of improvement

enough savings to cope with a "negative life event" such as redundancy, loss of working hours, or ill health.

in the final months of 2020, with GDP estimated to have increased by 1 per cent in the fourth quarter, following record growth in the third quarter.

Citing the survey, the news outlet reported that nearly 40 per cent of British adults suffered financially as a consequence of the pandemic, with younger workers, Black people and the self-employed among the hardest hit.

But there were big swings in output between October and December, largely tracking the level of restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus, CNN reported.

The UK suffered one of "the worst recessions" among major economies last year.

Germany, for example, held up better in the pandemic than it did during the global financial crisis. Provisional estimates suggest Europe's biggest economy contracted by 5 per cent last year. EU GDP, meanwhile, is expected to have shrunk 6.4 per cent, according to Eurostat.

impact on many people and businesses," it added.

"Today's figures show that the economy has experienced a serious shock as a result of the pandemic, which has been felt by countries around the world," UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement as quoted by CNN.

The new national lockdown, which was imposed on January 5 in the country, is expected to hit the economy hard in the first quarter of 2021, reversing the return to growth in the fourth quarter of 2020.

"While there are some positive signs of the economy's resilience over the winter, we know that the current lockdown continues to have a significant

"It seems that a double dip [recession] was merely delayed rather than avoided outright," Sam Miley, an economist at the London-based Centre

for Economics and Business Research said in a note on Friday.

Disruption to EU-UK trade following the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31 is "also weighing on activity."

CNN further reported that British exporters have struggled to get their products into Europe due to border delays and glitches in new customs systems. Companies selling fresh produce, such as live shellfish and meat, have in

some cases had to discard their products as a result. Even once the dust settles, new trading arrangements are expected to add additional costs to UK companies, which rely on Europe for a large portion of their imports and exports.

According to a survey published, by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the coronavirus pandemic has left more than a quarter of British adults financially vulnerable, with too much debt or not

According to Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane, who pointed to high savings rates among UK households in an opinion piece published in a British media outlet on Thursday, said that half of adults in the FCA survey said the pandemic had not disturbed their finances, while some 15 per cent of adults were financially better off. That could lay the foundation for a savingsled boost to demand.

"The rapid rollout of the vaccination programme across the UK means a decisive corner has been turned in the battle against Covid," he said according to the Daily Mail.

"A decisive corner is about to be turned for the economy too, with enormous amounts of pent-up financial energy waiting to be released, like a coiled spring," he added.

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YOUR LOCAL JOB SCHEMES AND SUPPORT UK Government schemes which are supporting jobseekers and saving businesses.

BY JESS CLARKE Whether it is starting a new job, changing career, or learning new skills, they can all be a formidable process and it’s helpful to know

when and where you can get support. Knowing about the available support in your local area could be the aid you need in achieving your

next career goals.

Over the past 10 months, employment has taken a

hit from the pandemic and people have been unsure on the security of their jobs. The UK Government have been able to assist employees, not only through the furlough scheme, which many are familiar with, but also supporting businesses and individuals through local support which is available.

The UK Government have not only been supporting the public throughout the pandemic but also the Government’s Plan for jobs is at the heart of the UK’s recovery from the economic impact. This includes helping to switch careers by developing new and relevant skills, bespoke support to spot key local vacancies or training to grow the confidence to land that all important new Razan Alsous is running an award-winning cheese business in Yorkshire.

Thanks to the New Enterprise Allowance, she was able to get support financially as well as mentoring help.

role. This builds on the nine million jobs already protected through the furlough scheme, £13 billion provided for the selfemployed, and billions of pounds in tax deferrals and grants for businesses.

Safwan Hanash who has been working on the SWAP scheme since September last year, shares his experiences.

“For us, it’s about giving people that opportunity”.

“I delivered a variety of apprenticeships from management up to level 5 team-leading, sales, retail.

A lot of it was helping unemployed people get into work, that has always been my passion, having an

impact. For me, it’s about helping people.

“SWAP is great because it gives young and elderly individuals an opportunity to get into a sector that might be very difficult for them to get into without having the experience and credentials.

“If anybody is at a loose end, with a can-do attitude, open mind, SWAP is an excellent opportunity to go into a sector of your choice, where you can develop a new skill, new choice, and put yourself in a really good position to get a job.

If not a job at the end of it, to update your CV to make yourself more marketable. “ There are no costs associated to it. This is the perfect time to get into

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Safwan Hanash: SWAP is an excellent opportunity to go into a sector of your choice, where you can develop a new skill, new choice, and put yourself in a really good position to get a job.

PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UK GOVERNMENT

point I started to think that we are in a very nice green area, where the milk is available widely and its very beautiful milk. So, why not make halloumi cheese?”

“I contacted the job centre and they referred me to the New Enterprise Allowance.

They can support you financially and they can support you mentoring. I did lots of workshops as well. This has helped me to understand the marketing and sales. The mentoring role was really important for me because I’d never done any cheese in all my life, but after then you meet the mentor, say ‘yes you can do it’, so this has given me back confidence that, yes, I can do it.”

Steve Mccall, Communications manager for Jobcentre Plus told Asian Standard:

SWAP. Come on board, you will get two qualifications, develop your skills, your knowledge, we’ve got an excellent team here that will support you and get you a job interview.”

Many businesses in and around Leeds are currently recruiting for the Kickstart scheme and many are making plans to recruit in the future. Peter Murphy, Operations Director at Groundwork Yorkshire, is one of the many people planning on recruiting through Kickstart in the near future.

Nichola Venables is also offering placements under the Kickstart Scheme. She’s CEO of a property-tech start-up called New Build Database. With 20 years’

experience in finance, management and risk, Nichola can offer on-thejob training to candidates and has advertised seven vacancies. Although companies need to offer a minimum of 30 placements, if other smaller businesses team up, they can fulfil the criteria. At the end of the scheme, companies can hire the staff if there is a permanent position available.

“It’s for people who are looking to set up in business and work for themselves.

So, this is to provide both money and support and development of an individual’s business, and it can be right across the

board. We often find that if people are looking to change career direction, that one of the options they have, is to set up on their own, so we have this support mechanism to help people develop their own business,” “At the moment we’re trying to look to the future as well, to see what the sector ’s recovery might look like, and one of the things that we’re working on in the North East right now is gym instructors. We think there will be a need for additional gym instructors once the gyms reopen, we think there is going to be a floodgate of people wanting to go back to the gyms and these people are often self-employed. So, we are looking at putting on some courses to help people understand what that role might be, how to go about it and how to develop their own self-employment from that.”

If you are looking to kickstart your career or looking for help with jobs, there is plenty of support available on the government website.

For more information visit gov.uk/jobhelp

25

WHAT SUPPORT SCHEMES ARE AVAILABLE. KICKSTART SCHEME The Kickstart Scheme is a six-month paid job with a local employer, paid for by the Government. It provides a fully funded opportunity for young people to gain experience of working in one of Britain’s most exciting companies.

The Kickstart Scheme was announced by the Chancellor in the Summer and will offer hundreds of thousands of job opportunities over the next two years. A £2 billion pot will help to fund exciting positions in businesses across Britain.

Jobs from the Kickstart Scheme are open to 16-24 year olds who are claiming Universal Credit and are at risk of long-term unemployment.

SECTOR-BASED WORK ACADEMY PROGRAMMES SWAPs are an opportunity for jobseekers who are claiming either Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to build their confidence in a new line of work, enhance their CV, and gain invaluable work experience and training.

So far, they have helped over 40,000 people across the country with employers from a range of industries stepping up to offer placements. Each SWAP focusses on working in a particular industry, such as care, construction or logistics and lasts up to six weeks, consisting of three parts: 1. Pre-employment training – a short module of vocational training run by a local college or training provider, 2. Work experience with an employer in the industry – giving jobseekers the chance to learn new skills on the job.

3. At the end of the programme, either a job interview with an employer in the sector or if an interview cannot be offered, help with the application process.

DWP / NEW ENTERPRISE ALLOWANCE (NEA) NEA provides money and support to help people receiving certain benefits (including Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance) to start their own business.

Razan Alsous is running an award-winning cheese business in Yorkshire.

For the self-employed, it helps to develop their business.

After years of searching for a job, she asked herself ‘what am I good at?’ She thought that she loved cooking and in particular, loved cheese.

Support includes a mentor, to give advice and guidance as the new business begins to trade, a weekly allowance worth up to £1, 274 over 26 weeks.

They can also apply for a loan to help with start-up costs if the business is less than two years old.

“I noticed that halloumi cheese is not available all seasons in the UK. At this

More than 215,000 jobseekers have become their own boss since the scheme launched in April 2011.

Steve Mccall, Communications manager for Jobcentre Plus

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WHAT’S ON

HALF TERM ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL THE FAMILY It’s half term this week! Unfortunately, due to the lockdown, nobody is going to be able to get out and about as normal. Luckily, these TV and film releases are here to break up your day and give you something to enjoy despite the lockdown. So, if you are trying to find something to keep the family occupied over the half-term break, take a quick look at what’s coming up for everyone to enjoy…

ANIMALS ON THE LOOSE: A YOU VS WILD MOVIE If you are feeling particularly cooped up because of the lockdown, experience the wild with Bear Grylls’ ‘Animals on the Loose’. ‘Animals on the Loose’ provides an educational yet very entertaining look at wild animals and survival.

This new interactive film allows you as the audience to participate in the exciting adventure, making decisions throughout the film to help Bear along his journey.

‘Animals on the Loose’ could be a fun new way to get the family involved throughout the half term. This feature will be available on Netflix from February 11.

KID COSMIC If you’re looking for something a little more unusual, Netflix’s new animated series Kid Cosmic may be the way to go. Kid Cosmic follows the story of Jack Fisher, an ordinary boy who gets the opportunity to become a superhero and fight evil.

Despite its generic plotline, Kid Cosmic’s somewhat retro animation style and strong sense of humour give it a unique flair and the series has received a very positive critical reception.

Kid Cosmic is available on Netflix now.

MY MUM TRACY BEAKER It has been nearly BLANK since the release of The Story of Tracy Beaker on CBBC. Now, Tracy (BLANK) is returning to CBBC, this time as a mother to daughter BLANK (BLANK). Fans of the original series were blown away as Tracy’s old enemy Justine Littlewood (BLANK) appeared in a teaser trailer. My Mum Tracy Beaker is a three-part series that will start on CBBC which will be shown every night between February 12 and February 14.

THE PINK PANTHER For a more classic piece of entertainment, you cannot go wrong with The Pink Panther (1963).

Following the bumbling Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) in his search for the world’s largest diamond, this detective-comedy is jammed pack full of slapstick-comedy and criminal escapades.

The Pink Panther is one of the most beloved comedies of all time and is the perfect choice for some wholesome, Sunday-afternoon entertainment. The Pink Panther will be shown on Film4 on February 12 and will be available on All4 afterwards.

THE SNOOPY SHOW Snoopy is universally known and loved by just about everyone. This down-beat dog has been keeping families entertained for BLANK. Now, Apple TV has revitalised this classic character and have produced a new series called ‘The Snoopy Show’. The new programme shows Snoopy getting up to all his regular hijinks with a distinctly modern twist. With its new animation style and upbeat tone, The Snoopy Show brings the well-known pup into the current and can be enjoyed by all, young and old! The Snoopy Show is available on Apple TV+ now.

OTHER FAMILY FUN RELEASES AVAILABLE OVER THE HALF-TERM PERIOD: I Carly (Series 1-2): Available on Netflix now Teen Titans Go! To the Movies: Available on Netflix now The Flinstones (1994): Available on Netflix now Sonic the Hedgehog (2020): Available on Amazon Prime from February 18 The Muppet Show (Series 1-5): Available on Disney + from February 19

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RECIPE

TANDOORI SALMON ON A BED OF SPINACH AND ASPARAGUS Everyone knows how healthy fish or salmon specifically is for you. But when you are a desi there is always the need for a bit of spice.

So, if you are one of those and love your South Asian flavours, then this tandoori salmon dish will really go down a treat with you and your loved ones. Try it, you will surely like it

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1 clove of garlic crushed, or a teaspoon of garlic paste.

Melt butter in a non-stick frying pan or add in your oil and warm slightly.

2 teaspoon coriander powder ½ teaspoon tandoori powder ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon cumin powder ¼ teaspoon crushed cayenne pepper Salt to taste Chilli to taste 2 Salmon fillets 2 x tablespoons of butter or if you prefer 1 ½ tablespoon of oil 4 Asparagus Baby Spinach leaves Cherry tomatoes (optional)

Add in your garlic and stir into the butter/oil for a couple of minutes, be careful as garlic burns in butter easily.

Then add in all your spices and stir for around 5 minutes.

Take the mixture off heat and completely coat your salmon in the mixture.

Put your pan back on the heat and gently grill your asparagus on the pan, till nicely roasted.

Remove the asparagus and then add in the salmon and lightly pan fry on both sides for a few minutes.

Throw in the baby spinach leaves a few minutes before you are ready to toss the salmon out. You can also optionally grill some cherry tomatoes. Serve with baby spinach, asparagus, with salmon on top and drizzle any left-over oil/ butter from the pan and enjoy.

Have a tantalising recipe? Want to share? We would love to feature your recipes. If you would like to have your recipe featured on this page then email us at: recipes@asianstandard.co.uk

COMING SOON ONLY ON ASIAN SUNDAY TV

SPORTS

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SERENA ENTERS AUSTRALIAN OPEN QUARTERS AFTER FENDING OFF SABALENKA Twenty-three-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams on 14 February entered the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after fending off a stern challenge from No.7 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Williams overcame Sabalenka 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in a ferocious fourth-round battle at Rod Laver Arena.

Williams, in her ongoing quest for a 24th major singles title, fired 30 winners, including nine

aces, to quell the charge from Sabalenka. Sabalenka had won 18 of her last 19 matches but it is Williams who moves into the last eight in Melbourne for the 13th time in her career.

"It was obviously real important because I didn't want to be out of the tournament, so it felt good to kind of clutch that in the end and get through that," Williams said after the match as per the WTA website.

The American will face

either two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep or reigning Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek for a place in the semi-finals.

Earlier in the day, 2019 champion Naomi Osaka saved two match points to beat two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the second time in the past three years.

From 5-3, 15-40 down

on serve in the final set, Osaka won four straight games to complete an improbable comeback in an exciting fourthround contest which lasted one hour and 55 minutes.

She will next face Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei for a place in last four of the women's singles event.

EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW GOOD HE IS: KLOPP DEFENDS BECKER

TOKYO 2020 CHIEF YOSHIRO MORI RESIGNS OVER SEXISM ROW

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has defended Alisson Becker, who displayed poor performance in the match against Manchester City, and said that there was absolutely no real criticism from our side.

Liverpool suffered a massive 1-4 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in the Premier League. During the match, two uncharacteristic, misplaced passes from Alisson had led to goals.

"Oh, we had, of course, a little talk. If it's then about encouragement or whatever, I don't know. It's just a little talk and he was not happy that it happened, of course.

But it's very important to realise in a moment like this, goalkeepers in a long career, they make mistakes.

For a goalkeeper of the quality of Alisson Becker, it's pretty rare that he makes this kind of mistake and that he makes two of them in one game, that's clear as well," the club's official website quoted Klopp as saying.

"But on top of that, goalkeepers are used to

Tokyo 2020 organising committee president Yoshiro Mori announced his resignation on 12 February due to protests over his sexist remarks about women the week before.

The 83-year-old former Japanese prime minister made the announcement at a special meeting of its executive members.

He told the meeting that his inappropriate remarks have caused chaos and that he wishes to resign as president as of today.

Mori, who was appointed to head the Olympic organising committee in January 2014, said on February 3 at a meeting of the Japanese Olympic Committee, Women have a strong sense of rivalry... if one female member raises her hand to speak, everyone will think they need to say something too.

He made an apology at a news conference afterward but protests over these remarks have shown no sign of abating.

Former head of Japanese Football Association

making mistakes. It means they have to stay in the game, they concede a goal, and they know maybe earlier than all the rest of the world, 'I should have saved it.' They have to deal with that always and he has just a few days

in between the City game and this game. There was absolutely no real criticism from our side, from the boys, from the players around him because everybody knows how good he is. He's a very calm person," he added.

Kaburo Kawabuchi has been reported to take over but the 84-year-old is considering not accepting the offer in what would be a sharp turnaround from his comments the previous day according to the Kyodo news agency.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in its new statement that Mori's remarks are absolutely inappropriate and in contradiction to the IOC's commitments and the reforms of its Olympic Agenda 2020.

SPORTS

MANNY PACQUIAO WANTS $40 MILLION TO FIGHT TERENCE CRAWFORD There is a possibility we might see a ring return for May 15, in Dubai between Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford. 42-year-old Pacquiao has already been dropping hints on his social media informing fans that he is back in training and looking forward to his next fight, one that will add yet more to his legacy. He has reportedly asked Bob Arum for a whopping, great $40

million to fight the reigning WBO welterweight champ Crawford.

News reports form The Daily Tribune in the Philippines, seem to back this up.

“I’d like to fight somebody who has a title,” Pac Man said to the publication.

“We told Bob [Arum] I get $40 million and Crawford gets $10 million. I will fight anybody. You know me, I

don’t back away from any challenge. Bring ’em on.”

But $50 million is a tall order, does Arum think Manny is worth the mega $40million he is asking for?

The word is this fight could take place in Dubai on May 15 if it does come off, and maybe the powers that be, the money men over there would be agreeable to paying that kind of big, big money.

And of course, a PacquiaoCrawford fight would be a P-P-V event, one we’re sure many would not mind paying to see. Crawford has expressed great interest in taking this fight (and “Bud” would likely see no problem being paid $10 million) Well with May not being too far away, if this is pulled off, the real question is would Pacquiao, have a genuine shot at beating Crawford? We will wait and see.

MAN CITY EXTEND WINNING RUN AS LIVERPOOL LOSE AGAIN IN PREMIER LEAGUE Manchester City defeated Tottenham 3-0 to strengthen their grip at the top of the Premier League in their latest encounter to extend

their already recordbreaking winning run.

The game on Saturday 13 February showed

how things have changed since Spurs beat City 2-0 on November 21 to go top of the league and left City with 12 points from eight games as Pep Guardiola's side won with ease against a rival that is now struggling to qualify for Europe.

City's record 16th consecutive win was inspired by Ilkay Gundogan, who won the penalty that allowed Rodri to open the scoring from the penalty spot, before scoring himself in the 50th and 66th minutes to assure what was a very comfortable home win.

Liverpool's title defence continues to fall apart, and coach Jurgen Klopp admitted it was over after they suffered their third consecutive defeat 3-1 after looking to be in a winning position against Leicester City.

Mohamed Salah put

Ilkay Gundogan

Liverpool ahead in the 67th minute after a good assist from Roberto Firmino, but James Maddison's free kick in the 78th minute (given after consultation with the VAR) was the start of Liverpool's collapse.

a 3-0 win away to Crystal Palace in a game they were winning 2-0 after just 10 minutes with goals from Johann Berg

Gudmundsson and Jay Rodriguez, before Matthew Lowton assured the win soon after the break.

Keeper Alisson Becker was at fault again after a collision with debutant Ozan Kabak, ended with him kicking the ball to Leicester's Jamie Vardy, who gleefully slotted home before an error from Salah gifted the ball to Leicester allowing Harvey Barnes to seal the points five minutes from time.

Emi Martinez was Aston Villa's hero with nine saves as his side withstood a constant wave of attacks from Brighton for a goalless draw in a game where the home side probably still don't know how they didn't win.

Burnley took another step towards safety thanks to

Rodri

15 - 19 FEBRUARY 2021

SPORTS

SERENA ENTERS AUSTRALIAN OPEN QUARTERS AFTER FENDING OFF SABALENKA

MANNY PACQUIAO WANTS $40 MILLION TO FIGHT TERENCE CRAWFORD

Page 31

Page 30

FURY TAUNTS JOSHUA WITH A SOCIAL MEDIA POST ASKING IF AJ HAS ‘THE BALLS’ TO FIGHT HIM Tyson Fury posted polls across his social media pages recently, asking his fans whether they believe Anthony Joshua will sign to face him next.

He replicated the same poll on Instagram.

The undisputed WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO heavyweight world title fight appears to be closing in on a done deal, though it seems the ‘Gypsy King’ remains sceptical.

Regardless, AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn has said that he cannot envisage a scenario in which AJ vs Fury does not happen next.

Fury tweeted: “Does AJ have the balls to fight me?”

There were two options on the poll for his fans – “Yes he does and will,” or, “No he will find a way out.”

A slight majority voted for the negative option on each platform.

Hearn told the Boxing News Podcast: “ There will be some [minor issues] when you go down to the changing rooms and that.

“But that’s stuff that you work through to resolve it.

“When you talk about Deontay Wilder vs Joshua [negotiations], we never even had a draft contact.

“With this it’s – all the points have been discussed, the contract’s been drafted, it’s been received, it’s going backwards and forwards with minor points.

“I actually don’t see any way this fight falls apart.

“Subject to the world just falling on its a***, which can happen!

“But we have no Plan B, which is quite unusual.

“Normally you’d go, ‘If this don’t go through, we’ll take this fight or we’ll do that.’

“We are just like, ‘ This is happening.’ And he is in exactly the same boat.

“Fury ain’t looking at any other fight, nor are Top Rank and we’re not either.”

Anthony Joshua

Tyson Fury