Asian Sunday Issue 18 by Asian Standard News

13 MAR 2016

Issue 18

FREE N AT I O N A L

Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FIRST FREE Sunday Newspaper

National Living 14

The hidden condition which affects 10m people causing crippling pain and disability

Wage Can small businesses

Ghap Shap with entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr Rami Ranger

How family love and duty can turn to violence and even murder

afford it? Read more on pages 6 & 7

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

NEWS Britain’s FIRST FREE Sunday Newspaper

Cadbury Time Out to be replace with smaller, single wafe Cadbury has recently confirmed they are scrapping their two finger wafer Time Out bars in favour of a more streamlined single wafer, called, the Time Out Wafer.

Asian Sunday Newspaper 18 East Parade, Bradford, BD1 5EE Enquiries: T.0333 577 0046 info@asiansunday.co.uk

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News

The decision was made because the two-finger chocolate biscuit wafer

hasn’t been selling well. A spokesperson confirmed that no new original bars were being made as of February. ‘We have withdrawn the current brand so the old one has gone and will be replaced,’ they said. ‘The original Time Out bars started to be withdrawn from sale in February.’

to there being less chocolate, more wafer. Well only time will tell if the move to replace the traditional Time Out bar is a good one or not.

Many took to Twitter to share their disappointment with Cadbury, with some tweets claiming that early taste tests of the new slimmer Time Out is a disappointing replacement due

newsdesk@asiansunday.co.uk

Editor Editor@asiansunday.co.uk

Managing Director Fatima Patel

Publisher

RF Publishing Ltd

Design & Artwork Karthik Ramamurthy Reporters Ayyaz Malik AlisonBellamy Aysha Babar Itrat Bashir Raheema Khan

Columnists Mr M B Dr Faraz Bhatti

Photography Riaz Ahmed

Accounts Barry Smith

Distribution Arshad Iqbal

Join us on /AsianSundayNewspaper @AsianSundayNews

Rainstorm leaves 15 dead in Brazil A rainstorm that lashed the Brazilian metropolis and its suburbs left at least 15 dead, a dozen injured and several cities flooded, authorities announced on Friday. Four people died in the town of Mairipora including a little boy, while another seven were injured in a mudslide on Thursday night on a hill where several houses were being built. Authorities told local media that eight people have gone missing in Mairipora, a municipality of some 80,000 inhabitants. In Francisco de Morato, another city in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region, nine more people died in a mudslide. Another two people were drowned in the town of Guarulhos. Firefighters worked through the early hours at different points around Sao Paulo, many of which were flooded due to the heavy rains that caused canals and rivers to overflow. Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport was closed for six hours by the storm, though operations have started up again, and since the trains had stopped running, dozens of passengers were left stranded at railroad stations. Authorities advised people living in high-risk areas to evacuate their homes because more rain and the possibility of mudslides are forecast for the coming days. A score of cities in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region have been affected by the storm.

Decoded: What the brain does when you reveal more on Facebook In a first such experiment, scientists have configured a network of brain regions involved in self-disclosure as people post about themselves on the social networking giant Facebook that currently has 1.5 billion monthly active users. The team from Freie Universitat Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany focused on the medial prefrontal cortex and the precuneus - two brain regions that are recruited when thinking about oneself. Results showed that participants who share more about themselves on Facebook had greater connectivity of both the medial prefrontal cortex and precuneus. “Human beings like to share information about themselves. In today’s world, one way we are able to share self-related information is by using social media platforms like Facebook,” said Dr Dar Meshi, lead author and a postdoctoral researcher, in a paper featured in the journal Scientific Reports. In the first attempt to examine the intrinsic functional connectivity of the brain in relation to social media use, Dr Meshi and colleagues observed connectivity between regions of the brain previously established to play a role in selfcognition in 35 participants. Facebook was used in the study because people post information

about their thoughts, feelings, and opinions, as well as pictures and videos of themselves. All subjects completed a “SelfRelated Sharing Scale” to determine how frequently each subject posted pictures of themselves, updated their profile information, and updated their status. Researchers recorded functional neuroimaging (fMRI) data while subjects were allowed to let their mind wander. They then analysed the connectivity of each participant’s brain to determine a relationship between brain connectivity and “Self-Related Sharing Scale” score across participants. “Our study reveals a network of brain regions involved in the sharing of self-related information on social media,” Meshi added. The authors point out that the implications of their research are broad and lay the foundation for future scientific investigation into self-disclosure.

Guide LIFESTYLE Issue 18

TOP TIP FOR SKIN It’s not just women

men can also banish spots, signs of ageing and dry tight skin. The products we all shouldn’t go without

ASIAN SUNDAY | ISSUE 46

Your guide to the best eateries in Bradford & District

ASIAN SUNDAY by ZARA HASSAN

THREE FOODS TO TRY AN AVOID NEWS DURING FASTING

Through the decades, every era has had its own particular fashion trend focusing on prints and styles. We can now

If you’re planning on buying vintage I think you should always start small, shop with something in mind.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer Trial Camera trick or is this the biggest cleanser, a good face Kills Tumours In 11 Days •asConcentrated Most concentrated juices can cause problems around the waistline, which include, cranberry, apple and other fruit juices. wRat h and an found exfoliorange ator. juice –near Playground in North ious elements outif of the fruit during the concentration process. You should also invest Buying vintage doesn’t mean designer labels but you’re into designer labels look for Dior, from the of 50’s or Gucci and had “groundbreaking potential”. Around a quarter women given water. So contrary to what adverts say it is believed starting your day with a big glass of concentrated juice is a in an eye cream just to London? a combined treatment of drugs in really bad decision. Three foods you’ve been item, told are ‘healthy’ that actually and can cause seriouspiece health in my opinion would be aincrease coat. It’sweight something small yet amore statement toproblems. introduce to your other clothes.

brighten that area that Some 257 women with an . A gas engineer has told how he came eye can be deceived. a clinical study saw their tumours will be gentle to skin. aggressive form of cancer - HER2 • Margarine, is another fat storing food, but has more serious health risks. It can cause you to gain weight, wipe out your good cholesterol increase your bad cholesterol by across a rat bigger than his dog as he fashion piece that we still see on our high street and is a timeless A great modern piece or is leopard print. shrink disappear. One shows aButter member ofinstaff holding asaturated soft building up blockages in your arteries. Butter is a better alternative. has fat it too, but it’s a fat that your body can burn for fuel instead of building up blockages were involved in the clinical trial worked at a block of flats.Images as early as those from ancient Egypt show women rocking leopard spots. toy close up to the camera and then just in in your arteries, like trans fats can do. PRODUCT Using Herceptin together with and either received no treatment, Tony Smith, 46, spotted the dead rodent in front of his face. OF THE another powerful breast cancer one of the drugs or a combination a bush near athree children’s playground • At number it’s whole wheat bread. Are you as shocked as we were? Bread is High in Carbs and Can Spike Blood Sugar Levels In the first picture the toy looks huge but WEEK drug before surgery could shrink of them. Evenworking whole grain bread isn’tDowns made out while close to usually Hackney inof actual “whole” grains. in the second, which shows its actual size, it or destroy tumours in just 11 days, London. Leopard prints always represent power and femininity, pin up girls like Marilyn Monroe celebrated glamour and sexual- Around a quarter of the women quite The starches in bread get broken down quickly in the looks digestive tractsmall. and enter the bloodstream as glucose. This causes a rapid has spikefound. in blood sugar and insulin levels. a study ity inblood this it way too. on the combined treatment HeEven toldwhole reporters believes weighs wheat that breadhe spikes sugar faster than many chocolate bars. Referring to the giant council In his4ft” Little Dictionary Fashion Christian Diorrat, saidthe “But wearand leopard must have alead kindtoof which is a little Some patients may be spared saw their tumours shrink or Mostthan breads are- made pulverized wheat. They areofeasily digested and rapidly spike bloodtosugar insulin you levels, which can thefemininity notorious blood sugar “roller more 25lb and isof“about long “It’sthose probably that coaster” and stimulate overeating. Well, you’re probably allfair thinking are thenot main foods youOur eat for Suhoor (The chemotherapy Pre-Dawn Meal). if they are given bitthis sophisticated. If youtweeted: are and sweet, don’t wear it...”big. disappear. including its tail, although would easily pest control team are checking it out Be sure to choose yourself something leopard print from the rails next time you’re on the high street, add a bit of glam into put it on a par with the largest known rat a combination of the drugs Here are some tips for a healthy Suhoorthough.” At present, women usually species in the world. your wardrobe with a leopard print dress, a shirt, a cardigan and even some trousers (if (lapatinib) you’re daringand enough). Have fun Tyverb Herceptin have their tumour removed Suhoor (The Pre-Dawn Meal) with it and remember always try it on before you buy. (trastuzumab) immediately “This is the largest rat I’ve ever seen surgery followed a imporFor suhoor, it is imperative to drink plenty of water, eat a good blend of protein, carbohydrates, and essential fat. That’s right, “good fats” have many fat-burning and during muscle-building properties, andby their after diagnosis, according to the in tance my entire he during told media. is evenlife,” greater Ramadan. Some good suhoor foods include: combination of chemotherapy, Simple Kind to Eyes research by a team of British radiotherapy, hormonal therapies He took a photograph of his friend • Protein shake • Raisins or dates Soothing Cream, • Egg whites (1 yolk) doctors. • Olive oil – preferably extra virgin (which means it’s cold processed and the and targeted drugs such as James Green, an electrician, holding • Cinnamon • Fibrous vegetables –This will help inessential fatty acids are preserved) £3.99 from Boots. • Chicken breast • Bananas crease the feeling of fullness as well. • Plenty of water up• the supersize rat to the camera. The medics, who presented their Herceptin. Oatmeal • Raw, dark Honey • All natural peanut butter Use all these products • Cream of wheat study to experts at the European However, some have cast doubts the Around 5,300 to 8,000 women a • Flax seed oil – daily or as advised Breast Cancer Conference in rat as big as it appears in the photo. year are diagnosed with HER2 andisyou’ll be amazed Amsterdam, saidsuhoor theiras findings It is important to take a solid multi-vitamin, multi-mineral supplement with well to make sure daily minimum to how great your skin positive breastrequirements cancer. of key They include Hackney Council, which nutrients are met. Avoid high sodium foods like soups, sauces, condiments, gravies, high sodium bread products, and canned meats. Of course looks and feels. Also, has posted images showing how the eating fried foods and heavy oil items can cause heartburn and problems for you all day so it is best to avoid those if possible!

WEIGHT LOSS REVIEW- WAZN

remember to drink lots of water!

Bradford man sets on a mission to help Bradford become more health aware. “I am a big fan of Dr Qazi’s work and that’s why I want to introduce his non-surgical solutions manto sets on a mission to helplocal BradBradford”, explained ford businessman become more health Yasseraware. Khan, and “I am a big fan of Dr Qazi’s work and that’sBeauty why I want to introduce his Doctor range of treatments, which includes ‘WAZN’ non-surgical solutions to Bradford”, Dr Daud is a medical pracexplained localQazi businessman Yasser titioner with licence to practise in UK, Europe, Middle and famous Beauty Doctor rangeEast of treatAsia including Pakistan. HisDaud ments, which includes ‘Wazn’ Dr interest in medical research Qazi is a medical practitioner with has enabled him to latest state licence to practise in bring UK, Europe, Midof art technologies. dle East and Asia including Pakistan. Working and living in UK, he His interest in medical research has observed the need for Non-Surenabled him to bring latest state of gical procedures to improve the art technologies. Working livhealth and well beingand of patients ing inespecially UK, he observed the need Asian populationfor as Non-Surgical procedures to improve they are more vulnerable to the health beingillnesses of patients acute and and well chronic than especially Asian population as they are their counterpart White populamoretion. vulnerable to acute and chronic illnesses thanistheir counterpart White Dr Qazi amongst the pioneers who introduced latest technolopopulation. giesisofamongst IPL andthe Radio FrequenDr Qazi pioneers who cy andlatest Ultrasound integrations introduced technologies of IPL into UK and especially in Asian and Radio Frequency and Ultrasound community. His quest for knowlintegrations into UK and especially edge and research furthered in Asian community. His quest for him to and launch his own health knowledge research furthered & Beauty product range. This him to launch his own health & Beauty includes Dietary supplements, product range. This includes Dietary Vitamins & Minerals, Skin & Hair

certain ailments and diseases of body. His unique formulations GMP approved laboratories in USA and has made him pioneer Skin & Hair care products and products products around the globe. for certain ailments and diseases "WAZN" weight loss manage- of body. programme His unique formulations has been ment is the start of products list. laboratories in many USA and has made him “There are so health products and diet plans on the market where you have productstoday, around the globe. "WAZN" to make major lifestyle changes, Each capsule helps: programme Each Weight loss management capsule helps: such drinking shakes *Burn is theas start of products list.etc” *burn fat, fat *Boost metabolism, said Yasser “There are so many health products *boost metabolism, * Increases your energy “People simply haven’t got the energy and diet plans on the market today, * increases your level time these days, so in my opinwhere you have to make major lifestylelevel * Improves digestion ion WAZN is the answer. changes, such as drinking shakes etc”* Improves digestion * Prevents weight gain. “People like my mum won’t go to weight gain. said Yasser. “People simply haven’t got* Prevents However, WAZN is not the gym, so that’s why Dr Qazi However, WAZN is not prethe time these days, so in my opinion prescribed as an off the produced WAZN, it was created scribed as an off the counter Wazn the answer. “People like my counter weight loss prodto helpistackle obesity, without weight loss product, but mum won’t go lifestyle to the gym, so that’s uct, but more as a weight making major changes more as a weight managemanagement programme, why Dr is Qazi produced WAZN, it was WAZN a 100% natural veggie ment programme, which which works for almost created towhich help tackle obesity, without capsule, contains Raspworks for almost everyone, everyone, young, old, making major lifestyle berry Ketone, African changes Mango, WAZN young, old, male orThe female. male or female. prodis a 100% natural veggie Green Coffee Extract (allcapsule, of Theuct product is used to bewhen used is to be which contains Raspberry Ketone, which are known to release when your index is your BMIBMI index is greater enzymes that break fat). African Mango, Greendown Coffee Extract greater than 25 as it helps than 25 as it helps you It(all also contains of which are Hoodia known toAcai release youmaintain maintainananideal idealvalue value of (known have properties to kill enzymestothat break down fat). of 25 or less. 25 or less. off cancer), Green Tea Acai extract,( It also contains Hoodia (known teamhere here at at which twenty plus to havehas properties to killamino off cancer), WellWell ourour team Asian Sunday will be acids), Apple cider vinegar and Asian Sunday will be Green Tea extract,( which has twenty putting the capsule to the Panax Ginseng. capsules plus amino acids),The Apple cider vinegar putting the capsule to the test....keep posted as we claim to be Alcohol, Hormones test....keep posted as we and Panax Ginseng. The capsules will post results in the and Gelatine free, with no side will post results in the claim to be Alcohol, Hormones and coming editions. effects.

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

NEWS

Indian Cabinet Minister sparks controversy after claiming that India is ‘not ready’ to outlaw marital rape. An Indian Cabinet Minister has claimed that India is ‘not ready’ to outlaw marital rape – which is, disturbingly, still legal. Maneka Gandhi, the Minister for (shockingly) Women and Child Development, told the country’s parliament that Indians aren’t ready for a law change because of ‘illiteracy, poverty, myriad social customs and values, [and]

religious beliefs’. Despite the fact that millions of Indians, in India, have been risking their lives for at least the last three years calling for an end to marital rape and other misogynistic laws. Plus, Gandhi also managed to suggest poorer people are more likely to rape, and that ‘religious beliefs’ can justify sexual crimes.

Needless to say, people in India are not happy. Gandhi made the outrageous remarks after amicus curiae Indira Jaising submitted a report to the Supreme Court calling for marital rape to be criminalised. The report also called for forced anal penetration to be classed as rape, rather than its current definition

as ‘unnatural sex’, as part of a wider expansion of the definition of rape. The December 16 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi sparked riots and women’s rights demonstrations across the country, and started a debate about rape in India that is still going on to this day.

Egypt to ban the veil ‘because it is NOT Islamic’ Lawmakers in Egypt, which is predominately known as a Muslim country, have argued that full face veils are actually un-Islamic and even go against what the Koran advocates. It comes days after Ukip reignited calls for a ban on the burka in Britain, Egypt has now moved closer to banning the veil also known as the niqab. The full-face veil has long been associated with followers of Islam and typically covers all of the wearer’s face other than their eyes. Egypt, has placed several restrictions in recent years on wearing the niqab following a sharp rise in those wearing the full veil in the last decade. The ban would apply in public places and government buildings. Leading politicians argued the full-face veil is neither an Islamic tradition, nor required in the Koran. Member of Parliament Amna

Nosseir, also a member of Egypt’s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, revealed the niqab is instead a Jewish tradition. She insisted “the niqab is not an Islamic duty” and instead was “a part of Judaism”. She has argued that it is a tradition which appeared in the Arabian Peninsula prior to Islam and that a variety of Koran passages contradict its use. Dr Nosseir added that while the Koran calls for modest clothing and for women to cover their hair, the holy book does not ask for women to cover their faces. She told newspaper reporters: “We seek to spread moderate Islam. Wearing the niqab in public has raised concerns in the Egyptian streets in view of the hard circumstances the country is undergoing.” Parliamentarians in the Egypt Support Coalition, loyal to President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, said the push

for a ban is also based on religious and security grounds.

arguing the ban would “protect patients’ rights and interests.”

Concerns over security have followed a rise in militant attacks from Islamic extremists in recent months.

During the national election in

In January this year a court upheld the university’s ban. The University also banned nurses and doctors from wearing it in medical schools and in teaching hospitals,

October last year, women wearing niqab were told they needed to remove the full veil if they wished to vote, in order to be identified.

Wan ted: Goo d co o A k p s p cook . l y s@a n ow sian su nda

y.co .u

The Desi Kitchenâ&#x20AC;Ś coming to a screen soon.

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

COVER STORY

National Living Wage – Can small businesses afford it? The National Living Wage will be £7.20 an hour from April for workers aged 25 and over, rising to £9 by 2020.

Workers aged between 18 and 20 are currently entitled to at least £5.30 per hour while 16 and 17-year-olds have a minimum wage of £3.87 an hour.

The minimum wage will continue to function as before for those under 25.

Apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those in the first year of their apprenticeships have a minimum wage of £3.30 an hour.

by ITRAT BASHIR & Raheema Khan From April 2016, the rate of national living wage per hour will increase from £6.70 to £7.20 for workers aged 25 and older. While many households will be pleased with the news small businesses feel threatened by the news and many say they simply won’t be able to afford the increase. In order to survive according to a survey done by think-tank the Resolution Foundation and the CIPD nearly a fifth of companies say that they’re going to have to put prices up when the new national living wage, comes into force according to a major new study. The survey, which was conducted late last year asked more than 1,000 employers how they would cope with the new wage, which will legally require companies to pay all employees over 25 at least £7.20 per hour. It showed that when asked about how they would cope with the likely increases in their wage bills, 15 per cent of companies said that they would put prices up; a further 15 per cent said they’d be forced to make redundancies, or slow

recruitment; and 16 per cent said they’d trip bonuses and overtime given to staff. 22 per cent of respondents said they’d just have to accept lower profits, and most popular way of coping with the national living wage was to try and increase productivity. 30 per cent of employers said they will do this come April. Of the companies surveyed, 54 per cent said that the Chancellor’s new living wage would increase their total wage bill, with the worst affected industries being retail and hospitality, where 79 per cent and 77 per cent of companies said that wages would have to go up overall. Numerous companies have already complained that changes to the minimum employers can pay their staff will hurt their ability to make money. John Allan, National Chairman of the federation of small businesses told Asian Sunday, “Over half of our members already pay their staff above the voluntary Living Wage, but those that don’t are often operating in highly competitive sectors with very tight margins. In many of these industries, the only sustainable

way to deliver real long term wage growth is to improve productivity. Without improved productivity there is a real risk that higher enforced statutory wages will lead to fewer jobs being created, fewer hours for existing staff and, unfortunately in some cases, to job losses.”

Low Pay Commission continues to play a central role in setting the minimum wage – and that includes deviating from the Government’s plan to raise the National Living Wage to over £9 an hour by 2020,

if it becomes apparent that the economy cannot afford it.” Our business reporter Itrat Bashir spoke to small Asian businesses and found out what they had to say.

“When businesses that said they will be negatively impacted were asked how they will adapt to the new National Living Wage when it comes in, just over half (52 per cent) said they would put off hiring new staff while 50 per cent said they will raise their prices. “Other steps businesses plan to take to manage the higher wage level include: cutting staff hours (41 per cent), reducing staff numbers (31 per cent), cancelling or postponing planned investments (29 per cent) and eroding pay differentials by freezing or cutting the wages of higher paid staff (26 per cent). Almost a third of businesses owners expected to absorb the cost through reduced profits (29 per cent). “With the economy recovering it is right that employees should be rewarded with a pay rise – but we cannot allow wages to become a political football. It’s important that the independent

Sohail Muhammad who owns a pound shop in Dalston Kingsland, London said: “A raise of 50 pence in the national living wage is a big increase and definitely it will have a negative impact on my business. These days, sales are slow. With the depreciation of the pound, imported goods have become more costly. It goes without saying I will apply the new national living wage rate, but to compensate the rise in cost of doing business, I will have to reduce the hours of my staff. “I believe an increase of 30 pence would have been a decent and acceptable increase.”

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

COVER STORY

Tarluk Kapoor, owner of a food and wine store in Camden Town, London seemed to agree with Mr Muhammad, he said: “The increase in the national living wage will definitely cause problems for me and other small retailers. Profit margins are already low these days due to tough competition from high street stores that are open late in the night, and high business cost and tax rates. The raise of 50 pence will further shrink our profits.”

Azmat Rafique, however who owns a fast food outlet in Kentish Town London, disagrees. He told Asian Sunday: “I do not believe that the increase in the national living wage rate will have an impact on small businesses like ours. I am already paying well above the forthcoming minimum rate; on average a staff in the fast food outlets is earning minimum £7.50 per hour. Thus, there will be no impact on my business. It is hard to find staff for our business these days and hence we have to offer better salaries to attract people.” Amir Zaka, however an Accountant in Hackney, London agreed with Mr Muhammed in that the increase should have been no more than 30p. He said: “The impact is inevitable; a 70 pence raise in the rate of national living wage is huge for small businesses. Hiring of staff will become more expensive for small business owners who are already working on small profits. This will definitely escalate in cost of doing business. To absorb the impact, the small business owners will have to either slash staff or reduce their hours. I think an increase of 30 pence is more manageable.”

Abdul Ghafor, Owner of a grocery store, International Supermarket, at Kentish Town, London “The raise in the national living wage is unjustified under the prevailing business environment; the business is already slow these days. We are overburdened with high rates of taxes and duties and now we have to cope with new national minimum wage rate. “A 50 pence increase is not viable for us and we will be forced to run my shop without a staff. Big stores on the high streets have the capacity to apply the new rates, but small retailers like me will not be in a position to do so. Overwhelmingly, small retail businesses are owned by the Asians and thus they will be the hardest hit by the raise.”

In the northern part of England many business owners were reluctant to comment due to the difficult task of wanting to offer their staff a better living wage, but at the same time not putting pressure on their own business on the affordability of the additional business expenditure. Mr Saleem Kader, MD of Asian retailer Bombay Stores, Bradford who employ 70 people shared the view that although he is sympathetic to the government’s position and doesn’t disagree that people deserve a

pay increase overall, he believes the economy is not stable enough to have this much of an increase at once and that the planned increases to £9 an hour will be too much and have a large impact on small businesses. He explained: “Unless the government has a way of compensating businesses in the long term, the increase will definitely affect and cause damage to small businesses “Although I understand what the government is trying to do, personally I think it is too much too quickly. The increase

to £9 will have a large impact on small businesses. “Paying an experienced person the increased wage is fine, and many of our staff do earn that, but paying it to new and untrained people will be difficult. Are you a business owner and want to share your views on the government’s new national living wage which will be implemented from April? Drop us a line newsdesk@ asiansunday.co.uk or tweet us your thoughts to @AsianSundayNews

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

TECHNOLOGY

WhatsApp unveils five new features. The messaging App, WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook have just unveiled FIVE new features in their latest update this week. Here’s all you need to know about them. Iphone users can update straight from the App store now, whilst Android users can upgrade from Google’s playstore platform. The new version (officially called 2.12.15) brings in five new features that improves how you communicate with friends and family.

Enhanced photo sharing

Sending and receiving documents

Reduced storage space

Whatsapp’s latest update allows you to share share pictures from other apps installed on your phone. So photos from Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive can be shared by simply opening the ‘Photo/Video Library’ option while in WhatsApp and selecting ‘choose from another app…’.

This is a great update for those who are constantly on the go, as you will now be able to send PDF’s through your conversations. That’s right, you won’t need to email them separately anymore, making the whole experience quicker and simpler.

Memory is always an issue in our fast paced environments these days, which is what was a bug bear with many Whatsapp users in the past as the APP took up a lot of space on their smartphones.

WhatsApp users will be able to send and receive PDFs within their app, from other Apps such as iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive. The app will support documents of upto 100MB in size.

The company have now fixed the storage issues, confirming they have reduced the amount of space the app requires to function.

Making sharing much more easier

The option can be seen when you click on the arrow on the bottom left hand corner of your Whatsapp app. Videos

Block Backgrounds

Ever wished you could zoom into your video’s just like your photos. Well Whatsapp have come up with the answer because now you will be able to zoom in on videos playing in the app, in the same way.

Thanks to the new update, you’ll be able to replace the standard background with one of your choice. Whatsapp provides a variety of block colours to choose from, but you can just as easily choose your own one from your photo library. All you have to click on is ‘Settings’ in the App’s menu.

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Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

EVENTS

Tongues On Fire – London Asian Film Festival leaves audiences impressed! by Ayesha Babar London is a cinema-goer’s dream in many ways as cinemas here usually showcase a wide array of films from all parts of the world. There are, however, many pieces of great cinema that don’t get an opportunity to be showcased due to unsuitable release windows and sometimes because of budget constraints. Festivals like the Tongues on Fire then come as breath of fresh air bringing Asian cinema from across the greater Subcontinent and beyond to London. The Festival, which is now in its 18th consecutive year, started off last weekend with the gala premiere of ‘I am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced’ followed the next day by the world premiere of ‘Feast of Varanasi’. As

prominent members of the British Asian media and guests posed for photos on the red carpet, there was a sense of excitement in the air. Feast of Varanasi, directed by Rajan Kumar Patel and starring Tannishtha Chaterjee and Adil Hussain, in lead roles mixes crime and karma and presents itself as a taut thriller. The movie, with its powerful themes and cinematography captured the spirit of the town of Varanasi that is sacred to Hindus the world over. The Festival that culminates on Sunday with the screening of ‘Waiting’ starring Naseeruddin Shah and Kalki Koechlin and an awards ceremony has made special efforts to cater to the taste of all kinds of audiences. Geographically too, there were selections from Pakistan (Manto and Moor, both sold out and extremely well-

received by audiences), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh as well as India. A very special note has to be made of the selection committee that have tried to mix the old and the new – a balance that is not easy to achieve for a film festival that needs to be commercially viable. On one hand, films like Manto provide much needed exposure to first time film directors while on the other Aligarh is a celebration of the talent of veterans like Hansal Mehta and Manoj Bajpai and Indian National Award winner Rajkummar Rao. ‘This year our cinema screens will be buzzing with a plethora of new stories to be showcased. A lot of effort, love and care has gone in to nurturing our Film Festival ‘baby’. 2016 marks its 18th birthday and its journey into adulthood, having been fed with vision, inspiration and determination to educate it with

intriguing stories to help it grow. In keeping with this growth, this year we have expanded our definition of Asia to include films from Yemen and Nepal, while selecting some of the talented filmmakers from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and also diaspora Asians to showcase their work’, Festival Director, Dr Pushpinder CHowdhry said as she welcomes audiences. The response from audiences throughout the week has been phenomenal; and it was not just people with roots in Asia that had come to share the cinematic experiences. There was one thing they all had in common though – the love for good cinema and an appreciation of the arts. ‘I had no idea there was so much happening in the Asian film

circuit – we mostly get to see the mainstream productions but it is really great to see the that there is another side and that this other side is thriving!’ said Amanda, post the screening of Aligarh on Wednesday. Tongues on Fire coincided with Internal Women’s Day this year and in keeping with the spirit, Dr Chowdhry dedicated this year’s edition to the women who are making a difference. ‘Strong and fearless females have always been at the core of our festival; we look forward to welcoming, celebrating, and inspiring them once again!’ Here’s wishing that the tradition continues and we already cannot wait for Tongues of Fire to be back on an even bigger scale next year!

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

EVENTS

Guests in attendance at the opening night of the London Asian Film Festival, showcasing Feast of Varanasi

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

FEATURE

Rich Mix holds ‘Freedom Week’ to th mark 45 anniversary of Bangladesh’s Independence by ITRAT BASHIR Rich Mix, East London’s independent arts venue, will celebrate the 45th anniversary of Bangladesh’s Independence by organising ‘Freedom Week’ between March 25 and April 2. According to a Rich Mix spokesperson, the Freedom Week will display some of the most exciting, cutting edge and thought-provoking contemporary artists working in the UK, Bangladesh and beyond. Building on the enormous success of last years’ festival, Rich Mix sets out to entertain and delight audiences as well as encourage topical debate and discussion. The celebration will include live music from popular group OitijJo, a powerful female British group of singers, including Sara Saeed, Gouri Chowdhury and Sohini Alam of Khiyo. Renowned artists Lucy Rahman will join Amina Khayyam in an event

dedicated to the famous poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and powerful vocalist Bishi will present ‘A Vocal Odyssey’ as part of the celebrations. The traditional musical movements of Baul and Vaishnavism will be enjoyed in full at the Bengali Baul and Vaishnav Music Festival and the Satyen Sen School of Performing Arts will present a tribute to the legendary Indian composer Salil Chowdhury. On the threat side, ‘Goodnight Ma’, produced by Leeza Gazi and who also stars in the play, will be shown. The play explores the relationship between two Bengali women, a mother and a daughter, who are forced to face their own insecurities when a fatal truth is revealed. Meanwhile, Poet in the City will celebrate the best in contemporary British Bangladeshi poetry, and based on the lives of real people in Bangladesh, MADE (produced by Target

Satyen Sen School of Performing Arts

Rich Mix Theatre Company) will explore the parallels between the east and the west, and how our need for cheap clothing affects millions of people on the other side of the world. In connection with the independence celebrations, a photo exhibition will be held. Looking at the theme of garment factory workers, photo-exhibition ‘Unfurling Bangladesh: The

Picture Through Her Eyes’ by social enterprise Lensational will showcase elements of the reality seen through the eyes of the surfer girls of Cox’s Bazaar and garment factory workers in Dhaka, images captured through a series of participatory photography projects. The work of photographer Shimu Rahman will be also exhibited, who will be visiting to give an

Unfurling bangladesh

insight into one of his long term photography projects, ‘Life in Tea Garden in Bangladesh’. All events take place at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green, London, with tickets available at www.richmix. org.uk. Rich Mix is a charity and social enterprise that offers live music, film, dance, theatre, comedy, spoken word and a range of creative activities for people of all ages and all cultures.

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Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

HEALTH

The hidden condition which affects 10m people causing crippling pain and disability by Alison Bellamy It is often hereditary, can creep up very slowly as a result of wear and tear, or can even strike at a very young age after an infection or injury - all with differing severity. An estimated 10 million people in the UK live with some form of arthritis. It is the most common cause of pain and disability in the UK and can affect people of all ages, not just older folk. Arthritis means ‘inflammation of the joints’. Inflammation is part of the body’s normal healing process after injury, just like the healing of a cut or bruise. If inflammation in the joints becomes extreme, it can cause pain, stiffness and swelling. People often ignore aches and pains, and as it slowly gets worse, it can often be a long time before people go to their GP for advice. There is no single cause and it can be linked to genetics, gender, age or an injury to a joint or even an infection can trigger it.

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Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

HEALTH Lifestyle also has to be taken into account as obesity and alcohol can trigger gout and smoking may be linked to rheumatoid arthritis. Simple, regular exercises and stretching can help alleviate pain, especially after you reach the age of 40. Sitting in an office all day, for example, without much movement, could encourage pinched shoulders and stiff joints. Dr Wendy Holden, who is medical advisor to UK charity Arthritis Action, says the condition can often lead to depression so it is essential to take time for a positive approach and open mind. “Tai Chi can help with the symptoms of osteoarthritis – at least as much as standard physical therapy and sometimes more,” she said. “It can be safely performed at any age and is a very slow and low impact exercise which won’t put any stress on painful joints. No special equipment is needed and it can be done in a small space indoors or outdoors, alone or in a group. People with arthritis should always seek medical advice before starting a new form of exercise and find an experienced instructor.” She said Tai Chi had also been shown to improve flexibility and reduce pain in the hips, knees and ankles for those with rheumatoid arthritis. It has also been found to reduce stress if done in a group and can improve confidence and help reduce isolation. Dr Holden said the most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, commonly known as ‘wear and tear’ which often affects people as they get older. This can often lead to hip and knee replacements when the pain becomes impossible to manage and mobility is affected. The next most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis where the immune system attacks the joints, and gout which is caused by uric acid crystals in the joints. Rheumatoid

arthritis and gout are two types of ‘inflammatory arthritis’ which has a degenerative process that can destroy joints and bones. There are many other forms of inflammatory arthritis including psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. There is currently no cure, but research is ongoing to find a breakthrough. Trials are taking place on medication that could provide relief from crippling pain and joint damage on rheumatoid arthritis patients, for up to a year. Arthritis Action, a UK arthritis charity founded in 1942, believes that self-management techniques help people with arthritis to take control of their lives and therefore improve their symptoms and condition. The charity advises that people need to help themselves to live well. A spokeswoman said:

“Self-management can help decrease pain, reduce mobility, thereby reducing the need for pain medication. There is ample scientific evidence suggesting that changes in diet and lifestyle can really help. We encourage a holistic approach to coping and are encouraged to look at their diet, weight, exercise, well-being and pain management.” She added that caring for a close family member with arthritis can be demanding. The condition can make a person feel vulnerable and they can become reliant on others, unable to carry out basic tasks, such as washing, dressing and preparing food. Some find their condition hard to accept and it can. At times, dominate their life. There are many types of arthritis but the things they have in common are pain, restricted mobility and fatigue. Experts say it is essential to have coping mechanisms and a positive approach. More details at www. arthritisaction.org.uk

Most common types of arthritis include:

•

Osteoarthritis or ‘wear and tear’ arthritis

•

Rheumatoid arthritis

•

Gout

•

Ankylosing spondylitis

•

Psoriatic arthritis (can affect people who have skin condition psoriasis)

Osteomalacia is a type of arthritis which can affect people of south Asian origin. Anyone who is lacking vitamin D is likely to develop osteomalacia. Although we can get vitamin D from foods, most of our supply of vitamin D is produced by the body itself when cholesterol is converted to vitamin D through sunshine on the skin. Those most at risk are often older people who aren’t able to get outside if they are frail or ill in daylight, or wearing clothing which covers their whole body, stopping any sun getting through, especially in less sunny countries. It appears that some people from the Indian sub-continent and surrounding region are particularly at risk of osteomalacia. This may be due to women wearing clothes which cover their whole body, such as a burka plus the fact that some foods commonly used in Asian diets are low in vitamin D, for example it is thought that some types of chapatti flour may prevent the normal absorption of calcium from the stomach. Also many people from the same region are lactose intolerant, or allergic to dairy products, so they may not be absorbing enough calcium.

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Mrs Rozina Samarkand, 62, from the East Midlands, enjoyed looking after her two grandchildren and after a busy day would put her feet up and ignore her aching knee and legs, thinking it was caused by running after the children in the garden and lifting them into high chairs. She left it for many months until the pain became unbearable. She took painkillers and bought antiinflammatory gels, but suffered sleepless nights and the pain became so bad that she needed to borrow a stick just to hobble around her kitchen. When she eventually went to see her GP, after much persuasion by her close family members, she could barely walk, but had felt guilty as she was looking after her son’s young children and know he would be stuck if she was not available. Mrs Samarkand was sent for an x-ray and it was not her knee, but her hip that was the main problem and had been affecting her balance, putting pressure on her knee. Arthritis was diagnosed but then told she needed a hip replacement, not just in one hip, but both, as they were ‘wearing away’. She was told by doctors if she didn’t have the hip replacement operations, she would be left disabled in a wheelchair, unable to walk. The operations were done under local anaesthetic and an epidural, meaning she was awake, putting less stress on her body and organs with a general anaesthetic. They were carried out with a six month break in between, giving her time to recover. She is now back on her feet and regular exercise is vital to keep her moving and in good health. She says she is delighted to be able to go to the local park with her family once again.

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ASIAN SUNDAY

Issue 18

GHAP SHAP with Dr Rami Ranger

As prominent British Asian businessman, Dr Rami Ranger CBE has become an icon for many inspiring young entrepreneurs who emulate him in becoming a successful enterpriser. Born in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan) and a son of an independence movement leader, Dr Ranger came to the UK to study law in 1971, but destiny had other plans in store for him. Shortage of funds made him abandon his studies and started working at KFC. Hard work and dedication raised

Dr Rami Ranger

him to district manager of KFC, but unfortunately after seven years he was made redundant. In 1987, he decided to start his own business and launched a logistic company, Sea Air and Land Forwarding Limited with no money, and as they say the rest is history. Rami is also now the chairman and founder of fast-moving consumer goods export company, Sun Mark Limited, which exports British supermarket products to over 120 countries worldwide. Sun Mark is

the only company to be awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise for International Trade for five consecutive years. In recognition of his services to business and the Asian community, Dr Ranger was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 (MBE) and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2016. The passionate and hardworking businessman has a soft spot for

youth aspiring to become successful entrepreneurs. In them, he sees shades of his own long journey to success and thus is keen to help by sharing his experiences with them. To assist students and graduates aspiring to become entrepreneurs, he donated ÂŁ250,000 to set up Dr Rami Ranger CBE Centre for Graduate Entrepreneurship at the London Southbank University. Alongside the opening of the Centre, Dr Ranger established a fund to support enterprise excellence at LSBU, which enables the university to

ASIAN SUNDAY Issue 18

ventures. I also give talks to students so that they could learn from my experience.”

Wars only bring destruction that India and Pakistan, for that matter any country, cannot afford, and thus the leaders of the Subcontinent should show prudence by engaging in peace initiatives. support students and recent alumni to develop their enterprise skills and achieve their entrepreneurial potential. “Since my journey started from a humble background and on the way to success I was helped by many friends, I felt it was a time to give something back to aspiring youth who might be in a similar situation that I faced. Thus, the centre was set up, which offers a small amount of money to youth to set up their

He has a clear message for the young enterprisers; they should adopt five principles that will bring success to them: self-respect, work ethic, commitment, vision and empathy. “These very principles transformed me from an ordinary person with a humble background to a successful entrepreneur. You don’t need a rich father or an elite education to be successful,” he said. He is closely following the Mayor of London elections, which he is finding an interesting race. “We need a person in control of the British capital who can promote business activities in the city.” Seeing London as a unique and world-renowned city of excellence, he feels the city deserves to become a citadel of business. “We need policies that attract business to the capital, which will generate wealth and jobs,” he added. He expects the future Mayor to ensure that Londoners are not heavily taxed; London has already become an expensive place to live in. He believed by further bulging the social package, London will become unviable to live or do business. “Hence, it is imperative that taxes and business rates are kept low. The new Mayor should formulate policies that make London an attractive place for foreign investment,” he added. On the burning issue of immigration, Dr Ranger believed that a balanced approach should be adopted in the matter; ‘Excess of anything is bad for you and thus the excess of immigration is not in the interest of the nation’. He said immigration should be permitted to the point that it is sustainable; the need to ensure that the existing socio-economic infrastructure can handle the immigrants. “The government should allow immigration in a controlled environment, granting visas only to those who can meet the skill shortage in the UK. No unskilled person should be permitted to enter, in order to maintain the existing level of wages in the UK.” Dr Ranger is also the co-founder and chairman of the Pakistan, India and UK Friendship Forum. He has a strong conviction for a peace between the two rival countries, India

Immigration should be permitted to the point that it is sustainable; the need to ensure that the existing socioeconomic infrastructure can handle the immigrants. and Pakistan. “It is important for the leaders of the two countries to improve bilateral relations to bring prosperity to their nations,” he said. According to him, wars only bring destruction that India and Pakistan, for that matter any country, cannot

afford, and thus the leaders of the Subcontinent should show prudence by engaging in peace initiatives. The money being spent on military expansions could be used for poverty alleviation and education. Trade and tourism are two huge potentials that could benefit both India and Pakistan.

ASIAN SUNDAY

OPINION

believed to be from the Church and were therefore the word of God.

Hello everyone! I am back with my thoughtprovoking health series for the Asian Sunday. My columns are designed to explore topics, start a conversation and touch on real life issues that affect every community. The series is not designed to take the place of medical advice and if you do have any concerns of that nature then you should, as always seek advice from your doctor. So this week it’s a tough one: medicine and religion. Quite a broad, and some would say sensitive, topic. Perhaps there is not enough space in this column to talk about this completely; however I’ll try my best to start the conversation. Many of us follow a faith whether it is Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc. But how does our faith influence our views on medicine and vice versa? Should faith have a role to play in the quest to better our health? Historically, we have seen medicine clearly influenced by religion. Back in Ancient Egypt, people learnt about body organs through spiritual processes such as mummification. This was designed to aid the preservation of the body for the afterlife, rather than conduct scientific research. Looking onwards to the Middle Ages, many medical care facilities were run by monasteries. In Medieval times it was believed by many in England that God sent illness, and the Church encouraged repenting as the cure. Monk’s historic ideas at the time were unquestioned as they were

Doctors may not be clerics or spiritual advisors, but the diverse community in which we live undeniably has spiritual needs. So do we tap into them as we should and how does this affect the patient experience? A doctor would not be in safe territory prescribing religion, but many would say that (although there is little clear-cut evidence) there is a link between undertaking spiritual activities and improved health. Undoubtedly, spirituality and faith come as part and parcel of many people lives, and their beliefs may encourage their thinking. This is where I must clearly differentiate religion from culture. In an article I wrote a couple of editions ago, I spoke about the use of herbal remedies and how they are influenced by cultural beliefs. Faith is very different however. Let me give you an example. If a Muslim is travelling to Hajj, which is a holy pilgrimage in Makkah in Saudi Arabia – are there any health risks? Well of course there are, and that is why people are vaccinated and given robust advice by their doctors. People travel from all over the world en masse and collect, and we have seen the emergence of a respiratory virus in recent years. So if someone of faith or let’s say a ‘spiritual’ person falls ill, how would their faith affect them? Well that is the question I am posing to you. I would argue that if a person’s belief system helps them feel better and improves their ‘spirit’, then that can only be a positive thing. Many Western laws have derived from Christianity, and we know what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’ – which is clearly reflected in law. For example, stealing is a crime in religion as it is in reality. That is religion and law, so does the same relationship hold true for religion and health? I think that here the relationship is far more

complex and extends to well beyond whether a Jehovah’s Witness can accept a blood transfusion or not. Somebody once said to me that religion and science don’t mix. Let me pause there and reflect on that statement, as I believe it is grossly incorrect. I would argue that religion, spirituality and science mix very well. They should be given their own merits, and acted upon appropriately. For example, it would not be correct for a doctor to prescribe a patient The Lord’s Prayer once a day for a toe infection – but it may comfort the patient to pray if he or she feels that helps their condition. Doctors are medical practitioners, but patients may be spiritual practitioners, meaning that medicine and spirituality may inevitably combine in order to have a positive effect on that person’s health. This includes their physical and importantly, their psychological well-being. Historically medicine has stood hand-in-hand with religion and been heavily influenced by large institutions such as the Church. As science has advanced however, and evidence-based medicine has emerged – the human race has not changed drastically regarding how we meet our spiritual needs. But is there more than we can do? Can you think of anything? One size does not fit all, and if you are uncertain about any health needs that you have – talk to your doctor. I hope that leaves you with some questions, and some of which only you may have the answers. Reflect and enjoy the journey! You can follow my Twitter feed on @Faraaz_Bhatti and let’s talk about important health issues. If you would like me to discuss any specific issue or get a conversation going then feel free to let me know.

Many Western laws have derived from Christianity, and we know what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’ – which is clearly reflected in law. For example, stealing is a crime in religion as it is in reality. That is religion and law, so does the same relationship hold true for religion and health? I think that here the relationship is far more complex and extends to well beyond whether a Jehovah’s Witness can accept a blood transfusion or not.

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

Feature

How family love and duty can turn to violence and even murder Today the Asian Sunday is appealing to anyone suffering from ‘honour’ related abuse to speak out and find help by Alison Bellamy A hard hitting new drama, inspired by brutal honour killings in the UK, has been made in the name of victims and the fight for justice.

Extreme violence, threats, rape and in the worst cases, murder awaits those who break family honour or ‘izzat’ by refusing to take part in a forced marriage, with responsibility often at the hands of their closest family members.

Now BBC Three’s factual-based drama Murdered By My Father, is due to air online later this month and is inspired by real life events. This mix of thriller and romance has been written by young British

BBC’s upcoming drama stars Adeel Ahktar, Kiran Sonia Sawar and Mawaan Rizwan

writer Vinay Patel and ‘bores into the psychology of this hideous crime’, telling the story of the socalled ‘honour’ killing of a 17-yearold girl by her father, in a riveting exploration of how family love and duty can be turned to violence and

murder. Focusing on the bonds of love and grief uniting a daughter with her widower father, as well as his need to control her burgeoning teenage wish for freedom, writer

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

Feature Patel examines this shocking, but surprisingly prevalent crime. His script is based on the testimonies of a range of individuals as well as charities and institutions set up to deal with the problem of ‘honour’ based violence. It tells how a teenage girl’s crime was to fall in love with the wrong boy, and like hundreds of thousands of teenagers across the country, she was constantly in fear of having her tiny acts of deception and rebellion unmasked by her parents. Patel, from London, said: “It’s a subject that, to me, feels familiar in the ether but not necessarily examined properly and whilst I’m proud to have the opportunity to do that, I moreover recognise the massive responsibility that comes with it.” The heart-wrenching story about the destructive power of love has shadows of a brutal Romeo and Juliet story for a multicultural Britain. Starring Adeel Ahktar and Kiran Sonia Sawar, it airs just months before first ever national memorial day for victims of honour killings, to be held on July 14, 2016. Marco Crivellari, development producer, said: “It is a drama about honour killing as it happens, and continues to happen, in the real

world. The girls who are killed for honour - and the victims are far more likely to be women than men – come from a range of communities, ethnicities and religions. They are our friends, our colleagues, our schoolmates – their deaths concern all of us, and we have to understand why they happen. “And it happens a lot – more than any of us involved in the filming ever imagined. Nearly 12,000 cases of ‘honourbased’ violence have been reported in the UK since 2010, including abductions, beatings and an estimated 60 murders – only estimated, because many of the victims of honour-based crime simply disappear on ‘holidays’ to distant homelands that they may never even have seen before.

Those suffering must speak out. It shocks me that forced marriage and honour abuse still exist here in the UK, in a westernised society.

“We all felt a heavy weight of responsibility to those women as we made this film. They were British girls desperate to resolve the contradictions between the morality of their home – the home they grew up in, Britain – and the morality of a place their parents left behind. It’s awful even to try to imagine the anguish and the terror they must have felt in their last moments, as the people they loved most took their lives from them.” “The film we’ve made is for them, and we only hope that it does them some justice.” An estimated 5,000 women across the world are killed each year for bringing ‘shame’ upon their families; at least 12 of these victims are British, but the true figure is thought to be higher. A new law introduced means that forcing a marriage is now a criminal offence, and can mean up to 7 years in prison.

The film we’ve made is for them, and we only hope that it does them some justice.

It is shocking that the average age of those responsible is just 22 years old, with uncles, brothers or male relatives taking over as ‘head of the family’, especially where the father is absent. More prosecutions are happening as the victims, mainly young women, get support from charities such as the Halo Project, Karma Nirvana and Ashiana. On the upside British authorities, including the police, are training in how to deal with ‘forced marriage’. One area where the crime is prevalent is West Yorkshire, in cities like Bradford and Leeds, where police saw an increase in reported incidents related to forced marriage between 2014 and 2015, with 252 reports in 2015 compared

to 234 in 2014. During 2015, 47 crimes were recorded for a variety of offences and 29 Forced Marriage Protection Orders put in place. Sadly, the thorny issue only ever hits the headlines when there is a tragedy, like the horrific murder of Shafilea Ahmed, 17, who was found dead in a river in Cumbria in 2004, 70 miles from her family home in Warrington. Her parents Iftikhar and Farzana Ahmed were charged with her murder after they suffocated her, and are now serving 25 years in prison.

punished very severely,” Sharif said. “Changing the law is something that needs to be done at the earliest possibility.” See the trailer here for Murdered by My Father at www.bbc.co.uk/ mediacentre/latestnews/2016/ murdered-by-my-father-cast

I went to my grandmother’s room and started crying. I asked my gran to tell my mother to stop, but she said she did not know what to do. I approached my father but he said it was the right age for me to get married. I went to my aunties and they refused to help, instead telling me how happy I would be after

“Those suffering must speak out. It shocks me that forced marriage and honour abuse still exist here in the UK, in a westernised society.

“People are afraid and do not want to go against their families, if they do, they fear they will lose everything, and they probably will. Khan explains that suicide rates among Black Minority Ethnic women are also higher than the white British woman: “Often they see no alternative but to end their lives. The Pakistani Prime Minister has promised a tougher stance, recently pledging to help change the law. Nawaz Sharif said perpetrators of so-called honour killings must not be allowed to be forgiven by family members, in a challenge to sharia laws that could trigger a confrontation with religious conservatives. “This is totally against Islam and anyone who does this must be

The UK Government’s Forced Marriage Unit is on Facebook under Forced Marriage Unit or call 020 7008 0151.

people were wearing clothes as if going to a wedding. I asked what was happening and my mother told me to go and get ready as I was getting married.

Asian Sunday spoke to Yasmin Khan, founder of the Halo Project. She said:

“The abuse remains hidden but crimes being committed are horrendous and done in the name of ‘honour. If someone goes missing and is not reported missing by her family, who may be responsible anyway, then who actually cares?

Support and advice from www. haloproject.org.uk or www. karmanirvana.org.uk or www. ashianasheffield.org

Noreen Iqbal, who is now 18, sought help from Sheffield based charity Ashiana. She said: “When I was 16, my mum told me that my grandmother was very ill in Pakistan and that she wanted to see me. I loved my mother so much and could not say no to her and decided to go to Pakistan. I was so happy that I was going to see my father’s homeland. I never thought that the two most trustworthy people in my life would deceive me. When I arrived I was shocked to find my grandmother was healthy. I asked why and my mum said that she had recovered. I felt very strange when lots of people were visiting us giving me funny looks. I felt something was going on but I did not know what it was. Then one day, a lot of relatives came to my grandmother’s house. They were all happy. The women were cooking food and most

the marriage. I did not know which one of my cousins I was marrying, but they were all praising him. I begged my mother to stop it, saying I was too young to get married, but she did not listen and made me marry a stranger. After the marriage I stayed in Pakistan for six months. I told my husband to send me to the UK and then I would arrange his sponsor. He agreed but when I arrived back in the UK, I started to hate my mother and did everything I could, to upset her because she ruined my life. Then my mother started abusing me and forced me to call my husband which I did not want to do. I decided to leave my parents and went to Ashiana for help. I received counselling and applied for an Islamic divorce. I feel a lot stronger now and I am now rebuilding my life and looking into a career in beauty therapy.”

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Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

INTERVIEW

Colourful conversations with children’s book author

Shweta Aggarwal British Indian author Shweta Aggarwal created her children’s book series Dev and Ollie following a ‘lightbulb’ moment at a festival in Watford, England. After visiting the Indian cultural festival, Shweta was inspired by the culture, colour, noise and excitement – which, as she says, “are all perfect ingredients for children’s stories with a universal appeal.” Having grown up in Japan and now living in England, Shweta has had a diverse upbringing. Describing herself as a ‘Global Citizen,’ she has gained a wealth of experience from travelling around the world. Realising that reading can be made more fun if children could relate to characters in a book, Shweta began working on her own series, Dev and Ollie. The series features lead characters Dev, a cheeky, curious and sometimes clumsy boy and Ollie, his magical bedtime, cuddly owl. The first book in the series, Dev and Ollie: Kite Crazy is based on one of Shweta’s most memorable experiences in Gujarat, India. After attending the annual kite flying festival in India, holding a party on the rooftops, competing against the neighbours, Shweta became inspired by the culture and merriment of the event. Shweta’s latest release in the series, Dev and Ollie: Colour Carnival teaches children about the famous Hindu festival of colour, Holi. Full of colourful and charming illustrations, the story is aimed at children of all ages, teaching them the key elements of one of India’s most celebrated

festivals. We caught up with the mum of two to tell us more about herself and of course about Dev and Ollie Tell us how long it took you to bring out your first series of Dev and Ollie – Kite Crazy How long was that in the making? Shweta: So, from the time I started exploring the entire idea and went on kind of a couple of writing courses at the time, I managed to launch ‘Kite Crazy’ last year in March – that time period itself took me about two years. That was just creating the concept, all the research behind it, the courses, everything together. Where did the character names derive from? Because Dev is obviously a traditional Indian name, but Ollie isn’t – what gave you the inspiration for those particular names and those particular characters? I wanted to create kind of like, modern characters and modern names that children of this generation can relate to. And of course I was very keen to have a multicultural Asian character as the main protagonist, i.e. Dev. So his personality is in fact mostly my son’s personality! Because when I started exploring the idea of writing, my children were about 4 and 7 – no in fact younger I think, 4 and 6 sorry. And my son, being 4, watching him and seeing his personality was perfect for me to just kind of derive certain

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

INTERVIEW Because kids love Owls! And Ollie was a short and punchy modern name for an owl. And then Dev and Ollie put together just sounded good, it sounded nice and easy and had a nice ring to it. elements of his personality and create Dev. And then Ollie, I think the first name that popped into my head was an Owl which I immediately thought of ‘Ollie’ How interesting Because kids love Owls! And Ollie was a short and punchy modern name for an owl. And then Dev and Ollie put together just sounded good, it sounded nice and easy and had a nice ring to it. Your first series is all about kite flying – tell us a little bit about that, I understand a lot of that has come from your experiences in Gujaraat in India and they do have an annual kite flying festival. How did you incorporate that with modern, British values and appeal to a local British audience? I think I started off with the actual experience itself and

going back, digging deep within my memories. I remember all the things that we’d done like piles of kites on the roof terrace and flying kites all day and all the way into dusk, and all the kite matches and kite fighting there when you cut somebody’s kite string. And then I realised, when I started speaking to quite a few children here and in fact my own children, I realised that we haven’t actually flown a kite with them before. And when I started talking to their friends, and asking them ‘hey guys, have you flown a kite before?’ they were saying ‘no we haven’t!’ So I said ‘do you know what kite flying is?’ and I was quite surprised that not many children fly kites – and I don’t know if it’s just with the weather in the country, or it’s just something that has faded away with time in terms of the fad. We’ve all got ipads and tablets now haven’t we! Yeah, it just saddens me that children now are more

engrossed in an ipad and less keen to do outdoor activities, and so seeing that as well was one of my messages in the book, implicitly, that it’s great to go outdoors and it’s great to be out there and enjoy things that actually you may not have thought about. Like I started off with saying that Dev receives a kite for his birthday, and that was his favourite present. That’s lovely. And that’s good, because it’s obviously got a message in there as well for young people. Everything sounds great about the book, so how has the response been? Have people come back to you and given you feedback? Yes, I mean I’ve had amazing amazing responses, even today and just yesterday in fact I got an email from a mother saying it was amazing to read this book because my son looks like Dev and he’s just like Dev, he’s mischievous and cheeky and he loves football, and he also has a great bond with his grandfather (who is one of the key characters in the book). And there are all the reviews that I read on Amazon every now and then, and more emails that I get from parents. I got a lovely fan mail from somebody in Switzerland! So it’s really heart-warming, it’s reaching out, and I’ve got – there was a parent who bought ten copies over Christmas so that they could gift them to family in South Africa. And then I heard back from her and she said I took the book there and they all loved it and can I reserve ten copies of colour carnival? Which is the next book. So it’s so lovely to see that actually there is a big, big audience out there that are really appreciating Dev and Ollie. Would you ever bring faith into any of your stories? Obviously I was reading about the festival of Holi

which is going to be in your second series which is also a religious festival for Hinduism. Is that something which will be touched upon in your storytelling? Erm, I’m going to try and keep away from preaching any faith or even touching upon any faith as such, so in Colour Carnival for example I was very careful not to kind of discuss within the plot why we celebrate Holi and the mythology of it. Firstly because it’s quite dark, it’s a dark story and the history behind Holi, I’m not sure if you’re aware, it all started off with a king who believed he was the most powerful king on earth and he actually used to get really upset with his son praying to God and not him. So when his son refused to pray to a human and idolise his father, he ordered his own son to be killed by his sister and this happened twice, and when the sister sat on this bonfire thing that she had, of course

God saved this little boy Palad and she actually did get burnt and Palad was saved. That’s how the bonfire, holy bonfire started, and then the next day you play with colours. So I didn’t really touch upon the mythology about it about the king and the god and all that, I just touched upon the cultural aspect of the festival not the religious aspect. I think the reason that I would like to keep it that way is so that the book can then appeal to a broader audience, not just Asians. So they can learn. I mean it would be my dream for any child, whether they are British or American or Chinese or Afro-Carribean to pick up the book and enjoy it. And for their parents to want to share that book with them because it’s not about faith, it’s about a fun cultural experience. That’s wonderful, we wish you all the best with Dev and Ollie.

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Poli

London Mayoral Elections

Front runners: The aristocratic son of a billionaire and the working-class son of an immigrant by ITRAT BASHIR The London Mayoral race is nearing its finishing line, with Londoners soon heading to the polls on 5th May to decide the replacement of incumbent Boris Jonson. A clear contest between two frontrunners of the race has emerged: between Goldsmith, the aristocratic son of a billionaire for the Tories, and Khan, the working-class son of an immigrant for Labour. In the last survey carried out by YouGov for LBC-Radio in January, the Labour candidate Sadiq Khan was narrowly leading the race, closely followed by Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrats’ Caroline Pidgeon and Sian Berry of the Green Party were lagging behind. Political pundits see the main contest between the Labour and Tory candidates, as supported by

the recent poll. Housing issues and high living costs in London are the main themes of both Khan and Goldsmith’s election campaigns, and both are keen to tackle air pollution and education problems as well. Responding to questions posed by Asian Sunday, the Tory candidate acknowledged the housing problem in London. Goldsmith believes that ‘too many Londoners are being priced out of home ownership […] Yet the very forces which make London such a great place to grow a business or start a career, are also pushing people out.” He believes that urgent action is needed now to stop Londoners being locked out of their own city. “As Mayor, I will start to fix our housing crisis by doubling housebuilding to 50,000 a year by 2020. I will do this by ensuring that any land with housing potential has the transport links it needs to be viable for development, cracking

down on land banking and ensuring that we make the best possible use of all of the public sector land dotted around the city,” he added. Khan also had similar views in the matter and expressed that although he believes London is the greatest city in the world, it currently stands at a crossroads. “Londoners are being priced out of our city by the Tory housing crisis and the cost of commuting,” he added. According to him, as Mayor, tackling the housing crisis will be his number one priority. To improve standards in the private rented sector, he will create a London-wide, not-for-profit lettings agency, making renting more affordable and secure for tenants, offering leases of up to three years while offering a better and more reliable deal for landlords. It will tackle rip-off letting fees by only charging renters the true administration

costs. He also pledged to build homes that will be available at the London Living Rent, a new form of tenancy to help people on average incomes who cannot afford to buy. “With rent based on a third of local average income, rather than the market, London Living Rent homes will give Londoners the chance to save for a deposit.” Pidgeon of the Liberal Democrats pledged to build 200,000 new homes over the next four years, of which 50,000 will be available for rent at council house rent levels. “We also need to crack down on rogue landlords who rip off private tenants by extending mandatory registration and offering long tenancies, curbing unfair letting agent fees and give tenants extra rights when landlords sell up,” she added. Green Party candidate Berry proposes to tackle the housing crisis by stopping estate

demolitions and organising private tenants into a London Renters Union. “A not-for-profit housing company will be set up to help Londoners take the lead on building homes and regenerating estates. Also, funds from the City Hall and public land will be used to create a new co-operative sector and we will shake up the rental sector by capping rent rises,” she says. On the business front, the Conservatives have always had a good footing in the business community, but the Labour is working hard to portray a business-friendly face. Khan is determined to be a pro-business Mayor: “Our competitiveness is the key to our prosperity, and supporting our businesses to grow is a key task for the Mayor of London,” he says. As Mayor, he plans to work in partnership with businesses to deliver solutions to the challenges that hold growth back. He also

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itics Meet the Candidates

Sadiq Khan Labour

aims to support the provision of small business premises and commercial developments through the London Plan, use procurement to support small business and provide live-work units as part of his affordable housing programme. Khan also pledges to create a Business Advisory Board, made up of experts, not political allies and work with Mayoral bodies, boroughs and business to improve the use and sharing of data. On the other hand, Goldsmith said that London boasts almost a million businesses, yet all too often they get ‘lumped together’ by politicians, with no consideration of the difference between a sole trader and a global bank. Start-ups and more established firms have different needs, both of which he plans to address individually. According to Goldsmith, the most important thing a candidate can do is go and talk to real businesses and listen to what they say. He has seemingly met with everyone from independent shops, to entrepreneurs at Tech City, to the big advocacy groups. They are all very clear that they want a competent mayor with a clear plan, who can work with the government to get things done.

Sian berry Green Party

“London businesses should be extremely confident about their future. People around the world want to invest in this fantastic city. So as well as representing them here in the UK, a key part of my role will travel the world, banging the drum for London business,” he added. Both Khan and Goldsmith showed positivity regarding the troubles faced by curry houses in the UK. They understood the need for skilled staff by the London businesses and it needs to be addressed. Khan said, “As Mayor I will launch a food strategy which will look at a number of things: how to boost London’s food economy and support food entrepreneurs, including curry houses; the importance of food and the food economy in local communities; and how to use policy on food to improve public health.” According to him, curry houses make a massive contribution to London’s economy and also add to the vibrancy to this city, people from all over London flock to streets like Brick Lane to enjoy the work of great chefs from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. It is important that we create an environment for this to flourish. He showed readiness to use his role as Mayor to lobby central government so that people with

Zac Goldsmith Conservative

the skills our city needs are allowed to enter the country. Goldsmith also acknowledged that at times, businesses may need access to exceptional international talent. “There’s a balance to be struck, but clearly London’s businesses, big and small, need to be able to attract the brightest and the best from overseas, and as Mayor I will ensure that Government recognises that need,” he added. On education, the Tory candidate is of the firm view that the provision of new school places must keep up with London’s exponential growth to ensure this success is sustained. “From 2019 the Mayor will gain control of the adult skills budget. I will ensure funding is channeled into the skills London urgently needs to thrive, closing the London skills gap in engineering, construction, sciences, creative media and arts, financial services and the digital economy.” The Labour candidate sees the growing school places crisis in London as becoming critical, which needs to be addressed immediately. As Mayor, he intends to establish a School Places Forum to take the lead in coordinating and planning London’s response to increasing pressure. “By bringing together specialists from the boroughs,

GeorGe Galloway

caroline PidGeon

council leaders and the London Schools Atlas, I will give London the citywide planning for delivering the school places we urgently need,” he added.

to set up their own green energy generation schemes.

Respect Party

Pidgeon is of the view that the biggest change that could be made is for the government to devolve its further education training and skills budget to London. “This would enable London to make sure that its young people were equipped with the skills that London needs,” she added. The Green Party candidate is especially interested in tackling the soaring student rents. Berry wants to introduce the concept of a Student Living Rent. For making London clean and greener, she proposes to clean up all illegal air pollution hot spots, and prioritise public transport, cycling and walking over private car use, and start a solar revolution so that London begins to run on clean energy. “That way we can become the world’s greenest metropolis and make our wonderful city even better for all of us, not the very few who presently treat it as a billionaire’s playground,” she added. Khan, who is wishing to become the ‘greenest’ Mayor of London, proposes to expand the use of solar across the city, and support communities who want

Liberal Democrat

“[I will] roll out schemes like the Bunhill Energy Centre that take waste heat from the tube and make the most of buildings across the city to generate energy from solar. All of this will help London reduce its carbon emissions and generate more of its own energy in a much cleaner way,” said Khan. Goldsmith has a different approach on handling environmental issues. He observed that across London poor air quality is shortening the lives of almost 10,000 Londoners every year. “This is simply unacceptable,” he added. His action plan for London’s living environment will tackle this by protecting the green belt from development, installing tougher rules on HGVs, encouraging greener vehicles and safer cycling and creating more green spaces across Greater London. Pidgeon would declare air pollution the second biggest public health risk facing Londoners after smoking and introduce tough measures to tackle it. Among the measures she proposed are banning HGVs from central London in peak times and use of consolidation centres, the River Thames and rail routes to cut freight traffic.

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Buisness

London’s renters have paid almost £90,000 on average to their landlord since 2010 by ITRAT BASHIR Over the last five years, the Londoner paying rent for an average two bedroom homes would have paid £89,269 to their landlord, a new analysis by housing and homelessness charity Shelter reveals. In five boroughs, including Hammersmith, Islington, and Camden, this cost spirals to over £100,000. They observed that this is more than the sum needed for a 20 percent deposit on the average first time buyer home in the capital, which is currently priced at £394,905. With millions of renters caught in a ‘rent trap’, paying sky high housing costs and unable to keep

up with rocketing house prices, the research highlights the areas where ‘generation rent’ are forking out the most. “The government’s figures released last month showed the depth of this problem, as ‘generation rent’ continues to grow. Nationally, 46 percent of 25-34 year olds now privately rent, compared to just 24 percent 10 years ago,” they pointed out. With housing costs showing no sign of abating and Londoners not willing to put up with another four years of a worsening housing crisis, Shelter is calling on the Mayoral candidates to commit to plans that will build homes people on ordinary wages can actually afford. They also demanded that the next Mayor

of London should put an end to unaffordable renting in the capital. Campbell Robb, Shelter’s Chief Executive, observed that when just five years of rent could get you the deposit on a house, it’s no wonder London’s renters feel like they’re getting a raw deal, paying through the nose for something they can never call their own. “Our drastic shortage of affordable homes is leaving Londoners either stuck in their childhood bedrooms in a bid to save money, or in expensive and unstable private renting with little hope of ever saving for a home to put down roots in.” Campbell noted however, that it doesn’t have to be this way. The next Mayor of London can turn things around by committing to delivering

homes that Londoners on ordinary wages can actually afford to buy, or rent for the long-term. Currently though, the harsh reality of expensive rents in London is forcing many Londoners to think about leaving the capital, since their existing salaries cannot pay high rents and maintain a decent living. It would seem therefore that a labour shortage in London is imminent – and inevitable. Mike rents a flat in north London, and is currently looking at leaving the capital because housing costs are so extortionate. “With all the fees and the expense of renting, I’ve decided to leave London. You end up between a rock and a hard place because it’s not just rents themselves that are expensive; it is finding the rental deposit as well.

Our drastic shortage of affordable homes is leaving Londoners either stuck in their childhood bedrooms in a bid to save money, or in expensive and unstable private renting with little hope of ever saving for a home to put down roots in.

It’s feels like a constant fight.” He observed that with rents as costly as they are, he cannot see how he will ever own his own home. “At the moment, it feels like nothing more than a pipe dream,” he added. Ahead of the Mayoral elections, a survey by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) of young teachers in London reveals that many are struggling to live and work in a city where the average monthly cost of renting a one-bed flat is now over £1,100 and rising. “The average monthly take-home pay of a newly qualified teacher is £1,600. Living in London is no longer a sustainable, long-term option for teachers. Exorbitant housing costs are creating a teacher shortage crisis that will hit every school and college in London,” they observed. Martin Powell-Davies, NUT’s London Regional Secretary, said unaffordable housing in London is causing a great deal of distress and hardship for many families and individuals. “It is resulting in people having to up-root and move miles away from their workplaces, schools and families,” he added. “It is quite clear that if teachers cannot afford to live in London they will take their skills elsewhere. This is potentially a huge problem for the Capital. The NUT therefore urges the next Major and London to address this significant and growing problem,’ he added.

ASIAN SUNDAY 27

Issue 18

Finance HM Treasury/ EY report finds Britain to be the world’s leading FinTech centre

by Itrat bashir

Rajesh Agrawal, CEO of Xendpay A recent report published by HM Treasury in partnership with EY has declared the UK as the financial technology (FinTech) centre of the world. “The report, ‘UK FinTech: On the cutting edge’, ranked Britain first amongst the world’s seven leading FinTech hubs, from Silicon Valley to Hong Kong, having compared these FinTech markets against four key criteria: the availability of talented

staff, access to investment, the nature of government and regulatory policy, and the demand for FinTech services,” said a HM Treasury’s spokesperson. The report found that the UK has a particularly good policy environment for FinTech, with the most supportive regulatory regime, and praised the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as one of the most progressive regulatory bodies in the world when it comes to FinTech. Rajesh Agrawal, CEO of Xendpay and a FinTech entrepreneur, welcomed the findings of the report. He said that the UK, and London in particular, has been a beacon for FinTech innovation and it’s very exciting to witness. “From mobile money to app development, advances in the industry are snowballing at a rate never seen before. With its unique position as a platform for new ideas at the crossroads of Europe and the rest of the world, the UK’s FinTech

sector definitely has a bright future.” Financial Technology refers to the use of technology to provide financial services. Examples include payment services, alternative finance such as peerto-peer platforms and digital currencies. According to the report, Britain’s FinTech sector supports over 61,000 jobs and generates billions of pounds of revenue for the UK’s economy. This sector generated £6.6 billion in revenue in 2015, and accounted for 32 percent of all revenues generated across in-scope regions. It also attracted £524 million in investment in 2015. Its development has kept the UK’s financial services sector on the cutting edge of innovation, and has increased competition and choice in banking, helping customers and businesses to get better services. Just as the UK is a leading financial services capital so we are also a leading FinTech capital.

Female pay: New study explores whether female senior managers are really paid less

Female CEOs in the UK are paid equally to their male counterparts, despite perceptions to the contrary, according to new research from Dr Philipp Geiler of EMLYON business school and Professor Luc Renneboog. ‘Are female top managers really paid less?’ a paper that examines the nature of top tier pay across all UK listed companies, has revealed that there is no real fiscal discrimination against women at the top level of business. However, the performance measures used to calculate top pay differ between men and women. Rather than being strongly performance dependent, a top woman leader’s remuneration is often focused more around individual management style. Her bonus is also unlikely to be solely based on company performance as it would be in the case of a male leader, but also on the perception of her charisma and

leadership ability. As only 2 per cent of UK CEOs are female, the paper also examined the trends in senior executive pay. The results expose that gender discrimination is in fact present in the salaries of female executives below the CEO (e.g. CFO, COO, Deputy CEO, etc). These managers can expect to earn 23% less than their male counterparts, which amounts to roughly GBP1.3 million over a five year period (the average tenure as an executive at board level). On average, a female senior executive will receive a 15% lower salary and 20% lower bonus. However, there are two business factors which make it much more likely for a company to exhibit a smaller pay gap. These are if the firm already has female non-executive directors on the board or if it operates in typically “male” industries such as finance.

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BUSINESS

The £1,000 savings tax debacle I am an advocate of two major financial changes the government made last year: liberation for hard working pensions, and nothing to pay on the first £1000 of your savings interest. The new rules mean that approximately 17 million of us in the UK will no longer pay any interest on our savings! This particular allowance is quite fairly structured – the tax man has given basic rate tax payers an allowance of £1,000, higher rate £500 and those fortunate to have an income above £150,000 no allowance at all. A large number of individuals whom I have recently met and made aware of the new changes had little or no clue of the new changes coming into force from the start of the new tax year. The £1,000 interest allowance is on top of the interest people will gain on ISA’s, which is why I would recommend that you continue savings funds within an ISA wrapper, as ISA’s usually give a higher rate of interest than normal taxable accounts. In my view now that taxable accounts will now pay all interest gross and for the majority of people tax free. ISA providers may therefore have to increase rates to remain competitive, and if you have used ISA’s over the last few years, then large amount of your savings would be free of tax. So, what do you need to know about the changes? Well first of all you do not

need to do anything at all. It is the problem of your bank/ building society to get their computer systems to pay all interest gross. There are no longer R85 forms to fill in, which will be a god send for many people.

Our columnist Mr Money Bags, who has decades of experience in finance, an MBA, an advanced diploma in financial planning and not to mention his super business skills each edition will give you, our lovely readers some valuable tips and advice on money and business matters. He is forthright and can sometimes be stern when it comes to your cash, but when it comes to finance he really is the expert. Read on for your business and finance advice.

Mr Money Bags

So how much difference will the tax free element make to you? As rates are very low at the moment, it is sad to say that the interest received will not be significant unless you have a decent amount of savings. If you have £50,000 of savings and you get 1% interest, then you will receive £500 gross if your interest is received after 6 April 2016; therefore you will be £100 better off. I guess when the Bank of England increase rates (and touch wood, also raise savings interest rates!) the new £1,000 of interest will be of greater importance to a greater number of savers. If you have savings that will generate over £1,000 of interest after 6 April 2016, then as a basic rate tax payer you will be required to fill out a self assessment form. Although HMRC says they will change tax codes for people who exceed the amount of interest payable, I think this is a tall ask, especially considering that we are less than a month away before the allowance begins. Although the majority of people will not greatly benefit from this change to gross tax on savings interest, it will greatly help some savers and many retired people, who rely on their savings to top up their retirement income.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the way forward Yaar

www.fevertvleeds.co.uk

Fever FM @ The Resource Centre 233-237 Roundhay Road - Leeds LS8 4HS Tel: 0113 380 5680 - Direct: 0788 170 1133 Email: radioasianfever@yahoo.co.uk - www.radioasianfever.co.uk

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ASIAN SUNDAY

TRAVEL

Honeymoon

heaven Wedding season hasn’t really stopped in my family this year – there seems to be a permanent full family wedding gathering going on all the time! Nevertheless, there are periods where the wedding season will be in full swing, and I believe those months are just about to start. This edition I have decided to bring you some of my favourite honeymoon destinations. Whether you prefer city breaks or beach escapes I am sure you will love my choice of romantic retreats, perfect just for you and that special someone. Huvafen Fushi If you’re heading to the Maldives, your desertisland expectations are going to be pretty high. You’ll be expecting white sand islets all to yourself, and butlers bringing you refreshing cool drinks while you paddle in clear blue seas. Sounds like a perfect dream? Well Huvafen fushi is perfect, but it’s every bit real.

Set on its very own lagoon, Huwafen Fushi in the Maldives is perfect for couples seeking water sports…and seclusion.

This super luxe retreat is thirty minutes away by speedboat from Male International Airport. The resort is positioned by the edge of its own lagoon and designed with sensuality in mind. It is placed on a secluded and private island, where at times you will feel like you’re the only one there. Most of the rooms available at this resort are fabulous,

with postcard worthy views of the Indian Ocean. The majority are equipped with designer furniture, plasma TV’s, Ipods, huge baths that overlook the ocean, waterfall showers, oversized beds and a private deck with plunge pools where you can sunbathe or spot some coral in your own personal space. For those of you who are

Image Courtesy of www.huvafenfushimaldives.org

by Raheema Khan

adventurous don’t worry, as the Maldives has plenty to offer. You can choose any water sport imaginable. For total romance go on sunset fishing expedition and cook your catch for dinner under the starry skies. Take a seaplane journey to a deserted island to snorkel in the clear waters, or set out with a bottle of champagne (non-alcoholic options also available) on a sunset cruise. And just

when you think it can’t possibly get any better, you’ll stumble upon the world’s first underwater spa – it’s like being pampered in an enormous fish tank. Portofino, Italy

For those of you who prefer a bit of celebrity style romance, this is the perfect get away for you. Portofino is hailed as one of the most beautiful Mediterranean coastal towns. This Italian Riviera port appeared on the celebrity map in the 1930’s when Hollywood stars began coming here to hide away on their yachts. Portofino is now one of the world’s most exclusive resorts and yet the former fishing village retains many of its sea-faring and local craft making traditions. One of the finest Hotels and highly recommended by us is Hotel Splendido. A clear indicator of this four storey pink palace’s grandeur is the sheer popularity of it, with stars such as Michael Caine, Madonna and Elizabeth Taylor being

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ASIAN SUNDAY

TRAVEL rooftop bar is the place for a cocktail or mocktail while watching the sun set across the sand.

Hotel Splendido

spotted here. This luxury haven was converted from a monastery, where each room has been individually decorated and come with a private terrace or balcony and with views of the sea or ink blue bay.

Image Courtesy of www.luxurylaunches.com

One of the best ways to experience the remoteness of the desert is to enjoy an undisturbed breakfast on the dunes at sunrise – it will definitely be a memory to cherish forever. At sunset ride a camel home across the rippling sands, of for more adventurous types you can book a camel safari.

An even more enchanting way to see the desert is by hiring an Arabian horse and exploring the ancient sands with your partner – a truly mystical experience. For those who decide to venture out of the resort, board one of the traditional Arabian dhows, or two-masted yachts and dine as you glide silently along the creek of Dubai under a starry and moonlit sky – romantic heaven.

hideaway.

Emerging from the heart of the desert, this stylish resort resembles a traditional Arabic fortress. Known as the ‘Gateway to the Sun’ and just a 45 minute drive from Dubai Hotel Splendido is located airport, this is a unique just a short stroll from setting for romance. Rooms the town where there are are luxuriously decorated plenty of restaurants, with a rustic feel, the elegant boutiques and resort’s pool is a true oasis nightlife, and in true Italian in the dessert, and there fashion, an hour or two are six restaurants and spent sipping wine or coffee bars to choose from. The and people watching at Al Hadeerah has a souk one of the chic cafes in the area with musicians and piazzatta is a must. Take belly dancers, while the a short trip to the nearby town, Santa Margherita Ligure, where you can visit the Villa DurazzoPallavicni. This 16th century villa has a large park boasting exotic plants, statues and fountains and makes the perfect spot for a romantic picnic for two.

Dubai

Image Courtesy of Visit Dubai

Jumeirah Bab al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai Dubai is a hot spot for holidaymakers these days, so how could we miss out this amazing secluded

Bab-Al-Shams Resort

Image Courtesy of Meydan Hotels and Hospitality

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ASIAN SUNDAY

MOTORING

GROUND BREAKING HYDROGEN POWERED CAR TO BE DISPLAYED AT THE LONDON MOTOR SHOW An innovative, two-seater hydrogen cell powered car, developed and built in Wales, will be displayed at the new London Motor Show to be staged in Battersea Park in May. The Riversimple RASA, is a lightweight and highly efficient, “network” electric car

powered by innovative hydrogen fuel cell technology and the first road legal, engineering prototype is coming to the London Motor Show in the Evolution Centre. The Riversimple car reflects the objectives of the new London Motor Show, which is to showcase, not just the wide range of exciting new cars currently available to the public, but also to provide the opportunity of promoting significant developments in automotive technology and innovation initiated here in the UK. The new London Motor Show promises visitors the opportunity

of seeing a wide range of cars from city cars right through to high performance supercars. Visitors can also road test the car of their choice as well as buying it on the spot. A variety of other outside demonstrations will also be staged, including important road safety initiatives designed to save lives and prevent accidents. Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster at a very affordable £15.00. The show will open from 10am to 6 pm on Friday and Saturday, 6 and 7 May and on Sunday, 8 May from 10am to 5pm. For full details visit www. thelondonmotorshow.co.uk.

The New 435Ps Audi SQ7 TDI With Electrically Powered Compressor Technology Tapping into extra accelerative power becomes as quick and easy as flicking a light switch this week as the new 435PS Audi SQ7 TDI joins the range as the world’s first series production car combining turbocharging with an electrically powered compressor bringing breathtakingly immediate response. Consigning ‘turbo lag’ to history, the boundary-stretching technology underscores the newcomer’s eligibility for the ‘S’ badge that denotes extraordinary performance across the Audi range, and fittingly goes handin-hand with another major

forward stride in dynamics – electromechanical active roll stabilisation for significantly reduced body roll. At the heart of the new Audi SQ7 TDI is a redesigned V8 BiTDI engine that now develops 435 PS and 900 Nm (663.8 lb ft) of torque, firmly staking this performance flagship’s claim as the most powerful diesel SUV on the market. The electrically powered compressor dispenses with any sign of turbo lag from step-off acceleration, helping to set an outstanding 0-62 mph sprint time of just 4.8 seconds. Top speed is limited to 155mph, and in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), the SQ7 TDI returns up to 38.2 mpg combined. This corresponds to CO2 emissions of 194 g/ km. “Following the launch of the successful SQ5, we

are now also applying the concept of a diesel-engined S model to the Q7 model line. So equipped, the SQ7 TDI with a V8 TDI engine achieves the consumption figures of a six-cylinder. The new technology solution of the electric powered compressor in the SQ7 TDI is a world first in the competitive environment, with which Audi once again underscores its claim Vorsprung durch Technik,” said Dr. Stefan Knirsch, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development. The sevenseat Audi S express – The new Audi SQ7 TDI is rewriting the

rulebook for diesel power delivery this week, by uniting a prodigious 435 PS and 900Nm V8 bi-turbo TDI with an innovative electric powered

compressor that is capable of making turbo lag a thing of the past. Audi is the world’s first car manufacturer to install this technology in a production car.

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MOTORING

The New Abarth 124 Spider at the 2016 The new Abarth 124 spider aims at sweeping a new generation off their feet with its performance and technical DNA. It combines the authentic roadster experience packed with thrills, technology, safety and a touch of unmistakable Italian design. The

car will be available in September with prices starting from €40,000 for all Europe. The new Abarth 124 spider combines the great sensorial experiences of excitement and driving fun that only a spider can

give. Developed with input from the Abarth Racing Team, the car exemplifies at best the distinctive Abarth values: performance, craftsmanship and technical excellence. It is the car that will bring back the smile on the driver’s face.

124 spider is designed for thrills and performance and has all the qualities needed to satisfy even the most difficult-toplease drivers. For exceptional dynamism, the Abarth 124 spider is equipped with a sports mechanical Limited-Slip differential as standard to secure drive and traction in the most critical situations and provide incomparable dynamic behaviour. The Abarth 124 spider is equipped with a powerful, reliable fourcylinder 1.4-litre MultiAir Turbo engine. It delivers 170 HP (about 124 HP per litre) and 250 Nm of torque. It has a top speed of 230 km/h and goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8-seconds. Furthermore, the sound of engine really matters

The new BMW M760Li xDrive World premiere at Geneva Motor Show The BMW M760Li xDrive celebrated its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. With the new BMW M760Li xDrive, the freshly launched new BMW 7 Series is gaining a prestigious flagship model. Headlined by its exceptional refinement and supreme power delivery at all times, the 12-cylinder petrol engine with M Performance TwinPower Turbo technology under the bonnet reinforces the new car’s range-topping status. The boldly dynamic driving characteristics of the BMW M760Li xDrive combine with superior ride comfort to make a compelling statement and set a new benchmark in the luxury sedan segment. The new BMW M760Li xDrive gives a debut to the new M Performance TwinPower Turbo 12-cylinder petrol engine. Concealed under a cover bearing “M Performance” lettering, the 6.6-litre V12 develops output of 448 kW/610 hp* at 5,500 rpm* and peak torque of 800 Nm (590 lb-ft)* at 1,500 rpm* (fuel consumption combined: 12.6 l/100 km [22.4 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions combined: 294 g/km)**. The highperformance unit with leadingedge M Performance TwinPower Turbo technology accelerates the BMW M760Li xDrive from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.7 seconds* on the way to an electronically limited top speed of

250 km/h (155 mph). If the optional M Driver’s Package is specified, the speed limiter doesn’t cut in until 305 km/h (189 mph). Power transfer is via the state-of-theart eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission as standard. The M Performance- specific tuning of the shift programs, delivering sportier gear changes and more instantaneous downshifts throughout the rev range, has been specially adapted to the characteristics of the V12 engine. With its optimal internal efficiency and a gear-change strategy assisted by navigation data, the eight- speed Steptronic Sport transmission contributes to the authoritative driving experience and works seamlessly with the standard Auto Start Stop function. For customers looking to trade the overtly dynamic appearance of their BMW M760Li xDrive for a more discreet luxurious look, the optional BMW M760Li xDrive V12 Excellence is available at no extra cost. This character variant significantly alters the personality of the BMW M760Li xDrive, shedding the M aerodynamic package and adding 20-inch BMW Individual light-alloy wheels in W-spoke 646 design high-gloss polished with mixed-size tyres (front: 245/40 R20, rear: 275/35 R20). There is also a high-gloss Black finish for the brake callipers. Customers choosing the V12 Excellence model

can expect their BMW M760Li xDrive to feature a chrome bar extending across the full width of the car in the upper section of the air intake grille. In addition, the kidney grille bars are in Silver with chrome fronts and surrounds likewise in bright chrome. All the other trim elements on the body also come in bright chrome. In place of a model designation, the BMW M760Li xDrive V12 Excellence has a “V12” badge on the boot lid. The exhaust system’s pair of chrome, rectangular tailpipe embellishers are now framed by additional chrome trim. Inside the car, meanwhile, the BMW steering wheel features wood inlays, and the V12 lettering in the instrument cluster – whose speedometer extends as far as 260 km/h (160 mph) – illuminates when the driver fires up the engine. The comfort- biased exhaust system with its refined soundtrack also helps to accentuate the specific character

of the V12 Excellence model. Availability is expected end of 2016.

in an Abarth car, so the Record Monza exhaust come equipped as standard, generating a beautiful growling sound. The spider is available with a sixspeed manual or the automatic Sequenziale Sportivo gearbox. The first is characterised by quick and accurate shifting with a shortthrow, direct lever. The Sequenziale Sportivo gearboxis the result of careful tuning to exploit all the engine torque and conveys genuine racing sensations. Using the lever or the paddles behind the steering wheel, shifting is extremely fast and the performance of the car is boosted even further by setting “Sport” mode on the driving mode selector.

ASIAN SUNDAY

Issue 18

COMPETITION

Win two tickets to see ‘Kapoor and Sons – Since 1921

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Rahul and Arjun Kapoor, two estranged brothers are forced to return to their childhood home when their 90-year-old Grandpa Amarjeet wants to see them, then gets a heart attack. While living under one roof, family secrets unravel and misunderstandings are on the verge of turning into tragedy. Rahul and

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Send your answer to competition@asiansunday.co.uk or post to Asian Sunday 18 East Parade, Bradford, BD1 5EE. Don’t forget to include your full name, contact details and address. Entry closes at 18th March at midnight. Winners will be selected randomly from all entries which adhere to the above guidelines. Asian Style Magazine terms and conditions apply. For full details please email info@asiansunday.co.uk or see our website: www. asiansunday.co.uk

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ASIAN SUNDAY

Issue 18

JOBS

Reporters/Journalists wanted

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Hours of Work: Flexible Salary: £40k OTE (basic, plus car and expenses) Are you a self starter, ambitious, self motivator, have the hunger to achieve and increase earning potential? Then

our Managers at Asian Sunday want to hear from you

communication skills and be educated to a minimum of 5 GCSE’s at grade C or above and have a can do attitude. You will be required to travel nationally and with positions in London and Yorkshire. For the right candidate full training will be given

To apply or for more information email Two positions has become available for a covering letter with your CV to jobs@ Business development Manager to help asiansunday.co.uk with Sales Executive sell our services to Business clients. in the subject field or post to: Asian Sunday Newspaper 18 East You must have a minimum of one Parade, Bradford, BD1 5EE year’s experience selling to B2B customers. You must possess excellent T. 0333 577 0046

Asian Sunday is expanding nationally and therefore is looking for journalists or reporters. We have a cracking news patch here and we want enthusiastic reporters who will get out and about bringing in exclusive stories and getting into the heart of our communities. You will have all your preliminary qualifications, including 100 wpm shorthand. The ideal candidates will have knowledge of Asian Communities living in the UK along with business and lifestyle. We are an equal opportunities employer and therefore accept

applications from all backgrounds. Flexible working hours. Pay scale according to NUJ guidelines and based on experience. To apply send your CV with a covering letter to editor@ asiansunday.co.uk or post to: Asian Sunday Newspaper 18 East Parade, Bradford, BD1 5EE T. 0333 577 0046

DISTRIBUTORS wanted Asian Sunday is expanding and therefore are looking for more distributors. Asian Sunday is now approaching its fourth year and has now launched nationally. Therefore, we are looking for distributors in London, Leicester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Lancashire and Manchester. If you want to earn some extra cash and have a few spare hours over the weekend to deliver the Asian Sunday newspaper to businesses, then we want to hear from you.

You must have your own van or car. Pay: Full car allowance and salary will be paid to the ideal candidates. Hours: Flexible In the first instance please apply with a letter of interest to jobs@asiansunday. co.uk with Distribution as your subject or post letter of interest to: Asian Sunday Newspaper 18 East Parade, Bradford, BD1 5EE T. 0333 577 0046

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4 year appointment, approximately 12 days per year.

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Pay: Voluntary first year. Thereafter £150 per day plus expenses Number of positions: 6 The appointed candidate(s) will be expected to contribute to the strategic development and direction of the IWF, oversee the development and review of key performance targets, ensure the foundation complies with its statutory requirements and ensure that a high standard of corporate governance

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Executive Director is not essential but an aptitude for strategic thinking, the ability to work as part of a team and a commitment to IWF’s objectives are. Applications are welcome from individuals of any background, gender and disabled people who are able to make a real contribution to this organisation. Members are expected to attend quarterly board meetings and to participate in additional meetings, conference calls and sit on ad hoc committees from time to time. Most meetings take place in the evening. Interested candidates should submit a CV to founder@ inspirationalwomenawards.org.uk with a covering letter explaining why you believe you are suitable for the role.

Advertise your jobs for FREE. Help us get Britain working. Send your job adverts to jobs@asiansunday.co.uk Please make sure you include details of who to contact for any queries

ASIAN SUNDAY 37

Issue 18

MATRIMONIALs

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Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

Sports

Man United Seek ‘Mour’ Success by Ayyaz Malik

Let me take a moment to tell you a little story. Once upon a time, there was a Scottish man called Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex was a man who used to manage a football team called Manchester United. This football team that he used to manage were really successful and won lots of trophies... The End! For many Man United fans that’s what Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign has become: a fairy tale. When the very successful Scot was in charge at United, after a difficult start Ferguson enjoyed success, and a lot of it. That was the past however, moving onto the present for United fans, it’s been tough to adjust to life after their very successful leader. ‘Fergie’ as he is known, retired in 2013 and the mangers that have attempted the role since that time (David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal) have struggled badly to live up to Fergie’s legacy. In the case of David Moyes, the Scot didn’t even last a whole season, and was sacked with five games still to run, leaving club legend Ryan Giggs to take the reigns for the remainder of that season. After that ill-fated season of David Moyes where The Reds finished at an all-time low seventh in the Premier League, United turned to Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal who had formerly lead his native Holland to an impressive semi-

final in the last world cup.

The fans were feeling optimistic at this point, but sadly over the next two seasons of Louis Van Gaal’s era (including this current season), performances have been poor and so have results. At the time of writing United are sixth as they don’t have a game this weekend. For a club of their stature, this just isn’t good enough. With the news that Manchester City are to appoint as Pep Guardiola as their next manager for the next season, the need for Man United to have the right man in charge has now become even more important since the news of the appointment of the Catalan. That has lead to even more pressure on current manager Louis Van Gaal as many see the Dutchman’s reign as a failed one. The two most common names in the hat to replace LVG have been current assistant manager Ryan Giggs and Van Gaal’s protege , José Mourinho. Yes, this is the same José Mourinho who was sensationally sacked by Chelsea, but the hierarchy at United need to be seen to reacting to the news of Guardiola’s incoming appointment. We at Asian Sunday would be for the idea of appointing the selfproclaimed ‘special one’, simply because José does appear to be a winner where ever he has gone to. At Porto he won the Champions League and UEFA cup, at Real Madrid he won La Liga when a

rampant Barcelona was blowing everyone away, and at Inter he won the treble, As impressive as the projects were, there are still many questions surrounding the Portuguese coach, such as his attitude overall when the going gets tough. José has never really gone through a ‘bad patch’ like he had this season at Chelsea. This season apparently saw some bitter rows with top players such as Diego Costa – the Spaniard’s performances have now improved under current boss Gus Hiddink. This wouldn’t be the first time either he has upset a key player, at Real Madrid it was club icon, Iker Casillas. Others have been critical of José with the fact that he’s not a ‘one-club man’. As successful as he has been, it’s only been for a shorter period; however the same can be said of Pep Guardiola, who is being widely hailed by City fans as the best thing since sliced bread. We at Asian Sunday think that José, despite the question marks about him as a manager, is likely the right man to take charge. The world of football has changed since the Fergie era - managers just don’t last for that long a time anymore (unless you’re Arsene Wenger!). There are many critics of the Portuguese’s managerial style, but a job at United with success would surely silence any criticisms sent his way for however long he decides to manage The Reds.

Could José Mourinho be the answer to United’s managerial crisis?

Cricket World Cup T20 Preview by Ayyaz Malik Rejoice cricket fans – the T20 world cup is here! For the best part of the next month, cricket’s ‘super powers’ will face each other to attain supremacy in the world of cricket. The T20 tournament will involve two groups of five teams, but prior to this, the Associate nations such as Ireland,

Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be fighting it out to make it to the main draw. Both groups look just as tough is each other and only the fittest will survive. Within first qualifying group, Ireland and Bangladesh will likely be seen as the two main teams who will be fighting it out for the one qualifying place in Group A. I am sure that both Oman and The Netherlands will look to say something about that.

If qualifying in Group A seems tricky, then qualifying in Group B will be even tougher with teams Scotland, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Hong Kong. Three teams will strongly fancy their chances of grabbing the single qualifying place. Of those three teams, Scotland’s chances of making the main draw have been severely dented after defeat to Afghanistan. Zimbabwe would also fancy their

chances of progression from the Group B by beating Hong Kong. In the qualifying rounds it will be tough to call, but here at Asian Sunday we think that Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will likely progress – it isn’t going to be an easy ride for any of the teams though. As for the main draw itself, we can look forward to some very good games indeed. Group A of the main draw will see England

facing South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and the qualifier. Don’t worry though, Group B looks just as exciting! Finalists of the first world T20 India and Pakistan will be going head to head in the group stages, which promises to be a classic. Just for good measure in another rivalry match, Australia will face New Zealand who have played out some epic matches.

Issue 18

ASIAN SUNDAY

Sports This world cup promises to be a cracker. Players from all around the globe will be strutting their stuff on the global stage. Pardon us for ‘sitting on the fence’, but it’s too hard to say who will win the tournament at this stage. The group stages will serve up some very tasty matches in group B which will see India vs Pakistan and Australia vs New Zealand. It’s all about momentum really and based on that I would say India, after being crowned Asia cup champions, and Australia, who secured an impressive series win over South Africa, would be seen as the stronger teams in the group based on their momentum. New Zealand are certainly no pushovers though, far from it. Pakistan is just too unpredictable, so the 2009 champions shouldn’t be taken lightly in this tournament – it just depends on which Pakistan turns up. Returning to Group A, which

with all due respect might be the weaker group of the two, but I am sure former world cup winners Sri Lanka, England and West Indies will hotly dispute that. South Africa, who are the perennial underachievers, need a mention as ever. They come into this tournament on the back of a series loss to Australia, but do possess world class talent in their side, so write them off at your peril. Sri Lanka haven’t been on great form either and after a disappointing showing in the recent Asia cup, they also come into this tournament with no apparent momentum. Let’s not forget however, they are able to call upon Lasith Malinga – and they are the defending champions, after all.

of the greatest shocks in modern day cricket. Oman, obviously upset by my comments, decided they wanted to prove me wrong, and beat Ireland by two wickets

to steal a stunning debut win. I humbly admit I got it wrong there, and am very interested to see more.

If pushed to choose a favourite for the tournament, it’s India hands down for me. They produce young talent at will and know when to blood them. Additionally, despite my initial suspicion of Oman as the underdogs in their group, I recently witnessed one

Who knows, Oman’s surprise win just might set the tone for the main tournament. That’s the thing with sport: it’s won on the field and not on paper.

Image credit ICC Cricket, March 2016

Mubz Bajwa: ‘Nothing is impossible and I’m determined to see this through.’ by Ayyaz Malik Our chief sports correspondent Ayyaz Malik recently caught up with Thai boxer and Guinness World Record Holder Mubz Bajwa, to talk about what initially inspired him to join the world of boxing and how it has changed his life for the better. Bajwa has been involved in Muay Thai for over twenty years, and in 2015 completed 111 rounds of full contact sparring over seven hours, to break the World Record. Read on to find out his story in his own words... “In this day and age we are constantly bombarded with images of the perfect body. Being told ‘this is what you should look like, as this is what is attractive’. I don’t make any secret of the fact that I was a very large tub of ‘lard’ when I was young. In fact, at the age of

16 I was around 16 stones of ‘a whole lot of love!’ In a bid to lose weight I started Thai Boxing at the age of 17. It worked! After consistent training I lost all the weight and got myself to fight weight – from 16 stones to approximately 10.5 stones (64kg). In the process of losing weight, with just training and not eating much (I know, silly, but I didn’t know what I was doing), I wasn’t in the best of shapes. I was slim but once I took my top off, I was loose. I looked like I hadn’t trained at all, although I was fighting fit. I was obsessed with seeing the weight on the scales go down. I didn’t care about anything else and tried every diet under the sun, but nothing worked. No matter how hard I trained, I just couldn’t get that ripped look.

Recently, after 20 years of involvement in Muay Thai, I’ve had no choice but to take a small break from the sport due to Sciatica – but it won’t be long before I’m back! I’ve read up and taken advice on nutrition, which is what was lacking previously. I’m in my fourth week of training and it’s a completely feeling to my previous boxing experience. I’m training morning and evening. In just four weeks the changes are very noticeable, but it’s not without its difficulties. Just last week I was sat at work and around 4pm, I suddenly went dizzy, I thought I was going to pass out – my palms were sweating, my mouth went dry and I was shivering. It turned out my sugars had dropped, something I’d never experienced before. I panicked

and ended up drinking three hot chocolates, as it was the only thing I could get my hands on immediately! The shakes stopped after about an hour but I couldn’t train that evening. I had to rest.

Mubz Bajwa during a training session I’ve chosen to share this very personal journey with I genuinely don’t know how you all at the very beginning, this will turn out. I’ve been told and not at the end when I take my age and body type is not in the final ‘look at me, I’m ripped’ my favour, however nothing is picture. I will be blogging my impossible and I’m determined progress regularly, with all of to see this through. the associated ups and downs it LET THE GAMES BEGIN. brings.

40 ASIAN SUNDAY

Issue 18

Sports

Pak to Normality? by Ayyaz Malik

Butt, who is a former captain of the national team himself, had been exiled from all forms of cricket for five years, after he was seen to be the ringleader of a plot which saw bowlers Mohammed Asif and Amir deliberately bowl no-balls against England.

The words cricket and Pakistan don’t seem to really go together. In an ideal world cricket fans would like to cherish the memories of the great Pakistan world cup wins of 1992 and 2009 - if only things worked like that. Sadly, Pakistan cricket fans have had to endure the ongoing hardship that is the off-field turmoil associated with the Pakistan cricket team. Match fixing, spot-fixing and the refusal of acceptance of some players into the national side means that life is far from the life of Riley in the Pakistan cricket camp. With the world cup now underway, Pakistan would have been sincerely hoping for no repeat of the usual off-field controversies that has plagued the team over the years. Sadly that doesn’t appear to be the case, and the latest controversy is the stance of captain Shahid Afridi who says he doesn’t want disgraced batsmen Salman Butt in the team.

The infamous spot-fixing scandal, as it later became known, has really stained the image of the Pakistani game. Since then, Pakistan has been on a mission to restore their image in world cricket somewhat. It’s easy to see why Afridi is taking such a stance, but should he look to forgive and forget? That’s if one looks for forgiveness, as Amir did quite vocally. In an ideal world, when it comes to a cricket world cup, the sole focus should be on the world cup itself. Salman Butt, just like Mohammed Amir, can ensure that is all is forgotten of his past deeds with solid performances on the pitch, instead of causing further controversies off it.

Cheema Looking To JunDown His Opponent by Ayyaz Malik Some have seen it as a ‘poor man’s version of boxing’ but MMA is a sport seriously on the rise, and nothing epitomises that more than

the rise of Connor McGregor and Ronda Rousey. After covering Manchester fighter Faz Ali who impressively won in his first MMA fight, we here at Asian Sunday are looking closely at another Asian fighter in

Huddersfield’s Junaid Cheema. Huddersfield man Cheema, will take on Ashley Gibson on Saturday 12th March. Junaid has had to endure the frustration of seeing two fights being postponed. On 12th March at The Bradford Hotel,

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though, he will be looking to put those frustrations behind him. The team at Asian Sunday will keep you up to date with how Junaid fares, and are expecting great things from him in his developing career!