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Birmingham Bride Joins Rock Star Brood I

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t’s the classic fairy tale ending with a rock and roll twist! Beautiful blushing bride from Birmingham, Anoushka Sharma became the newest member of the Jagger dynasty, after tying the knot with the rock-star rebel’s son James Jagger. The two met when Sharma was working for his sister, Jade Jagger’s luxury jewellery boutique in London, were they hit it off straight away. 28-year-old Anoushka who has since left the retail world behind to pursue a career as an artist, celebrated her marriage to James in an upscale do fit for a princess, at a stately home in the English countryside. The Blushing bride, who grew up in the affluent Birmingham suburb of Edgbaston, looked radiant in a white long-sleeved gown embellished with lace and a matching demure veil. The groom opted for an unconventional outfit, with an electric blue suit and a vibrant patterned shirt, paying homage to his eccentric rock & roll roots, and his father Sir Mick Jagger did not disappoint in a green ensemble paired with a bright blue scarf. The couple, who have been together more than seven years, were already officially married, after reportedly tying the knot with little fanfare last September at a low-key ceremony in New York state. The newlyweds are now believed to be living out their honey moon period in a private bungalow in Austin, Texas, where they are said to lead a quiet life together. James Jagger may well be set to become a house hold name since starring in HBO drama Vinyl, directed by his very own father Sir Mick, 72, and director extraordinaire Martin Scorsese.

Sadiq Trumps Donald L

ondon’s newly elected Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has rebutted Donald Trumps “ignorant” views of Islam, after the Republican presidential contender suggested that Khan would be exempted from his proposed temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. The remarks come after Trump proposed a “total and complete” ban on foreign Muslims hoping to enter the United States. When asked how the ban may affect London’s first Muslims Mayor, Trump responded by saying: "there will always be exceptions." Khan, who was elected, last week, replied to Trumps lewd remarks with: "This isn't just about me; it's about my

friends, my family and everyone who comes from a background similar to mine, anywhere in the world." He added: "Donald Trump's ignorant view of Islam could make both our countries less safe, it risks alienating mainstream Muslims around the world and plays into the hands of the extremists.” Khan, a former human rights lawyer, accused Conservative rival, Zac Goldsmith, of trying to frighten and divide voters in a multicultural city after he alluded to Khan sharing platforms with Islamic extremists. Khan, who hailed from humbled beginnings, was amongst eight children. His mother worked as a seamstress and his father, a bus driver. Continued on page 2

Mayor Sadiq Khan hits back at Trump's statement of exceptions.

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WWW.THEASIANTODAY.COM Continued from front page In his victory speech, Khan said the result marked the triumph of "hope over fear and unity over division." The Mayor added that Trump and people who side with him "think that western liberal values are incompatible with mainstream Islam - London has proved him wrong." "I'll be backing the Democratic candidate — Hillary Clinton, who I suspect it will be — and I hope that she trounces him," Khan told the BBC. He also jested, that he would visit the US before this year’s presidential elections “in case Donald Trump wins”.

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"Donald Trump's ignorant view of Islam could make both our countries less safe, it risks alienating mainstream Muslims around the world and plays into the hands of the extremists.”

Let Our Kids Be Kids T

he campaign “Let Our Kids Be Kids” has persuaded parents to keep their children at home for a day of educational fun rather than sending them to school to prepare for tests. Thousands of people have signed a petition supporting the boycott of SATS due to the overworking of children in schools. Whilst some are saying, the school system places more importance on test results and league tables rather than the children’s joy of learning, others are of the opinion that schools cannot determine whether children are learning to read and write without the tests. The Education Secretary cautioned that missing school even for a day is "harmful" and advised those behind

the "damaging" campaign to review their actions. In a speech on Saturday, she said: "To those who say we should let our children be creative, imaginative, and happy - of course I agree, both as a parent and as the Education Secretary. "But I would ask them this: how creative can a child be if they struggle to understand the words on the page in front of them? They certainly can't enjoy them. However, the petition, endorsed by more than 40,000 people, added: "We want our kids to be kids again and enjoy learning for learning's sake, not for Ofsted results or league table figures.” This issue is constantly arising and no solution has been found for it.

Parents keep their children at home instead of sending them to school.

Young Girl Counters Extremism 16-year-old Julia Hossain, is front running a project to counter radicalisation movements.

The bright individual was chosen to take part in the Tower Hamlets Young Leaders Programme, which helps students act on issues and causes they feel passionate about, through the use of workshops and community events. The programme aims to help transform young adults into future community leaders by teaching leadership skills, crisis management and developing their critical thinking. Julia, one of selectees, has

chosen to focus on Prevent – the governmental strategy to tackle radicalisation and terror within schools – during her time on the seven-month programme. The impassioned 16-year-old, who has been hosting seminars and giving presentations to large audiences, says: “We need to raise awareness about terrorism and radicalisation in order to combat it. Vulnerable people all over the world are being targeted and it will continue if we aren’t educated and don’t

stand up to it.” Choosing counterradicalisation, Julia gave her first conference speech to an audience of influential people from education, local government, police and community groups. She explains: “My whole body was shaking when I entered the room,” she admitted. “But once I started, I began to feel more comfortable. “I really felt like I had achieved something after I’d

finished. Hopefully my talks can help to raise awareness”. Born in Bangladesh, Julia and her family immigrated to Italy when she was just 6 years old. After relocating last year to London, Julia became a student at Tower Hamlets College, created for teenagers aged 14 to 16. The Young Leaders Programme has helped youngsters like Julia, who once felt isolated and hesitant to voice their opinions.

• Julia Hossain

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est Midlands Buses will be sporting s l o g a n s praising Allah with the words “Subhanallah” which means, “Glory be to God” in Arabic that have been designed and paid for by Islamic Relief. Their logo sits on the poster, raising awareness for their charity as well as the month of Ramadan. The campaign will be coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan in June, when Muslims fast and give Zakat (charity). Fasting and Zakat are one of the five pillars of Islam, which all Muslims must confer and take part in. Islamic Relief believe that the posters will help to raise funds for victims of war and disasters in countries such as Syria, and portray Islam in a positive light. Director of Islamic Relief, Imran Madden said: “There is a lot of negativity around Muslims. We want to change the perception of Islam. The campaign is about breaking down barriers and challenging misconceptions.” England cricketer Moeen Ali is reported to be supporting the initiative, which is set to run from May 23.

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Islamic Relief have started a new campaign with the Buses in the West Midlands.

After a gruelling four years of hard work, Mohammed Zafran has ﬁnally been recognised as the ‘Pride of Birmingham’. Mohammed Zafran, from Small Heath has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) after being nominated by Prime Minister David Cameron for setting up numerous educational and sporting projects such as All 4 Youth and Community and other initiatives to help Asian women in destitute parts of the city, including Bordesley Green, Ward End, Alum

Rock and Handsworth. With vigour and enthusiasm, the 35-yearold set out to improve the lives of thousands of young people after his brotherin-law, Sarfraz Khan was grimly stabbed in Larches Green Park, Sparkbrook in March 2010. He was recognised in the Queen’s Honours list and became the ‘Pride of Birmingham’ winner last year.

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Low Food Standards in Birmingham Schools

Anderton Park School in Sparkhill has been given orders to improve the quality of the school’s food by the Food Standards Agency after they were given a two-star rating out of five stars, the scores taken from their website. Anderton Park supervisor Pamela McColl has defended the school’s food quality, she has said: “The rating is nothing to do with hygiene and food, it’s the crumbling paint off the walls and poor upkeep of the building. Saying that, it has improved since (the) last inspection and I would be happy for any parent to come and have a look at the kitchen and food we prepare and

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cook.” A number of other schools were also commanded to improve, amongst them were Moor Green Primary in Moseley that was rated 1-star, Victoria School in Northfield, Cherry Orchard Primary in Handsworth and Nelson Primary in Ladywood that were both rated 2-stars. The food hygiene ratings are dependent on the hygiene standards that are found on the premises at the time of inspection by a food safety officer. Parents have been challenged to eat a meal at one of the Birmingham schools listed above in order to improve their hygiene ratings.

APPLICATION FOR A PREMISES LICENCE UNDER THE LICENSING ACT 2003 Mohammed Malik is applying for the GRANT of a Premises Licence at 76 Gooch Street North, Birmingham, B5 6QU If GRANTED the application will allow: TO ALLOW THE PROVISION OF BOXING ENTERTAINMENT, LIVE AND RECORDED MUSIC, PERFORMANCES OF DANCE AND LATE NIGHT REFRESHMENT – MONDAY - THURSDAY 11:00 – 1:00, FRIDAY - SUNDAY 11:00 – 2:00 Any person wishing to view the application can do so by appointment with the Licensing Section. Any person, who wishes to make a representation, must do so by writing to The Licensing Section, PO Box 17013, Birmingham, B6 9ES licensing@birmingham.gov.uk, 0121 303 9896 Public register at www.birmingham.gov.uk/licensing Representations must be made in writing within 28 days from the date of this notice. It is an offence, knowingly or recklessly, to make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for making a false statement is a Level 5 fine on the standard scale. DATE OF NOTICE: 4th MAY 2016 MULTI-AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER

The boyfriend of Banaz Mahmod, a girl who was an honour killing victim, commits suicide.

ahmat Sulemani, the boyfriend of an honour killing victim has been discovered hanged. Mr Sulemani tells us in 2007 how he had fallen in love with Ms Mahmod. He said: “We became close friends and at first it was just a normal friendship. Then it kept on going. The more we knew about each other the stronger our feelings were. My life depended on her. She was my present, my future, and my hope. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me. My life went away when Banaz died. There is no life without her.” Many attempts to separate the two by the family of Ms Mahmod had failed. Ms Mahmod was

held captive at a relative’s home for two weeks and beaten but she still refused to end the relationship. When the couple refused to end the relationship, Ms Mahmod’s father lured her to her grandmother’s house and forced her to gulp down brandy. She managed to escape that time. After her escape, Ms Mahmod’s uncle, Ari sent his henchmen to snatch Mr Sulemani at the home of some friends and failed. He told Ms Mahmod of this incident and she went to a police station. After making an appointment to return a day later, but she disappeared that night. Mr Sulemani heard in court how the woman he loved had undergone two hours of rape and torture

She was my present, my future, and my hope. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me. My life went away when Banaz died. There is no life without her.” before she was strangled to death and left in a suitcase. Unable to live without Ms Mahmod, Mr Sulemani tried to kill himself many times before succeeding. A friend said: “There is a feeling the police or NHS could have done more for him. He had tried to kill himself twice before. He was very vulnerable.” An inquest into his death will be held later.

Goods Vehicle Operator’s Licence Karen Shanley trading as Birmingham Concrete Ltd of 76 Monk Road, Ward End, Birmingham, B8 2TS is applying for a licence to use Unit 1A, Sapcote Business centre, Small Heath, Birmingham, B10 0HR as an operating centre for 4 goods vehicles and 0 trailers. Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre(s) who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Hillcrest House, 386 Harehills Lane, Leeds, LS9 6NF, stating their reasons, within 21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice. A Guide to Making Representations is available from the Traffic Commissioner’s office. WINNERS OF THE BEST WINNERS OF THE BEST PUBLICATION

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Cut the Chat Live Massive underground comedy hit, the ask anything, say anything panel show CUT THE CHAT is back as CUT THE CHAT LIVE. THE ROAD TO EDINBURGH TOUR comes

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to BIRMINGHAM’S GLEE CLUB on THURSDAY 26th MAY 2016 f or an exclusive one off date. DAMON THE BARBER returns with some of the UK’s best young talent to answer your questions

about whatever you want to talk about no holds barred. This year CUT THE CHAT LIVE will feature: Damon the Barber, a host with ten year’s experience of barbershop stories and gossip; rising star actor and director Femi Oyeniran from cult hit Kidulthood and the sequel Adulthood, leading UK radio personality DJ Ace from BBC Radio 1xtra,

and feisty comedian Lee aka Little Man who has a raw uncut comedy edge. Local Birmingham legend Dapz on the Map joins this special debate. CUT THE CHAT LIVE is a comedy panel show set in the one place you can talk about anything and anyone the barbershop. Last year’s CUT THAT CHAT caused an internet

sensation when Big Narstie and Lady Leshurr gave some down to earth answers about taboo subjects that other shows just wouldn’t touch. This year will be even more unpredictable as anonymous questions are being accepted via tweets. Send in y our questions for the team to @cutthechat.

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Fear of Terror Attack Strikes Birmingham A Fear has heightened as speculation persists that terrorists could target Birmingham

senior officer has stated that Firearm officers can get to a terrorist attack in the Bullring or New Street Station within two minutes. Chief Inspector Daniel Delaney, Head of the Firearms Unit said: “They’ll be a vehicle within a quarter of a mile, they’ll be a vehicle within a couple of minutes of response. So I can confidently say that we constantly move our vehicles around, we change our intelligence every day. We deploy them as effectively as possible to the threat at the time, but our key places, crowded places where there are a lot of people around, you’re talking minutes, at any time 24/7.” After the massacre in Paris and

Brussels, West Midlands Police has publicized that officers want to retrain and join the firearms unit. The Paris and Brussels attacks stimulated a reconsideration of police urgencies, many officers volunteering for training. In April, it was revealed that the Paris attacks suspect Mohamed Abrini had photographs of the recently refurbished Birmingham New Street Station alongside photos of Bullring and Aston Villa’s football ground stored in his mobile phone. These images together with stored contacts were recuperated after a forensic investigation of the suspect’s phone. Senior officers have doubled the

amount of firearm officers they have available to make sure that shoppers and travellers can be reached in case of an attack. West Midlands Police Chief Constable Dave Thompson said: “I am very committed that British policing has to and will remain a non-armed service. It’s very important because it’s the style of policing we’ve got. Terrorism shouldn’t interfere with that, it’s vital we build good links with the community. I think we’ve still got a relatively modest amount of armed officers, I don’t think it will change what’s taking place either in terms of criminals or terrorists and it does improve our ability to respond.”

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MP Khalid Mahmood Speaks Out Over Muslim Integration in Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood says Birmingham is partly at fault for the isolation of Muslims within the city.

• MP Khalid Mahmood

i r m i n g h a m MP, Khalid Mahmood, has backed claims that some Muslims may have struggled to integrate into British society, stating that both central government and local councils must accept some of the responsibility. The Perry Bar MP spoke out following the release of a survey which showed Muslims still held negative views of about homosexuality and the status of women. The study, conducted by channel 4, will form the basis of new television documentary, ‘What Muslims Really Think,’ which will be presented by the former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Philips and is due to broadcast tonight. However, Mr Mahmood has criticised the authenticity of the survey, carried out by

Decorating with a difference Sarah’s Wallpaper & Interiors gives back to customers with exciting New Opening offers A home store in Birmingham specialising in wallpaper has been on a roll lately with customers keen to purchase the best quality home decorating products at affordable prices. The first branch of Sarah’s Wallpaper & Interiors was established on Carlisle Road, Bradford, in 2002 by Shahnawaz after he

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noticed there were not many independent retailers in the area that could provide the same high quality products and affordable prices as high street stores. After the success at the store on the north side of the city, a second branch was launched in 2007 on Leeds Road in south Bradford. “We chose Bradford because it is a highly densely populated area and we knew that business would be good here. We pride ourselves on being

a friendly store that offers a personal touch and caters for each individual customer,” Shahnawaz said. “We give advice and can use our expertise to help them decide the best product, which is different to the superstores where you can struggle to find things or get guidance.” We now bring the same expertise and offer choice of top end quality products in Birmingham at competitive prices.

Products stocked at the stores include Designer and Exclusive wallpaper, such as ROBERTO CAVALLI, VERSACE, GLOOCKLER, TIM WILMAN, FLOCK and GLASS BEADS, window blinds, paint and decorating tools. The decision to sell other items in addition to wallpaper was made to give the customer more choice when decorating their houses and allow them to get window treatments at the same time as wall coverings all under one roof. Sarah’sWallpaper &

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ICM on behalf of Channel 4, as it does not accurately reflect representative views of British Muslims, adding that politicians had made a series of mistakes which meant some Birmingham Muslims from poorer families were left feeling “isolated”. The MP said: “Muslim families with a bit of money are able to move out and you can see that they are more than happy to live in somewhere like Erdington or Sutton Coldfield. “But you also get areas with a very high concentration of Muslims where the same families have been there for generations because if you don’t have the money it’s not possible to move around the city.” “It had been a mistake to provide funding to community organisations which focused on one ethnicity or religion,” he

Interiors is the main stockist of Johnstone’s paint and also sells brands Crown and Leyland Paint. “We have provided a fantastic service since we launched and offer good quality products and a wide selection of choices to suit all tastes costing from £4.99 up to£100 a roll.We also stock products for feature walls, which are very popular at the moment,” the manager and founder explained. To tie in with the Islamic month of fasting Ramadan, the store has a range of special offers. During May

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and June wallpaper prices are being slashed by up to 50% to allow customers to benefit. There will also be two special offers on blinds for Ramadan when customers can buy three vertical blinds of any length for £89 or five vertical blinds for £140. Shahnawaz said: “As we are a small independent store we can give one-to-one personal attention to help our customers find exactly the product they want.We have a wide choice of wall coverings featuring the latest designs, which we change every week. These are offered at very affordable prices compared to the high street stores.”

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said. “If you have an organisation which is for a geographic area, for Lozells for example, then it means all the people in that community come together. They are forced to, in a way.” “We have a very successful city centre, which of course I welcome, and then the outer areas of the city do well but there’s a ring in the middle where the opportunities are not there.” “That’s only half the community. Some of those figures, you could cut them in half to get the real figure.” The national poll found that 98 per cent of West Midlands Muslims felt they were able to practise their religion freely in Britain and 89 per cent said the UK was a good place for Muslims to live, while just two per cent disagreed.

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Black Tie Ball MAY 2016

he Young Professional women's group are holding their first Black Tie Ball in order to support Birmingham based charity group, ladies fighting breast cancer as well as to raise awareness of women's gynaecological health with Cysters. The Black Tie Ball will be held at the prestigious McDonald Burlington hotel on the 20th May 2016. The ball will start at 6pm with a drinks reception, a great chance to network with some of Birmingham’s brightest corporate companies, sponsored by Squire Patton Boggs, followed by a three course Indian meal courtesy of Johal Catering (all dietary requirements will be catered for including gluten free options) and Live entertainment from Bhangra All Stars and Guest Singers. There will be an opportunity to win some great prizes on the night through our raffle and auction. Tables of ten can be

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bought for £450.00 and individual tickets are on sale for £47.50. For booking either contact Sinita Kandola at Sinita@ypwg.co.uk or Neelam at Neelam.heera@ irwinmitchell.com for more information. The Young Professional Women’s Group which established in 2014 by Sinita Kanola. Which is a group that helps women progress and develop within their career. It has been found for women in the professional market that men still dominate the workplace or have better higher playing jobs. So this group aims to empower women to tackle that. Cysters is a newly established organisation set up Neelam Heera in order to support women with gynaecological issues. The group is a confidential forum for women suffering with gynaecological problems. The Groups aims to bring awareness of gynaecological health such as PCOS, Endometriosis, infertility, gynaecological cancers, FGM and Menopause to the forefront. As well as reduce

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the social stigma in the BAME community regarding gynaecological health by educating people about these problems. 1 in 5 women will suffer with gynaecological problems and for some it is more severe than others. The stigma associated with gynaecological problems makes women less desirable for marriage and are more prone to becoming victims of domestic violence due to inability to conceive. Ladies fighting breast cancer was founded by Veronica Kumeta and the late Sue Macmaster in 2000. They decided to raise money and control where the money went rather than give it to national charities. Since 2000, Ladies Fight Breast Cancer has given over £1 million to the QE’s Cancer Unit, which has helped fund new medical equipment and create a ‘centre of excellence’. This equipment includes a Mobile Mammogram Trailer to allow up to ten women an hour to be x-rayed in their local area; an Ultra Sound Scanner for diagnosing breast disease; a Cooling Cap to reduce hair loss during treatment; and a Faxitron X-Ray Machine that enables microscopic clarity during biopsies. To that end the group have decided to host a Black tie ball in order to highlight these issues. The money raised from this event will be donated to Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer and raise of awareness women’s health brining this issue to the forefront.

JIMMY SPICES CLOSES ITS DOORS Buffet restaurant chain, Jimmy Spices has closed its doors in three prime Midland locations, with owners adding it will not re-open. Restaurants in Lower Parade, Sutton Coldfield; Station Road in Solihull and Windsor Street in Stratfordupon-Avon closed their doors for good on March 7th, costing around 100 jobs. The ‘all you can eat’ restaurants offered a diverse buffet-style dining experience, serving variations of Indian, Oriental, European and American food, celebrating the diversity of cuisines from all over the globe.

Locals Lodge Complaints about Lorry ‘Eyesore’ B

randed as an ‘eyesore’ by the locals, 43-year-old Azam has no choice but to sell his converted delivery lorry or face further legal action, but most don’t know that there is more to the large vehicle, than meets the eye. The former M&S delivery lorry has been transformed by Azam, into functioning living space with all the homey luxuries one would expect. The impressive £10,000 transformation, features two bedrooms, two bathrooms and living room space, as well as with a corner bath, sliding patio doors and even a lift. Iftikhar bought the trailer for £3,500, before he transformed the 59 sq metre space after delays with his house sale prevailed. Iftikhar said: “I did it up to a good standard so I could live in it when I was looking for a home. “I put in a kitchen with a dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, built-in appliances, two bathrooms, two bedrooms, a living room and a lift as there was already one there to stack pallets.” It wasn’t until he moved

Director Jaswinder Choongh said: "The restaurants have closed and will not be re-opening again. "The two main reasons for the closure were the overheads of running such big restaurants

his live-in truck to his mother’s residence on Brays Road, in Sheldon that he began to receive the neighbourly complaints. Locals have lodged hundreds of complaints, saying that the truck’s appearance hit them like a “smack in the face” as they passed. Now Mr Azam is set to sell the transformed lorry at the threat of legal action from Birmingham City Council which is treating the trailer’s arrival as unauthorised. The dad-of-one, who eventually moved to an address in Yardley Wood, said: “It wasn’t meant to be here that long, a sale fell through. “A friend was meant to take it to Scotland but he changed his mind. “I want to sell it for £2,000 because otherwise the council will tow it away and put the charge, with costs, onto my mother’s property. “I’m looking for someone who can make good use of it. “I’m going to miss it but I’m now in a comfortable location. “It suited my purpose and I want to offload it.” A city council planning department spokesman has said “Following an

and the emergence of cheaper imitations which have taken a larger share of the market." He added: ""I'd like to thank customers for coming to Jimmy Spices over the years.

Birmingham Local Iftikhar Azam, appears to have upset the neighbours with his converted former M&S delivery lorry.

investigation by a senior enforcement officer, we wrote to the householder, requesting that the unauthorised container be removed within 28 days. “Despite an extension to the deadline being granted at the request of the householder, the container has still not been removed. “The council is now considering further action, which may include serving an enforcement notice,” he said. Coun Paul Tilsley (Lib Dem, Sheldon) said: “They have been hundreds of complaints from residents who have been lumbered with an absolute eyesore on their doorstep. “It’s like a smack in the face when you see it. “The councillors took it up with the city’s planning department straight away. “We served the owner with an enforcement notice. “I think he is quite frankly taking the mickey.”

"We feel sorry that we have let them down." The concept was based on the original Broad Street based restaurant, which was founded in 2006.

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MAY 2016

Birmingham Driver Pleads Guilty to Hand-brake Error A Birmingham Delivery Driver admits to causing the death of a pedestrian by not applying his hand brake correctly.

irmingham delivery driver, Matheeb Iqbal has changed his plea to guilty after his delivery van

rolled across a pub car-park, onto the pavement, killing a passing pensioner. The Lozells local had failed

to apply his hand-brake properly while he was making a delivery at the Bowling Green Inn on Coventry

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HEALTH COLUMN

SKIN CANCER Jacqui Jones, skin cancer clinical nurse specialist at Good Hope Hospital, explains how you can look after your skin during the summer.

Street, Southam, on the 30th December 2014. The refrigerated Mercedes Sprinter van rolled backwards across the car park and onto the pavement where it collided with mother-oftwo, Susan Collins. The 65-year-old pensioner, was severely injured, and died in hospital on January 8th last year. 22-year-old Iqbal originally pleaded not guilty to the charges against him at Warwick Crown Court, but with only a few days left to the proceedings, Barrister Andrew Baker asked for the charges to be put again, as Iqbal had changed his plea to guilty. At an earlier hearing prosecutor Simon Ward explained: “The issue is whether the handbrake was on or whether there was a mechanical defect.” The court heard there was footage from CCTV cameras which show the events which ensued. “He leaves the vehicle and slams the heavy fridge door at the side. After a period of 10 to 20 seconds it begins to roll away slowly, and only gains speed to six miles an hour at the moment of the tragic accident.” After Iqbal had changed his plea, Barrister Andrew Baker said: “The plea is entered on the basis that he did not adequately pull the handbrake up, and it is therefore only partially engaged.” Judge Andrew Lockhart QC said that whether the report concludes the handbrake was not put on or was not applied correctly is ‘unlikely to change matters dramatically.’

Summer is almost here and many people will have already made plans for their summer holiday. More than 13,000 people living in Great Britain develop skin cancer each year compared to 1,800 in the mid-1970s. People at risk of getting skin cancer include those who have pale skin, lots of moles and freckles, a history of sunburn or a family history of the disease. Overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun and sunbeds can lead to skin cancer and with May being Skin Cancer Awareness Month, this is an ideal time to raise awareness of skin cancer and how you can stay safe in the sun. The three most common types of skin cancer are: • Basal cell skin cancer: This type of skin cancer will develop mainly in areas exposed to the sun. For example, the nose, forehead and cheeks. Basal cell skin cancer can also develop anywhere on the skin. • Squamous cell skin cancer: Squamous cell cancer most often develops in areas that have been exposed to the sun. These areas include parts of the head, neck, and on the back of your hands and forearms. • M e l a n o m a : Melanoma is a less common but serious type of cancer that begins in the skin

and can spread to other organs in the body. More than 2,000 people in the UK every year die due to melanoma. Surgery is the main treatment for people with skin cancer and treatment will depend on the type and stage of the disease, the size and place of the tumour as well as your general health. Most skin cancers can be cured if found and treated early. So what steps can be taken to help you protect your skin? Spend time in the shade when the sun is strong. Trees, umbrellas, canopies or buildings can all provide shade and help you protect your skin. Avoid getting sunburnt. Every time the skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays, this increases the chance of skin cancer occurring. You should apply a good sun protection factor (spf) sunscreen before you go out in the sun so the cream can be absorbed. You will need to apply sunscreen regularly if you are going to be spending time in the sun. Wear clothes that provide protection from the sun if you are going to be working outdoors. This should include a hat to protect your face and scalp and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Avoid the use of sunbeds. Sunbeds can damage your skin and cause premature wrinkles. Skin Cancer Awareness Month takes place every year in May.

Are you on Twitter? To find out what is going on around our hospitals, and for latest news and updates follow us @heartofengland. Join our conversation today! Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust staff provides general and specialist hospital care across Heartlands Hospital, Solihull Hospitals, Good Hope Hospital and Birmingham Chest Clinic. The Trust also provides community health services across the borough of Solihull. The Trust employs more than 10,000 members of staff, making it one of the top five employers in the Midlands.

Man Charged with Stabbing Pregnant Woman Appears in Court A Birmingham businessman has appeared in court after being charged with two counts of attempted murder. Babur Karama Raja, of Hollyfield Road, was said to have stabbed an expectant mother in a daylight attack in Sutton Coldfield. The 40-year-old new mother, whose name cannot be mentioned, was left in critical condition in Sutton Coldfield town centre in the broad daylight attack. The victim, reportedly from Sutton,

was understood to have been more than eight months pregnant at the time of the attack. During court proceedings, the defendant spoke only to give his name and confirm that he could see and understand the hearing. Judge Mark Wall QC has QC remanded Raja in custody until a further preparatory hearing on May 23rd. A preliminary trial has been set for August 30th of this year.

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MAY 2016

Penny Appeal Raise 5k NEWS

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JAS SANSI The Thinking Man's Mouthpiece 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.

Find out more about Penny Appeal’s work and donate at www.pennyappeal.org or by calling 03000 11 11 11.

USE YOUR VOTE.

THE NATION DECIDES

The local election votes are counted and the voting slips consigned to the recycling bins. Turnout was expected to be low and it did not disappoint. 70 percent of those eligible to vote declined to engage with the political process. I can’t work out why the EU Referendum wasn’t held at the same time. Voters were given two slips, one for a local council vote and another for the Police and Crime Commissioner. A third one giving the voters the choice to remain in the EU or leave would have been economical at a time local authorities face heavy funding cuts. The arguments for and against have been made, even the most powerful man in the world popped across on Air Force One to offer his opinion. I can’t imagine Farage and Boris coming up with any more reasons for their side of the argument. I’m firmly on the side to remain in the EU. As a small business owner, I want the UK to stay engaged with Europe and have a seat at the table. The EU is the world’s richest and therefore most powerful trading bloc in the world. The UK is the fifth largest economy in the world. It is a position we have attained as

members of the European Union and not one we should risk by choosing isolation. I don’t know if Barack Obama’s comments were helpful in the campaign. He had every right to state the Leave campaign were wrong in making presumptions about what a United States trade deal outside of the EU would look like. Suggesting we would be at the ‘back of the queue’ should we exit the EU was blunt but we demand straight answers from politicians. It’s rare we get an answer as straight as this. The EU Referendum outcome is uncertain and after the disastrous predictions in the 2015 General Election, it would be a brave soul who claim they can predict the answer. The campaign has divided friends as well as parties. It’s important to take a position on an issue as important as this. It’s a decision that will affect younger people, many of whom are not eligible to vote. I hope the turnout for the EU Referendum reflects the importance of the decision. Public confidence in politicians should not knock our confidence in the democratic process. Use your vote.

Jas Sansi Twitter: @jassansi Facebook: fb.com/jassansi

team from international humanitarian charity Penny Appeal, which recently established a base on Ladypool Road, successfully completed the Great Birmingham 10k on Sunday (1st May), raising £5,000 to care for and educate orphans and needy children. Coming together as part of the charity’s #TeamOrange volunteer and fundraising family, they took on the challenge for Smile Relief – Penny Appeal’s month of activity to create smiles by caring for orphans and opening new schools. Among the #TeamOrange participants were Smile Relief mascot Mr Smiley and Iron Man, as well as many walkers, joggers and runners in their vibrant orange t-shirts. Haroon Mota, Penny Appeal’s Midlands Fundraising Manager, was as impressed with their fundraising

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success as their efforts in the race. Known as the ‘Mota-vator’, Haroon is an experienced runner and led the team every step of the way. “It was a fantastic day, full of energy and determination,” Haroon said. “In support of Penny Appeal’s Smile Relief campaign, we wanted to “run the miles and make the smiles” to help provide better futures and transform the lives of orphans and needy children around the world. “The team did exceptionally well to walk, jog and run the 10km distance, a great achievement, especially for the majority who were participating in a race for the first time.” Donations can still be made to the #TeamOrange runners via their JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/ teams/bham10k. Penny Appeal’s #TeamOrange fundraisers and volunteers have been

making a big impression in the area, with 75 people taking on Coventry’s Half Marathon in February. Joined by BBC The Apprentice star Mergim Butaja, they raised over £50,000 to support refugees. They are now looking forward to their next running challenge – the Great Birmingham Half Marathon in October. “Everyone is welcome to join the #TeamOrange family,” Haroon added. “We have all sorts of challenges and activities coming up and there really is something for everyone, so if you can’t run for the bus then maybe you could host a bake sale or try a sponsored silence!” If you’d like to be part of #TeamOrange and help transform lives, contact Haroon at haroon. mota@pennyappeal.org.

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yesha Ahmed, of Baptist End Road, Netherton, was caught twice speeding by the same speed camera near her home in St. Peter’s Road on July 30th last year. The 27-year-old was then said to have paid £450 worth of cash to a bous lawyer who claimed to exploit a ‘legal loophole’ in the system, allowing her to avoid three penalty points being added onto her licence. Police were told that a Ms Nosheen Yoqum, from Forrester Street, Walsall, was behind the wheel of Ahmed’s BMW at the time of the offences. However, police checks revealed that numerous other speeding offences had been linked to the address along with named drivers who had never been residents there. As well as police suspicions, Ahmed had previously contacted officials pleading to be excused for the charges, claiming she broke the speed limit because she was being followed. Ms. Ahmed, who graduated with a 2:1 in International Relations and Politics, admitted her efforts in trying to dodge the

Fake Goods A

kee's, a store in Kingstanding was found selling rip-off versions of Adidas, Louis Vuitton and Hugo

Boss. A Birmingham shopkeeper will be facing jail time unless he pays £100,000 after 90% of his designer stock was discovered to be fake, including rip-off versions of Adidas, Dolce & Gabbanna, UGG, Louis Vuitton, Apple, Hugo Boss and Beats. Director Mohammed Akhtar Musejee, also the boss of firm Phonetec UK Limited has been given three months to pay the six-figure sum by the Birmingham Crown Court. The tribunal was fixed after a customer complained about a pair of Beats headphones to trading standards in 2014. Council officials

penalty points, but thought she had enlisted the help of a specialist speeding lawyer. After a two day trial, the jury at Wolverhampton Crown court unanimously found her guilty of trying to prevent the course of justice. Ayesha was sentenced to three months behind bars as well as a 58-week driving ban. Pc Steve Jevons, of the West Midlands Police Camera Enforcement Unit, said: “Ahmed has paid a heavy price for thinking she could lie her way out of speeding offences. “We examined footage of the offences and it’s clear she was not being followed. “The jury concluded she was deliberately trying to avoid justice and not, as she claimed, victim of a scam by a bogus lawyer. “She never met this ‘legal expert’, didn’t have an address or phone number for him, and paid the money via a third party. “It’s a sorry tale. “She has no previous convictions but a potentially promising career is now in ruins and all because she wanted to retain a clean licence.”

seized more than 1,800 goods that they believed were fake which amounted to 90% of the shop’s stock. They had an estimated street value of £16,000. Birmingham City Council customer regulator supervisor, Coun Barbara Dring said: “Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime. Consumers who think they are snapping up a bargain can be put at risk by products, which do not meet safety standards. Furthermore, legitimate retailers are unable to compete with cheaper, poor quality goods being sold by unscrupulous traders, effectively putting local jobs at risk and damaging the city’s economy.” Phonetec UK Limited, trading as Akee’s, was allowed to continue trading during the investigation and remains open to the public.

MAY 2016

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Mosaic, HRH The Prince of Wales’s mentoring initiative, will from 1st July 2016 move home from Business in the Community to sister charity The Prince’s Trust.

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aving been founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2007, Mosaic’s mentoring programmes create opportunities for young people growing up in our most deprived communities, with a particular focus on those from Muslim communities. Mosaic’s vision is for all young people to be supported to realise their potential, with assistance from volunteer mentors. With both Mosaic and The Prince’s Trust sharing a very similar purpose – to help disadvantaged young people to overcome their barriers and move towards education, employment and training. It was agreed earlier this year that Mosaic and The Prince’s Trust would move towards

integration. Mosaic will continue to deliver its high-quality Mosaic programmes, supporting more than 7,500 young people this year. The infrastructure within The Trust is well-suited to Mosaic's operations and will enable Mosaic to grow in scale and impact with improved efficiency and effectiveness. Mosaic’s Managing Director Jonathan Freeman, said: ‘Mosaic is forever grateful for the warmth and generosity of colleagues and friends at Business in the Community, who have made the last seven years such a memorable experience, and helped facilitate the wonderful growth Mosaic has experienced. We are now

very excited to be joining The Prince’s Trust to help share our award-winning programmes to even more communities across the UK.” Martina Milburn CBE, Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust, added: “Mosaic is well recognised nationally for its high-quality mentoring programmes and ability to work with hardto-reach communities. I am delighted Mosaic will be joining The Prince’s Trust family and am very excited about the prospect of working together to reach and positively impact the lives of even more young people.” For more information on becoming a Mosaic mentor, please call 020 7566 8734 or email mosaic@bitc.org.uk

Paedophile Harjit Sian Imprisoned Quinton local Harjit Sian, was imprisoned for 18 months following a two-year police investigation, after a laptop containing child-sex pictures was found at Wolverhampton train station. The computer, left by fellow pervert Christopher Williams, was said to contain indecent pictures sent by Sian. A laptop and storage card, containing more than 900 abuse- pictures and four videos, were also found at Sian’s home in Quinton Road 42-year-old Sian was sentenced, after admitting seven offences of possessing and distributing indecent images of children, at Birmingham Crown Court. He was also placed on the sex offender register for ten years. Supt Allan Gregory, of British Transport Police, said: “In interview, it was clear Sian did not comprehend the gravity of his offending or the impact it had on others. “To him, they were simply images and he didn’t associate them with the wider abuse of children, which would’ve taken place for them to exist. “We are satisfied with the sentence handed to Sian, which reflects the seriousness of the offences he committed and we hope it gives him time to fully consider what he has done.

Power Punch Proves Fatal B

ouncer, Nicholas Salhan has been sentenced after throwing a fatal punch which resulted in the untimely death of Charity event goer, Inderjit Dhariwal. Harrowing CCTV footage was shown at Wolverhampton Crown Court, showing Salhan

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and fellow doorman Jonathon Davies, viciously attacking guests who remained at event after it had finished. 37-year-old Salhan, who had been hired as security staff for the event in Samsons Banqueting Suite, delivered the fatal blow to father-ofthree Inderjit Dhariwal, after

he challenged Davies over his aggressive demeanour towards guests. The impact left 45-year-old Mr Dhariwal with fractures to bones in his throat as well as a fatal head injury, as he fell to the floor. The victim was rushed to hospital, where he was placed

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into an induced coma, but was later declared dead. Doorman Davies was arrested from his home in Old Bridge Walk, Rowley Regis, two days after the attack, while Salhan handed himself in to West Bromwich police station. In an interview with authorities, , 43-year-old Davies said a man was “giving him daggers” for talking to a female partygoer and that he was provoked. Salhan initially claimed he was acting in defence of his fellow Doorman, but later admitted to counts of manslaughter, and was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison. Davies admitted a charge of affray and was jailed for two years and four months. Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Slevin, said: “Mr Dhariwal was an innocent party: Davies became embroiled in a row and fight with a group of men and when he tried intervening he was fatally punched by Salhan. “These two men were hired to keep the peace and ensure people had a safe, enjoyable night but instead they abused their position by viciously attacking several guests.

Lord Aleem’s Ferrari Wrecked in Lancashire Crash £240,000 Ferrari, owned by Birmingham based Lord Aleem, wrecked in house-smash.

YouTube sensation Lord Aleem received some bad news yesterday as pictures emerged of his £240,000 Ferrari, after it had careened into a house-side in Lancashire. Pictures, showing the Ferrari 458 Spider looking worse-forwear with a crushed bonnet and shattered front headlights, were tweeted by Lancashire Traffic Police yesterday and have since gone viral. The car was believed to be hired out to an unlucky wedding couple when it collided with a concrete wall in able street at 2pm in a damage only car-crash. The Italian Supercar was part of a host of Luxury vehicles owned by the self proclaimed Lord as part of Aleem’s family Business, Platinum Executive Travel. The Internet sensation addressed his 63,000 followers after a picture of the crash was shown to him. It’s not the first time damage has been caused to cars associated with Platinum

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More than £500,000 worth of Lord Aleem’s supercars were destroyed in two suspected arson attacks in 2014. The young Solihull-based businessman spoke out yesterday after the pictures went viral, saying: “Thanks for all the kind messages. I wasn’t at the wheel, and nobody was injured that’s the main thing, have had a lot worse in business. However what I will say is that these powerful machines require driver skill and they shouldn’t be taken as a joke. Drive safe.’ He added: ‘I’ll have that car back on road in 3 weeks Insha’Allah.’

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Walsall woman, who was believed to be missing with her 21-month old daughter, has been found. There were fears for the safety of missing mum, Sandeep Kaur and her young toddler daughter as the pair failed to return home after an over-night trip to Glasgow Ms. Kaur from Walsall was last seen at Digbeth Coach Station with her daughter, on Sunday April 3rd where she was believed to have boarded a coach set for the Scottish City. Before leaving, the mother assured family that she was going to visit a friend and would be back the following day.

Vaisakhi MAY 2016

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Celebrations in Handsworth T

he Vaisakhi celebrations in Greater Birmingham are the largest in Europe and the second biggest Sikh festival in the world outside of India. This year saw over 100,000 visitors gather in Handsworth Park to celebrate a very important time of the year for the Sikh faith. V a i s a k h i represents the birth of the Sikh Khalsa, the unique identity of members of the world’s youngest major religion. The identity was established by the tenth and final Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1699. Birmingham Vaisakhi celebrated their 25th Anniversary this year with the event firmly in the city’s busy social calendar. The event is organised and delivered by volunteers. It is not immune to local authority cutbacks and Councillor Gurdial Singh Atwal urged council

leaders in attendance to support the event. Mr Atwal stressed the Sikh community generate huge tax returns for the region and it would be a disappointment for the community to risk losing such an established event. The gathering in

Birmingham Vaisakhi celebrated their 25th Anniversary this year Handsworth Park is proceeded by a ‘Nagar Kirtan’, a public procession from the Sikh temples in Jewellery Quarter and Soho Road with a parallel procession from Smethwick. These processions accompany the Sikh Holy Scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib to Handsworth Park. I would encourage anyone who has not witnessed this event to attend in 2017. It is open to all and illustrates the devotion and absolute respect members of the Sikh

faith have for the scriptures. Leaders of all three major political parties in Birmingham attended, as well as local MPs and EU representatives. I would like to congratulate the organising committee for their sterling work in delivering an event the region can be very proud off. It attracts media attention around the world and is therefore a powerful vehicle for showcasing the diversity of Greater Birmingham. It attracts inward investment, most notably the recent Qatar service between Birmingham Airport and Doha. Why is this important for the Sikh Community? There are onward flights from Doha to Amritsar and the feedback has been very encouraging. All the more reason for the Council to back the Birmingham Vaisakhi Celebrations for the next 25 years.

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Nomination have closed and our fantastic panel of judges, including CEO at Birmingham City Council Mark Rogers, CEO at Acivico Ltd Trevor Haynes, Cllr Preet Kaur Gill, Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Cllr Sharon Thompson and assistant Principal at South & City College Birmingham Jacqui Maher, are now deliberating through the hopefuls. At the awards night at The Auditorium, South & City College, Digbeth on Thursday 21st July 2016 Birmingham will honour leaders and managers from its Third Sector for their contribution to society. This prestigious event will celebrate outstanding contribution to Birmingham made by leaders from Birmingham charities, not-for-proﬁt organisations, voluntary organisations, community groups and social enterprises. The Future Leaders Club, a social enterprise established in 2013, is dedicated to developing effective and compassionate leaders in Birmingham through their leadership training and development network, events and programmes During the awards night money will be raised for the Aspire@BCH programme (www.AspireAtBCH.com), which is an enterprise run by Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. This initiative offers young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with greater life opportunities such as work experience, apprenticeships and development. In addition to the awards ceremony, guests will be entertained by live musical performances and served fantastic food. Every day all of our lives are shaped by individuals doing great things – often behind the scenes, or away from the glare of publicity. Birmingham’s Third Sector leaders and managers are the key to making our society and communities the special places that they are. So what could be better than to highlight their contribution with a Local Leaders Award 2016? There is only one category, ‘Outstanding Contribution to Birmingham’. The award is underpinned by the overarching qualities of transparency, integrity, determination and achievement. Tickets can be purchased by via www.eventbrite.com. Simply search for Local Leaders Awards 2016. For further information about Local Leaders Awards 2016 and for sponsorship opportunities, contact us on 0330 100 5272 or 07984678543 alternatively email: TEAM@FUTURELEADERSCLUB.COM Follow us on Twitter: @Leaders_Awards and @_Future_Leaders Sponsorship opportunities are available; please contact us for further enquiries.

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Students show solidarity with Nobel Laureate at UK peace conference following activist’s murder

A pioneering conference exploring human rights for indigenous peoples welcomed a special guest, Nobel Peace Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum from Guatemala, this weekend. The two-day conference held at The University of Winchester, and organised by PeaceJam UK, welcomed around 250 delegates including secondary school students from all over the UK. Following the recent murder of activist Berta Cáceres, students showed their support for indigenous peoples by holding up placards and banners which they had written in Spanish to greet Rigoberta. As a gesture of solidarity, the message ‘Justicia paraBerta Cáceres’ meaning ‘Justice for Berta Cáceres’ was displayed on the placards. Berta Cáceres, winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015, was instrumental in leading a movement to stop a hydro-electric dam being built without consulting the indigenous Lenca population in Hondurasbefore her assassination. Throughout the weekend, the PeaceJam conference discussed Nobel Peace Prize winners and various themes including identity, difference, power, privilege, peace and non-violence in an increasingly complicated world. Students were also given the opportunity to present theirlocal community projects

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to an audience, as part of the One Billion Acts of Peace movement – a fundamental element of the academic PeaceJam programme. In 1992, Rigoberta Menchú Tum was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of efforts to improve the rights of the Mayan of Guatemala and native people everywhere. She was the first indigenous person to receive the award. On receiving the award, Rigoberta stated, “We are not myths of the past, ruins in the jungle, or zoos. We are people and we want to be respected, not to be victims of intolerance and racism.” Rigoberta continues to actively campaign for justice and peace for her people. This is the second PeaceJam UK conference to take place at The University of Winchester, an educational peace programme dedicated to engaging young people on social justice issues, with the involvement of several Nobel Peace Laureates. Caroline Millman, Chair of PeaceJam UK, said “The conference is a fantastic opportunity to connect students with some of the most inspirational people around the world who have worked to bring about real positive change. “By sharing stories of strife, sacrifice and ingenuity we aim to motivate our youth to engage with their local communities with innovative and original projects.”

Tipu Sultan restaurant in Mosely was host to the corporate media launch for the Big John’s Birmingham Mela 2016.

he event was attended by dignitaries from across the region big and small with special guest appearances from comedian

Mani Liaqat and Elvis impersonator Muj Presley (known locally as Asian Elvis). Many of the cities councillors attended the event to show support for the Mela which is one of very few Council events taking place this year due to budget cuts. Chair of the Mela steering committee Cllr Mariam Khan praised the Council’s events team on all their hard work and also Big John’s for stepping in and taking over the organisation and management of the event without any funding. The Mela is a free family event that celebrates the diverse culture of

Birmingham, giving people a taste of South Asian Food, Culture and Sport. Attended by over 60,000 people the event is host to a Main Entertainment Stage, Food Court, Bazaar, Sports Arena and Funfair. Kasim Choudhry the event director delivered a presentation outlining some of the key elements of the Mela and how it benefits Birmingham and its residents. One of the main points raised was how important it is to celebrate Birmingham’s diversity and promote community cohesion. Kasim also thanked all of the sponsors The Asian Today, BBC Asian Network, Anzal

Begum Foundation, Pepsi, Saka Water and Argeela for supporting the event. Last year Singer Malkit Singh MBE spoke live on BBC Radio WM stating “It is like India and Pakistan have become one again….There are people of all colours and creed celebrating together...I have never seen an event like this before”. The event was also awarded Best Event 2015 at the PMMA Awards and came runner up in the Brummies Choice Awards. The date for this year’s event will be 31st July 2016 at Cannon Hill Park. For more information please visit www. Bigjohnsbirminghammela. com.

Pirlo's Dessert Lounge P

irlo's is the latest addition to the city’s growing crop of dessert parlours; but this ‘new kid on the block’ sets a whole new standard when it comes to style, standard and substance. This uber cool dessert restaurant and bakery has just opened in the city centre, near Moor Street Station’s car park bringing a New York loft style cafe experience with high ceilings, exposed brickwork and lots of copper. But most importantly, lots of decadent desserts from early morning until midnight! So whether you have a passing sweet tooth or you are a committed chocoholic, there’s a plethora of decadent desserts to satisfy your taste

buds; from glorioso gelato to wonderful waffles; from kick-ass crêpes to sumptuous sundaes. This on-trend cafe, serves a myriad of tasty treats including cakes, sundaes, cookie dough, waffles and gelato. They are also offering premium coffee from local business Quarterhorse Coffee who freshly grind their coffee beans daily. The concept is the brainchild of local friends Israr Khaliq, Arfan Rehman, Ram Chand and Mandip Sandhu. Arfan said: “We all saw the potential of a high end desserts parlour that would open late at night in the city centre. There are lots of dessert places in Birmingham but they are

mainly concentrated around Sparkbrook Road area. We wanted something that was classy and above all we wanted to offer quality desserts, so we spent a lot of time trying to find experienced trained pastry chefs.” But the man putting the icing on the cake, is Pirlo’s Head Pastry Chef Mohan Singh from Hall Green. Mohan was hired three months ago after previously working at Resorts World and Malmaison hotel. Explaining the inspiration for his dessert creations, the 26-year-old said: “I did a lot of travelling in my youth and picked up lots of ideas. I’ve always been really interested in molecular gastronomy and applying that to my desserts.”

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Roses set for Revamp!

Good old fashioned Cadbury’s Roses are set for a brand new look, coming as early as the end of this month. Cadbury’s Chocolate has been a long-selling staple in Birmingham’s confectionary history. But now it seems the traditional chocolatiers are changing up their Roses selection. The new advances see alterations in the shape of two major favourites as well as the introduction of sealed flow-wrappers with easy-tear jagged edges, “in a move to address consumer complaints.” As well as an outer revamp, customer favourites like Hazel in caramel and Coffee Escape have been privy to the make-over treatment The Sweet-treats have been redesigned with smooth contours to ensure they “melt in the mouth easily and result in a longer moment of joy. Dave Shepherd, head of innovation at Cadbury, said: “Holding the chocolate in your mouth and letting it melt slightly before you bite will allow for maximum flavour and the moment of enjoyment will last even longer. “That’s why we’ve opted for this new design, as the more rounded and smoother shape fits better to the contours of your mouth, creating a better melt in the mouth experience.” The £3 million makeover unravels the new packaging, which sees the blending of Cadbury’s signature purple with the distinctive sky blue of the Roses Box. Cadbury, recently taken over by American firm Kraft, has assured customers that both pack

sizes and recommended retail prices remain the same. Last year, the renowned chocolatiers caused outrage amongst choc-lovers when it replaced traditional wrappers and reduced the tub size for the fourth time in four years. But Cadbury insisted the wrapper makeover addressed complaints that chocolates were likely to fall out of the old fashioned foil-wrapping as well as stronger flavoured treats like Coffee Cream infusing with the other chocolate selections. The new foil packaging will ensure that’s the chocs retain their freshness and none accidentally become unwrapped in the box. The new design will be finalised over the next few months, while the new chocolate shapes and wrapping will appear in shops from the end of this month. Cadbury marketing manager Claire Low said: “The number one complaint about Cadbury Roses in 2014 was around the issue of poorly wrapped chocolates tainting the flavours of other chocolates in the tub. We wanted to take steps to ensure quality is of the highest standard in every pack. “Although we appreciate there may be some traditionalists who still love the old twist wrap, it is important to us to ensure that we listen to the majority of our customers and address their issues by delivering Cadbury Roses in the highest quality.”

Moeen Ali Detained at Airport England Spinner, Moeen Ali, took to the Twittersphere to express his outrage at being detained at Birmingham Airport for 40 minutes by Border Force officials on Saturday. The 28 – year- old cricket personality had been returning from England’s runner-up showing at World Twenty20 in time for the opening game of the 2016 County Championship, when he was detained. The Birmingham – born sports star branded his treatment a “joke,” adding that such incidents have never occurred when he travelled with the team in official uniform. He wrote: “Have never been stopped at the airport when travelling with a team in uniform, but travel alone and get stopped for 40

minutes!! Joke.” He later tweeted: “Birmingham Airport!! Hard times.” ‘Citizen Khan’ star and local Brummie Adil Ray, lent his support to the cricketer adding: “It’s a joke Mo. I get stopped all the time now.” “Even the eye thing on my passport mysteriously stopped working.” Fellow cricketer, Owais Shah added: “your beard might have something to do with it.” In response to enquiries about the incident, Birmingham Airport took to twitter to explain that Ali had been stopped for not declaring the fact that he had exceeded his duty free allowance. To which the player responded: “Apparently can’t buy gifts for the family that’s more then £390.”

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Liverpool FC legend Ian Rush supports BYSA fundraiser, raising an incredible £15,000

iverpool FC legend Ian Rush was guest of honour at last week’s Birmingham Youth Sports Academy annual awards dinner. The BYSA, a community group championing grass roots football for children, held their ceremony at The Prestige Suite in Birmingham on Friday 15th April 2016 hosted by BBC Football League presenter Manish Bhasin. After a successful celebration last year, with Liverpool FC legend John Aldridge, the BYSA decided to continue the trend of its’ impressive celebrity guest dinner, to show supporters and sponsors the great work it has achieved. Joining Ian Rush as this year’s high profile celebration dinner were other sporting heroes including Villa’s Mark Walters and Gary Shaw, WBA’s Cyrille Regis, cricketer Kabir Ali, boxers Yafai brothers,

and Tasif Khan. However, the surprise guest on the night was the new Royal ambassador for the BYSA, HRH Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia and Serbia, who said she was ‘delighted to attend the evening’ which supported her ongoing work for various children’s charities. This year’s big boost with celebrity guests and entertainment from Socharo Dance showed a high demand for tickets and tables, which sold out in record time. After presenting awards to the children and sponsors of the BYSA league teams, guests also got to enjoy a humorous Q&A with Ian Rush before going on to an energetic live auction. The auction items were all unforgettable, high-flying sporting memorabilia such as Mohammed Ali’s boxing glove; Pele and Maradona’s signed shirts, Ronnie O’Sullivan snooker cue and many more. With the live auction

and generous donations from the raffle, a tremendous £15,000 was raised on the night. The Barclays Bank team were at the dinner in full force and have confirmed match funding to help raise additional money towards the charity. The auctioneer for the evening was Mr Balbir Singh barrister from Equity Chambers, who was surprised to receive a ‘Ballon d’Or’ styled trophy for his successes, alongside chairman Ranjit Lallie. Chairman Majid Salim’s said, “I’d like to say a special thank you to everyone for helping us raise a significant amount of money on the night that will be vital to support the BYSA programme going forward. Everyone has contributed to making it so successful again this year.” ALL proceeds from the event have gone to support this registered charity, which works tirelessly to provide underprivileged children from the inner city of Birmingham with football coaching facilities. The evening was attended BBC presenter Noreen Khan and may business people from solicitors, barristers,

doctors, judges, professional shop owners, accountants, consultants, networkers, educational and council funded departments and many directors and managers from companies ranging from wholesale, food and electrical outlets and football clubs. Manish Bhasin had said he was ‘overwhelmed with the calibre of people and celebrities in attendance.’ Guests of honour included the Lord Lieutenant, Deputy Lord Mayor and Mayoress, James Whitaker from Barclays Bank, Richard Benson and Kevin Hegarty . The BYSA would like to thank their sponsors in making the event a success Kingsland recovery, Awan International, Equity Chambers, Lone & Co solicitors, Pathway Group, In touch with Walsall Networking Group, Barclays and Legal Solicitors. The BYSA would still like to encourage people to get involved and support them on their continuous journey to help deliver football to children. To get in touch please follow the BYSA on social media or view www.bysa.co.uk.

MAY 2016

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THE ASIAN TODAY The thoughts of:

Desi

Dave

The Audacity of Hope!

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Labour MP Suspended After Emergence of Anti-Semitic Posts • MP Naz Shah suspended for anti-semitic comments

MP Naz Shah has apologised following the emergence of social media posts expressing themes of anti-Semitism.

Like many other people on this side of the pond I have been following the current political jousting In the U.S.A with a mixture of emotions. You cannot help but be a little bemused and baffled by the words and demeanor of Americas most high profile billionaire Mr. Donald Trump and after we have used up all of our bemusement and bafflement, we can head straight to the emotion of trepidation. Would the world be a safer more inclusive place with Donald at the helm? (Although he is popular with the federation of Mexican bricklayers) There is no denying the pedigree and attributes of Hilary Clinton and if anybody should know the workings of Capital Hill and how to survive the cut and thrust, then she obviously fits the bill. My caveat to this would be if she was to become the 45th president of The United States then it could well be a very short term in office (the noise you hear is the bones rattling in the closet) When you have an electoral battle between the two main parties where both of those said parties are in some way embarrassed by their leading candidates then what

does that tell us about this campaign. During the last few months of 2008 and into January 2009 I could not help but be impressed and indeed enthused by the campaign speeches of the soon to be 44th president, Barack Obama. It seemed finally that we had a man that was up to the task (I even brought his book). I still think now after his two terms in office that he was the right man in the right place and was up to the task, however was the job up to him, within this bastion of democracy it seems as though the status quo is more important than really making a change for the better, where corporate muscle has greater sway than the will of the people, Nonetheless we had “THE AUDACITY OF HOPE.” So, Does it really matter who the 45th president of America is? Does America want a firebrand who speaks his mind (who probably shouldn’t) or a candidate who knows the system inside out and outside in? With Barack Obama, America had its chance to evolve into a more inclusive and caring society but chose not to take that route, so now it may well get the president it deserves.

P Naz Shah has stepped down as an aide to John McDonnell, following the emergence of social media posts expressing anti-semitic views. The loaded Facebook posts, from August 2014, showed the Bradford West representative once backed a plan to relocate the state of Israel to North America, arguing the move was a “solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict” The full text of the post read: “Israelis are most loved by Americans. Americans will welcome Israelis with open arms into their homes. “America has plenty of land to accommodate Israel as its 51st states. Israel can have a real safe Jewish state surrounded by friendly states. America will no longer have to spend $3 billion tax payer money per year for Israel’s defence. “The transportation costs will be less than 3 years of defence spending. Palestinians will get their land and life back. Middle East will again be peaceful without foreign interference. Oil prices will go down, inflation will go down, whole world will be

happy.” With the image caption reading the US had “plenty of land” and that the move would restore peace to the Middle East, with Shah’s comment alongside the image reading: “Problem solved.” She also used the hashtag #IsraelApartheid above a quote saying “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.” After the emergence of the social media posts, discovered by the politics blog Guido Fawkes, Ms. Shah said: “This post from two years ago was made before I was an MP, does not reflect my views and I apologise for any offence it has caused.” However Jonathan Sacerdoti, director of communications at the Campaign Against AntiSemitism, says that an apology is not sufficient and that the posts had echoed themes of antiSemitism. He added: “One cannot simply apologise for 'any offence caused' and expect an evidence of gross and brazen anti-Semitism to disappear.” “Once again the Labour Party has been revealed

to have within its ranks people who express extreme prejudice towards Jewish people in their public statements; once again the party has failed to find these statements itself, and reject those who freely and willingly express them.” Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, the MP explained she "wholeheartedly apologises" for her past comments. Admitting: “I accept and understand that the words I used caused upset and hurt to the Jewish community and I deeply regret that, Anti-Semitism is racism, full stop.” Despite her obvious remorse, Jeremy Corbyn chose to suspend her, as the Labour party continues to be plagued with AntiSemitic arguments. The Labour party confirmed the decision in a statement reading: “Jeremy Corbyn and Naz Shah have mutually agreed that she is administratively suspended from the Labour Party by the general secretary. Pending investigation, she is unable to take part in any party activity and the whip is removed.”

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Vic's Column

Varying Contract of Employment There are many reasons why changes occur in working relationships between an Employer and Employee. Problems can arise when an Employer wishes to change the terms of the Employee’s Contract. Problems can be avoided or resolved through discussions between the parties. A Contract is an agreement between two parties (Employer and Employee) and is enforceable by law. A Contract of Employment is a contract of service and it is when an Employee agrees to work for an Employer in return for pay. The individual terms of the Contract are rights and obligations which bind both the Employer and Employee. The terms can be expressed, implied or statutory. Expressed terms are agreed between both the Employer and Employee either in writing or orally. Implied terms are often obvious and generally it is assumed that they are incorporated at the time the Contract was entered into, for example, the Employee will not commit an act of dishonesty against he Employer. Statutory terms are those implied or imposed by an Act of Parliament or statutory instrument. Contracts can be varied only with the agreement of all those concerned. An Employer who is proposing to change any Contract should consult with the Employee to fully explain and discuss the reasons for change and seek their agreement. Variations can be agreed verbally or in writing and it is preferable that all changes made by the Employer should be recorded in writing. If the Employer changes the terms of the Contract without the agreement of the Employee, the Employee may bring a claim for constructive dismissal. It is important that prior to changing any Contract of Employment the Employer obtains legal advice to avoid any potential legal action. For Employment Law advice please contact Vic Younis at Painters Solicitors on 01562 822295 or VY@ painters-solicitors.co.uk. w: www.painters-solicitors.co.uk t: @painters_law or @vic_younis

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EU Referendum

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IN THE

SPOTLIGHT WITH KABIR ALI

Nabiyah Saddique, from The Asian Today speaks to Kabir Ali, the 35-year-old retired cricketer whose goal in life is to give back to the game. Kabir Ali who is of Pakistani descent played for England during 2003 - 2006, as an allrounder.

Describe yourself in three words. Shy, honest and hard working.

How would your teammates describe you in the dressing room? My teammates would describe an introvert and me as quiet. I’m the person they come to in a hard situation.

Which do you prefer? T-20, ODI or test cricket? And why? Conflicting political views persist as Boris Johnson is completely for quitting the EU whereas Gordon Brown is in the against team. The two politicians, Boris Johnson and Gordon Brown have shared their views regarding the EU matter. Boris Johnson has said: “Would anyone in their right mind want to join the EU today? It is 50 years old, it is going in the wrong direction. It is time for real reform. The only way to get that is to leave." Whereas, Gordon Brown

has said: "We should be a leader in Europe, not simply a member. We should not be fully out and we should not be half out. We should be fully in.” With their conflicting views, as well as many others, there is an ongoing rivalry between all the parties involved. With just over six weeks until the vote, campaigning has been stepped up by both sides.

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T-20 because it’s more exciting. It’s a smaller form of cricket but that doesn’t mean it’s not hard. It’s actually harder than spending a day in the field. The tempo is very fast and it’s very exciting because you’re always in the game.

If there was one thing you could change about cricket, what would it be? I’d make it a little more about bowling because at the moment it’s all about the batting. It’s suited around the batsman; I’d try and find a way where it’s a little bit more on the bowler’s side.

Who is your current favourite player? Joe Root. Just the way he goes about his cricket, he plays all forms of cricket and he’s pretty good at them. It’s also not like he can only play at home conditions, he plays overseas very well too.

What motivates you to carry on working in the coaching profession? I’ve been a part of the game for numerous years and now that I’m retired, I feel like I should be giving back to the community and back to the game too. I have 18 years experience in first-class cricket and it just seems right to give my knowledge to the youth. If I could inspire the next generation then that would make me very happy.

What’s next for Kabir Ali? I’m enjoying coaching at the moment and doing voluntary work across the UK to give back to the game. At the same time, I’ve started my own family-based business where we sell affordable cricket equipment which is another way to give back to the community.

Junior Doctor Crisis

Junior Doctors all over England have been on a number of strikes due to the dispute between the government and the British Medical Association (BMA). The basic pay of Junior Doctors, under the terms of the new contract, will be increased by 13.5% on average, not taking into account other features of the pay package, including what comprises unsociable hours. Saturday day hours will be paid at a normal rate, as well as extra bonuses that are offered for the rest of the weekend are lower than the current pay. The government has placed on hold its proposals to impose the contract, for five days, in an attempt to resolve outstanding differences with the other party involved. The British Medical Association (BMA) has postponed their threats of further industrial action while the talks last.

GET ON THE CREATIVE WAVE! When you meet me you're sure to be disappointed. I just don't look very creative! Somehow this doesn't seem fair. I'm CEO of Punch, a progressive and thriving music development agency that sits right at the heart of Birmingham's trendy Eastside district. And I try hard to be hip and engaged; to be contemporary, independent and unique, I really do. But somehow I’m still the most mainstream-looking cultural radical in the UK. You'll find me chairing the kind

of meetings where creatives get up and draw multicoloured squiggles on whiteboards; squiggles that stand for main stages and beer tents and on-trend audiences and toilet blocks and chill-out yurts. But when everyone else is updating their timelines I'm the one washing up the cups in the obligatory half-size belfast sink and overstraightening all the chairs. I no longer think this is any kind of a bad thing. My role gives me ways and means to influence and alter real people’s

lives, not just radio playlists. Because the creative industries are worth £8m an hour to the UK economy, with our growth currently outperforming all other sectors.* Cultural capital is based on innovation, not scarcity - the more we can produce, the richer we will be as a nation. So why are so few homegrown creative entrepreneurs working to seed the ground they grew from? I think being ordinary reminds me that my story is nothing special. When I opened Punch in 1997 it

was as a record shop in what was then called 'the community', not a music development agency in a 'creative quarter'. Punch Records bought and sold rare vinyl for DJs and collectors. I mostly started Punch so that I could listen to those same records all day in the shop, and then get on the guest list for the DJ's gigs and soundclashes after we closed. But things took a turn I hadn’t planned for. DJs and rappers would walk into the shop each day with amazing ideas and plans and

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Three young men have died after a tragic car crash in Manchester.

he Audi S5 rental they were travelling in crashed into a signpost and parked cars on Wilbraham Road in Manchester. Two of the men were pronounced dead at the scene but one of them was taken to hospital and stayed in critical condition until he too, passed away. Thousands of people joined the funeral prayer of 24-yearold Hamza Iqbal, 21-yearold Munib Afzal Karim, and 20-year-old Hamza Gujjar. The men were on the way home from Munib’s sisters wedding when the incident occurred, causing grief in a joyous occasion. The car was travelling at a high speed, as reported by the Police. His sister posted on Instagram, asking people for their prayers and to attend the funeral. Other family members and friends have also been reported as posting the news online. Loved ones and members

of the community have paid their respects at Victoria Park Mosque and the Muslim Heritage Centre in Manchester, standing together with the families of the men in solidarity. There were a staggering number of people in attendance, each person grieving the loss of members of their community. There is an ongoing police investigation to find out exactly what occurred on the morning of Wednesday 27th April 2016. A 17-year-old, who was detained on suspicion of instigating death by dangerous driving, has been bailed until 11th June. A 19-year-old, who was taken to hospital after the crash, was also arrested on suspicion of a similar crime but has subsequently been de-arrested. The police are continuing the appeal for witnesses. Anybody with further information can call police on 101 or by contacting Crime stoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Midlife Crisis An unavoidable phenomenon?

Fraudster’s Fake-Wedding Scam Fumbled Sham wedding-planner imprisoned after being caught-out before his own fake marriage.

A ringleader, in charge a fake visa weddings-for-cash operation, has been jailed after he was caught out at his own fake marriage ceremony. 51- year –old Harpal Singh was said to have made up to £5,000 for each bogus wedding he arranged between East Europeans women and Asian Students whose visas were due to expire. Cardiff Crown Court heard how Indian-born Singh had entered Britain in 2006 with a six month visa, along with his wife and three children.

But after two failed immigration applications in 2009 and 2011, he was caught trying to marry a Czech woman at Cardiff Register Office in May last year, with what appeared to be fake divorce papers. Prosecutor Andrew Davies said: 'Singh would arrange marriages for Pakistani, Indian and Nepalese men who were either about to have visas run out or had overstayed. 'He would arrange for them to marry Czech women who had EU residency and

ask us if we could back them. Within a year we were creating new events across the city. Then we were programming workshops for schools and galleries desperate to reach out to young people. Transforming lives through music became our motto. Punch had become a network of resources and opportunities with an annual festival - BASS - to run. So I closed my shop.

therefore could confer this to any husbands. 'As far as we can ascertain he arranged four sham weddings - one of which was his own.” The Forrest Gate local was caught after registry officials doubted the authenticity of his divorce documents and was arrested on the morning of his supposed marriage. Mr Davies said: 'He had two bags with him which had a number of other people's documents and passports in them.

My dad still hasn't forgiven me. He was working six days a week in a foundry, and when I had the shop we suddenly had a family business! I think he hoped to convince me to turn it into a cash and carry given time. To this day he has no idea how I make my money now the shop is gone - But he still stuffs brochures for retail opportunities into my wife’s handbag when she visits. My dad’s opinions notwithstanding, the creative industries in the UK are a homegrown economic success story, worth £71.4 billion per

year to the UK and accounting for 8% of all service industry exports. What’s more, the sector is growing at 10% per annum, even in the downturn. In 2014 the creative industries employed more than 1.5 million people, around 6% per cent of the UK workforce*. Yet the largest private investments of time and money that Punch receives into our youth development programmes - which each year reach hundreds of disenfranchised young people outside of both education and employment - are not from anyone in

the creative industries. They are from multinationals like Barclaycard and from local business leaders: the family of the region’s cash-and-carry king - Latifs, for example, who support our work in schools. The UK is booming with young talent able to create amazing new work which we can broadcast, licence or sell to contribute to our bottom line as a nation. If most of that talent isn’t living in London, isn’t working as an intern in a creative agency and isn’t writing on a blog; how will we hear their voices?

I have just bought a Mercedes sports car....... my dream car.....I have just obtained a divorce last year..... recently started up a number of new businesses and started to do everything I have wanted to do all my life. I feel awkward and uncomfortable if anyone asks me my age. I have never found my age to be a problem, I have always been more than frank about it. Now if anyone asks I can’t get myself to say my age! Believe it or not it actually isn’t because of false modesty or I want to them to give me praise and suggest I don’t look my age but it is a shock to my system because I simply do not feel that age. I still feel young, I can’t recognise that face I see in the mirror any more (where did the last 20 years go?!)..... and I feel free from all the responsibilities that youth and life throws at you such as building a career, getting married to ‘suitable’ people, having children, having idealistic views and values. Becoming free from all that and no longer caring what

others think, surely means this is the best part of my life?.....or is this just another transitionary phase of my life which is unavoidable and the euphoria will soon wear off? Well, Wikipedias defines it as being a ‘transition of identity and self confidence that occurs in early middle aged individuals’ and the definition from the Oxford Dictionary defines midlife crisis to be a ‘loss of selfconfidence and feeling of anxiety or disappointment that can occur in early middle age’. I seem to be going through the classic male midlife crisis (!) but I couldn’t agree with Jordan Rosenfield more, whatever the reasons for it, this phase of my life has to be about my happiness and fulfilment. I feel life is full of phases, each phase seems to be worse than the last! So we should enjoy the phase we are in. So make this the best phase of your life, free from restrictions and inhibitions...I have!! But what will people say?? Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn!

MAY 2016

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FEATURE

TARIQ JAHAN DIARIES PART 3: EUROPEAN REFUGEE CRISIS

Harrowing & Heartfelt A Reconnaissance Mission in Lesvos M

Tariq Jahan Founder of Haroon Tariq Jahan Foundation

ore than four years on from the death of his son, Mr Tariq Jahan now views the world with a renewed sense of faith. With the charity in honour of his son, the Haroon Jahan Foundation, the bereaved father is channelling his grief into helping those in dire need through his aid work tackling the European refugee crisis. It was 1am on the night of August 10th 2011, when Tariq Jahan, heard the bang of a car crash. Following his instinctual response, he rushed to the scene of the

The 2nd Trip:

uring our time in Greece, we’ve helped many a refugee and we heard many a sad tale. On the day we were coming back, we were late getting to the airport. We left the hotel late. We found water, two crates, and thought we’d give them to any people we saw on the way to the airport. As we were driving - we were literally half a mile from the airport - on the beach to the left of us, we saw a boat pull in and there was nobody there to help them. So we all jumped out of the car, the two guys in my car and two in the other car, and took the water out and started giving them food too. We were getting really late at the time, and so I shouted at

the guys to hurry up, and that we were going to miss the flight. “Give them all the water. Leave it here, leave all the food and everything that you’ve got,” I’d shouted. There were other cars pulling up at the time, so I had said, “The guys are coming here, they’ll take over. We’ve got to go, or we’re going to miss the flight”. I felt guilty shouting at the guys, knowing women and children were getting off the boat. I felt really bad. The guys, my volunteers, they stopped and looked at me, saying “Tariq…” and I said, “Guys, I know the emotions are there, I know, what it’s like but you’ve got to wake up. We’ve booked the flight, we’ve got to go back and, if we miss it now, we’re not going to

“Give them all the water. Leave it here, leave all the food and everything that you’ve got.”

accident, unaware of the sight that was to greet him. As Tariq leaned over the bodies of the three young men, it became apparent with searing agony that his beloved son, Haroon Jahan, was amongst those severely wounded while defending local businesses from angry rioters. The emotional scars from that harrowing night will probably never heal, but Tariq Jahan endeavours to persevere with patience, honouring his son by helping those in dire need.

he one thing that nobody will tell you, how and I was told I have to be careful group l smal a is there that is this, word I her of Muslims who have now gotten toget ted by and started a graveyard. It was dona has put someone. However the government because a stop to the graveyard being used d. They they won’t allow anyone to be burie from. came they e wher back es bodi send the no and ed ifi ident ’t aren es But most of the bodi . That’s the one knows where they came from problem they’re having. there are However, there is a graveyard and nize Islamic a lot of people trying to help orga are good burials for these refugees, and these an onis This out. ng helpi le kind Greek peop are being going situation. Ever y day bodies , washed washed up, they have to be taken storage at in just are them of lot and buried. A the moment. , we When it comes to clothing donations don’t We ore. anym stuff alf don’t need top-h because need jumpers, t-shir ts and jackets Shoes, it’s the bottom half that gets soaked. ssity. nece main the are ers socks and trous ever yone’s Food, along with ever ything else, s, socks sending in. The main priority is shoe en. This is wom and men both for and trousers, what I’m going to collect now.

An Organised but On-Going Crisis get another one for three days. We’ll be stuck out here. You guys have got to go back to your jobs.” So they said okay. We jumped in the car and got to the airport. In the time it took for us to get from the airport to Athens, another forty boats landed. On that same day three thousand and something people arrived. We got a call from the guys back is Lesvos saying that forty boats had landed and asking when our container was coming. I said, I’ll find out and confirm with you. Now that my container’s landed, they’re clothing those three thousand people with my stuff, Alhamdulillah. I’m so happy that we got the goods there in time.

FEATURE

Future Plans

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Food For Thoughts

Sophia Yasmin Daughter of Tariq Jahan

Setting Sights on Turkey I’ve seen a lot of good work being done. There are a lot of agencies in Lesvos now and things have improved. The people are being helped. But the numbers will increase as it hits summer again, with ten thousand being expected a day. From our discussions with the aid agencies there, we know that things have slowed down because of winter, but there’s a backlog back there in Turkey. I want to go to Turkey. My next step is to work in the camps in Turkey and in Jordan as well. I plan to speak to the government and ask if I can go back

Cameron Refuses Refugees D

avid Cameron said the UK would accept solitary child refugees from camps on the Continent after Conservative MPs campaigned for the Government to not delay and said that the public expected an urgent response. However, Number 10 said on Monday that the Governments were not expecting the children from the camps until the end of the year. The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “It is a new scheme so we need to work with councils to get it up and running and that is why we expect we will have the first children arriving by the end of this year.” The delay is being criticized by Conservative MPs who believe that this matter needs to be assisted urgently.

Britain will not accept any refugee children from camps for up to another seven months.

to Syria and see what the situation is like there. So many countries, including Britain, are all bombing Syria. We’re destroying their homes, so where do we expect the people to go? I don’t want to sound political but we have a responsibility of care to these people. A lot of people in this country have negative information regarding refugees, especially after what happened in Germany recently, which has been a big thing. I wasn’t in England at the time, but I know that you cannot blame every refugee for the actions of a very few minute group of people.

My experience in Lesvos has been an eye-opener to say the least, with the reality of the situation out there being gravely different to what we are shown. The sheer number of people sleeping rough is overwhelming and the availability of resources is reliant on donations alone. With the manpower behind the aid mission being volunteers and volunteers alone, they can be described as nothing but heroic. Once the refugees are registered, they are left to feed, clothe and fend for themselves, which is where the volunteers step in to ensure their safety and well being as best they can. The public seems to be under the misconception that these refugees are economic migrants, which is not the case whatsoever. These people are just like you and I, they are parents, grandparents, doctors, dentists, nurses, business owners and farmers and all they want to do is be able to LIVE. Take it from someone who has personally been out there and seen the refugees arrive in the most dangerous form of travel. Leaving everything they own and cherish behind, they simply want to have a chance to live. Not one of us could comprehend the danger these people are putting their loved ones through to get to safety. I am a mother of a 1 year old and I have seen the overloaded, unreliable dinghies that people have arrived in and could not imagine anything beside death to convince me to put my child in that death trap to cross the natural monstrosity of the ocean to get to safety of Greece. The beautifully scenic ocean can turn into a thrashing roaring monster within minutes, something I have witnessed myself, and these people are relying on sheer luck to get across, not knowing what hardships await them on the other side. I cannot blame the average member of the public to fail to understand the gravity of what these refugees are going through because unless you are told or shown you just cannot imagine their circumstances. I myself understand only a small part of it, solely because I had the opportunity to go out there and see it for myself.

Abdullah Rehman CEO Balsall Heath Forum

It has been an enlightening experience assisting in the refugee crisis with the Haroon Tariq Jahan Foundation, with a focus on Lesvos in Greece. The experience was an eye-opener, and the images of young children, old people and young men all trying to flee a war-torn country, which was home for them, made me realise how extremely lucky we are living in relative security here in the UK. I was taken aback by the amount of people who make it through the camps, get processed and images of them boarding a boat to Athens was reminiscent of a mass exodus you hear about, or see in movies set in biblical times. I would like to personally pay homage to all the volunteers who work either at the camps, ports OR at the water’s edge waiting for boats to arrive and try to make the refugees fleeing feel as welcome as possible and provide much needed comfort and aid. Also, it is the volunteers (mostly Europeans) cleaning the toilets, sweeping the floors and making the food for the thousands of those

displaced people who are the real heroes. This above all is being done in the memory of Haroon Jahan, and we hope that he receives all rewards for whatever we do, and I pray that this charity goes from strength to strength, reaching out to all humanity in the memory of a great son, brother and human being, Haroon Jahan. I would also like to thank everyone who donated, it really did make a difference to those who have lost everything.

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NEWS

Asda partners Mum this Ramadan in stocking up the essentials in advance

With eight weeks to Ramadan Muslim mums have already started preparing for the holy month. Along with the 30 days of fasting comes the responsibility of planning out meals, budgeting, shopping for essentials and making sure your family gets something special and wholesome every Sehri and Iftari. At Asda we understand the essential needs of your family. So, we have come up with the Ramadan Essentials Checklist to help you budget and stock up this Ramadan. During the holy month of fasting, sacrifice and worship, Iftari is the time the entire family comes together to break their fast, and it can be a bit tricky balancing the kitchen, taking care of the children, preparing Iftars for the family and keeping the worship on track. We spoke to some mums to find out what their Ramadan essentials are; and Manchester based Nabeela Irshad shared some interesting tips with us: “I need to ensure certain items like dates are stocked up in advance because the first thing you break your fast with is dates and we need to have them in the house. Also items like rice, oil, chapatti flour and gram flour have a longer shelf life and can be bought in advance. I usually pick them up on a deal and store them

for Ramadan. This way I don’t need to hop between shops every few days.” A mother-of-two from Oldham Bushra Javed will start stocking up for her essentials in the beginning of May. “For me spices are the most important thing. I tend to pick up spices and get my marinades ready before hand. Because when I am fasting I cannot taste the salt and flavours so it is always good to have them ready. Also, the last thing you want during Ramadan is to realise the spices are over and have to go running for them.” Mahwesh Husain from Birmingham said: “During Ramadan people visit us a lot for

Iftari during the weekends and with my kitchen well stocked up I feel confident. My list of essentials includes Rubicon juices, canned tomatoes, chickpeas and the staples. I keep a healthy stock of these in my kitchen cabinet to last me the entire period of Ramadan. This way I have one less thing to worry about and it helps me budget better. “ Since Ramadan is different to regular days, it is important to understand the customer’s needs and shopping patterns. Mirroring the community’s mind set, Asda has reaffirmed its commitment in partnering mothers during Ramadan with authentic quality ingredients at unbeatable prices.

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Birmingham Bride Joins Rock Star Brood

MAY 2016 DESI XPRESS 31

REECE BAHIA INTERVIEW TURN TO PAGE: 34

RAHAT COMES TO COVENTRY

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Juggy D’s a Dab Hand! Punjabi Rockstar Juggy D’s left his fans amazed and delighted after he appeared on the new groundbreaking online show ‘Easy Cooking Made Difficult’ with Raj Ghai & Pedro. The music sensation created three delicious dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner and even found time to perform live in the kitchen with his guitarist. The global star showed that he is a dab hand in the kitchen as well as on stage as he expertly created

super healthy and balanced dishes including delicious Egg Based Pizza, juicy Spicy Chicken & Avocado in Pitta and a mouth-watering Baked Garlic & Tomato Sea Bass. Reeling from the most recent episode Raj Ghai said: “Who knew that Juggy could cook? I love the fact that he’s so passionate about cooking and that he’s added his own ‘desi’ twist to all his dishes to give them their own personality!”

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Akshay Preaches Girl Power!

Last Year saw Akshay Kumar team up with Aditya Thackeray to set up the well needed Women’s Self defence Centre in India, offering free martial training to women, and it seems their efforts were not in vain. Student at the centre, Shreya Naik, 19, recently got into a sticky situation when she noticed a young man, leering at her on her commute back from work. Shreya explains: “He suddenly came close and pounced on me. I started hitting him

Seeing with one hand. I caught hold of his collar and started dragging him towards the main road.. Within 10-15 minutes the police arrived and he was arrested.” Shreya expressed her thanks to the centre for giving her the confidence and skills to tackle her molester. Reading about this incident Akshay Kumar tweeted, “Proud of Shreya, enrolled in our Women's Self Defence Centre who tackled & got her molester arrested!”

Emma’s Bollywood Debut Could it be that British beauty, Emma Watson, is planning on making her debut into Bollywood? Well, rumour has it that Harry Potter star has been cast as the female lead in Nandita Singgha’s biopic, Mid Dey. Watson will star alongside Aamir Khan, who will be playing the role of crime journalist J Dey, with the movie focussing on his character, career, and his eventual

murder. If Mid Dey does prove the first uniting of Emma Watson and Aamir Khan, this HindiEnglish hybrid movie will definitely be one to look out for. Director Singgha has said: “Once everything is finalised, we will hold a couple of press conferences in India and the UK to announce the film. Till then let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

Shaan & Verinder Showcase ‘Truck’

FOLLOWING on from the amazing success of their ﬁrst single ‘Yaar Nachda’ ft Nirmal Sidhu, super-producers Shaan & Verinder are back with a second helping to whet our appetite even further! Teaming up this time with the brilliant Bhinda Jatt, the London boys bring us the much anticipated single ‘Truck’. Bhinda Jatt, known as the California King and a recognisable voice of folk music, worked closely alongside Sukshinder Shinda to deliver the hit albums ‘Folk Warrior of California’ & ‘California King’.

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A guest list of celebrity fans and influencers attended a VIP Screening of Yash Raj Films’ latest release, FAN at the newest addition to London’s portfolio of luxury hotels, Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch. Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch’s world-class hospitality indulged guests, who also enjoyed a photo opportunity with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s wax figure from world famous attraction, Madame Tussauds London. The wax figure has been specially re-dressed to emulate the actor’s celebrity-obsessed character in FAN – Gaurav. This was the first time the attraction has made such special arrangements for one of its Bollywood wax figures and taken it out of the attraction directly to its fans. Shah Rukh Khan himself unveiled the Gauravinspired wax figure adaptation at Madame Tussauds London earlier this month. Sequences of FAN, which sees Shah Rukh Khan play a dual role of Bollywood superstar and obsessed fan, were also shot at the attraction.

Double!

Bachaana comes to Brum!

Hum Films & Big Film Entertainment in collaboration with British entertainment entrepreneur Nasser Fazal of Green Flag Films, proudly announce the release of Bchaana in the UK. Bachaana is a journey of a sweet and bubbly Indian girl, Aalia, who undergoes a series of unfortunate events and is forced to place her faith in a man she hardly knows. That man, Vicky, is a Pakistani taxi driver in Mauritius, as the story follows the couple’s adventurous journey of love. Nasser Fazal of Green Flag Films has said;“Bachaana is a complete entertainer and a visual treat, the best from Pakistani cinema – I am certain it will strike a chord with South Asian audiences in the UK”

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Together Again?

Deepika and Ranbir have the rumour-mill twisting yet again. It seems the double-duo are set to star alongside one another in director Ayan Mukerji’s rumoured romantic movie. Mukerji, who is prepping for a superhero movie starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, is said to be in talks with Deepika, to star as

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female lead, in his potential heart-warming movie. Could it be that the two are looking to work together again? Mukerji’s last film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, starring the alleged ex-couple, was a huge hit and we simply can’t wait to see the dream duo back together on the big screen!

BY: NABIYAH

BOLLYWOOD 1

Sab Tera

Sanam Re

Bol Do Na Zara

Kar Gayi Chull

High Heels

Tumhe Apna Banane Ka

Hua Hai Aaj Pehli Baar

Deewani Mastani

Wajah Tum Ho

10 Gerua

Jimmy Shergill Is Back!

After releasing a plethora of Punjabi hit films such as Ambarsariya, Sardaar Ji, Punjab 1984, Jatt &Juliet, B4u Motion Pictures is proud to present its next release Vaisakhi List. The film features the charming Jimmy Shergill and comedian Sunil Grover aka Gutthi from Comedy Nights with Kapil Sharma, who is all set to make his Punjabi debut.

Vaisakhi List revolves around two prisoners who are trying really hard to get back behind bars after eloping from jail. Just in time to celebrate Vaisakhi with the family, audiences can expect a lot of chuckles and a strong story line with this comedy entertainer. Judging by Jimmy and Sunil’s past performances, this film is not one to be missed.

Rahat

Panjabi MC - Picha Ni Chad De

Peji Shahkoti – ‘Nede Nede’

Diljit Dosanjh – ‘Pagg Wala Mundah’

Ranjit Bawa – ‘Sher Marna’

Sonu Singh – ‘Sona Lagda’

Jay Status & DJ Sanj – ‘Dhul Gayi’

Sharmila & Dr Zeus – ‘Barfi Naal Cha’

Mumzy Stranger – ‘Jaan Atki’

Jaz Dhami – ‘Munda Like Me’

UK 1 Jay Sean (Ft Sean Paul) – ‘Make My Love Go’ 2 Nafees – ‘Dil Jaaniye’ 3 Zack Knight (Ft Jasmin Walia) – ‘Dum Dee Dum’

Comes to Coventry!

4 Sami Yusuf (Ft RFAK) – ‘Mast Qalandar’ 5

Zayn Malik – ‘Befour’

6 Arman Khan (Ft Shizzio & Kami K) – ‘Jump’

It’s the first time that the prestigious venue Ricoh Arena is to host a two day Mela inviting music lovers from across the country to take part in this colourful festival. The Mela open on the 12th August with Bollywood and Qwaali Master Rahat Fateh Ali Khan performing at Coventry for the first time ever where he will be performing some of his popular hit songs to an audience of 5000 people. During both days there will be a free entry Mela filled with food stalls, fashion, Dhol Drummers. On the 13th of August the Ricoh arena will be graced with some of the top Punjabi singers Miss Pooja, Sukshinder Shinda, Malikt Singh and Abrar Ul Haq supported by Live band The Legends Band. Mela Coventry kicks off 12th August Ricoh Arena Coventry.

Priyanka Chopra has addressed claims made by former manager Prakash Jaju, who alleged the actress tried to take her own life during her early days in Bollywood. In a series of tweets earlier this month, Jaju revealed that the revered actress had attempted suicide in 2002 after the death of her alleged ex-partner Aseem Merchant's mother. The Baywatch Beauty said: "It’s so sad that Indian media has given credibility to the man, who was in jail because of harassing me, without checking the history of who the person is. Jajus tweets come after the untimely death of 24-year-old TV actress Pratyusha Banerjee, who was found dead in her home in a suspected suicide case. Priyanka adds: “Nobody knows the truth. Nobody ever tried to find out what the poor 24-year-old girl was going through and as usual, people are dissecting her life, not giving her and family the respect they deserve right now.”

BHANGRA

7 Rajeev B (Ft Raxstar & Mickey Singh) – ‘Signs’ 8 Zayn Malik – ‘She’ 9 Zack Knight (Ft Rami Beatz) – ‘Ya Baba’ 10 The Rishi Rich Project – ‘Freak’

Tweet of the Month Trying Times for Priyanka

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READ THE FULL INTERVIEW ON OUR WEBSITE: WWW.THEASIANTODAY.COM The creators of Britian's Got Bhangra are back with a new musical - LAILA at Warwick Arts Centre this May. Giving an ancient love story a new sound, fusing contemporary musical theatre with Sufi Pop. Rising star, twenty-one year old actor and singer from Coventry, Reece Bahia talks to The Asian Today about his debut stage role in this new musical. Tell us more about Laila The Musical? Laila The Musical is based on the traditional tale of Laila Majnu, however it's presented with a twist. This version, unlike most, is told from the perspective of Laila. For those unfamiliar with the story it is the tale of star crossed lovers separated by feuding families. The original story dates back to the 8th Century and is believed to have inspired William Shakespeare in writing Romeo and Juliet. The musical version of this story that we have created is nothing less than a spectacle featuring an amazing set, breathtaking lights and a soundtrack that combines two totally different worlds.

Stars in new musical - LAILA

What was the rehearsal process for the show? We had 6 weeks of intensive rehearsal before our first preview. I really enjoyed the rehearsal process on this project. As it is my first Theatre job I felt as though I had so much to learn whilst I was there and being in the room with a cast and creative team full of veterans and seasoned pros I got exactly what I was hoping for and developed hugely. I think a highlight of mine in the rehearsal was the sitzprobe, this is the first time we got to sing through the show with the full band that would then join us for the remainder of the run. Coming from a musical background this was amazing for me to hear the excellently scored soundtrack in its fullest form. Who are your musical inspirations? I was blessed to have been educated with such a wide range of musical styles that I have so many musical inspirations but a few would be Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke and Luther Vandross and more recently Justin Bieber, Drake and The WEEKND.

Catch Reece Bahia in Laila The Musical alongside Shin from 10th to 15th May 2016 at the Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry. www.rifcoarts.com Being a RnB/pop singer are there any changes to your singing style you have to make for the show? To be honest, I was lucky enough to not have to change my vocal style significantly. I took it upon myself to make the changes I have by just toning down various elements of my voice however the creatives in the room were quite adamant that they didn't want my character to have a "musical theatre" sounding voice. Good news for me!

What is your advice for young British Asians wanting to get into acting and/ or singing? As I am only 20 years old I am still very new to the game myself however in the experience that I have mounted up I would definitely say that in order to succeed in anything you need to stay focused on your goal, stay humble and build a good network of people around you that are willing to support you. Catch Reece Bahia in Laila The Musical alongside Shin from 10th to 15th May 2016 at the Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry. www.rifcoarts.com

“Dance like Govinda” Ambassador of UK Bhangra music, Jassi Sidhu is back after almost 2 years with the release of his new single 'Dance Like Govinda' on May 9th on Vvanjhali Records. The singer, who has made such an impact in India with his unique British Punjabi hybrid style, has been touring extensively worldwide in the last few year’s, performing

hits from a career that has spanned the last 2 decades. Whilst musically Jassi has been fairly quiet on the music front in recent times, he has still managed to release huge collaborations such as Singh FT the hitmaker PBN, Hipshaker Ft Youtube sensation iiSuperwomanii and Jaan Mangdi FT the one and only Yo Yo Honey Singh.

SHO

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Cannes You Feel It! SONAM KAPOOR

This month marks the start of the 69th annual Cannes Film festival, and with the talent and turnout ever increasing, its set to be a splendid setup, celebrating the brilliance of the independent film industry. This year’s festival, hosted by French actor Laurent Lafitte, it set to attract the likes of George Clooney, Julia Roberts and of course, our Bollywood beauties, who will be revisiting the red carpet. To ensure you don’t miss your favourite B-Town babe, take a look at our star schedule for the International Film Fest.

MALIKA SHERAWAT

Sonam Kapoor is a regular at the chic film fest, and with her dazzling wardrobe choices and her easy elegance, Sonam is set to enchant the audience once again. She will walk the red carpet on May 15th and 16th in an ‘Indian inspired’ outfit. Sources revealed that the starlet recently headed to London for a fitting.

FREIDA PINTO

AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN

Our very own Cannes veteran, Aishwarya, will be walking the red carpet for her 15th consecutive year. Her Film festival journey began with the Sanjay Leela Bhansalidirected ﬁlm, ‘Devdas,’ which was a cinematic marvel with revelry of dance, music and a tragic love story splashed with myriad emotions. The actress will walk on May 13th and 14th as the brand ambassador of cosmetic group L'Oreal Paris.

The Slum Dog star will be part of the prestigious gala on May 15th, she will be announcing the debut project of her all-female production company ‘We Do It Together.’ The company aims to produce ﬁlms and TV that boost the empowerment of women.

Another Cannes regular, Mallika will be there for her ﬁlm ‘Time Raiders’. The star revealed that she shot for Hong Kong director Daniel Lee's Time Raiders in the subzero temperatures of China.

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Carpool with Akshay, Abhishek and Riteish!

Superstars Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh are set to entertain fans in their upcoming comedy film "Housefull 3." To introduce the film, Akshay recently shared a clip, in which he spoofed the "benefits of carpooling." Abhishek, Riteish and Akshay are seen jamming in their car, as they comically lip-sync to "Kasme Vaade Nibhayenge Hum." The trio expertly mimicked the track with their quirky expressions. Akshay shared the video with the caption: "Benefits of carpooling: environmentally-friendly, economic benefit for the producer & entertainment for you guys." Also, in the video, Abhishek can be heard asking: "Why am I getting all the girl portions?" A few days ago, Akshay had also

shared another clip, in which he and Riteish were seen playing table tennis. The fascinating part was that they were playing it without a ball, thus just enacting that they were playing the game. Bollywood's "Khiladi" posted the video with the caption: "Playing table tennis in Housefull style! Can you guys find the ball?" Sajid Nadiadwala's "Housefull 3" also features Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Boman Irani and Lisa Haydon in pivotal roles. The film made headlines when the trailer was released in 100 Indian cities as a treat for fans. The trailer gave a glimpse of the amazing comic timing of Abhishek, Riteish, Akshay and Boman, while the heroines of the film added their characteristic glamour.

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NARGIS FAKHRI

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Directed by Tony D'Souza, it is slated to release on 13th May 2016 nationwide. Nargis spoke to our Bollywood correspondent Sunny Malik about the ﬁlm and much more... Nargis Fakhri will be wowing UK audiences in two films over the next few weeks with Azhar this month and Housefull 3 in June. Her upcoming film Azhar will focus on the love story of former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin, portrayed by Emraan Hashmi and his second wife Sangeeta Bijlani, played by Fakhri.

Besides them, Azhar also stars Prachi Desai as Azhar's first wife Noureen and Lara Dutta and Kunaal Roy Kapur in prominent roles as lawyers. The film will encompass the struggles, the success and the scandal in Azharuddin's life. Directed by Tony D'Souza, it is slated to release on 13th May 2016 nationwide.

You were last seen in Hollywood blockbuster Spy. How has life changed since? It's been good. I have been really busy with four back-to-back Bollywood movies. It has been pretty hectic. Were you nervous to play a character based on a real living person? It is nerve wracking because you know that you will be compared to the person as Sangeeta was in the public eye. Many people know her really well. It's deﬁnitely scary. How did the ﬁlm come about for you?

Written By: Sunny Malik Entertainment Correspondent Twitter: @sunnymalik

Read the full interview online! www.theasiantoday.com

I was asked to come and listen to a narration of the film. I liked the idea that it's based on true events. It was something different for me and quite challenging. I just went for it. Azhar was filmed extensively in London, just like Housefull How was that experience for you? It was wonderful because I love spending time in London. I was in the city in July, August, September and October last year - four months and that's amazing. I was really happy as I was able to shop and wander around when I had time off from filming.

Do you think audiences will understand it? People will judge the character and will have their opinions. This ﬁlm will take you on an emotional journey, not just around Cricket, but also around a love story. The media back then may not have portrayed things correctly because they weren't fully aware of situations.

You mentioned in a few interviews that your kissing scenes with Emraan Hashmi in the film were awkward. Were you hesitant about the scenes while signing up for the role? I didn't even bother to think about the scenes back then. I didn't even realise there were these scenes in the film. I didn't ask and no one really told me about them either. I just went into the film without knowing it. I found out while I was filming and I got really upset to be honest. There were too many kissing scenes for my liking (laughs). How was your experience filming with Emraan? He is very talkative. He is not only into films and talks about so much more. I am not from a film background and half the time I forget to watch movies, even though I am supposed to. I have other interests as well and it was great having conversations with him. He is smart, intelligent and has a good sense of humour.

SHO

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MAY 2016

INTERNATIONAL

THE ASIAN TODAY

Tragic Selﬁe Sweet Revenge

Death

An 18-year-old boy, Khalid Mahmood, owns a sweet shop in the Punjab province in Pakistan. He is implicated in the poisoned batch of sweets that have killed more than 30 people. The contaminated sweets have affected many people across the community. Some of these sweets were distributed amongst a family who were celebrating the birth of a son, of which 11 members died.

Khalid Mahmood seeks revenge from his sibling and kills more than 30 people As per speculation, Mr. Mahmood shares ownership of the shop with his brother, a brother who he wanted to seek revenge from. According to an unidentified source, Mr. Mahmood has said that his brother abused him, physically and verbally.

mandeep Singh a 15-year-old, shot himself while home alone with his fathers’ handgun, whilst using a selfie stick. After hearing gun-shots, neighbours called the police Manoj Kumar, chief in command, found that the gun was kept in Singh’s fathers’ wardrobe and the safety was not on. He was taken to a hospital in Ludhiana, Punjab where he passed away on Sunday afternoon. News of his death has caused shockwaves around

India, with the city of Mumbai setting up no selfie zones at popular but hazardous locations after a number of accidents have claimed lives. India leads in the number of deaths due to selfies. Another incident occurred in April when a man tried to take a selfie with a chained Elephant in a festival in Kerala. Instead, he was attacked by the Elephant. International action has also been taken; Russia has released a brochure that relays the message that “selfies with weapons can kill you”.

Jas Sansi's Scribbles

Twitter: @Jassansi

Mohammed Afzal, a police investigator reported Mahmood saying, "I wanted to teach him a lesson. I was so angry that I mixed the pesticides bottle in the sweets being baked at that time." However, the owner of a nearby pesticide shop also told the police that he poisoned the laddoos following a disagreement he had with the sweetshop owner.

Another worker at the sweet shop also told the police he had mixed in the pesticides by mistake. These three contradictory statements have raised various questions about police tactics and the value of confessions.

Bangladeshi LGBT Editor Hacked To Death Attackers killed two men, one of which was the LGBT Editor in Bangladesh.

ulhaz Mannan, the founder of B a n g l a d e s h’ s only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) magazine is one of many to be hacked to death in Bangladesh, where several other academics and bloggers have been violently murdered. He was attacked in the capital, Dhaka, as reported by the Police, by a gang posing as couriers to gain entrance to his apartment in the Kalabagan area of the city. The officer in charge, Mohammad Iqbal said, “A person came with a box identifying himself as courier service personnel. Xulhaz took him upstairs to his flat.” Iqbal confirmed that about six people entered the apartment building and hacked Mannan and his colleague to death in the first-floor flat. Two other individuals were extremely wounded. Marcia Bernicat, the US ambassador to Bangladesh,

denounced the killing, “I am devastated by the brutal murder of Xulhaz Mannan and another young Bangladeshi. We abhor this senseless act of violence and urge the government of Bangladesh in the strongest terms to apprehend the criminals behind these murders.” This incident is one of many, these incidents becoming a common occurrence across cities in Bangladesh. Two days previous to this incident, Rezaul Karim Siddiqui, an English professor aged 58 was hacked to death with machetes as he walked to the bus station neighboring his home in North-Western city of Rajshahi. Homosexual relations are reprimanded in Bangladesh which has led to LGBT activists being forced into banishment. Rashed Zaman, a professor of international relations at the University of Dhaka, said, “this is unacceptable. People may have belief and orientation but at the end of the day everyone has their own individual rights to live the life they want.”

HEALTH

MAY 2016

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THE ASIAN TODAY

HEALTH

Suk Hayer

Mindful Eating Helps Diabetics By: Mita Mistry www.mitamistry.co.uk

My story suffering from depression and anxiety

ver the past 5yrs my lifestyle has always been led by a regiment fitness routine. Wake up at 5.30am. Cardio for 6am. In work for 8.15am. Back in the gym to hit the weights at 6pm. Back home at 8pm to prepare my 6 meals for the following day. In bed for 10pm. Sometimes I would break away from that on a weekday depending on what the social calendar was saying but that would be my usual Monday to Friday routine. Weekends I would be more flexible with my time. This all changed in the summer last year where I fell to a form of mild depression and anxiety. I had a brief history with depression and anxiety a few years back. Nothing as server as last year, but I’ve always been one to worry about anything followed by over thinking and then questioning my own judgement. Within bodybuilding and the Asian community, you will rarely see someone speak out about depression. Why would you? Some people fear they would be perceived as weak, vulnerable, different. At worse when you use the term ‘depression’, people’s minds initially turn to thinking they may be suicidal. It’s nature to always think the worse. No different to when you think of Cancer – that doesn’t always mean death but through the media that is what we link Cancer too. I began to notice that something was wrong around August last year. I started to lose my routine. I wasn’t getting up in the morning to do my cardio. I started to feel lost, the lack of motivation – something I never struggled with. This started to turn to loneliness, feeling helpless and overall sadness. It is important to mention I moved from Derby to Swansea around 12 months before this began. I wasn’t totaly alone. I had friends from the gym and work but my main circle of friends and more importantly, my family, were based back in Derby. I didn’t have the confidence to be open to anyone round here; something I look back in regret as things only got worse.

My normal routine began to fall apart. I had totally given up on fitness. I didn’t care about my health or going to the gym. I had a new routine. A routine which consisted of binge eating which allowed me to supress my sadness for 5 minutes but only feel it 10 times worse afterwards. I would now get out of bed at 8am. Go straight to Morrison which was across the road to my office. Pick up a load of chocolate biscuits, sweets, fried food and head straight back to my car and pull into a quiet spot where I could silently binge without anyone noticing. At work I was known for being a fit, healthy, clean eating, strong will power guy. This was through my fitness lifestyle where I compete in Bodybuilding on the side, won Mister Great Britain back in 2012 and being a sponsored athlete for a worldwide recognised brand. The hardest part was pretending that everything was OK. That I was still hitting the gym hard, eating clean, getting myself ready for my next competition in 6 week’s time. In my head I knew I was not going to compete, I just needed to find the right excuse without telling people the truth. At lunch I would be back in my car eating more chocolate and again after work. Every day I would tell myself I will be going to the gym but always ended up talking myself out of it. I was using the food as a defence mechanism and my car as my fortress of solitude. I started to hate myself, the way I looked, what I was doing but I couldn’t stop. The loneliness was getting worse as my social life became non-existent. I was having panic attacks at night, waking up sweating and my heart racing. I was struggling to sleep, constantly thinking and worrying about the next day. Every day I wanted to tell someone at work. I could never get the words out. I did too much of a good job hiding my issues. Every time I would phone my parents I would plan how I was going to tell them. Every day I would fail to do just that. Every time I was break into tears when I got off

Facebook: Suki Hayer Instagram: sukishayer Twitter: @SukiHayer85 YouTube: Suki Hayer Email@ sukihayer@hotmail.com

the phone trying to understand why I couldn’t tell the closest people to me. I just began to feel more helpless, lonely, that I’m in my own bubble and I couldn’t find a way out. Eventually I had to bite the bullet. My fitness routine was dead. I had gained over 2 stone. If I wasn’t binge eating, i was staying in bed. I was a shadow of my former self. I had a slight infection on my ankle caused by a bite mark – it was nothing serious but was enough for me to use as an excuse on why I was not competing in September. Mid October I came clean to my parents, face to face, and a few of my closest friends. I wanted them to know what I was feeling and experiencing. The next step was to seek professional advice. I was booked in to see a councillor for two weeks but I kept cancelling. I ended up finally going to one of the session but was just frustrated that I was talking to someone who I didn’t know. Understand my viewpoint, it took 2 months for me to come clean to my family; I was never going to be able to be upfront in one session. I never did go back after the second session but I knew I needed to speak to someone; someone who understood what I am going through.

I came across a support group of people who suffered with anxiety issues and depression. This actually worked better for me. Speaking to people who knew what I was going through and being able to touch on their experiences. Through this I was slowly able to get my routine back as I was talking more about my issues – I was no longer keeping them inside and supressing my symptoms with bad food. I was taking everything one day at a time. Train 2-3 times a week and slowly build that back up to 5-6 times. Eat 3 clean meals a day and build back up to every meal. This didn’t happen overnight. This was a long process. Even to this day, though I have my routine back and I am 6 weeks out from my first bodybuilding show of the year, I am still learning to deal with my anxiety issues. One thing I am doing more than ever is being open to my family and friends. I am not ashamed by what I have gone though and the issues I am still dealing with. Life is too short to live in silence. Be more open. Don’t be afraid of what people think. It’s your life, you own it, don’t let your obstacles own you.

@mitamistry Mindfulness is increasingly being used for eating habits and diabetes management. The results of a study in which mindful eating was trialled in a group of individuals with type 2 diabetes found that eating mindfully, or consuming food in response to physical cues of hunger and fullness, is just as effective as adhering to standard nutritionbased guidelines in reducing weight and blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes. In this study, individuals were coached in the art of mindful eating through group sessions spanning over 3-months. This encouraged participants to become aware of their thoughts and body prior to eating by taking a few moments to assess their level of hunger, thus helping to make conscious choices about food consumption, as well as stopping eating once they were full. Results in this group were compared with a control group who were not instructed in mindful eating, but were given standard nutritional advice as per conventional diabetes education programmes. Both interventions led to improvements in weight (the standard and mindful approaches led to losses of about 3 and 1.5 kg respectively). There was also a reduction in the marker, which measures overall blood sugar control (HbA1c) from 0.7 and 0.8 per cent in the standard and mindful group respectively. A valuable outcome of this study is choice. People with diabetes have a choice when it comes to eating a healthy diet, as both interventions were equally effective. Coping with dietary lifestyle changes that seem “restrictive” or “prescriptive” can be an emotional blow for people with diabetes and may affect their compliance to treatment. However, if they can make informed choices and find mindful meditation more appealing this could be a more meaningful approach for them as it encourages “inner wisdom” towards eating.

To read the full article please log onto our website:

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Body Perfect Personal Training ensures you get the optimum workout experience and we are dedicated in helping you achieve your results. Your individualised plan will include strategies to overcome obstacles and develop a positive mental attitude which will gear you towards achieving your health and ﬁtness goals.

WEBSITE: WWW.BODYPERFECTPT.COM TWITTER: DALDHALIWALPT FACEBOOK: /DAL DHALIWAL

Our Personal Training service is available at our prestigious studio situated in the heart of Warwickshire or alternatively try our excellent Online Training service.

“Our mission is to help busy women to feel good, gain conﬁdence, build on their self-esteem and to be the best possible version of themselves.” - Dal Dhaliwal

Body Perfect Personal Training delivers an experience that is unique, personalised and we are 100% committed in helping you reach your goals!

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MAY 2016

THE ASIAN TODAY Fashion & Beauty Correspondent: Sara Khan Twitter: @sarakblog

FASHION & BEAUTY

FASHIO Facebook: /sarakblog website: www.sarakblog.com

BollyGoods B Edition 2

ollyGoods Edition 2, London presented the collections of fashion designers, jewellers, couturiers and artists who cater to the world of Indian cinema, including prĂŞt collections by red carpet favourites Gauri & Nainika and Manish Arora. Among the jewellers exhibiting was Shri Hari Diagems by Vinay Gupta, who created the exquisite jewellery worn by Deepika Padukone in costume drama, Bajirao Mastani, while also designing wedding jewellery for Mira Rajput and commissioned pieces for actresses such as Kriti Sanon and Nimrat Kaur. Further jewellery exhibitors included Roshni Chopra, actress, television presenter winner of NDTV Imagines reality show and now designer, while music artist Kanika Kapoor also presented her latest collection of traditional wear.

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ON & BEAUTY

DAL MAY 2016

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D H A L I W A L

Dal Dhaliwal is UK’s first Indian Female Health and Fitness Coach to launch a private fitness gym. She is also a Health and Fitness TV Presenter. Dal has been working in the wellness Industry since 1998. She will teach you strategies to overcome obstacles and develop a positive mental attitude, and will share with you methods on how you too can follow a healthy lifestyle which includes exercise, correct nutrition and wellbeing.

Can Exercise Help Us Look Young?

Blow-Dry Your Hair like a

Professional Learning how to blow-dry your hair effectively is a real time-saver and will ensure your hair stays styled for hours. Whether you want to add some extra volume to hair that is lacking lift or

Pre-dry Pre-drying your hair makes it much easier to manage later on. Towel dry your hair slightly then detangle with a widetoothed comb to minimise breakage. Prep In achieving the perfect blow dry, preparation is key! Smooth over toweldried hair with a small amount of serum or natural oil, such as coconut or argan oil, but ensure you use on the mid to ends of your hair to avoid the look of greasiness. For curly hair, the trick is to ensure the curls remain constructed, so add a volumising mousse or curl enhancing product to set them. Finally, brush through again with a wide-toothed comb to spread the product evenly. Add a heat protection spray to dry or damaged hair. Section For particularly thick hair, sectioning it will make the process of drying a lot easier and quicker. Start by creating a horizontal parting along the back of your hair and fasten the top section of hair out of the way. Drying the bottom layers first will ensure all the hair is dried thoroughly. Dry The perfect blow-dry is about focusing the direction of the hair when it is drying. For this, it is best to use the concentrator

want to create a power hold for a special event, the perfect blow-out is your new best friend. Hair maestro Asgar Saboo, who has styled the likes of Cindy Crawford, Eva Longoria, Katrina Kaif

nozzle of your hairdryer. Using a barrel brush, take a small section of hair and lay the top end over the brush. With the hairdryer on high heat but medium power, hold it adjacent to the hair and pull along the brush. Curl the brush under slightly when you reach the end of the hair to ensure it falls with a soft finish. For curly hair, using a brush will cause the look of frizziness so it is best to dry by scrunching and holding your hair under the heat. Volume The volumising mousse will have already added some va va voom to your hair but if you are looking for extra volume, Velcro rollers are a perfect way of naturally lifting and curling your hair. Focusing on the top layers, particularly for thicker hair, separate individual sections and place the roller at the roots underneath your hair. Pull the roller along the hair and when you reach the ends, roll it back under itself to the scalp. Fasten the roller onto your head with a grip and secure with a medium hold spray. Once you have secured all the rollers, give a final spray and warm gently using a low setting on the hairdryer. Finish with ﬁnesse Now your hair is beautifully prepped and dried, the final steps allow you to polish the look as much or as little as you like. For a bouncy blow dry, remove the rollers and shake your hair gently but be wary of

and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, is here to share his top tips on how to achieve the perfect blow-out that will leave you looking and feeling like you have just stepped out the salon.

About Asgar Saboo:

A renowned ﬁgure among celebrities, and a regular on red carpets, the name Asgar Saboo is synonymous with headline grabbing, style-worthy hair. He is trusted by A-list stars such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and legend Rekha as well as supermodels Cindy Crawford and Twiggy and Hollywood actress Eva Longoria. His name is tantamount with cutting-edge and sophisticated hairstyles and his hair creations have been showcased at glittering premieres, showbiz events and multiple awards ceremonies.

running your fingers through the curls as this can cause the look of frizziness. Position your hair around your shoulders to beautifully frame your face. For a sleek and sultry style, carefully brush through the hair with a paddle brush to eliminate stray hairs and give a soft finish. Finish with a spritz of shine serum and spray to hold.

We all know that exercise and keeping active has many benefits for our health and wellbeing. A regular steady exercise routine can help you build stronger muscles, prevent chronic illness, manage your weight and help you look and feel much better. Can exercise help us to look younger and reverse aging? Studies show that it can! So maybe it’s time to ditch those expensive ant-aging creams and serums and start working out. Research found that even people who started working out later in life can achieve younger looking skin. Scientists discovered that regular exercise can play a key factor in reversing the skin’s aging process. Consistent exercise has many physical and mental benefits – that in turn will help you to feel and look younger. Working-out and participating in endurance activity can help with muscle rejuvenation. Therefore prevents muscle deterioration which is associated with the aging process. Our skin changes with the aging process, it loses elasticity, becomes thinner, resulting in wrinkles, sagging and crow’s feet. This usually occurs because of the changes within the layers of our skin. High intensity and strenuous exercise will help your heart to work harder and improve circulation. Exercise pumps blood throughout your arteries, veins and capillaries. This can help to improve the appearance of the skin assisting with detoxification, cell and skin rejuvenation. A good sweaty workout can help to improve blood flow and circulation all over your body. It can also improve your sex drive in many ways, improvements in body appearance, confidence and an increase in energy. New

research also shows that keeping active regularly can reduce the inflammation within the body which is associated with the aging process. This in turn can decrease the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, loss of muscle function, decreased mental function and depression. Doing the correct exercise and training the muscles around the core can help maintain a better posture – by improving overall strengthening and mobility. One of the best forms of exercises for helping with posture and flexibility is Yoga. Yoga will help with suppleness of your body, improve strength, posture and help towards achieving a better state of mind and relaxation. All these factors help towards keeping you healthy and fitter. Although many studies show that exercise can keep our skin looking youthful there are other factors that play a part too such as, genetics, diet and lifestyle. These all can make a difference to the condition and appearance of our skins. So it is impossible to know whether exercise alone can keep us looking younger or if it’s a combination of good genes and healthy lifestyle. It’s never too late to start exercising regardless of your age. Always remember to seek professional advice if you are unsure where to start with exercise – or if you have a health condition. Always build up gradually. So to summarise: regular exercise has many benefits that will keep you feeling and looking younger. It helps you stay stronger, healthier, more flexible, fitter, can improve balance, endurance, increase energy levels and overall skin condition. It will keep you feeling more youthful - so keep exercising!

YOU CAN TWEET DAL YOUR QUESTIONS TWITTER: @DALDHALIWALPT FIND HER ON FACEBOOK: /DAL DHALIWAL WWW.BODYPERFECTPT.COM

FOOD

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MAY 2016

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

FOOD & TRA

Nadiya Nails It!

Heavenly addition at Saint Pauls

BIRMINGHAM

FOOD DRINK & HOSPITALITY Saint Pauls House is the city’s latest new boutique hotel to open to the public. A large stylish venue on St Paul’s Square, the place will definitely re-ignite Birmingham’s love for the Jewellery Quarter. If you just popped in off the street you wouldn’t know it’s a 34-bedroom hotel. The reception and concierge is discretely on the side. What you will be greeted with is a sizeable restaurant that oozes a casual chic; a lot of effort has been put into the style and use of the interiors and it has paid off with a variety of areas to wine and dine to suit your mood. You can have a casual lunch in the elevated section on the right, have a coffee meeting with your laptop at the bar, enjoy a dinner date in the main restaurant at the rear or enjoy a drinking session in the orangery on the side; with a sliding roof it’s also perfect for al fresco dining. This summer terrace – a rarity in the city would be perfect for barbecues and private parties. We dined midweek lunchtime ‘a deux’ and the place has a real warmth and charm to the place. The staff are very

friendly, attentive and efficient. We started with two beautiful champagne cocktails, the p*rn star martinis which were faultless. There’s a decent amount of dishes on the menu and the choices don’t overwhelm you. To start we had the scallops with red pepper coulis and spinach. The meat board was different and neatly presented, and offers an unusual mix of dishes, a pesto chicken ‘cup’, ham hock, chilli pork straws and foie gras terrine and sliced venison. For mains I had a chunky lamb burger but I couldn’t really taste the mint within. My other half had the Lobster and crab burger which tasted great, but would have been better with a soft flour bap rather than a brioche style burger bap because when you squeezed it to get it in your mouth, it squished the soft lobster burger out of it. Shame because it was a nice addition to the menu. My dessert choice was spot on, a delightful mango cheesecake. We’ll definitely try and return on a Friday night with friends, I’m sure it’s mega lively.

Get more food news on twitter @deliciouspr & on the web : www.msdeliciouspr.blogspot.com

AWARDS 2016 In association with

AWARDS • DINNER • ENTERTAINMENT

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Monday 6th June 2016 @The Edgbaston Stadium - Birmingham

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The GBBO winner Nadiya Husain bakes a cake ﬁt for a Queen.

he Great British Bake Off boasts some great success stories, none quite as remarkable as Nadia Hussain, who won the nation’s heart as well as the competition. The newly found national treasure, took on another great baking feat, when she agreed to make a cake fit for a Queen. Baker extraordinaire Nadiya, rubbed shoulders with the royals, as she presented the Queen with her hand-made cake creation, in honour of her Majesty’s 90th Birthday. The amateur baker presented her majestic orange drizzle cake with orange curd, orange butter-cream and fondant at Windsor Castle in front of crowds of thousand, who lined the streets to celebrate the Royal on the momentous day. When first approached by her agent about the grand opportunity, Nadiya admitted she thought the offer had to be a joke. She said: "A few weeks ago I got an email and then I got a phone call from my agent, and she was like 'oh yeah, it's true' and I was like 'are you sure?'. "I can't say no to the Queen can I?" And she hadn't had much

practice either, adding she had been 'too nervous' to even 'look at the oven' before the big day. On the day, Nadiya shook hands with the Royal and engaged in a brief chat before the ceremonious cake cutting, with her Majesty Elizabeth II lightening the mood by asking: 'does it cut?' to which the baker replied 'I hope so'. The comments come after a humorous moment at the Women’s Institute last year, which saw the Queen struggle to slice the special Centenary fruit cake. Despite the light-hearted moment between the two, Nadiya has since revealed that beneath her apparent confidence, she was actually 'super-nervous' as expected! As Queen Elizabeth successfully cut the threetier masterpiece, crowds of onlookers broke into a chorus of Happy Birthday. The Bakeoff beauty also had the chance to meet a host of other royals, including Prince Phillip, as the three conversed pleasantly around the cake. Fans were kept upto-date on the rigorous baking process via social media, with Nadiya sharing pictures of her baking the sweet on Twitter before the celebration in London.

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Department for Transport set to hand-over London Midland Train service to local politicians.

AVEL Birmingham Gets Battery Powered

West Midlands public transport delivery body, Centro, has paired with Spanish tram manufacturer CAF to begin an upgrades on the Metro fleet. The new technology will allow trams to run through areas that may be architecturally sensitive or locations that may require extensive building works to install over-head power lines. The lithium ion batteries will be fitted onto tram roofs and will be recharged through overhead lines on different parts of the routes. The deal was signed by James Aspinall, managing director of Centro and Antonio Campos Irujo, Western Europe director for CAF. Mr Aspinall said: “This is an exciting new development for the Midland Metro as it

MAY 2016

will be the first tram fleet in the country to operate in this way. “By upgrading these vehicles we are cementing the role of tram as an important means of public transport for the region.” Mr Campos Irujo od CAF added: “I am delighted to be signing this contract on behalf of CAF. There are only a handful of cities in the world and none in the UK that operates catenaryfree running, and in doing so the Midland Metro joins an exclusive club.” A prototype of the new tram technology will be sent to CAF’s manufacturing plant in Zaragosa, Spain, and once successfully completed, production will continue at the Metro Depot in Wednesbury.

London Midland in Train Take-Over

est Midlands train service, London Midland, is to be taken over by local politicians in a decision by the franchise’s new management. The new bid will allow the West Midlands Mayor, due to be elected in May 2017, to take responsibility of the low-fare service. The Department of Transport has announced that firms from France, Japan, China and the Netherlands are in the running to take possession of the London Midland Rail service. Documents published by the government outlines plans to devolve the rail-service, stating who ever becomes responsible for the train line will be expected to prepare for fragmentation of the

company. The West Midlands services will be the responsibility of local politicians, while the long-distance services to Liverpool and London will continue to be run by businesses appointed by the Government. The Department for Transport report says: "It is hoped that the new franchise will begin to pave the way for full rail devolution in the future. "This will include a requirement for the operator of the new franchise to look at how local services within the West Midlands area could be separated from the long distance and London/branch line services. "This is in line with the Government’s devolution agenda, a key part of which is to transfer decision making about rail services

to appropriate local bodies." It adds: "This is in line with the Government’s devolution agenda." The government aims to create new regional councils across the country, such as the "Greater Birmingham" or West Midlands Combined Authority, which will be led by directly-elected mayors. Rail Minister Claire Perry, Rail Minister adds there are three potential bids, shortlisted to run the service. They include London and West Midlands Railway Ltd, West Midlands Trains Ltd and MTR Corporation (West Midlands) Ltd. The winner of the new franchise will be announced in June 2017, and the franchise will begin in October 2017.

Flybe Adds Frequent Flights

Budget airline Flybe has launched its new summer schedule from Birmingham Airport, boasting six new destinations and an increased frequency of flights to existing routes. The flying-favourite now offers 430 flights to 30 different destinations, as well as new routes to Limoges, Nantes, Rennes, Rotterdam, Luxembourg and

Knock. Frequency has also been increased on a number of popular routes from Birmingham, including Dusseldorf, Milan and Hannover and many others. Vincent Hodder, Flybe’s chief revenue officer, said: “Time saving, affordable, punctual travel to a wide choice of attractive destinations is what we will be delivering to our customers this summer. “Many of the routes we will be operating are specifically scheduled to attract those looking for reasonablypriced, convenient day returns and short breaks, with Birmingham Airport providing a key UK hub for onward travel.”

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Top store rings up Chamber’s first retail award C o n n e c t i n g y o u t o o p p o r t u n i t y. . .

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Chamber’s annual dinner, attended by nearly 1,000 guests at the ICC

• Adam Hockney with Selfridges colleagues.

elfridges, housed in Birmingham’s most recognisable building, have become the first winners of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) retail award. They received their award at the Chamber’s annual dinner, attended by nearly 1,000 guests at the ICC last night. The event was sponsored by HSBC Commercial Banking, Elonex and Birmingham City Council. The award was created to recognise the huge strides Birmingham has made as an outstanding shopping centre and Selfridges clinched it through the £20 million transformation of its store. The store, home to 100,000 product lines and more than 700 brands, made the investment over three years to ensure it would remain among the top shopping destinations in the city. Since the redevelopment, the business had grown more than 25 per cent and over the past 18 months there has been a significant increase in the number of customers visiting the store for the first time. The store also started showcasing Birmingham’s community and culture, including art, music, drama and fashion. Adam Hockney, general manager of Selfridges Birmingham, said: “The overall vision of the store is to be the creative heart of retail in Birmingham. Over the next three years, the in-store development, local partnerships and by working alongside the community we will make Selfridges the ultimate retail destination in the city.” Great Escape Cars, who control a fleet of classic cars, won the excellence in social media prize having grown from £250,000 in 2012 to £500,000 in 2015 with an expected turnover of £750,000 this year. The core business of the Redditchbased company is restoring classic cars and supplying them for corporate events.

They also won a contract to supply a large number of classic cars for a major BBC TV series. All the winners are as follows: Excellence in international business (Sponsor: CH2M) ATP ATRS Ltd: ATP is a Cannock based business which is a re-manufacturer of automatic transmissions and vehicle electronics. The company exports all over the world – exports makes up two thirds of its business, and its products are shipped to some 35 countries. Excellence in retail (Sponsor: West Midlands Forces' & Cadets' Association) Selfridges Birmingham: Over the past three years Selfridges has been undertaking the transformation of its store through a £20 million “masterplan” of redevelopment, overhauling its shopping experience for customers. The store is home to more than 100,000 product lines and over 700 brands. Excellence in social media (Sponsor: ADI Group) Great Escape Cars: Their core product is classic car hire and have grown from £250,000 in 2012 to a projected turnover of £750,000 this year. A contract to supply a number of classic cars to major BBC TV series has been renewed each year from 2013 and social media and on-line marketing have been critical in their growth. Excellence in people development (Sponsor: Pertemps) Joint winners Arup: Arup is a professional services company which employs more than 13,000 globally. One aspect of its vision for the business is to ‘be the best place to work’ and a key priority is open, transparent and honest communication with its staff. Arup also operates a university, to further the skills, learning and development of its staff.

ABCC

Katie Bard: Katie Bard is a recruitment and training firm which puts its performance down to the personal development of its employees. Staff turnover rates at the company are well below the industry average, and the company offers a number of internships and placements during the course of the year. Excellence in customer service (Sponsor: Pertemps) Unity Trust Bank: Underpinned by strong people values and policies, Unity Trust Bank operates socially responsible banking, providing services to organisations within the social sector, such as charities, trade unions and social enterprises. Headquartered in Birmingham, it prides itself on being customer driven. Excellence in Innovation (Sponsor: Arup) Pinsent Masons LLP: Pinsent Masons is a full-service commercial law firm with a range of clients from local, national and international private companies to public sector organisations. Following the merger with Scottish market-leader McGrigors in 2012, the firm has enjoyed a rapid period of expansion, opening offices in Paris, Munich, Istanbul, Sydney and Melbourne. Excellence in contributing to the community (Sponsor: University of Birmingham) Witton Lodge Community Association: The Association was established in 1994 by local residents for the benefit of the community living in Perry Common. The association is involved in a wide range of activities, from looking after two local parks (Witton Lakes and Brookvale Park) to an anti-crime project, as well as various initiatives to help with employment and the health and well-being of local residents.

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Bears launch T20 community programme with Birmingham City Council

22/07/2015 15:36:01

To purchase, please visit www. birminghambears.com or call the Ticket Hotline on 0844 847 1902. With just 10 days to go until the start of the NatWest T20 Blast, Warwickshire County Cricket Club has revealed a new Birmingham Bears T20 community programme with Birmingham City Council. In partnership with Birmingham City Council’s Health & Wellbeing Service, the Club is running free cricket coaching at Edgbaston for local youngsters every Friday – from 13 May – in addition to family cricket sessions in the nearby Cannon Hill Park and Calthorpe Park later in the season. The Club is also investing in new cricket equipment for inner-city schools and youth clubs, whilst Edgbaston will also host the finals of eight local cricket competitions, which will give more than 100 recreational cricketers the chance to play at the legendary international venue this season. Three school competitions will also be played at Edgbaston. Neil Snowball, Chief Executive of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said: “The local community and the recreational game is at the heart of everything that we do, and this new T20 programme provides a great platform for people of all ages to play, follow and enjoy cricket. “T20 cricket is the fastest form of the game and we’ve made great strides in making our games at Edgbaston even more accessible, with tickets completely free for under 16s and a cash back initiative for local cricket clubs.

“We’re thrilled to work with Birmingham City Council on this year’s campaign and we thank them for the great support for our community programme.” John Clancy, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Warwickshire CCC is one of the biggest sports clubs in the country and it’s fantastic that we can work together on the new Birmingham Bears T20 community programme, which aims to get people of all ages active through cricket. “Edgbaston is at the heart of Birmingham and we’re very proud that it continues to host the biggest fixtures in the game. We hope that this new programme can inspire many more people in the city to get involved in the sport.” For further information on the free cricket coaching, family sessions and T20 community programme, please contact the Warwickshire Cricket Board on 0121 446 3651 or email edmaccabe@edgbaston.com. Birmingham Bears play seven NatWest T20 group games at Edgbaston, with the first being the West Midlands derby against Worcestershire Rapids on Friday 27 May. The matches on Sunday 19 June and Sunday 17 July have been confirmed as double header days that include a Birmingham Bears men’s and women’s fixture. All adult tickets are priced at £19 in advance and £23 on the day of the match, whilst under 16s are completely FREE at all times.

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THE ASIAN TODAY

British high-street staple collapses, with hundreds of West Midlands jobs at threat.

Acquisitions, from entrepreneur Sir Philip Green. Despite a reported offer by Sir Philip of £80 million towards BHS pensions, the retailer has racked up debts of more than £1.3 billion, including a pension fund deficit of £571 million. Rival retailer, Sports Direct, have expressed interest overtaking a portion of BHS’s stores, however will only do so under the condition that it is absolved of any responsibility of pension liabilities. The collapse of BHS would be the biggest retail failure since the closure of the Woolworths franchise in 2008, resulting in the loss of almost of 30,000.

Travel App InMotion

The innovation comes in the form of InMotion, a new technology business which centres around providing mobility solutions to help overcome modern transport and travel challenges, through the use of apps and services. The London based company has begun by looking at ways to enable car sharing, as well as alternatives to the original ownership model and will begin

real-world testing across North America, Europe and Asia in the near future. Despite being set up by Jaguar Land Rover, the company will be completely independent and will be available across the entire motoring industry. JLR strategy boss Adrian Hallmark says: ‘InMotion provides us with an opportunity to provide engaging and invaluable experiences to both new and existing customers globally. It allows us to react quickly to new tech and everchanging customer demands.’ With the current pace of technological developments, InMotion’s first products may well be on the market within the next few months.

BUSINESS

BHS in Breakdown

espite being a feature of Birmingham’s high-street for over 80 years, historic retailer British Homes Store, has collapsed. With all 164 of its stores under threat, including branches in Solihull, Walsall, Merry Hill, Redditch, Wolverhampton and Stratford Upon Avon, the company’s breakdown has led to wide-scale job fears amongst staff. A spokesman for BHS said it called administrators after being unable to secure a rescue package to save the firm. Last year, the retail giant was bought for £1, by consortium Retail

MAY 2016

Experts say BHS has been victim to years of under-investment, causing its range and estate to look tired and dated. The high-street chain was thrown a lifeline last month when creditors backed two company voluntary arrangements in order to revive the business by cutting the cost of its leases and preventing widespread store closures. However, the arrangements fell through when a £60 million loan, making up a significant part of the deal, has not been secured. Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital, said: “BHS may have been another Woolworths that struggled to adapt to the new

retail world. “But the same pressures that squeezed the life out of BHS are being felt across the UK retail sector today.” Speaking to the Press Association, Mr Chappell said: “No one is to blame, it was a combination of bad trading and not being able to raise enough money from the property portfolio. In the end, we just couldn’t reach an agreement with Arcadia over pensions.” He added that he will continue to work with the administrators Duff & Phelps to “find a solution post the administration”.

Lloyds Bank Conﬁrms Job Losses

The cuts come as part of a restructure announced in 2014, which will see a 10 per cent reduction in the overall headcount. A Lloyds Bank spokesperson explained that reductions were being made due to a decline of customers. Adding: "We have made the difficult decision to close three branches in West Midlands area in July in Studley, Selly Oak and Wylde Green. "In the case of all three branches, the way customers fulfil their banking needs is continuing to change and we have seen a significant decline in customers using them. "We expect there to be some role reductions as a result of these changes and we will look to achieve this by offering voluntary redundancy in some locations. The bank will also be moving 80 of its IT jobs to India. Unite regional officer John Morgan-Evans said: "It is alarming that Lloyds are continuing to offshore IT roles in the name of driving down cost. "This simply means the bank wants to pay an IT worker in India less for the same work carried out in the UK.

MAY 2016

THE ASIAN TODAY New Housing Underway

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PROPERTY

The latest ﬁgures show an increase of 22 per cent on planned housing in the preserved picturesque parts of the West Midlands.

Green Belt Under Threat

Work on a housing development in Penkridge is in its first stages after it has received permission to build the first 50 homes. Further plans to add an extra 274 properties were sent to the South Staffordshire Council At the beginning of the year. Since then, developers have sought approval begin phases 2 and 3 of the

Construction has begun on a new housing development which will see at least 330 homes built next to the A449. housing scheme, which they hope to gain panning permission for, in the following months ahead. Stephen Cleveley, sales director for Persimmon Homes West Midlands, said: “We already have outline planning consent for the revamp of the former Lyne Hill Industrial Estate, which will see up to 330 homes in total. “In December, planning permission was granted for 50 homes – the first phase of the scheme and work has already begun on their construction and our first sales release has resulted in 16 being sold from plan. “As part of that planning process, we have applied for reserved matters approval relating to the remaining two phases of development, which we hope to gain consent for towards the end of June.” Developments include a newly constructed public open space, new access onto Boscomoor Lane and the construction of a pedestrian and cycle way along the former railway line.

Our green belt is invaluable in preventing urban sprawl and providing the countryside next door for 30 million people.

he area around London and West Midlands is under considerable threat as the number of houses set to be built on England’s green belt is on the steady incline, with a staggering 55,000 homes planned this year alone. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has expressed concerns over the alarming figures, accusing councils of altering boundaries to accommodate housing and the government of allowing the plans to continue. Paul Miner, the CPRE’s planning campaign manager, said: “Councils are increasingly eroding the green belt to meet unrealistic and unsustainable housing targets. The government is proposing to encourage further development in the green belt.

Freight Scheme Funds 8,500 Jobs The Duke of Westminster’s property group is set to create a gigantic rail freight transport hub, which will create up to 8,500 jobs in the West Midlands. The project will be funded by Gerald Grosvenor, chairman of Grosvenor Group, in aims to tap into the regions manufacturing success and transport system. The plans for the freight interchange have been revealed

“Our green belt is invaluable in preventing urban sprawl and providing the countryside next door for 30 million people. We need stronger protection for the green belt, not just supportive words and empty promises.” He is also urging councils to utilise other types of land, adding: “Brownfield land is a self-renewing resource that can provide at least one million new homes.” Last year David Cameron enforced the preservation of the green belt, reiterating the importance of the rural landscape in the Conservative party’s 2015 manifesto. However, the CPRE have reacted to a decision taken by community and local government secretary, Greg Clark, to approve the building of 1,500 new homes on the green belt between Gloucester and

by consortium, Four Ashes, confirming the developments will cover around 615 acres of land west of junction 12 of the M6. The new projects, called ‘West Midlands Interchange,’ will be established in hopes of attracting major occupiers from sectors such as logistics and retail, which are seeking strategic locations from which to base major operations. The future project will be

Cheltenham, one of the most significant rural developments in over a decade. A spokesman for the Department for communities and Local Government said it was not relaxing protections against “inappropriate development” on the green belt. “Ministers have repeatedly been clear that demand for housing alone will not justify changing green belt boundaries,” he said. “Councils are already expected to prioritise development on brownfield sites, with 90% of brownfield sites expected to have planning permission by the end of this parliament. “It means that in 2014-15 just 0.02% of green belt was converted to residential use, and the green belt is actually 32,000 hectares bigger than it was in 1997.”

developed in hopes of easing congestion on the West Midlands’ busy motorway network, by linking directly to the West Coast Main Line. Peter Frost, a director of Kilbride, which specialises in rail infrastructure, explains the project has the potential to deliver between six and eight million square feet of industrial property and between 6,500 and 8,500 new jobs. "There is very little land available for this

scale of requirement and this particular site has that capacity as well as the access to the rail infrastructure and the motorway network. "A strategic rail freight interchange is something that has been long identified as essential for the future prosperity of the West Midlands region." The project is expected to take up to 10 years to complete, once construction begins.

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MAY 2016

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M6 Toll Free

Issues regarding the usage of the M6 Toll in times of road emergencies, are set to be discussed in the House of Commons, after a motion was put forward by Solihull’s Conservative MP Julian Knight. The discussion comes after toll bosses, Midland Expressway, agreed upon a sixmonth extension to Operation Freeway, a scheme that allows road users to use the 27-mile route for free in times of crisis, on instruction of the Transport Secretary. Mr Knight told MPs in the Westminster Hall debate: "Our country's only toll motorway was originally designed as the Birmingham Relief Road, but it brings no relief. "It does not serve the function to which it was originally intended. "High prices have driven ordinary motorists from the road, creating a rich person’s motorway, which is very underutilised, even in normal, everyday conditions."

Audi Q2

Concerns came after a fatal accident on the M6 Northbound, in February, caused the road to be closed for nearly 24-hours. The situation prompted an inquiry chaired by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, during which, Highways England admitted it its mistake in not declaring a major incident following the problems. Mr Knight added: "During times of crisis, when we need a relief road the most, the contingency plans in place might have been deliberately designed to never be used. "Operation Freeway rests with civil servants, who are expected to make snap decisions involving huge sums of taxpayer's money. "If the M6 Toll is to serve the best interests of the West Midlands and our economy, we must see fundamental reform of how it operates, especially during gridlock and crisis situations."

he new Audi Q2 is the German brands first ever compact SUV. The new sleek model is raring to capitalize on the growing desire for SUVs. It has features from the previous editions of Audi, including the overall look from the A3 and the latest multimedia tech from the A4. The car will be sold for approximately £22,000 ready to collect in November 2016. It’s a spacious ride, fitting four adults of all shapes and sizes. It is a family-friendly, practical car with the added luxury of the exterior. With its smooth edges and trimmings, the exterior is striking, giving the onlooker an arresting picture. Audi have succeeded in making the body look rugged and handsome enticing young people. Audi have gone from being “elegant” and “cool” to “fun”, adding a new adjective to their portfolio. Whilst it is an unexpected design, Audi have expanded their horizons, continuing to branch out to more people.

REGENCY AUTO CENTRE

As the days get longer and we wake to the sound of birds singing in the hedges, it comes home to us that despite the recent artic blasts, we are in spring. To most motorists and car owners, this is the time for long drives and family getaways. This month we will look on a checklist of things that need to be assessed, in preparation for warm weather motoring. List 1 shows the things you can do yourself; List 2 may require a quick run to your reputable garage.

LIST 1-JUST DO IT Tyres: Use the correct air pressure. Too much or too little air pressure is bad for your tyres and fuel consumption. Battery: Make sure the battery is secure. Exhaust: Ask someone to hold a piece of rag at the end of the exhaust pipe, rev and see if fumes are coming from under the car. Fluid levels: Ensure that the water, coolant and windscreen fluids are topped up. Oil levels. Wipe your dipstick and dip again. Oil marks should show between markers. Air conditioning: Turn on your AC and see how cool the air gets. Lights: Headlights should be focused and at the right levels of brightness. Brake lights should show Horns: Make some noise. Alarm: Test your alarm. Don’t take it for granted.

'Something of a Trojan Horse'

Billion Pound Pothole Problem

he new data reveals that the accumulative repair bill, for pothole damage to West Midlands roads, would weigh in at a stealthy £1.1 billion. On top of road-damage reports, experts have issued warnings that local roads are likely to become even more damaged, due to underfunding, severe weather conditions and increased traffic. Records show, that on average, roads in the West Midlands are resurfaced every 65 years, with over 58,000 potholes have been filled in

MOTORING WITH

2015 alone. Despite damage fixing measures, the issue continues with potholes being reported just this week in Bromford Drive, Harborne Road, High Street Deritend and Dwellings Lane. And with compensation claims related to the road network, costing West Midlands councils £2.5 million last year, the problem seems to be persisting. Birmingham MP Richard Burden, a member of Labour’s shadow transport team, said: “Potholes are costing a fortune,” he said. “They are a hazard to everyone on the

roads – cars, public transport, cyclists and pedestrians. “They are dangerous and cost a lot in compensation, and the Government isn’t doing anywhere near enough.” Alan Mackenzie, chairman of the Asphalt Industry Alliance said: “Our roads are deteriorating at a faster rate than they can be repaired and more significant problems for the future are building unseen below the surface. It is clear that there is still not enough money available to tackle the backlog of repairs needed to get our road network back into anything approaching a reasonable condition.”

LIST 2: TAKE TO GARAGE Cam belts: Should show on your service record, if it needs changing. Battery: Get the voltage checked, tighten securely. Brake System: Get it checked from pedal to wheel. Engine Fan: Engines get hotter faster in warm weather. Ensure it’s working. Finally, remember your first aid kit, water can and petrol container. It is always better to be safe than sorry. ENJOY YOUR RIDE

Compliments of Regency Auto Centre, 260 Hospital Street, B19 2YF “Keeping you safe on the Road”

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West Brom Coach Knight Riders Schools in Delhi Indian children from more than 1,200 schools in Delhi will be receiving Premier League coaching due to West Brom and University of Wolverhampton.

Kolkata Knight Riders lose their home match, leaving the crowd disappointed but the winning team leave victorious. The match on Sunday 8th May was a huge turnout for the Kolkata Knight Riders home match with more than 50,000 people at the venue. Although the stands were packed with Knight Rider fans, they left disappointed as Gujarat Lions stole the match with a solid five-wicket win.

With 72 runs required in the last ten overs, the Gujarat Lions were bound to win. The Knight Riders defence had nearly been killed with the attack earlier on in the game. Dinesh Karthik (51) made sure there wasn’t a glitch in the pursuit and continued to an effortless ending to the game. The Gujarat Lions won the match smoothly with 12 balls to spare due to Karthik’s fifty and Finch’s 29, sealing their seventh win in the IPL.

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ass It Forward is a pilot project, that aspires for businesses to get behind what is being done and support the initiative so that it can be sustained for further generations and continue to transform lives both at home and in India. Two Baggies coaches travelled to India to kick-start the next stage of the ‘Pass It Forward’ project, which launched at the Hawthorns on 15th April 2016. The new phase engages the Delhi State Government and the Delhi Dynamos football team.

The Baggies and their partners will begin their reach with 50,000 pupils but hope to ultimately coach one million children. Adrian Wright, the club's Sales and Marking Director and President of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, said: "This exciting project is the next phase in West Bromwich Albion's determined effort to build our connection with India. We have dug deep into the grassroots football in the Delhi area in the belief that only through a sustained presence can we build genuine and productive links. This latest

project underlines our determination to develop a lasting partnership." The popular football initiative begun in India three years ago but this is the first instance where they’ve been permitted

to coach children in schools. They are contemplating to inspire the next generation of Indian footballers and coaches as well as attempting to grow their global brand and develop new overseas supporters.

Mohammed Amir’s Visa Issues

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SPORTS

• Amir Khan Pakistan fast bowler was convicted of spot fixing in 2010

Win tickets to England v Pakistan at Edgbaston We are giving readers a chance to witness one of the biggest sporting events of the summer a family land ticket up forv grabs for towithEng ets tick Win England’s versus Pakistan in the Investec Test Match at Edgbaston Stadium. istan at Edgbaston Pak

We’re giving readers a chance to witness one of the biggest sporting events of the summer with a family ticket up for grabs for England’s versus Pakistan in the Investec Test Match at Edgbaston Stadium. Located in the Drayton Manor Family Stand, three lucky winners Located in the Drayton Manor Family three lucky will receive two adult and two under 16sStand, tickets for one winners; of England sporting biggest theday one of to witness a chance readers giving We’re will recieve two aduilt and two under 16s tickets for day on of versus Pakistan in the third Test of the Investec Series on Wednesday England’s for grabs for up ticket family a with events of the summer 3 August 2016. in Stadium. England versus Pakistan in theTest third Test at of Edgbaston the Investec Series on Match the Investec Pakistan versus winners To havein a chance of 2016. winning of the threethree familylucky tickets simply Stand, Family Manorone Wednesday 3rd August Drayton the Located answer thistwo question: adult and two under 16s tickets for day one of England receive will versus Pakistan in the third Test of the Investec Series on Wednesday Who is2016. Pakistan’s Test Captain? 3 August To have a chance of winning one of the three family tickets simply Nequidiatiis et apient, cus, odis re vendae. Ximus et quam To enter simply e-mail your answer to competitions@theasiantoday. question: this answer facerrumquam eaturfull si doloriate nonsectat pos Winners dolest, tem com along with your name andrecontact details. will netur be a dolorrumquam eos amus, eaturi aut adigeni hillend iaestio. Ut quia Captain? Test Who is Pakistan’s contacted by Friday 22nd July 2016. Terms & Conditions Apply. dolore volorat escium et eum quas dolupta doluptat lant volor arum et quam Ximus re vendae. quis imodisim voluptasiti aliquis tionsed que comnis. cus, odis apient, et volore iis qui Nequidiat netur tem dolest, pos nonsectat re doloriate si facerrumquam eatur a dolorrumquam eos amus, eaturi aut adigeni hillend iaestio. Ut quia

Who is Pakistan’s Test Captain?

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammed Amir could be refuted a visa for the forthcoming tour of England this summer, after being convicted in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal. The International Cricket Council (ICC) cuffed him with a five-year ban during the peak of his

career. He also served six months in prison for bowling no balls, intentionally during the fourth test match against England at Lord’s in 2010. The Express Tribune reported that The British Immigration lawyers have stated that Amir’s case will depend on the

effects of his admission to the country as against the public good, adding that it would be at the preference of the immigration office dealing with his visa application. The 24-year-old appeared in two ODIs and 11 T20Is for Pakistan since his reappearance,

claiming a total of 16 wickets. Previously, Amir has tackled similar visa issues during his side's tour to New Zealand, but was later given permission to travel the country after Pakistan and New Zealand's boards provided their support.

SPORTS

MAY 2016

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ipa Karmakar made history this month, by becoming the first Indian Woman to qualify for the Olympics, as she booked a berth for the Rio De Janeiro games, after a strong performance at the final qualifying and test event. The 22-year-old gained a total score of 52.698 points in the qualifying event, securing her spot in the 2016 Rio games. Only 11 male gymnasts from the south Asian subcontinent have taken part in the Olympics, Karmakar will be the first Indian gymnast qualifying for the quadrennial extravaganza after 52 long years. The International Federation of Gymnastics (Federation Internationale de Gymnastique) has confirmed Dipa's Rio Games qualification in its official release. The world body adds: “Following the Women's Qualification Competition at the Gymnastics Test Event in Rio, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) herewith confirms the list of nations and individual gymnasts that have qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games." Her first vault, the difficult Produnova, gained Dipa an impressive 15.066 points, the highest amongst the 14 competitors. However, tides turned when her performance in the uneven bars was deemed poor, scoring only 11.700, the second worst amongst the participants. Deepak Kagra, an international referee, said that after Dipa's strong performance it was certain that she would qualify for Rio Olympics. "It was a very good score from Dipa and we were certain that she would qualify. Now the world body has published the names of the gymnasts who have qualified for the Olympics and her name is there. The gymnastics community is proud of Dipa's achievements," he told PTI. The 22-year-old didn’t quite make the cut in the World Championships in November last year, she was earlier put as second reserve for the ongoing Olympic Test event in Rio but was informed last month that she had sneaked into the shortlist of participants.

Karmaker Makes History

Dipa Karmaker becomes ﬁrst Indian female gymnast to qualify for Olympics.

Pakistan Win Kabbadi Title • Pakistan Kabbadi team wins title

Pakistan successfully defend their Asian Kabaddi Cup Title by defeating India.

akistan defeated archrivals India 50-31 in the last match of the tournament at the Pakistan Ordinance Factory Sports Complex in Wah. They hosted the third edition of the Asia Circle Style Kabaddi Cup for the second time and remained undefeated in the five-day competition, which also presented teams from India, Iran, Afghanistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The tournament took place in a league format, where all six teams played against each other. India won five out of their six matches but they were unable to win the title. Pakistan’s stopper, Sajjad Gujjar, sealed their victory by getting the 50th point of the match. This was their second successive Asian Kabaddi title as they were also victorious in 2012.

Muhammed Ali Qualiﬁes for Rio Olympics • Muhammed Ali qualifies for Rio Olympics

uhammed Ali has qualified for the Rio Olympics. Based in Sheffield, England, the 20-year-old boxer just so happens to share the same name of the greatest boxer to ever grace the ring as well as sharing the same profession as the renowned Muhammed Ali. Speaking to England's Yorkshire Post newspaper, Ali said: "When people used to mention about my name, at first I was

like, 'They are at it again’ but now I am just getting used to it. It doesn't bother me, and I have just got to go out and perform and show them that I am half decent. Hopefully I can be half as good as the real Ali one day." The young Ali earned a 2014 Youth Olympic Bronze Medalist and a 2015 European Silver Medalist in the 52kg division. However, he lost in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Championships.

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Amir Khan knocked down in vicious battle with opponent Saul Alvarez, in the sixth round of the stellar Las Vegas showdown.

No Change of Pace

K.O. for Khan • Boxer Amir Khan gets knocked out by a single right hand from Conelo

• Rahul Lakhera - Bradford Bulls and Leeds United Club Doctor Asian Today have been so so inspired by the principles of Asian Sports Foundation that we wanted to show our support as media partners for the Foundation and help them to reach and engage at a grass-roots level with members of the community. Each month we get the lowdown from people from within the Asian community who are working in different areas of the sports industry to get their views on what inspires them. This month, meet Rahul Lakhera, Bradford Bulls and Leeds United Club Doctor and find out what motivated him to pursue a career in sports medicine. The winter period brings a flurry of activity for a team doctor as games come thick and fast. You would hope it slows down in January and February but cup competitions put paid to that. For those involved in healthcare in sport, annual leave is non-negotiable as your fixture list dictates your year and plans, turning your timetable upside down. Hmm… I am not selling this well. Any job requires sacrifice and a role in professional sport is no different. We are fuelled by the

impressive athletic discipline we see making us up our game. The restrictions these young people put on their lives is amazing in their pursuit of success. I am certain I would not be able to do the same and can see why so few make the elite level. You need the whole package of discipline, industry, confidence and determination. So what do I get out of it? A free game to watch… well it helps. Even though I am not the athlete, the sporting environment is dynamic and team orientated. The drive and camaraderie can be infectious making it a place to work like no other. It is not always a bed of roses but the problems faced add to its rich tapestry. I can keep learning and work with my peers at the cutting edge, tailoring my treatment to the individual and hopefully gain the satisfaction of their success. Sports medicine also provides a philosophy that can help anyone. Life does not have to be complicated. Eating healthily, keeping active in a way that you enjoy and having a balance between mental stimulation and relaxation is not just for athletes. Focusing on these simple areas can help keep us all happy in 2016.

If you have any questions, have a project that you think would be perfect for ASF to work with and support, or just want to know more, then you can check out the website: www.asiansportsfoundation. org and follow them on twitter: @ AsianSports_Fdn.

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ith 30 seconds to go, a single overhand right from Alvarez, was all it took to lay the boxing legend from Bolton flat on his back, sending Khan’s dream of delivering a shocking win, hurtling to the ground with him. It was a tumultuous end to a fascinating fight that saw Khan defy the bookmakers’ odds early on, as he was clearly ahead on the cards. That was before the devastating blow that cemented Alvarez’s position on top spot. Khan risked everything moving up almost two weight classes to take on ‘Conelo’ and with a stellar performance in the first four rounds, it appeared the young sports star ran rings around the Mexican favourite, clearly out-boxing him from the onset, but a cut to his right eye in the fifth, signalled the beginning of the end for the light weight favourite. He had started the fight in a brilliant manner, staying out of range

and using his speed and precision to pick 'Canelo' off with his trademark rapid combinations. He aggravated his opponent with several punches, while Alvarez seemed intent on making his signature moves with single highimpact shots. Even when the Mexican rallied punches, Khan responded with imminent action, a fantastic fivepunch barrage in the third suggested speed not power could be the deciding factor. But it was the fourth round that saw Alvarez step it up, cutting off the ring and realising that he needed more than single shots to succeed, and for the first time in the fight, ‘Conelo’ closed the gap, leaving Khan with little room to manoeuvre. The decisive sixth round saw Khan miss with his first attack, and was then sent hurtling with a left-right to the ribs. In a last grappling attempt, Khan dealt back a blow, but as his jab fell

short, ‘Canelo’ leaned in a landed a vicious overhand right. "I didn't make it to the end, but I tried my best," said Khan, who also insisted he will return to the welterweight division where he is the mandatory challenger to WBC holder Danny Garcia. "I want to be the best, and I want to fight the best. That is why I took this fight." Alvarez praised Khan’s attempts, but felt that the fight showcased more of his own hidden qualities. He adds: "He is a fast fighter, and I knew things would be complicated in the beginning, but I knew they would come to my favour as the fight went on," said Alvarez. "People have known me only for my power, I have many more qualities in the ring and I showed that. I think people saw more of me tonight.” ‘Conelo’ now goes onto fight Gennady Goloving, who was ringside on the night, studying his next opponent.

Murray Leaves Mauresmo Andy Murray has ended his innovative coaching relationship with Amelie Mauresmo, a former world No.1. There has been no personal fallout between them, but their innovative partnership has come to an end. Murray became a feminist icon with his determination to remove the conventional knowledge that a male should coach a male player. Mauresmo has been reported to say: “Working with Andy over the last two years has been a fantastic experience for me.”

Similarly, Murray has stated: “I've learned a lot from Amelie over the last two years, both on and off the court. She's been a calming influence in the team and we will all miss having her around.” Both of them made heartfelt comments about each other, with Mauresmo – who gave birth to son Aaron last summer – insinuating that travelling was becoming hard for her in her present circumstances as she wanted to give more time to her family.

• Murray with coach Amelie

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• Leicester win the Premier League title

Champions L

ess than nine months ago, the odds on Leicester City winning football’s Premier League title, were equal to finding Elvis Presley alive this year, a slim 5,000 – 1. Leicester, who defined the term “rank outsider” have achieved the unthinkable after beating off their only remaining rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, drawing 2-2 with Chelsea. In an era where only the richest clubs stand a chance of success, Leicester’s fairy-tale win will go down as one of the greatest in any sport, ever. Receiving the trophy at Goodison Park: Leicester’s captain, Wes Morgan expressed: “I’m emotionally drained. I had to hold back the tears. I held them back,

finally lifted the trophy and it was the best feeling in the world. There’s no better feeling knowing you are champions of England. I want to enjoy the moment. It’s the best time of my life. It’s like a dream.” Boss, Claudio Ranieri, is in line for a lucrative new deal after guiding the Foxes to the Premiership League title, a year on from recovering from near relegation to the Championship. Its fair to say former Chelseam Juventus and Greece manager Ranieri has been a revelation for the team, since his arrival last. The proud Leicester City manager has been reported to saying: “It felt good, it was amazing. I tried to be strong, without emotion, so I lived the moment better."

Leicester Leeds the Way

For the few lucky punters, who were brave enough to back the seasons ‘joke bet,’ the result means winning up to “100,000 each, a prospect the nations broker wont be to pleased about. They will be expected to pay out round £25 million, making it the biggest loss in British history on a single sporting market. As Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: "The Leicester City story is truly phenomenal we'll never see another long shot go from rags to riches like this again. At the start of the season there was as much chance of them winning the league as there was of Elvis turning up at the ground alive and well.

Fairy Tale win for Leicester, as they take the Premier League trophy, with two games to go.

Mark Selby wins World Championship title making Leicester sport double. Mark Selby claims his remarkable 18-14 victory in the 2016 Betfred World Snooker Championship final, which became more exceptional as it shaped half of a celebrated Leicester double. With Selby's adored Leicester City obtaining the Premier League title, he doubled the excitement by beating Ding Junhui in the Iconic Crucible Theatre and winning the

trophy for the second time in his career. Selby has been reported to have said: "It has to be the best day of my life because it's not every day you become world champion and then Leicester won the Premier League as well." They had a crowd of 150 million people, most of which were there to watch Ding who was the first Asian to reach the world final,

putting him under a huge load of pressure. To his credit, he battled intrepidly over the two days, only falling 6-0 behind in the match yet closing to within a frame on numerous instances. However, in frame 32, Selby held his spirit with a 74 break and joined an elite list of men to have won two world titles at the Crucible Theatre – following this, he was seen pointing up to his

family in the crowd at the moment of his victory. Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Mark Williams and Ronnie O'Sullivan are the only other men to have prevailed several times at the Crucible and Selby recognizes that this triumph may be more satisfying than his 2014 triumph, considering his battle despite failing to produce his best snooker.

• Mark Selby wins the Snooker World Championship for the second time

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