The Asian Today Issue 244 – March 2019

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YOUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

IN SI DE TH IS IS SU E

Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu Reunite In BADLA Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu are all set to reunite on the big screen after their 2016 hit Pink. Just like Pink, Badla will see Amitabh Bachchan as a lawyer and Taapsee Pannu as his client.

However, unlike Pink, Badla is a mystery thriller and there is more to both Amitabh and Taapsee's

character than what meets the eye.

The movie is about a young married entrepreneur who finds herself in a locked hotel room next to the body of her dead lover.

Hoping to find answers, she hires a prestigious lawyer to help her solve the mystery of what really

happened.

Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, the revenge thriller film will release on March 8, 2019 Badla is an official Hindilanguage remake of the Spanish film, The Invisible Guestand is being co-produced by Red Chillies Entertainment.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Are Eastenders Newcomers The New Mitchell Sisters

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INTERVIEW WITH PUNJABI SINGER G. SIDHU - P.24

THE ASIAN TODAY TEAM CELEBARTES INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY

THIS NEEDS TO STOP

RECENT RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT YOUNG PEOPLE IN BIRMINGHAM FEEL DANGEROUSLY DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR COMMUNITY; OVER A THIRD (38%) BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY DON’T CARE ABOUT THEM

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH G.SIDHU PAGE 24

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OVER HALF (54%) DO NOT BELIEVE THEY HAVE ROLE MODELS IN THEIR COMMUNITY. IT’S DOWN TO US ALL TO PROVE THEM WRONG. THE WEST END BHANGRA MUSICAL UK TOUR PG 16

The recent knife fatalities that have greatly impacted our communities has made us think, about what we all could do to help this happening again; how do we stop this madness.

Many individuals & organisations have

come to voice their concerns, we all need to do more to protect our loved ones. We need to be communicating more to understand what is affecting our youngsters and guide them the best way possible. continued on page 2

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'For us, the key to turning the tide on this issue is listening to young people themselves, showing them that there are opportunities for them out there' There has been an outpouring of anger and sadness from many organisations including Prince’s Trust and Mosaic, their comments are: The impact that violent crime has on affected families and their local communities is vast. It is only by working together that we can hope to prevent further tragedies, putting positive solutions in place to guide young people away from situations where they may be at risk of either committing or of becoming a victim of violent crime.

Worryingly, our own recent research has shown that young people in Birmingham feel dangerously disconnected from their community; over a third (38%) believe that people in their community don’t care about them and over half (54%) do not believe they have role models in their community. It’s down to us all to prove them wrong.

We know that there are people working all across Birmingham to pull young people who may be at risk back from the brink and get

them onto a better path.

They come from all sectors and all walks of life – some are mentors working in schools and prisons, as part of our Mosaic programme, which works with young people in the areas highlighted in your piece, some are emergency services officers or youth workers

running courses for young people, some are business leaders who create jobs that give them their first step onto the career ladder. The list goes on.

At The Prince’s Trust, we are proud to be part of this support network for local young people, and work collaboratively with partners

across Birmingham and beyond to help those who may be facing challenges.

For us, the key to turning the tide on this issue is listening to young people themselves, showing them that there are opportunities for them out there which enable them to make good choices in life. By working

with them to ensure they feel supported, and together with the wider community, we can set them on a path towards a brighter future.

Please contact The Prince’s Trust if you know a young person we can help or if you’d like to join our team of volunteers at www.princestrust.org.uk

A Birmingham teenager, believed to be a first-year student, suffered a stab wound to his chest on Wednesday. He is in a critical condition after he was stabbed after a disturbance at a city college. The horrific incident unfolded at Joseph Chamberlain College Sixth Form Centre Highgate campus.

The 16-year-old collapsed in the courtyard area after violence erupted shortly before 4pm.

The horrific incident unfolded at Joseph Chamberlain College Sixth Form Centre.

The sixth form college, based in Highgate, has announced it is to remain closed on Thursday after the 'incident'.

People across our city have said: "This has to stop!"

A teenager is fighting for his life after a harrowing knife attack at a college.

The 16-year-old suffered a stab wound to his chest following a disturbance at Joseph Chamberlain College Sixth Form Centre.

A 19-year-old and an 18-year-old suffered minor cuts following the disorder on Belgrave Road.

West Midlands Police arrested a 16-year-old suspect who was nearby and he is due to be questioned in

due course.

The attack happened just an hour before another teenager was also stabbed in the chest in Orchard Meadow Walk, Castle Vale.

Witnesses to the Highgate stabbing said the 16-yearold victim was knifed by a masked offender .

Eyewitnesses say, the attacker stormed into the college grounds wearing what appeared to be either a balaclava or ski mask.

"I noticed that something was wrong," explained an 18-year-old bystander.

"I went to him, ‘Yo stay with me, stay with me’.

"I was holding him until paramedics come.

"He was stabbed just to the right of his stomach.

"It’s sad, bro.

"The attacker was wearing a bally, a ski mask or something and I saw police arrest him on the floor."

Three ambulances attended the scene in Highgate alongside a MERIT trauma doctor and two further doctors and paramedics.

The stab victim, according to West Midlands Police, remains in a critical condition in hospital.

While Sharon Williams added: "What is going on in Birmingham lately? It's getting out of hand."

And Christine Barton wrote: "I hate living in this city, it's getting worse."

Gina Gi Gi added on Facebook: "WTF is this country coming to! This country has gone soft, they do it because they know they can get away with it! F****** joke! Hope the teenager pulls through, thoughts are with the family too."

And Kerry Borland said: "Nothing new here, it's not even shocking anymore, just the norm. Horrible world we live in."

"Officers were called at around 4.10pm and one boy aged 16 was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

"He is believed to have

suffered stab wounds to the chest.

"A 19-year-old was left with minor cuts to his back and his hand, while an 18-year-old was also treated for a cut to his hand."

The statement added: "The investigation is at an early stage, and officers remain at the scene this evening.

"The teenage suspect was arrested nearby and will be questioned in due course.

"Anyone with information has been asked to contact police via Live Chat at westmidlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight or call 101 anytime.

"Alternatively, contact

Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

Joseph Chamberlain college will be closed for the rest of the week.

In a message posted on its website, the college wrote: "We can confirm an incident occurred outside the college on Belgrave Road.

"As it is a police investigation, we are unable to comment further at this time.

"Our thoughts are with with the student who was attacked and his family.

"The college is closed to students for the rest of the week.

"Lessons will resume after the half-term holiday."

Joseph Chamberlain College Highgate stabbing

Brutal Attack on Taxi Driver A hard working taxi driver was viciously attacked by alleged drunken yobs outside the National Motorcycle Museum suffering facial. injuries and bruising around both eyes.

Mohammed Rahman, 56, from Sparkbrook was knocked unconscious after being repeatedly punched and strangled from behind by thugs.

Mr Rahman was called to pick up two guests from a party while working an evening shift for Solihullbased A2B Radio Cars.

He recalls telling one guest to take his feet off the back seats before waking up at Heartlands Hospital on Sunday evening, February 24.

The dad-of-two claims he was ambushed after refusing to take the guests to Leamington Spa after one of them lay down horizontally across the back seats in his cab.

After ordering both to get out, his attackers lashed out and hit him so hard Mr Rahman was knocked out and collapsed onto his steering wheel.

Mr Rahman has suffered blurred vison from the brutal attack and could face losing

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his job.

Still too concuss to speak from his bedside at Heartlands, mortified brother Ahmed Reza told BirminghamLive: "I went to visit him on Wednesday and he was in tears with his family because he has been informed that he may lose his sight partially as a result of this incident.

"He will have to give up his driving and taxi licence, a job he loves.

"He could lose his livelihood, his only income.

It's made us all feel very sad and angry.

"Why should my brother tolerate this? He was just doing his job.

"You just don't expect taxi drivers to be attacked. He didn't do anything wrong, just refused a fare because he was abused.

"He's getting better now but is still set to have a MRI scan on his brain to check for any bleeding or a tumour.

"Mohammed is still suffering with 20/20 vision, it doesn't look good."

Of the harrowing attack, Mr Reza said: "It happened at the National Motorcycle Museum car park.

"When my brother arrived,

confirmed it is investigating. *Anyone with information is asked to contact West Midlands Police via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight, call 101 anytime or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Quote crime reference number 20SH/47259A/19.

two drunken passengers both Asian - got inside the cab.

"One sat at the back with his legs across the back passenger’s seats.

"A request was made to the back-seat passenger to sit properly and he refused and became very abusive.

West Midlands Police

Fines Issued Over Crazy Parking

Police have shamed a taxi driver for dumping his car in the middle of a city road in Sparkbrook.

The Toyota was seen blocking a residential street after it parked itself between two rows of cars.

The driver was slapped with a fine and shamed by West Midlands Police on Twitter.

Nearby, an Uber employee was also slammed for parking diagonally.

The silver vehicles were pictured with its back end sticking out into the road.

It was ticketed by police for causing an 'unnecessary

obstruction'.

Two other drivers were exposed over their badly parked cars during the same parking swoop.

A Mercedes van and a silver car were spotted and issued with fines on Conway Road, Gladstone Road and Clifton Road.

Sparkbrook Police tweeted the photos on Sunday, March 3.

They wrote: "We've given tickets out this morning to the below vehicles on Conway Road, Gladstone Road and Clifton Road for unnecessary obstruction.

“Fines are on the way! You CANNOT park like this."

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LITTLE BADMAN AND THE INVASION OF THE KILLER AUNTIES HUMZA ARSHAD AND HENRY WHITE ILLUSTRATED BY ALEKSEI BITSKOFF

The first novel in a hilarious new series for children from Humza Arshad and comedy writer Henry White LITTLE BADMAN, is a funny and fast-paced adventure story created by comedy duo Humza Arshad and Henry White and with illustrations from Aleksei Bitskoff. Full of mischief, silliness and with a delightful

cast of characters the series is sure to appeal to fans of traditional British Asian comedy.

Humza Khan, he is the greatest eleven-year-old rapper Eggington has ever known: he is Little Badman and he is destined to be rich and famous. But when Humza’s music teacher is taken ill his dreams are put on hold. His Auntie has

stepped in as substitute, and nobody seems to care about the unorthodox teaching because of the endless sweet treats. As other teachers start to disappear, with more Aunties appearing in their place, Humza knows something isn’t right. With the help of his elderly Uncle and friends Umer and Wendy, Humza discovers that the suspicious Aunties might not

be as friendly as they seem.

Now he must find a way to destroy them before they take over the world…

“I love my aunties, but any Asian kid will tell you, a gang of aunties is a force to be reckoned with and to make them extra powerful and extra scary was a lot of fun. Exaggerating some of my childhood experiences and turning it into a kids adventure is a bit of dream.” Humza Arshad Humza Arshad (@ HumzaProduction) is one of the UK’s most popular British Asian personalities.

After graduating from Richmond Drama School Arshad wrote, directed and edited an episode called Diary of a Badman. Over 90 million views of the series later, Humza became the first British YouTuber to have his own scripted comedy series on BBC Three in the mockumentary series Coconut. Equally important to Humza has been using his influence and comedy for a greater purpose. In 2015, Humza partnered with the UK Counter Terrorism Unit and he is YouTube’s first ambassador for the Creators for Change campaign. Humza has spoken and shared the stage with the likes of Will Smith, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, Kevin Hart and Whoopi Goldberg.

Henry White is a comedy writer working in television and children’s fiction. He grew up in west London and began his career in online animation. Henry went on to write and direct adverts for a number of British comedy channels, before working as a sitcom writer.

Aleksei Bitskoff is an Estonia-born British contemporary illustrator, character designer and children's book illustrator.

nother tragedy has struck after a teenager was stabbed to death as he was on his way to his Birmingham gym.

The teenager named Hazrat Umar aged 17 and a student at South and City College, was fatally attacked in Norwood Road, Bordesley Green, just after 2pm on Monday, February 25.

It is believed that he was heading to Section 18 gym, on the same road, when he died - making him the third teen killed by knife crime in

less than a fortnight .

The road was sealed off as a crowd of onlookers watched the first steps of the West Midlands Police investigation.

One man who knew the victim well said: "He was never in trouble.

"It’s a big shock and his mother is in mourning.

"He was just on his way to the gym - Section 18 - it’s popular .

"He was a student at South and City College studying a trade."

Section 18 gym owner Sher Khan said the dead teenager was a popular and respected member.

He said: "He will be missed.

He was a good role model for the lads.

"He was a leader and very determined. He would train up to three times a day - he did kickboxing.

"We are dragging a lot of the youngsters from around here to the gym. It gets them off the streets."

Before the latest tragedy, West Midlands Police said it

was stepping up patrols in a bid to combat knife crime.

Officers have conducted high-profile operations on buses and at railway stations in a bid to deter people from

Teenager Stabbed On Way To Gym A

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Coventry Road Hay Mills Man stabbed and seriously injured

A man undergone serious injuries after he was stabbed at a property on a major city route A45, police have now revealed. A 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of wounding.

The victim was knifed in Coventry Road, Hay Mills, just after 10.30am yesterday morning on Thursday 21st February.

West Midlands Police is commending anyone with information to come forward.

A statement from the force read: "Police investigating a stabbing at a property on Coventry Road in the Hay Mills area of Birmingham just after 10.30am this morning (Thursday 21 February) have arrested a 51-year-old man on suspicion of wounding.”

"A man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries as enquiries continue.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact us, quoting crime

reference number log number 698 of 21 February via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight, call 101 anytime or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service added: "We were called just after 10.30am to reports of an assault on Coventry Road.

"We sent one ambulance and a paramedic officer.

"We treated on man and conveyed him to hospital."

The news of the stabbing came less than 24 hours after a teenage boy, 16, was stabbed to death in Small Heath - the second 16-yearold killed by a knife in a week.

He was found critically injured after police were called to Herbert Road, Small Heath, at around 8pm on Wednesday. Tragically, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

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carrying knives.

The Alum Rock Community Forum, which works to bring cohesion and harmony in parts of inner-city Birmingham,

said in a statement that it despaired of the spiralling violence.

The forum was holding an emergency meeting in light of the latest killing.

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Daughter of Birmingham Drug Smuggler Has Been Released Aged Six

The daughter of Birmingham heroin mule has finally been released from Pakistan prison which has been home for the entire six years of her life.

Malaika, daughter of Khadija Shah who is given a life sentence for attempting to bring £3 million worth of the drug into the UK was born and raised in notorious Adiala Prison.

The little girl has only known the squalid confines of a jail, in Rawalpindi, that was built to contain 1,900 of Pakistan’s most hardened, and violent, prisoners, but currently has a population of 6,000.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed that she was returned to the UK three weeks ago.

Malaika’s is believed to be living with family in the West Midlands.

Her mother, Khadija, has not been so lucky and will remain in Adiala.

For those looking after Malaika, supported by human rights charity Reprieve, the focus is now on easing the youngster into a normal, carefree life. That will take some time.

In a brief statement, a Foreign Office spokesman

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said: “Our staff continue to assist a British woman jailed in Pakistan. We supported her family in bringing her daughter to the UK, working with them and the Pakistani authorities.”

The child will need professional help as she adapts to life in the outside world.

Up until this month she and her mother have survived in a cell shared by six others.

She will need support to overcome the loss of her mother.

Khadija narrowly avoided execution after being caught with two suitcases crammed with heroin in May 2012.

Behind bars, the 32-yearold continues to protest her innocence. She claims she was set up, told the luggage contained nothing more sinister than wedding garments.

Khadija claims she was asked to take the cases while on holiday and staying in an Islamabad guesthouse.

The killer Class A drug was concealed in the folds of garments – 120 wraps, in all.

Six months pregnant and accompanied by her two children, aged four and five, the former Sheldon Heath Community School student

was arrested at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

Her children were detained with her, but flown back to Britain after four-and-a-half months.

Khadija has spoken to the media about her handto-mouth existence in Adiala, which houses 400 women prisoners. Some, like Khadija, are raising children in cramped cells.

In 2014, she said: “Malaika likes to play with empty wrappers of food items.

I usually try to keep our surroundings clean, too.”

When Khadija was sentenced, her then lawyer said the case underlined the Pakistan authorities’ poor record in snaring drug barons who recruit vulnerable mules.

“Khadija was asked to carry the bags by an individual and she has given the authorities his details,” he said.

“The anti-narcotics force seems only interested in picking up the carriers – women and children – and it isn’t going after the big fish.”

Khadija Shah is not the first West Midlands resident to be caught up into the murky, and potentially deadly, world of drug delivery and distribution abroad.

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Taxi overturned in crash on Stratford Road passenger thrown out of window

A passenger in a taxi was thrown through the window and ended up beneath the overturned cab in a dreadful accident on one of Birmingham's busiest roads the A34. Fire crews said the other car involved left the crash scene.

The victim was dashed through the back window when the taxi collided with a car in Stratford Road, Hall Green on Monday 18th February. Opposite Hall Green Health Centre, at around 7.30pm.

The taxi driver was helped from

the wreckage and suffered only minor injuries.

The female passenger was rushed to hospital.

Firefighters later warned others: "Always wear your seatbelt".

A Facebook post from Billesley Fire Station read: "RTC Stratford Rd, Hall Green. 2 car collision.

"Passenger ejected through rear window ending up underneath rear quarter of vehicle.

"Fortunately only minor injuries and not trapped. Driver assisted

out, uninjured.

"Other vehicle involved left scene. *Always* wear your seatbelt."

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "We were called to reports of an RTC involving an overturned car in Hall Green just after 7.30pm.

"We sent one ambulance, one paramedic officer and a merit doctor.

One patient, a woman, was taken to Heartlands Hospital for relatively minor injuries."

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A Royal Mail post box placed in middle of driveway in Moseley

Wolverhampton to receive £50m for Westside scheme bringing new leisure attractions

The £50 million renovation of Wolverhampton city centre is back in motion after funding issues were ironed out. The plans include bringing a new cinema, shopping experience, restaurants and family leisure attractions and multistorey car park to the city centre.

A deal struck between City of Wolverhampton Council and property developers Urban&Civic has created a new financial model so work on the Westside leisure scheme can forge ahead.

Westside is expected to create 300 new jobs as well as add an estimated £6.5 million a year to the local economy.

Shovels will break ground and start construction on the project later on this

year. Work is likely to be completed by 2022.

Philip Leech, property director for Urban&Civic, added: “The agreement of City of Wolverhampton Council to support this important leisure project is a massively positive initiative.

“As a result of this decision and working closely with the council we will be able to finalise the strong occupier interest with a view to commencing on site within a year.

“This exciting scheme will bring much-needed leisure facilities to Wolverhampton city centre and in the coming weeks we will be in a position to announce the major international cinema brand that will anchor the project, as well as other well-known

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“Westside is a critical part of how we are re-imagining and reinventing our city centre, along with great connectivity, great public spaces, great new homes, a great leisure and sporting offer, vibrant events, outstanding arts and culture, and a thriving commercial district.

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A house in Moseley, South Birmingham which is less than a stones throw away from a post box, because it is plonked in its newly widened driveway. Council investigating 'unauthorised works' after residents stumped over siting of box on the corner of Oxford Road and School Road in Moseley.

And there won't be many deliveries to the home as the red postbox blocks entry through the new formed iron gates, at the corner of Oxford Road and School Road.

A spokeswoman for Birmingham City Council said, “Alleged unauthorised works have recently been brought to our attention which are currently subject to an enforcement investigation.

“Discussions are taking place between council officers and the home owner in an attempt to

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Councillor John Reynolds, cabinet member for City Economy, added: “Urban&Civic have an excellent track record in delivering comparable high-quality schemes in the UK, which is why we are confident in taking this new route to back it financially.

“It is a vital scheme for the City of Wolverhampton and there is general enthusiasm around Westside.

“The proposals put forward

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bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.”

The postbox topic has been widely debated by residents on social media.

Moseley councillor, Kerry Jenkins requested planning officers had been to visit the property about works outside the house, including the block paving.

She said: “The residents of Moseley are passionate about their neighbourhood. They love the characteristics, the vibe and do not want to see it ruined.

“I’m aware that planning enforcement are dealing with the issue."

She added the householder had told "planning enforcement that he’s applied to Royal Mail to get the postbox relocated and I’m sure there’s a huge cost to that."

The owner of the home could not be contacted for a comment.

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Birmingham air pollution causing a shocking number of deaths

Approximately 500 deaths in a single year in Birmingham were due to raised levels of air pollution.

New figures from Public Health England suggest one in 18 deaths of people over 30 in Birmingham (5.6%) in 2017 may be attributable to fine particulate air pollution.

That is the equivalent of 460 deaths across the capital in 2017.

The figures are modelled based on the assumption that as levels of particulate air pollution go up, so will the number of people dying.

The World Health

Organisation sets a guideline limit of 10 ug/m3, the amount of particles by cubic metre of air, for annual levels of PM2.5, which include fine particles of dust, dirt, soot, and smoke, often due to road vehicles.

Long-term exposure to particulate air pollution increases the risk of death, particularly from cardiovascular causes, while short-term exposure to high concentrations can aggravate lung and heart conditions.

The government launched a new Clean Air Strategy last month, which aims to reduce people’s contact to PM2.5,

with plans to set out what action would be needed to meet the WHO guidelines.

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: “Having an estimate for the loss of life attributed to air pollution is one way to measure its impact, but sadly it doesn’t tell the whole story.

“Dirty air doesn’t just cut lives short; it also seriously effects the health and quality of life of the millions of people in the UK who have a lung disease, and puts millions of children at risk of having underdeveloped lungs and getting a serious health problem in later life. It’s clear that we need the government to take ambitious action right now.”

As well as Clean Air Zones in Britain’s most polluted towns and cities, a diesel scrappage scheme and investment into cleaner travel alternatives.

Jenny Bates, clean air campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “It is children who are among the worst affected by dirty air, and this can lead to worsened asthma and even children growing up with smaller lungs.

“The solution to this health

crisis lies in city mayors and local authorities using their powers to restrict the dirtiest vehicles from the most polluted areas and encourage people to leave the car at home.”

Commenting on the launch of the strategy, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Air pollution poses the single greatest environmental threat to human health.

“Breathing dirty air is associated with a host of health problems, from asthma to cardiovascular disease and lung cancer, and all too often it is the most vulnerable - children, older people and those from poorer backgrounds - who are hit hardest. In short: clean air helps you live longer.

“No-one can tackle air pollution alone so it is a duty of government to act for us all. We are determined to clean up our environment and are taking the lead with this Clean Air Strategy.

“We have made strides forward over the past few years and the action we are taking today will save lives and improve the health of the nation - both for those of us here today and for generations to come.”

NEWS

Blaze in Tyseley A huge fire broke out at a car workshop in Birmingham early hours of the morning.

Roads have been closed in Whardale Road, Tyseley, where around 100 firefighters were at the scene.

No-one was hurt but the scene of the blaze was closed, along with Rushey Lane and Redfern Road.

The fire broke out at around 3am and the premises were totally destroyed.

Neil Griffiths, incident commander, said the blaze involved a car workshop which had been totally destroyed. Mr Griffiths said: "It started at 3am, we were mobilised to a significant fire.

Our first fire engine was here in under two minutes.

"Approximately 100 fire fighters were involved at the height of the fire.

"The building in question, a car workshop, has been totally destroyed. “We managed to save around four surrounding buildings.

"It’s now under control and over the next four hours we will be undertaking investigations and looking to return the local area to normality.

"There are cordons in place."

Due to the heat generated by the fire homes opposite on Whardale Road had their front windows cracked.

One resident, mum-of-two Shiraz Bi, said:”It was so scary.

“My two kids were shaking and were saying ‘mommy what’s happening’ and grabbed daddy and me.

“The flames were really high.

“My front bedroom window is cracked.

“Everyone was standing outside it was a nightmare’” West Midlands Fire Service tweeted overnight: “We currently have 18 fire appliances, 2 aerials, the high volume pump & tech rescue crews in attendance at a large industrial fire in Wharfdale Road, Tyseley.

“Residents are advised to keep all windows and doors shut. Local road closures in place, avoid the area!”

A Dishonest Accountant Lived Luxury Lifestyle Jailed For Fraud A dishonest accountant who lived a luxury lifestyle has been jailed on the back of a £400,000 VAT scam.

Rakesh Sidhpara, of Wheatmoor Road in Sutton Coldfield, claimed over 100 fraudulent repayments through hijacked businesses and fake firms.

He used the cash to buy his huge Birmingham home, lease an expensive Mercedes and take many holidays between 2010 and 2013, including trips to Las Vegas, Mexico, India, Dubai and even a VIP studio tour of CNN's headquarters in Atlanta in the US. Sidhpara and his wife, Ritu, fled the country when they were rumbled. The wife returned and was jailed for money laundering offences.

Sidhpara stayed in Cyprus and tried to delay his own trial last September by sending the UK authorities a forged five-page medical report, claiming he could not attend because of kidney stones.

A HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officer proved the medical document was a fake after their suspicions were raised by the nature of the stamp and signature.

Sidhpara finally returned to the UK during the threeweek trial and admitted the three-year VAT fraud.

The 35-year-old acted as an accountant for a number of small firms and had the fraudulent VAT repayments paid into various bank accounts.

In December 2018, he was jailed for five-and-a-half years.

He admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice and on Thursday, February 28, he was sentenced to an extra year in prison.

Tanveer Akram, 35, Colebourne Road, Moseley,

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Rakesh Sidhpara also received cash from the fake VAT returns and passed the proceeds of crime back to Sidhpara.

He was convicted of VAT fraud during the same trial at Birmingham Crown Court in December and was also jailed two-and-a-half years.

Ritu Sidhpara was sentenced to 23 months in prison for money laundering on January 28 this year.

During sentencing, at Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Richard Bond QC, described Rakesh as “thoroughly dishonest” and “a conman” who was the “controlling mind of the fraud.”

Sentencing his wife, he added: “Ritu Sidhpara returned to the UK in September. She sat in the dock knowing a completely false medical report had been handed over.

"Photos from the defendant's Facebook page demonstrate that Ritu Sidhpara was, from 2010 until 2013, living a lifestyle that was far beyond that of an ordinary human being.

"As well as the holidays there was a lavish engagement party in 2011 and in 2012 there was a lavish Indian wedding ceremony.

This would have cost tens of thousands of pounds over

Ritu Sidhpara

those years.

"The couple also bought a property together in Sutton Coldfield’s Wheatmoor Road, which cost £338,000. I am told there was a £100,000 mortgage and £238,000 was paid in cash.

"This was a money laundering arrangement and Ritu Sidhpara was aware of it from the outset. She entered into this with her eyes wide open."

Nick Stone, of the HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service, said: "Sidhpara thought he could lie to us and to the courts. He was wrong. He will now spend even more time behind bars thanks to our eagle eyed officer.

"This was a significant and sustained attack on the public purse, orchestrated

by Sidhpara, along with his wife and business partner.

The Sidhparas spent money on a lifestyle they could not legitimately afford and bought a large house with the proceeds of the crime.

"VAT fraud will not and should not be tolerated. If you know of anyone who is committing this type of crime you can report them to HMRC online or call our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”

HMRC will seek to recover the proceeds of the trio’s crimes.

Tanveer Akram

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Two teenage boys aged 16 and 17 were struck when a car mounted the kerb and collided with the pair, causing serious injuries. Police are appealing for information following the serious incident on Newhampton Road West in Wolverhampton at around 8pm on Thursday 21 February.

Investigating officer DC Sarah

Lewin from the Force CID team, said: “We are treating this as a deliberate act and urging anyone who saw what happened or has information on who was involved to get in touch with us.

“A dark car, possibly a long saloon VW or Audi hit the teens and then drove off without stopping. The car is

likely to have damage to the front and be ver y noticeable.”

CCTV enquiries continue and anyone with information is urged to contact police via Live Chat at west-midlands. police.uk between 8am and midnight or call 101 anytime.

Quote crime reference 20WV/44672N/19.

Solihull village to get new and much needed medical centre approved MARCH 2019

10

A new medical centre is to be constructed in Marston Green, despite fears that the scheme could set a dangerous example for green belt development. Hopes scheme will meet rising demand, but green belt land will be lost.

Solihull Council's planning committee has this week given unanimous approval to plans to demolish Oliver House, in Ivy Lodge Close, and erect a purpose-built facility, bringing various services under one roof.

The centre will include 17 consulting rooms, an on-site pharmacy, gym and selfservice cafe. It is estimated that the scheme will create more than a dozen new jobs.

Local GP Dr Victor Sagoo had said that the current doctors around the corner was "not fit for purpose" and the failure of the proposals put before planners could force the practice to move out of the village - leaving it without a surgery.

Bickenhill and Marston Green Parish Council said it understood the pressing need for improved health facilities, but had serious concerns about the scale of the building and the loss of green belt land.

Dr Sagoo - who has worked in the village for 17 years had argued that the present

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practice, in nearby Chelmsley Lane, could not meet demand.

"It's not fit for purpose and is highly reliant on on-street parking which we know is frustrating for our neighbours," he said.

"We have been at full capacity for a number of years and with two neighbouring GP practices having closed down recently due to NHS pressures we have had to take on additional patients from far

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and beyond Marston Green's catchment area.

"The application before you this evening is no passing whim or flight of fancy, we have been looking for land for the last ten years to build a much-needed new surgery.

"We are the only GP surgery in the village and if the proposed medical centre is not approved we will almost certainly have to move out of Marston Green and find land elsewhere ...

This would be devastating for us and also for our patients, who would have to travel to Chelmsley Wood or further on."

Richard Cobb, speaking on behalf of the parish council, said it was widely recognised that the Chelmsley Lane practice was "very restricted", but there were concerns about the impact of the new centre - said to be four times the size of the current premises.

"The very special circumstances which have been put forward by the applicant should not disguise the fact that this proposal intrudes significantly into the vital wedge of green belt open land," he said.

"The parish council fear that this precedent will mean that more of that green belt will be sacrificed to housing and it will make it more difficult to defend the land at the rear of this medical centre, which will effectively be cut off from Coleshill Road."

Cllr Richard Holt (Con, Blythe) - who previously lived in the village - said the plans were an opportunity to create a "state-of-the-art" facility.

"Looking at it - ultrasound, x-rays, scanning, orthotics, ophthalmology. It's something to be proud of.

"Yes, I am a great defender of the green belt, I really do feel we have to protect it.

"But [this is] an example of very special circumstances."

Cllr Diana Holl-Allen (Con, Knowle) said she "wholeheartedly" supported the plans and that the new generation of medical centres were helping meet the increasing challenges facing the NHS. A similar health centre was officially opened in Balsall Common in 2012, on the back of concerns that the current surgery had become restricted and outdated.

NEWS

BYSA graduate ‘role model’s’ who will help make a better Birmingham

Birmingham Youth Sports Academy (BYSA) have a reputation in Birmingham for producing good football teams, but this year they will also be known for producing good citizens of Birmingham. Last year they announced plans to run a Mentoring project for their kids, with the objective of developing role models and ambassadors who could influence their own local communities.

This week saw the graduation of the first cohort of BYSA’s youth mentoring project and the community came together to celebrate the occasion. The project was planned just over 4 months ago and in partnership with TSB, the vision is now being realised.

Presenting the graduates with their certificates was West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson who said ‘Don’t underestimate the value of what you are doing, talking to people about good values and doing good things, makes for a better community.’

This is essentially what the project has been about; reaching young people in hard to reach communities who need support and guidance. They need someone to help them understand how they could be more than In their graduation speeches, the young men talked about their responsibilities to their families, how they could help their friends who maybe needed help and how they could sacrifice time now to invest in a better future for themselves. This cohort of youths came from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, but importantly they all live within inner city Birmingham, areas that are under threat of becoming disconnected

that the rest of the city.

The 12 week course covers a range of topics designed to help young people manage themselves and understand their role and responsibilities to their families and their community.

TSB themselves deliver one of the sessions on managing money and there is also a session on ‘Moments of madness’ talking about how to manage yourself in difficult times.

Amer Awan, Chairman, BYSA was extremely proud on the evening and said; ‘We have high hopes for the mentoring project, we want to positivity influence the lives of young people and not all of them can be reached through football. This will allow us to expand our footprint in the community. Today we saw a lot of parents here today and they all had positive things to say about the changes they have seen in their own kids. A lot of hard work has gone on into this project with all the coaches supporting the sessions, but I would like to thank a few people specifically Saima Rafique delivered most of the course, ably supported by Riaz Khan and Abid Khan.

The project will now be rolled out to other age groups as it becomes a permanent part of the BYSA calendar. BYSA are now truly more than just sports, as they continue on their mission to; positivity influence the lives of young people through positive role models.

The mentoring For more information about our projects, visit our website – https://bysa.co.uk/ To get involved as a member, volunteer or sponsor, email us at info@BYSA.co.uk

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MARCH 2019

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2019

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2019

BALANCE

FOR BETTER

M

arch 8th marks the annual International Women’s Day. The internationally recognised campaign celebrates and acknowledges the achievement of women. This years theme #BalanceForBetter, the campaign theme provides a unified direction to guide and galvanize continuous collective action, with #BalanceForBetter activity reinforced and amplified all year.

The Asian Today looks into the inspirational British Asian women who are balancing for better and are helping other women to find their potential. This International Women’s Day, we celebrate them.

10 INSPIRATIONAL BRITISH ASIAN WOMEN Rosie Ginday – Miss Macaroon

1

Satnam Kaur Rana-Grindley

2

Rupinder Kaur

3

4

Meera Syal

5

Rupa Haq

Founder of Miss Macrooon, a social entrepreneur patisserie chef who works with young offenders to reduce reoffending. Rosie set up Miss Macaroon in 2011 with just £500 of personal funds. She was located in a kitchen at University College Birmingham where she had previously studied there. Rosie was determined to start a business with a significant social impact.

BBC Presenter who has presented on Midlands Today and featured on BBC WM. Satnam has highlighted her breast cancer to raise awareness of the condition and launched a #checkthemout social media campaign to urge people to contact their doctor if they detect any abnormalities in their breasts . Satnam filmed an emotional diary in hope to help other women.

Rupinder Kaur is a Birmingham born Panjabi poet and biomedical science student with an immense love for South Asian arts. She sees writing and reading poetry as a way to liberate the soul.

For Rupinder, writing, along with any other art form, should be azaad – free, free to express what the artist wants or needs to say, without any censorship.

Rupinder is known for speaking her mind and this is reflected in her poems. Her work straddles English and Punjabi culture – fusing words from Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu and English.

British-Indian comedian, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress.

She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's bestknown Indian personalities.

"Anita and Me", her debut novel which she adapted for the screen and had a role in was very much an autobiography of her own adolescence in the Midlands. Meera starred in her first pantomime ‘Peter Pan’ which was in Birmingham from Dec 2017 to Jan 2018.

British Labour Party politician, columnist, academic and DJ. She was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Ealing Central and Acton at the 2015 general election. Rupa is also the eldest sister to former Blue Peter Konnie Huq. In December 2018 she accused UK Prime Minister Theresa May of having "a sort of premature parliamentary ejaculation.

Huq is also a music DJ under the stage name "Dr Huq" and recorded a jingle for John Peel in Bengali. She first started DJing for a hospital radio station at the age of 17.

Dino Tokio

Yasmin Sheikh

Harpz Kaur

Dr Haseena Lockhat

Pushpa Alexander

#IWD19

6

Dina Tokio is an Egyptian–English beauty vlogger/blogger and social-media personality. She is currently based in London and has emerged as an influential and successful woman in the UK. Her beauty vlogs and blogs not only provide beauty, fashion, and makeup tips to women but also inspire them to have their own opinions. Dina has thoroughly used social media to advocate the empowerment of Muslim women.

Dina owns three 'YouTube' channels and a clothing line. She has also launched a book titled 'Modestly.'

7

Yasmin is the founder of Diverse Matters a specialist training consultancy. Diverse Matters train organisations and people to approach diversity and disability (both visible and non-visible) with confidence and strength.

Yasmin Sheikh is a Disability Consultant, Coach, Trainer and Business Disability Forum (BDF) Associate. Yasmin is also the Vice Chair of Lawyers with Disabilities Division at the Law Society following her 12-year career as a city Lawyer.

8

Harpz currently presents the Breakfast Show on the BBC Asian Network. Harpz is a qualified Journalist, and became a finalist at the Asian Media Awards 2014 under the “Outstanding Young Journalist Of The Year” category.

After 6 years on Fever FM, Harpz then got the opportunity to host her own Urban show before going to BBC Network.

Harpz has hosted shows for big celebrities has a huge passion for dancing and is known for her dance routines with guests on her show.

9

Dr Haseena Lockhat works for Worcestershire Health and Care Trust as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Locality Manager for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), Redditch and Bromsgrove. She is a partner at the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) which is an independent regulatory body.

Haseena is regarded as a leading figure both in the UK and internationally on healthcare issues relating to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Her publications include the acclaimed book ‘Female Genital Mutilation.

10

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Celebrate Mother’s Day WWW.THEASIANTODAY.COM

MARCH 2019

FEATURE

with a classic ! t s a f k a e r B i s e D Jewels, clothes, cars- these gifts might be a bit outside of your price range if you’re looking to gift your Mother something this Mother’s Day. Thankfully there’s one certain gift that can make anyone smile- and that’s food!

You can’t go wrong with some delicious food that is quick and easy to make your mother on their day off! If you’re looking to gift your lovely mother something, what better than a classic desi breakfast in bed?

This breakfast is easy and simple to make (so no excuses from the kids) but will keep your mother full until dinner and earn major points in style. The breakfast includes torka (spiced) beans, omelette with tomatoes, onion, chillies, green peper and cheese and desi style toast made on the thava.

Method 1. Firstly, we need to put the chai on, so to make Indian tea you need about of a medium sized saucepan filled with cold water.

2. Then add in the chai masala, if there’s no chai masala made. Put in a mortar, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon, fennel seeds, Ajwain seeds and grate some ginger and add to the tea.

3. Then leave on the gas on a medium heat to simmer whilst you cook the breakfast.

4. So, for the torka, add some butter in to pan with a teaspoon of cumin seeds.

5. Whilst the cumin seeds are cooking on a medium heat, dice one onion into the saucepan and simmer on the medium heat.

6. Simmer for 4-5 minutes or until brown, cut one green chilli into the sautéed onions and stir.

7. Then add in 1 tablespoon of Garam Masala and stir and cook for 2/3 mins.

8. Once the onion mixture is all combined and the onions sautéed, add in 1 tin of beans and stir leave on a low- medium heat.

9. Now add the tea bags to the chai and let it boil for 2-3 minutes and then add the milk to simmer on a lowmedium heat.

10. Now for the omelette, cut up half an onion, one beef tomato, half a green pepper, half a chilli and grate a handful of cheese.

11. For the omelette you will need 3 eggs, crack them into a glass with a splash of milk and add in the ingredients and whisk it up.

12. Then add in a pinch of salt, pepper, garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric and

stir the mixture.

13. Put some olive oil into the frying pan and let it heat for 2 mins on a medium heat and add the omelette mixture.

14. Cook for 5 minutes on both sides on a medium- low heat flipping the omelette to ensure both sides are cooked.

15. For the toast heat the thava and get two slices of white bread, toast them on the thava changing the sides quite frequently.

16. Once golden-brown spread on some butter and

place onto the plate.

17. Once the tea has boiled, pour the tea into the mug ensuring you use a small sieve to ensure the chai masala doesn’t go into the tea and add sugar to taste.

18. Switch the gas off on both the omelette and the beans and plate onto the plate.

Take the food to your mother on a tray with flowers and your card!

And there you have it classic desi breakfast made within 30 minutes!

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THE WEST END BHANGRA MUSICAL UK TOUR NEWS

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MARCH 2019

JAS SANSI The Thinking Man's Mouthpiece Photographer and LoveBrum trustee, Jas Sansi brings a dose of all things Birmingham.

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

LOSING OUR CITIZENSHIP

Twitter and the wider media went into meltdown last week over Shamima Begum. If you don’t know the story, you may as well stop reading now. Everyone still here? Good.

I woke up this morning to read about Jihadi Jack, a young English man from Oxfordshire. The contrasts in the two stories are blindingly clear. The silence from the Home Office on his citizenship is deafening in its silence.

The notion of being stripped of citizenship is a worrying precedent.

The 48% of us who voted to Remain in the EU are being stripped of our EU Citizenship. Few of us have dual nationality allowing us to reach out to a third country to maintain our freedom to work, live and travel across the continent.

We didn’t commit treason in supporting the EU vision of shared values and defending human rights.

I believe UK Citizenship is a privilege and something no one should take for granted. Citizenship is something we should all protect. The risk of losing our citizenship should deter us all from making wrong decisions. Should. Should. Should.

The Brexit argument is exactly that, its the loss of EU Citizenship we face in four weeks. There is no doubt we have already experienced economic loss. We continue to put on a brave face in view of further decline.

Should the 48% expect a little sympathy for what we are going through? Should there be greater understanding for the challenges uncertainty presents?

If there’s no sympathy for a teenage girl who was groomed at 15 to join a death cult or a teenage boy from the shires who also chose the wrong turning at a crossroads in life, there’ll be be little sympathy for us.

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

THE MUSICAL, EVOLUTION OF BHANGRA, WITH A LIVE CONCERT EXPERIENCE LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW The visions and desire for The West End Bhangra Musical is to create a nationwide tour by creating a never seen before musical event for Bhangra music.

Based in theatres around the UK, The West End Bhangra Musical will combine live music, stage production and an experience that raises the level of Bhangra music events.

Not only will it showcase 4 of the Premier UK Bhangra artists of all time - Heera, DCS, Apna Sangeet & Pardesi all accompanied by The Legends Band. The same stage will also be shared by new talent from different communities and musical genres to create a diverse musical to show that music truly is a universal language.

The West End Bhangra Musical is a project which has been conceived by 4 individuals who collectively have had many successes on the music scene.

From local and international live Bhangra music performances, social media content production, event & film promotions, music education coupled with their decades of passion for Bhangra music, this has bought them together for this unique musical project.

TEJINDER SINGH CEO of Punjab 2000 commented ‘’ "The West End Bhangra Musical In a theatre setting is the logical step to take Bhangra to a new theatre going audience rather than Banqueting Halls & Club Venues" KAM CHERA successful promoter from the North East UK ‘’The West End

Bhangra Musical is the next stage in raising the live music experience for audiences to enjoy’’ HARRY MATHARU founder of The Legends Band ‘’ "I want to create such a phenomenal 'EXPERIENCE' never seen before by the audiences in relation to a Bhangra Concert.

There will not be a single minute where the audiences will not think "WOW!” as the team & I have more ideas

up our sleeves to make these concerts even more special" DIPPS BHAMRAH International DJ, music producer, TV & Radio host ‘’ "The West End Bhangra Musical will feature customised lighting shows, big screen production content, dancers ranging from traditional Bhangra to mainstream Urban and all in the effort to keep the audiences on the edge of their seats and wondering

"what’s going to happen next'!

Show dates London - Saturday 18th May New Victoria Theatre, Woking Bradford -Sunday 19h May St George’s Hall Birmingham - Saturday 1st June the Alexandra Theatre Newcastle - Sunday 30th June Theatre Royal TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL VENUE BOX OFFICES

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17

‘Sajid Rashid’ Tops The British Muslim Awards 2019 18

MARCH 2019

Winners for the 7th British Muslim Awards are now revealed following a glamorous black tie event in the city of Bradford on Tuesday 19th February at the Bradford Hotel after 300 of the most remarkable British Muslims were shortlisted as finalists.

The awards were held to recognise a wide range of achievements from outstanding Muslim individuals across the UK who positively impact business, charity, sport, arts, culture, religious advocacy, education and medicine among others, and simultaneously and unknowingly battle negative stereotypes every day. The awards endeavor to showcase the strength of the British Muslim community, the impact it has on culture and its achievements over the last year as well as highlighting the significant role Muslims play in contributing to a better Britain.

Sajid Rashid BEM, a multiaward winning Philanthropist from Burton-on-Trent was in attendance at the award ceremony on Tuesday night as a finalist, where it was announced on the night to their delight that he had won

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the ‘One to Watch’ award category.

Sajid is regarded as one of Britain’s most inspirational figures scooping many of the UK’s Top national accolades including The National Diversity Awards & JCI UK’s Ten Outstanding Young Person (TOYP) awards.

“It’s an honour and privilege to accept this award, firstly I would like to thank the lord almighty for

NEWS

Clampdown on insistent begging on Stratford Road Sparkbrook

everything he has blessed me with & also congratulations to all the finalists and winners, win or lose in my eyes you are all winners. It people such as yourselves that put the ‘Great’ back into Great Britain.” ‘Sajid Rashid’ said in delight.

Irfan Younis, CEO of Oceanic Consulting said: “I’d like to congratulate all the winners and every finalist from the 7th British Muslim Awards

2019. Every year I think we’ve seen the best the British Muslim community has to offer but every year I’m blown away by just how special the talent is and just how hard people work to service their communities. I already look forward to seeing what next year has to offer; I have no doubt that the Muslim community will continue to thrive and act as leaders for future generations to come.”

Locals are furious demanding action to tackle ‘aggressive’ beggars along the Stratford Road, A34. One plain clothes officer was approached five times by one beggar.

Residents claim dishonest beggars have taken over the busy main road at the junction of Walford Road in Sparkbrook, “intimidating” pedestrians, drivers and increasing anti social behaviour.

While there was great sympathy conveyed for the genuinely vulnerable, locals begged police and the council to start clamping down on organised beggars who they claim are 'working in shifts'.

Mohammed Ashraf, from the Fallows Road Residents Association, said while he understood there were those who had truly fallen on hard times, people felt "intimidated" when approached by beggars.

"That’s something that needs to be tackled", he said.

One woman said: “I do have sympathy for these people, you assume they are homeless, destitute and suffering however over the last month or two, I’ve noticed there’s a pattern, they’re coming in, going, they take

Nadia Rashid, chairman of North Worcestershire Hate Incident Partnership, collected the Muslim in the Community Award at a recent glamorous black tie event in the city of Bradford.

Nadia collected the award for organising the Hate Crime Awareness Conference, which was held in Bromsgrove at the end of last year.

Speakers at the conference included business woman and 2017 “The Apprentice” candidate Bushra Shaikh and local Paralympian Claire Cashmore, MBE who both shared their own experiences of hate crime and harassment on the road to success, with a 100 strong audience from across Redditch, Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest.

On collecting the award Nadia said: "I am so proud that we won. The event that we organised was a really

positive initiative to help bring together different communities across North Worcestershire.

“It was a chance to celebrate perceived differences and break down the barriers associated with them and also to offer support to local communities in reporting any hate incidents so that they don’t feel they have to suffer in silence.”

The award was held to recognise a wide range of achievements from outstanding Muslim individuals across the UK who positively impact business, charity, sport, arts, culture, religious advocacy, education and medicine among others, and simultaneously and unknowingly battle negative stereotypes every day The North Worcestershire

Hate Incident Partnership is made up of representatives from

different positions and they go home in a gang.

“It’s arranged in a systematic way of making money.”

Another man said such beggars were taking advantage of the generosity of the community who “want to help” those in need.

“We need to eradicate these problems. Ok, if one or two are homeless, we will find a way to help them but this is not the way.”

Sparkbrook resident Mary Mockbell, said: “I feel very, very intimidated by people running up to my car banging on the window, it’s intimidating to me, especially as a lady driver.”

PC Matt Bowditch said he was not aware of beggars working in shifts but possible solutions included the use of Public Space Protection Orders and civil injunctions.

He also advocated setting up Streetwatch patrols and educating the public not to give money in the first place.

PC Bowditch said: “Stratford Road is one of the busiest roads in the city due to the numerous vehicles that pass through that junction. We need to educate the public that we are not giving them money.”

a number of statutory, voluntary and community organisations.

A Birmingham woman has been honoured at the British Muslim Awards 2019

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YOUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

e e s p a a T d n a n a h c h c Amitabh Ba A L D A B n I e it n u e R u n Pan Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu are all set to reunite on the big screen after their 2016 hit Pink. Just like Pink, Badla will see Amitabh Bachchan as a lawyer and Taapsee Pannu as his client.

However, unlike Pink, Badla is a mystery thriller and there is more to both Amitabh and Taapsee's

character than what meets the eye.

The movie is about a young married entrepreneur who finds herself in a locked hotel room next to the body of her dead lover.

Hoping to find answers, she hires a prestigious lawyer to help her solve the mystery of what really

happened.

Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, the revenge thriller film will release on March 8, 2019 Badla is an official Hindilanguage remake of the Spanish film, The Invisible Guestand is being co-produced by Red Chillies Entertainment.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Are Eastenders Newcomers The New Mitchell Sisters

Ammy Virk Entering Bollywood EXCLUSIVE

THE LATEST BOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

INTERVIEW WITH PUNJABI SINGER G. SIDHU - P.24

Will Madhuri Dixit Play The Role of Sridevi?

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Are Eastenders Newcomers The New Mitchell Sisters BBC One soap Eastenders welcomed two newcomers, Iqra and Habiba Ahmed, onto Albert Square and the duo have already caused havoc and have been likened as Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell.

Masood Ahmed (played

by Nitin Ganatra) was joined on Walford by his nieces Iqra (Priya Davdra) and Habiba (Rukku Nahar), but within

moments of stepping foot on the Square they have caused mayhem.

Fans have taken to social media comparing the newbies to the Mitchell sisters.

Ammy Virk Entering Bollywood

Punjabi singeractor Ammy Virk has announced he will be entering the scenes of Bollywood!

Releasing hits such as ‘Doublecross’ and ‘Zindabaad Yaarian’ and movies like ‘Qismat’ and ‘Ardaas’ he will now be a part of ‘83 where he will play the role of the former cricketer Balwinder Singh

Kesari Trailer Trending Number 1

Sandhu in 83’.

In the 1983 World Cup, Balwinder took 2 wickets in the finals and bowled out West Indies players Gordon Greenidge and Faoud Bacchus.

The film will be directed by Kabir Khan. Shooting is planned to begin in May until August and scheduled to release on 10th April 2020!

Akshay Kumar’s most awaited movie ‘Kesari’ trailer has been launched. Dharma Productions went live on YouTube to launch the much awaited trailer and is trending number 1.

The trailer portrays the patriotic side, courage, and bravery of those 21 Sikhs who fought against 10,000 invaders. The trailer has

n a m o w r e p u S Lily Singh Comes Out YouTuber Superwoman Lilly Singh has come out as bisexual with an overwhelmingly positive message.

The comedian and YouTube star took to Instagram and Twitter to share the news, using a checklist.

‘Female, Coloured, Bisexual,’ she wrote.

‘Throughout my life these have proven to be obstacles from time to time. But now I’m fully embracing them as my superpowers.

Her fans were beyond thrilled for Lily and supported her for taking a huge step in

reached 30 million views on YouTube and Facebook in 48 hours.

Kesari is based on a true story of 21 Sikhs fighting against 10,000 Afghan invaders in the heroic battle of 1987. The movie features Parineeti Chopra opposite Akshay Kumar and will hit the theatres on 21 March. her life. Some were not even surprised at her coming out, saying they knew all along.

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Gully Boy Ranveer Singh Most Precious Award

Priyanka and Nick Collaboration Plans

Rumours have it that newlywed Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are to be working on plans for a possible collaboration together. According to Deccan Chronicle, Chopra is expected to return to her singing career with a song with husband Jonas. Now,

Sir Amitabh Bachchan has been impressed with the performances of Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt and Siddhant Chaturvedi in the

film Gully Boy, that he sent them a hand-written letter. Ranveer Singh cannot thank him enough for that and sharing the

picture of the letter that he got on his Instagram handle, Ranveer termed it as the 'most precious award.'

Trailer Released For The Finale Season of Games of Thrones

with her husband’s backing, Chopra could be widen her horizons and take her singing level to another level in Hollywood. A source told the publication, “Priyanka and Nick are definitely planning something big in the American music scene together.”

Will Madhuri Dixit Play The Role of Sridevi?

THE BY: ASIAN TODAY HUSNA

BY: HUSNA

BOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

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Kala Chashma Sanu Ik Pail Chain KalaBaar Chashma Baar Dekho RAIDRahat Fateh Ali Khan Baar Baar Dekho

Theher Tere Sang Ja Yaare Tere Sang YaareMalik Rustom OCTOBER - Armaan Rustom

O Saathi Gani Gani Mani Sandhu BAAGHI 2 - Atif& Aslam Akhil Mani Sandhu & Akhil

Swag Jag Ghoomeya Se Swagat Jag Ghoomeya Sultan TIGER ZINDA HAI - Vishal Dadlani Sultan

Mundiyan Tu Rendhe BAAGHI 2 - Navraj Hans Kumari Tu Rendhe Tindy & Rixx and Sudesh Tindy & Rixx and Sudesh Kumari

Ghar Se Nikalte Hi Woman Woman Armaan Malik Shide Boss ft Zack Knight Shide Boss ft Zack Knight

Ae Watan Peat Pe Booty Peat Booty A RAAZI Flying -Pe Arjit Jatt Sing A Flying Jatt

Aashiq Banaya Apne Suit Suit Randhawa Guru HATE STORY 4 - Himesh & N. Kakkar Guru Randhawa

Patola Tu Hai Tu Hai Daro Mohenjo BLACKMAIL - Guru Randhawa Mohenjo Daro

Aaj Se Teri Dishoom Dishoom PADMAN Arjit Singh Sau Tarah- Ke Sau Tarah Ke

BHANGRA/POP BHANGRA BHANGRA

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Knightridah Gabbroo Gabbroo Jassie Imran Gill Khan ft. Preet Hundal Jassie Gill ft. Preet Hundal

Sip Sip Akhil Akhil Teri KamiSandlas Jasmine Teri Kami

Akh Lad Jaave Tru-Skool Ashok Prince, Badshah, Asees & Jubin Ashok Tru-Skool Time 4 YaPrince, Mind Kaur Nautiyal Time 4 Ya Mind

Laung PBN & Laachi Raj Bains Mannat PBNAkh & Noor Raj Bains Billi Billi Akh

Dil Diyan Manni Sandhu Gallan Manni Sandhu Welcome Atif Aslam To The Future Welcome To The Future

Difference Tere Bina Tere Maan Bina Monty Amrit & Waris, Ginni Kapoor Monty & Waris, Ginni Kapoor

Patt Lai Geya Skoda SkodaBawa Ranjit Jasmine Sandlas ft. Bhinda Aujla Ranjit Bawa ft. Bhinda Aujla

Thumka Ikk Vaari Hor Soch Lae Ikk Vaari Hor Soch Lae Harish Zack Knight Verma Harish Verma

Tareefan Billa Kulwinder Kulwinder Billa Kulwinder Qaran & Badshah Billa Kulwinder Billa

Chogada Selfi e Boliyan SelfieSingh Boliyan Malkit Darshan Raval ft. Dj Vix Malkit Singh ft. Dj Vix

UK UKARTISTS CHART UK ARTISTS

A new teaser of the final season of Game of Thrones has been released and fans get an insight of what to

really expect from the show.

Game Of Thrones returns on April 14 after a two-year hiatus. The eighth season

would be the final season, concluding the 8 season-long narrative. The final season will have just six episodes.

There could be a film on the life of the Sridevi in which her husband Boney Kapoor will be producing.

The question that lies is, who will play Sridevi? According to the rumour there is ample reason to believe that the chosen one would be none other than Madhuri Dixit.

A source very close to Boney says, “Really, if you look at the choices available

to Boney, there is only Madhuri Dixit who has the stature grace, range and dancing abilities to play Sridevi. Also, Boney and his brother Anil have always been very closely associated with Madhuri ever since she worked with Anil”.

It is yet to be seen if Madhuri Dixit would agree to play Sridevi if the film gets made.

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Youngblood One Dance One Dance 5Drake Seconds feat OfWizkid Summer and Kyla Drake feat Wizkid and Kyla

2002 Cold Water Anne-Marie Cold Water Major Lazer and Justin Beiber Major Lazer and Justin Beiber

God Good Too Is A Woman Too Good Drake Ariana feat Grande Rihanna Drake feat Rihanna

No Tears This is what Leftyou To came Cry for This isHarris what you came for Calvin Ariana Grande feat Rihanna Calvin Harris feat Rihanna Answerphone Heathens Banx & Ranx & Ella Eyre feat.

Heathens Twenty One Pilots Yxng Bane Twenty One Pilots

Closer Beautiful Closer Chainsmokers featCabello Halsey Bazzi feat. Camila Chainsmokers feat Halsey

Eastside Perfect Strangers Benny Blanco, & Khalid Perfect Strangers Jonas Blue featHalsey JP Cooper Jonas Blue feat JP Cooper

Tears Love (Paddington) Spread Tears Clean Bandit featDVNO Louisa Johnson Boston Bun feat.

Clean Bandit feat Louisa Johnson

This One Girl Kiss This Kungs Vs Cooking 3 Burners CalvinGirl Harris feat.on Dua Lipa Kungs Vs Cooking on 3 Burners

Don't IWe Like It Talk Anymore We Don't Anymore Charlie feat Selena Gomez Cardi B Puth , BadTalk Bunny & J Balvin Charlie Puth feat Selena Gomez

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MARCH 2019

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The Asian Today Interviews Punjabi Singer

G. SIDHU Quick Fire Interview with G Sidhu at BBC Asian Network Live.

So how you enjoying Birmingham so far?

We love Birmingham, always great to be here!

Every time we come we love meeting the fans and going around the city. We were walking around Birmingham last night and we bumped into Dips Bhamrah, who was talking us around, but we ended up taking him for a coffee.

Who are you looking forward to performing tonight?

I can’t wait to perform in front of the audience to just gain a vibe from the UK crowd. I love performing here. I have heard great things about BBC Asian Network Live and watched videos, so I can’t wait to perform.

What’s your inspiration for

your music?

UK Bhangra is my main inspiration towards my music growing up with the Bhangra sounds of the UK. Is there anything new on the horizon, or any collabs with anyone?

Yes, we do, but we can’t say anything at the moment but look out on our Instagram.

Actually we do have a new song out with Parmish Verma who sung the lyrics and I wrote the lyrics the songs called Ja Ve Ja, make sure you all check it out!

How does the bhangra scene in the UK differ to America?

The American Bhangra scene is catching up to the UK now, so what music was like in the UK last year is what its like now in the USA. However, is starting to get on the same level!

FACT: G Sidhu, born in Punjab and raised in New York

Interviewed by Symran Raikhy

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INTERNATIONAL

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25

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Vegetarian Hindu man Birmingham To served beef by Pizza Hut Islamabad Flights

Cancelled

A Hindu man from the Midlands who has never eaten meat in his life was served beef at a Pizza Hut restaurant. Abhishek Bhartiya aged 30, visited the chain's Corner house restaurant in Nottingham on Sunday 17th February with his wife Prerna Goel.

The disappointing diner was left devastated after the blunder at the fast food giant.

The couple had decided to have the buffet option and were told all pizzas with a green handle were vegetarian after specifically asking staff.

After choosing their slices they returned to their table where Mr Bhartiya took a bite from his pizza. He quickly realised it contained beef.

Mr Bhartiya, who has

been a vegetarian since he was born, said: "I have never eaten meat.

The couple told a member of staff straight away and felt so upset by the incident that they decided they could not eat there any more and had to leave.

They were handed a receipt for the full price of the bill.

They still paid full price for their meal but left the Forman Street venue feeling very disheartened and upset.

"I trusted what they had said and decided to try it as it had a green handle.

"My wife noticed straight away that it was beef but I had taken a bite.

"I am very troubled by the fact I ate beef. It is the very sentiment of my religion not to eat beef as we worship

cows.

"I had never eaten meat in my life until this moment and it has left me very upset.

"It is shocking that this could have happened."

Mr Bhartiya, a software engineer, added: "I couldn't bring myself to eat anything else for the rest of the day.

"I can see that the handles must have been switched accidentally but they told me so convincingly that the green handles were all vegetables.

"I want other people to know that they should be more aware as this system clearly isn't 100 percent perfect.

"I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else."

Pizza Hut said it was aware of the incident and apologised for the problem caused to Mr Bhartiya.

A flight that normally travels from Birmingham to Islamabad on Thursday has been cancelled after Pakistan closed its commercial airspace amid an international incident with India.

The Pakistan International Airlines service will not fly on Thursday, February 28.

The service normally operates three-times-a-week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Birmingham Airport said the airspace was closed until midnight on Thursday, February 28 but subsequent services were expected to run as usual.

A spokeswoman for the airport advised passengers to check its website regularly for updates on any future possible cancellations or changes.

Pakistan's airspace was closed after the country's air force shot

down two Indian jets and captured two pilots alive.

A British Airways plane flying from Delhi to London was among those diverted around the conflict zone in the disputed region of Kashmir.

Indian administrator Baseer Khan confirmed the airport in Srinagar, the main city in Indiancontrolled Kashmir, was closed and said it was a "temporary and precautionary measure".

The Press Trust of India said Indian authorities also closed two airports in northern Punjab state, which borders with Pakistan.

Major General Asif Ghafoor said one of the Indian pilots is injured and is being treated in a military hospital, while the other pilot is in custody.

The military said an Indian Air Force plane was downed

A law student from Birmingham has been killed in a tragic crash in West Yorkshire after his silver Honda Civic plunged into a ditch off Forge Lane in Dewsbury.

Asad Hussain, 22, who was studying at the University of Birmingham was pronounced dead at the scene on Sunday afternoon (March 3).

A 20-year-old woman, who was in the passenger seat, suffered minor injuries in the collision.

She was taken to Leeds General Infirmary.

West Yorkshire Police arrested a 23-year-old woman

in a second vehicle on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

A member of the victim's family, Kirklees councillor Mussarat Pervaiz, (Dewsbury West), said she had known him since he was a little boy.

She said: "His father is Ajib Hussain and his mother is Asia. They had three sons and two daughters and Asad was the eldest.

"I understand he was in the car with his sister, Aroosa, and were on their way back home after visiting a local gym.

"He was such a bright young lad and there are not

enough words to say how we are all feeling at the moment.

"All his friends are outside crying in the street.

"His mother is originally from Birmingham and they have family down there so it made sense for him to study there.

"He was a very kindhearted young man and was raising money to do charity work in countries where poverty is extreme and was going to go out and dig some wells with his friends.

"The family were due to fly out to Pakistan next week for a wedding but instead they will be attending their

son's funeral service at the mosque on North Road, Ravensthorpe."

Police are still appealing for witnesses.

West Yorkshire Police Duty Inspector Darren Brown said: "At 12.53pm on Sunday, 3 March, police were called

to a report of a vehicle which had come off the road and into a ditch at Forge Lane, Dewsbury.

"The vehicle was a Silver Honda Civic. On police arrival the 22yr old male driver of the Civic was found to be deceased.

Birmingham Law Student Killed in Crash

on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control in Kashmir - a boundary separating the disputed Himalayan region between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Indian air force spokesman Anupam Banerjee in New Delhi said he had no information on Pakistan's statement.

The conflict escalated a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for the first time since a war in 1971.

India launched an air strike yesterday on what it said was a militant training base operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed, the group that claimed credit for a February 14 suicide attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police.

Kashmir is split between Pakistan and India and claimed by both in its entirety.

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26

MARCH 2019

THE ASIAN TODAY Our very own Graphic Designer and on the side Journalist - Anil Singh Gill brings his Food Reviews to The Asian Today, bringing all the news from hot restaurants to cool bars and everything in between. www.theasiantoday.com

Fancy a Sweet Treat

in West Brom

LIFESTYLE

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YOUR L

Best Aftern in Birmingha In Birmingham we are spoiled for choice as we have some fabulous places to enjoy afternoon tea in the city.

Afternoon tea dates back to the 1840s and was created as a means of avoiding hunger pangs in the long gap between an early lunch and a late supper.

The vibrant and busy town of West Bromwich is an up and coming area just a stones throw away from the West Bromwich Central Metro Station that runs into Wolverhampton and Central Birmingham.

Also next to West Bromwich bus station with good links all around Birmingham there are always new attractions bars and restaurants popping up in this town.

If you have a fairly sweet tooth then head over to Kaspas for a dessert, milkshake or a coffee. Interlinked with Queens Square Shopping Centre and also close to New Square this is the perfect pit stop whilst out shopping or in the town with friends.

The interior is enticing with a American fifties dinner style theme great varied menu from desserts such as waffles, cakes, pies and hot gooey cookie dough and drinks menu with hot and cold drinks also mega milkshakes.

Would definitely recommend the waffle and warm chocolate chip cookie dough, the coffee they serve is bold and aromatic. They have offers on with some of their products and also download the Kaspas App for more offers and discounts.

Kaspas Desserts UNIT 19 QUEENS SQUARE SHOPPING CENTRE, West Bromwich B70 7NJ

Malmaison The Edgbaston

T stands for temptation at Malmaison in the Mailbox and with reasonable prices, it’s pretty hard to resist!

Classic cream tea starts from £12, full afternoon tea costs £19.95 and includes fruit or plain scones, smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel, beetroot & goat cheese wrap, mini Mal burger, Valrhona chocolate mousse with chocolate popping candy, salted chocolate brownie (GF), carrot cake

(GF), mini chocolate éclair, seasonal berry milkshake and your choice of our speciality teas.

The price goes up to £27 with a glass of Mumm NV champagne or £25 for a glass of prosecco- OR you can even book their cocktail afternoon tea to get one cocktail per person with your afternoon tea selection.

The Mailbox, Wharfside St, B1 2JR

Highly commended in the Afternoon Tea Awards 2017, The Edgbaston is famous for its afternoon teas created by fabulously creative French pastry chef Olivier Briault.

The menu changes seasonally.

Expect a delightful amuse bouche followed by sandwiches that are more exciting than your usual fare.

And of course from an award-winning pastry expert like Olivier, expect a sensational sweet selection.

Past favourites include rhubarb and vanilla panna

cotta and coffee and caramel profiteroles.

The venue serves loose leaved Jing tea and options.

Go for the quirkier £35 option called The Moseley Serve (named after tea parties where ladies sipped gin from tea cups in Victorian times). Here they throw in a few tea based gin cocktails for good measure!

Afternoon tea service is 12 noon until 6pm daily and starts at £25pp. Please visit the website.

18 Highfield Rd, B15 3DU

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IFESTYLE

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n oon Tea The launch of the new am Samsung S10 TECH CORNER

Laura Ashley Tea Room

Laura Ashley fans can now enjoy afternoon tea in superb style.

The renowned British design brand has opened its first ever UK tea room in Solihull. The Tea Room is of course decorated in signature Laura Ashley style. The £20 afternoon tea comes on a cake stand and is huge but there are cute cardboard boxes to take home leftovers.

Choose from traditional afternoon tea ( £20pp) Prosecco afternoon Tea (£26pp) and Champagne afternoon tea (£27.50pp) Afternoon tea is served from 12pm – 5.30pm.

The result of 10 years of pioneering mobile firsts, the Galaxy s10e, s10 and s10+ introduce the next generation of mobile innovation.

The Galaxy s10e, s10, and s10+. The next generation of Galaxy has arrived.

This new range of phones is a total game changer. Engineered

both hardware and software to give you performance- enhanced gaming without lags.

The phone that adapts to you, so you don’t have to adapt to it.

Harvey Nichols, the Mailbox For an indulgent treat, enjoy a luxurious Champagne afternoon tea served in the most stylish of surroundings at Harvey Nichols in the Mailbox.

Enjoy a delicious assortment of savories from butternut squash and feta tart to salt beef croquette and desserts including white chocolate and lime cupcake and raspberry meringue-

with traditional scones and clotted cream as the main addition to the choices.

Harvey Nichols’ Champagne afternoon tea is available at £30 per person. With no Champagne the afternoon tea experience is £22 per person.

Available Monday Saturday from 1pm-4pm and Sunday 3- 5pm.

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28

MARCH 2019

BUSINESS

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THE ASIAN TODAY

BUSINESS

Naeem Arif is a highly experienced customerorientated leader, with over 15 years experience as director of multiple successful Private Limited Companies in the Retail and Management Consulting world. He the founder of NA Consulting, a retail and management consultancy, and the Co-Founder and Vice Chair of the Midlands Retail Forum.

@PaulCadmanUK

@NAConsulting

Naeem Arif Business Columnist

5 STEPS TO PERSONAL BRANDING FOR ENTREPRENEURS

I don’t recall when it was, but Entrepreneurs and Directors have realised that the best way to promote themselves, their ideas or their business was by building a personal brand. It is a lot easier for people to talk to people, rather than people to talk to company logo’s. We all know who Elon Musk is, because of his identity, his business also gets recognition.

If you don’t already do this, pay attention and consider it as a development action for 2019 and to help you do this, here are 5 simple steps you should follow in order to develop your own brand.

5) Mindset of a brand.

First of all, you need to start thinking and believing that you are a brand. So like any brand, you should decide what the brand represents. It is likely that the way you behave “publicly” will have to change. Why do I say this? Well,

now you are a brand, people will look at a lot more of what you do and judge you on it. So be clear on what you post, like, tag on social media.

A good idea is to ensure your public profiles (Linked In, Facebook, Twitter etc) all have been updated consistently and have good images of you. Maybe even the same image on all of them, so people recognise you quickly?

The ideal way to get engagement with your target audience is to talk about, comment on and be involved in discussions where you want to create your presence. Don’t be afraid though to talk about nonwork items, so if you are a keen golfer, you can bring that into the conversation sometimes as well.

Someone I pay a lot of attention to is Gary V (@

garyvee) and his posts are mostly business related, but you can see his personality coming out in his communication. This has the effect of polarising people, some like him and some don’t. What is clear is that he stands out from the crowd and those who do like his personality, are completely aligned with him.

4) What happens when I google you?

When you look at a company, a product or someone you just met, most of us will google it to find out more. This is the standard way now that everyone researches anything and it should not be a surprise for us! So when someone googles you, they should find links to things that you want to be associated with.

To Read more of Naeem Arif's Business Article Head over to www.theasiantoday.com

Paul Cadman Business Columnist

What is under the 'Magic Money Tree?'

We have had several politicians talk about the 'magic money tree' as if it is a fantasy and believing in it means you are living in fantasyland.

And yet it is there, in plain sight: except we don't want to look at because it means taking our head out of the sand and confronting a few things that we want to avoid.

Avoiding things is infantile and, however charming it might be in the short term, it is an unsustainable behaviour.

Another word for 'infantile responsibility avoidance' is ideology: a belief that you never have to think about despite any facts to the contrary. Now that is fantasy: having a belief system nobody can challenge (and if they do they are obviously subversive, unpatriotic and a heretic).

The neoliberal ideology suggests that profit is everything, the state should be as small as possible, and the state should do what business tells it to do (help it make more profit). After a recession, you give money to banks (even though they might have caused the

recession) because in that way they can lend money to businesses, raise the value of the stock market and make shareholders (most of whom are businesses themselves), rich.

So where does this tree come in? In order to fund the banks and maintain the stock market you have to cut back somewhere.

Out go benefits. Out go all public services that can be monetised and sold to the private sector (prisons, healthcare, public real estate, police, water, forests, energy ...). Out goes public sector pay rises (especially since you can get a cheap private sector worker to do the easier part the job at minimum wage and, of course, they wont complain about cuts or pay or conditions because the company that employs them would lose their contract).

So that is what is under the 'magic money tree,' but I have found it and look what I have discovered.

Unrecovered taxes of £48 billion per year from individuals or corporations (not including HMRC's share of tax on interest of

the £13 trillion assets held overseas by the world's elite).

Ever wondered why HMRC is populated by young enthusiastic people who know nothing about complex taxation?

Mental illness costs the West Midlands £12 billion per year - that is £3,000 per person in lost productivity, drugs and incarceration. We don’t even recognise mental illness as a problem.

In 2014 the CBI published a report that showed school underperformance was costing the economy £1 trillion over the life of a child in lost productivity, wasted infrastructure and foreign worker premiums (Home Office regulations) My 'back of a fag packet' calculation has worked that just these three branches of the 'magic money tree' are worth at the very least £268 billion per year but according to neoliberal ideology they are not worth investing in because, as a result, the state would get bigger (more staff in HMRC, more doctors and nurses, more teachers).

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Plans for a 26-Storey Apartment Complex in Digbeth

Plans for a new hotel and apartment complex reaching up to 26 storeys near Birmingham city centre has been set.

The 4.2-acre plot at 193 Camp Hill, in Digbeth, currently occupied by Swiss coil manufacturer Sulzer will be regenerated.

The plans are to have seven new blocks, ranging from three to 26 storeys

and containing 480 apartments and townhouses, a 167-bedroom hotel and 15,930 sq ft of commercial space.

There would be five studios, 224 one-bedroom, 209 two-bedroom and 30 three-bedroom apartments and 12 four-bedroom townhouses.

Parking for 120 cars, eight motorbikes and cycling

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parking for all residents, roof-top amenities including animal habitats and new public space alongside an energy centre to provide combined heat and power to the development.

London-based developer Eutopia Land is behind the project which has been designed by Darling Associates Architects, also based in capital.

New council houses in Heath Town, Wolverhampton

The landscape of Heath Town is about to get a makeover as a planning application for new council homes has been submitted.

After permission for the plans has been granted, the demolished site of Hobgate Road and Tithe Croft where unsightly flats once lay will become a set of family homes.

Walker Troup, the architects behind the design, has put forward plans for 16 fourbedroom homes and 24 twobedroom homes.

This new project kickstarts the transformation of the Heath Town estate with more than 300 new

homes to be built for rent and sale over the coming years.

Work on the new development is expected to start in autumn this year, once planning permission has been granted.

The new homes across Heath Town will be a mixture of one and two-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom bungalows, as well as two, three and four-bedroom houses.

All of the new homes will have their own car parking space provided.

The iconic blue bridge that stretched across Wednesfield Road will be reconnected as part the

project.

Councillor Peter Bilson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Assets and Housing, said: “We have made significant headway with works on the Heath Town estate over the last 12 months and real change is happening.

“The estate this year celebrates the 50 anniversary of its official opening by Princess Margaret.

“This planning application will now kick-start the new building programme and we can look forward to seeing the first bricks laid for the council homes later this year.

“The majority of the new homes will come with gardens and all will have access to their own parking - Heath Town will soon look like a very different place.

“This is a major development programme as part of £3.7 billion investment on site or in the pipeline in the city - and it will make a huge difference to the quality of life and housing choice for our residents.”

The application is part of the revised Heath Town Masterplan and follows an extensive demolition programme of buildings, some of which had been vacant for years.

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One of the greatest World Cup winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks dies aged 81

G

ordon Banks England's 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper has died aged 81. Considered as one of the game's greatest in his position, Banks was named Fifa goalkeeper of the year six times and earned 73 caps for England.

Banks is probably best known for his wonder save from Pele during the 1970 World Cup against Brazil.

Born in Sheffield, he won the League Cup with Stoke and Leicester, before retiring in 1973.

"It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight," his family said.

"We are devastated to lose him but we have so many happy memories and could not have been more proud of him."

Sir Bobby Charlton, who was part of the team alongside Banks that won the World Cup in 1966, said: "Gordon was a fantastic goalkeeper, without doubt one of the best England has ever had.

"I was proud to call him a team-mate. Obviously we

shared that great day in 1966 but it was more than that.

"Even though I was on the pitch and have seen it many times since, I still don't know how he saved that header from Pele."

Banks is the fourth player of the England team that started the 1966 World Cup final to have died, after Bobby Moore, Ray Wilson and Alan Ball.

Another of that XI, Sir Geoff Hurst, tweeted: "One of the very greatest. Thinking especially of Ursula, Julia, Wendy and Robert. Sad for football, Stoke City and for England fans."

Stoke chairman Peter Coates said Banks, who made 250 appearances for the club, had been "poorly for a number of weeks".

He had told Radio 5 live: "He made his home in Stoke, and was very much part of the fabric of the club. You don't get too many like him, and he was immensely modest for all his talent.

"He was England's greatest goalkeeper when they had their finest hour."

England and Manchester City forward Raheem

Sterling was among the first to pay tribute, tweeting: "Of course there was that save, but it's so much more we are mourning today. RIP Gordon Banks. England legend, your legacy will live on."

Former England striker Gary Lineker said: "An absolute hero of mine, and countless others, England's World Cup winner was one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and such a lovely, lovely man."

Ex-England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who replaced Banks at Leicester, tweeted: "I'm devastated today I've lost my hero."

"A World Cup winner, a legend.

RIP Gordon Banks," tweeted Leicester and England defender Harry Maguire, while Watford keeper Ben Foster said: "Had the

pleasure of meeting you as an 18-year old-with my Dad, and him being completely star struck by you. Total gent.

You will always be a member of the Goallys Union."

Former England midfielder Alan Mullery played with Banks in the 1970 World Cup match

against Brazil and described to 5 live the famous save that denied Pele.

"Jairzinho was flying down the wing, and he clips the ball to the far post, and Pele - who climbed to such a height better than anybody else - headed the ball and Gordon went from one post to another and he flicks the ball with his fingertips and it just goes over the crossbar," he said.

"I patted him on his head, and I said 'why didn't you catch it?' and the abuse that came back was unbelievable.

"He was the best at that time. We had some great goalkeepers in those days, and the only person I can think came near was Pat Jennings.

"He was an absolutely marvellous goalkeeper. He was a likable man, and when it came to business, he was probably the best there has ever been."

England manager Gareth Southgate paid his tributes, saying: "An all-time great for England, I was privileged enough to be in his company on a number of occasions.

"It was particularly special to be with him at a Football Writers' tribute dinner last year and wish him well on his 80th birthday.

"Gordon spoke to the room about that incredible save from Pele and moments like that from his remarkable World Cup-winning career will continue to linger long in the memory.

"On behalf of everyone connected with England, I send my condolences to his wife Ursula, his family and friends."

Banks had started his career at Chesterfield, before joining Leicester in 1959 for ÂŁ7,000, and it was at the Foxes that he established himself as England's number one, earning his first international cap in 1963 against Scotland.

He had played in every game of the 1966 World Cup campaign, concluding in the 4-2 victory over West Germany in the World Cup Final at Wembley.

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