The Asian Today Issue 226 - September 2017

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TOMMY SANDHU: I AM NOT RACIST BBC Asian Network DJ Tommy Sandhu has released a video statement in which he denies any allegations against him of racist, homophobic and sexist remarks.

Whilst the BBC has not confirmed it, Sandhu was reportedly fired from his role as host of BBC Asian Network Breakfast Show after allegedly being part of a WhatsApp group, alongside three others, in which the derogatory comments about colleagues were made.

The BBC said it takes allegations of inappropriate

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behaviour extremely seriously.

Reportedly, amongst several allegations, the group involved sharing sexist messages about radio producer Amy Elizabeth Childs, who had aspirations of becoming a presenter. There were also reports that the men spoke about their refusal to play music by Pakistanis, referring to them as ‘pakis’.

Sources also claimed that the men in the group made homophobic comments, calling one colleague a ‘batty boy’.

Though the WhatsApp application is encrypted meaning

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“I’m Not Racist!” Says Tommy Sandhu After Allegations Continued from front page

messages stay within chats and groups, the men’s messages were accidentally linked to a BBC laptop where they were found by assistant producer Amanpreet Kaur, about whom the men had also allegedly made sexist comments.

Producer Kejal Kamani was sacked last month.

Fellow producer, Asheesh Sharma has been given a final warning. Sandhu himself has initially been suspended.

Sandhu is now seeking legal advice as the BBC prepares for an unfair dismissal case.

He said, “At this stage I am taking legal advice, but I want to underline that at no point did I engage, comment or reply to any racist comment on any WhatsApp group.”

“I’m not racist, I’m not a homophobic and I’m not lewd towards women,” said the 40-year-old in the video, captioned “after 7 weeks of having to stay silent … you can hear it from me directly”.

“Anyone who knows me

and knows my show, you’ll know that we celebrate people. We bring everyone together and we have a good time.

“I’m sorry that I won’t be presenting that show [BBC Asian Network Breakfast] anymore and I’m baffled as to why I’ve been asked to not

Birmingham Bin Dispute: How Much Is It Costing?

SALES Anita Chumber Simon Keatle

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The ongoing dispute between Birmingham City Council and refuse workers is costing the city an estimated £311,000 a week.

The workers have been on strike since the 30th June in protest of the council’s decision to remove 113 posts, with the authority saying the city saying “significant financial challenges” were to blame.

Cost started at £21,000 a week in July but have risen due to the authority bringing in external contractors to clear rubbish, according to a report to the council cabinet.

It also warns of “additional pressure” on the city’s finances for next year.

The council have said that the new restricting plans will save the city £5.2 million a year, with the budget for

waste management falling from £71 million in 2011 to £65 million.

About £30 a year of council tax by a household goes towards the cost of having bins emptied.

However, despite the cost, the council is not planning on offering refunds.

“Council Tax is not paid to fund a particular service and there is a legal obligation to pay. It’s also important to understand that the cost per household for each weekly collection is about 92p – for all refuse and recycling collections,” said the authority on its website.

That would make the total cost per household about £48 a year.

The council plans to create about 200 collection jobs for “loaders”, to balance the loss

Birmingham City Council Leader John Clancy Resigns

present it,” he continued, before thanking those who supported him.

The BBC has not yet released a statement on the issue nor confirm a replacement for the position on the show. Up until now, presenters Yasser and Harps Kaur have been filling in.

Kesser Hussain Siddharth Kumar Jag Sahota

Anita Champaneri Manish Gujjar Sunny Malik Mita Mistry Sara Khan Manish Patel Kam Chopra Manish Patel Jas Sansi Qasim Majid South & City College

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of 113 supervisory roles. They say this will help it reduce its reliance on agency workers, who cost more to employ than permanent staff.

The council has said it wants to modernise its waste service with the changes, to make it “as efficient as those run by other councils”.

However, Unite union refused to accept the reorganization plans.

Following talks which lead to a suspension of the strike mid-August, the workers returned to the picket lines last week after the council reportedly backed out of an agreed deal.

The plans by the council also include a change in the working arrangement of some workers, which Unite say will cost some staff between £3,000 and £5,000 annually.

John Clancy, leader of the city’s council, has handed in a letter of resignation following the ongoing dispute with refuse workers.

The councillor, who had been leader since December 2015, was getting calls for his resignation from Unite union, who claimed Mr Clancy had backed out of an agreed deal, triggering a return to the picket lines for the refuse workers.

The bin dispute, which began on 30th June, was suspended mid-August when a deal was struck. A meeting was scheduled for the beginning of the September, but Mr Clancy, according to Unite, pulled out of the arrangement.

Mr Clancy denied any such agreement was made.

Mr Clancy said that he “take[s] full responsibility” for his mistakes, outlining some the successes the city has seen during his time.

Here is the full letter from the Labour politician: “It has become clear to me that frenzied media speculation about the Birmingham waste dispute is beginning to harm Birmingham City Council and the Birmingham Labour Party. I can see no end to such speculation, as illinformed as much of it is, for as long as I remain Leader.

“I have therefore decided to resign both as Leader of

the Labour group and as the Leader of Birmingham City Council with immediate effect.

“I would wish to stress that the actions I took along with my cabinet to negotiate an end to an extremely complex and difficult industrial dispute were done with the best of intentions.

“None of us are perfect, and I made some mistakes, for which I am sorry and take full responsibility.

“I am honoured to have been Leader of the council since December 2015 and proud of the many achievements during my time in charge.

“These include issuing the first £45 million ‘Brummie Bond’ for local housing, and two other initiatives that generated substantial savings for the council – renegotiating the ICT joint venture agreement with Capita, and reaching agreement to reduce the council’s annual payments to the West Midlands Local Government Pension Fund.

“Events in my personal life during this year have convinced me that there are issues of far more importance than Birmingham City Council, and although this has been said by politicians many times before, on this occasion I really am looking forward to spending more time with my family.”

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Drayton Manor Lifts Ban On Sikh Kirpan

Drayton Manor has lifted their ban on the Sikh ceremonial sword after complaints following an incident where a primary school teacher was denied entry to a children’s party.

The Kirpan – a holly dagger – was considered a risk to health and safety at the Tamworth theme park.

Eyewitnesses said that the Coventry teacher who was denied access was told by park staff that they were concerned the Kirpan could fall off on a ride.

A meeting was held between Sikh Council UK and the park bosses after the incident where the Sikh organization explained the importance of the Kirpan and how it is a mandatory article once Sikhs have gone through the Sikh equivalent of a baptism/initiation.

Following the ruling

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change, Jasveer Singh, of the Sikh Press Association said, “A lot of people might not use the word ‘victory’, but it is justice. Drayton Manor has taken our concerns on board.

“We could understand it (the ban), from someone who had no understanding of the issue, but at Drayton Manor this issue has comeup before.”

A Drayton Manor spokesperson said, “Drayton Manor Park is a family run business which operates within a multi-cultural society enriched with different creeds and beliefs and its staff welcome and embrace this.

“Together, Drayton Manor Park and the Sikh Council UK has developed strict guidelines designed for the benefit of all, while ensuring Sikh visitors’ sacred traditions are upheld.”

Bias Against Ethnic Minorities In Justice System Exposed In Review Labour MP David Lammy, who led the review, said young offenders from ethnic minorities will become “the next generation” of criminals unless the justice system is reformed.

The system in England and Wales is biased against those from ethnic minority backgrounds and discriminates against them, according to the review.

Mr Lammy included delaying or dropping some prosecutions amongst his 35 recommendations.

The government responded saying it would “look carefully” at the suggestions.

According to the review, 25% of the prison population in England and Wales is made up of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. In the youth justice system, that percentage becomes 41%.

Just 14% of the country’s population is made up of these groups.

An increase in the proportion of first-time offenders from these backgrounds to 19% – up from 11% – in the past 10 years, was a statistic highlighted as “concerning” by the report, and the same increase in the proportion of young people reoffending.

Some of the

According to the review, 25% of the prison population in England and Wales is made up of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

recommendations included allowing low-level offenders to “defer” prosecution and opt for a rehabilitation programme before entering a plea, introduction of targets for a workforce more representative of the population within the justice system, and an increase in the gathering of data and information on the ethnicity and religion of offenders.

Mr Lammy said his report was about looking at the “treatment and outcomes” of those from minority backgrounds and that it was well established that there was an over-representation of people from those groups in

the criminal justice system.

“Having looked at the evidence over the past 18 months, my judgment is that we have a significant problem in the criminal justice system itself, and that the treatment of BAME young people shows this problem is getting worse,” he said in his review.

He added, “young black people are now nine times more likely to be in youth custody than young white people. I expected to find the youth justice system laser-focused on this issue. Instead, I have seen large parts of the system indifferent to issues of race.”

“When children leave

custody, they need family support more than anything else. But the youth justice system appears to have given up on parenting. Last year, 55,000 young offenders were found guilty in the courts.”

Mr Lammy pointed out that BAME children are less likely to be recorded as having various concerns such as mental health issues or substance misuse issues, unlike their white peers.

“The disproportionate number of BAME young people in the justice system is a social timebomb. It is beyond time to stop talking about this problem and to act,” he said.

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Birmingham welcomes Commonwealth Games decision SEPTEMBER 2017

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n 7th of September Birmingham welcomed the decision by the Commonwealth Games Delivery Unit (CGDU) to recommend it as a Candidate City to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Cllr Ian Ward, Deputy Leader and Chair of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bid Committee, said: “This is a great endorsement by the UK Government of Birmingham’s credentials to host the Games and recognition of the city’s resolve to deliver a memorable event.

“We appreciate that it was a very close decision and that Liverpool pushed us all the way with a very compelling proposal. This is not the end of the journey and we look forward to working with the Government as it makes its final decision to support a UK Candidate City.”

Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands, said: “The regional support of the Midlands was a key determining

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factor and I want to thank all those regional agencies and organisations that have worked hard over the last six months to get us to this position. We will make the Commonwealth proud.”

Cllr John Clancy, Leader

of Birmingham City Council, added: “This is great news for Birmingham and the West Midlands, and I’d like to thank Cllr Ian Ward and his team for all of their hard work in putting together the bid.

“We now have a golden opportunity to convince the Government that Birmingham can deliver the best ever Commonwealth Games in 2022, and that is exactly what we intend to do.”

Man Who Called For All British Muslims To Be Killed After Manchester Attack Jailed Keegan Jakovlevs, whose post on Facebook called for all British Muslims to be killed, has been jailed for a year.

The man had previously pleaded guilty to publishing material with the intention of stirring up religious hatred.

Wrexham man Jakovlev was sentenced at Mold Crown Court for the crime.

The 22-year-old posted his message shortly after the bombing at Manchester Arena on 22 May, according to prosecutors, and took it down shortly afterwards.

Salman Abedi killed 22 victims, including children, and injured 250 more, at an Ariana Grande concert when he detonated a homemade bomb as the crowds left the arena.

A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said, “Jakovlevs’s Facebook message expressed sympathy for the families of those caught up in the bombing but then, using racist and offensive language, he called for every Muslim in the country to be killed.”

“The prosecution argued that Jakovlevs’s single message was particularly serious because it was posted

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so soon after the Manchester bombing when public emotions were running high.”

The CPS said the message was accessible, “at the very least”, to his 2,154 Facebook friends, but also to other members of the public.

“Overall, there was potential for it to have been seen by a very large number of people and for serious harm to have occurred in addition to the obvious fear and distress suffered by any member of the Muslim community who may have seen it,” added prosecutors.

Sue Hemming, head of the special crime and counterterrorism division in the CPS, said that whilst no action was traced back to the post, Jakovlev’s “intention was clear”.

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West Midlands Police ‘Failing To Record’ Thousands of Crimes Every Year

A

watchdog has said that thousands of crimes are not being recorded by West Midlands Police, branding it “inadequate”.

Five out of six offences were recorded, according to HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), but 38,800 each year were not.

The force said it would improve its recording but also challenged parts of the assessment.

An unrecorded crime is defined as one that is reported to the police but not recorded as an offence.

At Leicestershire Police, “vast improvement” was needed as one in four crimes went unrecorded.

The report on the West Midlands force read that some of those unrecorded crimes included domestic violence, sexual offences and rape.

The recording of violent crimes, which is at 77.8%, was also noted as being a particular cause of concern.

According to the watchdog, the force’s processes have made an improvement since the previous assessment in 2014, but that it remained at an inadequate level.

Wendy Williams, HM Inspector of Constabulary, said that the findings meant victims could potentially be more at risk and left without proper support.

West Midlands Police Deputy Chief Constable

Louisa Rolfe, said, “A significant number of these incidents were recorded on our systems but just not classified correctly.”

She said that the firm disputed the figure of 38,000 but broadly accepted the data underpinning the report.

“This report focuses on our technical compliance with the National Crime Recording System and, as such, is about administration and the interaction between different computer systems used to record crime.”

David Jamieson, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, said that he had asked for improvements to be made.

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Saffiyah Khan – Astist / Activist Launches Her First Solo Exhibition

Leicestershire Police, which was also given an inadequate rating, including reports from “victims of crimes of a sexual nature, and of violence”.

It said, “We acknowledge there are areas that we need to improve upon and are taking steps to address these administrative shortfalls.”

The West Midlands and Leicestershire forces were two of the seven forces (out of 43 across England and Wales) that have had inspection reports published, since June this year, for their “crime data integrity”.

As well as those two forces, the police forces of Cheshire and Kent were also branded inadequate.

Only Wiltshire received a rating of good from HMICFRS.

SAFFIYAH KHAN’s photograph went viral worldwide this year and put Birmingham’s record of authentic diverse communities in the spotlight.

Now PUNCH RECORDS presents SAFFIYAH KHAN’s own photographs for the first time, documenting young South Asian people coming together with others in the heart of the city.

PUNCH commissioned SAFFIYAH KHAN to document its DESI MOVES summer music programme; showcasing young people on a journey that began in youth centres and ended on stage at the BIRMINGHAM MELA with audiences reaching up to 40,000 per day .

DESIBITION is a witness to the vibrant street-level culture of South Asian young people in Birmingham’s inner-city wards and how south Asian youth want to make and present music SAFFIYA KHAN said “Youth engagement is so important. I worked with PUNCH RECORDS over ten weeks making this photo documentary. DESI MOVES gave a platform to young

talent. It’s super-important that young voices are heard. ” AMMO TALWAR MBE, CEO of PUNCH RECORDS, said “PUNCH is committed to continuing to support new Brit Asian audiences. These photographs by SAFFIYAH KHAN highlight the passion and potential of young artists from these communities. ” DESI MOVES was also a key element of UTSAV – Birmingham’s year of South Asian culture, and part of the response to the closure of THE DRUM – the arts venue which served these inner-city communities.

The launches will take place at : Concord Youth Centre 5-7pm Sparkbrook, B11 1LF on Wednesday 4th October .

Lighthouse Centre 6-8pm Aston, B19 2LN on Thursday 5th October .

All are welcome to check out the exhibition throughout the month of October during Black History Month.

MORE INFORMATION: SOPHIA JOHNSON – 0121 224 7444 / SOPHIA@PUNCHRECORDS. Pic by Joe Giddens

Tehseen Ashraf, his father, told the inquest that his son was allergic to all nuts and dairy, as well as some fish and kiwi fruit.

“When I looked in the care plan after his death, I was shocked to discover he was allergic to fish,” said Ms Park.

Ismaeel, from Sparkhill, died on March 3rd at Heartlands Hospital after falling ill.

Reportedly, during a 999 emergency call that was made by the school, the operator said that the staff had told them they were having difficulties finding the schoolboy’s EpiPen adrenaline pen.

Louise Hunt, Birmingham coroner, told the jury how the delay in finding and giving Ismaeel his EpiPen played a vital part in how he died.

Mr Ashraf spoke of how his regularly ate white fish and had only been known to suffer an allergic reaction after consuming tuna in brine.

Several other children at the school had care plans

produced with details on what should be done if the child were to fall ill, but Deborah Park said that, though the plans were available in the canteen, none of the staff had read them and only became aware of his fish allergies when they

checked the care plan after Ismaeel had died.

Coroner Mrs Hunt said that the inquest would hear the exact cause of the boy’s death later in the court proceedings but that an allergic reaction was suspected.

Boy Dies After Suspected Allergic Reaction At Al-Hijrah School M

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ohammed Ismaeel Ashraf, who was allergic to some types of fish, died after being served a meal of fish fingers at the school for dinner.

The 9 year old boy collapsed suffering a suspected allergic reaction at the Bordesley Green school, an inquest heard.

It is understood that none of the canteen staff had read a care plan which detailed what to do should Ismaeel fall ill. Birmingham Coroner’s Court heard that the school was aware of the boy’s dietary restrictions.

Deborah Park, catering manager of contractor Caterlink, said that staff were only aware that Ismaeel could not consume dairy products.

Ms Park said that the boy had regularly eaten fish and chips and had never suffered a reaction before this incident.

Ismaeel, who was also an asthmatic, wore a lanyard with the details of his allergies written on it.

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A Bedford family have turned to crowdfunding to fund the expensive costs of treatment for their 12-yearold son who suffers with a rare condition called Hypothalamic Hamartoma.

Jaydan Nerr was diagnosed with the condition in 2008 at the age of 4.

Hypothalamic Hamartoma is a rare malformation or tumour in the brain and victims will display symptoms of suffering with the condition from an early age.

In Jaydan’s case, father Raj says the condition leaves his son suffering “every day with different types of epileptic seizures, gelastics, complexpartial seizures, drop attacks, tonic-clonic seizures; any combination will happen everyday resulting in him having anywhere up to 10 seizures a day.”

On the Justgiving website where the family have launched the appeal, Raj said, “He has to tolerate a cocktail of strong epileptic drugs daily which have their own side effects and though these meds will only

help reduce the number of seizures, they won’t stop them and he will have to take these for the rest of his life regardless.”

He added, “he has recently been diagnosed with Autism, ADHD and ODD which are all linked to the condition.”

The family had hoped that the NHS would fund the treatment, which is only available in the United States.

Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital supported the family and put an application to the NHS for the funding.

Unfortunately, after a long wait, the family were informed in November last year that their application had been rejected, leaving them devastated after a difficult three-year period in which Jaydan’s condition worsened.

However, Raj said that the family learnt of another young boy with the same condition whose family turned to crowdfunding.

He said, “Another young boy who has the same rare condition as Jaydan was

also refused funding for the same treatment, his parents managed to raise the required funds through crowd funding.

“The boy successfully underwent the treatment last week in Texas and he is cured and seizure free.”

Raj says the news has given his family “renewed

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hope” and is optimistic that his son can be cured and “live a normal life and do the things all other kids do.”

At the time of the writing of this article, the family has raised almost £9,000 of their £100,000 target.

To donate visit: https:// www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/jaydan-nerr

SEPTEMBER 2017

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Girl Who Donated Organs Helps A Record Eight People

Jemima Layzell, who died from a brain aneurysm, has helped a record eight different people, including five children, through organ donation.

The 13-year-old died in 2012, but donated her heart, pancreas, lungs, kidneys, small bowel and liver.

Jemima’s parents Sophy Layzell & Harvey Layzell, said that their daughter would have been “very proud of her legacy”.

According to NHS Blood and Transplant, no other donor had helped as many people.

Jemima collapsed as she helped prepare for her mother’s 38th birthday party.

At Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, four days later, she died.

Three different people received her heart, small bowel, and pancreas, while two people received her kidneys.

Her liver was split and transplanted into a further two people, and both of her lungs were transplanted into another patient.

Donators normally result in 2.6 transplants.

Jemima’s parents said that the family had discussed her donating her organs a couple of weeks before her death,

after someone they knew died in a crash.

“They were on the register but their organs couldn’t be donated because of the circumstances of their death,” said mum Sophy, who is a drama tutor.

“Jemima had never heard of organ donation before and found it a little bit unsettling but totally understood the importance of it.”

She said that though the family found the decision to donate difficult, they felt it was right.

“Everyone wants their child to be special and unique and this among other things makes us very proud.

“Shortly after Jemima died, we watched a programme about children awaiting heart transplants and being fitted with Berlin Hearts in Great Ormond Street Hospital.

“It affirmed for us that saying ‘no’ would have been denying eight other people the chance for life, especially over Jemima’s heart, which Harvey had felt uncomfortable about donating at the time.”

Jemima’s parents and sister Amelia, 17, now run The Jemima Layzell Trust, which helps young people with brain injuries and promotes organ donation.

Malala Yousafzai Supports the Khpal Kor Foundation The Khpal Kor Foundation was set up in 1996 by a group of scouts from the Swat district in Northern Pakistan. The organization supports orphans in the region in getting a solid start in life, providing them with a home, food, security and an education.

The foundation has grown over the last 20 years and is now able to provider an array of facilities to boys and girls, from comfortable boarding rooms to equipment for the children to play sports and games. Starting by helping 22 orphans in the Swat district, the Khpal Kor Foundation has since transformed the lives of over a thousand.

The Foundation’s mission statement reads, “To provide orphans the opportunities that would enable them to become good human beings and productive citizens” The organization provides not only tangible backing to the orphans but also assists them as human beings as they grow from naïve children born in the obscurity of rural Pakistan to wise, intelligent and compassionate adults capable of flourishing anywhere.

Last week, a dinner held in honour of the Khpal Kor

Dinner held in honour of the Khpal Kor Foundation organised

by Nasir Awan MBE with Malala Yousafzai in attendance Foundation organised by Nasir Awan MBE of Awan Marketing International PLC took place in Birmingham with Malala Yousafzai in attendance as well as a host of business people and notable community members.

Miss Yousafzai is no stranger to the difficulties that Pakistani youth born into villages face in trying to get an education and achieve beyond the scope of their vicinity. The 20 year old was attacked on a school bus in the Swat valley in 2012 by a Taliban gunman unwilling to accept the ambition of the young girl.

Following her award of the Children’s Peace Prize, awarded by KidsRights, a Dutch foundation which supports and promotes

the wellbeing of vulnerable children across the world, Malala joined forces with the organization to donate 50,000 euros to the endowment fund of the Khpal Kor Foundation.

You can support the foundation yourself by donating here. The Khpal Kor Foundation aims to “demonstrate that a peaceful and prosperous society is possible by providing opportunities to its most vulnerable segments”, and the financial support that donators can provide is a vital contribution to fulfilling that aim.

To find out more about the Khpal Kor Foundation, you can visit their website, khpalkor.org, where you will be able to learn of the many activities and services they provide.

SEPTEMBER 2017

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Solicitor Jailed After Attempting Fraudulent Claim

D

iljit Bachada was jailed, alongside an accomplice who provided a false statement, after she falsified documents in order to make a court claim against a former employee.

The initial dispute was started between the two parties over money owed to the victim after she resigned from Hollies Solicitors, in Bromsgrove, in August 2012.

In May 2013, claiming a breach of her contract of

employment, the victim received a County Court claim made against her

by Bachada for the sum of £20,486.35.

Two contracts were attached to the claim apparently signed by both the victim and Bachada, who was the principal solicitor at the firm.

However, the victim realized she had never signed the documents and reported the matter to the police.

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and manipulate a civil claim against her former employee,” said Ian Crooks, Senior Crown Prosecutor with West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service.

“Tharanjit Biring assisted her by providing false information in a witness statement.

“Their fraud was uncovered when the victim became suspicious about a number of documents which were sent to her which appeared to bear her signature.

“Handwriting experts concluded that these were not her signatures and investigation also uncovered incorrect use of The Law Society copyright as well as inserting a law in the contract which had not even been introduced when the contracts were alleged to have been signed,” he added.

“Both of these two individuals have brought their profession into disrepute and they will now have to deal with the consequences of their actions.”

Detective Sergeant Mark Morton of West Mercia Police said, ““This has been a complex case that involved a detailed analysis of legal documents to establish that they had been falsified.

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Birmingham Comedian To Get Very Own TV Series

Guz Khan, creator of popular online character Mobeen, has been given his own TV series by the BBC. ‘Man Like Mobeen’, which was shown as a pilot on BBC3, proved to be such a hit that a full series has been commissioned.

Character Mobeen Deen lives in Small Heath, Birmingham, and the whole series will be filmed in the city.

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Handwriting experts looked at the contracts and agreed with the victim that she indeed had not signed the contracts. Furthermore, further anomalies were discovered by police, including an incorrect Law Society copyright at the foot of each page.

In addition to that, the clause stated in the contract had not come into force until July 2010, but the documents appeared to have been signed half a year earlier in January.

Bachada was subsequently arrested, as well as another solicitor, Tharanjit Biring, who had provided police with a false witness statement with the aim of assisting Bachada.

45-year-old Bachada was found guilty of two counts of fraud and two counts of perverting the court of justice after a six-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.

On Wednesday 23rd August, she was jailed for four and a half years.

Biring, 41, was sentenced to 19 months in prison after being found guilty of perverting the court of justice.

“Diljit Bachada abused her position of trust and authority to try

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and helping his sister reach her potential but struggles to overcome his reputation and gloomy past.

“Mobeen as a character epitomises the funny yet complex realities of life for young working class men and women in Britain today,” said Guz Khan.

“Inner city Birmingham, in which the show is set, gets almost no positive representation in the media.

Man Like Mobeen will at the very least give a ‘real’ depiction of life in the ends.”

He added, “I’m so honoured to be able to bring this character to you and I hope the people of Brum will be proud of what we produce, and have a real character that they can finally relate to.”

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West Midlands Police Officers Convicted of Drug Offences Two West Midlands police officers have been found guilty of drugs and misconduct offences after plotting to steal and sell drugs

West Midlands Police Force added that five other men had also been arrested and had admitted a number of offences on 7th August following the investigation.

Wahid Husman, 48, and Tahsib Majid, 36, two Birmingham-based police officers, used their roles to conspire to steal quantities of Class A and B drugs, the force said.

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SEPTEMBER 2017

On 7th August, Husman admitted drugs and misconduct offences.

After a two-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, Majid was convicted on Tuesday.

Reportedly, the two men plotted to use a marked police car to stop a drug courier and rob him of his consignment of thousands of pounds worth of contraband.

The officers, both based at Perry Barr police station, intended to sell the drugs they stole to an organised crime network to distribute to its street dealers.

Tahsbi Majid had previously been awarded a police medal in 2009 for his contribution in controlling a crowd of thousands of excited fans during a Christmas Lights Switch

with boy band JLS that descended into chaos leaving several people with crush injuries.

The two police officers were arrested in February earlier this year when officers found more than £7,000 in cash in Husman’s home as well as drugs in his shed.

The force said that

Husman accessed police computer systems to provide a number of criminal associated with information, while Majid committed a Data Protection offence on behalf of an associate.

Led by the force’s counter corruption unit, a surveillance operation captured the men talking about drug dealing on duty and conspiring with criminal associates to steal the consignment of illegal drugs destined for Birmingham.

An investigation revealed that Husman had begun accessing police computer systems as far back as 2011, according to police, when he started to feed intelligence and information to some of his co-accused.

Louisa Rolfe, Deputy Chief Constable, said after the hearing, “Today’s court result reflects our determination to weed out any corruption within the force. This is an exceptional case and, thankfully, such serious criminal corruption is very rare. These officers brazenly abused their positions and

carried out their offending while on duty. They let down their colleagues, friends and families but, fundamentally, the communities served by West Midlands Police.

“I would concur with the judge’s comments that they have disgraced the uniform.

“This investigation is an example of the brilliant and complex work of our counter corruption unit. Let me be clear: if you are corrupt we will track you down and you will face prosecution,” she added.

“There is absolutely no place in policing for those who abuse the trust placed in us by the public.”

“We expect the highest standards of those who work in the organisation and the vast majority of officers and staff uphold these high standards. It is devastating for hard working and committed officers when they are so let down by a colleague.

“There is absolutely no hiding place in West Midlands Police for corrupt officers,” she said.

Leaked Email From John Clancy Shows Councillor ‘Misled Public’

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City council leader John Clancy is under-fire after a leaked email showed he misled the public over the deal which would have ended the bin strike.

Clancy claimed recently that no deal was struck between the authority and Unite with regards to preserving 113 leading hand binmen jobs at the current pay grade. He said that only an agreement for further negotiation was agreed.

However, in a leaked email to depot managers sent shortly after the strike was suspended on 15th August, Clancy contradicts his public claim, instead saying that he and his cabinet had agreed to the deal and that “all the terms of the compromise would be implemented.”

Cllr Clancy also asked managers to lift the suspension and threat of disciplinary action against a union representative.

No mention of the agreement being subject to further negotiation is made in the email, which was sent on 18th August.

The strike, which had been on since 30th June, had been suspended on 16th August after conciliation service ACAS announced that a deal had been struck.

Unite union said the deal was a victory for its workers who were threatened with loss of pay or redundancy.

However, a council report later published discussed the potential financial implications of the deal for the authority, rendering it “unaffordable”. Senior cabinet officials refused to back the deal, amid concerns that it left the council open to further expensive equal pay claims from other staff.

In the email, Councillor Clancy said, ““I am writing to let you know that Birmingham City Council cabinet took the decision last night to support the compromise which had been negotiated through ACAS as a step forward in achieving a longer term solution to the refuge collection dispute.

“All of the terms of the compromise will be

implemented and the Council looks forward to working with the Union to progress discussions towards achieving a lasting solution which works for the staff, the Council and most importantly delivers for the people of Birmingham.”

Birmingham’s Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Jon Hunt said, “John Clancy’s position is now untenable. He has lost all authority and credibility as leader of the council.

ACAS clearly believes that ‘agreement’ and ‘deal’ are the same thing.

“To make repeated public statements that there was ‘no deal’ on August 16th – even if it was an untenable deal – has served the city badly.”

“An apology would have been the right thing to do,” he added.

“There has been the double u-turn in negotiations with the trade unions, leaving us with badly soured industrial relations on top of a toxic dispute that is set to destroy the quality of life of the city.”

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Barclaycard Arena to JAS SANSI The Thinking Man's Mouthpiece

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Photographer and LoveBrum trustee, Jas Sansi brings a dose of all things Birmingham.

With an unprecedented love of the city and its unique diverseness, he brings his 6-foot passion to The Asian Today.

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NEWS

become ‘Arena Birmingham’ The multi-purpose arena’s new name will re-brand the 15,800-seater to reflect its location from the 1st September.

The likes of John Legend, The Nooran Sisters and The Australian Pink Floyd Show will be the first to perform in the arena under its new brand.

The move comes as part of Barclaycard’s plans to review its sponsorship strategy with the organization saying that they wished to move away from long-term naming rights with the venue.

Phil Mead, Managing Director of the NEC Group Arenas, “The Barclaycard Arena has been a resounding success since it launched with Michael Bublé in 2014 following a £26 million redevelopment.

“The award-winning venue has attracted world-class entertainment from Drake to Iron Maiden and Céline Dion, and has secured high profile

international sports events from the Davis Cup in 2016, to the IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships in 2018.

“Much of what we have achieved is down to the

Theme park resort Alton Towers is urgently warning customers to be aware of a bogus website claiming to offer discounted tickets.

Reportedly, thousands of people have already fallen victim to the social media scam.

On the fake website, called “ukgroupdeals”, customers can purchase tickets and are even being offered limited time deal for a park ticket and “fast-track” combination which can be bought at £21.20 – which is a 60% discount from the park’s regular prices.

The website claims over two-thousand people have purchased tickets through

it and that the tickets are “VALID FOR GATE ADMINSSION ONLY, NO HOTEL INCLUDE” (Sic).

The Staffordshire theme park has taken to social media to warn visitors of the fake website.

“We’re aware of this scam circulating the web on ‘ukgroupdeals’. This is NOT official or affiliated with Alton Towers Resort in any way,” they said on Twitter.

Alton Towers say they are taking action to remove the website which is only a month old, and has IP address based in the US despite claiming to have a London address.

support of Barclaycard who have been an excellent partner since 2012, but we are now entering another exciting era with Arena Birmingham, as it’s transformed into a

destination in its own right within the city.

The arena has hosted some major events in recent years from business conferences to sports events and concerts since its inception in 1991.

Alton Towers Warn Customers Of Fake Ticket Scam

Prague, the fairy tale capital of the Czech Republic is simply stunning. The city's forefathers and foremothers bequeathed a legacy worthy of universal applause. The historic centre of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Less than two hours flight, and a £1.50 public transport hop from the airport, Prague is a destination all should experience.

The Nazis marched into Prague sparing it the arial assault London endured for 110 consecutive nights during the blitz. Can you imagine how beautiful London would have been if World War II had not happened?

London is breathtaking but we lost an unimaginable stock of architecture because of war. Some of the buildings would have been funded from wealth extracted from India and other colonised countries.

Back to Prague, the Nazis marched in, were pushed out by the allies to be replaced by Communists in 1948. They were peacefully removed in the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

Prague is home to the world’s largest and oldest castle, now home to the Czech President. The city’s most iconic attraction is Charles Bridge, built in 1357. I first walked across the bridge a few years ago. A shroud of Autumn fog covered the ancient crossing revealing its statues as I passed them. A mesmerising experience.

I spent four days in Prague, sufficient time to see many of the capital’s wonders. After a couple of days trying local dishes, I was curious to see if you can get a decent Indian meal there.

I wasn’t disappointed, my final meal there was at ‘K2 The Brothers.’

Having previously eaten at restaurants with stunning views of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle, ‘K The Two Brothers’ has neither but what it certainly offers is a friendly welcome and beautifully cooked food.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Meet “Badrinath Ki Dulhania”!

An EXCLUSIVE interview with Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt

Full interview turn to page 34

Viceroy House

Releasing in the UK on 3rd March

Full interview turn to page 35

Mirchi Music Awards This seasons music awards are in full swing with Ae Dil Hai Mushkil grabbing the majority gongs. The film has been a runaway success musically, bagging wins left, right and centre amidst numerous awards shows.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil took home five awards at the Mirchi Music Awards 2017, Album of the Year, Lyricist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Music Composer of the Year and Make It Large Award for director Karan Johar.

Arjit Singh who lended his vocals to the movie and accepted the Male Vocalist of the Year said, “I am very fortunate that I get good songs. Above all, my songs are being well accepted. I would like to give all the credit to the music directors and the producers.”

Other winners at the awards included Sarbjit, which won Best Raag Inspired Song, accepted by Meherbaan. Jonita Ghandhi won Female Vocalist of the Year for her song Gilehryiaan in Amir Khan’s knockout

movie Dangal.

Upcoming Composer of the Year was awarded to Tanishk Bagchi for Bolna from the film Kapoor and Sons whilst Upcoming Male Vocalist of the Year award went to duo Sarwar Khan and Sartaz Khan Barna for their song Haanikarak Baapu, also from Dangal.

Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan added fun to the music festivities by performing tracks Badri Ki Dulhania and Tamma Tamma Again from their upcoming film.

Mahershala Ali Becomes First Muslim to Win an Oscar To read the full story turn to page 33

Rani Mukerji returns to acting with Hichki

YOUR MONTHLY GOSSIP • INTERVIEWS • MUSIC • MOVIES SHOWBIZ FIX! & MUCH MORE! TURN TO PAGE 29 To read the full story turn to page 33

Visit Prague, enjoy the best of Europe. Drop into ‘K The 2 Two Brothers’ and enjoy the best of India.

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THE ASIAN TODAY

EDUCATION

EDUCATION

New College for Birmingham Celebrates with a Flash Mob

he education map of Birmingham has changed forever as South and City College Birmingham and Bournville College have completed their much-anticipated merger, to form one of the biggest and best colleges in the country. The merger was finally approved last month, following a long period of

cooperation between the two institutions.

To celebrate the Merger and raise awareness of their courses on offer, the merged colleges organised random Flash Mobs around the city, concluding with one at the Grand Central Station on Friday (01.09.17) The new College is expected to provide

education and training to over 22,000 students, employing around 1,200 staff. It will keep the current South and City and Bournville College brands and identities.

Quality The newly merged College is totally committed to the best interest of present and future students and staff of

both institutions as well as the local community and business communities. The merger embodies a shared commitment to the creation of a strong college offering high quality, well-resourced education and training provision to serve the needs of Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Mike Hopkins, the Principal of South and City College Mike Hopkins, the Principal of South and City College said: ‘Everything we do is about providing the best for our students.

What we are doing here is taking two very good and successful colleges and creating an excellent one.

As we go into the future, we will be able to capitalise on different strengths of each college and benefit from best practice, creating a high quality institution which will provide fantastic opportunities for learners of all ages. It will offer a wider choice of courses, improved facilities and equipment and an even better service to the local community and businesses. Our financial and organisational stability will allow us to invest more increased in facilities and resources, both physical and teaching, which will in turn mean a better learning

Ex-chair of Islamic school governing board banned from managing schools for “inappropriate conduct” Waseem Yaqub, who served as chairman of the governing body for Birmingham-based Al-Hijrah school, was banned for engaging in conduct that made him “unsuitable to take part in the management of an independent school”.

The Department of Education (DfE) issued a notice which read, “A direction was given in respect of Waseem Yaqub on 2

August 2017.

“The Secretary of State found that Waseem Yaqub had engaged in conduct that is so inappropriate that, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, it makes a person unsuitable to take part in the management of an independent school and that because of that conduct he was unsuitable to take part in the management of an independent school (including an academy or Free School).

“The barring decision also

has the effect of disqualifying the person from being a governor at a maintained school.”

The notice goes on to say, “In his various roles on AlHijrah’s Governing Body, Mr Yaqub promoted, permitted or failed to challenge inadequate financial monitoring and decisionmaking on the part of the governing body.

“When an Interim Executive Board was appointed in June 2014, Mr Yaqub engaged in unlawful

conduct designed to prevent its members from performing their lawful functions.”

Mr Yaqub may appeal against the direction to the First Tier Tribunal within three months of being informed of the Department’s decision.

Al-Hijrah School was placed into special measures following an inspection in December 2013 but has failed to improve with a rating of ‘inadequate’ being delivered

by Ofsted after a review in March this year.

T

Ex-chair Banned from Managing Schools for “Inappropriate Conduct”

experience for students.

Importantly we will be a large college with a small college mentality, focused on students as individuals.’

Choice The new college is already offering over 20 new courses across its eight campuses, from new A Levels in Geography, Criminology and Graphics at Bournville College to Diploma in Interior Design and a HND in Theatrical and Media Make-up at Digbeth campus.

Over time, there will be an even greater choice of courses at more levels and

more locations to suit local students.

Mike added: ‘Our vision is to improve education and training opportunities in Birmingham and the West Midlands and raise the aspirations and achievements of the local people. We have an integral role to play in the future of the local area by supporting the changing needs of the labour market and helping shape its future direction.’

It is not too late to be part of the new College, we’re enrolling now. Call 0800 111 6311 or visit www.sccb.ac.uk to find out more.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE YOU ENTERTAINMENT FIX

XPRESS Noreen Khan: British Asian Trust Ambassador - PG 24

Taylor Swift Wins Court Case - PG 25

Shakrukh Khan Planning New Film

With Aanand Ra- - PG 25

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH JUDI DENCH & ALI FAZAL ON PAGE 26

Fast & Furious Live Tour - PG 24

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Award Winning Radio Presenter Noreen Khan Becomes New British Asian Trust Ambassador A

cclaimed Radio and TV presenter Noreen Khan becomes the newest Ambassador for the British Asian Trust, one of the Prince of Wales’ charities. She joins a host of high profile figures including superstar Zayn Malik, Meera Syal CBE, Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE and Konnie Huq, to be a champion of the organisation’s work in South Asia.

Noreen currently presents her show on BBC Asian Network weekdays from 1:30-5pm and listening figures regularly prove she has the most listened to Asian radio show in the UK. Her warm and natural presenting style has made her an instant hit with the audience and she is one of the most sought-after comperes, hosting high profile events up and down the country.

Noreen previously hosted the British Asian’s Trust’s Celebrating Iftar Together event at the Savoy Hotel in London, where the charity launched its annual appeal for Ramadan in June 2017. In partnership with the British Pakistan Foundation, the event brought together influential leaders from diverse backgrounds including government, philanthropy, business, charity and the arts to celebrate the contributions that so many make to transforming lives and

strengthening relations across the UK, Pakistan and beyond.

Commenting on her appointment as British Asian Trust ambassador, Noreen said: “I’m very passionate about making a difference and transforming people’s lives and that’s exactly what the British Asian Trust are focused on doing. I feel very proud to be able to offer my support to the ongoing fantastic work being carried out by the Trust.”

Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive, British Asian Trust said: “Noreen has already been a fantastic champion of our work, having so brilliantly hosted our Iftar dinner. She is a muchloved figure in the diaspora community and we are thrilled that she has officially joined the British Asian Trust as an ambassador. We look forward to working more closely with Noreen to raise awareness of our work among the diaspora and beyond.”

Noreen is also a businesswoman, in 2014 she launched her own clothing labelNoreen Khan Couture and in May of 2015 she expanded her brand by launching NK Accessories.

The British Asian Trust supports the development of a South Asia that maximises the potential of its people, and that is free from

Rajkummar Rao Says He’s Receiving Social Media Marriage Proposals

Taylor Swift Wins In Groping Court Case

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inequality and injustice. The Trust was founded in 2007 by HRH The Prince of Wales and a group of visionary British Asian business leaders.

You can find out more at www. britishasiantrust.org You can also visit their Facebook, Twitter, or check out their YouTube Channel.

T

he actor stars in ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi ’ and the film has garnered not only a critically positive response for the star’s performance, but an altogether different kind of response on social media.

“Many girls have also reached out to me on Twitter and Instagram telling me I’m “sweet” and some are even asking me to marry them,” he revealed in a recent interview.

Rao, who is in a relationship with Patralekha Mishra Paul, was asked if marriage was on the cards any time soon.

“Not right now, but it will happen eventually. At the moment, we’re both focussed on our careers,” he said.

The actor has climbed up the Bollywood ladder with riveting performances in recent times and even taking home a National Film Award for Best Actor for his spot in ‘Shahid’, but it wasn’t always as smooth for the 32-year-old.

“Going back four or five years, I can definitely recall a couple of incidents where people told me, ‘We can’t cast you for the lead role; we’d rather take you for some other part.’ I think that’s because they all try and play safe and be secure, because the [financial] risk is really big when it comes to filmmaking,” he said.

Well, you’re definitely a money-maker now, Mr. Rao!

he ever-expanding film franchise, Fast & Furious, will receive its own live arena tour according to star of the series, Vin Diesel.

“I am in New York, believe it or not, and we are filming something that is going to be pretty state-of-the-art, something no one’s ever seen before, which is a live show, which will be, I think it’s first gonna be a show at the O2 Arena in London that’s gonna go all over the world and we’re really excited about it. But it’ll be a way for you to kind of see the action first hand,” said Diesel in a video shot at the filming for a portion of the show.

Though details are scarce for now, apparently the shows will feature recreations of movie stunts as well as new material created specifically for the arena tour.

FAST & FURIOUS LIVE GLOBAL ARENA TOUR HITS THE ROAD JANUARY 2018

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he jury of the case in which Taylor Swift alleged that fired DJ David Mueller groped her ruled in her favour.

Following a week-long trial, the jurors determined on Monday 15th that the Denver man did assault the 27-year-old at a backstage meet-and-greet by grabbing her backside.

Initially Mueller sued Swift, alleging that she had ruined his career following the incident which allegedly took place in 2013 in Denver, seeking up to $3m. The singer-songwriter countersued for just $1, saying he groped her.

Mueller’s case was thrown out on Friday, with the judge determining that there was insufficient evidence to suggest Swift had set out personally to have him fired.

Following the case, Swift has pledged to donate to organizations supporting victims of abuse.

“My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard,” she said in a statement.

“Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.”

Akshay Kumar’s Brother-In-Law Karan Kapadia Set For Film Debut K

aran Kapadia, youngest member of the Kapadia family, is set to make his film debut with Tony D’Souza’s production next year.

The 24-year-old who is the son of late actress Simple Kapadia, sister of Dimple Kapadia, aspired to become an actor since childhood and was just 16 when he assisted director Rahul Dholakia on ‘Society’.

On his reveal of his aspirations to his auntie Dimple and brother-in law Akshay Kumar, he said, “They didn’t see it coming because I have always been an introvert. But, once I told them, they were extremely supportive.”

“They both (Akshay Kumar and Dimple Kapadia) warned me that it won’t be an easy journey ahead. At the time, I was this chubby kid who thought I only had to lose weight and bagging films thereafter won’t be too tough.”

“I have gone out there for auditions, I have been rejected and been told already

Baadshaho Stars Test Driving Skills On Set T he stars of heist blockbuster ‘Baadshaho’ had to put their driving skills to the sword on the set of the movie.

Ajay Devgan, Emraan Hashmi, Vidyut Jammwal, Esha Gupta and Sanjay Mishra were all required to drive in the film, with vehicles ranging from old Jeeps to armoured trucks and even genuine cars driven in the 70’s in Rajasthan.

A tough ask for the actors, but such is the way of ‘Baadshaho’, which features action sequences throughout.

The actors performed an array of manoeuvres for the scenes, from sharp turns and driving at high speed and at some points had the crew looking between fingers. They came through, though, with the guidance of lead Ajay Devgan, who has experience in driving such two wheelers and four wheelers.

‘Baadshaho’ is released on the 1st September in the UK and is directed by Milan Luthria.

BY: HUSNA

BOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

‘Provocative’ Palestinian Director Issued Fatwa For Her First Film M

by a few people that they don’t see any spark in me. However, most said that I do have potential. So, it’s good that I have been exposed to rejection early in my career,” he continued.

Jennifer Lawrence Rocks Stunning Corset Gown

Actress Jennifer Lawrence attends the “Mother!” premiere on day four of the Toronto International Film Festival at the Princess of Wales Theatre, in Toronto 2017 TIFF – “Mother!” Premiere, Toronto, Canada – 10 Sep 2017

aysaloun Hamoud’s first film, ‘In Between’, has turned some heads and resulted in her being issued with a fatwa and even death threats.

The film explores the boundary between the more liberal Israeli culture and traditional Arab and Palestinian culture, focusing on three women in particular.

‘In Between’, due to be released in the UK later in September, tells the story of the three young Arab women who find themselves “in between” the free and more modern lives they aspire to live and the traditional and conservative lives they come from and have had imposed upon them.

The film features scenes involving nightclubs, drugs and homosexuality; themes not seen before in Palestinian cinema.

On the reaction to her film, the director said, “It’s naive to say, ‘no I didn’t expect any comeback’ when I wrote it, but I didn’t know how big it would be.”

“I knew when I started to write these characters that it could not be passed by, but I did not expect the extent of the reaction.”

“I wanted to take provocative action, we need to shake things up

Aanand Rai Targeting Next Year For Shah Rukh Khan Film Release A

anand L. Rai says he is hoping to release his as-yet-untitled film, which stars superstar Shah Rukh Khan, in December 2018.

“I feel honoured to work with him (Shah Rukh) and I will take some time for the film to move forward. I will take another year and a half. We are targeting

2018 December (for release). Nothing has been decided yet but we will announce the title very soon,” he said when asked about the project whilst at a special screening of ‘Lucknow Central’.

Reportedly, Khan will play a dwarf in the film, leading to some rumours that the film would indeed be called ‘Dwarf’, though Rai rejected this.

and see different things on screen.

If we keep making things that people think they want to see then it’s not art, it’s not cinema.

“I think I have a job to develop my society and that means changing reality. The essence of an artist is to bring change.”

The three main characters in the movie are: Nour, a scarf-wearing apprehensive girl looking towards a respectful marriage, only to find her fiancé is full of religious hypocrisy, Salma, who dreams of being a DJ but also struggles with revealing her homosexuality; and Laila, a successful lawyer, who searches for a partner who is as liberal and independent as her, and is disappointed.

Hamoud, who also wrote the film, said the exploration of genres

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the region had not seen before led to “a lot of confusion here” and some corners were angry towards her.

“So, my film was declared “haram”, the fatwa issued, and we started getting death threats. There was a very violent atmosphere for a couple of weeks that was pretty scary.

“But you know, there is no such thing as bad publicity,” she adds.

“More people started coming to see the film to see what all the fuss was about, and it ended up playing at cinemas for months.

I’ve had great reaction from both men and women.”

‘In Between’ has been nominated for 12 Ophir awards (Israeli version of The Oscars), released in the UK on 22nd Sept.

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MereChashma Kala Rashke Qamar KalaBaar Chashma Baar Baadshaho Dekho Baar Baar Dekho

Hawayein Tere Sang Yaare Tere Sang Rustom Jab Harry MetYaare Sejal Rustom

Socha Hai Gani Gani Mani Sandhu & Akhil Baadshaho Mani Sandhu & Akhil

Sweety Jag Ghoomeya Tera Drama Jag Ghoomeya Sultan Bareilly Ki Barfi Sultan

Nazm Tu Rendhe Nazm Tu Rendhe Tindy Bareilly & Rixx Ki Barfi and Sudesh Kumari Tindy & Rixx and Sudesh Kumari

Disco Disco Woman Woman A Gentleman Shide Boss ft Zack Knight Shide Boss ft Zack Knight

LagdiPe Peat Hai Booty Thaai Peat PeJatt Booty A Simran Flying A Flying Jatt

Bandook Meri Laila Suit Suit Guru A Gentelman Randhawa Guru Randhawa

Hans Tu HaiMat Pagli Tu Hai Daro Mohenjo Toilet Mohenjo Daro

Piya More Dishoom Dishoom Sau Baadshaho Tarah Ke Sau Tarah Ke

BHANGRA/POP BHANGRA BHANGRA

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Bom Diggy Gabbroo Gabbroo Jassie Zack Knight Gill ft.&Preet Jasmin Hundal Wallia Jassie Gill ft. Preet Hundal

Yaaria Akhil Akhil TeriDips DJ Kami Teri Kami

Hostel Prince, Tru-Skool Ashok Ashok Prince, Time 4 Ya Sharry Man Mind Tru-Skool Time 4 Ya Mind

High &Rated PBN Raj Bains Gabru PBNAkh & Raj Bains Billi Guru Randhawa Billi Akh

Gangland Manni Sandhu ManniAulakh Sandhu Welcome Makirt To The & Future Deep Kahlon Welcome To The Future

Qismat Tere Bina Tere Bina Monty Ammy & Virk Waris, Ginni Kapoor Monty & Waris, Ginni Kapoor

Feelin Skoda Skoda Ranjit The PropheC Bawa ft. Bhinda Aujla Ranjit Bawa ft. Bhinda Aujla

Bollywood Ikk Vaari Hor Medley Soch -Lae Pt 5 Ikk Vaari Hor Soch Lae Harish Zack Knight Verma Harish Verma

LV Di Jean Billa Kulwinder Kulwinder Billa Kulwinder Jasmine Sandlas Billa Kulwinder Billa

General Selfi e Boliyan SelfiKnight eSingh Boliyan Malkit Zack ft. Dj Vix Malkit Singh ft. Dj Vix

UK UKARTISTS CHART UK ARTISTS

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New Rules Cold Water Dua ColdLipa Water Major Lazer and Justin Beiber Major Lazer and Justin Beiber

WhatGood Too About Us Too Good Drake Pink feat Rihanna Drake feat Rihanna

Friends This is what you came for This is what you came for Calvin Justin Bieber Harris & feat Bloodpop Rihanna Calvin Harris feat Rihanna

Mi Gente Heathens Heathens JTwenty Balvin One & Willy Pilots William Twenty One Pilots

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Ready For Perfect Strangers It Perfect Strangers Jonas Taylor Blue Swift feat JP Cooper Jonas Blue feat JP Cooper

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SorryGirl This Not Sorry This Lovato Girl Kungs Demi Vs Cooking on 3 Burners Kungs Vs Cooking on 3 Burners

SunDon't We Comes Talk Up Anymore We Don't Talk Anymore Charlie Rudimental Puthft. feat James Selena Arthur Gomez Charlie Puth feat Selena Gomez

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Interview with Judi Dench & Ali Fazal A

cademy Award winner Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love) reunites with Academy Award-nominated director Stephen Frears (The Queen), and returns to the role of Queen Victoria, in Victoria & Abdul.

The screenplay of Victoria & Abdul is by Academy Award nominee Lee Hall (Billy Elliot), based on journalist Shrabani Basu’s book Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant, which brought to light the long-

hidden history of Victoria and Abdul from their own diaries and journals.

Victoria & Abdul tells the extraordinary true story of the amazing and unlikely friendship between Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and a young clerk, Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), who becomes her teacher, her spiritual advisor, and her devoted friend.

In 1887, Abdul travels from India to present a ceremonial medal as part

Read our Interview with Judi Dench 1.

What do you think was Queen Victoria’s initial reaction to seeing Abdul for the first time?

It is quite easy to imagine how Victoria, by then cross and a bit tired, suddenly looked up and saw somebody at last to talk to and somebody at last pleasing to look at. He came to the Golden Jubilee to present her with a coin, but, seeing him, she wasn’t so interested in the coin…

Abdul was like an injection of youth and enthusiasm for Victoria.

She could enjoy conversation with him, and he also afforded her something new to learn – language, culture. It was like a blood transfusion for her at that time. She adored him, and wanted

to make the effort for him.

2. How was your return visit to the famous Osborne House in Isle of Wight?

I was elated to spend several weeks working at Osborne. I remember, it was glorious being in one place with such lovely actors.

It was like a theatre company in a way. We would all sit outside at one big table. Last time [on Mrs Brown], the nearest we got was the private beach [near the home]. Being allowed to film in the study where Victoria wrote… being able to look out the window and see exactly what she saw, the trees and the surroundings… well, you can’t get better than

of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee but surprisingly finds favor with the elderly Queen. The unprecedented and unlikely relationship causes a battle royale within the royal household, pitting the Queen against court and family.

Victoria & Abdul humorously explores questions of race, religion, power, and the farce of Empire through the prism of a highly unusual and deeply moving friendship.

Read our Interview with Ali Fazal that. Everyone at Osborne was absolutely wonderful.

3. Tell us something about this story that gives us a deeper insight into who the Queen really was?

When you look at those great statues of Victoria, she does seem indomitable. With this story, we now learn about Victoria’s vulnerability.

1. Tell us about your experience of working with Judi Dench? It must’ve been dreamlike rummaging through history books with an actor of her stature.

Judi is a gem of a person, and she is everything an actor should be; I’ve come through this project with a great friend.

2. What are your thoughts on Abdul’s camaraderie with Queen Victoria?

It became a little spiritual for both of them. Reading the letters between them, you see that through learning Urdu, she started thinking about God in many ways.

3. We see a grand array of costumes in the film – how important was it to get the right look?

For me, costuming is critical; it is the backbone of my character.

If they get my costume right, I’m sorted, I’m done; half my battle’s won. Something Lee had worked into the script was how you see the growth of the

characters through the growth of the costumes, even though the characters are almost out of time or in a fantastical land. When Abdul comes back to the U.K. after a visit home to India, you notice the difference in his stature as he’s become more proud of his position in the Queen’s household. He now sports all these medals and has the sword…and he’s gained a little weight…I lost count of the number of layers Consolata put on me.

She had a field day – and she is a genius.

I [also] grew my own beard for the role, as I was determined to get the look right. Daniel Phillips’ [hair and make-up] team worked on it all with me.

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Priyanka Chopra Response To Twitter Criticism As She Visits Jordan

“I Can Go On For 70 More Years!” Says Sonakshi Sinha Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha says all the love and affection from her fans make her feel that she can go on for the next seven decades.

The 30-year-old, who is the daughter of actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha, has just completed seven years of her journey in the industry after her debut in ‘Dabangg’ in 2010, where she worked alongside Salman Khan.

“Seven years of Dabangg

Actress Priyanka Chopra, who is currently in Jordan visiting Syrian children under a UNICEF’s initiative, responded to a tweet in which a user asked her to visit malnourished children in India instead.

The actress, who made her Hollywood debut with ‘Baywatch’ recently, has regularly updated her social media accounts whilst in the war-stricken region.

“I would request @ priyankachopra that do visit rural areas of India where malnourished kids waiting for food,” said the tweet.

The 35-year-old responded, “Ive worked w/ @UNICEFIndia for 12 yrs&visited many such places. What have u done @ RavindraGautam_ ?Y is 1 childs prob less imp than another?”

(SIC).

(equals to) Seven years of Sonakshi! Thank you Salman Khan, Arbaaz Khan and Abhinav Kashyap for this and all that followed,” Sonakshi tweeted.

Sha added, “And thank you all for the wishes and love that’s been pouring in! You make me feel like I can go on for 70 more years.

Seven years of Sonakshi.”

Sonakshi is now set for her 16th film in Hindi cinema, ‘Ittefaq’, a thriller directed by Abhay Chopra.

Taapsee Pannu has bagged a role with Diljit Dosanjh in the movie next after Ileana d'Cruz existed from playing the role opposite Diljit Dosanjh.

Deccan Chronicle has reported that she has been cast to to play opposite Diljit Dosanjh for the first time.

Dosanjh is set to play the role of hockey player, Sandeep Singh.

Pannu will play the love-story aspect in the film and also a hockey player alongside Dosanjh.

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Hefty Fines Under New Data Protection Laws

Companies could face hefty fines under new Data Protection Laws.

The government today signalled its intention to introduce a new Data Protection law which will provide UK citizens with greater control over their data.

The new bill, which will align UK law with the forthcoming European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, is set to be introduced on May 25th next year.

Under the plans, individuals will have the “right to be forgotten” and can ask companies to delete data they hold on them.

Breaches of the rules are to be taken very seriously. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), will have the power to issue fines of either £17 million or four percent of the global turnover of the company in question, meaning the largest corporations, such as Google and Facebook, could see fines worth billions.

Digital Minister Matt Hancock said the new proposal will offer greater protection to UK citizens and will aid the country in the digital world as it moves

Charity Funds Memorials for Manchester Arena Attack

A brand-new charitable endowment to be given for memorials to the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena attack, has been publicized by the Manchester City Council.

The city council said it would accompany the present We Love Manchester Emergency Fund system for those touched by the 22 May attack.

An advice assembly of civil and business leaders is

towards Brexit.

“The new Data Protection Bill will give us one of the most robust, yet dynamic, set of data laws in the world, “It will give people more control over their data, require more consent for its use, and prepare Britain for Brexit. We have some of the best data science in the world and this new law will help it to thrive.”

The new Data Protection laws will introduce criminal offences to prevent companies creating

situations where anonymous data can be used to identify an individual, and will make it easier and free for people to get organizations to reveal personal data they hold on them. The definition of the term ‘personal data’ will also be expanded to include a user’s internet cookies and IP address.

Currently companies who require consent will offer an ‘opt-out’ tick box to allow users to deny their information being collected.

However, the new default

will be the opposite with companies having to offer an ‘opt-in’ option instead allowing users to give consent if they wish.

Elizabeth Denham, head of the ICO, said the organization is pleased with the announcement; “We are pleased the government recognises the importance of data protection, its central role in increasing trust and confidence in the digital economy and the benefits the enhanced protections will bring to the public."

Households are warned that these cards do not feature the Royal Mail logo but otherwise look almost identical to the ‘something for you’ cards delivered by the organization when a delivery has been missed.

There have been reports that victims of the scam have been charged £45 when they have called the number.

A photo of one of the fake cards shows the recipient’s address handwritten in the top left box.

A Royal spokesperson said of the issue: “The Royal Mail security team is looking into this incident as a matter of urgency.

"Customers should check delivery cards very carefully to ensure they are genuine, and remain vigilant.

"Although this card is similar to one of our ‘Something For You’ cards, the Royal Mail logo is crucially missing.

"Customers should also consider whether they are expecting a delivery from the company named on the card”.

Royal Mail Issue Warning Over Fake ‘Missed Delivery’ Cards

Royal Mail and Action Fraud are urgently warning residents of a new scam which involves households receiving ‘something for you’ cards designed to look like they have come from Royal Mail.

NATIONAL

The cards urge recipients to call a 0208 number, which is not registered with Royal Mail, where they are put through to an automated message which asks for their details and consignment number.

being designed to counsel the city council on everything to do with memorial-related concerns.

This will comprise of discussions with the victims' relatives.

The city council has that said this consultative collection will be "crucial in determining the form and location of any permanent commemorations".

The initial gathering will be in early on in September.

MP Reappointed to Labour’s National Executive Committee

Labour MP Keith Vaz has just very recently been reappointed onto his organization's powerful National Executive Committee (NEC).

The previous chairman of the Home Affairs select team secured the competition to be the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) spokesperson on the NEC, the party’s spokespersons have confirmed.

The re-election was perceived and considered as part of a widespread fight for command of the party sandwiched between far-left Jeremy Corbyn followers and more senior and established supporters of the Labour

chain of command.

The Popular pro-Corbyn canvass faction Momentum has in addition created and launched an audio-visual endorsing and supporting Asghar Khan, a Labour city councillor that is from Leeds, for the job and responsibility of representing BAME Labour group on the NEC (National Executive Committee).

Mr Asghar Khan has added that Labour considered more working class BAME opinions from outside of Westminster on the NEC, Mr Khan added in that the NEC (National Executive Committee) "shouldn't be the preserve of MPs".

THE ASIAN TODAY

Pakistan And China Promote Ties In Islamabad, Pakistan and China have approved to promote additional support on all matters of shared awareness.

This arrangement came about whilst meeting the Prime Minster Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and China Vice-Premier Wang Yang in Islamabad.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said Pakistan and China are all weather friends and strategic partners.

added that it carried out Saturday’s bomb bombing.

Chief of the Army, General Qamar Bajwa said the outbreak was an effort to mar festivities on Monday as Pakistan celebrated their 70 years of freedom from British colonial rule.

“Our resolve won’t succumb

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INTERNATIONAL

Southwest Pakistani Bomb Kills Eight Chief of the Army, General Qamar Bajwa said the outbreak was an effort to mar festivities on Monday as Pakistan celebrated their 70 years of freedom from British colonial rule.

A bomb on the roadside murdered eight soldiers in an isolated region of the southwestern sector of Baluchistan in Pakistan. An official of the government reported on Tuesday and it is the second incident in mere days in the harassed sector.

The bomb incident happened Monday night in the district of Harnai was about 100 miles (160km) which is east of the district capital, Quetta, wherein which a suicide bomber smashed his motorbike into a military vehicle on early Tuesday, which has killed eight soldiers and seven residents.

However, The BLA (Baloch Liberation Army) faction has professed accountability for the bomb blast via calls made to the mass media in Quetta. Islamic State has

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INTERNATIONAL

to any challenge,” Gen. Bajwa which an important element of a $57 billion Chinese economic reported in a report from the Military media section posted passageway through Pakistan. on Twitter.

The area, has borders with Separatist Radicals from both Afghanistan and Iran, was Baluchistan has instigated a shocked by a number of assaults movement in opposition to the last year that elevated concerns central government for years, about a rising army presence, commanding a bigger portion of including fighters connected supplies in the gas-rich region, with Islamic state

Prime Minister Shaid Khaqan Abbasi said Pakistan-China bilateral ties are time tested and our relationship has attained new heights after the CPEC that is a game changer for the region and beyond.

Wang Yang has applauded the Prime Minster Shad Khaqan Abbasi and has emphasized that the trip shows the tight tactical dealings amongst the two countries and China’s great support for Pakistan.

Both of the leaders have additionally talked over issues of bilateral, national and global interest. Both of the leaders of China and Pakistan have stated approval at the development in application of CPEC projects.

Buses Pushed By Landslide In India

Former Pakistan PM’s Wife Seeks Parliamentary Seat The wife of the previous Prime minister of Pakistan Kulsoom Nawaz has announced she is running for her husband’s parliamentary seat.

She will fight for the seat her husband was pushed out last month when involved in the Panama papers scandal.

Mr Sharif quit after the newspapers exposed his children were connected to offshore businesses that owned homes in London. He has continued to deny any misconduct.

However, Pakistan's Supreme Court excluded him from office after ruling Mr Sharif had been deceitful in not revealing his earnings from a Dubai-based company in his selection papers throughout the 2013 general election.

Kulsoom Nawaz’s nominee

papers for her husband's previous electorate in Lahore were filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party.

She hasn’t run for office beforehand, but the faction is hopeful she will earn "big

majority" in the by-election, which will happen in 42 days.

This seems to be a plan change for the family, who initially said that Mr Sharif's younger brother would run for the seat, and then

premiership.

Last week, the ruling party elected Sharif loyalist Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister. But it has been well-known that he will claim office until elections next year.

An immense landslip in north India has pushed two crowded buses off a hillside into a bottomless gorge, killing at least 45 people, government officials have said.

The vehicles had just paused for a rest when the landslip, initiated by days of arduous rain, strikes a road in the Mandi district, in Himachal Pradesh state.

However, the army has helped out with the search attempts. Five people have currently been saved but have with grave wounds, reports say.Mudslides are frequent in India in the rainy season period from July to September.

Within an expanse of

the road, some 200km (124 miles) from the national capital Shimla, was entirely eroded away. Numerous homes and various cars were additionally ruined.

Officials have said that the death number could increase as more people were still missing at the moment.

A comment from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office said on Twitter that he was "pained by the loss of lives".

The monsoon floods have also touched millions of individuals across at the very least 20 regions in India.

However, in Nepal, downpours and mudslides are caused by powerful rains have killed at least 45 people.

30

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Tranquil Embellished Net Jacket With Silk Slip & Raw Silk Trousers by Mahgul

Hand Embroidered Net Top With Embellished Trousers

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Providing it with a modern spin, it’s a luxurious classic. Fashion this traditional jacket with a peasant dress or a leather pants for a more urban appearance.

the kind of jewellery, accessories, shoes, capes, shawls etc., and will be seen far and few in between.

So continuously be on the lookout.

Implementing The Look: The last stage is to implement the look.

Things to learn while achieving your look is the colour schemes.

Always consider to accessorize,

accessorize and accessorize. Sport sunglasses, belts, scarves, support good bags and be sure that your jewellery fits with your look. remember less is forever more!

own comfort. But consider, your bravura is what that can’t be coerced. So choose something that suits you and shows off your persona and you can finish each day with effortlessness. There are 4 means to give your closet an update: Recognising Your Style: Style is about working around yourself and your body, It’s not about altering all things about yourself.

Therefore if you have soft stomach or arms, maybe wearing crop tops or sleeveless may not be the greatest choice. Know your form and your persona beforehand when you update your closet.

The Basics: Subsequent step is to obtain the closet staples. There are pieces that each woman must own. For high-street looks, an incredible pair of jeans and pants in the colours black and white.

Each woman must in addition, have tops and camisoles in a range of different colours. Basic types of shoes are also a must; as well as, but not restricted to; flats, high heels, boots, and sandals in major colours.

The Statement Pieces: To finish the look, #look for statement pieces. These articles can be in

Rejuvenating Your Closet By creating what people call a stylish ‘look’ in the world of fashion is in also about accepting your very own individual look and showing it by the clothes from your closet. To be blunt, picking an ensemble precisely as is from a designer shop won’t make you trendy or fashionable! Each shop inclines to store the essentials for a varied variety of women. You have to choose what suits your

Arah Hand Embroidered Cotton Grip Top With Silk Trousers by Mahgul

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HION & BEAUTY Incredible Ancient Beauty Secrets Read about the incredible Ancient Indian Secrets that every modern women must know

SAFFRON

Saffron is known as the most expensive and rare spice to purchase.

However, it is worth it the price by its properties and uses. Saffron has been known to enhance a person’s skin tone. Saffron has many advantages to your skin.

The advantages of Saffron are: That it aids in the removal of Tan Get Saffron and infuse in malai or milk cream overnight Combine the mixture in the morning and then smear the concoction on the tanned skin area.

The Birth of A Goddess www.mitamistry.co.uk By: Mita Mistry

Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul. ~Marcus Aurelius

@mitamistry The birth of a new-born into a family is without doubt a truly precious gift. The recent birth of my niece still has me in throes of excitement cooing over this beautiful bundle of joy with tiny fingers as delicate as a snowflake, whose energy is an embodiment of purity like a white rose.

Tones the skin Grab the necessary quantity of rosewater and then mix the rosewater with the saffron until it gets to the colour of Saffron.

Put a cotton bud in the mixture and pat on face.

Aids in brightening skin Grab small strands of saffron and infuse in milk for 30 minutes.

Then add sandalwood powder and combine with the mix.

Smear the pack on face and then leave on for 15 to 20 minutes and then remove after that time with water.

HONEY

Honey is a popular favourite. It is easily accessible, appetising and is cheap to buy. Honey is likewise well-known for its exceptional hydrating properties.

The advantages of Honey are: Aids in the curing burn scars Smear the raw Honey to a burn scar because Honey has antiseptic and healing properties.

Putting honey a burn frequently can yield a reduction in scarring than typical.

Honey can provide a flawless skin Combine honey with malai, chandan, besan and rose oil to create a face-mask.

Smear the mixture on your face and neck.

Leave it to dry and peel off sometime afterwards. It eliminates all impurities on the face and the facial skin soft and smooth.

TUMERIC

This ingredient is unquestionably crucial in Indian culture. Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia, and requires temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F) and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive.

The advantages of Tumeric are: It aids in shrinking stretch marks Combine turmeric with besan and yogurt.

Smear on the stretch marks.

Turmeric’s properties aid in lightening the stretch marks.

Tumeric can shrink wrinkles Get rice powder, raw milk and tomato juice.

Combine them with turmeric to create a paste.

Smear the substance on your wrinkles and leave it untouched until it becomes dry.

Tumeric can remedy cracked heels Combine coconut oil with Tumeric.

Add this blend to your cracked heels before you take a bath and leave on for 15 minutes.

The presence of a new-born baby can be very healing because this innocent soul radiates a bright light of divine energy for she does not cast a shadow of darkness with zero prejudice or owning a bad bone in her body. This is incredibly special. Whether the new-born is a boy or girl does not matter because both are equally special for their magical presence.

We know female energy has been suppressed for ages universally and globally. Sadly it is still not fully celebrated by society because it has largely been a male dominated game often based on fear, oppression, and greed.

But the game IS changing and has been for some time. Fortunately she is born into an era when women's leadership is growing and at a time where a shift in human consciousness for greater love, care and compassion are needed more than ever to balance the current fear based world we live in. Its true women are naturally nurturing and caring because feminine energy is rooted in feeling, creativity, intuition, collaboration, openness and much more of this soft energy.

Masculine energy however is action related, competitive, cognitive, entrepreneurial, problem solving, risk taking, direct – picture the dominant traits of a CEO for example. Don't get me wrong feminine energy is far from submissive or weak, quite the opposite. It is a huge strength that by actually nourishing this soft feminine energy we are able to run a business, or juggle a career while having children and finding balance in our relationships and lives.

Since each one of us comprises a unique combination of masculine and feminine energy we can all benefit from lovingly embracing both within us and around us. Lets not forget the Goddess’ of history and mythology whose strong feminine energy, has been inspiring us since antiquity. You can call upon or visualise such strengths during challenging times to help healing to take place.

For example if you are having intimacy issues you could call on Aphrodite, the seductive lover. Sometimes you may need the wisdom of Lakshmi to help make a career decision for greater material abundance, or the qualities of Destroyer Goddess Kahli to end a situation that no longer serves you. You may need to draw upon Mary Magdalene to help you deal with loss or grief or call upon Artemis to put boundaries in place to protect you and your loved ones. There are so many Goddess energies or even role models we can look up to for a reminder of our own inner strength because it is there.

As more and more men and women respect the divine feminine energy and live in harmony with it, we have the potential to uplift humanity to a place of greater love and compassion. The ripple effect of that can only be profound healing in the form of lasting peace and justice throughout the world.

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SEPTEMBER 2017

THE ASIAN TODAY PR supremo and food blogger Anita Champaneri brings her blog Ms Delicious PR and all things food to The Asian Today, bringing all the news from hot restaurants to cool bars and everything in between. www.msdeliciouspr.blogspot.com

There is always something delicious happenning in the city and this August is no exception with a smattering of new openings in Brum

Anita Champaneri. Foodie and MD of Delicious PR tells us more

FLAVOUR FORTNIGHT The first city centre-wide celebration of Birmingham’s booming dining scene will take place in September. Flavour Fortnight will be two weeks bursting with flavour in Birmingham city centre Flavour Fortnight recognises the city centre’s fantastic and diverse food and drink; home to Michelin-starred chefs and awardwinning independents.

For two weeks, starting 1st September until 17th September, diners can take advantage of Flavour Fortnight special menus, exclusive discounts and value-added extras in dozens of incredible venues.

The two-week promotion has been arranged by Retail BID, Colmore BID and Westside BID, the three Business Improvement Districts for the city centre.

More than 30 restaurants have signed up to take part in Flavour Fortnight, with more venues to be announced.

FOOD & TRAVEL

WWW.THEASIANTODAY.COM

FOOD & T

Brits Throw Away £428m Worth Of Barbecue Food

A study has projected that the UK will over-cater for nearly 12 million barbecues for the month for August.

Salad leaves, hot dog buns, burger rolls, potato salad and coleslaw are amongst the top five items looking to end up in the bin, according to the research which comes from Sainsbury’s, with each event amounting to £36.47 of wasted food – excluding drink.

With people attending or hosting on average two barbecues, Sainsbury’s has projected that around half of those gatherings will be over-catered with hosts putting on a spread larger than necessary. Across the 12 million barbecues to be braved in the notoriously unpredictable weather, a massive £428m worth of food will be binned.

According to Wrap, the government’s food waste advisory body, a significant contribution to the 178 million bags thrown away every year in the UK is half a bag of salad.

Following recent advice from the Food Standards Agency, with the body suggesting strict standards when preparing food for picnics and barbecues, consumers may well be avoiding the risks by

throwing food away.

Paul Crewe, head of sustainability, engineering, energy and environment at Sainsbury’s said, “Britons want to give their guests a fantastic barbecue experience with enough

options to please everyone’s tastes.

“However, a good plan for leftovers will mean hosts can still offer their friends a feast fit to remember without … food ending up in the bin.”

Higher Food Prices Tesco Issues Expected In Latest Chicken Salad Recall Inflation Figures

Among those is Michelin-starred Purnell’s on Cornwall Street, which is offering four courses for £40 per person during Flavour Fortnight (conditions apply).

The Old Joint Stock, opposite Birmingham Cathedral, voted one of the UK’s top 25 pubs by the Observer newspaper, is offering any speciality pie for £10 during Flavour Fortnight.

Business District newcomer Gusto at the Grand Hotel is offering two courses from the restaurant’s Lunch Menu with either a bottle of Peroni Red, 175ml Garganega Pinot Grigio or 175ml Montepulciano for £15 per person.

Meanwhile, Bennetts Hill new-opening Buffalo and Rye is offering a free cocktail when you spend £10 on food.

And Tom’s Kitchen at Mailbox is offering 20% off the food bill for the duration of Flavour Fortnight (excluding Saturday nights).

These are just a small selection of the tantalising treats on offer during Flavour Fortnight.

Find out more by visiting: birminghamflavourfortnight.com Get more food news on twitter @deliciouspr and on the web : www.msdeliciouspr.blogspot.com

Higher living costs and a stagnation in wage increases is expected to be shown in the latest round of official data, with predictions for the data to show the Retail Price Index hit 3.5 per cent in July.

The rise in inflation is expected to have been contributed to by the increase in shopping costs.

Head of European fixed income strategy at Scotiabank, Alan Clarke, is forecasting the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to hit 2.8 per cent, significantly due to increasing food prices.

“Food price falls came to a fairly abrupt end in the aftermath of the Brexit vote,

particularly on the back of the sharp fall in the GBP exchange rate,” said Mr Clarke.

“Indeed, food prices have risen for seven of the last eight months – with last month being the exception, showing a 0.2 per cent month-on-month fall.

“Overall, we view last month’s downward adjustment in inflation as temporary and the peak in inflation is yet to be reached,” he added.

Despite the financial pressure, consumer spending has remained consistent since the EU referendum according to figures.

Supermarket giant Tesco has urgently recalled two of its chicken salad products after the discovery of a germ which causes diarrhoea, fever and cramps.

The products in question that must not be eaten are, the ‘160g chicken salad’ and the ‘315g chicken, broccoli, almond and cashew nut salad’, due to the presence of the germ called ‘Campylobacter’, according to the Food Standards Agency.

“The usual symptoms

caused by Campylobacter are fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps,” said the FSA. “If you have bought any of the above products do not eat them. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.”

Tesco said: “We have been made aware by our supplier that they have detected campylobacter in a small number of products. Tesco is recalling the affected products as a precaution.”

TRAVEL

Brits In Thailand Could Face 10 Years In Prison For Vaping

A little-known ban on e-cigarettes in Thailand could see those who breach the law face 10 years behind bars.

Thailand is visited by more than a million British tourists every year, according to the Foreign Office, and the ban, which was introduced in 2014, could see unaware Brits being fined or prosecuted for having a drag.

The South-East Asian country is a popular destination because of its affordability and accessibility but experts warn that visitors should be warned of the law of the country, which has been under military rule since 2014.

“You can’t bring vaporisers (like e-cigarettes and e-baraku) or refills into Thailand,” advises the

Foreign Office.

“These items are likely to be confiscated and you could be fined or sent to prison for up to 10 years if convicted.

“The sale or supply of e-cigarettes and similar devices is also banned and you could face a heavy fine or up to five years imprisonment if found guilty.

Several British Nationals have been arrested for possession of vaporisers and e-cigarettes.”

Visits To UK Rise As Pound Falls Official figures show that the number of visitors to the United Kingdom rose 3.5million in June, up 7% from the same month last year.

The number of visitors from Europe was 2.241 million, an increase of 2%, but the figures showed a dramatic increase in North American visitors, up 34%.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that the visitors spent £2.2billion whilst here, a rise of 2%.

The figures show how the United Kingdom has become more affordable to visitors, with the recent fall in the pound following Brexit.

UK citizens themselves made 7.2million trips abroad, an increase of 4%, and spent a massive £4.6billion, up 15% and doubling the amount spent by foreigners in the

SEPTEMBER 2017

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FOOD & TRAVEL

Government Plans to Keep Visa-Free Travel For EU Nationals

European Union nationals will remain able to pass freely into the UK without passports, under new Government plans. Those who wish to stay for work, study or to settle will still have to apply for permission.

It comes after the second paper on Brexit negotiations was published regarding the issue of the Irish border, which includes keeping the Common Travel Area between the two countries.

After the Government’s insistence that “no return to the hard borders of the past” would be made, citizens of

the EU will be able to travel freely between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Island and into the UK. The Irish Border is one of three high priority issues in “phase one” of the Brexit negotiations, along with the financial settlement and citizens’ rights.

The Home Office is claiming that the new plans are effective, stating that managing migration is as much about access to work and citizenship as well as the controlling of entry at a physical border.

There are critics to the

proposals though. Nigel Farage, former head of UKIP who resigned following the referendum, feels the Government is “bowing to EU demands” and added, ” “The operation of the land border between the north and south should be none of their business.

“That the Government would willingly allow EU national to freely move into UK territory is of concern”.

Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated her intentions, “I want people to be absolutely clear: the UK does not want to see border posts for any purpose.”

London Midland is cracking down on anti-social behaviour on its Birmingham trains with the new railway by-laws.

The new regulations, which were introduced on the 7th August, were made in response to complaints the company has received from passengers and could see people in court for breaches.

The legislation will affect passengers on the Birmingham City Line South and London Midland staff will be issuing cautions to people who put feet on seats, smoke e-cigarettes or riding

bicycles on train platforms.

Darren Hanley of London Midland said, “The railway bylaws have always existed but for many years they have fallen out of focus by most train companies.

“There is a strong link between low levels of

antisocial behaviour and ticketless travel. Our passengers have the right to travel and feel safe with us.

“By enforcing the railway by-laws, we can stop problems before they escalate into something worse.”

Train Users to be Prosecuted

Specialists in

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33

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THE ASIAN TODAY

TECH TALK WITH QASIM MAJID

Qasim Majid is a technology entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of Wow Zone – a digital marketing agency. He has been in the digital industry for 20 years.

@cas_majid

EGOTISTICAL SOCIAL More so than ever now we are seeing the rise of personal branding. Whether its CEO’s from large conglomerates, to owner managed businesses, personal branding is becoming an integral factor to increasing awareness, audiences, trust and ultimately business revenue.

It’s no secret that social media plays and essential part, and has made it somewhat easier for business owners to get there name out there, and position themselves as an authority in their chosen field.

There are, however, a few excruciating things entrepreneurs should avoid making when it comes to building online reputation/ authority.

This sits fairly and squarely in two areas, what I would call “Egotistical Social” and “Used Car Salesman Social”. Both work independently and alongside each other beautifully. It’s because the individuals behind them have similar personality characteristics, they’re both narcissistic!

Egotistical Social Posters - is all about giving it the “The Big I am” - look at me I’m the dogs dangly bits. These posts are usually from ‘plastic entrepreneurs’, who show off a certain lifestyle, have their pictures taken next to Lambos, wearing their fake Hublot watch (that’s for all you watch connoisseurs out there, fake or genuine, Hublot does not sit in watch royalty) and their hideous Christian Louboutins shoes.

Used Car Salesman Social Posters - they are in the main lovely people, but kidding themselves they’re business people. They just haven’t stuck at anything long enough or found what works for them. It’s usually because they are chasing money and the lifestyle of the Egotistical Social poster – (oh the irony). We all have these characters on our friends lists, they are forever pushing some new network marketing fad, or dare I say it Crypto Currency. The name ‘Crpto’ says it all, need I say anymore ! They post screen shots of how much money they’ve earned that day, selling the dream, which by the way comes for free, by working only 5 minutes a day.

So, if you really want to make a positive impact towards your personal brand using online mechanisms such as social media, avoid the above like the plague. They do not build longevity, positive social proof, and eventually over time, will have a detrimental effect.

Rather, you should focus on giving the best advice possible, be authentic and more importantly honest with your audience.

Lets get one thing clear, I’m not saying you shouldn’t share your good news, absolutely you should. But it should be done in timely manner, which is thought through with a touch of class. That way you’ll build a personal brand which will attract people towards you, as we call it ‘Attraction Marketing’.

@Wow_Zone /WowZoneLtd www.wow-zone.com

35

BUSINESS

Pay rises forecast to stay weak, survey predicts According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), pay will rise just 1% over the next year, meaning further pressure on incomes.

The CIPD say that despite falling unemployment numbers, an increasing supply of labour is the reason for the stagnation.

The survey, which is conducted every quarter in association with Adecco Group, said the market had been boosted by EU migrant workers, older people and former welfare claimants returning to work.

The Institute say that there were 24 applicants for every low-skilled job, 19 applicants for every mediumskilled job and 8 for highskilled vacancy.

Gerwyn Davies, senior labour market adviser at the CIPD, authored the report and said despite suggestions that pay may increase to match the

rise in employment, those predictions were “the dog that hasn’t barked for some time now”.

“We are still yet to see tangible signs of this situation changing in the near term.

“The facts remain that productivity levels are stagnant [and] public sector pay increases remain modest, while wage costs and uncertainty over access to the EU market have increased for some

employers.

“At the same time, it is also clear that the majority of employers have still been able to find suitable candidates to employ at current wage rates, due to a strong labour supply until now.”

Net migration has dropped to its lowest level in three years following the Brexit vote after a surge in the number of EU nationals leaving the UK, say figures released by ONS. The figures show net migration 81,000 to 246,000 in the year to March this year.

Most of the change is due to a decrease in EU citizen net migration, down 51,000.

The government’s aim is to bring net migration down to 100,000.

“It was good to see a third quarter running of net migration figures coming down,” said Brandon Lewis, Minister of Immigration.

There are those who disagree though, with the

CBI voicing their worries about business groups, “The loss of these vital skills should concern us all.”

The figures, release by the Office for National Statistics, show a rise of 17,000 in the departure of citizens from the so-called EU8 – Slovenia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia.

An ONS spokesperson said, “These results indicate that the EU referendum result may be influencing people’s decision to migrate into and out of the UK, particularly EU and EU8 citizens.

“It is too early to tell if this is an indication of a longterm trend,” she added.

Whilst the figures from ONS show a decrease in immigration into the UK, they show a rise in emigration.

The number of people moving abroad to work increased by 21,000 to 122,000.

“Given unemployment is currently at its lowest

level ever (4.5 per cent), without the 3 million EU citizens living here the UK would have an acute labour shortage,” said Seamus Nevin, head of employment and skills policy at the Institute of Directors.

“Signs that it is becoming a less attractive place to live and work are a concern.”

Figures Show Big Fall In Net Migration Since Brexit

A Butler Well Served

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THE ASIAN TODAY

PROPERTY

PROPERTY

‘Political Uncertainty’ To Blame £85m Apartment Complex To For UK Housing Market Decline Be Built Next To Edgbaston The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has indicated that ‘political uncertainty’ around issues such as Brexit are at the source of the halt in the UK property market.

The official surveyors’ body, which reports that the market has dropped to 2011 levels, has revealed findings from its recent poll with of valuers from around the UK and says the result was “the softest reading since early 2013”. South-East England in particular was singled out with the region posting “the weakest reading for this part of the country since 2011”.

Areas such as the West Midlands, the South-West and Northern Ireland have helped to balance the national picture, though, with prices generally rising in those regions.

“Record low stock numbers, political uncertainty and the aftermath of tax changes are obstacles hindering the UK

housing market, with price growth and sales activity subdued during the month of July,” stated RICS. David Knights of David Brown & Co said, “The election result and all the talk of Brexit has had a

profound effect on the market, and with high stamp duty charges, sales as well as new instructions are now suffering.

Add to this the holiday season and the market is not very clever.”

375 flats are to be developed by German Investment Group Patrizia who acquired four acres of land next to the cricket stadium from Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Homes and Communities Agency.

Patrizia UK plans to build parking for residents, a ground floor space for stores and a new access road alongside the flats in the area.

The apartments, which will be available for rent only, are on land which the Club have been looking to sell since 2015. A spokesperson said that whilst the acquired land did include part of the cricket club’s current car park, alternative car parking would be made available so the number of spaces for cars and vans would not be affected.

Managing director of Patrizia UK and Ireland James Muir said: "We set out with a clear strategy for our UK build-to-rent

platform which was to target urban centres with strong demographic fundamentals.

"Edgbaston is an established and thriving part of Birmingham and this particular location has access to the best of the city including sports, employment, entertainment and dining out.”

Neil Snowball, chief executive of the cricket club,

added: "This next phase of our development is great news for the club and the city.

"The announcement of this new development is another key stage in our 20-year stadium masterplan that started in 2010 with the £32 million investment in the stadium including the South Stand."

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Tesla boss Elon Musk reveals Model 3

Tesla’s California factory played stage to the presentation of Tesla’s next step in its electrical journey with the reveal of the new Model 3 in July.

Elon Musk handed over

the first 30 cars at the launch event, and claims the company has received over a half a million orders for the vehicle. The Model 3 will cost its US customers $35,000.

Musk will hope the new

more affordable Tesla will invite a generation of drivers into the market for electrical cars as they continue their mission to revolutionize the auto industry.

The new car, which has

a range of 220 miles (350 km) on a full charge, isn’t expected in the UK until early 2019. It will set beneath the company’s Model S and Model X SUV as an entrylevel electrical car.

The inventor admitted before the event that the company was up against it with its incoming demand for the new vehicle, acknowledging it would be “quite a challenge”.

“We’re going to go through at least six months of manufacturing hell.”

The orders for the vehicle are up from the 373,000 orders in April last year and will force the company to up their production sixfold, with the initial plan to manufacture 100,000 Model 3’s by the end of 2017.

Whilst the Model 3 doesn’t offer the same luxury as its predecessors, Tesla claim the rear-wheel drive car will hit

0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds. The longer-range battery model, which will be available for will do this in 5.1 seconds and can manage a top speed of 140 mph (225 kph). The Model will also feature a knob and button devoid dashboard, with the driver being met instead with touchscreen display.

Tesla employees will have their work cut out if the company hopes to deliver on its plans to up production from just under 84,000 cars in 2016 to an annual output of 520,000 by 2018. However, Musk can be confident his aim to build a clean energy world has support with the early hype over the new Model 3.

UK Car Sales Drop 9.3% In New Tax For Diesel-driven Cars July Says Motor Trade Body

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has reported that new car registrations fell 9.3% in July compared to a year earlier.

About 162,000 cars were sold during the month and the trade body says the market’s falling numbers, which have now dropped for the fourth consecutive month, are the result of

“growing uncertainty” around Brexit.

The year in general shows only a small drop. 1.56 million new cars have been sold, down 2.2% compared to last year.

Chief Executive of SMMT said, "The fall in consumer and business confidence is having a knock on effect on demand in the new car market and government

must act quickly to provide concrete plans regarding Brexit.

"While it's encouraging to see record achievements for alternatively fuelled vehicles, consumers considering other fuel types will have undoubtedly been affected by the uncertainty surrounding the government's clean air plans."

Birmingham is allegedly part of the ideas from Andrea Leadsom to confront pollution. Many of the motorists meet a new tax raid under plans to smack a pollution charge of up to £20 a day on diesel vehicles.

That it because plans are reportedly occurring for a brand-new ‘toxin tax’ – which is a part of an effort to confront air pollution problem.

This new clampdown was fixed to be divulged this week by Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom, according to The Sunday Times.

It accounts around 35 towns and cities - as well as Birmingham - will have prohibitions on diesel cars and commercial cars, everyday fees on them arriving the busiest regions, or a combination of the two.

Up to 10 million vehicles could be impacted in cities as well as Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby, it's stated.

Procedures to hurry up the growth of tougher guidelines on car pollution in London are anticipated to be publicised by Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The largely polluting cars will earn a £12.50 fee to come into an ultra-low emission region being put into place in the centre of the capital, reportedly in 2019.

In most areas a £20 a day fee has been advised. Those responsible for the charge consist of diesel cars that are pre-Euro 6 standard, which was shown in September 2015.

It will protect the same region as the congestion fee zone and will apply all day, every day.Pollutants,

much of which come from road traffic, predominantly diesel vehicles, cause health complications for example asthma and heart and lung illnesses.

They are as well rumoured to concern children's health and growth.

From October, a £10 toxicity fee will be launched for petrol and diesel cars listed before 2006 that go into the congestion charge region.

Up to 10,000 cars everyday are anticipated to encounter the T-charge, which will function on top of and throughout the same stints as the congestion charge, however it will cost £21.50 to drive an concerned car in the main London area from 7am to 6pm on weekdays.

The Government will inform the Public of its air quality in later in the month.

Special Tribute At Awards Ceremony 38

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The awards ceremony was held to pay special tribute to all the children of the academy and the sponsors who have supported us the programme from the beginning. The kids were taught by Coach M. Tafiq.

M. Tafiq, the Football coach said that “It was really good to host such an event alongside the coaches of Alum Rock Football Academy. It gave us an opportunity to say thank you to our sponsors and pay special tribute to the kids of the academy.”

The children have progressed immensely and it was a special day to pay tribute to those who have excelled not only on the football pitch but off it too.

The academy emphasises on equipping children with key life skills, nutrition and bringing about awareness of issues such as drugs & crime.

We would like to say a special thank you to the Lord Mayor for attending the awards ceremony. It was an honour to have the Mayor who gave a few words of advice to children and academy.

The reactions from their sponsors have been positive.

Sakib Ghulam (Club Secretary/Coach), Mohammed Shaffiq (Head Coach-Founder Member), Mohammed Tafiq (Public Relations & Coach), Majid Rehman (Public Relations & Coach), Ziarab yaseen (Club Welfare Officer)

A sponsor Club Secretary Blues 4 All, Bik Singh reported that “It was such an honour to be invited to the awards ceremony. It was great to see all the club coaches, parents and academy children in such

a special setting. A lot of time, heart and energy goes into the club and it’s nice to be able to celebrate such moments with the Alum Rock Community.”

The Chair for the Blues Trust, Cliff Horrocks added

Mo Farah bows out

Mo Farah bows out with 5000 metre silver medal at World Athletic Championships in final track appearance Distance running alltime great Sir Mohamed Farah finished second behind Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris to miss out on a

fifth consecutive World Championship double.

The 34-year-old, who won gold earlier in the Championships in the 10000m, was in a strong position throughout the race before being overtaken

by Ethiopians Edris and his teammate Yomif Kejelcha.

Farah looked destined to

finish outside of the medals before recovering and forcing his way into second.

The four-time Olympic champion look devastated after the race as he lay on the track following the shock.

He rose to eventually take a deserved lap of honour around the London Stadium track taking in the applause from an adoring crowd of 60,000.

Afterwards he spoke on the race and reflected on his legendary career, "It's been a long journey but it's been incredible, "It didn't quite hit home until after I crossed the line and had a couple of moments to myself when I realised this is it.

"I gave it all - I didn't have a single bit left at the end."

Mo will be in Birmingham next week on the 20th for

“It was an honour to be invited to Alum Rock football academy presentation dinner. It was a great event that highlighted the tremendous work of this club creating community and bringing the good side of football to young people.”

the Diamond League at the Alexander Stadium before going to Zurich for the Diamond League final.

Sir Farah will finish with a record that will cement his place as arguably the greatest distance runner in history with ten golds and two silvers in major championships.

23 -year-old Edris gave his rendition of the ‘Mobot’ following his sensational shock win in which he stuck with Farah throughout the race before pushing away for the final 100 metres.

Farah looked comfortable in what was a relatively slow race until the Ethiopian created what proved to be an unassailable lead for his first major title.

"The 10,000m took a lot more out of me than I realised," said Farah.

"I was trying to cover every move but they had a game plan - one of them was going to sacrifice himself and that's what they did and the better man won.”

SPORTS

Usain Bolt Falls Injured in Final Race as Great Britain & NI Take Relay Gold

In his final race, Usain Bolt pulled up early clutching his hamstring in the World Athletics Championships men’s 4x100m relay final.

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team of CJ Ujah, Adam Gemili, Danny Talbot and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake held off the challenge of the United States of America to take the gold medal.

The Americans were favourites on a cold evening at the London Stadium but all eyes were on Usain Bolt. The 30-yearold was set to feature in his final race in the relay. Earlier in the Championships, Bolt took bronze in the 100m final and murmurs of the great man displaying signs of mortality emerged from the shadows.

Nevertheless, he stood at the stop of the last leg confident pre-race with his usual array of gestures exciting the crowd, and Great Britain’s Mitchell-Blake, who joined him on the anchor leg, will have felt his presence.

CJ Ujah gave the hosts a flying start before passing the baton to Gemili, who surged through his leg establishing the team as the leaders. Justin Gatlin ran strong and the US breathed on the shoulders of Danny Talbot, who was the oldest on the British team at 26-years-old.

Talbot held his own and maintained the position and made a smooth pass of the baton to Mitchell-Blake.

Meanwhile, the Jamaicans sat in third place as the eighttime Olympic gold medallist took the baton but the run was short-lived. With around 60 metres to go, Bolt slowed to a hobble, his hand placed on his hamstring and a look of anguish swept across his face.

Christian Coleman looked to overtake Mitchell-Blake and the two were in a battle for first place. The 23-year-old Brit managed to hold on and send the crowd into raptures as they realized the boys had won the UK’s first every 4x100m gold.

The crowd was caught in two minds, however, as they watched Bolt’s teammates gather around the 100m and 200m world-record holder who lay on the floor.

A sad finish to a shining career which many have considered to be the saviour of the sport of sprinting. Bolt eventually rose and rejected the wheelchair which was brought on for him, and the crowd showed their appreciation for the Jamaican.

A contrast to his normal boisterous self, Bolt waved to the crowd before staggering off the track.

Of the Great British team’s triumph Gemili said, “We are world champs. To run it with Danny Talbot after such disappointment in London 2012, it is so special to come back.

Thank you to everyone. It’s crazy. Honestly a dream and a reality tonight. Wow.”

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Tony Cage An Evening With Conor McGregor – WWE Bound In Birmingham Interview by Surj Kumar twitter: @surj_KumarShow

Surj Kumar managed to catch up with a young British Born Punjabi wrestler Tony Cage, who moved to Australia with his parents when he was just 8 years of age. He is now wrestling and residing in Canada, training under former WWE wrestler Lance Storm school of wrestling and is quickly becoming hot property in the wrestling industry. Real name Tony Gurshinder Gill he is as Punjabi as they come, he is now looking to follow in some of the biggest Punjabi names in wrestling such as The Great Khali and now WWE Champion Jinder Mahal So as you can imagine Surj Kumar put some questions to our young grappler!

Who is your wrestling influence?

My wrestling influence would be Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle without a doubt.

I try to emulate my style with a mix between them both and make it my own.

Did wrestling choose you or vice versa?

I chose wrestling as I

have been a fan since the age of 4. My grandad, dad and brother were all into it! Even my sister and mum enjoyed watching it.

“The Cockiest Man Alive” explain how you came up with that slogan?

I was trying to come up with something unique and different so as my singles character progressed I just started calling myself “The Cockiest Man Alive” because I would back it up every time i went through the curtain.

Tony Cage with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal A WWE Diva you’d take out for dinner?

Tough

question but I would definitely have to go with Aliyah from WWE NXT Who would your dream match be with and what type?

My dream match would be against Randy Orton at Wrestlemania. The type would be a regular match because working with him and putting both our skills together, we wouldn’t need anything else.

Your favourite Indian movie?

Classic Indian movies were the best in my opinion so it would be either Border or Devdas.

Will the rise and success of WWE Champion Jinder Mahal open more doors for punjabi’s or has it already?

Absolutely! But not only that, he’s become an inspiration to Punjabis everywhere! Jinder literally went from being released and almost giving up on his career to becoming WWE Champion.

Your favourite wrestling catchphrase?

My favorite wrestling catchphrase would be “If you smell what the rock is cooking” Where do you aim to be in the next 12months?

It’s hard to answer that question but stay tuned to your TV screens And finally how would your family and friends describe you?

My family and friends would describe me for being shy (believe it or not haha) and a loyal human being with a anything can happen can do attitude.

Keep up to date on this Punjabi’s wrestling career!

We wish you all the success!

Follow him on; Twitter: @tonycage10 Facebook: www.facebook.com/ realtonycage/ Insta: tgsg10

UFC star Conor McGregor is coming to Birmingham in September

‘An Evening with Conor McGregor’, will take place at Arena Birmingham, formerly named the Barclaycard Arena, will include a live interview and will take place on Thursday 28th September.

The event will likely feature many questions about McGregor’s upcoming fight against Floyd Mayweather, which is set to take place this weekend.

Irishman McGregor changes combat sport for the fight when takes on undefeated Mayweather, with the event set to be the biggest pay-per-view event of all time.

“The Notorious”, as he is known, has been

campaigning for the fight for some time and had his wish granted when the fight was officially announced two months ago in June.

28-year-old is set to make around $70 million for his part in the affair, a vast contrast to his career outlook five years ago when McGregor was fighting in front of a few hundred people in London.

After storming his way into the UFC ranks, Conor McGregor walked the walk after talking the talk beating opponent after opponent before unifying the UFC Featherweight Championship with a 13 second victory over Jose Aldo, the quickest victory in

UFC title fight history.

In 2016, McGregor earned a TKO victory over Eddie Alvarez to become the first ever UFC Champion across two divisions, holding both the Featherweight and Lightweight titles.

‘An Evening with McGregor’ is likely to be a must-see event, just as anything that contains the name ‘McGregor’ seems to be at the moment. As well as the interview, the event is also going to feature a meet-andgreet and auction.

Tickets are to go on general sale from 9am August 25 here or you can also purchase them by calling 0844 33 88 222.

Tickets are priced at £51.75 and £68.70.

Anthony Joshua Announces Next Fight Britain’s Anthony Joshua will defend his IBF and WBA heavyweight world titles against Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria on 28 October.

36-year-old Pulev is the mandatory challenger to the IBF title held by Joshua.

The bout will take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, six months after 27-year-old Joshua stopped Waldimir Klitschko at Wembley.

Klitschko, who announced his retirement last month, delivered the only loss in Pulev’s career back in 2015 via KO.

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