The Asian Today Issue 229 - December 2017 by The Asian Today

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ritish Citizen Jagtar Singh Johal remains in custody in Punjab, India. His welfare remains a mystery and a sustained campaign to get him released continues. It’s a campaign that deserves your attention. Prime Minister Theresa May accompanied by Midlands Mayor Andy Street on a recent visit to the region spoke to BBC Asian Network about the 30 year old Scotsman. Mrs May stressed the Government is concerned about his well being; ‘Representatives from the Foreign Office have met with Jagtar Singh Johal, they are monitoring the situation and will take action as necessary.’ The actions of Punjab Police risk reigniting tensions around the abuse of human rights, especially those of Sikhs in North India. Nobody wants the dark days of the 1980s to return

when Punjab was effectively a no go zone following Operation Blue Star and the assassination of Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. The safe return of Jagtar Singh Johal goes above and beyond the immediate angst of his family and friends who naturally want their grandchild, son, brother and husband back. It speaks for the stability of the entire Punjab. Equally worrying is the security of Indian Consulate staff around the world especially the UK, the rest of Europe and North America. There are sixteen million Indians living outside of India of which two million are Sikhs. The Indian Consulates around the world are the face of India and it is important they are allowed to function safely. The need for British nationals to secure a visa to travel to India means their presence

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After reuniting with wife Faryal Makhdoom the boxer is attempting to repair his damaged public image

PAGE 24

AMIR KHAN JETS OFF TO THE I’M A CELEBRITY JUNGLE AS TROUBLED BOXING CHAMP GETS BACK TOGETHE R WITH WIFE FARYAL MAKHDOOM

Released on the 22nd of December 2017 in india

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JUSTICE LEAGUE REVIEW – GOOD, EVIL AND DULLNESS DO BATTLE

MERRY XMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

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Saturday 2nd December 2017 – Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif make for the most romantic and stunningly beautiful onscreen pair and it has been 5 years since the audiences have seen them in the theatres. For Tiger Zinda Hai, the high-octane action thriller that features both as fighting fit super spies. This Bollywood action thriller flick directed by Ali Abbas Zafar is the movie sequel to Ek Tha Tiger. The film is about a group of nurses from Iran who are abducted and

kept in captivity by a dangerous terrorist organization. Both Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif play the lead roles who help fight and rescue by forming Tiger Zinda Hai. The audience will see their onscreen romance in the highlight of Dil Diyan Gallan, a classic love ballad. Shot in the visually stunning, picture perfect locales of Austria; this song brings to focus their breath-taking chemistry with the indulgent lavishness of a classic love ballad.

VIDYUT JAMMWAL STARRER JUNGLEE TO RELEASE ON DUSSEHRA 2018

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is essential. As we begin the process of leaving the EU, it is countries like India, we look to forge closer relationships with. Birmingham Edgbaston MP Preet Kaur Gill explained ‘If we are talking about trade and working with India which we want to do, there has to be transparency and openness and this does not give people confidence.’ So much has been achieved between our two countries, and for Brits of Indian origin, it really is our ‘two’ countries, there is so much at stake here. The campaign continues to secure the safe release of Jagtar Singh Johal. The hashtag on social media is #FreeJaggiNow. Here’s a link to instructions on writing to your MP about this matter: https://tinyurl.com/yadkgbp8 Lets bring him back. by Jas Sansi

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Tributes to Bollywood legend Shashi Kapoor

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Shashi Kapoor

he Asian Today pays tribute to Bollywood legend Shashi Kapoor who passed away aged 79 on Monday 4 December. Bollywood is in mourning after hearing the sad news of the veteran actor Shashi Kapoor’s death, he passed away after suffering from a prolonged illness on the 4 December at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. Bollywood has lost a phenomenal actor who starred in over 150 icon

films such as major hits like Deewaar (1975), Kabhi Kabhi (1976), Trishna (1978) , Kaala Patthar (1979) and many more. Shashi Kapoor was born 18 March 1938 and part of a pioneering member of the Kapoor Dynasty. He began his acting career at a very young age by first taking part in plays and then worked in four hindi movies from 1948-1954. Shashi Kapoor was

often screen paired with Raakhee, Sharmilla Tagore, Zeenant Aman, Hema Malini, Parveen Babi and Moushumi Chatterjeein in many of his films. He was also known

internationally for starring in British and American films and co-starred in a number of films with his wife Jennifer Kendal who died of cancer in 1984. Many of us will remember his comeback dialogue in the movie Deewaar where is

starred opposite Amitabh Bachchan as he onscreen brother “Mere pas Maa hai”. The world has been paying respect and a few quotes from the Bollywood industry (above).

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Birmingham to launch Commonwealth Chamber An initiative to drive trade between Greater Birmingham and the Commonwealth has been given lift-off with the launch of the Greater Birmingham Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce (GBCCC). The Commonwealth Chamber becomes the tenth division of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce group and will offer membership-based services to businesses who wish to reach and develop markets in Commonwealth countries. The Chamber believes that Commonwealth countries represent a largely untapped market, and one which has been overshadowed by the UK’s relationship with the European Union. Currently, the EU accounts for 44 per cent of all UK exports, whereas the Commonwealth countries only make up nine per cent of export output. The Chamber says the new initiative will help its

members to develop trade links with Commonwealth, and will include a major events programme focusing on Commonwealth knowledge transfer and trading opportunities. The GBCCC will also promote local businesses to the Commonwealth countries through its connections with overseas High Commissions and Consulates in the UK, British diplomatic posts overseas and British Chambers of Commerce overseas (through the British Chambers Overseas Business Network). GBCC chief executive Paul Faulkner said: “The launch of the Greater Birmingham Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce builds on all of the great international activity we do at present. “Through our International Business Hub, our European programmes, the British American Business Council Midlands Chapter and our Department for International Trade (DIT)

contract, we already have tremendous knowledge and experience in this field. “Birmingham’s bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022 has shone a light on the strong links which already exist between the city and the Commonwealth. “Developing trade links with Commonwealth countries has never been more important as the UK prepares to leave the European Union.” Chief operating officer Russell Jeans said the establishment of the GBCCC was a natural step, given the Chamber’s history of delivering international programmes over several decades. Recent examples of the Chamber’s work with Commonwealth countries include supporting a Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce event in Birmingham, while Paul Faulkner joined West Midlands mayor Andy Street on a trade mission to Toronto. Furthermore, the

Paul Faulkner Department for International Trade team at the Chamber are supporting a Midlands Engine visit to the Auto Expo Components event in New Delhi, India in February. Mr Jeans said: “The Chamber has a distinguished history in delivery of programmes all over the world – a lot of which have been in Commonwealth countries. “This new Chamber puts a membership wrapper around elements of our expert knowledge and international connectivity.

A GBCCC launch event is currently being planned for early 2018, which will feature highprofile speakers from Commonwealth embassies.

To find out more, register your interest in becoming a member or joining the GBCCC executive committee, please email gbccc@birminghamchamber.com or call 0845 603 6650.

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NEW NHS DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAMME Cut the Risk of Developing Diabetes Type 2

Mrs Baldev Ahluwalia EMBARGOED TO 00.01 14 NOVEMBER 2017 – WORLD DIABETES DAY Mrs Baldev Ahluwalia, who lives in Sandwell, is just one of 7,485* people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the West Midlands. But thanks to the NHS diabetes prevention programme, Mrs Ahluwalia has a new lease of life. Today, on World Diabetes Day, Mrs Ahluwalia wants to help raise awareness of the condition and how others at risk could avoid this life-threatening disease. The 71 year-old found out she was a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes when she went for a routine Health Check at her GP

surgery. Because there is a strong history of diabetes in her family she was advised that she needed to make some simple lifestyle changes and her GP referred her to the local Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHSDPP). Baldev was happy to be referred to the NHSDPP saying: “I was pleased to find that the sessions would be run close to where I live and that I could take a friend along with me. Going with someone else meant that I couldn’t let her down. It helped me stick with it. She is a good friend and, although she is not at risk herself, it was good to be able to share what I was going through with her.” Attending sessions at West Bromwich Fire Station Baldev continued: “Time was taken to explain things to us. I am actually a retired nurse, so I did already know what I was being told – I just hadn’t put it into practice for myself! “The sessions focused mostly on food changes and exercise. It made me more determined to stick to healthy options because I knew I was going to be weighed and measured each week. “I made changes to how I cook things and use the recipe books that were given to us and use different oils and butters. One thing that really surprised me was how

much sugar there is in fruit. I love fruit, but I realise now that I have to cut down on how much of it I eat. I have also switched to semi skimmed milk and a spread that is good for lowering cholesterol.” Baldev also started walking with her friend in a local park as well as joining a local gym to maintain her levels of exercise when the weather is bad. “I am really pleased with the difference it has made. I’ve lost about 9 ½ kilos, everything fits better. It has helped my arthritis as well and I can walk more now. I’m very happy and feel I have achieved something. My friend has also lost weight. “I would definitely recommend others at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes to join their local NHS DPP programme.” The local monthly Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) sessions cover nutrition and exercise and suggested behavioural changes to maintain a healthy weight and become more physically active. The NHS DPP was launched across Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell in July last year and over 3,000 people have been referred on to the free programme in these areas. Professor Vinod Patel, the clinical lead for the NHSDPP

in the West Midlands and a consultant diabetologist at George Eliot Hospital said: “Type 2 diabetes can cause very serious health problems but sadly more people than ever are developing the condition, despite it being largely preventable. This new hands-on support is putting people in control of their health and the early results show it is working and reaching those most at risk. On this World Diabetes Day, we are encouraging those that think they may be at risk to speak to their GP to find out more about the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme and please remember the best way to prevent diabetes is to maintain a good level of physical activity and a diet that supports you having a normal weight.” Professor Jonathan Valabhji, National Clinical Director for Diabetes at NHS England, added: “It is important that as part of World Diabetes Day we recognise the excellent work undertaken in the West Midlands to help people to prevent type 2 diabetes. “Reaching over 7,000 referrals to the NHS DPP is not only a huge achievement for the programme in the West Midlands, but it’s also fantastic news for the people who are getting help to become more active, eat more healthily and reduce their risk of developing type 2

diabetes.” Sue Turton, speaking for Living Well Taking Control (LWTC) the local Healthier You provider, said: “We are delighted to be delivering the NHS DPP in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull, helping people to understand what has put them at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and empower and motivate them to reduce their risk. We know it can be difficult to change diet and exercise habits, but we’ve helped hundreds of people to do it – and enjoy the process of becoming healthier. Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition, but the good news is that with appropriate action it can be avoided.” The numbers of patient referrals made to the NHS DPP in participating areas of the West Midlands at the end of September 2017 is 7,485. Type 2 diabetes can cause serious long-term health problems. It’s the most common cause of vision loss and blindness in people of working age, is responsible for most cases of kidney failure and lower limb amputation, other than accidents. People with diabetes are also up to five times more likely to have cardiovascular disease, such as a stroke, than those without diabetes. World Diabetes Day – 14 November 2017 * As at end of September 2017

DECEMBER 2017

BREXIT FACEBOOK TO TEAM UP WITH THE UK, TO ASSIST INTO THE RUSSIAN MEDDLING IN BREXIT.

Facebook will be ready to report as early as mid-December about what its found on its platform relating to Russia and Brexit. US social media giants have said they're ready to co-operate with a UK probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 EU referendum, BuzzFeed News understands. In letters due to be released by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee, Facebook and Twitter have confirmed they'll co-operate with the UK inquiry into what happened on their platforms around the time of Brexit and the 2017 general election. Facebook's letter to the inquiry indicates the US company will come back to the committee about Russianlinked accounts as soon as the second week of December. The committee, chaired by Tory MP Damian Collins, wrote to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey last month, asking them to produce whatever evidence existed that Russian-linked groups had tried to interfere in recent British elections. At the time, Collins told BuzzFeed News that "as Facebook has provided this information to the United States Congress, in relation to the 2016 presidential election, I see no reason why such information cannot be provided to the select committee." It comes less than a week after BuzzFeed News uncovered a new network of Russian-linked troll accounts which were not previously declared by Twitter to the US Congress.

Cancer doesn’t care who you are. But we do. We want to hear the views of cancer patients on the NHS care they have received. Feedback on the experience of an individual’s cancer care is important to us and will help us see what’s working and what needs to improve. We need to hear everyone’s views, particularly people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds who are under-represented in responses to our national surveys. If you have a loved one who’s had NHS cancer treatment, encourage them to have their say. Find out more at www.ncpes.co.uk/NHSfeedback

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MCDONALD APOLOGISES AFTER MUSLIM WOMAN DENIED ENTERING BECAUSE OFF HER HIJAB

A Muslim woman who was allegedly told she could not enter one of the fast-food chain outlet on Seven Sister’s Road in London while wearing a hijab has been apologised by McDonalds. In footage recorded by the woman, who has decided to remain anonymous, she can be heard asking a worker why she can’t enter the restaurant “Why can’t I come into McDonalds?” she asks. “Is it because I’m wearing a hijab? I’m sorry, but can you like please say it.” “It’s just a matter of taking it off, then...” the man in the video replies, gesturing to his head. “It’s not just a matter of taking it off, I wear this for religious reasons and I’m not ashamed of it,” the

woman hits back. She continues: “This is actually like a hate crime, this is a hate crime.” Another customer then intervenes, telling the man - thought to be a security guard - that he cannot stop the woman from entering the store. She then leaves the store without ordering any food, saying she’s “pretty full to the head right now”. “When she started recording the incident, she was told to stop but thankfully didn’t. Thank you to the kind man who defended her against the security guard and employees at the store...” She continued: “We will be contacting the relevant authorities to ensure this is dealt with. It is disgusting that hate crimes and discrimination are so

prevalent in this country, especially in such a diverse city like London. “We cannot be silent bystanders to this hate.” McDonalds has since released an apology, saying it does not have a policy in place “which restricts or prevents anyone wearing a hijab, or any other religious dress, from entering the restaurant”. “We welcome customers of all faiths and would like to apologise to the customer as this situation should not have taken place. “We are taking this matter extremely seriously and are addressing this with the individuals involved.” (R) Image of Man in the Video who denied access to the Muslim women.

Tributes to 'beautiful' boy found dead in Nechells

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TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN PAID TO A "BEAUTIFUL" SEVEN-YEAROLD BOY FOUND DEAD AT A HOUSE IN BIRMINGHAM. Hakeem Hussain was found at the property in Cook Street, Nechells, on Sunday, police said. Hakeem may have been outdoors in near freezing temperatures for some time before he was found dead and further tests will be carried out to establish how he died. Birmingham City Council confirmed Hakeem was known to the authority. A man, 56, and a 35-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of wilfully ill-treating a child have been released under investigation.

Julie Wright, head teacher at Nechells E-ACT Academy, where Hakeem was a year three pupil, said Hakeem was "a most beautiful little boy, a great friend to many staff and children with a wicked sense of humour and an infectious giggle". "He was a warm and generous-hearted soul who was talented across many areas of the curriculum but especially so in music and the arts. "Hakeem will be sorely missed by us all." She added his performance as the "Christmas star" in a

nativity play last year "will stay with me forever as he totally stole the show". West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to a property in Cook Street just after 07:30 GMT on Sunday following reports a boy had suffered a cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The city council said: "The multiagency Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board is aware of the case and will decide whether it meets the criteria for a serious case review."

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Taxi pollution killing off Black Cabs Family Plea After Mother Killed

If the City council goes ahead with tough new pollution regulations then Birmingham will see over 1,000 black cabs driven off the streets. The chairman of Birmingham’s biggest Hackney Carriage firm, TOA, warned the crackdown could leave just 70 cabs on the city’s streets within three years. City licensing chiefs have told all black cab drivers that their licences will be withdrawn on January 1, 2020, if their cars do not meet tough emissions standards. The authority has claimed cabs that are queued in taxi ranks and

have their engine running are partly responsible for the city centre’s levels of nitrogen dioxide, which causes an estimated 900 premature deaths a year in Birmingham. Cab drivers have said they would be driven out of business if they are forced to switch to eco-friendly vehicles such as electric cabs costing around £55,000, plus credit costs. TOA boss Manawar Hussain said some workers were still paying for £35,000 cabs bought within the last few years in the expectation they could be used for a decade. “We are all in favour of cleaner air, drivers are

working and breathing it in with everyone else,” he said. “This will be devastating to both the drivers – who have to pay up or give up – and the public and businesses who rely on our cabs. “We could have as few as 70 cars on the road.” Mr Hussain said cabs were a lifeline to many disabled people and claimed the council had refused to consider allowing existing cabs to be retrofitted with hydrogen fuel systems at a cost of less than £1,000. Birmingham has been threatened with a £60 million fine unless it reduces pollution levels. The Government has

instructed the city, along with 15 others, to draw up plans to improve air quality by 2020. The council is developing a Clean Air Zone around the city centre , under which high-polluting commercial vehicles, such as vans, lorries and coaches, would be taxed. But city leader Coun Ian Ward last week said he would consider further steps , and could not rule out a congestion charge, if needed. A recent council report on air quality concluded: “Birmingham needs to respond to the challenge of improving air quality and achieving compliance with air quality limits as soon as possible.”

SWIPE RIGHT AND MEET OTHER BRITISH ASIANS ON DESEE

A place to meet diverse, smart and awesome people of South Asian origins

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A family woman was knocked down in a hit and run in Handsworth, Birmingham last month and the family are calling for those who are responsible to hand themselves in. CCTV footage has been released with the permission of the family showing a Vauxhall Zafira travelling on the wrong side of Rookery Road near to the junction of Albert Road knocking down the 62 year Krishna Devi Droch as she crossed the road on her way to morning prayers. Moments before the Zafira had gone through a red traffic light over Soho Road, it was closely followed by a light green Corsa and a silver/grey Ford Mondeo. The Zafira registration number was EY06 TCU and the other two cars were on false plates. All three vehicles were found abandoned within 24 hours of the collision around 11am on Thursday 9 November – the Zafira having been burnt out on Romulus Close less than two miles away. Four people have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation – three

esee Dating App aspires to bring together South Asians living around the world to connect and meet with like-minded people that share a common yet diverse cultural and traditional background. Never before have our lives been so dependent on technology in every aspect of our daily routine, be it for shopping, work or interacting with family and friends. The stigma once associated with online matchmaking is fast disappearing as smartphones have brought online dating into the hands of thousands of Millennials through popular new apps. With the emergence of global brands such Tinder, Badoo, okCupid, Happn and Bumble, dating apps have become to be accepted as a normal way of connecting with new people around us. However, these apps don’t fully cater to specific needs of British Asians who are modern, well educated, open-minded and proud of their origins and cultural background. The pain of going through mainstream dating apps to find matches who look similar to yourself in appearance and then hoping that they are also of similar cultural or religious background has discouraged many British Asians to get on with the trend of finding love through such apps. The idea of Desee was inspired by the need for a global dating app specifically catering for people all over the world with South Asian origins. The unique profile descriptions such as religion, diet, consumption of alcohol, Zodiac signs and many others offer users an opportunity to match with people of common interest and relationship goals. It was very clear at the outset of developing Desee that features which ensure privacy were essential for the app to be

arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving have been released pending further enquiries. Krishna’s family have supported an appeal for information to help identify the occupants of all three cars. Her brother Baldev Korotania said: “Krishna was the foundation of our family, who was always there when we needed her. Her caring and compassionate nature will forever be missed by us. The grandchildren she has left behind are still waiting for her to come home. The Collision Investigation Unit can be contacted on 101 or information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 successful. Hence, all signups to the app are through Facebook Connect which minimise instances of fake profiles. As soon as you sign up to Desee, you are prompted if you would like not to be matched with your friends from Facebook. While using the app you can make yourself invisible to any user who you don’t want to be seen by. Also, the photos you send on chats disappear after 5 minutes of being clicked on. Desee is a free app that is available on both Itunes and Google app stores. That means you can sign up, create your account, swipe profiles, get matched, chat to your matches and actually go on a date without paying for any of the extra features. Extra features, of course, enhance your experience by benefits such as the ability to change locations, attach photos on chats, chat with your unmatched profiles for an additional 12 hours, retrace back 5 swipes, activate unlimited swipes and many others. Desee charges for its paid features in a unique way compared to similar dating apps in the market. Currently, it has 12 paid features that you can choose from. However, each feature is priced at £1.19 and you only purchase the feature you want to use. Whereas, many similar apps have a monthly subscription plan for an average of £15 per month that gives you access to all their features. However, many users hardly make use of all the features and thus end up paying for something they don’t need. Download the app today and try it for yourself. It’s a great place to meet and connect with like-minded people of similar culture and traditions. Desee is available globally and you can enable the feature of changing your location and connecting with people all around the world. Check them out more on www. deseedating.com.

DECEMBER 2017

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Best marketing team in the sector

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The Holidays are coming – The Coca Cola Truck is coming to Birmingham The big red truck will once again be coming to the city of Birmingham before Christmas and has a new location. Now In its seventh year the Coca Cola truck will appear on the 9th and 10th December on Edgbaston Street right next to the Christmas Ice Rink and Big Wheel and will be handing out free drinks. The coca cola trucks will be passing through various locations up and down the country and this year it will appear in 42 locations ending in Lakeside, Essex on the 17 December.

Coca-cola Truck Bullring

outh and City College Birmingham has won the Gold Award for the Best Marketing Team at the prestigious College Marketing Network Awards earlier this week. The newly formed team, which came about as a result of a merger between South and City and Bournville colleges, was commended by judges for

going above and beyond the call of duty. The team has delivered an excellent summer recruitment campaign, whilst at the same time launching a new website, delivering a communication plan for the merger, the annual marketing plan as well as implementing new policies and procedures as part of the merged college. Alma Aganovic, Executive

Director – Marketing & Customer Experience, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted with this award, which acknowledges the hard work of the marketing team, their skills and talent. To be recognised on a national level as being the best in the sector is absolutely amazing news.’ The announcement was made at a gala ceremony at Warwick Hilton Hotel

and presented by Lynne Sedgmore CBE. The team also scooped up a Highly Commended award for their summer recruitment campaign. Both Bournville and South and City Colleges have an excellent track record of marketing awards, including Times Educational Supplement, Heist and LERN (USA) awards.

St Helens, Tesco Extra – 1 December Ipswich, Asda – 1 December Peterborough, Tesco Extra – 2 December Manchester, Intu Trafford – 2 December Manchester, Intu Trafford – 3 December Mansfield, Tesco – 3 December Liverpool, Liverpool One – 5 December Liverpool, Liverpool One – 6 December Baldock, Tesco Extra – 6 December Watford, Asda – 7 December Telford, Telford Shopping Centre – 7 December Wembley, London Designer Outlet – 8 December Nottingham, Victoria Retail Park – 8 December London, Jingle Bell Ball – 9 December London, Jingle Bell Ball – 10 December Birmingham, Edgbaston Street – 9 December Birmingham, Edgbaston Street – 10 December Coventry, Broadgate – 11 December Reading, Riverside Shopping Centre -13 December Rushden, Waitrose – 14 December Milton Keynes, Xscape – 15 December Essex, Lakeside – 16 December Essex, Lakeside – 17 December

ACKERS ADVENTURE: AN ADVENTURE OASIS IN THE HEART OF BIRMINGHAM

id you know that off Golden Hillock Road in Small Heath there is a fully equipped adventure sports centre—complete with dry ski slopes and a ski lift, a tower with zip-wire, climbing walls, archery and a safe area for canoeing? Welcome to Ackers Adventure. The winter can mean grey days and boredom but with Ackers Adventure on your doorstep you can now try lots of outdoor activities just a stone’s throw from Birmingham city centre! Ackers Adventure is a great place for children and adults to learn to ski, climb and kayak—but there’s lots more going on too. The team can host corporate training and hospitality days and there is a fully equipped residential centre that sleeps up to twenty-six people. Why not celebrate adventure style? The centre hosts children’s parties where your little ones can have a brilliant time trying out outdoor activities including the famous jungle challenge, in between fun and games in our party room. For adults, you can make your Stag or Hen party an event to remember by combining an overnight stay with trying out new outdoor pursuits. Ackers is a local landmark that really does merit a visit. If you are interested in finding out more or booking give them a call on

0121 772 9444

DECEMBER 2017

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ADVERTORIAL

CRAFTS OF THE PUNJAB BRINGS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE V&A’S SOUTH ASIAN COLLECTION TO COVENTRY Featuring never before seen objects, a famous golden throne and unique craft artefacts, Crafts of the Punjab celebrates the rich artisanal legacy of the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. Created especially for the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum from the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, more than 80 objects dating from the 2nd to 19th century will be on show. The exhibition focuses on the two major cities of Lahore and Amritsar, and the dynamic network of surrounding towns renowned for their individual craft industries.

Sialkot, c.1884 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The exhibition includes the skilful art of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain sculpture, Lahore’s Pinjra woodwork, Amritsar’s delicately carved ivories, Hoshiarpur’s ivory-inlaid wood and Sialkot’s gold-inlaid steel artefacts. One of the most extraordinary pieces, The Golden Throne of the first Sikh Maharaja of the Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, will take centre stage. Made in Lahore by the Muslim craftsman Hafez Muhammad Multani, it echoes the decorative motifs found on the Golden Temple in Amritsar and exemplifies the crosscultural influences that defined this remarkable region, now divided between India and Pakistan.

EXPLORE THE V&A’S SOUTH ASIAN

COLLECTION

The exhibition is part of the V&A’s work with regional museums and venues across the UK, as a key means of supporting regional partners and making the V&A’s collections more widely available to the public. In 2018, the V&A will launch DesignLab Nation in Coventry, an ambitious new programme to connect regional museums and professionals from the creative industries with local schools. Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Culture Coventry to bring this exceptional exhibition of South Asian craft and artistry to the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum. Supporting art and design is central to the V&A’s mission, and we aim to open up the V&A’s collections for audiences all across the UK through our extensive loans and touring exhibitions programme. Our partnership with Coventry will continue well into 2018, with the launch of DesignLab Nation, the V&A’s ambitious new education programme to support Design and Technology education for 11 – 16 year olds, that will bring together local schools and museums with Coventry’s rich local history and industry to inspire the next

generation”. Francis Ranford, Director of Audience Engagement at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum said: “Culture Coventry have worked in partnership with the V&A for many years and this exhibition demonstrates how excellence can be brought to the region through collaboration of ideas, skills and knowledge. Crafts of the Punjab is a stunning display of design and making that represents a real cross section of cultural heritage that is strongly connected to Coventry and the wider West Midlands region. By working with the V&A we are able to bring such culturally significant artefacts to our visitors locally and regionally, to celebrate, learn and inspire future generations of makers.” Crafts of the Punjab: Explore the V&A’s South Asian Collection is on from Friday 20 October until Sunday 21 January, admission is free. Running alongside a schedule of complementary workshops and events, the Herbert Art Gallery’s Autumn/ Winter programme includes a significant exhibition of Picasso linocuts from the British Museum. Full details are available at http://www.theherbert.org/ whats_on/

Editors’ Note: Exhibition organised by the V&A, London, in collaboration with the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum About the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum offers inspiring and welcoming activities where the diverse communities of Coventry can explore and celebrate culture and identity. Building sustainable and authentic relationships with our audience and the people we work with. Through a vibrant, innovative programme we create and host lively events which enrich the experience of visitors. We aim to stimulate curiosity, and provide playful learning opportunities throughout everything we do.

Discover objects from the V&A’s stunning South Asian collection – Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Golden Throne, beautiful textiles, jewellery, and much more. Free Admission 20 October 2017 – 21 January 2018 Jordan Well, Coventry, CV1 5QP 024 7623 7521 theherbert.org

Exhibition organised by the V&A, London, in collaboration with the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.

DECEMBER 2017

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LANDMARK CONFERENCE SEES FAITHS FROM ACROSS THE WEST MIDLANDS COME TOGETHER

PICTURE ABOVE: Amrick Singh Ubhi, left, Prof Michael Whitby, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Arts and Law at Birmingham University, Andy Street, Dr David Cheetham, Head of the School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion at Birmingham University, and Prof Francis Davis. Faith representatives from across the region attended a landmark conference organised by Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and the University of Birmingham to examine ways of tackling social problems. Homelessness, hate crime, leadership and the economy were on the agenda for more than 450 people attending the Mayor and Faith Conference: Faith in the West Midlands in the university’s Great Hall on Monday (Nov 27). The Mayor, working with a faith-based steering group,

organised the conference to help him begin shaping priorities and ways of working with different groups affected by the issues. A framework of proposals aimed at tackling the themes and drawing on ideas discussed by delegates will now be prepared by the Mayor’s office for the New Year. The Mayor committed to supporting a leadership programme in which young activists between 18 and 24 years old will attend a 2-day advance leadership training course. This will be run by the University of Birmingham

and the University of Wolverhampton. He also announced his support for the University of Birmingham’s Edward Cadbury Centre to research best international mayoral practice on working with faith communities, and to work with the centre to secure funding for a study of the social, economic and other benefits contributed by faith communities to the West Midlands. Mr Street said: “I was delighted to see so many people, and it says much that we could have filled the Great Hall twice over with

those that wanted to attend but could not because we were full. “Faith communities and associated charities form one of the greatest sources of strength, vitality and resilience in our community. “The message I have received loud and clear from this conference is that the interests of that community is at the forefront of all that they do. “My job now is to progress what has been discussed into ways of moving forward in these areas.” Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted her support for

Air india plans to operate two direct flights to Amritsar per week from Birmingham Airport. Air India, already currently operates the popular daily flight service to Delhi. The new route to the home of the Golden Temple will be offered twice a week from Birmingham airport. Air India has had a successful relationship with Birmingham airport since

launching back in 2013, giving passengers the much needed direct flight to Delhi. Over the past four years the service operated by Air india has carried almost 500,000 passengers. William Pearson, aviation director at Birmingham Airport, said: “It is great news that we will have nonstop connections to two Indian cities. “With over 200,000 British-

Indian people who travel to India to visit friends and relatives, and for tourism and business interests, this additional destination shows the large demand within the region for non-stop Amritsar services from the Midlands. “Air India has been a successful partner for over four years and offers great connections to India with services operated by the new Boeing 787-8 ‘Dreamliner’

aircraft.” Mr Pankaj Srivastava, director – commercial and board member of Air India, said: “We are delighted that we are able to announce that we are planning to commence non-stop services between Birmingham and Amritsar twice a week, starting early 2018, recognising the consumer demand from the Midlands’ region to Amritsar, Punjab.

the event. In it she said: “The Faith Community is a source of vitality and strength in our society. That’s why @ andy4wm has called a landmark faith conference today in Birmingham. By working together I know we can deliver a happier, healthier and more prosperous West Midlands #FaithWM.” Delegates discussed ways of working to address: Unlocking the potential of young people by building new leadership networks Reducing homelessness and social need Keeping communities safer by tackling hate crime and discrimination Establishing ways to work together to make the economy work better for the whole community Presentations were given on these areas by Stephen Philpott of homeless charity St Basil’s, Anita Bhalla OBE, who is chair of the Mayor’s Leadership Commission, David Jamieson, the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, and Bishop of Birmingham the Right Reverend David Urquhart. The event also saw Mr Street announce a Mayor and Cohesion prize, designed to celebrate the best projects involved in cross-community working and which will be unveiled next summer. The conference was one of 10 pledges the Mayor promised to undertake following his election in May this year. A 17-strong faith steering group was established shortly after Mr Street took office. Co-chairs of the group,

appointed by Mr Street, are Francis Davis, Professor of Communities and Public Policy at the University of Birmingham, and Amrick Singh Ubhi, chair of the Council of Sikh Gurdwaras in Birmingham and director of the Nishkam Centre, a Sikh faith-led organisation working for the wellbeing of all communities, based in Handsworth, Birmingham. Prof Davis said: “Holding the West Midlands first Faith Summit is a fantastic start, I am delighted the Mayor has invited us to work with him to research best practice for mayors working with faith communities. This will be international in scope. “The Mayor also committed to working with the University of Birmingham to establish a research initiative quantifying the economic and social and other contributions of the faith sector to the Midlands. “We are all excited at the university that the Mayor wants to work with us on joint programmes of research going forward.” Amrick Singh Ubhi: “It has been an honour to be involved in helping steer this unique conference to fruition. “This is not the end game, this is the beginning of the journey, the beginning of more collaboration and more cohesion to unite us across the region. “We want everyone who is able to, to participate in the regeneration, renewal and restoration of the West Midlands, irrespective of their faith, community, tradition or culture. “We are all one big family and this is an opportunity to show that and come together to make this work.”

“Air India is always very sensitive to the needs of the consumer and is pleased to be connecting the two cities thereby adding a new city pairing for Air India’s expanding global network with the only non-stop UK Amritsar service.” Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “One of the most common issues raised when I talk to the Sikh community in our region is that they and their families are unable to fly direct to Amritsar. “Ever since, we’ve been working with Air India and Birmingham Airport to explore whether we could introduce this direct service for the 135,000 Sikhs living in the West Midlands. “I am delighted this will start early next year – I know

it will be well received news and a well-used service.” Preet Gill MP said: “I am delighted at today’s announcement of direct flights to Amritsar. I would like to thank both Birmingham Airport and Air India for bringing these nonstop flight to Amritsar to the region. “Sandwell is twinned with Amritsar, and in my capacity as local councillor I campaigned for these non-stop flights. This is wonderful news for the West Midlands, not just for the punjabi community, but for business too.” The Boeing 787-8 series aircraft has 256 seats in a split cabin, consisting of 18 business class and 238 economy seats.

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CHRISTMAS MARKET OPENED WITH EXTRA SECURITY MEASURES

This year's Frankfurt Christmas market in Birmingham is deplyed with armed police and undervcover oficers Ther are heavy-duty security barriers that have been placed around the market site. West Midlands Police says it will deploy officers who are trained to recognise suspicious behaviour. The force says the measure is not a response to any specific threat, but a precaution following an attack at a Christmas market in Berlin in 2016.

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THERESA MAY ANNOUNCES £250 MILLION FOR MAJOR MIDLAND METRO EXTENSION West Midlands will get £250 million for transport, including a major expansion of the Midland Metro from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill in the Black Country Prime Minister Theresa May is to announce £250 million to improve transport in the West Midlands as she visits the region today including a major extension to the Midland Metro. The cash will fund an extension of the light-rail Metro from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill in the Black Country. It's the first allocation from a new £1.7 billion "Transforming Cities" fund, designed to improve transport links and promote local growth within city regions across the country. The money will go to the West Midlands Combined Authority, led by West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and local council leaders. And the Authority is set to use the cash to fund a new metro line from Wednesbury to the new "DY5 Enterprise Zone" for hightech businesses at Brierley Hill, running through Great Bridge, Horseley Heath, Dudley Port, Dudley town

centre, the Waterfront and Merry Hill, before terminating at Brierley Hill town centre. This is the first of a series of proposed extensions to the Metro. Others includes lines to Wolverhampton interchange and to the HS2 terminal at Curzon Street in Birmingham. It's comes as Chancellor Phillip Hammond, who will join Mrs May on her visit to the West Midlands, prepares to present his Budget statement on Wednesday. The Government will also announce a major boost in spending on research and development, with an extra investment of £2.3 billion in 2021/22, raising total public investment in R&D to £12.5 billion in that year. Mayor Andy Street handed the full business case for the Metro extension to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling in July The West Midlands wanted £200 million for the scheme, leaving open the possibility that some cash from today's

grant will be left over for other projects. Mr Street said: "The Midland Metro extension to Brierley Hill is the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) priority transport project and the £250m from Government means we can get underway. "The importance of this extension is difficult to understate. It will open up sites for housing and regeneration and reconnect Dudley and Brierley Hill to the rail network for the first time in decades. "Perhaps most importantly, it connects the DY5 Enterprise Zone to the

network and supercharges proposals to create thousands of jobs in Brierley Hill. "This has been a long time coming - many decades in fact - but because of the WMCA presenting a compelling case to Government, we are finally able to start work, subject to board approval. "We now begin looking at the next projects we want to fund, with the extension of the Metro to Eastside to connect with the HS2 station at Curzon and the reopening of the Camp Hill line very much in our sights." Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "Investment in transport is crucial to a

strong and resilient economy. The Transforming Cities Fund will drive productivity and growth in cities where this is most needed, connecting communities and making it quicker and easier for people to get around. "This new fund will enable more English cities to reap these benefits, helping to deliver the opportunities and ambition of the Industrial Strategy across the country, as well as driving forward the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine." The measures are part of the Government's Industrial Strategy, designed to create good jobs.

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CANNABIS FARM FOUND AFTER FIRE AT PAK SUPERMARKET IN LOZELLS

PARTNERSHIP AIMS TO DRIVE START-UP SUCCESS

Pictured: Cliff Dennett, Innovation Birmingham and Venkat Raman, RE-Rise UK 3

Pak Supermarket Lozells Police found a cannabis farm after a fire at a Birmingham supermarket. A 29 year old man was arrested on suspicion of cultivating the drug in a flat above Pak Supermarket in Lozells Road, Lozells. The fire broke out in the store at around 12.20pm on Tuesday. 28 November. Firefighters wearing breathing equipment extinguished the flames, which started in an electrical fuse board. No-one was injured but three men, a woman and a child were led to safety from the flats above. The National Express West

Midlands No.46 bus service was diverted because of the incident. New figures revealed a rise in the amount of cannabis seized by police last year. Police swooped on a cannabis farm worth an estimated £100,000 in Small Heath in October. Officers from the Cannabis Disposal Team were called to a property off Coventry Road, where they found plants with some reported to be more than EIGHT foot tall. West Midlands Police said six rooms in the property were being used to grow 105 plants.

And in August, officers discovered a huge haul of cannabis at a house in Weoley Castle. Hundreds of plants were crammed into a loft in a house in Gregory Avenue. The alert was initially raised when an electrical fire broke out at the property and firefighters had a gun pointed at them by a young man at the scene. PCSO Hannah Moseley leapt into action and arrested a suspect telling him: “You’re not bringing a shooter on my patch.” The weapon later turned out to be a BB gun.

Innovation Birmingham Campus has struck up a new partnership with notfor-profit innovation and research centre RE-Rise UK and its virtual incubator and accelerator service. Phase one of the alliance between the two companies is set to run until September 2018, and will see the organisations collaborate to drive business growth and success for small to mediumsized enterprises (SMEs). The partnership focuses on providing start-up businesses with international access to support and mentoring programmes, with RE-Rise UK’s existing operations in Delhi driving the birth of innovative technology-based projects between the UK and India. Venkat Raman, founder of RE-Rise UK Ltd. said: “Under this partnership, Innovation Birmingham and RE-Rise UK will enjoy

the opportunity to leverage world class programming and build great companies in the global incubation market.” Start-ups currently nurtured by the RE-Rise Foundation receive business support, mentoring and incubation across a variety of sectors from solar and wind power to the Internet of Things and gaming. The partnership provides Indian small to mediumsized enterprises with opportunities to acquire a place on a relevant support programme delivered at the Innovation Birmingham Campus. Cliff Dennett, head of business development at Innovation Birmingham said: “Collaboration between two established business support networks for small to medium-sized enterprises presents valuable opportunities for business growth.

“The international dimension to this partnership means that both sets of companies have the chance to penetrate markets that may have been out of reach previously. “I look forward to developing the relationship between the organisations as we strive to establish and nurture successful growth companies.” Both organisations will provide up to nine months of free co-working space, mentoring and access to commercial partners, events, PR support and regional innovators and entrepreneurs. Venkat added: “This collaboration will also seek to encourage the exchange of commercial opportunities, networks and knowledge for SMEs based in both countries, looking to expand into, or utilise resources in those countries.” For start-ups based on the Innovation Birmingham Campus, the partnership presents an opportunity to gain more knowledge of the Indian market, where RE-Rise will be providing an assessment of sector-specific nationwide opportunities, an experience visit, accommodation arrangements, set-up and recruitment services as well as visa advice.

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Masterji Book Launch A photographic book highlighting the work of one of Coventry’s most celebrated photographers is set to be launched. Maganbhai Patel, better known as Masterji, launches his first book which will see a collection of 66 of his images taken during his career brought together in a new book. The 128-page, elegant coffee table book will be launched at St Mary’s Guildhall in Coventry on Tuesday, November 28 from 3pm-5pm and is being organised by the Photo Archive Miners and is part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Festival. Masterji’s book release comes a year after the successful ‘Masterji & Coventry’ exhibition in The Box at Fargo Village in 2016,

with his work showcased in Mumbai and New York since

the exhibition. The 95-year-old had been photographing South Asian immigrants in the city since the 1950s and, only recently, began to receive the recognition he deserves. The book has been written and selected by Masterji, his daughter, Tarla Patel, and Photo Archive Miners, publishers of the book, and includes an introduction by Dr Mark Sealy, which highlights the importance of the photographs which mark a transitional moment in both British and Indian history. His collection of photos taken in his studio on Stoney Stanton Road had been largely undiscovered before the exhibition, but have gone on to capture national and international attention. The launch will include speeches from Tarla and the Coventry City of Culture Trust, and will feature an opportunity for people to speak to Masterji. Prints of his photographs will be displayed around the venue, turning the space into a mini pop-up gallery. The event is a Coventry Great Place Project supported by Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Copies of the book will also be available for purchase, priced at £25, and it will then be available through the Photo Archive Miners’ website. Tarla said: “Masterji gives a voice to those forgotten in the

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past, at a time when people were facing adversity in jobs, education and housing because of their colour. This book shows proud people, determined and confident in who they are.” Mark Cook, of the Photo Archive Miners, said: “The book is very much a celebration of Masterji’s photography, it lets the photographs tell their own story and features an introduction from the man himself. “To hold the launch at a unique historic location in the city is brilliant, it really proves the city wants to celebrate Masterji’s success and the following he has developed in the last year. “We think it is a wonderful story for the city and for his family, something that really excites us and deserves to be told.” Laura McMillan, Manager of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “Masterji’s photographic collection tells a wonderful story of the lives of people in Coventry and it’s only right that the images be preserved in a book. “His work gives a real insight into the city’s history and, after last year’s incredible exhibition, this is a lasting way to celebrated his work.” Coventry City Council, The University of Warwick, and Coventry University are Principal Partners of the bid

and are providing significant support. The Ricoh Arena is Bid Sponsor while Jaguar Land Rover, Adient,

Friargate, Coventry Building Society, the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Birmingham Airport, PET-Xi, SCC, Pertemps, and CEF (City Electrical Factors) are also Bid Development Sponsors. Show your support on social media @Coventry2021

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THE JUMPROV CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

umprov are back once again this December with a Christmas themed 90 minute comedy sketch show completely made up on the spot and 100% improvised. Jumprov is the UK’s first ethnically diverse improvisational theatre company founded by Sunny Dhap starring Jade Samuels, Jay Droch, Adaya Henry, David Jackson & Marius Turner. Founder Sunny Dhap said “It is absolutely amazing to

be back at Birmingham’s beloved venues, The Crescent Theatre! The Jumprov Christmas Special will be a celebration of the true meaning of Christmas. The bringing people together regardless of religion and beliefs to have a jolly good time.” Sunny continued “This show will feature brand new sketches with our Jumprov twist sprinkled with that Christmas magic. We aim to bring our experience of Christmas to the stage. So

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Vulnerable adults urged to share their care experiences

For further details check out Jumprov. com and follow @ jumprov on Twitter/ Facebook/Instagram

come on down and enjoy a mince pie or three.” The show will take place on Saturday 2nd December 2017 8PM at The Crescent Theatre in Birmingham. Book early to avoid disappointment. Get Limited £8 Early Bird Tickets & Standard £10 Tickets from www.crescent-theatre. co.uk

WOLVERHAMPTON’S Health watchdog is urging adults classed as ‘vulnerable’ and their carers to speak out as part of an important new citywide project. The problem of vulnerable adults whose needs and voices can sometimes go unheard has been highlighted as an issue that health professionals in Wolverhampton want to tackle. Healthwatch Wolverhampton is carrying out a survey of vulnerable adults and carers in their ‘Making Safeguarding Personal’ campaign, as the first step towards giving them a louder and more active voice within the community. Adults who could be classed as vulnerable include disabled people, elderly people in care settings, people with substance misuse issues, people with mental health needs, victims of domestic violence and many other individuals. Once the survey has been collated, the Healthwatch team, based at Regent House, Bath Avenue, aims to set up a new advisory panel to give vulnerable adults a say when it comes to policies and plans that directly affect them. The panel will also highlight issues across the city that they believe should be on the social care radar. They are keen to hear from anyone who has been through the social services system to raise

issues of abuse or neglect to themselves or an adult they know of, or care for. Researcher in charge of Healthwatch Wolverhampton’s ‘Making Safeguarding Personal’ project, Sam Hicks explained: “All organisations in Wolverhampton are committed to keeping adults safe from abuse or neglect, particularly those in need of care and support, and promoting their well-being. This is known as ‘Adult Safeguarding’. ‘The local Safeguarding Adults Board aims to ensure that adults with care and support needs are treated fairly, able to protect themselves, or be protected from abuse and neglect. They have commissioned us to carry out the ‘Making Safeguarding Personal’ project to uncover vulnerable peoples’ stories to understand how well social care professionals are performing. “We want to give a stronger voice to vulnerable people and their carers and ensure they have the opportunity to speak out and influence the agenda, so we envisage the new group will meet on a regular basis to advise and alert the Board to issues that they believe are priorities in our community. “While Health and Social care professionals are highly trained and work very hard to give the best life outcomes for everyone, they cannot truly visualise what

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THIS HORRID WEATHER PLAYING HAVOC ON YOUR SKIN & LIPS?? Thought so, here’s a few tips to help you beat the winter blues!!! 1. Invest in a day cream with extra moisture (more than what you would usually have) with SPF... Although there’s not much sun, there is still pollution in the environment so protection is key! Extra moisture creams tend to be thicker in consistency but a good quality brand will still glide on easily! 2. If you don’t already, then try adding a few drops of facial oil into your moisture cream for

it’s like to walk in the shoes of a vulnerable person or their carers. “So, by giving a voice to a diverse range of people we can make sure we provide services that respond honestly and honourably to help the local community. Giving a place at the decision-making table to those who often go unheard will be a great step forward for everyone. “We want to hear both the good and bad experiences of vulnerable adults and their carers – and hear whether they are happy with the way the service responds to their problems.” People can get in touch in a variety ways, whichever they are most comfortable with: they can call the Freephone number on 0800 470 1944, ask to talk to Sam or leave their number for Sam to call them back, email their contact details and experiences to sam.hicks@ healthwatchwolverhampton. co.uk, visit Healthwatch Wolverhampton’s offices in Regent House, Bath Avenue, WV1 4EG and chat to a member of the team. Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous but have your say, you can go online at www. healthwatchwolverhampton. co.uk and leave feedback at the Experience Exchange. The deadline for responding to Healthwatch Wolverhampton’s survey is Friday December 8th. Anyone interested can contact Sam Hicks.

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added hydration. 3. When choosing a lip balm, opt for a vegan range, reason being, your average lip balm that contains petroleum or animal fat will smear on nicely while indoors but will dry out when in the cold... (ever notice you’re constantly topping up on lip balm? Well that’s why!!!) A good lip conditioner shouldn’t need to be reapplied over and over again because good ingredients absorb and moisten straight away!! 4. And finally grab that

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All-female motorbike squad JAS SANSI The Thinking Man's Mouthpiece to tackle crime against women In Delhi 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.

A CHANGE IS COMING The biggest risk of change is the threat of a diminished position following change. Change has the promise of opportunities and threats. Preparation for all outcomes will determine whether change benefits or buries you. As a photographer, the best example I can offer is Kodak, a brand that once enjoyed the same recognition as Coca Cola. It failed to see the evolution of cameras from film to digital. Change buried this once iconic corporation. Brexit is potentially the biggest change this generation will experience. My own position as a Remainer risks blinding me to it’s opportunities. The responsibilities of a young family and a small business dictate the luxury of ignoring change is one I cannot afford. I know change is coming. I just don’t know how much our infrastructure and political systems will shield us from the effects. Early signs of the latest negotiations suggest Northern Ireland remaining in the customs union. This is an extraordinary development. Different parts of the UK juggling different regulations with its immediate neighbours. If Northern Ireland gets this, business lobbying group London First will be banging on the door of London Mayor Sadiq Khan and demanding the same deal for the capital. Here in Birmingham we are part of the West Midlands Combined Authority. Adopting a regulatory system that allows greater alliance with the EU is an opportunity. It’s a shield against the threats primed to rain down on us. My priorities are protecting those around me, the community in which I operate and the economic survival of the region I call home. This flavour of Brexit will supercharge the devolution of the UK’s regions. We move from being a United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland to a United States of Britain and Northern Ireland. That's some change.

Five years after shocking gang rape, rapid response unit aims to combat assault and harassment in India’s crowded capital

Delhi’s police force have created an all-female motorcycle squad in an attempt to tackle rising crime against women, particularly in the city’s narrow alleyways. The patrol, called Raftaar (Speed), will deploy specially trained female officers on 600 motorbikes from December. They will carry regular firearms, body cameras, pepper spray and stun guns and work in pairs patrolling crowded, cramped areas of the city. It is hoped that their presence will deter offenders and reassure women, who led protests against sexual assault five years ago after a brutal gang rape in Delhi. Research released earlier this month found that women who report such crimes are still routinely harassed by police or bullied into silence. In 2016, more than 2,150

rapes were recorded in Delhi – a rise of 67% from 2012, according to police data. A poll by the Thomson Reuters Foundation in October found that Delhi, along with São Paulo in Brazil, was the world’s worst city for sexual violence against women, a fact that has earned the metropolis the tag of India’s “rape capital”. Critics have often said that there are too few police officers to deal with the city’s 26 million-strong population, and that even if crimes are reported, they are not handled properly. In some of Delhi’s neighbourhoods, the lanes are so narrow that they are never lit by the sun. The physical proximity of people travelling through these alleys makes it easier for offenders to grope or sexually harass women. A spokesperson for Delhi

Saroj Chodhuary, an Indian police constable in Jaipur, where a similar unit has been established police said that if a woman calls the force, the patrol van is unlikely to be able to get through the narrow space, with motorbikes being the only vehicle able to negotiate the lanes and traffic jams. “The motorbike force, with its hi-tech equipment, will increase visibility on the streets and reassure women,” said Dependra Pathak, chief spokesman for the Delhi police. “Because they will zip through narrow lanes and have GPS, they will have a faster response time than patrol vans. The plan is for them to be used mostly in

areas such as university areas where there are a lot of female students.” Ravi Kant, the president of the Shakti Vahini women’s rights group, said the measure was a kneejerk reaction. “Crimes are rising because of poor law enforcement. Criminals know they can get away with it because police investigations are so shoddy that hardly anyone is convicted in the courts. We need a holistic action plan, not this kind of reaction,” he said.

INDIAN POLITICIAN OFFERS $1.5M BOUNTY FOR PADMAVATI ACTRESS

Surajpal Amu of PM Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party orders killing of actress and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali over accusations new film Padmavati misrepresents Hindi legend The release of a highly anticipated Bollywood blockbuster has been delayed after a politician from India's governing party offered a bounty of $1.5 million for the heads of the movie's star and director amid outcry that the film distorted Hindu legend. The movie Padmavati - depicting the life of a legendary 14th century queen Padmini - marked the latest in a string of flash points from right-wing groups that perceive more clout under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has courted Hindu nationalists has part of his political base. Members of the Rajput Karni Sena, a group

associated with the warrior Rajput caste, claim it misrepresents history by depicting a love affair between the queen and a Muslim invader. The group is further upset that the queen's midriff is exposed in a song sequence. They have called for a nationwide strike, and backed the death threats against the star Deepika Padukone and the film's director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali. But Bhansali insists the plot has no such love scene. And the movie trailer pays ample homage to Rajput bravery and their role in resisting Muslim armies. The death threats - against one of India's most popular

actress and a prominent filmmaker - brought quick backlash. “It's absolutely appalling. What have we gotten ourselves into? And where have we reached as a nation?” said the actress Padukone who plays the leading role of queen Padmavati and who recently appeared in xXx: Return of Xander Cage alongside Vin Diesel. “The violent reaction to the film's release further suggests a groundswell of conservatism in Modi's India. Bollywood films in 2000s were known for breaking taboos, when they increasingly began to show on-screen kissing, live-in relationships between unmarried couples,

and interreligious romances, most famously in the 2008 historical drama Jodhaa Akbar. The director Bhansali issued a video statement saying the protests were caused by a misunderstanding and that there was no romance between the Muslim king and the Hindu queen. “We have made this film very responsibly, keeping in mind the Rajput dignity and respect. I would like to reiterate once again that our film has no dream sequence between Rani Padmavati and Alauddin Khalji or any other scene which will hurt anyone,” he said.

A Butler Well Served

JAS SANSI TWITTER: @jassansi FACEBOOK: fb.com/jassansi

British Muslim Women's Identity project

Raheela Mann Rahila Mann describes herself as being by trade “a criminal justice community reduction practitioner, a community engagement commissioner, a financial manager”, and is the current Prevent engagement officer at Birmingham City Council, However, despite her success, her path to being a senior Muslim woman in local government has not been an easy one. Although born and bred in Birmingham, being

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the daughter of Pakistani immigrants meant that her childhood was pervaded by her parent’s traditional ways. “My father came from a rural background, so economically over the years he did very well, but one of the things he brought with him was a very orthodox background, he hadn’t moved forward, he had clung on to traditions and the orthodox way of living from the 50’s in Pakistan”. It is this, the style of her

upbringing, that Rahila uses to define her childhood. The specific restrictions placed on her and her sister “did become barrier blocks in terms of our formative years, especially social development and education”. She attributes her parent’s strictness towards their daughter as “clinging onto the culture, not wanting to let go because they felt afraid that it may get diluted”. Rahila vividly remembers her father’s perennial dream of making his fortune here in England and then returning home to Pakistan. However, this wish, Rahila explains, could never come to fruition and “because he couldn’t, he clung onto those romanticised, orthodox ways of living. For the 50’s in Pakistan”. As a result of this, immediately after finishing her A-levels, Rahila was forced into an arranged marriage, to someone she had never met back in Pakistan. This interrupted her studies by hindering her in the pursuit of going to college and university. “In

SHOOTING AT A PERRY BARR BANK.

Barclays on Birchfield Road was forced to close for the day

the 80’s you couldn’t really do a lot, you had to go with the family’s wishes”. “So, there was this person, this stranger, I was suddenly married to. Everything was so alien”. Rahila felt lost and angry. To this day, she ascribes the reason for her arranged marriage as being due to “my parents still wanting to keep an element of control. By getting married to someone convenient they could control, and then he could control me”. However, thankfully this was not the case. In her own words, her husband “happened to be the most kind and liberal man you can come across”. Rahila describes their life as ‘reversed roles’ due to her husband having encouraged her to finish her A-levels while he stayed home, taking care of their three children. By 1995, Rahila had joined the council, albeit as “a very humble clerk typist”, and began her two-decade long career in local government. “I went through a series of personal and career development”, she says,

which culminated in her completing a Criminology degree and then Masters at Birmingham University 2010. She puts her success down to the opportunities afforded to her by her workplace and the unwavering support of her husband stating explicitly how he “was instrumental in me progressing to a senior level in the council”. Reflecting on her 31 years of marriage she says, “In fact, a lot of this goes back thanks to my husband. I suppose I don’t thank him enough, we take each other for granted”. Despite her family’s criticism and disapproval, Rahila has gone above and beyond the confines of her restrictive childhood. “So that’s been my journey, been with the council for over 2 decades now held various positions, in all of that what’s always been close to my heart is championing the needs of women and my community. Whether it was through commissioning, intervention, ensuring that there was a larger representation of community

groups when funding was available through government schemes. And now by luck I am doing community engagement. Collaborating and working with women’s networks across the city”.

READ THE THOUGHTPROVOKING, COMPELLING INTERVIEW ONLINE!

For more information about the project, please contact saphia@ amirahfoundation.org.

You can find the Amirah Foundation on Facebook and Twitter, and share your stories online using the hashtags: #BritMWI #SheIsBritish

THE STAGGERING AMOUNT OF TIME EMPLOYEES ARE SPENDING GETTING TO AND FROM WORK Workers now take an average of 27 days a year getting to and from work

A businessman believes a city bank was SHOT AT after witnessing the aftermath of a truly shocking vandal attack. Barclays bank, situated on Birchfield Road in Perry Barr , was forced to close for the day on Wednesday, November 22 after windows were smashed and the ATM was destroyed. “I was utterly shocked,” said Mohammed Saleem, who shared the video on Facebook. Mohammed Saleem is adamant that glass was pierced by bullets (Image: Mohammed Saleem via Facebook) “I was about to walk in to deposit some money but was immediately waved away as people inside were clearing up the glass.

“I’m not sure what happened but as you can see there are bullet holes in the window, it can’t be anything else. 'Shame the low life scum': Watch Police car smashed with hammer “Banks have tough glass and for it to be shattered like that then it must have been bullets.” The ATM was completely destroyed Lisa Webb, on behalf of Barclays, issued the following statement: “I can confirm that an incident took place at our Perry Barr branch

during the early hours of Wednesday

morning. “This appears to be act of vandalism and we are working with the police currently. We will endeavour to reopen the branch as soon as possible.” Meanwhile, a spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “This has been logged as criminal damage and appears the offender(s) used a hammer to smash the window, but nothing was taken.”

Rail commuters are spending over two hours getting to and from work every day as travel times increase for Britain's workers, a new study reveals. Workers now take an average of 27 days a year getting to and from work after travel times increased by five minutes a day compared to a decade ago, the TUC said. Rail passengers face the longest journeys at an average of two hours 12 minutes a day, compared with 52 minutes for drivers and 39 minutes for those who travel by bus, the research found. People who walk to work have the quickest daily journeys at 30 minutes, followed by cyclists (43 minutes). Learner drivers will be allowed on Britain's motorways, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has

announced Londoners have the longest commute, while Welsh people have the shortest, the TUC added. General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "We're now spending 27 working days a year going to and from work. That's wasted time, which could have been better spent with family and friends. "Commutes should be getting shorter, but inflexible bosses and our cash-starved transport system mean we're wasting more and more time getting to work. "It doesn't have to be like this. Home working and less rigid hours would take pressure off road and rail. "And serious government investment could give us a transport network that's up to the job." Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise, which promotes flexible working, commented: "This

should act as a wake-up call to employers to change their outdated attitudes to commuting. "Year on year, the UK's roads and public transport infrastructure become more congested. It's time to act to protect the health and wellbeing of the weary commuter. "Not only are long commutes bad for our health, but they can affect our ability to concentrate at work. "That's bad for productivity, resulting in a lose/lose situation for employers, employees and the whole economy." The TUC blamed longer commutes on low government spending on transport infrastructure, employers not offering flexible and home working and real wages falling while property prices "soar", making it hard to move closer to work.

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Midlands Asian Wedding Awards 2017 – Winners L

ast Saturday saw the second Annual Midlands Asian Wedding Awards, and the evening went off with a bang! Organised by Monsoon Venue Group and sponsored by East End Foods and Barclays the evening started with a wonderful glitz filled drinks reception, courtesy of Crush Cocktails, with our guests being greeted into the venue by two of the lovely showgirl dancers from the RnR Productions Company. The event saw many prominent figures come to show their support for this pioneering awards ceremony, from all different domains within the wedding industry. The evening had a wonderful feeling of comradery and excitement from and for all our short listers, guests and judges. The host for this glamour filled evening was none other than the delightful and charismatic actor Ameet Chana whom, with his effortless charm, made the night immensely entertaining! The evening kicked off with a spectacular performance from the incredibly talented Shin Parwana and DCS treating our guests to a

RDF West has been commissioned to make a third 4x60’ series of Shop Well For Less? for BBC One following the success of the last series. The new series will be made out of RDF’s Bristol offices and will be Exec Produced by their Head of Popular Factual JoScarratt-Jones, who is now also taking on the role of RDF West’s Deputy Head Of Programmes. It has been commissioned by BBC Commissioning Editor Catherine Catton. The One Show presenter Alex Jones and BBC Breakfast’s Business correspondent Steph McGovern will be returning to help families change the way they shop without changing

WINNERS LIST:

MAWA MIDLANDS ASIAN WEDDING AWARDS

medley of music to really get everybody in the mood for a wonderful party. The marvellous RnR Productions dancers kept the vibe going during the awards with a wonderful bhangra fusion show. We ended the entertainment for the evening on an absolute high; with comedian and actor Guz Khan bringing down the house with laughter, his

their lifestyle. From make-up to cleaning products, gadgets to shampoos, clothes to lawn mowers, Alex and Steph will be using their shopping and business expertise to try and change the spending habits of families, help them save money and shop savvy. Jo Scarratt Jones, Executive Producer, RDF West said: “I’m really excited that Alex and Steph will be hitting the road again to help families manage their money more wisely. Taking a really close look at how we splash our cash is very revealing, and there are always shocks and surprises. It’s great that we can all learn with the families, recognize our own spending

hilarious set kept everyone howling long after he left the stage. The winners were announced to uproars of applause from fellow nominees and peers, accepting their awards and certificates before heading out to our media area for professional photos with our official photographers at Silver Fox Pictures and an

habits and pick up lots of tips and tricks along the way” Catherine Catton, Commissioning Editor, said: “I’m delighted to be working with the team at RDF on a new series of Shop Well for Less. It’s a brilliantly entertaining format, but also hugely relatable with lots of tips and ideas on how we can all be a bit more savvy with our cash.” Shop Well For Less? is executive produced by Jo Scarratt-Jones for RDF West. The series is commissioned by Catherine Catton, BBC Commissioning Editor. Banijay Rights hold international rights to the format and the finished programmes.

interview with media partner BritAsia TV A big thank you to our headline sponsors; East End Foods and Barclays. Along with our other sponsors Caters News, St Johns Hotel, The Asain Today, EF MediSpa, Visions Media, Raaj FM, Brit Asia TV, Doctor Foot, Crush Cocktails, RnR Productions, RDH Solicitors, Thapers and Desi Central.

Best Purpose-Built Venue – Prestige Suite

Best Grooms Wear Collection – Sharons Couture

Best Alternative Wedding Venue – Stoneleigh Abbey

Best Cinematography Company – Shevy Sandhu

Best Special Touch – Best Man Official

Best Bar and Drinks Provider – Crush Cocktails

Best Cake Designer – The Juci Luci Cake Company

Best Event Management – Black Velvet Events

Best Brides Wear Collection – Sati Takhar

Best Wedding Transport Provider – Manns Limousines

Best Wedding Photography – Didar Virdi Photography

Best Provider of Honeymoons and Weddings Abroad – Honeymoon Dreams

Best Wedding Accessories Provider – Aariya Diamonds Best Temporary Event Structure Provider – Golden Events Best Wedding Entertainment – The Real Bride Best Asian Wedding Caterer – Sanjay Foods

Best Event Design Company – Diamond Weddings Best Hair and Make-up Artist – Arman Milind Best Wedding Roadshow – Kikli Roadshow New Business Initiative – YuNé Occasions

RDF’s Shop Well For Less? To return to BBC One

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BIRMINGHAM CATERER OPENS BRAND JEREMY CORBYN MEETS STUDENTS NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART LEARNING AND FROM ACROSS THE REGION AT SOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTRE AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM

Cityserve, the organisation behind 70,000 school meals across Birmingham each day, is marking National School Meals Week with the official launch of a brand new state-of-the-art learning and development centre at its headquarters in the city. The centre, based at Cityserve’s Birmingham headquarters in Birmingham Science Park, will become a hub for training for catering staff from schools across the city, as well as other organisations from across the region and beyond. The accredited Qualsafe Training Centre, which boasts state of the art presentation technology, a lecture theatre, breakout spaces, meeting rooms and a refreshment area, was officially opened by Birmingham City Council’s Cllr Majid Mahmood on the first day of National School Meals Week. Guests also included Cityserve staff from Midlands schools as well as children Wheelers Lane Technology College in Kings Heath and Turves Green Girls School in

Northfield. Dale Wild, Head of Service at Cityserve, said: “The launch of our Learning and Development Centre is the latest milestone in our ongoing work to make Cityserve the best in the business. “This new centre will allow us to offer a whole range of training for our own staff as well as other organisations who want to take advantage of a bespoke learning environment in an accredited Qualsafe Training Centre. “We’re looking forward to welcoming our staff into the new centre and to talking to other organisations about how they can take advantage of our state-of-the-art resource to help them reach the high standards that we aspire to here at Cityserve.” Cityserve, Birmingham City Council’s Foodservice division, already delivers in-house industry-specific legislative and compliance training to more than 2,000 catering staff from 280 Birmingham schools, as well as in-school and central training via its team of

expert development chefs at its highly successful development kitchen CityKitchen Live. The new Learning and Development Centre provides a dedicated space for training and a bespoke learning environment that can be tailored to its users’ needs, making it the ideal place for employers and organisations to stage courses and training days. “I was honoured to cut the ribbon for this amazing Learning & Development Centre – the latest step in Cityserve’s journey to become the leading municipal foodservice provider in the West Midlands and beyond. As well as supplying children with excellent and healthy school meals, this new facility offers industryclass accredited training to their 1400 strong catering workforce and now to the wider food-industry as a commercial venture.” Councillor Majid Mahmood Cityserve is running a range of activities to mark National School Meals Week, which runs from November 13th-19th. These include Host a Roast where Cityserve will join schools from across the nation in Food for Life’s National Roast Dinner Day on Wednesday, November 15th.

Students from across the region met Labour leader Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP in a short meet and greet this afternoon (14th Nov). The event, hosted by South and City College Birmingham in conjunction with the Association of Colleges, saw more than 100 students quiz the leader of the Opposition on a range of issues, such as Brexit, inflation, university debt, transgender issues, homelessness and more. The Labour leader was speaking ahead of his keynote speech at the AoC’s

Annual Conference at the ICC Birmingham. Mike Hopkins, Principal at South and City College Birmingham, said: “We’re very pleased to be hosting this session. It’s great to see so many students across the region take advantage of this opportunity and ask some really challenging questions.” Students from as far as Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Warwickshire welcomed the opportunity to meet Labour leader and ask him questions directly. “It’s been great meeting Jeremy and I learnt a lot from the

experience. I was interested to hear what his plans for the future are, especially with regards to healthcare and education.” Amba Fellows, a social media student at South and City College said. David Hughes, Chief Executive at the Association of Colleges, commented: “It’s great that the Opposition leader was able to engage with students around issues that are important to them. These were the same issues he delivered in his keynote speech to those looking to improve the further education sector.”

GRADUATE WITH 2:1 SUES OXFORD FOR £1M An Oxford graduate's failure to get a top degree cost him a lucrative legal career, the High Court has heard.

aiz Siddiqui alleges "inadequate" teaching on his modern history course resulted in him getting an upper second degree in June 2000. The graduate blames the

staff for being absent on sabbatical leave and is suing the university for £1m. Oxford denies negligence and causation and says the case is "massively" outside the legal time limit. Mr Siddiqui also alleges

medical information about him was not submitted to examiners by a tutor. The 39-year-old studied at Brasenose College and singled out the teaching on the Indian special subject part of his course for criticism. Julian Milford, for Oxford University, told the court Mr Siddiqui described the teaching as "a little bit dull" His counsel Roger Mallalieu told Mr Justice Foskett that Mr Siddiqui had been a "driven young man" aiming at a postgraduate qualification at an Ivy League university. He said: "Whilst a 2:1 degree from Oxford might rightly seem like a tremendous achievement to

most, it fell significantly short of Mr Siddiqui's expectations and was, to him, a huge disappointment." Mr Mallalieu said his employment history in legal and tax roles was "frankly poor" and he was now unemployed, rather than having a career at the tax bar in England or a major US law firm. Mr Siddiqui also said his clinical depression and insomnia have been significantly exacerbated by his "inexplicable failure". Julian Milford, for Oxford University, told the court Mr Siddiqui complained about insufficient resources, but had only described the teaching as "a little bit dull". He added the student received exactly the same amount of teaching as he would have in any other year.

The seven-day hearing is concerned only with liability -

with damages to be assessed later if Mr Siddiqui succeeds.

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Sir John Peace, Narinder Johal, Ninder Johal Winner: Lifetime Achievement Award Sir John Peace (Left)

EAST & WEST MEET AT THE NACHURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARDS Business Start up Winner : Doorsteps Tommy Sandhu, Akshay Ruparelia, Pally Sagoo

Business of the year : YU Energy Nicholas Jones, Tommy Sandhu, YU Energy

Hospitality Business : Chutney Ivy Monty Wouhra, Shaf Islam, Tommy Sandhu

Highly Commended : Electrical Design & MFG Co Ltd / Nita Nanda Tommy Sandhu, Jaspal Minhas, Nita Nanda, Ninder Johal

‘Partnership and Collaboration are key to a prosperous future’ was the cry from the Chair of the Midlands Engine. Sir John Peace was speaking at the inaugural Nachural Entrepreneurship Awards which took place at the Kingpower stadium on the 24th November. Sir John Peace who is also the chair of Burberry also spoke about the potential of the Midlands Engine to deliver employment , improved infrastructure and an enhanced reputation internationally. He spoke further about the journey of Burberry and also expanded on the future prospects of the global marketplace whilst recognising the challenges that exist post Brexit. The inaugural Nachural Entrepreneurship Awards were set up to encourage networking between the East and West Midlands whilst recognising wealth creating businesses of all backgrounds and sectors. The awards set out to recognise excellence from early stage businesses to those that had matured but also included companies

who modus operandi is to disrupt the marketplace. There was also an emphasis on international and community based work too. Mr Ninder Johal of Nachural , the organiser of the event and who is also past president of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce and a Black Country LEP board member spoke about the positive growth of the UK over the last 12 months but warned about the slowing down of the global economy and in particular the uncertainty around Brexit, the EU and potential world trade which starts to operate on a protectionist level . He also emphasized the need to concentrate on the importance of education and how this will impinge on the ability of the UK to remain competitive in the global marketplace. He warned on the need to have a balanced economy both in terms of sectoral coverage but also from a geographical basis where London was still seen as overheating. He also warned the region to collaborate and work together in order to safeguard funding for

Community Excellence : ISA Support Services Tommy Sandhu, Andie Seessey, Raj Baddhan

crucial issues such as transport infrastructure and local skills development. The winners on the night were : Doorsteps ( Start up of the year ), Chutney Ivy (Hospitality Business of the Year ) ISA Support Services ( Community ), Sameer Karim (Entrepreneur of the year ) Kala Patel ( Business Woman of the Year ), Rafique Patel (Business Person of the Year ) and DJ’s Groom Room and Sandra May Hair Salon (Promoting Apprenticeships in the Workplace ) and Business of the Year went to Yu Energy. Highly commended on the night were Nita Nanda and Electrical Design and MFG co Ltd. Sponsors on the night included : Morningside Pharmaceuticals Cobra beer, East End Foods, Sabras Radio, South Leicestershire College and North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, Investec Wealth and Investment, Rational FX, BSJ Fixings, Hollywood Monster, Pathway Group, and Vision Design and Print. The charity on the night was newly formed BEC UK and the host for the evening was Tommy Sandhu.

International / Enterprise of the Year : Clifton Packaging Jaspaul Bains, Shahid Sheikh, Tommy Sandhu

Entrepreneur of the Year : Sameer Karim Tommy Sandhu, Sameer Karim, Nik Kotecha

Business Women of the year : Kala Patel Tommy Sandhu, Yvonne Ord, Marion Plant

Business Person of the Year : Rafique Patel Tommy Sandhu, Rafique Patel, Khuram Cheema

Promoting Apprenticeships in the Workplace : DJ’s Groom Room and Sandra May's Hair Salon Tommy Sandhu, Deejay Irvine, Sandra May Potts, Alan Hill

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After reuniting with wife Faryal Makhdoom the boxer is attempting to repair his damaged public image

AMIR KHAN JETS OFF TO THE I’M A CELEBRITY JUNGLE AS TROUBLED BOXING CHAMP GETS BACK TOGETHER WITH WIFE FARYAL MAKHDOOM

Released on the 22nd of December 2017 in india

ARAMM 2 ON THE CARDS; NAYANTHARA TO REPRISE ROLE, CONFIRMS PRODUCER K RAJESH

JUSTICE LEAGUE REVIEW – GOOD, EVIL AND DULLNESS DO BATTLE

VIDYUT JAMMWAL STARRER JUNGLEE TO RELEASE ON DUSSEHRA 2018 MORE NEWS ONLINE AT

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EXCITING! ALIA BHATT STARRER RAAZI TO Hrithik Roshan's biopic on HIT THE THEATRES ON MAY 11 NEXT YEAR mathematiacian Anand

lia Bhatt has been prepping up hard for her next film with Meghna Gulzar titled Raazi in which she will be seen opposite Vicky Kaushal. Alia, who plays a spy in the film had been intensively shooting for the film in Kashmir for quite sometime now. Just few days back, Alia had informed her fans on social media about film's wrap up. Alia today shared her first look from the film and as well announced film's release date. With exactly six months to film's release, the actress has left all her fans excited. Raazi

releases on May 11, 2018 and we just can't wait for it. T. Raazi is based on Harinder Sikka’s novel titled Calling Sehmat and is about a Kashmiri girl married to an Pak army officer and is set during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Both Alia and Karan tweeted about the film's release date on their social media handles today and shared the actress's look from the film.

Kumar gets a release date

Bollywood star Hrithik has been busy with his upcoming project Super 30, which is based on the life of ace mathematician Anand Kumar. After a lot of speculation and brining all kinds of rumours to an end the film's release date was announced

JUSTICE LEAGUE REVIEW – GOOD, EVIL AND DULLNESS DO BATTLE

A passionate spark of frenemy-bromance between the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader was famously created in the last DC adventure, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, when these two legends discovered their mums had the same first name: Martha. That somewhat anticlimactic coincidence was widely considered to be indicative of something unconvincing in the whole project. The problems are still evident. This new film has had a troubled passage. Its original director, Zack Snyder, had to step aside after a family tragedy and Joss Whedon took over, reportedly reshooting between 15 and 20% of the film, a segment which may or may not have included the ending. It’s an unhappy state of affairs that may account for the film’s tendency to shapelessness. Or this may have been a function of the ensemble structure and an uncertain handling of Batman’s new, more respectable and collegial

role within the League. We are now a few months on from Superman’s awful fate and huge, sombre banners hang on public monuments all over the world, including Tower Bridge in London. People are everywhere thoroughly depressed and demoralised. Then it becomes very clear that a terrible new threat to Planet Earth is materialising: a grotesque force of evil and destruction in the form of Steppenwolf (played in digital motion capture by Ciarán Hinds). Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) who in costume and mask is still being called that primitive

prototypical name “the bat man” and still going into the deep voice, even in front of people who already know who he is, persuades Diana Prince, otherwise known as Wonder Woman – and enjoyably played by Gal Gadot – that a crack new supergroup should be assembled under their joint command. Metahumans need to be recruited. They will be the lightning-fast Barry Allen, or the Flash (Ezra Miller), the technohuman hybrid Victor Stone or Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Arthur Curry, or Aquaman, played with muscular and humorous panache by Jason Momoa, from Game of Thrones. He

is the kind of exotic undersea creature that David Attenborough might discover in Blue Planet II. Meanwhile Lois Lane (Amy Adams) mopes listlessly about the Daily Planet newsroom doing dull human interest stories and Bruce’s manservant Alfred (Jeremy Irons) is even less the traditional belowstairs figure of old, now more a silver-fox computer whiz who says things like: “What the hell?” But everyone must put aside their differences and worries to fight together against the wicked invader – in honour of Superman.

Read the full review online at theasiantoday.com

today. It's lead actor Hrithik took to his social media handle to announce it to his fans and the film is now going to release on November 23, 2018. Super 30 has become one of the most aaited movies for next year.

ARAMM 2 ON THE CARDS; NAYANTHARA TO REPRISE ROLE, CONFIRMS PRODUCER K RAJESH Nayanthara's latest Tamil outing Aramm, a socio-political thriller which hit the screens on Friday, has won over audiences and critics alike.

AMIR KHAN JETS OFF TO THE I’M A CELEBRITY JUNGLE AS TROUBLED BOXING CHAMP GETS BACK TOGETHER WITH WIFE FARYAL MAKHDOOM After reuniting with wife Faryal Makhdoom the boxer is attempting to repair his damaged public image

TROUBLED boxing champ Amir Khan has jetted to Australia after agreeing to appear on this year’s I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here! The revelation comes amid rumours the fighter is back with his pregnant wife Faryal Makhdoom, after he posted a cute photo of the couple cuddling. Amir is said to have flown out to Australia to appear in I'm A Celeb Khan, 30, had previously wobbled over his participation in I’m A Celeb, citing his Muslim faith as an issue with some of the ITV show’s eating trials. His reconciliation with Faryal will dash show chiefs’ hopes of any jungle romance. But they are still said to be thrilled to land the Bolton-born former light-welterweight world champion. Amir Khan has had a turbulent past year with family rows, a split from his wife and alleged affairs “ITV have been trying to get him to do the show for years so this is a real coup for them. They think he’ll make great TV. “They had hoped that as a newly-single man there could be a jungle romance with some of the sexy singletons

there. But that’s now looking unlikely. “Meanwhile Amir’s hoping he can use the show as a springboard to help rebuild some of the damaged public perception of him after his marriage split.” Faryal denied having an affair and is pregnant with Amir's second child Amir Khan and Faryal Makhdoom have been going through severe marriage difficulties at the moment Khan accused Faryal, 26, of cheating with fellow boxer Anthony Joshua this summer — before she hit back at him. She later announced she was pregnant with their second child. The star captioned his recent snap with Faryal: before oing on the show “With my 4 month pregnant wife after sorting out all the issues. "Closing the year with a happy ending.”

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OWBIZ SHOWBIZ SHOWBIZ SHOWBIZ SHOWBIZ SHOWBIZ SHOWBIZ SHOWBIZ SHOWBIZ A gripping, hard-hitting story about hope and survival, narrated through the course of a day, features Nayanthara in the role of a district collector whose abilities are challenged in a life-and-death situation. Firstpost has exclusively learnt that a sequel is being planned and the film's producer K Rajesh confirmed it. "Aramm 2 is on the cards. It's too early to divulge more information but the project will definitely happen. It'll be even more powerful and hardhitting," Rajesh told Firstpost, adding that Nayanthara will return in the titular role. Aramm, directed by Gopi

Vidyut Jammwal starrer Junglee to release on Dussehra 2018

Nainar, raises pertinent questions about the system we live in, emphasizing on the inefficiency of the government and officials in the need of the hour. The film has been unanimously praised for its realistic presentation about the lives of have-nots in the hinterland. The Telugu dubbed version of Aramm is scheduled to release soon. Following the phenomenal response to the film, Nayanthara is visiting select theatres across Chennai on Saturday to meet and greet her fans who have embraced the film with love and support.

Vidyut Jammwal starrer Junglee is all set to hit the screens on Dussehra 2018 or October 19. The film which will be helmed by American director Chuck Russell is going to have a lot of action and stunt work. We finally have the release date Vidyut Jammwal, and an elephant. of Vidyut Jammwal starrer film There is not much known about Junglee. It is all set for a Dussehra the film as yet but we do know 2018 or October 19 release. This that the film had some problems in production. Earlier, Rohan Sippy film is being directed by American director and screenwriter Chuck was supposed to direct the film, but Russell, who is known for for some unknown reason he was Hollywood films like A Nightmare dropped and Chuck Russell was on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, called to direct. Knowing Vidyut The Scorpion King, and The Mask. Jammwal, the film is going to have Junglee is apparently about a man, a lot of action and stunt work. who we assume will be played by

Harshvardhan Kapoor’s next film to release in May 2018

Harshvardhan Kapoor will next be seen in a revenge drama directed by Vikramaditya Motwane which is scheduled to hit the screens in May next year. Talking about the film the director said that the story explores love, friendship, anger and heroism and its relevance in today's times.

Actor Harshvardhan Kapoor, last seen on screen in Mirzya, will soon be featuring in Vikramaditya Motwane’s untitled directorial releasing on May 25 next year. Reliance Entertainment and Eros International have come together to release the Phantom Films production, read a statement. It promises some intense action and well-crafted hand combat fights, which have been designed by an international crew, and shot at some never-before-seen locations in and around Mumbai. Motwane said, “The story explores love, friendship, anger and heroism and its relevance in today’s times. It’s been with me for a very long time and I’m delighted at the way it’s turned out. The action sequences are awesome and I can’t wait for the audience to see it.” The yet untitled film is the story

of one young man’s quest for revenge, and the discovery that he is destined for much bigger things. Shibasish Sarkar, COO Reliance Entertainment, said, “We are happy to collaborate with Phantom Films for this film which will resonate with public at large in a unique way. Vikramaditya Motwane’s films have always attained great critical acclaim and we are confident that this film will not only attain the acclaim but will be successful at the box office.” The film’s music has been composed by Amit Trivedi with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. They have earlier worked with Motwane on Lootera and Udaan. Sunil Lulla, Managing Director, Eros International Media Ltd, said with the “mass entertainer”, they are looking forward to “creating a new milestone”.

Shahid Kapoor's Simple Response On Not Wanting To Work With Katrina Kaif In Batti Gul Meter Chalu

fter his portrayal of the Maharawal Ratan Singh in the muchcontroversial film Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor has signed for his next film already. The film titled Batti Gul Meter Chalu will be directed by Akshay Kumar’s Toilet: Ek Prem Katha director Shree Narayan Singh. Earlier there were rumours that Katrina Kaif was also to be cast in the film, however, Shahid Kapoor did not want to act opposite the actress. Putting an end to those rumours, Shahid has responded in a simple two-word tweet via

his social media handle. On Friday evening, the Udta Punjab actor quashed these rumours in his tweet which read: “Total rubbish. ”Upon being contacted for the same, the film’s director Shree Narayan Singh, even he denied these rumours. Singh told Pinkvilla, “This is absolutely untrue I do not even understand where this is coming from why would Shahid be unhappy? Firstly Shahid does not interfere with the creatives and casting, secondly, We are yet to take a call on this. To sum it up Shahid has no reservations at all if

Katrina is on board, in fact, he will be glad to have her on the film. It’s better not to speculate things like this. “The subject of the film is very relevant to our times. We look forward to making a film that is both commercially entertaining and encourages a social conversation,” said Shree Narayan Singh. The film is slated for a release on August 31, 2018.

blockbuster Sairat. The rights have been taken by Karan Johar and the film will be called Dhadak. Sairat dealt with class discrimination in Maharashtra that effects like loves of two young lovers. Speculations are that Dhadak will be set

BOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

01. 01. 02. 02. 03. 03. 04. 04. 05. 05. 06. 06. 07. 07. 08. 08. 09. 09. 10. 10.

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Ghoomar Tere Sang Yaare Tere Sang Yaare Rustom Padmavati Rustom

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Chalte Jag Ghoomeya Hai Kya 9 se 12 Jag Ghoomeya Sultan Judwaa 2 Sultan

Hawa Tu Rendhe Hawai Tu Rendhe Tindy Tumhari & Rixx Suluand Sudesh Kumari Tindy & Rixx and Sudesh Kumari

Oonchi Hai Building Woman Woman Judwaa 2 ft Zack Knight Shide Boss Shide Boss ft Zack Knight

Ek DilPe Peat EkBooty Jaan Peat PeJatt Booty A Padmavati Flying A Flying Jatt

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Once Chance to Dance Gabbroo Gabbroo Jassie Zanaughty Gill ft.Boy Preet (feat. Hundal Joe Jonas) Jassie Gill ft. Preet Hundal

Pomp Pomp Tha Music Akhil Akhil Teri JK Kami Teri Kami

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

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El Sueno Tere Bina Tere Bina MontyDosangh Diljit & Waris, Ginni Kapoor Monty & Waris, Ginni Kapoor

President Roley Skoda SkodaBawa Ranjit Imran Khan ft. Bhinda Aujla Ranjit Bawa ft. Bhinda Aujla

Suroor Ikk Vaari Hor Soch Lae Ikk Vaari Hor Soch Lae Harish Neha Kakkar& Verma Bilal Saeed Harish Verma

Jaani Tera Naa Kulwinder Billa Kulwinder Billa Kulwinder Sunanda Sharma Billa Kulwinder Billa

Baari Baari Selfie Boliyan Barsi Selfie Boliyan Malkit Miss Pooja Singh ft. Dj Vix Malkit Singh ft. Dj Vix

01. 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 02. 03. 06. 04. 07. 05. 08. 06. 09. 07. 10.

Havana One Dance (ft. Young Thug) One Dance Drake Camila feat Cabello Wizkid and Kyla Drake feat Wizkid and Kyla

Anywhere Cold Water Rita Ora Cold Water Major Lazer and Justin Beiber Major Lazer and Justin Beiber

Shahid Kapoor's tweet

hand, while Ishaan Khatter has kept a low profile, he's stil making big headlines with his debut film Beyond the Clouds which is directed by the renowned director Majid Majidi. The two will be see sharing the screen space in the remake of a Marathi

BY: HUSNA

UK UKARTISTS CHART UK ARTISTS

Silence Too Good (ft. Khalid Too Good Drake Marshmello feat Rihanna Drake feat Rihanna

Here’s what Jhanvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter starrer Sairat remake will be called Jhanvi Kapoor, the daughter of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor is already under the radar even before her debut for her fashion sense. From her everyday outings, to what she wears, people are looking out at her with expectations. On the other

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in Haryana, where the political scenarios is quite sensitive and the state is known for honour killing. The film and the two actors have a lot of expectations because Sairat has been a big winner at the box office and the awards.

Perfect This is what you came for This isHarris what you came for Calvin Ed Sheeran feat Rihanna Calvin Harris feat Rihanna

Too good at goodbyes Heathens Heathens Twenty Sam Smith One Pilots Twenty One Pilots

Closer Mans Not Hot Closer Chainsmokers feat Halsey Big Shaq Chainsmokers feat Halsey

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Tearsrules New Tears Clean Bandit feat Louisa Johnson Dua Lipa Clean Bandit feat Louisa Johnson

This Girl Yound Dumb & Broke This KungsGirl Vs Cooking on 3 Burners Khalid Kungs Vs Cooking on 3 Burners

We Don't Talk Anymore Dusk till Dawn (ft. Sia) We Anymore Charlie PuthTalk feat Selena Gomez ZaynDon't Malik Charlie Puth feat Selena Gomez

DECEMBER 2017

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WORLD MUSIC CONFERENCE OFFICIALLY INDIA INDUCTS ITS FIRST EVER FEMALE LAUNCHED ‘The festival is unique in its aim of bringing together artists, academics and music educators from across Africa, Europe, the USA and India’ – Andy Street CBE, Mayor for West Midlands Dignitaries from all across England and far beyond came together last night for the formal launch of the three-day inaugural World Music Conference. Hosted by the University of Wolverhampton and organised by the British Carnatic Choir, this threeConference aims to truly reflect the true diversity, in its broadest sense, of the vast types of music that exist within the society in which we live. Themed ‘Exploring the intersection of Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) and world music’, last night’s launch brought together the Deputy Mayor of Wolverhampton, Cllr Phil Page, University of Wolverhampton Vice Chancellor Professor Geoff Layer, Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands Nasir Awan, Jaffer Kapasi, Honorary Consul General of Uganda and Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Birmingham. This free event, believed to be the only one of its kind to be hosted in the UK, aims to bring together artistes, academics, music educators from across Africa, Europe, USA and India.

NAVAL PILOT

"I know, this is not just an exciting opportunity but a great responsibility also"

Deputy Mayor of Wolverhampton Cllr Phil Page honours Professor Nazira Karodia, Dean, Faculty of Science & Engineering, University of Wolverhampton

Performing on stage last night were the amazing Kol Kinor Jewish Choir and Konnakol – the art of performing percussion syllables vocally in South Indian music, the Carnatic music performance art of vocal percussion – by members of NANDI, a popular band. The keynote address, entitled ‘Is Music a Universal Language?’ was given by Dr Hans Neuhoff from Cologne University of Music and Dance. Also participating over the next few days are artists from all major faith and community groups. The Conference has received goodwill messages from the British Prime Minister Rt Hon Theresa May, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lord Kumar

Bhattacharyya, founder chairman of the Warwick Manufacturing Group, British Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening & Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL, founder, Cobra Beer. The Conference will particularly focus on children and young people in a bid to inspire and encourage them to consider a career in music, regardless of differences. The event is supported by several organisations and individuals, promoting all professional sectors, in particular the Cultural and Creative industries. Among those honoured last night for their contributions and support in making this Conference possible were Professor Nazira Karodia, Dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering at the University

of Wolverhampton, Santosh Kumar, CEO of Green Valley Infinity, the charity, and the team from the Indian Consulate in Birmingham. Organiser Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan FRSA said: “This is a dream coming true. I am genuinely thrilled that this Conference is happening which would not be possible without the support of so many wellwishers. Our vision and mission is to promote peace, togetherness and to learn to respect one another for who we are and our backgrounds through music, a universal language and the glue of a harmonious and tolerant society.” For the full programme visit www. worldmusiccconference.co.uk Photograph: Credit SM Irfan Tahir

ndia has inducted its first female pilot and first female naval officers into a historically male unit. The move was praised by the Indian government as representative of the "quantum leaps" in women's rights the country is making. Shubhangi Swaroop, from Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, will be the country's first female naval pilot. "I know, this is not just an exciting opportunity but a great responsibility also," Ms Swaroop said, according to the Times of India. In the same ceremony,

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three other women Aastha Segal, Roopa A and Sakthimaya S - were appointed to the Naval Armament Inspection (NAI) branch, a traditionally maleonly branch of the navy. Only 27 per cent of Indian women work, according to official statistics. In South Asia, a 2013 study found the country had the lowest rate of female employment after Pakistan. India faces regular international criticism over human rights, including its failure to criminalise marital rape, and its lack of support for women who suffer sexual violence.

Shubhangi Swaroop

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Commission warns gambling firms OVER 40,000 PEOPLE COME that the pace of change to protect TOGETHER FOR UK’S BIGGEST FAITHBASED DAY OF SOCIAL ACTION consumers has been ‘too slow’

Chief Rabbi, Imam Ibrahim Mogra and the Archbishop of Westminster lead Britain’s biggest faith-based day of social action The gambling regulator has challenged the biggest gambling firms in Britain to raise – and speed up – their game in keeping customers safe from gambling-related harm and creating a market that the public can trust. The Gambling Commission has warned that operators who fail to protect the public risk their long term future in the industry. Gambling industry leaders gathered in Birmingham for the Gambling Commission’s annual Raising Standards conference. The event is part of the Commission’s strategy to press its licensees to make gambling a fairer and safer experience for players. The event – held in the home city of the gambling regulator’s headquarters – brings together the most senior representatives

from gambling businesses regulated by the Commission, including the National Lottery operator Camelot, and groups with shared interests in making gambling fairer and safer. This includes consumer groups, other regulators and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Speaking at the conference, Sarah Harrison, Gambling Commission Chief Executive, reflected on the 12 months that have passed since the last conference, noting that while progress has been made, the industry hasn’t gone far enough to make gambling fairer and safer for consumers. Sarah noted that “there has been some progress across the market that should rightly be acknowledged.” She later

added: “The bar has been set too low by operators in relation to treating customers fairly. The customer experience has not been what it should be, and change is now coming. Fairness is key, transparency is essential, and unreasonable behaviour will not be accepted, by us, by our partner organisations and certainly not by the consumer.” Leaving delegates in no doubt about the Commission’s expectations, Sarah concluded: “I want to restate our commitment to make the UK the best place in the world to enjoy gambling. To make sure that consumers are safe and that operators are fair and responsible. To have higher standards than ever before, that increase year on year.

SingleMuslim.com Claims 50,000 Marriages SingleMuslim.com, one of the worlds largest Muslim dating sites claims 50,000+ successful marriages to date The service claims to have brought together 50,000 couples and be responsible for numerous ‘Single Muslim Babies.’ However, Adeem admits that not all members are ready to admit they use the service “Some people are still embarrassed to admit to being members” explains Adeem “However, I am always hearing new stories about successful couples and have seen for myself a shift in the attitude to our service, with many people now readily using terms such as ‘Halal Dating’ to

describe it”. A recent survey revealed that roughly 10% of all accounts are made as a family with parents and elders now using the site to do the matchmaking. The site's founder Adeem Younis a former Graphic Design student with a passion for IT started SingleMuslim.com 17 years ago. "It was at a time when a lot of forced arranged marriages were happening and that was causing a huge amount of tension for young Muslims” he says. He developed the company with

an aim to provide a secure environment for Muslims to search for their own ideal marriage partner online. Following a recent documentary “The Truth About Muslim Marriage” (on Channel 4) the service held an open discussion (on Social Media) regarding issues

• • • •

Mitzvah Day sees Jews, Christians and Muslims unite to help others Tens of thousands of volunteers give their time not their money Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn send messages of support 74% of participants say they met someone they wouldn’t otherwise

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council Imam Ibrahim Mogra were among tens of thousands of volunteers – including MPs and celebrities – helping others on Mitzvah Day 2017, the UK’s biggest faith-based day of social action. A Jewish-led day of good deeds, Mitzvah Day saw people of all ages and faiths give their time, not their money, to help others. In the UK alone there were 415 separate Mitzvah Days, resulting in more than 1,200 projects to support the elderly, homeless, refugees and some of the poorest and most vulnerable in society. This year’s Mitzvah Day also saw the charity gain its greatest ever global reach ever, with a record 30 countries taking part ranging from Australia, Germany, France and Israel to the Philippines, Namibia, Belarus and Romania. In total, 40,000 volunteers took

part in 731 Mitzvah Days around the world. At South Hampstead High School in London, the Chief Rabbi helped sort clothes for the Holy Trinity Shelter with Cardinal Nichols, the UK’s most senior Roman Catholic. They were joined by the Bishop of Edmonton Rt Revd Rob Wickham, Keir Starmer MP, Mitzvah Day’s Interfaith Chair Daniela Pears and school children of all faiths and none. The event also marked The Pope’s World Day of the Poor. Chief Rabbi Mirvis said: “Mitzvah Day promotes one of the core values and priorities of our Jewish community in a most extraordinary way. The energy, compassion and kindness with which thousands of people on Mitzvah Day give of their time for countless worthy activities never fails to inspire me.” Mitzvah Day Founder and Chair Laura Marks added: “In a divided world, where we are increasingly suspicious and often fearful of our

neighbours, events such as Mitzvah Day are more vital than ever in bringing people together and beginning to form real and lasting friendships between faith groups.” Imam Ibrahim Mogra led Muslim involvement in Mitzvah Day, joining his local Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation to bake the Jewish bread known as challah and make place mats for the homeless. Imam Mogra said: “Mitzvah Day is important for the Muslim community to participate in. It gives us an excellent opportunity to get to know our Jewish brothers and sisters, as well as people of other faiths.” In total eight different faiths took part in Mitzvah Day – including Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists – resulting in more than 100 interfaith events involving people who had never met before. For more information on Mitzvah Day 2017, please visit www.mitzvahday.org.uk

surround Muslim marriage, Ibrahim Khan, PR Manager, said “The results of the discussions demonstrate that there is still much to discuss regarding Islamic Marriage. We as the UK’s largest Muslim marriage agency, need to play an active roll and provide guidance and advice to our members.” Subscribers pay £30 a month (or £120 for a year) much of that money is invested in keeping the platform a safe. The site has numerous in-built security systems, a team of

administrators manually review every picture and profile with the most experienced staff policing the site 24 hours a day. SingleMuslim.com has a growing membership in the US and Canada, the next push is into India and Pakistan. “The brands success within the UK has been amazing, our members love the our recently launched App’s, we are now ready to take the service global” says Adeem “The service is ready for the journey to 100 million

members worldwide!” Search for Single Muslim online, or in the App store, and start your search for an ideal marriage partner.

Founder: Adeem Younis

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US CALLS MYANMAR TREATMENT OF ROHINGYA 'ETHNIC CLEANSING'

Rex Tillerson also hints at possible sanctions as UN envoy on sexual violence condemns ‘war crimes’

Rohingya refugees wait to cross into Bangladesh

Female empowerment ambassador Twinkle Khanna invited to join eminent panel at the united nations for "Woman Entrepreneurship Day" Best-Selling Author, Film Producer and vocal female empowerment champion, Twinkle Khanna was invited to be part of a panel of “girl power” change-makers at the annual international Women’s Entrepreneurship Day [WED] event, which convened at the United Nations in New York City on Friday, 17th November 2017. Held to empower women and girls globally to help alleviate poverty, WED curated the Sparking Confidence in Girls with Stars of Today panel, which saw Twinkle Khanna join discussions with other eminent personalities including Sara Bareilles, Singer, Songwriter, 6-time Grammy Nominee, Broadway Musical Writer/ Composer “Waitress”, Mikaila Ulmer, 12 Years Old, Founder Me & the Bees Lemonade & Successful ABC Shark Tank Contestant, Angela Simmons, Founder/ Designer Foofi and Bella,

Editor Angela’s Rundown, Star WE TV’s Growing Up Hip Hop and MTV’s Run House, Philanthropist. The event had a host of highprofile attendees such as the CEO of Beauty Evolution, Bobbi Brown, the First Woman Television Producer in the US Lucy Jarvis and one of the Board of Directors of UN Women For Peace Association Muna Rihani Al-Nasser, Twinkle Khanna shared her inspirational thoughts on the key aspects to overcoming female oppression in industries far and wide to ensure that all have the equal opportunity to become successful. “There are two things needed to be successful. One is a genuine interest in what you are doing, and the other is aptitude. If you have high interest and low aptitude – you have a hobby. If you have high aptitude but low interest – you have a job. If you have high interest and

high aptitude – then you have yourself a career!’ “Secondly, trust your instinct! Your instinct is an amalgamation of all your experiences and information you have gathered which sit in your subconscious; they’re neurons rapidly firing together acting on the knowledge you have accumulated that is speaking to you” she added Twinkle Khanna. Speaking on the importance of raising the issue of menstrual hygiene not just in India, but around the world, Twinkle Khanna said: “In my country we have a huge issue in that only 20% of women use tampons and sanitary pads, the rest do not have access or simply cannot afford to buy them. There is a global taboo and I wanted to detach the stigma attached to menstrual hygiene as it is such a natural part of the female body.” Twinkle was also keen

to express the need to experience failures and setbacks in order to grow, learn and be successful. “We teach our children to strive hard and to succeed but we don’t talk to them about failure. Failure is a learning tool, a cornerstone of success with hurdles being a necessity. The adventure lies in climbing up the mountain and not in walking on plain ground.”

NORTH KOREA: US IMPOSES FRESH SANCTIONS OVER NUCLEAR PROGRAMME The US has unveiled fresh sanctions against North Korea which it says are designed to stop its funding of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. The measures target North Korean shipping operations and Chinese companies that trade with Pyongyang. It comes after US President Donald Trump redesignated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The North is already subject to a raft of sanctions from the US, the UN and the EU. The US has been imposing sanctions on Pyongyang since 2008, freezing the assets of individuals and companies linked to its nuclear programme and banning the exports of goods and services to the country. "As North Korea continues to threaten international

peace and security, we are steadfast in our determination to maximise economic pressure to isolate it from outside sources of trade and revenue while exposing its evasive tactics," said Treasury Secretary Steven T Mnuchin "These designations include companies that have engaged in trade with North Korea cumulatively worth hundreds of millions

of dollars. We are also sanctioning the shipping and transportation companies, and their vessels, that facilitate North Korea's trade and its deceptive manoeuvres." Three Chinese companies accused of trading with North Korea - Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade, Dandong Xianghe Trading and Dandong Hongda Trade - are added to the US Treasury's sanctions list.

The United States has called the Myanmar military operation against the Rohingya population “ethnic cleansing” and threatened targeted sanctions against those responsible for what it called “horrendous atrocities”. “The situation in northern Rakhine state constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya,” secretary of state Rex Tillerson said in a statement, using a term he avoided when visiting Myanmar last week. “The United States will also pursue accountability through US law, including possible targeted sanctions” against those responsible for the alleged abuses, which have driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingya into neighbouring Bangladesh, he said. US embassy in Myanmar said it has temporarily suspended travel for American officials to parts of Rakhine state, citing concerns over potential protests after Tillerson’s comments. In a further ratcheting up of pressure on Myanmar’s military and civilian leaders, the UN envoy on sexual violence in conflict that alleged atrocities against Rohingya women and girls by the military may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Pramila Patten, who met many Rohingya victims of sexual violence in Bangladesh camps during a visit this month, said she fully endorses the

assessment by UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein that Rohingya have been victims of “ethnic cleansing”. Speaking at a news conference in New York, Patten said at a news conference that the widespread use of sexual violence “was clearly a driver and push factor” for more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee Myanmar. It was “also a calculated tool of terror aimed at the extermination and removal of the Rohingya as a group,” she added. Rights monitors have accused Myanmar’s military of atrocities, including killings, mass rape and arson, against the stateless Rohingya during so-called clearance operations after attacks by Rohingya militants on 30 police posts and an army base in August. More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine state in Buddhistmajority Myanmar since the crackdown which followed the insurgent attacks. Most have gone to Bangladesh. “These abuses by some among the ... military, security forces, and local vigilantes have caused tremendous suffering and forced hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children to flee their homes,” Tillerson said. The term “ethnic cleansing” is not defined in international or US law and does not inherently carry specific consequences, a second senior US official said on the call.

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THE ASIAN TODAY

HEALTH

Written by: Neelam Heera @cystersbham

A Christmas Wish – Egg Freezing the Myths

With the run up to Christmas, the topic of infertility is bound to creep up for those women who are struggling to convenience. The topic, still shrouded in myths and stigma, makes it difficult for women to come forward and openly talk to one another about these problems. This is where Cysters comes in. Cysters – is a grassroots community organization dedicated to improving the health, educational, human welfare, and opportunities for women living and effected with reproductive health and gynaecological problems. We

Kam Lavoi

Your Health & Beauty Expert

recognise that reproductive health, daily pain, and the social attitude to women’s intimate health can be a strain for even the strongest woman, we want to support your every step of the way. Cysters aim to reduce the cultural barriers, tackle exclusion issues and ensure equality for all irrespective of their access to information, protects or health awareness. We provide a forum for women to meet and talk to other women on similar journeys to them, in a confidential and accessible environment. Lately with the run up to Christmas, family pressure, societal women are

under pressure to have an answer for their difficulties in baring children. Due to the embarrassment and lack of knowledge the conversation of IVF and Egg Freezing is relatively unheard of. So here are some of the Egg Freezing Myths and Facts we thought you should know! Myth: Egg Freezing is a last resort, and I can have it as late as I want. It’s better to freeze your eggs early, usually before 35 however there is some research that suggest 28-30 is the ideal age. Fertility rates slowly decline as we get older so, if

Did you know morning hormones are one of the biggest keys to weight loss...??? So in just a few bullet points let me tell you how... Ask yourself what are you having for breakfast? Cereal? Cup of tea and a toast? A bowl of fruit? A breakfast bar on the go? Well that might be the reason you can’t shift that pesky tyre around your waist! Oh dear lord that middle bit! So here’s how it works, your hormones crave goodness the moment you wake up, by consuming carbs, refined sugar and caffeine you are pretty much

setting yourself up for failure... You will be playing catch up all day and cravings will rule your life... That includes the bowl of fruit, oh yes people, that bowl of morning fruit hasn’t been the greatest idea... The science... When all that sugar and carb goes into your body first thing you release a hormone called insulin, when insulin is released into your bloodstream, that then acts as a fat storage hormone!!! Bet you didn’t know that, it’s ok, I

hear you screeching “what’s the alternative???!!!” Well, swop your sugary carby breakkie to a decent protein and good fat treat...! Simple as that! Protein and good fat will keep your hormone levels happy, keep you fuller for longer so you’re not craving snacks and will increase your cognitive behaviour too!!! So that’s it from me for this month!!! Hope you all have a fabulous Christmas Next Month we talk Detoxing!!! If you have any questions, queries or just looking for general advice please feel free to get in touch with me!!! Ciao beautiful people!!!

Cysters Birmingham

you freeze your eggs early, theoretically you have a higher chance of success. Myth: I can get this done easy Although clinics try to make the process easy, it still requires your time, effort and most importantly the right mindset. The medical expert will initially go through your file, and medical notes as well as you having various blood tests etc. The actual process results after having hormones injections 2 to 3 times a day, you are sedated the doctor will insert a long needle into your vagina to pull out the legs. You don’t have to have one round; a number of women have two as the greater number of eggs raises the chances of getting pregnant long term. Myth: I don’t need time off work As with any invasive surgery we would suggest

that you have some time off to recuperate. The ovaries can be swollen, and you can feel bloated an uncomfortable after the procedure. Make sure to make time for you too! Myth: Freezing Eggs doesn’t work Whilst the process can’t guarantee a pregnancy, around 40% of procedure result in a birth. Sometimes the eggs may not survive the procedure, the thaw, to all will be healthy eggs and some may not fertilize. Also, it can sometimes depend on the clinic you go to and their experience. Myth: Its only busy women who freeze their eggs Oh Please! Women can freeze their eggs for any reason, some chose too due to their reproductive health issues, financial issues or medical diagnosis such as cancer. There are lots of different reasons and each

individual approaches egg freezing with their own unique perspective. So Cysters, don’t allow society to dictate when or if you should freeze your eggs. Talk to our Cysters within our group, gets their thoughts, support and have your Cysterhood around you. Don’t forget we have our next Cysters Social Meet up on the 16 December 2017, from 12 to 2pm in the jewellery quarter, Birmingham with lots of free cupcakes and pizza. Get in touch for more details Love your Cyster, Neelam x Facebook: Cysters – Support and Awareness Group Twitter: @cystersbham Website: www.cysters.co.uk Email: info@cysters.co.uk

Are your emotions stopping you getting pregnant? www.mitamistry.co.uk By: Mita Mistry

@mitamistry If you are trying to conceive and thought it would take a few months to get pregnant but 6 to 18 months later you are still trying even though you are doing everything you should be physically what do you do? The cycle of getting excited it’s going to happen this month, getting your hopes up then falling flat into disappointment month after month can start to take its toll on your emotional wellbeing. The continual stress and obsession of getting pregnant makes it harder to conceive which is why it is so important to take a step back and look after your emotional wellbeing. It helps to understand some of the emotions you may be feeling. You may feel

anger or frustration that things are not going to plan especially if you have no control over the outcome. A healthy way to deal with this is to try and let go of any fixed plans and bring your awareness to the present moment. Let go of the fear that it will never happen and try and comfort yourself in the here and now, remain positive that it will when you and your body are ready. In Chinese Medicine anger, frustration and fear affect the Wood and Water Elements respectively affecting the smooth flow of blood and energy to vital functions involved in fertility. Lying awake at night worrying about not getting pregnant can be very draining on your energy leaving you feeling tired and stressed. In Chinese Medicine, worry blocks energy flowing freely to the Earth Element the one responsible for our ability to nurture others and ourselves. Your body needs a healthy Earth Element as it is the heart of fertility to grow a baby just like mother Earth’s fertile soil is the womb from which life springs. Ease

worry by calming thoughts before bedtime making a conscious effort to switch off. Meditation or mindfulness exercises are great and you can even download apps on smartphones to help. You may feel quite sad or a lack of joy in your relationship as trying to conceive can put a huge amount of pressure on a relationship. Often blame, resentment or lack of communication take the fun out of having sex and connecting with each other. Re-kindle the passion by taking time to relax together. Remember how you used to have fun before you started the baby-making journey? Do those things again to start enjoying each other. In Chinese Medicine sadness blocks energy flowing freely to the Fire Element, which plays an essential role in the fertility process as it governs, our ability to love and be loved unconditionally which is needed for bringing a child into this world. I have seen so many couples trying to get pregnant, the minute they stop trying and actually start living and loving each other again, it just happens.

DECEMBER 2017

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FOOD & TRAVEL

THE ASIAN TODAY

FOOD & TRAVEL

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 Birmingham is a city worth celebrating, to state the obvious our city has gone street food crazy which only means one thing for your appetite it’s about to go through the roof! Street food inspired restaurants are emerging in all quarters, but can you blame them? It’s a riveting concept and even better when the food is mouth-watering! If you’re on the hunt for authentic street food experience packed complete with all the flavour and excitements of the market delights, you’re in for a treat. Her’s are top 5 Deliicous choices.

Asian Catering Federation welcomes ‘takeaway tax’ Yawar Khan, the Chairman of the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), which represent the interests of 35,000 restaurants and takeaways in the UK, has given a guarded welcome to Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s proposal to introduce a levy on single

Anita Champaneri. Foodie and MD of Delicious PR tells us more San Carlo Announces Opening of Second Exclusive Dining Concept San Carlo Group has announced it is to open a second dining concept at Selfridges in Birmingham. Gran Cafe, a patisserie, ice cream bar and cafe is set to open on 4th December and will be located on the lower ground floor of Selfridges in the Bullring. Sure to be a haven for dessert lovers of all ages, Gran Cafe will serve a fun and enticing all day menu to eat in or take away, which will include: • gourmet sandwiches, a range of freshly baked croissants, pastries and muffins • freshly baked cakes from San Carlo’s own patisserie including its famous pistachio cake, tiramisu, mille feuille, fresh cream eclairs, cheesecake, individual fruit tarts and slices of gateaux • An ice cream bar will serve San Carlo’s own luxury home made gelato and sorbets in an array of flavours from the more traditional vanilla, strawberry, mint choc chip and chocolate to salted caramel, amarena cherry, marscapone and fig and cookie dough and just for the festive season - orange and chocolate Baileys and gingerbread and caramel • For the first time, San Carlo will serve its new range of indulgent, towering cake shake creations, made using its luxury gelato milk shake and piled high with cake chunks and toppings. Choices include the chocolate brownie and strawberry cheesecake. If a cake shake is a step too far, milkshakes and sundaes will also be on the menu. • Cream tea or afternoon tea served with a choice of teas, champagne or Prosecco • The drinks menu will include Prosecco, champagne, soft drinks, speciality teas, great Italian coffee and a range of hot chocolate choices For the little ones • Children will be able to have fun building their own ice cream sundae at the table with toppings presented in bespoke mini artist palettes and there will be a choice of children’s drinks including juices and smoothies. The latest opening from San Carlo Group follows hot on the heels of Fumo, the stylish restaurant, champagne and cocktail bar located on fourth at Selfridges, Birmingham. Fumo serves regional Italian inspired dishes to share or eat alone. Off to a flying start, Fumo opened in October to popular and critical acclaim. Get more food news on twitter @deliciouspr and on the web : www.msdeliciouspr.blogspot.com

Yawar Khan use plastic packaging. On Wednesday, the Chancellor is expected initiate a debate into the issue which Greenpeace has deemed “a global emergency”. However, Khan is calling for any new tax to be kept to minimum and for assistance to tackle the severe problems facing the curry industry

Goa, India’s little sunshine state: travel photo Vivid, vibrant Panjim market in Goa caught the eye of photographer Annapurna Mellor on her first trip to the state “I arrived in India’s smallest and most touristy state, followed some backpackers to Anjuna and collapsed in a dorm bed to the distant sounds of techno.” This was photographer Annapurna Mellor’s introduction to Goa, and she thought she’d hate it. But she explored away from theworld of all-night raves and fell hard for the “little sunshine state”, with its markets (such as Panjim, seen here), fishing villages, ruined forts and golden beaches. “It was my first glimpse of south India and I found a different energy there than in the north. More than anything, Goa was a place to re-energise.” Photograph: Annapurna Mellor

– staff shortages, rising business rates and the high rate of VAT on the hospitality sector. “We need to reduce the problem cause by plastics, which are polluting the oceans and poisoning marine wildlife,” said Khan, adding, “The 5p tax on plastic carrier bags has been sufficient to cut their usage by 85% – so a new surcharge will not need to be excessive to bring about a change in customer behaviour. Restaurants, need to pass the cost on to customers, like shop,s and stop absorbing it.” The packing on a typical family takeaway order costs the restaurant owner around 25p. Busy takeaway restaurants can spend £2,000 on single use packaging in a year. In addition to encouraging takeaway owners and their customers to reuse plastic containers, the ACF has announced it is pushing members to introduce their own ‘Tiffin Club’, using multi-use tiffin tins, which have long been popular in India. Takeaways will simply charge a small deposit with their first order, which are then swapped on subsequent orders. Tiffins are a set of 5 or 6 interlocking metal

containers, with a carry handle. The ACF will be offering to supply its members with tiffins which are ubiquitous in Indian cities and at railway stations along the country’s 40,000 miles of tracks. India has one of the longest rail networks in the world. The introduction of the railways by the British during colonial times, saw the advent of ‘Railway’ mutton and chicken’ dishes served in tiffins. The dishes can still be found on some UK curry house menus today. “Tiffins, which will eliminate plastic waste and keep takeaways warm, are an ideal opportunity for restaurateurs to introduce smaller, sharing dishes,

healthier options and authentic Indian dishes, being demanded by customers,” said Khan. The ACF says that burger and pizza takeaways are more of a problem in terms of litter and points out that polystyrene boxes, unlike plastic, cannot be recycled. The Federation is lobbying government to introduce temporary 2-year work visas for chefs from the former Commonwealth countries to tackle acute staff shortages. Curry lovers can nominate their favourite Asian restaurant and takeaway in the ACF’s Asian Restaurant Awards, being held in Manchester on 12th February via www.acfederation.org/ asian-restaurant-awards2017-nomination-form.

DECEMBER 2017

FASHION & BEAUTY

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FASH DOGFIGHTING HOODIE REMOVED FROM H&Ms HOODY COLLECTION, AS IT RECIEVED COMPLAINTS FROM PETA

THIS YEAR DECORATE YOUR BEARD WITH BAUBLE FOR CHRISTMAS!

Decorating your home and the Christmas tree is a integral part of the celebrations so for all those who have a beard you can decorate it with some tiny ornaments for the festive season. You can hang ornaments in your beard hair and novelty pieces.

igh street retailer H&M has removed a hoodie from its stores after animal rights organisation PETA argued that it sent a “dangerous” message. Spotted at the Sugarloaf Mills mall in Georgia, United States, the offending garment, which has since been removed from stores, had the words “Dogfight in Random Alley” across the back of a bright orange hoodie, Fashionista reports. The slogan quite clearly points to the cruel and underground ‘sport’ of dogfighting, in which two dogs are pitted against

each other until the animals are exhausted or seriously injured, while in more severe instances they are often encouraged to battle to death. An act which is considered not just inhumane but illegal in many countries, the hoodie sparked outrage online inciting a Change. org petition titled “H&M MUST stop selling 'Dogfight in the alley' hoodies!!” The petition, which has since received more than 45,000 signatures, reads, “We need to let them know that it is not only UNACCEPTABLE, but that we will not walk through their doors with

such an article in that store for sale. “We also need to look at the big picture here. This is not about just one item for sale. "This is about a mindset that sees something like this as acceptable.” As a result, animal rights group PETA contacted H&M directly causing the retailer to quickly remove the hoodie from its stores. “The shirt — which normalises violent acts against animals — sends a dangerous message, but we're pleased that after hearing from PETA, H&M quickly removed the offending items.”

ndia’s Manushi Chhillar wins the title of Miss World 2017 for India – marking the end of a 17-year wait for the beauty pageant’s crown. "My aim has always been to win the Miss World title" After competing against 108 contestants, she ends the 17-year gap since India’s last win. The event took place at the Sanya City Arena, on 18th November 2017. While Manushi gained the top spot, Mexico and England became the two runner-ups. After Manushi’s win was announced, 2016’s winner Stephanie Del Valle, from Puerto Rico, placed the dazzling crown, decorated with gorgeous blue jewels, on her head. With this victory, it certainly marks a remarkable feat for the 20-year-old. Born in 1997, her parents worked as doctors and she originally followed down a similar path. Manushi studied in Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women, located in Sonepat. She took a year out of

her studies first to take part in the Miss India pageant. The 20-year-old succeeded in winning the contest in June 2017. O n e judge asked her: “Which profession deserves the highest salary and

why?” She replied: “I think a mother is of the highest respect. I don’t think it’s just about cash but the love and respect she gives to someone. She is the biggest inspiration in my life. Mothers should get the highest respect.” In addition, the Miss World 2017 winner spoke of her dream to become a doctor, whilst also pursuing modelling. She said: “Though I was a medical student, I never had a plan B. I don’t want to regret anything in life, so it was really important for me to win this competition. My aim has always been to win the Miss World title.” India last won Miss World back in 2000, when Priyanka Chopra entered the competition after winning Miss India. Since then, she’s carved a successful career as a Bollywood actress even breaking out into US media. A reporter asked her particularly about pursuing Bollywood after the win. But she revealed: “I disagree with the notion. I feel that Miss India is a stepping stone for anything you want to do, not just Bollywood.” Regardless of what Manushi decides to do next, she looks set to embrace the next exciting chapter of her life.

INDIA’S MANUSHI CHHILLAR IS CROWNED MISS WORLD 2017 I

Manushi Chhillar

The beard ornaments or beardaments will help you ‘season up your beard.’ These baubles can be clipped on to your beard and are just perfect for the festive season. On top of the ornaments you can also add some fairy lights and glitter. Each year there is a new facial hair trend and they are usually amusing and a sight to behold. These beard craze are definitely something people look forward to every year. Instagram is filled with photos of glitter beard and the most popular colors are gold, silver, green, red and purple. You can buy these beard glitter at Beardaments. The beard glitter kit includes pre-glitter beard oil, fine glitter and a brush applicator. Men are bringing in the festive season by decorating beard. For those of you who do not own a majestic beard,vdo not worry, you can clip it on your hair for a not-so-boring festival look (Photograph credit: beardaments.com and Instagram). Men, proudly decorate your beard and spreading the festive joy.

KENDALL JENNER BECOMES THE WORLD'S HIGHEST PAID MODEL After 15 years, a new model is taking the top spot on Forbes' annual list.

isele Bündchen has been the world’s highest-paid model since 2002 but 15 years later, Kendall Jenner is taking the crown for 2017 after raking in $22 million this year. 37-year-old Bündchen comes in second, earning $17.5 million, while Chrissy Teigen makes her debut on the list, rounding out the top three with $13.5 million. There was no surprise that Kendall took Gisele’s spot, the successful model has major deals with

Adidas, Estee Lauder and La Perla (among others), her family’s E! reality television show and her clothing line with sister Kylie. Kendall also makes thousands of dollars from paid post on Instagram by wearing brands that want to be tagged and are seen by her 85million followers. She first appeared on Keeping Up With The Kardashians at the age of 12 and was signed to Wilhelmina Models at the age of 14. The beginning of her career was filled with appearances in

brands and magazines aimed at the American teen market shoots for Seventeen and Teen Vogue, as well as a campaign for prom dress designer Sherri Hill. During September's New York Fashion Week, Kendall hit the runway walking in presentations for Tom Ford, Alexander Wang Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs, and also received The Daily Front Row's "Fashion Icon of the Decade" award on Sept. 8. Kendall Jenner

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FASHION & BEAUTY

DECEMBER 2017

HION & BEAUTY AASHNI + CO WEDDING SHOW 2018

Indian fashion luminary, Sabyasachi, among leading couturiers to attend Aashni + Co Wedding Show 2018 at Somerset House Today, with four flagship stores across India under his eponymous label, Sabyasachi; formidable national and global collaborations; as well as a strong foothold in the Indian film and television industry, Sabyasachi Mukherjee is a revered and celebrated name in the fashion fraternity and is especially credited with refreshing memories of India’s halcyon past with his signature products and profoundly vivid imagery. Every Sabyasachi product is lovingly and painstakingly created by the skilled hands of artisanal craftmen using traditional techniques passed on through generations. The House of Sabyasachi keeps artisanal craftsmanship, heritage, creativity, exceptional quality and par excellence service at the core of all its activities. Each handcrafted product is unique and each experience is memorable. The brand’s bridal couture is reflective of women and men who are modern but are also deeply rooted in tradition. Visitors to the Aashni + Co Wedding Show will have the opportunity of meeting the

designer in person. After three successful residencies at The Dorchester, Mayfair, Aashni + Co Wedding Show 2018 will transform one of the UK’s leading cultural venues, Somerset House, into a wonderland for discerning brides and fashionistas alike, setting a landmark precedent in the South Asian fashion and bridal sector in the UK. Some of India and Pakistan’s most celebrated designers will once again descend on the Capital to present their latest bridal and couture collections on one high-end platform. Showcasing alongside them will be the leading names in fine jewellery, accessories and wedding/ occasion services, with visitors having the opportunity of meeting their favourite and wish list designers and suppliers in person, accessibility being key to the show. Participating brands to exhibit in the Department of Clothing will be: Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani, Gaurav Gupta, Rimple & Harpreet Narula, Astha Narang, Bageecha, Elan, Gaurang, Mishru, Samant Chauhan, Shantanu & Nikhil,

Shehla Chatoor, Shyamal & Bhumika and Varun & Nidhika. Exhibiting brands in the Department of Fine Jewellery will be: Amrapali, Araaya, Birdhichand Ghanshyamdas Jewellers, Jaipur Gems, Jewels by Queenie, Khanna Jewellers, Moksh, Rose Diamonds and Sunita Shekhawat. Participating names in the Department for Jewellery and Accessories will be: Aamir Naveed, Ahujasons, Ambreen Ahmed, Amishi London, Chakra, Isharya, Outhouse, Paraphernalia, Rani Pink, Rusaru, RWS, Shaan Mu and The Wedding House. Style council will also be provided during the day through a series of intimate masterclasses with some of the most internationally respected names in styling, makeup artistry, wedding planning and the fashion and beauty blogosphere. January being the seasonal buying and browsing period for Summer brides and grooms, Aashni + Co Wedding Show 2018 will curate the latest bridal, occasion wear and couture collections from the top tier of the South Asian design spectrum, alongside the leading brand names

in jewellery, accessories and wedding services. The grandiose of Somerset House will be further transformed through floral styling by Zita Elze, an award-winning artist, designer, teacher, creator of the Living Embroidery Bridal collection and design consultant. The UK’s leading, South Asian high fashion extravaganza presents 36 exhibitors in one of the UK’s most iconic cultural destinations

Monday 27th November 2017, London, UK – Indian fashion luminary, Sabyasachi, will be among the coveted lineup of couturiers participating in the UK’s leading, South Asian high fashion extravaganza, Aashni + Co Wedding Show 2018, taking place at Somerset House, London on 21st January 2018.

Sabyasachi Models, in Sabyasachi collection attire

MAKE LOVE NOT SCARS

NINE WOMEN DISFIGURED FROM ACID ATTACK TOOK PART IN A HAUTE COUTURE FASHION SHOW IN INDIA

ine women disfigured by acid attacks took part at the first haute couture fashion show for the survivors of the growing terror of acid attacks in India. The women, who have been victims of husbands or close family, paraded in gowns donated by top Indian designers including Rohit Bal, Ranna Gill and Archana Kochhar. None of the women covered their face. 'I was very nervous,' said Meena Khatoon, mother of a young son after her venture down the catwalk’ 'People often looked away when I went outside. They would walk in the opposite direction when they saw me. I would face a lot of problems,' Khatoon told AFP. 'But then one day I thought, if that's the way you think, so be it. I have to build my life, I want my son to study and I have to support him.' Khatoon now runs her own small business fixing mobile phones. She has been helped by Make Love Not Scars which organised the New Delhi show. The group helps survivors reconstruct their lives and in many cases their faces. It also backed Reshma Bano

Qureshi, 20, who appeared at the New York fashion week last year and who is now writing a book that will come out next year Qureshi, was attacked three years ago by her brother-in-law who had thought he was throwing the acid at his wife, was also afraid to leave her home. 'I was scared it would happen again. I was bothered by how people reacted to me on the streets. People would look away. 'People would say what happened to you? They would say no one will marry you. They'd say with a deformed face you're not beautiful. But I'm proud and confident of who I am. I want people to know the face is not what makes you beautiful, it is your heart. 'I am so happy because the other girls had the same opportunity to enjoy the experience that I had before.' Hundreds of attacks are reported each year, but Tania Singh, vice president of Make Love Not Scars, believes the true figure is in the thousands. She said local governments do not report all cases, some women die before a criminal case is launched and some choose to stay with abusive families.

'We had one case where a woman was attacked by her husband three times and she still continue to live with him.' The Lalit hotel, where the fashion show was held, has provided a room for one woman who was attacked two weeks ago and is waiting for help. The fashion show was an important way to boost survivors' confidence, Singh said. 'A lot of them are just having a good time, they have never had such a good time.' Many of the women at first refuse to take off their scarves when they go to Make Love Not Scars.

'They say "we can't do it, we are pretty ugly" and we tell them that's not true you are not ugly, society is ugly.' The fashion show is 'an opportunity to realise that they deserve acceptance, love and belonging. Now they can go back out there and they can tell the world that they don't have to hide their faces and scars. It is the world that needs to change its thinking'.

DECEMBER 2017

BUSINESS

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ABCC MILESTONE CELEBRATES COMMUNITY, COURAGE & CREATIVITY

ASPIRE IS A DOUBLE WINNER AT ABCC AWARDS

Pictured (l to r): ABCC president Saqib Bhatti with Mark Turner (Aspire), Tom Screen (Birmingham Airport), Raja Khan (Aspire and Krishnan Guru-Murthy A Handsworth-based organisation which targets homelessness was a double winner at the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce’s 30th anniversary dinner and awards. Aspire Supported Living CIC (community interest company) won the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Society’ award (sponsored by West Midland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association), as well as the overall ‘Business of the Year’ category (sponsored

by Birmingham Airport). Aspire scooped these awards even though it was only established in 2014, but now provides 300 supported accommodation bed spaces to adult and young people, in Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull. The business says that in the past three years, it has gone from being a ‘blank piece of paper to an established community focused not-for-profit organisation’. It supports

more than 1,000 vulnerable individuals, has a staff of 28 and a turnover in excess of £3m. The business was founded by its current chief executive, Raja Khan, who has decades of experience of working with those affected by homelessness and mental health, and also the refugee sector. After having established itself in the local area working with homeless people, Aspire now intends to become a

CITIZEN KHAN GETS THE AWARD HE ALWAYS WANTED As ‘Citizen Khan’, one of comedian Adil Ray’s creations, might say: ‘Where’s my bloomin’ award?’ – and now he has one. Adil Ray was born in Birmingham, and was brought up in Yardley. He joined the BBC’s Asian Network in 2002, and has moved on to many other projects, including ‘Citizen Khan’. ‘Citizen Khan’ has now completed five series, and in 2016 the show hit the road with a tour and the publication of a book – ‘Citizen Khan’s Guide to Britain’. Adil Ray is currently developing a ‘Citizen Khan’ film with Hollywood producers. The Brummie comedian is not just about laughs, though - in 2010 he presented the acclaimed BBC3 documentary ‘Exposed: Groomed for Sex’. He received praise for the way in which he tackled this controversial issue and picked up a Royal Television Society Award for Best Current Affairs. Recently, he has copresented BBC flagship entertainment show ‘The

One Show’ and ‘Have I Got News For You’, and has also appeared on ‘Room 101’, ‘Would I Lie To You?’ and ‘Pointless’. Earlier this year he played one of the lead roles in the Channel 4 school drama ‘Ackley Bridge’. Last year, he was honoured in the Queen’s Birthday List and awarded Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to media and broadcasting. Adil is also a patron and supporter of three charities Acorn's Hospice, Parkinson's UK and Karma Nirvana, a charity that supports victims of honour killings and domestic abuse. ABCC president Saqib Bhatti said: “Every year a lot of thought goes into selecting a worthy individual for the President's Award. This is no easy task as previous winners have included nobel prize winners such as Malala Yousafzai, Charity fundraisers such as Harry Moseley and members of the Armed Forces, such as Flt Lt Rakesh Chauhan. “I chose Adil Ray OBE because he achieved exceptional heights as an national and international

actor and was recognised in the Queen's honours for his contribution to media. “As a Brummie who has mastered his craft, and showcased the very best that this region has to offer for me, he epitomises the amazing talent that the Asian community has. Ultimately, Adil, through his achievements, demonstrates that when you put your mind to it and work hard, you can achieve your dreams.” Adil Ray said: “When you do pick up any kind of award, the most important thing is that your community recognises the work that you have done and there is nothing better than the city of Birmingham supporting me in my career. Thank you so much to all of you. It really is a great honour.”

register social landlord, in order to further develop its role in the community. The organisation is also diversifying into the area of supported accommodation for young people, and will be developing up to five facilities across the West Midlands to help with this. ABCC president Saqib Bhatti said: “This year's award nominations were unprecedented in their quality. It was amazing to see the amount of companies and

individuals doing great things in our city and our region. “The judges felt that Aspire CIC was an exceptional contender and the judges rightly felt that they deserved to be ‘Overall Business of the Year’. As a CIC, they are a business that is also contributing significantly to the region and they were worthy and noble winners.” Other winners at the awards, which took place at the ICC, included Alison Delaney for ‘Outstanding

People Development’ (sponsored by South & City College Birmingham), and Escape Live, winner of the ‘Outstanding Small Business of the Year’ category (sponsored by Birmingham City University). Winner of ‘Outstanding Large Business of the Year’ (sponsored by Mazars LLP) is ISA Support Services, and winner of the ‘Outstanding Start-up Business of the Year’ was won by Ex-Forces Recruitment.

A young man from Handsworth who is suffering from an agonising and rare genetic skin disorder received a special award at the ABCC dinner. Moin Younis, 17, suffers from Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), which causes his skin to blister or bleed with the slightest knock. Moin has the most severe type of EB, which is life limiting and he and his family have been using the services of Acorns Children’s Hospice, based in Birmingham, since he was three months old. EB affects virtually every aspect of Moin’s life, causing frequent pain and affecting his movement and eating. Every single day, bandages and cream have to be applied to his skin by a trained carer, a process which takes five hours. Despite the immense challenges he faces in his day-to-day life, Moin is determined not to let things get in the way of his dreams and ambitions. Recently he became a Young Ambassador for Acorns, a role which he loves and gives him the opportunity to have a say in the way the hospice provides its care and enables him to reach out to inspire other children by offering advice and support. It is his work as a Young Ambassador which has seen him recognised for a number of awards, including ‘Midlands Children of Courage 2016’, ‘Pride of Birmingham 2017’ and ‘Teenager of Courage’ at the ‘Pride of Britain’ awards. He is now also the recipient of the special award from the ABCC, the Honorary Chairman’s Award. This was last awarded in 2015, to former Chamber chief Jerry Blackett. The award was presented to Moin by ABCC honorary chairman Nasir Awa, who said: “Moin is an inspiration for us all, despite the physical

challenges that he faces and have been part of his every minute of his life, he has still found the courage to inspire and be the ambassador for Acorns Children’s Hospice which helps patients and families at the most desperate of times. “For someone to not have had life expectancy of more than a year, in his 17 years he has given more than 17 lifetimes worth to society. After learning of his Pride of Britain award, I could not think of any other person who deserves the honorary chairman’s award more than Moin.” ABCC president Saqib Bhatti added: "I can't imagine how much pain and difficulty Moin must go through. It is a real testament to his character when we see how he deals with this debilitating condition and perseveres through life with a smile. “He is an inspiration and an example to us all. As an ambassador at Acorns he is working hard to improve the lives of others and I am in awe of his ability to navigate his condition with such grace and

passion." At Pride of Britain, Villa-fan Moin was presented with his award by England manager Gareth Southgate, and players Jamie Vardy and Jermain Defoe. He was also shown in a film clip, being told that he had won the award by his idol, former England superstar David Beckham. Beckham was shown speaking on the telephone to Moin, before saying he had to move elsewhere to get better reception, but actually walked into the room where the teenager was being filmed, much to his surprise. Moin received his Pride of Britain award at a starstudded dinner hosted by TV presenter and former model Katie Piper. The Pride of Britain judges said: “Moin suffers terrible pain every day, but he is the most incredibly positive character. “The way he looks out for and helps other seriously ill children at the hospice is absolutely fantastic. He is an inspiration.”

MOIN’S COURAGE EARNS HIM A SPECIAL AWARD

BUSINESS

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

TECH TALK WITH QASIM MAJID Silicon Valley’s tech giants have made their play, and future looks like it going to change when it comes to viewing sport. SKY, BT Sport, ESPN and the rest better watch out ! It’s now widely reported that Zuckerberg, Besos and Dorsey (interim twitter CEO) are land grabbing the rights for men’s tennis and wait for it Ice Hockey. This is the first indication that the market is changing, and moving towards utilising social media, in particular

@cas_majid “live”. The big prize however they’d like to score is the Premier league, now that would set the cat amongst the pigeons, or as John Barnes once said “There's only one way to beat them, get round the back..” The speculation has been heightened as both Facebook and Amazon’s race to secure Premier League broadcasting rights for possibly, 2019 to 2021 have been fuelled by Ed Woodward, Manchester United’s Chairman, who been very tight lipped about the

TOP MIDLANDS BUSINESSMAN SECURES TWO AWARDS

Social Sport? – The Tech Giants Making Their Play

Top Midlands Businessman Paul Cadman secured two Awards at the Downtown in Birmingham awards ceremony last night held at Edgbaston Cricket Club. Paul was honoured to receive the ‘Man of the Year Award’ and one of his businesses Ex-Forces Recruitment received the award for ‘Recruitment Company of the Year’. “Obviously I am very happy to be recognised in the face of such stiff competition. “Ever since I was at school I have endeavoured to go beyond expectations and never let obstacles prevent me from succeeding. I am hoping young people, some who are facing their own obstacles will be inspired to carry on. I never let my dyslexia hold me back. “Every successful business person knows the value of strong teams. Good people

subject. In essence he thinks that when the rights go up for grabs, then it is likely that Facebook and Amazon, will bid for them. This is on the backdrop of real sentiment from Premier league club executives to ensure they embrace social media even more. So the natural extension of this would be “Live Broadcasting”, now that would be a game changer. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject, drop me a tweet

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Recruitment, Paul said: “We often forget the skills that Ex-forces personnel can bring to business. People who have served our country often in difficult circumstances can add real value to business and it is my honour to help them secure sustainable employment. “The Midlands was once the world’s manufacturing powerhouse. I am making it my job to bridge the skills and productivity gaps that our manufacturers are facing by redeploying highly skilled and well disciplined exforces personnel.” Paul can be contacted on pmcadman@outlook.com

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working together can take on any challenge. “I want to thank all the people I work with across all my businesses. They helped me win this award.” Paul, whose businesses straddle manufacturing, recruitment and ecommerce is a strong advocate for small businesses. “Small businesses are the backbone of our country but are often ignored in favour of the corporate lobby. “My ecommerce business will help small businesses compete more effectively and I look forward to launching it soon.” Commenting on the success of Ex-Forces

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PROPERTY

Property prices are soaring in Ladywood, Birmingham A report by barclays bank shows that property prices are rocketing in Ladywood. Even though it has been named the POOREST area in the UK last year it is now fast increasing the value of properties in Ladywood. Ladywood is outperformig London in terms of growth. Local estate agents are experiencing a wave of enquiries from young professionals and investors for properties in this area. An increase of 17 per-cent in prices of properties in the Ladywood area have been realised in the12 months to July, far outperforming any part of London. London Property market has seen a significant slowdown since Brexit. According to a report by Barclays, the average house price in Ladywood jumped massively from £147,121 to £172,498. Ladywood estate agent Alex Jones told the Guardian

: “A lot of people are investing here. “It seems people are starting to see Ladywood in a different way. We have HS2 coming, and there’s the big new hospital in Smethwick. “It’s been named as one of the poorest places in the country, but it’s completely different now. “Lots of young professionals like it because it’s so close to the city centre. “A lot of new flats are going up and a lot of Londoners are buying.” Craig Calder, director of Barclays Mortgages, said: “It is fascinating to see the individual postcodes where property prices are growing at a very fast pace, particularly when they are significantly outstripping the city’s average growth. “It demonstrates how changeable the property market currently is, not just around the UK but within each city.”

100,000 priced out of the property market

A report has found that up to 30,000 a year are being prices out of the property market market because of a shortage of affordable homes to rent or buy. Almost 100,000 households are being priced out of the property market each year. Reseaech by Savills the estate agent found that the number of priced-out households had risen from its previous projection in 2015 of

70,000 a year. the chancellor, Philip Hammond, reiterated a pledge to build 300,000 homes a year by the mid2020s and unveiled a package of measures to support housebuilding. Savills said one-third of those would need to be offered at below market prices to meet the growing need for affordable homes.

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ALL-NEW TESLA SEMI: ELECTRIC TRUCK UNVEILED

Elon Musk has unveiled the all new Tesla Semi truck, with some big claims behind it. The brand with the USP of it's cars being all-electric have introduced a massive longdistance hauler to their repertoire. The new edition with it's massive performace will put all other diesel trucks to shame. "We really care about performance," said Musk at the vehicle's unveil. "We wanted a vehicle that feels incredible, that accelerates like nothing else." The truck launches 0-60mph in just five seconds, including the trailer attached. Fully loaded carrying 36,000kg the truck can reach 0-60mph in 20 seconds. With so much torque the new Semi can go up hills fully loaded at 65mph compared to diesel truck's with a max uphill speeed of 45mph. Elon has claimed that you will be able to drive 500 miles on one charge and this is with the Semi being fully laden. Enhanced Autopilot with AEB, lane keep assist and collision warning is standard. Thanks to the chassis construction, there’s a low centre of gravity meaning minimal body roll. There’s also a jack-knifing prevention system that Musk says is "a trucker’s worst nightmare. It’ll dynamically adjust the torque on each wheel, so that jack-knifing is impossible." The cabin is very spacious with a central driving position, there is enough room to stand and move about. Musk claims that diesel trucks require a lot of extra (and expensive) modifications and addons "that don’t talk to each other.’ The Semi has all the systems required for long-distance hauling and all are integrated into the screens. Musk says the cockpit is ‘incomparably better than any truck in the world." The Semi comes with a 1 million-mile warranty, and Tesla has opened up the truck for reservations.

Uber to buy up to 24,000 THE 250MPH TESLA ROADSTER driverless-ready cars from Volvo

VOLVO XC90 SUV

ber has done a deal with Swedish carmaker Volvo to purchase tens of thousands of their autonomous compatible vehicles between 2019 and 2021. The XC90 SUVs will have Uber's proprietary driverless tech installed even though the XC90 incorporates a dgeree of autonomous tech. But the Uber tech will be

compatible with the design infratstructure. Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo said “Our aim is to be the supplier of choice for AD ride-sharing service providers globally". “The agreement with Uber is a primary example of that strategic direction.” Uber has had a relationship with Volvo for

over two years while Uber was experimenting with driverlesstechnology in the US. This massive investment in hardware represents a big change in direction and the first such purchase by a ridehailing provider. This will be the biggest car order for Volvo and wiill go down in history if Iber buys all 24,000 Volvo vehicles.

Tesla Roadster The new Tesla Roadster will go in production in 2020 with an eye watering speed capability of 250mph with 0-60mph in 1.9 sec. The original 2008 Tesla Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise and had a range of around

227 miles. Now, nearly 10 years on, its surprise successor has been revealed: a four-seater targa with three motors, capable of a claimed 620-mile range and a top speed in excess of 250mph. It’s been revealed as a

surprise at the launch of Tesla’s new Semi truck. A new Roadster has been expected for some time, but Tesla had managed to keep the new car under wraps until its surprise reveal. Production will start 2020.

West Brom sack Tony Pulis 38

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DECEMBER 2017

est Bromwich has sacked manager, Tony Pulis after a 4-0 defeat at home against Chelsea. This has come after a 11 loses in a row. Fans who had enough of the lpodses called for Pulis to be sacked. Guochaun Lai, West Bromwich's owner who was in attendance was left no choice but to dismiss Pulis after leavig the club just one point above the relegation zone. Gary Megson will take charge ob a temporary basis until a new manager is identified. “These decisions are never

taken lightly but always in the interests of the club,” said the chairman, John Williams, in a statement on Monday. “We are in a results business and over the back end of last season and this season to date, ours have been very disappointing. We would like to place on record our appreciation of Tony’s contribution and hard work during a period of transition for the club which included a change of ownership. We wish him well in his future endeavours.” Pulis made a defence of his record before the Chelsea

defeat, suggesting Albion would struggle to get a better replacement. “If I left tomorrow I’d put my record on the table and put it in front of anybody and see what they

openers Nick Gubbins and Keaton Jennings negotiated a tricky session to reach 19 without loss at stumps. "It was a tough day, really hot, but I really enjoyed it," Virdi told ecb.co.uk. "It's more of a training camp out here in Australia but after all the work and prep in the nets, it's nice to get out and play. "All in all it was a good day - four wickets, and nice bowling on an Australian wicket - it's my first time

out here, so it's a great experience. The pitches are definitely different, with more pace and bounce than I'm used to at home - a bit more purchase and bite. That's interesting for me." Virdi was not the only Lions bowler to impress, despite Queensland racking up an impressive score. Mark Wood and Tom Curran were both praised by captain Jennings for the way they bowled with new and old ball, while Somerset spinner Jack Leach also picked up a wicket.

SPORTS

KOHLI TO MISS ODI AND T20 SERIES AGAINST SRI LANKA

• Pulis leaves with club one point and one place above relegation zone • Assistant coach Gary Megson to take temporary charge think of what I’ve done here in three years,” Pulis took over at The Hawthorns in January 2015 and West Brom finished 13th, 14th and 10th under him.

Virat Kohli, the New Delhi Team India skipper will be rested for a period of time during the on-going SriLanka series. Four seperate squads will be announced by the national selection comittee for the varoius matches, the third Test against Sri Lanka followed by ODI and T20 squads and the big one, Test

squad for the South Africa series. Kohli, who has been playing non-stop cricket since IPL, will be given a month’s break to recharge his batteries as he is sure to skip the limited overs series (3 ODIs and 3 T20 Internationals) against Sri Lanka in December, where Rohit Sharma will be in charge.

Surrey's Amar Virdi stars for England PAKISTAN DROP OUT Lions on day one against Queensland OF THE IBSF MASTERS At the Allan Border Oval in Australia English offspinner Amar Virdi, who plays for surrey claimed four wickets for the England Lions as Queensland pushed to 396-8 declared in their three-day match. After Nottinghamshire Paul Coughlin who injured is hip in the field 19 year old Virdi was given special permission to join the game. Virdi took his opportunity and converted it well with four wickets before Lions

AND WORLD CUP

Kavita Devi becomes first Indian woman wrestler to sign with WWE Kavita Devi has made history by becoming the first ever woman wrestler from India to be awarded a WWE development contract. Devi

was originally part of the Mae Young classic tournament. Jinder Mahal a WWE champion himself was given the honour in making the announcement on his recent visit to India. Devi oroginally won gold at the 2016 South Asian Games for her power lifting skills. Dev has also been the first Indian female to take paret in the Mae Young Classic wrestling competition. A former Kabaddi player in high school, Devi learned her ring skills from her mentor, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali (Dalip Singh

Rana). She is expected to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida this January. "It was a privilege to be the first Indian woman to compete in WWE," said Devi. "Participating in the Mae Young Classic with some of the best female performers in the world was a great learning experience. Now I am looking forward to pursuing my dream of becoming the first WWE Women's Champion from India." The Modern Day Maharaja, Mahal, had nothing but wishes and good word for Devi. "I'm extremely proud to welcome Kavita to WWE where she now has a great opportunity to

become India's first female WWE Superstar. She is an inspiration to the youth of India and I wish nothing but success for her," said Mahal. In another first for WWE's women's evolution, WWE also announced in Dubai that Shadia Bseiso from Jordan becomes the first Arab woman from the Middle East to sign a WWE developmental contract. "Recruiting Kavita and Shadia to join our developmental system underscores WWE's ongoing commitment to building a talent roster as diverse as our fan base," said Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE executive vice president of talent, live events and creative. "We're confident Kavita and Shadia will inspire future WWE superstars."

The last five pakistani representation at the Master & World Cup bowed out in pre quarter-finals in Doha. This is not the first time that the snooker players of Pakistan have been knocked out, last year they survived to the same knock out stage. Mohammed Asif and Babar Masih fell in the last 32while Mohammed Bilal made his exit pre quarter finals in the men;s last year. Azher Khan was sent home by the Pakistan Billiards and

Snooker Federation )PBSF) for violating it's rules and regulations. Former world champion Asif and reigning junior world champion Mohammad Naseem Akhtar could not go beyond the last-64 round. Meanwhile, after conjuring up victories in the last-30 round, the trio of former world champion Mohammad Yousuf, Imran Shahzad and Khurram Agha also made their exit in the pre quarterfinals.

FISRT ASIAN DIRECTOR JOINS THE BOARD OF THE FA The Football Association has appointed it's first Asian director. Rupinder Bains, the founder and managing director of law firm Pinder Reaux & Associates, joins the FA board making her one of two female directors currently on the board. Bains was jointly appointed by the the Premier League and EFL as the professional game’s third non-executive FA director following a change to eligibility criteria to allow them to select someone other than a club official or officer of the leagues. In order for the FA to comply with the Government's Code for

Sports Governance which mandates atleast 30 per cent of directors should be female they were obliged to select a female. Bains is currently the only non-white board member, hopefully this will be the beginning of the underreprsentation of Asians being addressed in the professional game.

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KICKED OUT! ITALY LOSE OUT ON THE WORLD CUP QUALIFIER AGAINST SWEDEN. Sweden stalemate means Italy fail to qualify for first time in 60 years

“

Italy, this is the apocalypse,” was the headline in the country’s leading sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday morning, perhaps an understandable reaction for a nation whose passion for football is so great that the same publication concluded that “a love so great must be reserved for other things [than the World Cup]”

Who would have thought this could happen, headlines across the world referring to Italy not qualifying for the Worl Cup, but it happened. The last World cup winners who did not qualify for the World Cup was Uruguay back in 2006. Egland and France also join the list of nonqualifiers, when they both failed to progress in the 1994 qualifiers and befor this it was Spain in 1974 who did not qualify. La Gazzetta blamed “opportunities missed”. The paper’s editorial read: “We will not be with you and you will not be with us. Italy will not participate at the World Cup. There will be inevitable consequences.” Inevitably that will mean the departure of widely criticised head coach

Gian Piero Ventura, who initially was mistakenly reported to have quit in the immediate aftermath of the match. La Gazzetta were in no doubt: “Ventura, now it’s over,” identifying Carlo Ancelotti as one potential successor. The Italian is currently out of work after leaving Bayern Munich. “Whoever comes in will have to rebuild from rubble and work towards Euro 2020,” read the article. “The most fancied name is Ancelotti but there is the possibility [Chelsea manager Antonio] Conte will return, as he is a bit tired of England. “Very welcome alternatives would be [Roberto] Mancini and [Massimiliano] Allegri, if they can leave their respective roles at Zenit St Petersburg and

Juventus.” The front page of the other major sports daily, Corriere dello Sport, read simply: “Italy out of the World Cup”, stating how painful it will be for the country to be on the sidelines when the finals are under way in Russia next June. “In only a few months’ time we will be watching the World Cup for everyone else: for the first time in 60 years we will be on the outside,” the newspaper commented in an editorial piece. “It is an intolerable football shame, an indelible stain.” The online headline in the Italian broadsheet La Repubblica read simply: “Goodbye Russia”, while Turin’s La Stampa proclaimed: “Disaster for Italy, we won’t be going to the World Cup.”

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