Asian Standard (Leeds) Issue 9 - 12 Nov 2021

Make it Supreme with this

pages of

Achari Karahi Gosht

SHOWBIZ INSIDE >>> KING

KHAN TURNS 56:

STARDOM OF SHAHRUKH KHAN CONTINUES TO REIGN SUPREME

RECIPE PAGE 21

BY THE PUBLISHERS OF ASIAN SUNDAY

LEEDS / 8 - 14 NOVEMBER 2021 / FREE

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YCCC IN CRISIS

AS RACISM SCANDAL AMPLIFIES

>> Club Chair and board members resigned >> Sponsors pull out >> Headingly not allowed to host any major or international matches Can new chair Lord Kamlesh Patel bring hope to a sinking club?

BY FATIMA PATEL

someone bravely tell their deeply disturbing experience to the world. Azeem Rafiq first described As a woman of South Asian heritage over the past 15 his experiences and announced months it has been difficult to digest the revelations made (in a video interview which went viral on social by former Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) player of ‘institutional racism at YCCC. That’s not because it has been a media) how racism was ‘disguised as banter’ at YCCC in September 2020. shock to hear of the revelations, but to finally hear

Close to suicide following his ordeal the 30-year-old father has since been on a mission to be heard and to finally seek justice from the club.

Read full story on pages 6 & 7

WHY REMEMBRANCE OF INDIAN SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT FOR THE BRITISH IN WORLD WAR II IS SO POLITICAL Read more on pages 24 & 25

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UK BECOMES FIRST COUNTRY TO APPROVE ANTIVIRAL COVID-19 PILL

The UK has approved antiviral COVID-19 drug Lagevrio (molnupiravir) after it was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 following a stringent review.

The drug is developed by Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD), Lagevrio works by interfering with the virus' replication. This prevents it from multiplying, keeping virus levels low in the body and therefore reducing the severity of the disease, the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in a statement on Thursday. Taking to Twitter, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote, "Brilliant to hear @MHRAgovuk has approved the world's first antiviral pill for Covid - molnupiravir. Along with the vital protection provided by our vaccines, this treatment can prevent those who are most at risk from becoming seriously ill with Covid."

Based on the clinical trial data, Lagevrio is most effective when taken during the early stages of infection and so the MHRA recommends its use as soon as possible following a positive COVID-19 test and within five days of symptoms onset, the statement added. Molnupiravir has been authorised for use in people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 and at least one risk factor for developing severe illness. Such risk factors

include obesity, older age, diabetes mellitus, or heart disease, the MHRA said. "Today is a historic day for our country, as the UK is now the first country in the world to approve an antiviral that can be taken at home for COVID-19. This will be a gamechanger for the most vulnerable and the immunosuppressed, who will soon be able to receive the ground-breaking treatment," the UK's Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said.

"The UK is leading the way to research, develop and roll out the most exciting, cutting-edge treatments, and my thanks goes to the expert teams at the MHRA and MSD for this triumph, as well as the Antivirals Taskforce who have procured the treatment," he added. Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, Chair of the Commission on Human Medicines, said "In clinical trials, Lagevrio was found to be effective in reducing the risk of hospitalisation or death for at-risk non-hospitalised adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 by 50%." "Lagevrio is not intended to be used as a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19," Pirmohamed added. Rob Davis, CEO and president of Merck, has said that the first global authorisation of "our COVID-19 antiviral medicine is a major achievement in Merck's singular legacy of bringing forward breakthrough medicines and vaccines to address the world's greatest health challenges".

HUNDREDS JOIN GLOBAL CLIMATE PROTEST IN LONDON Hundreds of people joined on Saturday a march from the Bank of England to Trafalgar Square in central London as part of the Global Day of Action for the Climate taking part across the world.

Protesters marching across central

London carried placards demanding banks stop funding fossil fuels, 'system change, not climate change' as they chanted 'Climate Justice Now' to the beating of drums. "For me it's essential to be here because it is time stop this climate crisis,"

antiviral COVID-19 pill

a woman who declined to give her name, told Sputnik. The Global Day of Action for the Climate urging governments to take measures to keep global temperature within 1.5 degrees of warming is being replicated in dozens of cities around the world, and coincided with the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow, where a huge demonstration is also taking place.

Protest in London

GOVT LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO VENTILATE HOMES TO STOP COVID SPREAD Even as Covid-19 cases are rising in the UK, the government has launched a new campaign demonstrating the importance of simple ventilation techniques to reduce the risks of catching the infectious disease this winter.

The campaign by the Department of Health and Social Care urges people to open their windows for just 10 minutes every hour when socialising with others, to reducing Covid-19 levels indoors. Doctors and scientists are backing the campaign across all media platforms to encourage people to ventilate their home to help disperse virus particles. It will include a short film asking people to "stop Covid-19 hanging around" that clearly shows the difference in airflow and airborne particle movement when indoors in relation to Covid-19.

It demonstrates how, in a home setting, someone infected with the virus talking and interacting with another person produces a build-up of Covid19 particles in the air. These particles then linger in an unventilated room, like smoke, meaning the risk of catching Covid-19 is significantly increased.

However, Covid-19 particles disperse quickly when good ventilation is introduced, even for a short period.

covid testing

"Small but important actions can help protect us against Covid-19. Getting vaccinations, wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces and taking regular Covid-19 tests all make an important difference but it is also crucial that we don't overlook the value of ventilation," said Dr Thomas Waite, a deputy chief medical officer for

England, in a statement.

"With winter fast approaching and people spending more time indoors, it's vital everyone understands the importance of using ventilation, such as regularly opening windows - even if just for a few minutes - to keep the air moving and prevent infections," Waite added.

SARS-CoV-2 viral particles are known to spread between people more readily indoors than outdoors.

Indoors, the concentration of viral particles is often higher than outdoors, where even a light wind can rapidly reduce concentrations.

Ensuring proper ventilation with outside air can help reduce the concentration of airborne contaminants, including viruses, indoors, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

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WIKILEAKS FOUNDER ASSANGE FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST UK MINISTER, PRISON FOR PREVENTING MARRIAGE WITH FIANCÉE WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his fiancee Stella Moris filed a lawsuit against UK Justice Secretary Dominic Raab and the head of Belmarsh prison, where the whistle blower is currently held, for preventing their marriage, according to reports.

The couple claims that the obstacles placed by the UK authorities in this matter are part of a political war against Assange, according to the Daily Mail. "There is no reason for political interference in what is a basic human right. The CIA revelations show the lengths some agencies are willing to go to in their persecution of Julian," Moris was quoted as saying by the daily. Assange and Moris have been engaged for five years and have two children together. They have

asked for assistance in arranging the marriage in May, when the whistleblower was already in jail awaiting extradition appeal trial, the newspaper said. However, the process stalled and Assange applied for official permission directly with the Belmarsh chief on October 7, to no effect. The couple's lawyers also reportedly failed to get a response from the prison authorities. The lawsuit accuses Raab and Belmarsh Governor Jenny Louis of abusing their power over Assange, behaving irrationally and unfairly, and denying the couple and their children their human rights, the Daily Mail said. The accused have until November 12 to respond. Assange was arrested in London on April 11, 2019, and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison

for jumping bail in 2012. He took refuge inside the Ecuadorean embassy in the UK capital to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was facing sexual assault charges that were later dropped by a Swedish court. Assange is wanted by the United States on espionage charges after WikiLeaks published thousands of classified documents that shed light on war crimes committed by American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. If put on trial and convicted in the US, the whistleblower faces up to 175 years in prison. In September, it was revealed that senior US officials and the CIA were allegedly discussing the possibility of kidnapping and killing Assange in 2017 while he was hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Julian Assange

TWIRLS WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE IN A CARAMEL FLAVOUR BUT WILL IT BE AS GOOD AS AN ORANGE TWIRL? local corner shop or supermarket to get their caramel, chocolate fix. But now we can too.

Well, we’ll be able to soon, anyway, as Cadbury are about to storm the market with these new caramel sensations.

Social media has already been excited at the

Cadbury caramel flavour twirl Remember the frenzy of the Cadbury Orange Twirl?

Well, if you’re a chocolate lover, more so a Twirl lover, you are going to love the news that Cadbury are attempting to release another delicious version of the twin flaky chocolate.

Caramel Twirls are officially a thing, and they’re coming to the UK very damn soon apparently!

Caramel Twirls have been a firm favourite with our friends over in Australia for a long time, and we’ve always been jealous that they could just pop to their

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teasing of the new version.

‘When and where can we get?’ said one user. #TwirlCaramel..Wait…What? Said another.

Well we simply can’t wait and will be sure to review as soon as it’s available.

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TWO MEN JAILED FOR FIREARMS OFFENCES FOLLOWING LEEDS SHOOTING INVESTIGATION Two men have been jailed for firearms offences following an investigation into the shooting of a man in Leeds.

Detectives from West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team launched Operation Pearsea in response to the shooting of a 31-year-old man in Middleton in January this year.

The victim received gunshot injuries to his leg after a shotgun was fired at him in Thorpe Road.

As part of the investigation, officers carried out arrest enquiries at an address in Vicarage Avenue, Gildersome.

During a search of the address a loaded handgun was discovered hidden in the garden.

Ryan Semeniuk was subsequently arrested and charged with possession of a firearm, which was a converted blank-firing pistol, and possession of ammunition.

Forensic analysis of the weapon identified Semeniuk’s DNA and also linked Otis Mitchell, who was also charged with possession of the firearm and ammunition.

Despite extensive enquiries, no-one has been charged over the shooting in January.

Semeniuk admitted the offences when he appeared at Leeds Crown Court but Mitchell pleaded not guilty and was convicted of both offences at trial. Both men were sentenced on Wednesday.

Mitchell, aged 22, of Vicarage Avenue, Gildersome, was given a

The loaded gun found in the garden six-year prison term for the firearm offence with a concurrent threeyear sentence for the ammunition.

Semeniuk, aged 28, of Trentham Grove, Beeston, was sentenced to five years and five months for the firearm offence with a concurrent three-year sentence for the ammunition.

should also serve as a stark warning to others of the serious penalties that await those who involve themselves in this type of offending.

“Incidents involving firearms can never be tolerated and will always attract the highest level of investigation to identify and bring those responsible to justice.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Vanessa Rolfe said: “Illegally-held firearms, like the gun recovered in this investigation, have only one deadly purpose in the hands of criminals, and we remain firmly committed to taking these weapons and those who use them off our streets.

“Gun crime not only causes serious harm to those who are targeted but it also brings understandable fear and concern to the communities where such incidents occur.

Jailed: Ryan Semeniuk was sentenced to five years and five months

“We hope people can take some reassurance from these latest successful convictions, which

Imprisoned: Otis Mitchell was given a six-year jail term

The loaded gun found in the garden

Nominations Open For

Asian Standard' Most Influential

The Asian Standard annual search for the most influential South Asian of Leeds has begun.

Help us find the most influential people from the South Asian community in Leeds

Entries close

SUNDAY19 DECEMBER MIDNIGHT

Influential "Someone or something that has an impact on or shapes how people act or how things occur.

A person who convinces others to listen and do what he/she suggests."

If you think you fit this definition or know someone else who does, then we want to hear about you/ them to help compile our annual most influential list for 2021.

To nominate simply email influentiallist@asianstandard.co.uk with as much information as you can about yourself or your nominee. Don't forget to include your contact name and number so we can call you if we need further information.

If you prefer you can also write to us at Asian Standard Newspaper, 5 Green Street, Little Germany, Bradford, BD1 5HG Closing date for entries is 19th December 2021 midnight. No further entries will be accepted after this date and the Editor's decision will be final.

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YCCC IN CRISIS AS RACISM SCANDAL AMPLIFIES Continued from cover

Yorkshire launched a formal investigation into Rafiq's allegations in September 2020 and chairman Roger Hutton said the club would be carrying out a "wider review" of their "policies and culture".

Despite several delays in releasing findings from the report on 10 September, following pressure from ECB and MPs, Yorkshire released their own summary of the findings of the report.

Yorkshire said Rafiq was the "victim of racial harassment and bullying" with seven of the 43 allegations upheld, although the club said they could not release the full report for legal reasons. They said there had been insufficient evidence to conclude the club were institutionally racist.

A statement from Rafiq’s representatives slammed the way the process was and continued to be handled: “We note that Yorkshire has confirmed Azeem was the victim of racism and bullying during his two spells at Headingley.

“However, we must highlight the atrocious way this process continues to be handled. Azeem was not given any notice of this morning’s statement – he received a copy only a couple of minutes before the media.

“Azeem and his team are not in a position to properly understand the club’s conclusions and how they reached them, because Yorkshire has not provided a copy of the report. This is clearly unacceptable and an abuse of process. What is clear is that Yorkshire admits racism and bullying has taken place on many occasions yet won’t accept the obvious – that this is an institutional problem.”

Azeem Rafiq speaking to Sky News Following the release of a heavily redacted report, Yorkshire said on 28 October, despite the findings that no-one would face disciplinary action following the report.

"There is no conduct or action taken by any of its employees, players or executives that warrants disciplinary action," the club said, after their own internal investigation into the findings.

However, with heavy media pressure and an article by ESPN Cricinfo which claimed a racist term about Rafiq's Pakistani heritage was regularly used towards him, but the investigation concluded it was "friendly and good-natured banter", has made brought more scrutiny to the club.

In response, Julian Knight

MP, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee, called for the Yorkshire board to resign. UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid called for "heads to roll".

Knight called it "one of the most repellent and disturbing episodes in modern cricket history".

Since then, Mr Hutton has resigned "apologising unreservedly" to Rafiq but claiming he "experienced a culture that refuses to accept change or challenge" at the cricket club.

His resignation came before an emergency board meeting on Friday 5 November, after which board members Hanif Malik and Stephen Willis also stepped down.

Following the resignations, sponsors such as Yorkshire Tea

and Nike have also pulled out from renewing their contracts.

In addition to this the club won’t be allowed to host any major or international matches.

Yunus Lunat partner and head of Employment Law at Ison Harrison told Asian Standard; “The fact that nobody in authority sensed anything would suggest the culture was ingrained and ‘institutionalised’ creates an unwelcome environment which will no doubt have hindered and even discouraged Muslim/Asian youngsters.”

It’s a major blow for the club – can the club be saved from this crisis?

In the wake of Roger Hutton stepping down, Yorkshire have appointed Lord Kamlesh Patel

as the club’s chair after a board meeting.

Azeem has welcomed the appointment of Lord Patel.

In a statement thanking his family, the public, politicians, the media, players and coaches for giving him strength and supporting through these tough times he said: “I also want to thank Lord Patel for making the offer and sorting this out within 72 hours of his appointment. It should not have taken the rest of the club a year to realise I would not be silenced through an NDA. I spoke out because I wanted to create change at the club. I brought a legal claim because the club refused to acknowledge the problem and create change. For the first time

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Lord Kamlesh Patel. Image: YCCC that I can remember, I have hope this might happen – but I will be watching and continue to campaign to ensure that it does.

“As Lord Patel said, this is just the start if we are to make cricket open to everyone, no matter their background. Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the sport at large desperately need reform. I will continue to campaign against institutional racism and look forward to speaking at the select committee hearing next week. I urge others who have suffered to come forward. There is strength in numbers, and I will be right behind you.”

In his first official press conference as chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club Lord Patel went on to apologise to Rafiq and his family for what they have been through and said Rafiq should be praised for his actions as a whistle blower.

He also acknowledged that YCCC needs 'urgent and seismic change' continuing that he cannot be proud of Yorkshire CCC at

the moment, and said there is no place for players who think the way they treated Rafiq was "banter" He confirmed Yorkshire have settled an employment tribunal with Rafiq without any non-disclosure agreement. No one has been suspended since his arrival on Friday, but Lord Patel has not ruled out further sanctions for people.

While Lord Patel has offered some hope of rebuilding the club and creating a ‘club we can be proud of as people of Yorkshire and as a nation of cricket lovers’ there are still many hurdles to overcome.

In the meantime, Rafiq has been invited to give evidence in parliament as part of a session on 16 November that is also expected to see Roger Hutton, the Yorkshire chair, Mark Arthur, the chief executive, and Martyn Moxon, the director of cricket at the club, questioned by MPs. Let’s hope cricket sees some meaningful change going forward.

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SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION PLANS FOR LEEDS PUPILS MORE THAN DOUBLE IN JUST SEVEN YEARS

Leeds Town Hall

BY RICHARD BEECHAM Some schools in Leeds are under such pressure to achieve, that they are pushing low-achieving children towards getting education, health and care plans to ensure they won’t be included on a school’s attainment figures, a meeting of politicians and education experts has heard.

The claims were made during a meeting of Leeds City Council’s Children and Families Scrutiny Board, which was discussing a report into the council’s strategy for including children with special educational needs – known as SEND pupils – in mainstream schooling.

A report by Leeds City Council officers claimed the number of children in the city with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) had more than doubled between 2014 and 2021.

An EHCP is a legal document drawn up between a school, local authority and a child’s family which identifies additional needs a pupil may have, and how these should be addressed by their school.

Helen Bellamy, a school staff representative on the panel, said: “Early identification of needs is really

important, but there is a real conflict between what Ofsted wants and what schools can do for their children who have difficulties.

“I know from speaking to a couple of really experienced SENCos over the last 18 months or so, that headteachers are under so much pressure to get as many children as possible up to the expected level.

“Those children who they know haven’t got a cat’s chance in hell of getting to that expected level – even though they can make good progress – are being pushed by some

headteachers through the different levels towards an education, health and care plan, so they are not counted in their figures. Some of them are trying to get them into other settings.

“I don’t want to criticise these headteachers because they are under so much pressure, but we have SENCos saying that with the right time and effort, these children can catch up and the gap can be closed with the right emotional and educational support.

SENCo refers to a Special Educational Needs Coordinator –

these are teachers who specialise in making changes to the school curriculum to make sure pupils with special educational needs are included.

She added: “The number of days SENCos have been given to actually work as a SENCo has been reduced. It is a huge problem, and it is a growing problem for those individual children.”

A report by council officers into the authority’s SEND strategy stated that there had been a “dramatic increase” in demand for EHCPs in recent years, with numbers increasing from 2,041 at

2014, to 5,006 at the time of writing.

“This increase is projected to continue and will likely be further impacted upon by the pandemic,” it added. “This has added significant pressures on capacity in the learning inclusion service teams responsible for EHCPs and their ability to produce and review EHCPs in line with statutory requirements.”

It claimed the council would review its systems to manage EHCPs, as well as reorganising its teams to better meet demand.

A council officer told the meeting: “In terms of these competing agendas, this is something that is highlighted.

Ofsted are really keen on identifying the overall cohort of the school, the level of progress young people are making for their needs, as well as the overarching attainment levels.

“For some schools, it is a competing agenda, and some children end up with an education health and care plans, and parents, it is their preference for them to go into special education rather than going into the mainstream.”

She added that many mainstream schools were making good progress in including pupils with SEND. This article is by the Local democracy Reporting Service

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MEET THE WINNERS ND OF THE 2 ANNUAL YORKSHIRE ASIAN YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARDS NHS health worker from Bradford is the Yorkshire Asian Young Achiever of the Year NHS worker Huma Malik, who volunteered during the pandemic despite her own serious long-term health problems, is this year’s Yorkshire Asian Young Achiever of the Year.

She was also one of four category winners from Bradford.

The 27-year-old, who lives in Bradford and is employed by NHS Leeds CCG as an Engagement Officer, was one of 11 winners at the awards, dubbed “The YAYAs,” which were announced before an audience of more than 300 guests at the Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford, and broadcast live on the internet [on Thursday, November 4].

Huma, who is of Pakistani background, won the Achievement in the Public Sector category, sponsored by Leeds City Council, and was overall winner of the Yorkshire Asian Young Achiever of the Year 2021 title, sponsored by York St John University.

Huma’s role as an engagement officer involves reaching out to communities to help improve health outcomes. She is also a long-standing volunteer for NHS Bradford’s People’s Board.

Despite Huma’s long term health conditions – she regularly attends hospital appointments for blood transfusions and treatments – she

runs the social enterprise Music Talkz, providing music workshops for young people and tackling mental health issues through creativity.

Huma supported young carers as a volunteer and, during the pandemic, volunteered virtually with Leaders Unlocked, promoting youth voice in Health and Mental Health for young people. She is a trained WRAP facilitator and worked with Barnardo’s in Bradford.

Her health problems and the pandemic meant she was unable to attend the awards in person, but she received her award from Rob Hickey, chief operating officer of main sponsors York St John University, shortly before the event.

In a brief video played to the audience she said: “I’m sorry I can’t be there in person due to the pandemic and my extra vulnerabilities, but I’d like to thank York St John University for sponsoring this award and to thank QED for giving young people a platform. Thank you very much for this honour.”

Three of the other category winners were from Bradford: Actor Aqib Khan played Sajid in ‘West is West’ and is currently in the BBC One Comedy, Ladhood. Aqib, who is of Pakistani background, won the Arts & Creative category. Jasmin

Akter, who was born in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, won the Sport category and Badr Basharat, of Pakistani background, won the Education category.

There were also two Keighley winners among the 11 category winners: Sabreen Arslan, 29, won the Young Entrepreneur award; and Jagjit Singh Jaggar, 26, win the Achievement in the Private Sector category.

The awards, launched in 2020, were presented at a live event for the first time this year after the inaugural awards dinner had to cancelled due to the first Covid-19 lockdown and was staged as an online event last November.

They were hosted by BBC TV and Radio presenter and stand-up comedian Noreen Khan, and the keynote speaker was Professor Akbar Ahmed, chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington DC and former Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK. Dr Mohammed Ali OBE, founder and chief executive of QED Foundation, which conceived and organises the YAYAs, said there had been another amazing raft of entries from across the county this year, stretching from Keighley to Rotherham to York.

He told the audience: “Changes

YAYAs 2021 trophy to equality legislation mean it is more difficult to openly discriminate against people on the basis of their faith or ethnicity and a diverse population is increasingly seen as a social and economic asset to the United Kingdom.

“But we must not let these advances blind us to the fact that it is much more difficult to succeed

in many areas of life if you are not white.

“As the award winners today will know only too well, their race – and their northern backgrounds – make it more difficult to achieve in many professions.

“We hope this event will leave people feeling inspired and uplifted by the dedication, commitment and

Event Host Noreen Khan welcoming guests to the 2021 YAYAs Awards

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The group shows, left to right: Winners Jasmin Akter, Saif Din, friend Aqsa Tarique [ON BEHALF OF winner Huma Malik], Jagjit Singh Chaggar, Adeeba Malik (QED), Mohammed Ali (QED), Sabreen Ahsan, Aqib Khan, Ruhee Dawood and Noreen Khan (host) aware that you are living in a Britain that has changed dramatically.

“The world is now your oyster. But it is a world in peril. Whatever the colour of your skin or your religion you must rally to it. The world faces real extinction level dangers: Climate change, the pandemic that does not seem to die out and

the violence and hatred between communities. Challenge these with your hearts and minds. The future of the human race is at stake.”

Other sponsors and supporters of the awards include: GCHQ, the National Science & Media Museum, Barnardo’s, the University of Bradford, MyLahore, Bradford

Council, Trinity College London, the University of York, Leeds City Council, Local IQ, Mumtaz, Poverty Alleviation Scholarships, Exa Networks, Cedar Court Hotels, Banner, and BITE. In all, 33 nominees were shortlisted for the 11 categories.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS: SPORT JASMIN AKTER

talent of the award winners whose stories we heard. But most of all we want other young people to follow their examples, aim high and know that with hard work and determination anything is possible.”

The YAYAs are open to any young person aged 18-30 of South Asian heritage (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi etc) who was born in, or lives and works in, Yorkshire.

They are aimed at those socially-mobile young achievers who have overcome deprivation and disadvantage or have broken through traditional barriers to progress and have the potential to be role models who can inspire others to follow them.

Bradford-based QED Foundation, a registered charity which exists to improve the social and economic position of disadvantaged communities in partnership with public, private and civil society organisations, worked with their headline partners, York St John University, to organise the awards.

The award categories include Achievement in School or College; Health/Mental Health and Healthcare; The Arts & Creative industries; the Private Sector; Media; Education; the Public

Sector; the Not-for-Profit Sector; Sport; Achievement as a Young Entrepreneur; and Achievement in Overcoming Life Obstacles.

Announcing the overall winner, Professor Karen Bryan, vicechancellor of YSJ, said: “York St John University is very proud to be the main sponsor of these awards which resonate so much with our values. The young people here this evening have overcome many challenges, family issues, cultural expectations, disabilities and mental health challenges, financial issues, gender or ethnicity challenges, or in many cases a combination of all of these.

“This is a difficult, uncertain time for the world. We need inspiring young people to stand up, stand out and make things better. Your are that inspiration; you are the future.

Congratulations to you all.”

Keynote speaker Professor Ahmed told the winners: “Winning this prestigious award is not the end of your journey, but the beginning of another phase of it. You will face many challenges in the coming time. You will confront some familiar problems of people defining you, sometimes through the prism of prejudice and ignorance, but you will also be

Born in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, Jasmin Akter re-settled in the UK aged eight. The 20-year-old, from Bradford, has a passion for football and cricket and was awarded Sportswoman of the Year (Bradford Sports Awards 2020). She raises awareness of homelessness, refugees and plays in male dominated sports.

Highly commended: Anas Tanveer, 21, Bradford; Umaymah Makda, 22, Wakefield.

Achievement in Sport Winner Jasmin Akhter receiving her award from Bilal Khan, Commercial Director of sponsors Mumtaz (left) with host Noreen Khan (right)

HEALTH/MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE

ARTS & CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

YASMIN KHANAGHA

AQIB KHAN

Yasmin, 24 is a newly registered children’s nurse. The 24-yearold, from Wakefield, is of mixed white and Pakistani background and was president of the Leeds University Nursing Society.

Yasmin is passionate about inequalities in the NHS. She is currently studying a masters degree in Healthcare and is President of the Mind Matters Society.

Highly commended: Dylan Singh Bhandal, 24, Wakefield.

Harpreet Singh Chaggar, 25, Keighley.

Bradford actor, Aqib Khan, is known for playing Sajid in ‘West is West,’ aged 16, along with the late Om Puri. The 28-year-old has appeared in many TV programmes and is currently in the BBC One comedy, ‘Ladhood.’ Aqib is of Pakistani background and considers himself a role model for Bradford people. His ambition is to appear in Hollywood and Bollywood films.

Highly commended: Shazia Bibi, 26, Bradford; Myra Hussain, 18, Bradford.

Achievement in Health, Mental Health or Healthcare Award Winner Yasmin Khanagha receiving her award from Professor Kiran Trehan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Partnerships & Engagement at sponsors the University of York (left), with host Noreen Khan (right)

Achievement in the Arts & Creative Industries Winner Aqib Khan receiving his award from Jo Quinton-Tulloch, Director of the National Science & Media Museum in Bradford (left) with host Noreen Khan (right)

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EDUCATION

MEDIA

BADR BASHARAT

SIVAPRIYA THIRUGNANARAJAH Sivapriya has a passion for music and the 21-year-old, who lives in Sheffield, has been volunteering as a technical assistant and a radio jockey for the British Indian online community radio broadcasted from Bradford. She has also helped to produce programs on Mental Health Awareness and is currently studying Sociology at Sheffield Hallam University.

Highly commended: Srosh Khan, 23, Bradford; Hamza Mujtaba, 28, Bradford.

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Achievement in the Media Winner Sivapriya Thirugnanarajah receiving her award from Steve Lowe, Commercial Director of sponsors LOCALiQ

SPORT PRIVATE SECTOR

Against all odds, Badr had the opportunity to study medicine. Badr, who is heading into his final year, was inspired by his late father who motivated and encouraged him to pursue his ambition. The 23-year-old, who lives in Bradford, comes from a Pakistani background. His father was a taxi driver, his mother a housewife and Badr is the first of his family to go to university and to study medicine. He also helps other medical students.

Highly commended: Mohammed Noman Samir, 23, Leeds, Ayra Najeeb, 17, Bradford.

Achievement in Education Winner Badr Basharat receiving his award from Lynsey Ricketts, Bradford & Leeds SELT Test Centre Manger with award sponsors Trinity College London (left) with host Noreen Khan (right)

SCHOOL OR COLLEGE

JAGJIT SINGH CHAGGAR

RUHEE DAWOOD

Jagjit is a 26-year-old British Indian living in Keighley. Jagjit suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis, a disease affecting his back and leg movement.

Despite the physical pain, Jagjit hasn’t let it hold him back. He has raised funds and supported numerous charities/charity events. Jagjit is currently production manager at a cereal factory in Poole, Dorset and is currently working on a qualification to become an associate programme manager.

Highly commended: Aneesa Ehsan, 28, Bradford; Abdul Jabbaar Ahmed, 21, Bradford.

Ruhee Dawood is a mentor in the STEMi Women Kuongoza programme which supports women/girls from Africa to pursue STEM studies. The 23-year-old, is of Indian background and lives in York where she moved after being awarded a Sharifah Sofia Albukhary Scholarship to study Chemistry at the University of York. After completing her undergraduate degree, Ruhee was awarded a Whinfield Medal. She secured a full scholarship to fund her PhD and wants to be the next researcher to make a ground-breaking discovery in organic chemistry.

Highly commended: Husen Ali, 20, Keighley; Malaika Khan, 17, Keighley.

Achievement in the Private Sector Winner Jagjit Singh Chaggar receiving his award from Asghar Ali, CEO of sponsors MyLahore (left) with host Noreen Khan (right)

PUBLIC SECTOR

NOT FOR PROFIT SECTOR

HUMA MALIK

Huma won the Public Sector category and is also the overall YAYAs winner. The 27-year-old is employed by NHS Leeds CCG as an Engagement Officer, reaching out to communities to help improve health outcomes. Despite her long term health conditions and attending hospital appointments for blood transfusions and treatments, Huma is a long-standing volunteer for NHS Bradford’s People’s Board and has worked with Barnados. She runs the social enterprise, Music Talkz, providing workshops tackling mental health amongst young people, has supported young carers as a volunteer and during the pandemic has done volunteering virtually with Leaders Unlocked, promoting youth voice in Health and Mental Health for young people.

Highly commended: Aamir Khan, 28, Bradford; Yusuf Hussain, 19, Bradford.

SAIF DIN

Yorkshire Asian Young Achiever of the Year 2021 Huma Malik, who was shielding and could not attend, receiving her award shortly before the event from Rob Hickey, Chief Operating Officer of sponsors York St John University

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR

Saif opened a community boxing and fitness gym in a deprived area of Rotherham. The 27-yearold, who lives in Rotherham and is from a Pakistani background, was keen to encourage young boys off the streets and into a safe space to train. Muslim girls also attend. He is keen to promote positive male Muslim role models in Rotherham.

Highly commended: Tayabah Parveen, 30, Bradford; Zain Ul Abdin, 23, Bradford.

Achievement in the Not-For-Profit Sector Winner Saif Din receiving his award from Janice Hawkes, Assistant Director for Barnardo’s children’s services in Bradford, at award sponsors Barnardo’s

OVERCOMING LIFE OBSTACLES

SABREEN AHSAN In 2018 Sabreen launched her digital marketing agency, PIYA Media. The 29-year-old, who is of Bangladeshi background, works exclusively with creative entrepreneurs from BAME backgrounds. Sabreen, who lives in Keighley, is a Trustee of Young Enterprise, providing skills and financial information to young people. She had to suspend her degree due to health reasons and personal reasons.

Highly commended: Omar Bahadur, 26, Bradford; Haseeb Arslan, 27, Heckmondwike.

Achievement in School or College Award Winner Ruhee Dawood receiving her award from Kersten England, Chief Executive of sponsors City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (and former Chief Executive of York City Council) (left), with host Noreen Khan (right)

SONIA HUNJAN

Achievement as a Young Entrepreneur Winner Sabreen Ahsan receiving her award from Professor Zaheer-UdDin Babar, Professor in Medicines and Healthcare at the University of Huddersfield, on behalf of sponsors Poverty Alleviation Scholarships (left) with host Noreen Khan (right)

Sonia, who has the degenerative eye condition Retinitis Pigmentosa, launched a blog ‘The Blind Reader’ to help raise awareness. The 23-year-old, who is of Indian background and lives in Leeds, was recently awarded the highest grade of distinction for her MA at the University of York in Global literature and culture. She graduated with a 2:1 for her English Literature BA at Leeds University and has worked in retail and social care to financially support herself.

Highly commended: Muneeb Akhtar, 24, Bradford; Sufiyan Mohammed, 23, Bradford.

Achievement in Overcoming Life Obstacles Award Winner Sonia Hunjan receiving her award from Professor Udy Archibong, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at sponsors the University of Bradford (left), with host Noreen Khan (right)

8 - 14 november 2021

AS LETITIA RECOVERS, 'BLACK PANTHER 2' TO RESUME SHOOTING IN EARLY 2022.

KANGANA RANAUT STARTS SCRIPT READING SESSION FOR 'TIKU WEDS SHERU' RAKUL PREET SINGH BEGINS SHOOTING FOR 'CHHATRIWALI'.

KING KHAN TURNS 56:

STARDOM OF SHAHRUKH KHAN CONTINUES TO REIGN SUPREME

TWO

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

'ETERNALS' LEBANESE ACTOR HAAZ SLEIMAN SLAMS ARAB NATIONS THAT BANNED FILM. Lebanese-born Haaz Sleiman, who plays Ben, the husband of Marvel's first gay superhero Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), in 'Eternals', said he was close to tears when he learned of Disney's response to the film being banned in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar because of its LGBTQ+ content.

Speaking to 'Variety', the gay actor said "They (Disney) stood their ground and said, 'Nope, we are not going to compromise the integrity of our film'. It made these Arab countries look so ignorant and pathetic."

Movies containing LGBTQ+ content, according to 'Variety', are often cut to

AS LETITIA RECOVERS, 'BLACK PANTHER 2' TO RESUME SHOOTING IN EARLY 2022.

appease international censors around the world, but Disney refused to alter 'Eternals'.

"I have no respect for those governments," Sleiman said. "They have displayed to the world that they are not only a disgrace to humanity, but to God. Hopefully this will inspire the Saudi people, the Kuwaiti people and the people in Qatar to fight back."

Sleiman, who was raised in a Muslim family in Lebanon before moving to the U.S. when he was 21, came out as gay in 2017 after first gaining attention playing Tarek, an undocumented Syrian immigrant in 2007's 'The Visitor'.

Even as Letitia Wright, who plays the genius inventor Shuri, recovers from an on-set injury she had suffered in late August, Marvel's 'Black Panther: Wakand a Forever' will temporarily shut down production, which will resume in early 2022, reports 'Variety’ Wright was injured when she shooting for a sequence involving a stunt rig on location in Boston. Director Ryan Coogler and the rest of the production crew have been filming mostly in Atlanta since Wright was injured. She stayed on in London as the shoot continued without her. "Letitia ... is looking forward to returning to work early 2022," a statement from Wright's reps reads. "Letitia kindly asks that you keep her in your prayers. " The film is set to release on November 11, 2022. Wright joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Shuri, the younger sister of the late Chadwick Boseman's character T'Challa in triple Oscarwinning 'Black Panther' (2018). Not much is known about the plot of 'Black Panther Wakanda Forever', but Shuri is expected to take on a larger role following Boseman's death due to cancer in August 2020. The other 'Black Panther' cast members include Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong'o, Florence Kasumba and Angela Bassett.

IDRIS ELBA THINKS 'LUTHER' CAN BE BLOCKBUSTER LIKE 'JAMES BOND' British star Idris Elba thinks the upcoming Netflix movie "Luther" can reach the levels of a James Bond blockbuster.

The 49-year-old actor is set to reprise the role of DCI John Luther in a Netflix movie based on the hit detective drama, and thinks they can keep fans of the TV show happy while taking the story and characters "into a new sphere". Elba told Collider "We have an incredible appetite to satisfy the audience that love Luther in its current form as a TV show, but also bring it into a new sphere with the film version." He added "I don't wanna be controversial, but people imagine me as Bond, and that's great, but I can't wait to see them, as Luther, in this movie. Really, our ambition is to take it there." Before

the "Luther" film, Elba featured in Netflix's new all-Black Western "The Harder They Fall", and while he wasn't surprised by the quality of the film, he was delighted with the timing and response to the release, reports femalefirst.co.uk. He said "We expected this, you know? I can say this to writer and director Jeymes Samuel and all of us - we didn't expect it to hit in the way it has. It's Black History Month in the UK, and here you have a Western movie with Black characters that people don't even know about and forgot about. It hit so hard here." "We couldn't have expected that but everything that he envisioned, from the first time when he's telling you about a scene, takes his guitar and starts singing the score. We expected it to be what it is," he added.

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

ZAYN MALIK CONFRONTED GIGI'S MOTHER YOLANDA HADID AFTER SHE 'BARGED' IN HOUSE

Singer Zayn Malik's ongoing feud with his ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid's mother- Yolanda occurred after the latter violated her boundaries and 'barged' in Gigi's house.

Sources with direct knowledge told TMZ that Zayn was at Gigi's home on September 29, where he was staying because he wanted to be close to his daughter. Insiders told that on that day Yolanda "barged" into the house, without calling beforehand or even knocking at the door. Reportedly, this was an ongoing source of conflict. Zayn felt Yolanda was acting like the house was hers and ignoring his position as the boyfriend of Gigi and father

of their little girl. Sources told the outlet that Zayn made his feelings known once she entered, but Yolanda ignored it. Sources told TMZ that Zayn typically works nights on his music and sleeps for part of the day, and Yolanda regularly disrupted his life by coming over.

Another thing that was the point of argument was Yolanda posting photos of the baby, which pissed off Zayn because he felt privacy was vital. TMZ earlier broke the story that Zayn was charged with 4 counts of harassment for allegedly berating Yolanda and pushing her into a dresser, something he denies.

He was also charged with harassing

TIGER SHROFF BEGINS SHOOTING FOR 'GANAPATH' UK. Tiger Shroff, after teasing his fans on his Instagram Story that he would soon drop a tiny glimpse of a special something, finally revealed that he has begun shooting for the UK schedule of 'Ganapath'. The film also stars Kriti Sanon.

Taking to his Instagram handle on Saturday, Tiger posted an action video in which he can be seen performing stunts. He added the caption, "God aur janta, apan aaj dono ke aashirwad se shuru kar raha hai #Ganapath ka UK

schedule." Fans flooded the post with likes and comments. "OMG," a fan wrote. "Greatesttttt one," another added. The makers of the film had earlier dropped a motion poster that gave a hint of Tiger's character in the movie as 'Ganapath'. 'Ganapath' is directed

by Vikas Bahl and produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Vikas Bahl, Deepshikha Deshmukh and Jackky Bhagnani. The film is set for its theatrical release on December 23, 2022.

Gigi, who was in Paris at the time of the incident. He was charged with harassing the security guard, whom Zayn allegedly challenged to a fight.

Zayn pled no contest, received a small fine and was ordered to take anger management courses. As per TMZ, Zayn and Gigi broke up shortly after the incident. He is staying at his own place in Pennsylvania to be close to his daughter. A spokesperson for Zayn told TMZ, Zayn remains at home, working and recording his music while he and Gigi begin the process of working with a mediator to determine new co-parenting arrangements since they are no longer together.

THREE

KANGANA RANAUT STARTS SCRIPT READING SESSION FOR 'TIKU WEDS SHERU'

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut shared a still from her script reading session for her upcoming film 'Tiku Weds Sheru' Taking to her Instagram story, Kangana shared a picture where she could be seen reading the script of her upcoming movie 'Tiku Weds Sheru' with her team. The snap also shares a glimpse of her co-acto r Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Sharing the picture, Kangana wrote, "Readin g for Tiku weds Sheru today... 2 days to go nervous and excited both," adding a red heart emoticon in the end. For the unversed, Kangan a is producing the film under her production house Manikarnika Films.

This will be her maiden digital venture 'Tiku weds Sheru' is being touted as a dark comedy featuring Nawazuddin in the lead role. Apart from 'Tiku weds Sheru', Kangan a will be seen in 'Manikarnika Returns The Legend Of Didda', 'Emergency', 'Dhaakad', 'Tejas', and 'The Incarnation Sita'.

FOUR

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

TAAPSEE SHARES HER LOVE FOR LONDON AS SHE PREPARES FOR MITHALI RAJ BIOPIC.

Fresh from the release of 'Rashmi Rocket', Taapsee Pannu took to Instagram to express her love for London. Posting pictures of her at the iconic St James's Court hotel, she wrote in the caption: "Miss my hot coffee in cold London mornings with a home away from home to come back to. Already sure I’m gonna be back soon”.

It's pretty much an established fact that Tapsee loves to travel. The actress works hard, but always makes it a point to find some time to unwind before setting off on a new film's journey. After working through a packed schedule of back-to-back films, Tapsee was recently in London for her vacation where she shopped, roamed around and soaked up the city's flavours to her heart's content.

Some time back, the actress had shared pictures and stories from her last trip to London. She also visited the Lord's and posted a picture of herself donning

the jersey of Mithali Raj, looking super impressed by the memorabilia of the Indian's women's cricket captain. Tapsee will be next seen essaying the role of Mithali Raj in the upcoming biopic 'Shabaash Mithu', directed by Srijit Mukherjee. She has a number of other interesting projects lined up, such as the Telugu film 'Mishan Impossible', whose poster she shared on Diwali, the 'Run Lola Run' adaptation 'Looop Lapeta', Anurag Kashyap's 'Dobaaraa', and 'Blurr', the Hindi remake of the Spanish 'Julia's Eyes'.

RAKUL PREET SINGH BEGINS SHOOTING FOR 'CHHATRIWALI'.

This year's Diwali will always remain special for actor Rakul Preet Singh as she started shooting for her film 'Chhatriwali' on the auspicious festival.

Taking to Instagram, Rakul posted several videos and pictures from the sets, updating fans about the commencement of the shoot in Lucknow. "And it begins.

Team Chhatri," she captioned one of the videos, in which she can be seen performing Lakshmi puja on the sets. In another Instagram Story, she gave us a glimpse of the film's clapperboard. 'Chhatriwali' is being helmed

by Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar. According to reports, Rakul will play the role of a condom tester in the film.

Also, Ronnie Screwvala is bankrolling 'Chhatriwali'.

JENNIFER HUDSON PITCHING TALK SHOW WITH ELLEN DEGENERES TEAM. Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson is reportedly pitching a talk show that will use the team from 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' after it wraps filming next year.

According to Variety magazine, Hudson has already shot a test show with 'Ellen' executive producers Andy Lassner and Mary Connelly serving as the showrunners, and the test show was even shot on the 'Ellen' stage, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Hudson's new show would not be billed as a continuation of 'Ellen' and is being shopped as an "entirely new series", although it's considered to be Warner Bros TV's new flagship daytime talk show once 'Ellen' ends. Variety stated "Meetings are taking place this week and appear to be going well so far; the show has been developed as a first-run syndicated broadcast TV daily strip, and there are currently no plans to pitch to other platforms, including streamers." Ellen DeGeneres' talk show is set to come to an end next year after 19 years on air, and DeGeneres recently said

she will be emotional when her show ends. She said "Nineteen years is a long time to do anything. I've loved every minute of it. I'm gonna be very emotional...I'm not emotional yet because it's not real yet. The last day when I walk out of here, it's gonna be really hard." She also spoke about her plans for the future and how she intends to spend some time in Africa with her wife Portia de Rossi once the show comes to an end. DeGeneres explained "We are for sure gonna go. My Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund will be open then in Rwanda, so we are going to go to Africa and see my campus and take about a month and go on safari." "That's my favourite thing in the world to do ... get to do things I haven't gotten a chance to do."

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FILM REVIEW

King Richard Review:

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

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‘THE MOST DANGEROUS CREATURE ON THIS EARTH IS A WOMAN WHO KNOWS HOW TO THINK’ Starring: Will Smith, Jon Bernthal, Demi Singleton, Saniyya Sidney and Aunjanue Ellis Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green Producer: Warner Bros Release date: 18 November Armed with a clear vision and a 78-page plan, Richard Williams is determined to write his daughters, Venus and Serena, into history.

Training on Compton, California's neglected tennis courts rain or shine the girls are shaped by their father's unyielding commitment and their mother's balanced perspective and keen intuition, defying the seemingly insurmountable odds and prevailing expectations laid before them. Based on the true story that will inspire the world, "King Richard" follows the uplifting journey of a family whose unwavering resolve and unconditional belief ultimately delivers two of the world's greatest sports legends.

A towering turn from Will Smith, his best since Aladdin and one of the year's great screen performances, defines nearly every frame of this film. He is a genius and as always, the humour was weaved in and out of the film.

I was glued to my seat just hearing this, I knew this is going to be one powerful movie and throughout I was completely engaged. It was amazing, a real story highlighting something which is so important…diversity in sport. This really resonated with me as a young girl growing up and having a dream and having that vision and the drive and support from my parents was what made it so special.

The story is a truly heart-warming one of Richard Williams’ (played by Will Smith) whose journey unfolds as the determined father who wants to make his daughters fulfil their dream as tennis players. Credit to the writers and the performances of the cast who have you attached to every emotion.

I particularly related to the stubborn father who wanted to do things his way without consulting his wife, or

Venus, which was hard to watch at times as many of us coloured women have been in a similar situation, and we can understand the way fathers can dominate and take control of decisions. I really felt Venus’ pain when she really wanted to play the world’s best tennis player and felt she was ready, but her father didn’t feel she was and made that decision for her. The family set up having five daughters and the relationship between the sisters and parents was just wonderful.

To know that others didn’t believe in the dream that these girls could be champions in tennis, was just making me whisper to myself, keep going girls, you can do it. My emotions were deeply invested in the film from start to finish.

All I could feel inside was this warm feeling in my gut, it was straight from the heart, it’s hugely touching, and it left me with tears of happiness in my eyes.

An entirely rousing crowd-pleaser that will leave you feeling so damn good, it may not be the most revolutionary of biopics, but it's certainly one of the most enjoyable.

The one line that stuck with me is ‘be humble’ when Venus was getting a lot of attention and people noticed

her talent, the bus journey on the way home, where Richard was telling his daughters to not boast that Venus has won the game, but instead to always remain humble was such a powerful point.

The whole film taught me something about myself, not to give up, as an Asian woman visualise that dream and believe I can do it. That’s exactly what Venus did, her dream came true and her perseverance, and support from the family is what made it even more enjoyable to watch. I would watch this again, it’s such a feel-good film and so needed right now. A story that ticks all the boxes: diversity, unrepresented community and women’s voices being heard.

Bravo to the cast, they did a fantastic job and it made my birthday extra special because this film shows the way things should be, equality and diversity is so important.

A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, A Star Thrower Entertainment Production, A Westbrook Production, A Keepin’ It Reel Production, “King Richard” is slated for international theatrical release beginning 18 November 2021.

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FILM FASHION BEAUTY

KING KHAN TURNS 56 Stardom of Shahrukh Khan continues to reign supreme

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan had good reason to celebrate his birthday recently, following his long ordeal with son Aryan implicated in a drugs case and locked up for almost a month.

Despite the recent

obstacles, King Khan’s fan following has only just strengthened. Twitter cannot stop heaping praises on the actor's decades long stardom.

Shah Rukh, who is fondly known as King Khan in Bollywood, began his career in 1992 with blockbuster film Deewana and the rest is history. The actor ever since has channeled the magic of his charm in more than 100

movies.

Fans marked the star's birthday by recalling some of his most iconic roles.

"Words can't describe these emotions! Smiling face with heartshaped eyes Happiest birthday to the one & only #ShahRukhKhan," Shah Rukh Khan's IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders paid him a tribute with an awe-inspiring photo.

"Happy birthday to @iamsrk wishing you further more achievements as king of Bollywood," added one fan on the microblogging app.

Another fan of SRK, also turned to his Twitter and congratulated the star on his special day, marking the celebration more important after the son Aryan Khan's bail.

"Dear @iamsrk - Of course you have more of everything than you will ever need. But this November 2nd is likely more special than any. So this time it's a wish from one father to another, wish you nothing but peace and happiness. God bless

SEVEN

you. #HappyBirthdaySRK." "I am running in a race and people are running on the other track,l'm in a race with myself." added another fan with a quote from the actor himself.

"The Greatest There Was,The Greatest There Is,The Greatest There Ever Will Be," wrote a fan, sharing an anecdote from the star's earlier career days.

"We can’t keep calm its #HappyBirthdaySRK day," captioned one fan. "Here’s to the man of strength, power and humility.

Wishing you a very happy birthday@ iamsrk," wrote Indian politician Rukshmani Kumari.

Another fan shared SRK's photo from 2016."On his birthday today, #ShahRukhKhan would remember that the greatest wealth he has earned is the love of his fans. Here's wishing they continue supporting him the way they have over the last month.The pic, when I captured him in his element, in 2016."

On the work front Shahrukh Khan has Pathan and Lion coming up and many rumoured untitled films.

Well here’s wishing the King of Indian cinema a very happy belated birthday and lots more success.

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14

HOME SCHOOLING ‘DOESN’T MEAN YOUR CHILD’S EXAMS ARE STILL FREE’ WARNS EDUCATION CHIEF

BY RICHARD BEECHAM Some parents have a “misconception” that choosing to home educate their children means they will be given money by the Government a Leeds City Council meeting has heard.

The comments came during an inquiry into elective home education, which also heard that the numbers of children being taken out of school had risen by nearly 50 per cent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A senior council officer suggested there was a need to clear up some “misconceptions” for parents who may want to take their children out of school.

The meeting was told that much of the increase in the numbers of parents, home educating their children was due to anxieties around the Covid-19 pandemic.

Val Waite, the council’s head of learning inclusion, added: “At this point in time, there is no duty for any children who are electively home educated to take any exams at all.

We do direct [parents], we give lots of information in where they could take exams and what courses they could take.

throughout the pandemic.”

“Parents do have to pay for the exams themselves, because they have made the choice to take their children out of education.

“We do find there is a misconception among parents who are electively home educating and a thought that they would receive the money that would have educated them in school, and that exams would be paid for.

understand the overall impact of that choice and the responsibilities, if they are in a position where they feel it was not a choice they were making, and they felt pushed into accepting elective home education.”

GCSE exams have to be arranged privately by parents or carers of

Cllr Sandy Lay (Lib Dem) said: “This makes me feel uneasy about what we don’t know about elective, if I can use that word. I sometimes wonder that perhaps a lot of it isn’t

In the first term of the 2020/21 school year, the council received 651 new notifications from parents wanting to home educate their children, compared to 377 for the whole year in 2019/20.

“For a lot of parents, it is a philosophical, ideological choice and the financial aspects are not a part of it.

“For other families that is sometimes a really good conversation to have, when they

so it doesn’t come as a surprise.

Perhaps we ought to be asking that question.”

Between 2020 and 2021, the number of children and young people in Leeds classed as electively home educated shot up by 47 per cent.

Cllr Ryan Stephenson home-schooled children. Individual exams can range from anywhere between £30 and £200 each.

Speaking earlier in the meeting, Ms Waite said: “The overall picture, as we have gone through Covid, shows the number of people who have been electively home educated has shot up massively. It has continued to rise

Concerns had previously been expressed by politicians and education experts that some parents may have been pressured by schools into registering underachieving pupils as electively home-educated (EHE).

The report into the issue by Leeds City Council officers, however, claimed much of the increase during the pandemic was driven by anxieties related to the pandemic.

Panel member Cllr Ryan Stephenson (Con) told the meeting: “If the fear is that some people

elective and it is parents whose hands are forced.

“There are philosophical reasons for many parents. But I worry how many people are truly electively doing it or whether the system fails them.

Cllr Sandy Lay are being forced to home educate, that that would come up in the data, because anyone who works in schools will tell you that, typically, families who choose to leave for one reason or another, don’t just do it out of the blue.

“There is a history of complaints and the processes you go through,

“I worry about off-rolling. I feel perhaps a piece of research needs to be done so we can find out how many are being off-rolled, so we are not second-guessing or using anecdotal evidence.

“We can find out surely by asking the parents of those children.”

The inquiry will continue into 2022.

This article is by the Local Democracy Reporting Service

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FOUR KEY RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP

Image: Shutterstock

BY CHRISTIAN HARRISON The disruption and devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world. Not only has it taken the lives of more than 5 million people around the world, it has also seriously wounded the global economy.

Thousands of businesses have gone bust and employees are demotivated, with almost four in 10 feeling less galvanised at work since the pandemic. There has been a decline in productivity for most businesses, with those sectors involving the most social contact bearing the brunt.

I recently wrote about the skills that effective leaders need to possess. These have never been more relevant, especially now that we need strong leadership to guide us to recovery after the pandemic.

Here are four key skills crucial to help make that happen.

1. Be empathetic Effective leaders need to understand the feelings, motivations and emotions of others, especially the people who work for them. Empathy with employees is crucial now that many people are facing diverse challenges such as

anxiety, stress and adjusting to new work conditions and income decline.

Leaders need to show that they are human.

A good example is Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott, the largest hotel chain in the world with a workforce of around 121,000 people.

Marriott’s revenues experienced a drastic decline at the start of the pandemic. Sorenson recorded a video message, which has since gone viral, expressing compassion for employees and their families, reassuring them that things would get better. At the time he was being treated for pancreatic cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, but this did not prevent him from showing empathy – or leadership. This act of compassionate leadership is what differentiates good from great leaders during crisis.

2. Be decisive The pandemic made it imperative for business leaders to act swiftly.

Situations can change quickly, and successful businesses are the ones able to respond quickly and adapt to change. Good leaders need to be decisive and not averse to taking risks. They should be able to identify, evaluate and assess the risks while making difficult

decisions. Resources during the pandemic were limited, so it was important that leaders adopted a logical, analytical approach to ensure that decisions were made not just quickly, but thoughtfully.

Amazon emerged from the pandemic stronger compared to other companies because of the decisions Jeff Bezos made at the start. As people found themselves confined to their homes due to restrictions in movement, Bezos recruited 175,000 extra employees and increased pay by £2 an hour, knowing that the pandemic was going to have a drastic impact on the supply chain and jobs. This was instrumental in helping to increase Amazon’s profits during the pandemic. Which leads on to the next rule.

3. Recognise and exploit opportunities The pandemic was also a period that saw a huge leap in new and existing opportunities. The ability to recognise them in a crisis is vital. Leaders must be aggressive catalysts and identify opportunities where others see chaos, confusion and problems. Such opportunities vary from expansion into emerging markets, to selling new products

and adapting existing services, such as restaurants becoming takeaways.

Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom, is a classic example of a leader who was able to recognise and exploit opportunities that arose as a result of COVID. The pandemic led to an abrupt shift to remote working for many businesses around the world.

This transformed Zoom into a global brand during the pandemic. Profits in 2020 soared to $186m, while customer growth rose by 458% compared to 2019.

Yuan identified that success would depend on the company’s capacity to attract big-spending corporations to Zoom in addition to people just using it for free. Zoom’s CEO is acutely aware that the future has changed and, regardless of how the post-pandemic world unfolds, remote working will be a fixture of it.

Great leaders know the importance of this skill and are usually prepared to exploit opportunities when they emerge.

4. Build effective teams Leadership is about influencing and motivating people. Leaders need to promote teamwork and foster team spirit to ensure their staff cooperate and collaborate to work together effectively. To do this,

employees need to trust those in charge. Leaders must be role models who lead by example; employees learn a lot from good leaders, especially in difficult times.

Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa, was faced with an extremely difficult and tragic situation in March 2015 when a suicidal pilot deliberately crashed his plane, killing 150 passengers. During this crisis, Spohr displayed honesty and took responsibility. This inspired and impressed his employees and helped build a culture of trust within the organisation after such a shattering event.

To develop these skills, mentoring and personal growth activities are important. Leadership is a personal journey and business leaders need to commit to developing their own skills. No one is perfect or has all the answers, but good leaders should not be afraid to fail. They should show that life continues and can improve after failing – if lessons are learned, however painful.

Like anything, strong effective leadership takes practice.

Christian Harrison is a Reader in Leadership, School of Business and Creative Industries for the University of the West of Scotland. This article by Christian originally appeared in The Conversation.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UK GOVERNMENT

16

LET’S KEEP SAFE AND WELL THIS WINTER Let’s work together to help reduce the spread of the Covid-19

With Christmas and Diwali around the corner and the winter months upon us, we still need to be vigilant and not let our guard down about Covid-19.

There most likely will be a rise in infection rates, due to people mixing more as they return to offices, schools, universities and socialise more indoors.

It is important to protect ourselves and our loved ones to understand the spread of Covid-19. The primary route of transmission is through particles of the virus in the air.

There is a low understanding of airborne spread and as a result there is limited understanding of the effective measures and personal behaviours.

As we spend more time together indoors, the danger of breathing in infectious coronavirus particles increases significantly.

It is important to note that while vaccines remain our best defence against Covid-19, you can still catch the virus even if you have been vaccinated. Moreover, you can still pass it onto others and put their health in danger, even though you might only feel minor effects yourself.

Restauranteur Faisal Hussain shares concerns of ensuring we don’t let our guard down and stay protected against Covid-19.

“Winter months are the busiest for restaurants owners like ours, as we have all the festivities such as Christmas and New year upon us, but also more and more people with the colder months tend to socialise over a meal.” Said Faisal.

“Here at Shimla Spice, we have been working hard to ensure our customers can come and eat in a safe well ventilated, environment. Most of our staff will be seen wearing face masks and we try to get them to do a lateral flow test at least twice a week.

“Our surfaces are cleaned regularly to

As a chain of restaurants, we are in contact with hundreds of people on a daily basis, so it’s imperative we play our part in reducing the spread of Covid-19.

We’ve all got to work together and follow the guidelines to keep safe this winter and to try and rid our world of this deadly virus.

Faisal Hussain Shimla Spice Faisal Hussain of chain of restaurants Shimla Spice urges customers to follow caution and keep safe from Covid this winter prevent any spread and all our menus can be scanned using the barcode in our restaurant.

We always encourage our customers to check-in using the NHS Covid-19 app, which can help identify cases.

“As a chain of restaurants, we are in contact with hundreds of people on a daily basis, so it’s imperative we play our part in reducing the spread of Covid-19. We’ve all got to work together and follow the guidelines to keep safe this winter and to try and rid our world of this deadly virus” Professor of Environmental Engineering, Professor Catherine Noakes, from Leeds University also reminds that coronavirus is still ‘around us and can easily spread in the home’. She said: "As winter approaches, people will naturally spend more time indoors – welcoming friends and family into their home as the weather gets colder. While we’ve all been looking forward to this for so long, it’s important to remember that coronavirus is still around us and can easily spread in the home. If someone is infected (and they might be showing no symptoms), COVID-19 particles are released into the air by coughing, talking or simply breathing. In an enclosed space, the infectious particles

Professor Catherine Noakes

can build up over time and remain suspended in the air, increasing the risk of other people in the room breathing in the infectious particles, especially if there is no ventilation or fresh air helping to refresh the air being breathed. With this in mind, as we meet more people inside, it’s so important to use ventilation such as opening a window, even for just a short time, so fresh air can disperse and blow COVID-19 particles away and decrease the risk of others being infected”.

As a reminder of how you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe this winter here are a few important guidelines to follow.

Firstly, good ventilation. Meeting outdoors is safer. You are much more likely to catch

COVID-19 indoors. Meeting outdoors is harder in colder months, but it can reduce the risk of airborne transmission.

Let fresh air into indoor space: Opening your windows for just 10 minutes or a small amount continuously where you can make a significant difference.

Open the windows when you have visitors: Let fresh air into your home before, during and after their visit for a short period of time. Good ventilation can reduce the risk of passing on COVID-19 indoors.

Secondly, try to continue wearing face coverings wherever possible, as this will limit the chances of catching or spreading the virus.

Finally testing is another way to stay safe

and protect others. Rapid lateral flow tests are free, easy to do, and results come back within 30 minutes. Everyone can get free rapid lateral flow tests by visiting nhs.uk/GetTested, some pharmacies or by calling 119 Reporting all your results whether they’re positive, negative, or void, helps to quickly spot when the virus is spreading, identify outbreaks early - and respond sooner.

If you test positive, you should immediately self-isolate and confirm your result by taking a PCR test, which you can order online.

You may wish to consider testing if you feel there will be a period of higher risk that day, either to yourself or others. Some examples include: • Testing before mixing in crowded indoor spaces, for example a nightclub • Testing before visiting vulnerable people.

Taking a rapid lateral flow test before a period of higher risk will give you peace of mind that you are unlikely to be infectious with COVID-19, and it is unlikely you will spread the virus. If you do test positive, you can then take action to help stop the virus spreading.

Let’s send our children back to school safely. Your family and friends can get tested for free.

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WHY REMEMBRANCE OF INDIAN SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT FOR THE BRITISH IN WORLD WAR II IS SO POLITICAL

Indian forces in North Africa during World War II

BY DIYA GUPTA During the Allied invasion of Italy in early September 1943, an Indian lieutenant wrote a letter to his beloved.

‘Here I am penning this to you in the middle of one of the biggest nights in the history of this war. Love, I am sure by the time you receive this letter you will guess correctly as to where I am. I bet you, you wouldn’t like to stay here a single minute… Oh! it is terrible. Yet in the midst of this commotion, I sit here, on my own kit-bag and scribble these few lines to my love for I do not really know when I will get the next opportunity to write to you.’

The lieutenant formed part of the largest volunteer army in the world, 2.5m men from undivided India – what is today India, Pakistan and Bangladesh – who served the British during World War II. They were fighting for Britain at a time when the struggle for India’s freedom from British rule was at its most incendiary.

The two world wars will be remembered on November 12 in the

Image: Imperial War Museums

An Indian soldier guarding an Anglo Iranian Oil Company refinery in Persia in September 1941

UK by two minutes’ of silence, church services and the laying of poppy wreaths. Such commemorative practices are directed towards “the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women”. But the use of the term “Commonwealth” glosses over the imperial legacy intertwined in this war effort.

The British memory of World War II, with its 60m dead on all sides, is framed through several broad narratives: personal and familial loss, the battle against fascism and the UK’s refusal to capitulate, and the war’s transformative impact on European geopolitics. But there are rich seams of forgotten stories beyond these Eurocentric points of reference: this was a world war, and experiences under British colonialism and Empire are intricately woven through its fabric. As historian Yasmin Khan has pointed out: “Britain did not fight the Second World War, the British Empire did.”

Today’s remembrance services avoid interrogating this colonial past and the range of Indian war

experiences that ensued.

A time of resistance Indian participation in the war began with four mule companies being sent off to France to assist the British Expeditionary Forces in September 1939. The then-viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow, did not consult the burgeoning Indian political leadership before doing so. This undemocratic inclusion in World War II led to Mahatma Gandhi launching the 1942 Quit India movement – mass agitations against 200 years of British rule – which was suppressed, in turn, by a brutal use of force, including firing on civilians and public floggings.

In 1940s India, unlike Britain, conscription was never introduced.

Enlisting was therefore voluntary – and new recruits were ostensibly granted the power to choose whether to sign up to go to war. The British Empire, however, needed men urgently, and requirements for entry were considerably relaxed, including the acceptance of underweight and anaemic applicants – those most desperate for a steady income.

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18

ASIAN STANDARD / LEEDS The famine could have been prevented had large-scale exports of food from India not been sent to war theatres and had aid arrived in time.

World War II also became an opportunity for armed resistance to British rule in India, spearheaded by the charismatic Subhas Chandra Bose. The Indian Legion in Germany and the Indian National Army in Japanese-controlled East Asia, formed from prisoners-of-war belonging to the imperial Indian Army and expatriate Indian communities, were persuaded to fight against the British to secure independence. They lost the war, but were hailed by the Indian public as heroes.

A complex legacy The history of Indian participation in World War II has left a difficult, sometimes fraught legacy, both in the UK and the Indian subcontinent.

Current UK commemorations do not capture this complexity or encourage us to think critically about established narratives about war.

In India, official remembrance for World War II remains a controversial subject, as it is a reminder of the

colonial past, although efforts are being made to change this lack of public commemoration. In my interviews with survivors and their family members in India, I have found that many have kept remembering the war in private, through old uniforms, battlefield objects, dusty photographs and conversation.

The letters I am studying, too, evoke the varied and personal experiences of colonial troops: homesickness and longing, life in the desert, entertainment provided by mobile Indian cinemas, the joys of eating a bada khana (enormous feast) and the annoying lack of cigarettes. These words document the immediacy of their war experience. More than silences and wreaths, they bring forgotten Indian soldiers back into the narrative of World War II and deepen our understanding of a global history of terrible violence.

Diya Gupta was a PhD Researcher for the Department of English at King's College London, when she originally wrote this article for The Conversation in 2017.

Image: Imperial War Museums

I Indian responses to the war were wide-ranging and complex, as soldiers’ letters connecting battlefield to the home-front reveal. While many letters were deferential to the British Empire as economic provider, others revealed an awareness of soaring rates of wartime inflation in India, with ordinary people being priced out of food and essential items.

A “havildar clerk” or sergeant from

the Royal Indian Army Service Corps wrote back home in May 1943: Everything has gone high in price in our homeland. They have written that no cloth is available for less than one rupee per yard. We being earning [sic] can pull on somehow or other but the poor have to suffer much. But what can be done? What power have we got to do anything.

The letter, which is kept in the

British Library archives which I am researching, highlights the soldier’s psychological despair of being a hapless spectator from an overseas battlefront to hunger and want in his homeland. More than 3m people died in the man-made Bengal Famine of 1943, through a combination of starvation and the associated diseases of cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery.

Image: British Museum 2012

Video Archives World War II

Representation of a family struck by the Bengal Famine of by Bangladeshi artist Zoinul Abedin

CROSSWORD Across 1. Smart (6) 4. Large prawns (6) 8. Eject (5) 9. Moved (7) 10. Emblem of royalty (7) 11. Glowed (5) 12. Abbreviated (9) 17. Head of a community of monks (5) 19. Lean cut of beef (7) 21. Wine seller (7) 22. Nimble, spry (5) 23. Evaluate (6) 24. Tightzfitting undergarment (6)

Spot the

5

differences

Down 1. Mark made by folding (6) 2. Female ruler (7) 3. Splendid success (5) 5. Deep red (7) 6. Paris underground (5) 7. In fact, truly (6) 9. Onlooker (9) 13. Excursions (7) 14. Gods and goddesses (7) 15. Baltic country (6) 16. Become less severe (6) 18. Financial institutions (5) 20. Instrument with 88 keys (5)

CODEWORD

Image: Pallav Paliwal

19

CROSSWORDS AND PUZZLES

ANSWERS

CODEWORD ANSWERS

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

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RECIPE

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INGREDIENTS Marinade: 1kg lamb on the bone cut into 1-2 pieces

METHOD In a bowl, mix together oil, masala, yogurt and ginger garlic paste. Add the lamb and mix well. Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.

¼ cup oil ½ cup Supreme Achari Gosht Masala 2 cups full fat yogurt 2 tbsp Supreme Ginger Garlic Paste

Remove from the fridge 1 hour before cooking.

Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions, saute until deep golden. Then, add marinated lamb, stir well and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Now, reduce heat

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4 bullet chillies, pierced Chopped coriander

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SPORTS

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NOVAK IS NO. 1 FOR A RECORD SEVENTH YEAR; TO CLASH WITH MEDVEDEV FOR PARIS TITLE Novak Djokovic of Serbia made history by securing the year-end No. 1 ATP ranking for a record seventh time, breaking the tie with American legend Pete Sampras.

Djokovic, who has won three majors this year - Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, though he missed out on the US Open title after losing to Russian Daniil Medvedev in the final - defeated Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in Saturday’s Rolex Paris Masters semifinals to eclipse Sampras’s record.

Djokovic rallied from a set down, and a shock final-set fadeout, to defeat Hurkacz 3-6, 6-0, 7-6(5) to power into his seventh Paris Masters final. The Serb will meet Medvedev in the final here after the reigning champion powered into his second consecutive Paris Masters final, snapping Germany’s Alexander Zverev’s eight-match winning streak with a 6-2, 6-2 win. Djokovic broke a tie with Sampras, who completed six straight year-end No. 1 finishes between 1993 and 98.

The Serbian has now achieved the feat in seven of the past 11 seasons (also 2011-12, 2014-15, 2018 and 2020). “Just proud and extremely happy. Obviously that was one of the biggest goals and it’s always one of the biggest goals, to try to be No. 1 and end the season as No. 1,” Djokovic told atptour.com. “To do it for the record seventh time and surpass my childhood idol and role model, Pete, is incredible.

Very grateful, very blessed to be in this position.” The 34-year-old, who extended his record as the oldest man to finish year-end No. 1, came within one victory of completing the calendar Grand Slam in 2021. He went 27-1 at the four major championships with trophies at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.

Djokovic’s bid to match the feat of Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) ended in the US Open final where he lost to world No.2 Medvedev. It marks the 17th time in the past 18 seasons -- barring Great Britain’s Andy Murray in 2016 -- that the

year-end No. 1 has been held by Djokovic, Spain’s Rafael Nadal (five times 2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019) or Roger Federer (five times 2004-07, 2009). Djokovic eclipsed Federer’s all-time mark of 310 weeks at No. 1 on March 8 and will finish 2021 having held the top ranking for 348 weeks (as of 22 November). The Serbian’s fifth stint in the top spot began the week of February 3, 2020. In addition to his three major titles, Djokovic also triumphed on home soil at the Belgrade Open in May. He became the first man since Laver to win each major twice at Roland Garros in June and earned a sixth Wimbledon title in July, drawing him level on a record 20 majors with Federer and Nadal.

Djokovic’s career trophy haul stands at 85, which is fifth in the Open Era. Djokovic will attempt to secure a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals trophy at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from November 14-21. He will be making his 14th appearance at the season finale, where he will officially receive the year-end ATP Tour No. 1 trophy.

Earlier, Medvedev put himself in a position to lift the Paris Masters trophy again as he dictated the terms against Zverev with his powerful groundstrokes to set up a summit clash with Djokovic after 80 minutes.

“We had a tough match,” Medvedev said. “Sometimes the score doesn’t show exactly what happened on the court.

I am happy to have this score, but he (Zverev) had 2-1, 15/40 in the first set on my serve. I think this first break of serve when you play Sascha (Zverev) is really important because he gains confidence. I am really happy I managed to raise my level throughout the match and I didn’t make too many unforced errors,” said Zverev after the match.

Novak Djokovic

PREMIER LEAGUE: CITY OUTCLASS UNITED 2-0 IN MANCHESTER DERBY

Image: Twitter

Manchester City capitalised on an own goal by Eric Bailly and a first-half strike by Bernardo Silva to overcome cross-town rivals Manchester United 2-0 in a derby clash on Saturday.

After the 5-0 thrashing

by Liverpool last month, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s suffered another demoralising defeat at home, losing to a team they have dominated for lone time but have lost ground to in recent years. With this win, Manchester City moved to 23 points from 11 matches in Premier League standings, three points behind tabletoppers Chelsea, who were held to draw 1-1 by Burnley.

They are one point ahead of Liverpool, who too have played 10 games so far. United are in the sixth spot with 17 points from 11 matches. Pep

Guardiola’s City put the memory of last Saturday’s shock home loss to Crystal Palace firmly behind them as they dominated possession (67% to 32), had seven attempts at the goal, five of them on target as compared to three attempts and one on target by United. The action was mostly limited to their half of the pitch and the City defenders and goalkeeper Ederson was virtual bystander for the entire match. It was Bailly who started United’s miserable evening by putting the ball into his own net.

He was under no pressure as there was no City player nearby when Joao Cancelo crossed to his from the left side. Bailly was caught in an awkward position and just sliced the ball with his shin past David de Gea when he took a swing at it. United defended poorly

and though goalkeeper De Gea made a number of good saves, he also committed a mistake that resulted in Silva scoring City’s second goal in the 45th minute and virtually sealing the victory in the first half itself.

The second half was not much different as they remained directionless, unambitious, and without an attacking plan.

Even Cristiano Ronaldo, who has saved Manchester United on numerous occasions, could not weave his magic as he looked like a passenger in the absence of much support from the midfield. He managed the lone shot on target by United in the match but was not much threatening for the City citadel. In other Premier League, Norwich City defeated Brentford 2-1 while Crystal Palace beat Wolverhampton 2-0.

SPORTS

EMMA RADUCANU INVITED TO JOIN ALL ENGLAND CLUB British tennis player Emma Raducanu has reportedly received an invitation to become a member of the exclusive All England Club.

The 18-year-old shocked the global tennis establishment by winning the 2021 US Open women’s singles title to become the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam tournament in tennis’s Open Era. Raducanu is also the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade in 1977, and will be the All England Club’s youngest member if she accepts

the invitation. The All England Club, a private members’ club based in Wimbledon, London, is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships. Wimbledon singles champion usually receives an automatic invitation to join the Club, with the likes of former champions Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and others among its members. Raducanu is widely known to Chinese netizens thanks to her multicultural background and pride in her half-Chinese roots and addressed fans in Chinese after winning the US Open title.

s

Image: Si.robi via Wikimedia Common

Emma Raducanu

HAVE TO RESPECT WHAT MAN CITY HAVE DONE IN LAST TEN YEARS, SAYS OLE SOLSKJAER Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted their crosstown rivals Manchester City have achieved tremendous success but his side still remains to be the top club in Manchester.

United will be facing their crosstown rivals Manchester City for their next Premier League encounter on Saturday. Manchester City have won five league titles in the last decade, with United having won just one Premier League trophy in that same

time span. “The thing is, you have to have respect for what they (United) have done in the last 10 years or even more so in the last four or five with how dominant they have been in England and in Europe.

But we are Man Utd, we are always going to come back, I think we are the number one club in Manchester and that also probably means in the world,” said Ole Solskjaer as reported by Goal.com United is at the fifth spot with a total of 17 points while City is at the third spot with 20 points.

ITALIAN FOOTBALL GIANTS JUVENTUS AIM TO REDUCE ONLINE ABUSE AND HATE SPEECH Italian giants Juventus Football Club have linked up with Pixstory, a new integrity-based social media platform to reduce abuse and hate speech in online conversations.

Joining the platform under the @ Juventus handle, the club will use various campaigns to fight abuse and hate speech online. Social-media platform Pixstory’s architecture is designed to reduce polarisation, dis-incentivise hate and misinformation. The app aims to be an ethical social media platform by prioritising people over profit. It doesn’t collect or sell user data, but retains the user experience with strong checks and balances through design and tech innovations. Juventus said in a statement on Friday that the platform is based on the values of openness,

accountability, and respect. “It aims to be a civic organisation that gives users a sense of community by encouraging civil dialogue and consensus-building,” said the statement. “We are excited to join forces with Juventus,” said NBA’s LA Lakers star Dwight Howard. “Juventus players are role models for fans around the world and they can make a huge contribution in making the internet a better place.” “It is a source of great satisfaction for us to link ourselves with the Pixstory platform as of today,” said Giorgio Ricci, Juventus’ chief revenue officer. “Dis-incentivising disinformation, fighting hatred on the internet are fundamental principles for a club like Juventus, which has always worked to maintain and develop great credibility

in the world of networking and social media. We are turning more and more towards the younger generations, those “digital natives” for this reason, we are particularly proud to join a platform that spreads the principles of openness, responsibility and respect.” The founder of Pixstory, Appu Esthose Suresh, said, “We have been inspired by the black and white colours of Juventus though most things are better understood under a spectrum of colours, but to be able to express them freely should be as simple as black and white.”

Image: Pixabay

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

SPORTS

8 - 14 NOVEMBER 2021

NOVAK IS NO. 1 FOR A RECORD SEVENTH YEAR; TO CLASH WITH MEDVEDEV FOR PARIS TITLE Page 23

EMMA RADUCANU INVITED TO JOIN ALL ENGLAND CLUB Page 24

T20 WORLD CUP: UNBEATEN PAKISTAN BEAT SCOTLAND BY 72 RUNS, FINISH AS GROUP 2 TOPPERS Pakistan continued their unbeaten streak in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a 72-run win over Scotland in their last Group 2 match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium last Sunday. With the big win, Pakistan signed off from the Super 12 as the toppers of Group 2.

They are the only team to enter the semi-finals undefeated. The win was set-up by a clinical batting performance by Pakistan, registering 189/4 in their 20 overs. It was started by a classy 66 off 47 balls by captain Babar Azam and ended with an unbeaten 18-ball 54 blitzkrieg by Shoaib Malik.

In between, Mohammad Hafeez chipped in with an important cameo of 31 off 19 balls. In reply, Scotland never looked to chase the massive target and were eventually restricted to 117/6 in their 20 overs. George Munsey began by taking two boundaries off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first two overs.

Kyle Coetzer had a boundary off Imad Wasim but was bowled by Hasan Ali in a wicket-maiden final over of Power-play.

Post Power-play, runs began to dry

T20 cricket Pakistan beat Scotland as Pakistan began to exert pressure on Scotland. Matthew Cross was run-out at the non-striker’s end with Wasim getting a hand on the ball on a straight drive from Munsey. In an attempt to break free, Munsey tried to attack Shadab Khan but sliced to short third man in the 11th over.

Two balls later, Khan had another wicket as Dylan Budge was bowled by a googly. Though the result was a foregone conclusion, Scotland tried to delay the inevitable. Michael Leask had a 41-run stand with Richie Berrington for the fifth wicket.

The partnership broke when Afridi clean bowled Leask in the 16th over.

Berrington, the lone warrior for Scotland, smashed two more boundaries and reached his half-century with a brace off Ali. But it wasn’t enough as Pakistan maintained their clean slate in the tournament. Earlier, Pakistan had a brisk start in the Power-play, collecting 36 runs.

Captain Babar Azam slammed a four each off Bradley Wheal and Safyaan Sharif while Mohammad Rizwan smashed a six over cow corner off Wheal. A struggling Rizwan (15) was first to fall, under-edging to keeper Matthew Cross off leg-spinner Hamza Tahir on the first ball post Power-play. Three overs later, Fakhar Zaman holed out to deep mid-wicket off Chris Greaves.

Image: Screen grab

Hafeez Babar Azam continued with his runmaking spree, sharing a 53-run stand with Hafeez for the third wicket.

Hafeez was severe on pacer Sayfaan Sharif, pulling him over wide long-on for a six followed by successive fours in the 15th over. But Sharif had the last laugh as Hafeez missed the pull and was trapped plumb lbw. Azam reached his half-century with a single off Tahir in the next over. After he slammed Tahir down the ground for a six, he went on to whack Mark Watt over long-on for another six.

Malik joined the party by tonking Watt for a lofted six over extra cover.

Azam’s knock was brought to an end

by Greaves, holing out to long-on in the 18th over. Malik then launched a

stunning exhibition of late-overs hitting in the last two overs.

After slamming two massive sixes over long-on off Sharif, Malik carted Greaves for a six and four over deep mid-wicket followed by another six over long-on.

He finished off the innings with another six over deep mid-wicket to amass 26 runs off the last over of the innings.

Brief scores Pakistan 189/4 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 66, Shoaib Malik 54 not out, Chris Greaves 2-43, Hamza Tahir 1-24) beat Scotland 117/6 (Richie Berrington 54 not out, George Munsey 17, Shadab Khan 2-14, Shaheen Shah Afridi 1-24) by 72 runs