AV 17th January 2026

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

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Somnath Swabhiman Parv honours India’s spiritual resilience see page 29

17 - 23 JANUARY 2026

Priyanka Chopra Jonas champions diversity at Golden Globes

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

PM MODI AND CHANCELLOR MERZ PLEDGE ‘ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP’ German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was on a two-day visit to India, meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad, later Bengaluru. Discussions centre on strengthening the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, focusing on trade, technology, and defence cooperation, building on high-level interactions.

Full story on page 26

Best wishes of Bihu, Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Uttarayan and Maghi to our readers, advertisers and supporters. u East African Asians Special Page – 12-23 u Veganuary Special Page – 06

VOL 54 - ISSUE 36

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, fly kites at the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront at Ahmedabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on January 12, 2026, marking his first official visit to India since taking office.

The two leaders paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, and Merz signed the visitors' book. They also participated in the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront, highlighting the cultural exchange during the visit.

Continued on page 27

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British Indians power ahead in UK wealth rankings This comes amid as the government is scrambling to repair investor confidence after scrapping the non-domiciled tax regime, with policy reversals and reviews highlighting concerns over instability and long-term economic credibility.

Lakshmi Mittal

Herman Narula

Anusha Singh

British Indians have emerged as one of the UK’s strongest wealth success stories over the past decade, bucking a wider trend of stagnation and decline among many other ethnic groups, according to new research from the London School of Economics.

Continued on page 05

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Nadhim Zahawi switches to Reform UK Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has become the latest senior Conservative figure to defect to Reform UK, amid claims from the Conservatives that his decision followed a failed bid for a peerage.

Zahawi, a former MP, said the UK was facing a “dark and dangerous” moment and called for a “glorious revolution” as he set out his reasons for joining Nigel Farage’s party.

However, Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake alleged that Zahawi had made “a number of approaches” to party leader Kemi Badenoch seeking a nomination to the House of

Nadhim Zahawi

Lords, which were turned down.

Farage announced Zahawi’s defection at a press conference on Monday.

Zahawi is among around 20 former Conservative MPs who have joined Reform UK, and is the most senior

ex-Tory to do so, having served as chancellor for two months under Boris Johnson and held ministerial roles between 2018 and 2023.

In a pre-recorded video shown before he appeared on stage, Zahawi said Britain was “broken”. He argued that the country faced stagnating growth, rising crime, and “an avalanche of illegal migration” that would constitute a national emergency elsewhere.

He said he believed the team led by Farage was best placed to deliver change, adding that this conviction had led him to join Reform UK.

Early confidence gap seen in girls’ maths skills The Richmond Project, a charity founded by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty, has published its first major study highlighting “maths anxiety” is being passed from mothers to daughters, affecting girls as young as age eight.

Murty said the survey shows women often struggle more than men to help their children with maths homework, creating an intergenerational cycle. “If a young girl sees her mother feeling anxious, she subcon-

sciously adopts that anxiety,” she explained.

Murty credited her own confidence to strong STEM role models in her family, including her mother, engineer Sudha Murty, and science-minded aunts.

The study found that 51% of boys aged 4–8 thought maths was “easy,” compared with 41% of girls.

By ages 9–18, 86% of boys felt confident in maths versus 63% of girls.

Although boys and girls perform similarly in national exams, girls are far less

Akshata Murty

likely to pursue the subject later: in 2024-25, only 37% of A-level maths students were female, dropping to 27% in further maths.

UK weighs Australia-style social media ban The government is said to be open to banning social media use for under-16s and is closely monitoring the impact of Australia’s recent ban.

Last month, Australia prohibited children under 16 from holding social media

accounts. Platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch can be fined up to £24.7 million if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove underage users.

Technology secretary Liz

Kendall is understood to be open to adopting a similar policy in the UK, although no formal decision has yet been made. While no timetable has been confirmed, The i Paper reports that any decision would be taken within months rather than years.

Police warn Sikh activist over security threats Police have advised a prominent Sikh activist in the UK to install security cameras at his home and reinforce door locks after intelligence indicated threats from Hindu nationalist elements.

Paramjeet Singh Pamma, 52, said officers visited him and gave verbal advice to strengthen his personal security amid concerns for his safety.

Singh Pamma said the threats were linked to the Indian government and accused UK ministers of

Paramjeet Singh Pamma

failing to take what he described as “relentless”

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Singh Pamma is associated with the Khalistan movement, which campaigns for an independent Sikh state and is banned in India. Indian authorities have described the movement as terrorist and a threat to national security.

His comments come as the UK seeks to deepen diplomatic and economic ties with the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Thousands joined IN BRIEF ‘FARAGE CLAUSE’ LOOMS Met Police OVER UK-EU DEAL without checks London’s Metropolitan Police hired more than 5,000 officers and staff without carrying out required background checks between 2018 and 2023, the Home Office said as it announced an independent inquiry into the failures.

Britain’s largest police force has faced sustained criticism after serving officers were convicted of serious crimes, including murder and rape, and a 2023 review concluded it was institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

The announcement, based on an internal Met review, also said the force could not confirm whether a further 17,000 officers and staff had undergone the correct pre-employment vetting.

“Abandoning vetting checks on officers was a dereliction of the Met’s duty to keep London safe,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said.

The Met said it had departed from standard vetting procedures partly to meet government recruitment targets, allowing some people who would not have passed the checks to join or remain in the force. Some of those individuals later became involved in criminal behaviour or misconduct, it said.

Mahmood said she had ordered an urgent inspection to determine why vetting rules were not followed and to ensure they are now being properly applied, as part of efforts to restore public trust. The findings are expected later this year.

London records lowest murder rate in years London’s murder rate has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade, with police and City Hall saying the capital is now among the safest major cities in the western world.

The figures come amid criticism from some on the political right, who have portrayed London as suffering from high crime.

In 2025, the Metropolitan Police recorded 97 homicides, down from 153 in 2019 and 109 in 2024. A decade ago, the figure stood at 120, while 181 murders were recorded in 2005, with a peak of 216 in 2003.

Killings involving under-25s have dropped sharply, with 18 recorded in 2025 compared with a high of 69 in 2017. Police and the mayor attribute the decline to more targeted policing alongside youth diversion programmes.

Mayor Sadiq Khan said the “public health” approach to tackling violence, including knife crime, was delivering results, adding that violent crime rates are proportionately lower in London than in any other UK city.

He said tackling root causes such as poverty and lack of opportunity, alongside the work of London’s Violence Reduction Unit set up in 2019, had been key.

The EU is insisting that any future British government must pay substantial compensation if it exits a post-Brexit “reset” deal, part of negotiations under Sir Keir Starmer. A draft text seen by the Financial Times includes a termination clause requiring London to cover costs if it leaves a proposed EU-UK veterinary agreement aimed at easing export red tape for British food and drink. EU diplomats call it a “Farage clause,” designed to protect the bloc if Reform UK’s Nigel Farage became prime minister. Compensation would cover infrastructure, equipment, recruitment, and training for necessary border controls.

UK VOTERS REGRET BREXIT A major poll finds British voters overwhelmingly believe Brexit has worsened life in the UK, from the economy to immigration, leaving the country with less control over its future. The survey of 20,000 people across 27 democracies also showed Europeans would welcome the UK back if it sought to rejoin the EU, increasing pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to rebuild ties a decade after the 2016 referendum. Gen Z voters are particularly disillusioned, more than twice as likely as baby boomers to support authoritarian leaders. Only 15% say Brexit fulfilled its promise to “take back control,” while 72% say it reduced UK control, and 66% say it harmed the economy.

MAHMOOD PLANS CUTS TO ASYLUM SUPPORT Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood plans to end the government’s duty to support all destitute asylum seekers as part of a crackdown on asylum hotels, sources say. She intends to withdraw support and begin evicting people from hotels this spring. According to The i Paper, her focus will be on asylum seekers who can support themselves but do not, those with the right to work who break the law or work illegally, and individuals who ignore an order to leave the UK. While thousands of the 111,651 people currently receiving government support could be affected, many will remain eligible for assistance.

UK MAY BLOCK X OVER SAFETY BREACH Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she would support Ofcom if it blocks UK access to Elon Musk’s social media site X for breaching online safety laws. The regulator is urgently reviewing X’s AI chatbot Grok, which digitally undressed people without consent when tagged in images. X has now restricted this function to paying users, a move Downing Street called “insulting” to sexual violence victims. Kendall described the practice as “despicable and abhorrent” and said the Online Safety Act gives Ofcom the power to block services that fail to comply, adding that the public expects swift action.

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Look before you leap Sir Keir Starmer’s administration has often been labelled as the “U-turn government.” Although the Prime Minister holds a substantial majority in the House of Commons, he has had to backtrack on seven major policies since taking office at 10 Downing Street eighteen months ago, largely due to resistance from backbenchers within his own party.

Recently, increasing pressure from pub owners and Members of Parliament regarding the alcohol levy prompted the government to reconsider its stance, resulting in a new economic package now being evaluated to assist pub proprietors. The elimination of non-Domiciled status, which has led to the departure of affluent individuals, has necessitated the government's exploration of strategies to attract high-net-worth investors. Chancellor Reeves has been assigned to assess the consequences of the non-Dom reforms.

The Labour government has previously reversed policy decisions during its 18-month tenure. For instance, Chancellor Reeves initially announced in her first budget that inheritance tax would apply to farm estates valued over £1 million beginning April 2026. Subsequently, in response to concerns from rural Labour Members of Parliament, the government increased the threshold to £2.5 million just prior to Christmas.

Within just three and a half weeks of taking office, the

Chancellor implemented stricter criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment but reversed this decision following significant losses in local elections. Likewise, the government revised its stance on the Personal Independence Payment within six months. From responding to the National Inquiry into grooming gangs to adjusting the two-child benefit cap, the Labour government has repeatedly amended several of its policies.

Although challenging policy decisions may be necessary for national interests, widespread public dissatisfaction has prompted the Starmer government to reconsider and adjust its course on multiple occasions. As the Labour's approval ratings decline, and Reform UK and Green Party lead in the public opinion polls, Government announces the biggest transformation to travel in the North as the Chancellor sets out new Northern Growth Strategy and promises the renewal of Britain to make all parts of the country better off.

While the government's new plan may boost its image, with the first phase of the Northern Growth Strategy set to deliver in the 2030s closer to the next general election, it is unlikely to restore public trust. Major issues like security, economic gaps, unmet promises on healthcare, inflation, and a gradually weakening currency remain unaddressed.

India builds international ties by showcasing its culture India is renowned for its diverse cultures and traditions, and each January, the country observes several harvest festivals. Among the most notable are Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, and Magh Bihu, each celebrated with its own distinctive customs.

On Monday, January 12, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the International Kite Festival at Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Riverfront. The event featured German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as the chief guest. Both leaders kicked off the festival by flying kites together- an incredible display of strength in one’s culture.

The Sabarmati Riverfront festival is inspired by Gujarat's annual kite-flying events, which take place each year before Uttarayan (also known as Makar Sankranti, see p1).

Merz commenced his two-day official visit to India on Sunday, January 12-13 marking his first trip since assuming office. He was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Sabarmati Ashram. They assessed progress in the IndiaGermany Strategic Partnership, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.

The agenda for their talks included enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, technology, education, skill development, and mobility. Further discussions addressed advancing collaboration in defence and security, science, innovation, research, green and sustainable development, as well as strengthening people-to-people connections.

Prime Minister Modi and Merz exchanged views on regional and global matters and interacted with business and industry representatives from both nations. This visit

aimed to reinforce ongoing high-level political engagement and confirms a mutual commitment to a progressive partnership.

Prime Minister Modi and Merz previously conferred on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, where they agreed to broaden the bilateral strategic partnership.

Notably, this visit precedes the upcoming India-EU Summit scheduled for 27 January.

This year's Uttarayan event featured 135 international kite flyers from 50 countries and 65 participants from 13 Indian states, additionally, 871 kite enthusiasts representing 16 districts across Gujarat joining in.

At the same time, Punjab and northern India observed Lohri, which marked the end of winter and the completion of the rabi harvest. The festival features bonfires, singing, and dancing, with traditional offerings.

Makar Sankranti, which occurs on 14 or 15 January, is celebrated throughout India. It signifies the Sun's entry into Capricorn (Makar) and honours the harvest season.

Pongal, celebrated from 14 to 17 January by Tamils, is a four-day festival dedicated to the Sun God and marks the sun’s northward journey (Uttarayana). Festivities begin with boiling the season's first rice with milk and jaggery.

Gratitude is shown to the Sun, rain, and farm animals, and the famous bull-taming sport Jallikattu is also held during this time.

Magh Bihu (Bhogali Bihu), celebrated around 14-15 January as well, but in Assam, marks the end of the harvest season. People organise feasts near field huts and light bonfire-style celebrations.

Putin’s mysterious silence and the 2026 geopolitical shift As 2026 commences, rapid changes are occurring in the global geopolitical environment, presenting considerable challenges for analysts. Early in the year, actions taken by US President Donald Trump have drawn international attention. Reports indicate that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been apprehended and is currently detained at an American facility. Additionally, the United States has signalled a notable interest in Greenland through assertive policy measures.

What stands out most is Russian President Vladimir Putin's notable silence. Widely seen as a strong supporter of Venezuela, Putin has yet to speak publicly about these significant events. Instead, Russia has released just one official statement opposing Trump's moves and seems satisfied with this limited response.

There is ongoing debate regarding whether President Putin's recent actions toward the United States reflect a position of weakness or are part of a deliberate strategic approach. Recent US initiatives have impacted several Russian allies. For instance, in Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro was apprehended, resulting in Washington gaining influence over the country. In Iran, widespread protests have attracted international attention, placing another Russian partner under scrutiny. Syria, Venezuela, and Iran—key allies of President Putin—are currently experiencing significant challenges, and Cuba is also facing substantial pressure from the United States. Despite these developments, President Putin has remained largely unresponsive to the actions taken by the Trump administration, a stance that has left many analysts both surprised and concerned.

Over the past four years, President Putin has devoted significant attention to the conflict in Ukraine, with his principal objective remaining the attainment of strategic goals in the region. In this context, there is a discernible effort to avoid direct confrontation with the United States. For exam-

ple, when the US Coast Guard seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker, Moscow issued only a restrained response, opting not to escalate the situation.

It is apparent that Russia has not attained its desired outcomes in Ukraine; despite substantial military capability, it has yet to compel Ukrainian compliance. Concurrently, it appears that President Trump and his advisors have maintained Putin’s engagement in Ukraine while pursuing independent policy objectives elsewhere. The protracted conflict, combined with ongoing economic sanctions, has contributed to a notable weakening of Russia. Moreover, increased American diplomatic pressure on nations traditionally considered steadfast allies of Moscow continues to diminish Russia’s global influence. The potential destabilisation of countries such as Venezuela or Iran could further undermine Russia’s position on the international stage.

Several analysts posit that President Putin’s current reticence may serve as a calculated strategy to safeguard Russian interests. Should the United States pursue greater influence over Greenland, there is potential for increased risk of NATO fragmentation. Observers note that President Putin may be monitoring developments for signs of weakening cohesion within the alliance. The situation in Greenland could potentially place the US and European nations at odds, thereby presenting Russia with opportunities to bolster its standing and influence in Europe.

Additionally, some perspectives suggest that the United States, Russia, and China could possibly be engaging in discreet coordination to shape future global dynamics, aiming to delineate spheres of influence based on their respective power. The year 2026 is widely regarded by experts as likely to be significant for international geopolitics. Drawing parallels with the realignments following World War II in 1945, current trends indicate an approaching era characterised by evolving alliances and the formation of new power blocs.

Thought for the week “Success is not in what you have, but who you are.” – Bo Bennett

Why India’s Nuclear Reform Matters?

Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India to the UK India’s energy transition is often framed in terms of targets. Less attention is paid to moments when a target signals an entirely new trajectory. The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025 is one such moment. It is not a marginal policy adjustment, but a nation-scale reform, one that reshapes how India finances, builds, and governs nuclear power, and in doing so opens new opportunities for international energy partnerships, including with the United Kingdom.

At the centre of this reform lies an ambition of unmistakable scale. India has set a goal of reaching 100 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2047. From today’s level of roughly 8–9 GW, this represents more than a tenfold expansion within a single generation. In global terms, it is transformative. That kind of nuclear energy capacity would place India alongside the top nations in the league. This is not simply about adding reactors; it is about repositioning nuclear power from the margins of India’s energy mix to a central pillar of long-term energy security and decarbonisation.

Today, nuclear energy accounts for about three per cent of India’s electricity. As demand soars from data centres, advanced manufacturing, and electric transport, India needs assured, clean, round-the-clock power at scale.

More nuclear energy is therefore an inescapable choice.

And that requires institutions, laws, and frameworks to meet future aspirations.

This is where SHANTI is decisive. The Bill consolidates multiple legacy statutes into a single, future-ready framework, tackling two key barriers that have constrained nuclear expansion globally: liability uncertainty and limited access to private capital. By modernising civil nuclear liability in line with international best practice and clarifying risk allocation across the project lifecycle, SHANTI makes projects immediately bankable.

Equally important, the reform enables private participation with a licence. Private firms and joint ventures will be able to build, own, operate, and decommission nuclear facilities under rigorous government oversight. This is not deregulation; it is disciplined opening. Strategic activities such as mining, enrichment, reprocessing, high-level waste management, and heavy water production, remain firmly under state control. India’s red lines on safety, sovereignty, and public interest are not diluted. They are explicitly reinforced.

For international partners, including those in the United Kingdom, this distinction matters. Long-horizon infrastructure investment depends less on headline ambition than on credible rules. In that sense, SHANTI functions much like a modern free-trade agreement for energy: not focused on tariffs alone, but on rules and regulatory certainty. It anchors investment over decades and integrates India more deeply into global industrial and technological ecosystems.

The strategic relevance of this reform was underscored during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the UK in July 2025 and the visit of PM Sir Keir Starmer to India in October 2025, which marked a step-change in the breadth and ambition of India–UK cooperation on clean energy, climate, and critical technologies.

These visits demonstrated that our partnership is increasingly focused on co-developing the infrastructure and technologies that will shape the global energy transition, ranging from partnerships in emerging technology, AI research, and critical minerals. These new areas of ambition for the partnership, offer us shared space for resilience in value chains of production in future areas of technology, upon which energy will depend for both supply and demand. Moreover, they offer us scope for jointly setting standards for the future of sustainable long-term energy security. The formation of an India–UK Offshore Wind Taskforce, alongside engagement through the Global Clean Power Alliance, reflects a shared commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Continued on page 10

Note: Please find Alpesh’s Political Sketchbook on page 11 of this issue.

04 MIDLANDS/NORTH

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Inquest opens into fatal A46 triple death An inquest has officially opened following the deaths of three women in a singlevehicle collision on the A46 in Leicestershire.

Assistant Area Coroner Sophie Lomas convened the hearing at County Hall, Glenfield, to establish the circumstances surrounding the tragedy that occurred in the early hours of December 13. The victims were identified as Virashi Chauhan, 39, a company secretary from Syston, Bhamini Karsan, 42, an office administrator from Syston and Neeru Patel, 42, a marketing manager from Thurmaston.

The fatal incident took place at approximately 1:01 am when a blue BMW 5 Series, travelling southbound from Nottingham,

A convicted drug lord who orchestrated a firearms racket from his prison cell has had his 22-year sentence extended.

by dangerous driving; she has since been released under investigation. Postmortem examinations have been conducted, though an official cause of death is pending further forensic reports.

Proceedings have been adjourned until a review hearing scheduled for July 22.

images of the stolen items in hopes that members of the public might recognise them. Investigators are particularly keen to speak with

anyone who may have been offered the items for sale or witnessed suspicious activity in the Cairnsford Road area on the night of the crime.

Activist Majid Freeman exonerated following appeal Majid Freeman, a prominent community activist from Leicester, has had his criminal conviction quashed following a retrial at Leicester Crown Court.

Judge Robert Brown overturned the previous verdict, which had seen the 35-yearold sentenced to 22 weeks in prison for using threatening behaviour during the city's communal disorder in September 2022. The judge ruled that there was no evidence to prove Freeman acted

Majid Freeman

with intent to cause fear of violence.

The original conviction

stemmed from an incident when tensions flared between sections of the Hindu and Muslim communities in East Leicester. Majid Freeman was initially found guilty at Northampton Magistrates' Court in June 2024.

Despite this victory, he faces a separate trial in April 2026 concerning unrelated charges of encouraging terrorism and supporting a proscribed organisation, linked to his social media activity regarding Gaza.

Police appeal after sexual assault by Asian men in Middlesbrough Cleveland Police have launched a dedicated investigation following a distressing sexual assault in Middlesbrough city centre.

On December 13, 2025,

between 7:30 pm and 8:00 pm, a 25-year-old woman was leaving the Bazaar restaurant in Captain Cook Square when she was intercepted by a group of five to

CHANGE OF NAME I, Shilpa,

currently residing at 610A, Holloway Road, London N19 3PH, hereby declare that I have changed my name to

Shilpa Dubey Henceforth, I shall be known as

Shilpa Dubey for all official and legal purposes.

seven men. The suspects, described as Asian males aged between 17 and 23 wearing dark clothing, allegedly surrounded the victim, forming a circle around her.

During this confrontation, it is reported that one member of the group sexually assaulted her before the entire party fled the scene in an unknown direction. The victim managed to return to the safety of the restaurant to report the incident.

PC Burnhope of the Middlesbrough neighbourhood policing team has released a CCTV image of a man they wish to interview.

IN BRIEF AIR INDIA FLIGHT DIVERTS FOLLOWING EMERGENCY An Air India flight from Amritsar was forced to abandon its landing at Birmingham Airport after declaring a mid-air emergency. Flight AI117, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, issued a Squawk 7700 distress signal while approaching the Midlands amid Storm Goretti. Heavy snowfall had reduced runway visibility to under 500 metres, below the minimum required for a safe landing. Unable to navigate the conditions, pilots diverted the aircraft near Leamington Spa toward London Heathrow. Officials confirmed the diversion was made to protect passengers during a week of widespread travel disruption across the UK.

Neeru Patel (left) and Bhamini Karsan

left the carriageway between Thrussington and Sileby. All three women were pronounced dead at the scene, while a fourth female occupant survived with minor injuries and alerted emergency services.

Following the crash, Leicestershire Police arrested a 37-year-old woman on suspicion of causing death

Gold bars and luxury Jewellery Stolen in burglary Leicestershire Police have launched a public appeal following a high-value burglary at a residential property in West Knighton.

Officers were alerted to the scene after reports of a break-in in progress, but the suspects had fled before their arrival. A substantial haul of valuables was stolen, including several gold bars, an expensive luxury watch, and various items of jewellery, such as rings and earrings.

Gabby Smith, the investigating officer, released

Drug leader’s sentence extended after running gun racket in jail

Akbar Rahman, Sarweeth Rehman, Gulshan Ara, Khaibar Rahman, Ameran Zeb Khan, Iqrar Zamir and Ahmad Hussain.

Ameran Zeb Khan, 47, was previously imprisoned for attempting to smuggle £10 million of heroin from Pakistan in 2014.

Birmingham Crown Court heard how Khan, alongside his cellmate and nephew, 29-yearold Sarweeth Rehman, conspired to acquire a self-loading handgun and ammunition while behind bars.

The illicit operation involved communicating with a Birmingham-based gang, including brothers Khaibar and Akbar Rahman and Ahmed Hussain. Khan’s motive was a calculated attempt to manipulate the legal system; he planned to reveal the firearm's location to the National Crime Agency to secure a sentence reduction. However, the plot backfired when police intercepted the communications.

Judge Richard Bond described the scheme as breathtakingly arrogant before adding an additional six years to Khan’s term.

Inquest after missing student found in river An inquest has heard that a Loughborough University student died in the River Soar whilst under the influence of alcohol.

Aryan Sharma, 20, was reported missing on Aryan Sharma November 23. Tragically, a member of the public discovered his body on December 14 in the river at Normanton on Soar. During the hearing at County Hall Assistant Area Coroner Sophie Lomas confirmed the medical cause of death was immersion in water combined with alcohol intoxication.

The coroner adjourned proceedings until April 15 for a review hearing while Leicestershire Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

VICTIMS NAMED FOLLOWING BOLTON TAXI COLLISION A tragic car crash in Bolton has killed four people, including three teenagers, after a high-speed collision on Wigan Road. A red Seat Leon collided head-on with a Citroen C4 Picasso taxi. Greater Manchester Police confirmed all four victims died at the scene. The teenagers were named locally as Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar, Farhan Patel, and Muhammad Danyaal Asghar Ali, alongside taxi driver Mosrab Ali, in his 50s. Emergency services used cutting equipment for two hours to reach the victims, while five other passengers sustained injuries and remain in hospital.

MPS DEMAND SACKING OF POLICE CHIEF IN FANS BAN Senior MPs are calling on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to remove West Midlands Chief Constable Craig Guildford over claims he misled Parliament. The Home Affairs Select Committee found that police may have retrospectively gathered evidence to justify banning Israeli football fans from a November 2025 match at Villa Park.

The ban was defended using alleged security risks from Dutch authorities, later disputed by Amsterdam’s mayor.

Mahmood could trigger Guildford’s removal by withdrawing confidence and consulting the Police and Crime Commissioner. A report from HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Andy Cooke, is expected this week.

Birmingham gang sentenced following brutal Darlaston shooting Five men have been jailed for a combined total of over 65 years following a targeted shooting on a father’s doorstep in Darlaston.

Wolverhampton Crown Court sentenced the Birmingham-based gang for the attempted murder of Nadeem Khan. The attack occurred on October 11 2024, shortly after Khan

(L-R) Top - Shamus Hussain; Mohammed Ishtiaq; Abdullah Amjad Bottom - Samir Khan, Dilawar Khan

had returned from a morning school run.

Investigators utilised CCTV and mobile phone data to track the group, identifying Shamus Hussain, Mohammed Ishtiaq, Abdullah Amjad, Samir Khan, and Dilawar Khan as the conspirators.

Despite the severity of the assault, the victim survived his injuries.

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British Indians power ahead in UK wealth rankings Continued from page 1

The report, The Ethnic Wealth Divide in the UK by Dr Eleni Karagiannaki, tracks changes in household wealth between 2012–14 and 2021–23. It finds that people from the Indian ethnic group were among those who recorded the largest gains in wealth during this period, placing British Indians at the forefront of asset growth in modern Britain.

Median household wealth rose sharply for Indian and White British groups, while remaining close to zero for Bangladeshi, Black African and Black Caribbean households. In contrast, the Pakistani group experienced a fall in median wealth, highlighting widening inequalities between ethnic communities.

UK-born Indians pull further ahead British Indians born in the UK were found to be particularly well positioned.

The study notes that UKborn Indians “have a clear wealth advantage”, outperforming both nonUK-born Indians and White British individuals, a reflection of earlier access to stable employment, income progression and asset ownership.

Property and investment ownership have played a key role in this divergence. Indian households were already

Prof Jonathan Portes

Dr Eleni Karagiannaki

among those with higher ownership levels a decade ago, alongside White British and “Asian Other” groups.

By 2021–23, ownership had increased further for these communities, while Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani groups saw sharp declines, especially in home ownership.

growth across the lifecourse, enabling earlier asset accumulation,” the report said, while Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups face some of the widest income gaps relative to White British households.

Commenting on the overall gap of wealth between communities, Professor Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at King’s College London, said, “Wealth inequality in the UK (as in most countries) is considerably greater than income inequality; so it’s not surprising that wealth disparities between (and within) ethnic groups are greater than income disparities.

“Analysing changes in disparities by ethnicity, however, is complicated by the fact that most (if by no means all) ethnic minorities in the UK are first and second generation migrants, and have therefore had less time and opportunity to accumulate

Income stability underpins asset growth Overall, household wealth growth for Indian and other Asian groups ranked among the strongest across all ethnic categories studied. The report also shows that Indian and White British individuals were more likely to move up from the lowest wealth quartile, while Pakistani and Black African individuals faced a higher risk of falling from the top.

Underlying these trends are long-term income patterns. “Indian and White British groups typically experience steadier income

wealth, especially housing, than most of those from a white background.

“And indeed the LSE analysis does suggest that inequalities in housing are very important, suggesting that this is a key driver of the disadvantage of some ethnic groups, probably reflecting both patterns of settlement- location and housing tenure and labour market disadvantage.

Addressing this requires policies that promote mobility: educational, social and geographical.”

“Indian and White British groups typically experience steadier income growth across the life-course, enabling earlier asset accumulation”

Non-dom reforms trigger investor uncertainty However, economists warn that policy instability risks undermining future wealth creation if it continues to unsettle longterm investors. The government’s recent handling of tax and investor policy has drawn growing criticism for a pattern of abrupt changes followed by rapid reversals, raising questions about strategic coherence and economic credibility.

Whitehall is now in talks with senior City figures as Labour seeks to repair the fallout from scrapping the nondomiciled tax regime.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves replaced the system in the 2024 Autumn Budget with a residence-based model taxing long-term residents on their worldwide income, before introducing a fouryear “grace period” after backlash. The Treasury is already reviewing the policy, amid concerns it accelerated the departure of wealthy individuals and entrepreneurs.

U-turns raise concerns over economic direction Several high-profile figures, including Lakshmi Mittal and tech entrepreneur Herman Narula, are reported to have

left the UK. In response, ministers are considering further adjustments, including a possible extension of the grace period and proposals for a “pay-to-play” investor visa.

The Department for Business and Trade has also launched a “global talent taskforce” as ministers talk up ambitions to build a $1tn UK company.

Pressure groups, emboldened by recent Treasury U-turns on inheritance tax for farmers and business rates, are pushing for a broader retreat. Proposals include a “global investor visa” charging £200,000 a year and requiring £2.5m of investment, while offering generous tax exemptions.

Critics argue the approach exposes a deeper problem: expensive policies launched without sufficient foresight, then partially unwound at significant cost. Wealth is built on predictability, not policy zigzags and repeated reversals risk eroding confidence in Britain’s longterm economic direction.

For Britain’s Indian community, the findings underline a decade of financial consolidation, but also highlight how fragile future wealth creation may become without long-term, predictable policy making.

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06 VEGANUARY

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Vegan diets linked to better mental health Subhasini Naicker Adopting a vegan lifestyle can have a positive impact on mental well-being, as plant-based diets are rich in nutrients that support brain function, reduce inflammation, and balance mood.

Research suggests that vegan diets, high in fibre, antioxidants, and antiinflammatory compounds, help regulate stress and improve emotional

Poorva Joshipura

resilience.

The sense of empowerment that comes from aligning one's choices with compassion and ethical values also contributes to emotional relief and overall mental peace. Asian Voice spoke to a few experts who highlighted the growing evidence supporting these mental health benefits.

"What you eat affects how you feel" Nishma Shah, founder of Shambhu, explains, “Scientists are discovering that improved gut health can positively impact mood, stress resilience, and anxiety. Healthy gutbrain interactions, facilitated by the vagus nerve, support emotional

Dr Minil Patel

Nishma Shah

balance." She highlights research showing that diets focused on whole plant foods are linked to lower depression, reduced anxiety, and decreased chronic inflammation.

“The key benefit comes from reducing oxidative stress. Plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, rich in fibre, antioxidants, and unsaturated fats, help reduce inflammation, improve vascular function, and nurture a resilient gut microbiome."

As evidence mounts, plant-based and vegan diets are gaining recognition for their mental health benefits, including enhanced mood and reduced anxiety. Shah adds, “Alongside metabolic health improvements, these diets promote overall mental well-being." She also emphasises the ethical and environmental benefits: “A vegan diet aligns with ahimsa, reducing harm to animals and lowering carbon footprints compared to animal-based foods."

Poorva Joshipura, President of PETA International, shares, “The saying 'you are what you

eat' holds true. What we consume affects how we feel, so it’s no surprise that rejecting meat, eggs, and dairy products rooted in animal exploitation, can boost both physical and mental wellbeing.” She highlights the grim reality of factory-farmed animals, stating, “These animals endure miserable lives before being sent to slaughter, and that weighs heavily on a compassionate conscience.”

Joshipura points to growing research linking whole-food, plant-based diets to lower anxiety, depression, and psychological distress.

“Vegan foods are rich in fibre, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, all of which aid in mood regulation.”

She adds, “Choosing vegan food is empowering, it aligns with personal values and offers emotional relief. Many feel peace knowing they’re no longer supporting harmful systems but making choices that support wellbeing.” In a world full of violence, she concludes, “What we put on our plate can become a daily act of positive change for

ourselves and others.”

Dr Minil Patel, GP and Lifestyle Medicine Physician, emphasises the growing evidence linking plant-based diets to improved mental health and emotional wellbeing.

“Diets rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains provide essential brain nutrients like folate, magnesium, and antioxidants that support neurotransmitter function and protect the brain,” he explains.

Research shows that plant-based diets, high in fiber, reduce systemic inflammation, a key factor in depression and anxiety, and promote a diverse gut microbiome, which influences mood and stress regulation through the gut-brain axis.

Dr Patel also notes the psychological benefits of plant-based eating, including increased control, value alignment, and mindful eating, which contribute to enhanced wellbeing. “Plant-based diets have proven benefits in reducing chronic disease burden,” he adds, “and they also lessen your impact on animals and the planet, making them a prescription for both physical and mental health.”

Veganuary 2026: Over a third of UK adults plan to go plant-based More than a third of UK adults are expected to purchase plant-based foods this January as part of Veganuary 2026, the annual campaign encouraging people to try veganism for the month.

Participants receive starter kits, guides, support, and beginner-friendly recipes to help them get started.

YouGov data commissioned by Veganuary shows that 37% of Britons plan to buy plant-based products, with 32% favoring protein whole-food sources like beans, lentils, tofu, and tempeh.

The survey reflects ongoing trends from 2025, as consumers increasingly prioritize high-protein foods with clean, minimally processed ingredients.

While some consumers stick to whole foods, 23% enjoy both plant-based alternatives and traditional “fake meat” products, such as burgers and steaks.

Popular vegan brands like Better Nature and Tofoo Co continue to thrive, and companies are introducing new meat-free products to meet growing demand.

Veganuary’s impact is

significant: around 25.8 million people participated last year, with over 80% indicating plans to adopt a longterm plant-based lifestyle.

Retailers have also embraced the trend, with nearly 1,500 vegan products and menu items launched in 2025. For 2026, Aldi is bring-

ing back its vegan croissants and introducing a new chocolate spread.

“Veganuary continues to inspire millions to try plantbased foods each year and remains a key sales window for retailers and foodservice businesses,” said Wendy Matthews, CEO of Veganuary. She added that participating allows businesses to engage ethically minded and climate-conscious customers while adapting to changing consumer habits.

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07

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17 - 23 January 2026

£300 million bailout for struggling pubs sparks controversy The move has sparked debate as other small businesses struggle, while the government balances support with alcohol misuse initiatives and public health concerns.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to unveil a £300 million bailout for pubs pushed to the brink of bankruptcy by rising business rates, marking Labour’s 12th major policy U-turn since taking office.

The announcement is expected following backlash from Labour MPs and hospitality groups over budget changes coming into effect from April. Ministers are reportedly considering several ways to target support. Options include altering the methodology used to calculate pubs’ business rates, increasing discounts for small hospitality and retail businesses, or adjusting the “multiplier” applied to a property’s rateable value.

Under the current scheme, pubs face a 76% rates increase over three years.

Treasury sources said the final cost will depend on the precise measures Reeves adopts, and will be scored by the for Budget Office Responsibility.

Calls for wider support The move has prompted calls for similar support for other sectors, including hotels and live entertainment venues, which face steep rate rises in the spring. Hotels, for example, are projected to see a 115% increase over three years.

However, corner shops,

Tina McKenzie

Rachel Reeves

newsagents, pharmacies, and other small businesses are also struggling, which raises the question: why is support being extended only to pubs? These businesses are woven into Britain’s history, with

many British Asians establishing shops after immigrating.

Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said, “When the Government legislated for the power to reduce business rates bills for small businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure from April to match the equivalent of the 40 per cent discount that the Chancellor provided for April 2025, 230,000 small firms expected that to be confirmed.

“Instead, the Government is choosing to use only a quarter of the power in that formula - a 5p discount rather than 20p.

“With small firms in these sectors at breaking point, the Government should not withhold three quarters of the potential help it has at its disposal - a lever minis-

ters have to hand that would work if they pull it.

“This would take the relief back to somewhere near its current rate of 40 per cent and mitigate some of the negative impacts of the revaluation which also comes into effect this April.

“This is not just about pubs.

The loss of the 40 per cent lifeline across small retail, hospitality and leisure businesses – alongside other rising cost pressures - puts the viability of many of these businesses at risk, and with it the jobs they provide and their contribution to local economies and communities.

“This is not just about pubs. The loss of the 40 per cent lifeline across small retail, hospitality and leisure businesses – alongside other rising cost pressures - puts the viability of many of these businesses at risk, and with it the jobs they provide and their contribution to local economies and communities.”

The contradiction in UK alcohol strategy At the same time, the UK government has rolled out several initiatives to curb alcohol misuse.

Measures include regulating sales through the Licensing Act 2003, restricting promotions, and consulting on minimum unit pricing.

Public health campaigns like Change4Life raise awareness of harmful drinking, while local authorities coordinate prevention and treatment through Drug and Alcohol Action Teams. Clinical guidelines support therapies for dependence, and enforcement tools such as sobriety tags target alcohol-related crime.

Yet key government figures describe pubs as community cornerstones that help counter loneliness, indirectly supporting alcohol consumption. This raises a tension: how can the government promote responsible drinking while simultaneously subsidising establishments where alcohol is consumed? Even if pubs play a role in reducing social isolation, should there not also be initiatives to reshape these spaces into healthier, safer community hubs?

The planned bailout follows 11 previous Labour reversals, including changes to inheritance tax, dayone employment protections, the two-child benefit cap, income tax plans, and welfare reforms.

08

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17 - 23 January 2026

Brahma Kumaris host an evening of reflection, renewal and hope In the quiet depths of January, a month often associated with darkness and introspection, a different kind of light filled Global Cooperation House in London.

‘The Light Returns’, hosted by the Brahma Kumaris and streamed live to a wide online audience via the Brahma Kumaris UK YouTube channel, offered an evening of reflection, spiritual dialogue and collective renewal.

January holds particular significance for the Brahma Kumaris, marking the anniversary of the passing of its founder, Brahma Baba.

Against this contemplative backdrop, the event invited participants to explore inner light, hope and resilience.

Guests were welcomed

by BK Rachel Priestman, who offered an overview of the Brahma Kumaris’ 90-year journey. At the heart of the evening was a simple but

Sister Jayanti

profound question: What happens when the light returns in my life?

The discussion brought together three speakers whose professional and spiritual journeys offered comperspectives: plementary Professor Scherto Gill, Professor of Peace Research and Director of the Global Humanity for Peace Institute; Sister Jayanti, Additional Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris

and a long-standing UN representative; and Jean De Silva, a spiritual practitioner and marketing professional active in interfaith and youth initiatives.

The evening opened with a guided meditation led by Sister Jayanti. Framing the conversation, Scherto Gill reflected on the tension between moments of inner calm and the pressures of daily life.

Drawing on his experience in high-pressure corporate environments, Jean De Silva described how spiritual awareness helps him navigate stress by remembering shared humanity. Practices such as prayer, intention and service, he said, offer perspective and allow compassion and deeper values to guide action even in demanding settings.

Sister Jayanti offered a wider spiritual lens, describing history and human expe-

rience as cyclical, moving through phases of darkness and light. She emphasised reducing reactivity and cultivating patience and compassion, noting that inner change often becomes a quiet catalyst for wider transformation.

A reflective reading from poet Rainer Maria Rilke invited participants to see darkness not as despair, but as a place of growth.

Audience questions followed, exploring scepticism toward religion, the role of service, and the importance of family and belonging.

The evening concluded with a collective guided reflection led by Sister Jayanti, holding thoughts of peace, love and goodwill for oneself, the global human family and the planet. As Rachel Priestman closed the event, participants were invited to carry one key insight into their daily lives.

A festival of fire, harvest and UK’s first Town of Culture to community revive community pride Lohri is a vibrant winter festival celebrated primarily in Punjab and across northern India, marking the end of the coldest days and the arrival of longer, warmer ones.

Observed on 13 January each year, on the eve of Makar Sankranti, Lohri is deeply rooted in agrarian life and is especially significant for farming communities, as it coincides with the harvesting of the rabi crop.

For farmers, Lohri is deeply tied to the agricultural cycle, especially in north India, and it carries both practical and symbolic meaning.

At its core, Lohri marks the end of winter and the approaching harvest of the rabi crops, particularly wheat, which is sown in October and harvested in spring. By mid-January, the crops are well grown and farmers can finally breathe easier, knowing the most vulnerable phase of cultivation has passed.

The festival is also a thanksgiving to nature.

Farmers express gratitude to the sun (Surya), fire (Agni) and the earth for warmth, protection from frost, and healthy crops.

The traditional bonfire isn’t just celebratory, it symbolises hope for abundance, fertility and prosperity in the coming har-

vest.

Lohri is closely linked to community and sharing.

Offerings like rewri, gajak, peanuts and popcorn are made from seasonal pro-

duce, reflecting the rewards of agricultural labour.

Singing folk songs around the fire celebrates rural life, folklore and collective resilience built through farming communities.

For many farmers, Lohri also represents a pause before the intense work ahead. It’s a moment of joy, rest and social bonding before the busy months of harvesting begin.

The history of Lohri blends folklore, seasonal change and ancient traditions. One popular legend associated with the festival is that of Dulla Bhatti, a Punjabi folk hero who lived during the Mughal era.

Revered as a local Robin Hood figure, Dulla Bhatti is remembered for rescuing young girls from exploitation and arranging their marriages.

Songs sung around the Lohri bonfire still invoke his name, keeping his legacy alive through oral tradition. Historically, Lohri also draws from older solar festivals that celebrate the sun’s northward journey and the promise of renewal and abundance.

The government has launched the UK’s first-ever Town of Culture competition, marking its latest move to drive national renewal through culture.

Towns of all sizes, small, medium and large, have 11 weeks to submit expressions of interest, with the winning town set to deliver an ambitious and vibrant cultural programme. The initiative aims to showcase local voices and visions through new arts venues, performances, workshops and community events, while attracting investment, fostering civic pride and widening access to the arts.

Submissions are now open, with an expert judging panel led by Sir Phil Redmond. Towns will be assessed on how effectively they tell their unique story, bring communities together and deliver a clear cultural vision. The strongest proposals will be shortlisted, with each shortlisted town receiving £60,000 to help develop a full bid.

Three finalists, one small, one medium and one large town, will be selected.

The overall winner will be named UK Town of Culture 2028 and awarded £3 million,

Lisa Nandy

while the two runners-up will each receive £250,000 to deliver elements of their proposals, ranging from upgraded community infrastructure to electric music festivals.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said towns had long played a vital role in shaping the country’s identity. “We have seen the transformative power of culture through the UK City of Culture competition, and I want to ensure towns have the same opportunity to make a real difference to their communities and show the world why they are so special”, she said.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 31 March 2026, with the shortlist expected to be announced later this spring.

Warmth in action This winter, Neasden Temple donated more than 400 jackets, jumpers and other essential warm clothing items to Crisis, helping support people experiencing homelessness during the coldest months of the year.

The donation reflects the Temple’s commitment to compassion and community service, ensuring practical support reaches those most in need. Crisis continues to play a vital role in supporting vulnerable individuals across London and the UK, offering not only emergency help but long-term pathways out of homelessness.

The world is a passing scene: Scenes change, witness remains Rohit Vadhwana We live in a world that is constantly changing. Time is cyclical, moving like the seasons: arriving, staying for a while, and then passing on. Everything we see today will be gone tomorrow. The world, in that sense, is only a passing scene that we witness briefly.

Yet, we often mistake this scene for permanence. We become so involved in what is unfolding before us that we begin to believe it will last forever. This creates an illusion of permanence, an illusion that is far from reality.

Life unfolds in phases. Each phase brings its own roles, emotions, successes, and failures. However, sometimes we become so deeply absorbed in one phase that we start to identify ourselves with it. If I am the CEO of a company, it is rather a phase in my life, yet while living it, I may forget that it will pass. The role begins to feel permanent. In the same way, repeated failure, such as not clearing interviews, can dominate the mind so completely that I may start believing, “My life is a failure.” This too is untrue, because no phase, pleasant or painful, is permanent. Every phase must pass. Such identification with a single phase of life denies the ever-changing reality of the world.

Bhagwan Krishna explains this truth in the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Shloka 14:

मात्रातपशा​ाततुकौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदु:खदा: | आगमापाययनोऽयनत्याततांयततयतक्षतव भारत ||

Translation: O son of Kunti, the contact between the senses and the sense objects gives rise to fleeting experiences of happiness and distress. These are non-permanent; they come and go like winter and summer. O descendant of Bharat, learn to endure them without being disturbed.

The wisdom here is simple yet profound: moments are temporary, and they are meant to pass. Those who become entangled in moments suffer deeply from pleasure and pain alike. But those who witness moments without clinging allow them to pass without regret and welcome new ones without expectation. Such awareness brings balance, because it recognises that every experience has a beginning and an end.

Consider immersive theatre, where actors move among the audience. At different points, actors perform scenes in separate rooms, and the audience follows them. Each viewer sees only the scene unfolding in front of them, unaware of what is happening elsewhere. This is different from traditional theatre, where all scenes are visible on one stage.

Life is similar. When we follow one scene too closely, we forget that many other scenes are unfolding simultaneously. We begin to feel like characters trapped within a single storyline. But when we step back and witness, clarity emerges. We realise that we are not the scene; we are the observer of it.

A fish living in water may believe that there is no world beyond water. The boatman, however, knows that water is only one part of a vast universe that includes earth, sky, sun, moon, and stars. This difference arises from distance the ability to see a scene without being immersed in it. This capacity to witness, rather than be absorbed, brings clarity and freedom.

Rumi beautifully captures it in this quote: “Why are you so busy with this or that, or good or bad? Pay attention to how things blend.” He reminds us to observe without judgment, to watch how scenes arise, change, merge, and dissolve.

The world is not what it appears to be, fixed and permanent. It is an ever-changing flow of scenes. When we stop becoming part of every scene and instead learn to witness them, we begin to understand life as it truly is: a passing play, observed by a silent and enduring presence within us.

Elixir: "Life is a passing scene. Suffering begins when we mistake a phase for our identity, and freedom begins when we remember we are the witness."

(Expressed opinions are personal)

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17 - 23 January 2026

Why Property Investors Should Be Watching First-Time Buyers This Year

A

new year brings with it new buyers. As we all gear up for the coming months, many in the property market will be thinking about their next move. Should they shift to a cheaper part of the country? Is this the year they try to get on the housing ladder after renting for years? Instead of a purchase, does it make more sense to upgrade an existing asset?

The answers to these questions will present opportunities for property investors. It remains to be seen what trends will emerge this year. However, there is one emerging trend that could be clear enough for all to see, and target. In 2026, we’re likely to see rising demand from young people getting on the housing ladder for the first time.

In late 2025, a survey from Lloyds Banking Group of prospective firsttime buyers found that 65% are planning to seek guidance on the purchase process from lenders or mortgage advisors.

Furthermore, the momentum is clearly already behind them.

First-time buyers borrowed at least £82.8bn in 2025 according to Savills, a 30% increase on the prior year. What’s more, Zoopla revealed that housing sales hit 1.2 million over 2025, despite all of last year’s challenges.

This marked the housing market’s strongest year for

Paresh Raja, CEO Market Financial Solutions

sales in three years, and it was driven by first-time buyers.

There are few signs that this momentum will slow down this year so the obvious question is, how can property investors take advantage? There is a growing market for providing options to firsttime buyers, but where could property flippers look?

Thankfully, there are a few key areas filled to the brim with potential.

Rightmove data revealed London, Manchester, and Bristol were the mostsearched for areas for house-hunters in 2025.

Also, for those

uninterested in city-living, Bournemouth topped the list for seaside hotspots.

This was followed by Eastbourne, Worthing, and Scarborough.

We know that many would-be buyers were waiting for post-budget clarity before they made any major decisions. Now that we know where we stand, coupled with the fact that buyer affordability is on the rise, chances are we’re likely to see a flurry of activity over the coming months.

Property investors need to ensure they’re on the right side of that activity. The specialist market is ready to help them flip prime residential assets, purchase diamonds in the rough at auction, spruce up existing stock for new buyers, and so much more. This is but one opportunity that will present itself in 2026.

Bespoke lenders will have a role to play in all the others that emerge in the next 12 months.

Violence against NHS staff reaches record high NHS England is grappling with a national emergency as new data released reveals that healthcare workers now face 285 violent incidents every day.

Figures from the 2025 National Staff Survey show that over 104,000 physical assaults were recorded

against nurses, doctors, and paramedics last year, representing a 15% increase from 2024.

The surge in aggression is being attributed to extreme waiting times and a chronically overstretched system.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned the

appalling trend, noting that the highest frequency of attacks occurs in A&E departments and mental health wards. Since January 2025, the government has pledged £40 million for improved body cameras and increased security presence to protect staff from further harm.

New parental leave rights for bereaved families Bereaved parents in Great Britain have welcomed a landmark expansion of employment rights that came into effect.

Following years of campaigning by grieving fathers and charities, the Department for Business and Trade has formalised new statutory leave for those who lose a child or

partner during or shortly after pregnancy. Previously, many fathers were ineligible for paid leave if they had not met specific length-of-service requirements, but the new legislation removes these barriers.

This change ensures that approximately 20,000 additional parents annually can access two weeks of

paid leave and job protection. Campaigners argue this vital update corrects a historical injustice that forced many back to work days after a tragedy.

Ministers confirmed the policy aims to provide much-needed compassion and financial security during periods of profound loss.

Excessive screen time can hinder speech in under-fives UK ministers are offering new guidance to parents on screen time for under-fives, following research linking excessive use to poor speech development.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson highlighted that nearly all two-year-

olds now use screens daily, a critical period for language growth.

Government research found children with around five hours of screen exposure daily spoke significantly fewer words than those with under an hour.

The guidance, co-developed with parents and early years experts, will promote using screens in interactive ways, like storytime or educational games, alongside talking, playing, and reading to support early language skills.

SOAS announces fellowship honouring Ambedkar and Karunanidhi The SOAS South Asia Institute has invited applications for the Ambedkar– Kalaignar Visiting Fellowship for Social Justice and Federalism, a new programme that honours the transformative legacies of B R Ambedkar and M Karunanidhi.

The fellowship is designed to support research and professional work centred on dignity, inclusion and social reform, with a focus on social justice, democracy and federalism in India. While applications are welcome from across the country and beyond, a particular emphasis is placed on work relating to Tamil Nadu.

Preference will be given to applicants from Tamil Nadu and from marginalised

B. R. Ambedkar

Karunanidhi

communities, reflecting the fellowship’s aim of widening access and amplifying underrepresented voices.

Applications are open to candidates from a wide range of academic disciplines and professional backgrounds, provided their work connects meaningfully with the fellowship’s core themes.

Hosted at the SOAS South Asia Institute in London, the fellowship offers a fully funded threemonth residency. It covers travel and visa costs, term fees, and provides a stipend, allowing visiting fellows to focus entirely on research, writing and professional inquiry during their time at SOAS.

Sultana calls for unity following ICO decision Zarah Sultana, the Coventry South MP, has called for unity within Your Party after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) dropped an investigation into a membership portal dispute.

The data regulator announced the row fell outside its remit, advising the party to seek other authorities. The conflict began in September 2025 when co-

Zarah Sultana

leader Jeremy Corbyn accused Sultana of promot-

ing a false system to collect unauthorised donations.

The internal rift, which Sultana attributed to a sexist boys’ club, led to two MPs resigning before the party’s November 2025 conference.

While Sultana has transferred £600,000 of the £800,000 held by her company, MoU Operations Ltd, she maintains the remaining funds will be paid once legalities are finalised.

10

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17 - 23 January 2026

Global Climate Concerns There have been various pop-up messages from Google that one can easily encounter about the ongoing fight against the climate crisis. Multiple sources have just confirmed that a series of issues are expected to occur due to this crisis, including flooding, drought, wildfires, and increased temperatures.

But in the midst of all the climate crisis hullabaloo, all that we should do first is to protect the farming and agricultural sectors from those crises to keep our world's food production safe and sound.

Now here comes one more vital voice to fight the climate disaster. And that is Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation. A benevolent and humble philanthropist, Gates has literally come up with his pen and pencil. He has written a book titled “How To Avoid A Climate Disaster.” This new book release has been intensely discussed by most media houses in the West. In fact, Bill Gates had been our enduring inspiration during our college days in 1998 in Tiruchendur, Tamil Nadu.

Since he has been inspiring many generations on the world stage through his knowledge and simplicity, Bill Gates will be heard in the climate fight. His sincere efforts to publish a book on the climate disaster deserve widespread adulation and are noteworthy because books are the best way to carry forward such serious messages.

A passionate reader of newspapers, books and magazines, I have mainly been encouraging others in my native areas like Korkai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, as well as peers at my workstations in Coimbatore, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai, to buy magazines and books for a happy feeling and global knowledge. For sure, there will be many more positive results largely up ahead, especially in the wake of such a series of sincere efforts to end the climate crisis.

P Senthil Sarvana Durai

Restrict children’s social media access “Why Britain should regulate children’s social media use” in Asian Voice dated 10-16 January 2026 has given balanced views with potential dangers if not regulated and controlled properly, as it happens with any technological advancement.

Australia has successfully implemented it so other countries can also easily do it. In the name of freedom, some people may argue that it should not be forcibly implemented but for long term benefits, strict enforcement may be required and everyone should support the initiative of limiting internet usage.

Bullying and harassment via technology is now very common and figures given in the article really shows the danger if not regulated soon. As reported in the paper, children are more likely to experience being bullied via technology (84%) than face to face (61%).

Too much screen time reduces sleep and concentration of young people which will have a detrimental impact in the long run. We cannot expect that the government should do everything, it is the responsibility of everyone to support the initiative by the government to monitor usage.

Sometimes people use mobile phones even when crossing a road with heavy traffic from both directions. They are putting their lives at risk and others' lives in danger. Joint efforts of parents, teachers and law enforcement agencies are required to implement such kinds of changes.

Hitesh Hingu

British YouTuber, Sangram Patil detained over alleged defamation Dr Sangram Patil, a London-based British citizen and popular YouTuber, was detained at Mumbai International Airport.

The 40-year-old doctor, originally from Maharashtra, was intercepted by immigration officials upon arrival from the UK following a Look Out Circular (LOC). The detention relates to an FIR filed on December 18, 2025 by Nikhil Bhamre, a BJP media cell coordinator, who alleged that Patil’s social media posts contained misinformation and derogatory remarks regarding party leaders.

Crime branch officials questioned Patil for several

Experts warn online visa Why India’s Nuclear Reform language tests risk cheating Continued from pageMatters?

03 Industry experts warned the Home Office that Labour’s new £816 million online English language testing system is vulnerable to widespread fraud.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood intends to replace supervised overseas exam centres with a ‘digital-by-default’ remote approach for migrants from 150 countries. However, leading providers like Cambridge University Press and Assessment argue that AI and impersonation make remote invigilation easy to game.

The warning follows Pearson’s recent £750,000 fine by Ofqual after nearly 10,000 fraudulent results

Shabana Mahmood

were revoked. Furthermore, the ACCA announced it will scrap remote exams in March 2026 due to sophisticated cheating. Despite these security concerns, the government is proceeding with the five-year contract to streamline visa applications.

Brent landlords fined £700 for illegally converting flats Two greedy landlords have been ordered to pay £679,142 after illegally converting a three-bedroom house into six cramped shoebox flats.

The court finalised the massive financial penalty against Inderjeet and Jasvinder Chokkar following a successful prosecution by Brent Council. The couple had ignored an enforcement notice to reverse the unauthorised work, continuing to profit

from substandard rentals.

The court mandated the repayment of £564,367 in illegal earnings, alongside individual fines and nearly £50,000 in costs.

Their firm, Housing Solutions (GB) Ltd, was also fined £25,000.

Councillor Krupa Sheth warned that the council will continue to root out rogue operators who flout planning laws and exploit vulnerable tenants for financial gain.

Shrinivas Kulkarni honoured with Royal Astronomical Society US-based astronomer Professor Shrinivas Kulkarni has been awarded the prestigious Gold Medal by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) for his groundbreaking contributions to time-domain astronomy.

Kulkarni, a professor at Caltech, is recognised for his innovative work in multi-wavelength transient astrophysics, including the discovery of brown dwarfs and gamma-ray bursts. His citation acknowledges his role in revolutionising optical time-domain astrophysics through projects like the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) and the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). Kulkarni, who also recently won the 2024 Shaw Prize in Astronomy, joins a distinguished list of past RAS Gold Medal winners such as Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. In his 2024 Watson Lecture at Caltech, titled ‘Illuminating the Dynamic Night Sky: Discoveries from the Zwicky Transient Facility,’ Kulkarni shared his passion for building innovative instruments in astronomy, having developed 10 throughout his career.

Former ISIS convict becomes social media influencer in Britain Dr Sangram Patil

hours before releasing him.

Under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), he was served a notice of appearance rather than being formally arrested, as the charges carry a maximum three-year prison term.

Tareena Shakil, the first British woman jailed for joining ISIS, has reinvented herself as a glamorous travel influencer.

Shakil, originally from Burton-upon-Trent, fled to Syria with her toddler son in 2014, where she notoriously posted images of the child in terror-branded gear and herself brandishing an AK-47. After returning to the UK in 2015, she was sentenced in 2016 to six years for terror offences.

Following her release, Shakil has abandoned the hijab for designer Western outfits, documenting a luxury lifestyle for her followers. Her recent activity includes a December 2025 trip to Paris and visits to Thailand, Rome, and Egypt. This transformation from a radicalised poster girl to a high-end jet-setter has sparked significant public debate regarding her rehabilitation and the influence of her controversial past on social media.

Equally important is the India–UK Climate Finance Initiative, aimed at mobilising capital at both quality terms and scale, required to unlock sustainable green growth and meet net-zero ambitions in both countries.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are integral to this agenda. The Climate Technology Start-up Fund, backed by joint investment under a memorandum of understanding between the UK Government and the State Bank of India, will support entrepreneurs working at the intersection of climate, technology, and artificial intelligence. This is precisely the ecosystem from which next-generation clean-energy solutions, including advanced nuclear applications, will emerge.

Within this broader landscape, future civil nuclear cooperation occupies a natural place. Our engagement on next generation nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors, recognising their potential to deliver flexible, scalable, low-carbon power for industrial clusters, is a step toward mainstreaming this cooperation. India’s Nuclear Energy Mission, with substantial public funding and a clear deployment pathway, aligns well with the UK’s strengths in reactor design, regulation, safety assurance, and project delivery.

Taken together, these developments reveal a clear roadmap: India and the United Kingdom are now ready to build a partnership that integrates technology security, climate finance, clean-energy deployment, and advanced manufacturing. For India, SHANTI is a clear statement of intent: to modernise institutions, unlock investment at scale, and place nuclear energy firmly within a clean, secure, and sustainable future. By modernising India’s nuclear framework, it strengthens collaboration with trusted partners who share high standards of safety, governance, and long-term responsibility. For Britain therefore, this is a mutually beneficial opportunity to engage with India’s nuclear renaissance as a strategic partner.

As our two countries look ahead, civil nuclear cooperation should be understood not as a niche concern, but as a strategic pillar of an increasingly integrated India–UK relationship, one that recognises that energy security, climate ambition, and technological leadership are now inseparable, just as the future of our planet is also indivisible. And in an increasingly uncertain world, these new directions for the India-UK partnership offer prospects for stability, growth, and sustainability.

UK workers demand mandatory ethnicity pay reporting A majority of UK employees are calling for the government to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting within the next year.

According to research released by the non-profit ‘People Like Us’, 55% of the 2,003 professionals surveyed support the immediate implementation of this legislation. The data highlights significant workplace disparities, with 56% of ethnic minority staff discovering they are paid less than colleagues from different backgrounds for similar roles.

Dianne Greyson, founder of the Ethnicity Pay Gap Campaign, stated that the findings reflect deep-seated frustration over a lack of visible progress. While gender pay gap, reporting became mandatory in 2017, ethnicity reporting remains voluntary. Campaigners are now urging the government to act to restore workforce trust.

Indian-origin man jailed for child sexual offences in Ashford Rishi Nayyar, a 40-year-old from Ashford, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison at Guildford Crown Court.

Following a five-day trial that concluded in October, a jury found Nayyar guilty of rape, while he admitted to three counts of paying for the sexual services of a child. The investigation began in April 2025 after a mother reported the abuse of her daughter, whom Nayyar had manipulated under the guise of offering career assistance.

Surrey Police's Child Abuse Team used forensic and financial evidence to

Rishi Nayyar

dismantle Nayyar’s “no comment” defence. Along with his custodial term, he received a four-year extended licence period to protect the public from further harm.

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Political Sketchbook Alpesh Patel

Is the shift toward a multipolar world an opportunity for a more stable global order and how should India and the UK recalibrate their strategies in response?

The post-Cold War unipolar moment, dominated by American economic, military and institutional power, is widely regarded as over. The rise of China, the strategic autonomy of India, the reassertion of Russia, and the growing influence of regional powers have ushered in what is commonly described as a multipolar world.

Multipolarity in Theory: Stability or Disorder?

For Kenneth Waltz, bipolar systems were the most stable, as clear power balances reduced miscalculation.

Multipolar systems, by contrast, risk instability due to shifting alliances and uncertain deterrence.

Liberal institutionalists argue that multipolarity can be stabilising if power is embedded in rules, norms and institutions. The problem today is that multipolarity is emerging faster than institutional reform, creating a gap between power distribution and governance capacity.

The UN for instance is archaic.

The contemporary world therefore faces a transitional danger: not multipolarity itself, but unmanaged multipolarity.

Multipolarity as Opportunity: Diffusion, Autonomy and Legitimacy Multipolarity also offers significant opportunities: - Constraint on hegemony: No single power can unilaterally impose order, reducing the risk of imperial overreach.

- Strategic choice: States gain flexibility to pursue interests without binary alignment.

- Legitimacy: A world less dominated by the West may command broader acceptance, particularly in the Global South.

India’s Strategy: From Non-Alignment to RuleShaping Autonomy India is uniquely positioned in a multipolar world. It is large enough to matter, but not yet dominant enough to threaten others. Its long tradition of non-alignment provides strategic credibility.

India should pursue three recalibrations: First, India must deepen partnerships without surrendering autonomy. Engagement with the US, UK, Japan and Australia should focus on technology, defence innovation and supply chains, while avoiding formal alliances that constrain independent decision-making.

Second, India should shift from norm-taker to norm-shaper. Leadership in digital governance, climate adaptation, and development finance would allow India to influence the rules of the emerging order rather than merely navigate them.

Third, India should leverage multipolarity to reform institutions. A permanent UN Security Council seat and greater influence in global financial institutions are not symbolic ambitions, but stabilising necessities in a multipolar system.

India’s success will depend on converting strategic autonomy into institutional leadership rather than transactional hedging.

The UK’s Strategy: From Global Ambition to Strategic Specialisation The UK faces a different challenge. It is no longer a great power, but it remains a consequential one.

Three adjustments are required: First, the UK must align with the US on security while avoiding dependency. This means contributing high-value capabilities (intelligence, cyber, maritime assets) rather than symbolic deployments.

Second, the UK should treat India as a strategic equal, not merely a trade partner. A serious UK–India relationship must extend beyond commerce to co-operation in defence technology, AI governance, and education mobility.

Third, the UK should position itself as a connector state: a financial, legal and regulatory hub linking IndoPacific capital with European and Atlantic markets. This role suits Britain’s comparative advantages far better than military overstretch.

In a multipolar world, Britain’s influence will come not from scale, but from credibility and competence.

India should use multipolarity to entrench autonomy while shaping new global rules. The UK should recalibrate toward specialisation, partnership and connectivity rather than pretensions of dominance. If such strategies prevail, multipolarity may yet deliver a more balanced and legitimate global order. If not, fragmentation will become the defining feature of international politics in the decades ahead.

In short, multipolarity is not the problem.

Mismanagement of it is.

Reform UK launches London mayor bid with Laila Cunningham Reform UK has named Westminster City councillor Laila Cunningham as its candidate for the 2028 London mayoral election.

Cunningham, who defected from the Conservatives last year, appeared alongside party leader Nigel Farage at a news conference framed by banners reading “London needs Reform”.

She criticised Labour mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and said she had a “different message” for Londoners, pledging an “all-out war on crime”.

Laila Cunningham

“There will be a new sheriff in town,” she said, outlining priorities for the Metropolitan Police including tackling knife crime, drugs, robbery, shoplifting and rape. Cunningham said she would rewrite London’s

police and crime plan, issue “new marching orders” to the Met, and scrap the ultralow emission zone (Ulez) if elected.

Although the next mayoral election is not due until 2028, Farage said Cunningham would act as the party’s figurehead in the run-up to May’s local elections, calling them the “single most significant” electoral test ahead of the next general election.

Labour dismissed the announcement, saying Reform UK was “offering the capital nothing but divi-

sion and decline”. A London Labour spokesperson said Cunningham had repeatedly talked the city down and opposed the multiculturalism that defines it, while a source close to the mayor said Sir Sadiq Khan was focused on “delivering a fairer, safer, greener city”.

A recent Savanta poll for the Mile End Institute at Queen Mary University of London put Labour on 32% for the 2028 mayoral race, ahead of the Conservatives on 20%, Reform on 19%, the Greens on 13% and the Liberal Democrats on 11%.

Priya Dogra appointed as Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra has been named the next chief executive of Channel 4, the broadcaster confirmed.

Dogra, a veteran media executive currently serving as the head of advertising and data at Sky, will officially assume the role in March 2026. She succeeds Alex Mahon, who stepped down this summer after an eightyear tenure. Until Dogra’s

arrival, Jonathan Allan, the broadcaster’s chief operating officer, will continue as interim CEO. With over 20 years of experience, including senior leadership at Warner Bros.

Discovery, Dogra is tasked with accelerating Channel 4's digital-first transformation. Her appointment comes at a critical time as the broadcaster faces a

Priya Dogra

shifting advertising landscape and a mandate to expand its in-house production capabilities by 2026.

Chair Geoff Cooper praised her formidable intellect and expertise in driving commercial growth, which will be vital as Channel 4 navigates increasing competition from global streaming giants.

Doctors restore sight in patients with rare eye condition Doctors say they have achieved what was once thought impossible: restoring sight and preventing blindness in people with hypotony, a rare but serious eye condition.

Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, which runs the world’s first dedicated clinic for hypotony, has reported promising results from a pilot study.

Seven of the first eight patients treated with a pioneering new therapy responded positively,

according to findings published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Hypotony occurs when pressure inside the eyeball falls to dangerously low levels, causing the eye to collapse in on itself. It can be triggered by trauma, inflammation, eye surgery or certain medications and, if left untreated, can lead to blindness.

Until now, treatment options were limited.

Doctors used steroids or silicone oil to increase eye

pressure, but these approaches offered little improvement in vision and could be harmful over time. Silicone oil can also cause blurred vision because it is difficult to see through clearly.

Seeking a safer and more effective alternative, Moorfields specialists turned to hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), a low-cost, transparent, water-based gel already used in some eye surgeries. Instead of applying it

once, the team developed a new approach involving regular injections into the main part of the eye.

With funding from the Moorfields Eye Charity, 35 patients have now been treated. The therapy is typically given every three to four weeks over about 10 months. Researchers say the results are encouraging and hope that, with further study, they will better understand which patients are most likely to benefit.

Solicitor struck off for lying about location A solicitor has been struck off after falsely telling a judge he was appearing from London when he was actually 700 miles away in Munich.

Priyank Tanwar, a 16year veteran of the legal profession, misled the court during a one-hour family hearing at Leicester County Court in 2023. He told the judge, the court clerk, opposing lawyers, an interpreter, and his client that he was in “Ealing, London,” while attending remotely from Germany. Tanwar

Priyank Tanwar

later claimed at the disciplinary tribunal that he had misunderstood the judge’s

question, but the panel rejected this explanation.

Tom Walker, counsel for the Solicitors Regulation Authority, described Tanwar’s claim as “nonsensical,” noting the judge’s query clearly concerned his actual location. The tribunal agreed, ruling that his false statement caused confusion during the hearing as the court tried to establish a stable remote connection. The panel described Tanwar’s “culpability [as] absolute.”

Carolyn Evans, chairwoman of the three-mem-

ber panel, said Tanwar “was not being truthful” in his responses. The tribunal ordered him to pay £7,500 in costs alongside his striking off.

The case has drawn attention to wider issues with remote hearings, which have become more common since the Covid-19 pandemic. While some lawyers and judges argue that virtual appearances increase efficiency, others warn they can dehumanise court proceedings and leave them open to abuse.

Jewish MP’s school visit cancelled after pro-palestinian campaign A planned visit by Labour MP Damien Egan to a school in his Bristol constituency was cancelled following a campaign by proPalestinian teachers and threats from parents to keep their children at home.

Egan, MP for Bristol North East, was due to speak at Bristol Brunel Academy in September, but the event was called off after

protests were organised and teachers threatened to wear keffiyehs to school on the day. The campaign was reportedly led by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and the National Education Union (NEU). A subsequent visit by Egan to another school in the trust was also abandoned by mutual agreement.

The Bristol branch of the PSC said the protest was prompted by Egan’s role as vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed condemned the incident as an “outrage” and said school leaders would be held accountable.

A source close to Egan described the situation as “a classic case of how far-left

extremists and some members of the NEU try to silence and cancel people,” adding that MPs should not be prevented from visiting schools over concerns about protests or personal safety.

Senior leaders at the academy reportedly told staff that the visit was cancelled due to “safeguarding concerns.”

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East African Asians celebrate community at social and nostalgic evening Following the success of its Golf Day in April 2025, the East African Asians (EAA) community hosted a memorable Social and Nostalgic Evening on Saturday, 6 December 2025, at the popular Blue Room in Harrow.

Nearly 300 East African Asians, along with their families and friends, gathered for the muchanticipated reunion. Demand for the event grew rapidly, and organisers were compelled to cap attendance in line with venue capacity, leaving many disappointed. The overwhelming response clearly highlighted the need for early booking for future EAA events.

The organisers expressed sincere gratitude to all event sponsors, whose support made the evening possible. Sponsors were

L-R: Subhash Thakrar OBE, CB Patel, Cllr Kanti Rabadia, HE Nimisha Madhvani, Cllr Anjana Patel, Jaffer Kapasi OBE, Harshad Kothari and Tony Matharu

Voice, Gujarat Samachar, Lyca Radio, and Out and About (part of ZEE TV). Special appreciation was extended to Dhruv Gadhvi for capturing the spirit of the evening in his distinctive style. The event was broadcast on ZEE TV on Sunday, 21 December 2025 at 5:00 pm.

Attendees represented almost every community, evoking memories of the harmonious, close-knit life once shared in East Africa, free from cultural, religious, or social barriers. Guests travelled from across London, the Home Counties, the Midlands, and even from the United States, reflecting the global reach of the East African Asian diaspora.

L-R: Bandish Gudka, Yatin Kotak, Harshad Kothari, Nitin Ganatra OBE and Tony Matharu

L-R: Surendra Patel, Kishore Shah, Pooja Raval, Bharti Shah, CB Patel, Hitesh Mehta and Family, Harshad Kothari (right)

acknowledged across various social media platforms. While sponsorship interest exceeded expectations, numbers had to be limited for logistical reasons.

Encouragingly, most existing sponsors, along with several new ones, have already expressed interest in supporting future events.

The evening was graced by a distinguished list of invited guests, including Shree C.B. Patel, H.E. Nimisha Madhvani, The Worshipful Mayor of Harrow, Cllr Anjana Patel, Tony Matharu of Integrity International, Cllrs Mina Parmar and Kanti Rabadia, Subhash Thakrar OBE, Jaffer Kapasi OBE, and Nitin Ganatra OBE, former EastEnders star, and now also an Artist and Master of

CB Patel shared his appreciation, “Dear Harshad, heartiest congratulations for an imaginative and wellexecuted project. Your forward thinking, planning, and ability to inspire talented individuals and entrepreneurs is commendable.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar are with you. Well done.”

Invited guest Subhash Thakrar OBE remarked, “Harshad and his committee put on a great event packed with nostalgic Bollywood and African songs, good food, and thoughtful speeches. This is now the only platform where East African Asians meet. This group has demonstrated remarkable resilience and success in all sectors.”

Rt Hon Shailesh Vara (Former MP and Justice Minister) wrote,

L-R: Harshad Kothari, CB Patel and Nitin Ganatra OBE

Cllr Anjana Patel, Shree CB Patel, and HE Nimisha Madhvani. While speeches formed an important part of the evening, organisers hinted that the next planned event will place an even stronger emphasis on entertainment and celebration.

Among the highlights were goodie bags provided by headline sponsors Sandea Wholesale, and an exciting raffle featuring two return flight tickets to East Africa as first prizes. The raffle was a joint collaboration between Citibond Travel and Kenya Airways, with prizes presented by Hitesh Mehta, CEO of Citibond Travel, and Puneeta Abero of Kenya Airways.

Music played a central role in the evening, with a vibrant performance by Nitu Shah and her colleagues.

Alongside popular Bollywood hits, Nitu delighted guests with much-loved Swahili songs, stirring deep nostalgia and,

L-R: Sanjay Rughani, Anil Rajani, Nitin Ganatra OBE, Vijay Tanna, Honey Dave, Rakesh Dua, Raj Yadav, Suraj Gokani, Yatin Kotak, Darshan Daswani

Ceremony.

Several prominent media organisations supported and covered the event, including Asian

Speeches were delivered by Harshad Kothari (opening and closing remarks), Tony Matharu,

for some, emotional memories of their East African roots.

In a personal message, Shree

“Congratulations to Harshad Kothari for this very worthwhile initiative. A particular aspect that I like is that it chronicles the history of the East African Asian community.

“The community has a formidable story to tell, covering generations of families across many countries as well as continents.

“It is important for today's generation, and those that will follow, to know of the struggles, the hardships, and the challenges faced by their forefathers, as well as their triumphs and successes. I wish the organisation well for the future."

Tony Matharu, Integrity International Group wrote, “There has never been a timelier moment to recognise the significant contribution of East African Asians to the UK across economic, professional, cultural, and civic life.

“Through the establishment and leadership of the East African Asian organisation, Harshad Kothari has united the diaspora and built strong support across wider communities. The success of EAA’s well-attended events reflects this vision and highlights the enduring energy, diversity, and entrepreneurial spirit of East African Asians” Numerous other positive messages followed, praising this unique initiative led by Harshad Kothari and his team, which continues to strengthen community bonds and preserve shared heritage.

Photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, PrMediapix

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be the heart

of our family Choosing a care home is about more than facilities or location. It is about finding a place where a person is treated with dignity, where families feel reassured and where wellbeing is supported physically, emotionally and spiritually.

TLC Kailash Manor, offers residential, nursing, dementia and respite care in a cultural setting inspired by peace, harmony and five-star living. The home was rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission with an Outstanding rating in Well-Led, a reflection of strong leadership, high standards and a culture where people truly come first. As part of the award-winning TLC Care Group, TLC Kailash Manor is guided by the values of Truth, Love and Compassion - from the way residents are welcomed, to the way families are supported, to the consistent respect shown in the smallest details.

Here is a testimonial from a granddaughter of our resident: “Our experience at TLC Kailash Manor was exceptional.

Our grandma was treated with most respect care attention and dignity. They made this such a supportive yet fun nurturing experience for our whole family and it really felt like a home during such a difficult time.

Nothing was too much for them and they granted us as much freedom to spend with our beloved grandma and made sure they would find out all the relevant information to answer our questions.”

With purpose-built to exceptional specifications, the home feels more like a refined hotel than a traditional care setting whilst capturing a genuine home from home experience. Residents enjoy elegant interiors, private en-suite bedrooms, fine dining and thoughtful spaces that promote wellbeing, including a peaceful prayer room, café, spa and hair salon. The atmosphere is calm, uplifting and designed to support mind, body and soul.

The home’s name reflects its philosophy: ‘Kailash’ which means ‘one who bestows peace.’ Whether someone needs gentle daily support, registered nursing oversight or specialist dementia care, the approach remains the same - personalised care plans, promoting comfort, choice and quality of life. Enriching activities, a temple, cultural moments and spiritual practices create connection and belonging, alongside quiet spaces for rest, reflection and tranquility.

TLC Kailash Manor is where luxury meets care and where peace is part of everyday life.

If you are exploring care for yourself or someone you love, TLC Kailash Manor offers a place where professional care and personal dignity go hand in hand.

To arrange a visit, speak with the team and experience the home for yourself: Call 020 4538 7333 or email bdm@kailashmanor.co.uk

Royston Grove, Pinner HA5 4HE, London, United Kingdom 020 4538 7333 | bdm@kailashmanor.co.uk kailashmanor.co.uk

KailashManorCareHome

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THE TWICE MIGRANT STORY OF INDIAN COMMUNITIES labour, traders and clerks to support its administrative and commercial ambitions in territories such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika (now Tanzania). Some arrived to build the Uganda Railway; others came as shopkeepers, accountants and small traders, filling the middle rungs of the colo-

law and racial hierarchy.

Indians were neither settlers with full power nor indigenous subjects, but a community positioned in an uneasy middle, economically indispensable to the colonial system, yet excluded from political belonging and social equality.

Aiyar shows how British

Indian labourers building the Uganda railway network

between, granted limited privileges while remaining firmly segregated. This intermediary status allowed many Indian traders, clerks and professionals to pros-

Photo credit: National Education Network

For many British Asians, family histories do not follow a simple journey from the Indian subcontinent to the UK. Instead, they trace a more complex arc across the Indian Ocean- from India to East Africa, and then, often abruptly, to Britain.

These journeys were

Ugandan Asians arriving in the UK after being expulsed from East Africa

nial economy.

Over time, Indian communities established themselves firmly. They built businesses, schools, places of worship and social institutions, often living in

colonial rule created rigid racial categories that structured everyday life in Kenya. Europeans occupied the top tier, Africans were governed as subjects, and Indians were placed in

Uganda Argus. August 10, 1972

close-knit, self-reliant networks. While life in East Africa offered economic opportunity, it was also shaped by rigid racial hierarchies imposed by colonialism. Indians were positioned between European rulers and African populations, economically vital, yet socially segregated and politically marginal.

Historian Sana Aiyar, in her seminal study Indians in Kenya: The Politics of Diaspora, challenges the idea of diaspora as a passive or purely cultural condition. Instead, she argues that Indian identity in colonial Kenya was actively shaped through politics,

per economically, but it also made their position deeply precarious, dependent on colonial protection rather than secure rights.

Despite these constraints, many families flourished. They put down roots, raised children who knew no other home, and came to see East Africa not as a stopover, but as home itself.

Fracture and expulsion That sense of belonging was violently disrupted in the decades following independence.

Rising African nationalism, economic tensions and post-colonial identity politics increasingly cast Asian communities as

Source: Facebook

shaped not by individual choice alone, but by the forces of empire, colonial labour demands, racial hierarchies and post-independence political upheaval.

For generations of Indian families, East Africa was not merely a temporary stop, but a place of work, family, aspiration and belonging. Children were born there, languages blended, and identities formed that were neither wholly Indian nor African, but something distinctively in between.

When many of these communities were later uprooted, sometimes with little warning, they carried with them memories of multiple homes, layered loyalties and repeated loss.

These are the stories of the “twice migrants”: communities shaped by empire, displacement and resilience, who have since made the UK home. Today, these communities form an integral yet often underrecognised part of Britain’s social, economic and cultural fabric, carrying with them histories that span India, East Africa and the UK. Roots in Empire Indian migration to East Africa began in earnest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries under British colonial rule. The empire encouraged the movement of Indian

An Indian shopkeeper at Kariokor Nairobi

outsiders. The most dramatic rupture came in 1972, when Uganda’s military ruler Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of around 60,000 Asians, giving them just 90 days to leave.

Families were forced to abandon homes, businesses and possessions built over generations. Many became stateless overnight.

Similar, if less sudden, pressures were felt by Asian communities in Kenya and Tanzania, where Africanisation policies restricted business ownership and employment opportunities.

For those expelled from Uganda, Britain, the former colonial power that had issued many of their passports, became a reluctant refuge. The UK government agreed to admit them, but not without political resistance and public hostility. Temporary resettlement camps were set up, and many arrivals faced racism, housing shortages and uncertainty.

Starting again in Britain Arrival in the UK marked yet another beginning. Professionals found their qualifications unrecognised. Shopkeepers had to rebuild from scratch. Families crowded into small houses, pooled savings and relied heavily on community networks to survive.

Yet familiar patterns soon re-emerged.

Entrepreneurship became a key survival strategy.

Corner shops, newsagents, textile factories and small manufacturing units sprang up across cities such as Leicester, London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Education was prioritised, seen as the surest route to stability and mobility for the next generation.

Community institutions once again played a central role. Temples, mosques, gurdwaras and community halls became places not only of worship, but of advice, mutual aid and belonging. These spaces helped transform exile into settlement.

A distinct British Asian identity Today, British East African Asians form a distinct but often overlooked strand of the UK’s South

Asian population. Their culture carries influences from Gujarat, Punjab and the subcontinent, interwoven with East African languages, food, music and memory. Swahili phrases sit comfortably alongside Gujarati and English; family stories move seamlessly between Kampala, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Leicester.

This layered identity challenges simplistic narratives of migration and success. While many East African Asian families have achieved economic stability, their journeys were marked by loss, trauma and repeated displacement.

The label of the “model minority” obscures both internal inequalities and the historical forces that shaped these outcomes.

For younger generations, the past is often known through stories rather than lived experience. Yet the legacy of expulsion continues to shape ideas of home, security and belonging. The fear of instability, the emphasis on self-reliance, and the deep value placed on education and property are all rooted in memories of what was lost.

Why this history matters As Britain continues to debate migration, refugees and belonging, the story of East African Asians offers important lessons. It is a reminder that migration is often the product of political decisions made far beyond individual control, and that refugees can and do rebuild lives when given the chance.

It also complicates the idea of Britain as a singular destination. For many families, the UK was not the first choice, but the last available refuge. Their contribution to British economic, cultural and civic life was forged through resilience rather than privilege.

As these histories are increasingly shared through memoirs, museums and community projects, there is a growing recognition that British Asian identity is not monolithic. It is shaped by multiple journeys, interrupted homes and the determination to belong.

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BUILDING MORE THAN

A BUSINESS How Sandea Wholesale turned values into victory

I

n just a few short years, Sandea Wholesale has emerged as one of the most compelling success stories in British wholesale distribution proving that commercial ambition and community conscience can grow side by side.

Founded in 2020 by Sanjeet Manek, recognised as Entrepreneur of the Year 2023, Sandea was born from a clear and uncompromising vision: to build a modern, values-driven wholesale business that delivers reliability at scale while creating

meaningful impact beyond the balance sheet. What began as a focused venture has rapidly evolved into an award-winning B2B distributor supplying market-leading FMCG products, OTC medicines, cosmetics, and toiletries to retailers and wholesalers across the UK and international markets.

At the heart of Sandea’s growth lies its commitment to consistency, care, and integrity. Through strong, trusted trading partnerships with leading suppliers, the company

L-R: Sanjeet Manek, Tony Matharu, Priya Virdi, Jaffer Kapasi OBE, Ninder Johal, Sal Parkar, Raj Yadav

ering with care, is evident in every aspect of the business, from keeping essential products on shelves to forging longterm relationships with

offers an extensive and continually expanding product portfolio at highly competitive prices. Every opportunity is approached with expert insight and a customer-first mindset, ensuring that client expectations are not merely met, but exceeded.

Known for its diversity, innovation, and operational excellence, Sandea has built a reputation as a dependable partner in a fast-moving sector. Its guiding philosophy, distributing with passion and deliv-

retailers, suppliers, and customers.

This dedication has been recognised through prestigious industry accolades, including

Wholesale/Distributor of the Year, as well as national recognition for leadership and contribution to the British Asian community.

L-R: Sanjeet Manek, Privya Virdi, Harrow Mayor Cllr Anjana Patel and Karan Manek

L-R: High Commissioner of Uganda H.E. Nimisha J. Madhvani, Sanjeet Manek and Harshad Kothari

L-R: Dr. Duggal, Sunder Kripalani, Priya Virdi, Kishor Parmar, Ranjti Baxi, Sanjeet Manek

L-R: Sanjeet Manek and Kenyan born British actor Nitin Ganatra OBE

A night of roots, resilience and flavour

O

n 6 December 2025, Sandea Wholesale proudly took centre stage as the Headline Sponsor of a memorable evening dedicated to celebrating East African heritage, culture, and shared identity.

The event brought together multiple generations bound by a common history, one shaped by migration, resilience, and an enduring entrepreneurial spirit.

More than a social gathering, it was a powerful reflection on the journeys that have defined the East African diaspora and a reminder of the importance of preserving cultural connections for generations to come.

The evening also marked a deeply personal milestone for Sandea Wholesale with the launch of Shamba Chilli Sauces, a product rooted in memory, authenticity, and heritage.

Inspired by the bold flavours of Tanzania and crafted with uncompromising purity, Shamba is a tribute to East Africa’s rich chilli culture and a natural extension of Sandea’s commitment to quality, integrity, and storytelling through

L-R: Priya Virdi, Sanjeet Manek & Karan Manek

food.

Addressing the audience, Priya Virdi, Chief Operating Officer of Sandea Wholesale Limited, spoke movingly about the significance of the occasion.

She described it as an honour for Sandea to support an evening centred on reconnecting with roots and celebrating the shared memories of East Africa that continue to bind so many within the community.

“At Sandea, we believe in distributing with passion and delivering with care,” she said.

ties always have access to the products they rely on every day.”

While the retailers have received recognition and awards for their work, yet, as Virdi emphasised, awards and expansion tell only part of the story. “What we are most proud of is our ethos,” she said.

“Transparency, Integrity, Service, and Excellence guide every decision we make.” She highlighted Sandea’s strong commitment to giving back, noting its ongoing support for community initiatives in

L-R: CB Patel, Sanjeet Manek & Kishor Parmar

“Our role is simple but vital, to keep shelves full so communi-

Tanzania, Pakistan, and other regions, reflecting a belief that

business should uplift the people and communities it serves.

Turning to the theme of the evening, Virdi reminded attendees that East Africa is more than a place of origin. “For many of us, it is the source of our resilience, warmth, entrepreneurial spirit, and shared identity,” she said.

“Events like this keep that heritage alive, allowing us to honour the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the next generation.”

The launch of Shamba Chilli Sauces was a fitting tribute to that legacy. “Born in the streets and homes of Tanzania and now proudly crafted for the world, Shamba represents the true taste of East African chilli culture- bold, pure, and uncompromising,” she said. “This isn’t your everyday supermarket hot sauce. This is Shamba.”

Beautifully organised and rich with music, nostalgia, and shared memories, the evening successfully honoured heritage while looking confidently towards the future.

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KLSA: Celebrating 60 Years of Trusted Expertise and Community Impact

K

LSA is proud to celebrate a remarkable milestone — 60 years of continuous service, built on trust, expertise, and enduring relationships with clients across generations.

For six decades, KLSA has been a leading provider of financial and advisory services, supporting organisations of all sizes — from ambitious medium-sized enterprises to large and complex corporate groups. Our longevity reflects not only technical excellence, but also a deep commitment to understanding our clients’ businesses and delivering practical, forward-thinking solutions.

Comprehensive Services, Delivered with Precision Our wide-ranging expertise enables us to offer an integrated suite of services, including Audit &

Assurance, Tax Compliance and Advisory, Personal Taxation, Company Secretarial Services, Management Accounting, Business Setup, Payroll, and Estate and Trust Planning. This breadth allows clients to rely on a single, trusted firm as their business and personal needs evolve.

Global Reach, Personal Service As a proud member firm of PKF International, KLSA combines the strength of a global network with the attentiveness of a local practice.

Our clients benefit from international insight and connectivity, supported by a highly personalised service model.

With offices in Central London and Harrow, we are strategically positioned to provide accessible, responsive, and relationship-driven support.

Rooted in East Africa, Trusted in the UK KLSA’s distinctive heritage sets us apart. Originally established in East Africa, beginning in Kenya, our practice expanded to the UK while retaining strong professional and cultural ties to the region. Today, we operate across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, offering unparalleled expertise for clients with interests across both the UK and East Africa.

This unique cross-border capability enables us to support businesses, families, and entrepreneurs navigating opportunities in two dynamic regions.

Proud Supporters of the East African Asians Community KLSA extends its warmest congratulations to the East African Asians (EAA) community on the

exceptional success of its recent reunion event. With nearly 300 attendees, the event powerfully demonstrated the strength, vibrancy, and unity of the community, building on the momentum of the highly successful Golf Day earlier this year.

We were delighted to sponsor both the Golf Day and the Social and Nostalgia Evening, and to support initiatives that celebrate shared heritage, lasting connections, and collective achievement.

The overwhelming response to these events is a testament to the dedication of the organising team and the continued relevance of the EAA community.

As KLSA marks its 60th anniversary, we remain committed to supporting our clients and the communities we serve - today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.

Partners from London, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania offices

L-R: Harsheel Dodhia, Shilpa Chheda, JaiminShah and Kunal Bharadva

KLSA Partners & Guests

L-R: Harsheel Dodhia,Ketan Shah, Shilpa Chheda, Kunal Bharadva and Shakunt Shah

L-R: Kunal Bharadva,Harsheel Dodhia and Jaimin Shah

KLSA Partners & Guests

Tel.: +44 (0) 20 7490 5525 / +44 (0) 20 8515 2800 | M: 07515 532 415 E: hdodhia@klsa.net London office: Kalamu House • 11 Coldbath Square • London EC1R 5HL Harrow office: Amba House • 3rd Floor • 15 College Road • Harrow HA1 1BA

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Surendra Panchal: A life shaped by cricket, community and enterprise Born in Mombasa, Kenya, Mr Surendra Panchal hails from a well-known family — his father owned a prominent photography studio highly regarded within the local Asian community. He began his education at Manyumbo Primary School, where his outstanding performance earned him a place at the prestigious Allidina Visram High School.

A passionate cricketer from an early age, Mr Panchal started as a wicketkeeper and quickly rose to become the youngest captain of his school team. Under his dynamic leadership, Allidina Visram High School reached the national finals, finishing as runners-up. His exceptional talent and leadership were soon recognized nationally when he was appointed captain of the Kenya National Schools Cricket Team for the Triangular Tournament between Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania — a remarkable achievement that cemented his reputation as one of the most promising young sportsmen of his time. Also, Mr Panchal during his time in India he had the privilege to represent three times for Indore University and twice for Gujarat University during an inter-university cricket league.

In 1987, Mr Panchal and his family migrated from Kenya to London, where he began a new chapter filled with ambition and community spirit. In 1990, he established his first business at the

Surendra Panchal

Gerrards Cross Cricket Club, which he successfully managed for a decade. The club became a thriving hub for various sports including cricket, hockey, and tennis.

Alongside him, his wife, Mrs Vandana Panchal played a vital role in the success of the club.

Her unwavering support and active involvement enabled Mr Panchal to continue expanding his ventures while she managed the family and business affairs with dedication and care.

Together, their partnership became the foundation of both their professional achievements and their family’s continued success – a true testament to their teamwork and resilience.

During his tenure, Mr Panchal began the Junior Cricket Team, attracting over 150 young players to the club.

His dedication and leadership

culminated in organising an Under-15s cricket tour to South Africa, successfully raising £50,000 to make the trip possible. The tour was a remarkable success, fostering talent and teamwork among the young players.

Mr Panchal’s coaching career played a pivotal role in shaping future stars. Under his mentorship, Andrew Strauss began his journey as the Under-19s captain, competing in the 1992 Knockout Cup at Beaconsfield Cricket Club.

Mr Panchal also managed one of the first training groups for sixand seven-year-olds, where he coached Alex Hales, who represents the England Cricket Team at an international level.

From 2000 to 2006, Mr Panchal was involved with Acton

List of Team Players

Surendra Panchal with the Cricket Team

Sports Club. During this period, the introduction of the Licensing Act 2003 sparked his interest in licensing compliance and regulation. Recognising a lack of multilingual training resources, he pursued professional training in Birmingham and soon after founded Personal Licence Courses UK Ltd in June 2006. Nearly two decades later, the business continues to thrive and expand under his leadership.

Mr Panchal’s company provides comprehensive services ranging from personal licence training and premises licence applications to representation at hearings across the UK — from London to Manchester, Brighton, Canterbury, and Wales. His professionalism and dedication have earned him a reputation for excellence in securing successful outcomes for clients nationwide. He

is also the founder of the British Asian Association for Retailers and Restaurateurs (BAARR), committed to supporting Asian off-license retailers and restaurateurs by promoting compliance and exemplary business practices.

Beyond his professional achievements, Mr Panchal is a proud and active member of the Gujarati community. As President of the Lions Club, he champions charitable initiatives, including fundraising for prostate cancer awareness. Under his presidency, the club has successfully hosted major cultural events such as the 2025 Navratri and Ganesh Chaturthi festivals.

Rooted in his heritage yet driven by progress, Mr Panchal continues to be a pillar of support, leadership, and inspiration within both his community and the wider professional sphere.

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HARSHAD KOTHARI About East African Asians (The Project) The East African Asians (EAA) Organisation was founded to recognise, preserve, and celebrate the extraordinary journey and achievements of the East African Asian community.

Originating largely from India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, East African Asians played a pivotal role in shaping the region’s development. From helping build major railway networks to establishing thriving businesses and institutions, the community became integral to East Africa’s economic and social fabric.

Over generations, East African Asians have become known for their resilience, entrepreneurial spirit, and deep-rooted cultural values. The EAA initiative seeks to document and showcase this remarkable legacy — one that spans continents and continues to influence global society.

“From railway pioneers to global leaders, the East African Asian story is one of resilience, enterprise, and lasting impact.”

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, significant migration took

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place as East African Asians settled in the UK, USA, Canada, the UAE, and other parts of the world. They rebuilt their lives with determination and success, and today their descendants excel in politics, academia, business, philanthropy, culture, and the professions.

Early pioneers of the East African Asian community helped build the foundations of modern East Africa.

Notable ones were : Alidina Visram, Muljibhai Madhvani, Meghji Pethraj Shah, Karimjee Jivanjee, Nanji Kalidas Mehta EAA’s Mission and Vision EAA’s founders have launched an ambitious initiative to create dedicated digital platforms, including a website and social media portals, designed to capture and amplify the East African Asian story.

These platforms will: w Chronicle historic milestones and modernday achievements w Create global directories of EAA businesses and professionals w Preserve stories of leadership, innovation, and service w Connect the worldwide EAA diaspora, particularly younger generations EAA also delivers a vibrant programme of social, business, sporting, and networking events, fostering collaboration and strengthening global connections. While based in the UK, EAA enjoys growing international support.

“This is not just about preserving history - it is about connecting a global community and inspiring

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cultural connections. The event attracted strong participation and reaffirmed the community’s collective pride and unity. (Full review featured elsewhere in this Supplement.)

Looking Ahead: EAA Events 2026 Building on success of the two events, and with continued support, EAA plans an exciting programme of events in 2026. Details will follow as soon as plans have been finalised.

the next generation.”

Early Backers of the Project The success of EAA would not have been possible without early guidance and encouragement from respected supporters, including: w Rt. Hon. Shailesh Vara – Former UK Cabinet Minister and the UK’s first Hindu MP w Tony Matharu – of Integrity International For his continued advice and strategic support w Dhiren Doshi – The project’s first supporter, providing vital resources in the UK and India

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“Our events celebrate achievement, foster collaboration, and strengthen global bonds.”

Acknowledgements Our sincere thanks to Shree CB Patel for producing this Special Pull-Out Supplement.

We also thank all sponsors and advertisers featured herein for their valued support. And our appreciation to the entire Asian Voice – ABPL Team

Sponsorship Opportunities To sustain this unique Project we invite individuals, businesses, and philanthropists to support this unique initiative — one that preserves history while celebrating contemporary success across business, academia, politics, philanthropy, the arts, and sports.

Benefits of Sponsorship

Past Events: Building Momentum EAA Inaugural Golf Day – April 2025 EAA’s inaugural event in April 2025 brought together over 200 distinguished guests, including the Uganda High Commissioner, a former UK Cabinet Minister, prominent media figures, and business leaders from the Sunday Times Rich List.

The event received widespread coverage across Asian television and digital media platforms and led to partnership interest from banks, media houses, and leading corporations. A full review appeared in Asian Voice in April 2025.

“Our inaugural Golf Day marked the beginning of a powerful global network.”

EAA Social & Nostalgic Evening – December 2025 Held on 6 December 2025, this memorable evening celebrated shared heritage, memories, and

Sponsors benefit from meaningful engagement and high visibility within an influential global network: w Promotion across EAA’s digital and social media platforms w Acknowledgement during events and in printed materials w Complimentary invitations (subject to sponsorship tier) w Post-event publicity through leading Asian media outlets For Sponsorship details email us to: info@eastafricanasians.com Register and Get Involved If you are a proud East African Asian – by birth, descent or marriage – then be counted and recognised for your unique background!

REGISTER - REGISTER - REGISTER www.eastafricanasians.com You can also support the initiative by spreading awareness within your networks.

Photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, PrMediapix

Gallery

GOLF DAY PHOTOS

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THE SIDDI COMMUNITY IN INDIA

African roots, Indian homes The Siddi, also called Habshi or Sheedi, are an ethnic group in India with East African roots. Brought to the subcontinent between the 7th and 19th centuries

by Arab and Portuguese traders as slaves, soldiers, mercenaries, midwives, and traders, they settled across India, blending African heritage with local cultures.

Siddis arrived via maritime trade and colonial movements, serving in princely states or domestic and maritime roles, while some migrated voluntarily as traders or seafarers. They established communities in states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, and Gujarat.

Presence in Gujarat Gujarat is home to one of India’s largest Siddi populations, concentrated in Jamnagar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, and Vadodara.

Their presence is reflected in the state’s architecture, cuisine, language, and arts, yet they remain largely absent from mainstream notions of Gujarati identity.

Historically, Siddis in India rose from enslaved labourers and soldiers to influential officials, tributaries to Mughal nobility, and, in some cases, rulers. By

the 19th century, under the British Raj, ‘Siddi’ became a blanket term for all people of African origin settling in parts of the Deccan and Goa. Gujarat now hosts the largest population, around 20,000 in Ahmedabad and the Gir villages, who have fully integrated into local culture while preserving distinctive African traditions.

Siddis in Gujarat embraced Islam, particularly Sufism, venerating pirs or saints, while retaining elements of African ancestor worship. Bava Gor, a Habshi saint and likely 14th-century ancestor, along with his sisters, is widely revered. This fusion of African and Indian traditions is also expressed through Dhamaal, a spiritual ritual combining East

African music and dance with Islamic devotion.

Dance Dhamaal involves energetic percussion and movement, while Baithaaki Dhamaal is a more solemn, seated form. The zikrs sung

during these rituals often blend Gujarati, Hindi, Swahili, and Urdu, while

women sing bastis in honour of Mai Mishra, Bava Gor’s sister, during Ramzan and Urs festivals.

Cultural landmarks like the Siddi Sayyid Mosque in Ahmedabad, built by 16thcentury Habshi nobleman Shaikh Sidi Sayyid, showcase the community’s lasting influence, with intricate lattice windows depicting the ‘Tree of Life’, a symbol of immortality and enduring legacy.

On October 10, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu visited the Siddi community in Junagadh, praising their literacy rate of over 72% and encouraging education as a tool for empowerment. She highlighted government ini-

tiatives for tribal welfare, urging the community to utilize these schemes and

assist others in their villages. She also lauded their sustainable, nature-friendly lifestyle and emphasised the importance of tribal partici-

follow Islam or Hinduism, reflecting the cultural diversity of the areas they settled in. Oral histories, music, and rituals continue to pre-

pation in building an inclusive society that preserves culture and ensures equality, justice, and rights, key to realising India’s development goals by 2047.

Cultural identity Despite centuries in India, the Siddi community has retained a distinct identity, blending African heritage with local Indian traditions. Many speak regional languages such as Marathi, Konkani, or Kannada and

serve their African roots.

Across India, Siddi communities celebrate their heritage while integrating into broader society.

Festivals, dance, and music showcase their African lineage, and the historical patronage they received in princely states, such as military service or royal recognition, remains a testament to their enduring contributions to the regions they inhabit.

JK SHAH ACCOUNTANTS Chartered Certified Accountants

Tel. 0208 553 2436 | www.jkshah.com Established over 30 years ago, our firm has a portfolio of big and diverse clientele.

As well as providing comprehensive Accountancy and Taxation services, our Practice has supported many Social and Charitable causes over the years, through JK Shah Foundation.

JK Shah

We have sponsored many Sports & Musical events, all with Charitable causes.

We are now supporting the East African Asians Project.

Says Jitesh Shah “This initiative started by my dear friend, Harshad Kothari, is close to my heart as I am East African Asian.

My firm have been proud Sponsors of the last two events organised by Harshad and his Team, namely: EAA Golf Day – 6th April, 2025 and Social and Nostalgia Evening – 6th December, 2025.

Harshad has worked tirelessly on this and it is the duty and obligation of every East African Asian to support it. Further details about it are to be found elsewhere in this unique supplement.

JK Shah with Harshad Kothari

If anybody wishes to be included on mailing list for our upcoming Social and Charitable initiatives, please email: info@jkshah.com

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MORE THAN A HOLIDAY CITIBOND TRAVEL’S ‘BACK TO THE ROOTS’ JOURNEY On 25th July 1969, a sixyear-old Hitesh and his elder sister Bharti came to the UK along with their parents and 5 other siblings.

This year they celebrated 52 years of their stay in this country whilst recalling their bitter-sweet departure from Kenya.

Today, Hitesh Mehta and Bharti Shah speak about settling in Britain and remaining connected to their roots by conducting heritage tours to the East African country through Citibond Travel. Their way of giving back to the country of their birth “My father, Vanechand Madhavji Mehta, originally hailed from Gujarat and immigrated to East Africa in pursuit of a better economic future,” recalls Hitesh, Managing Director, Citibond Travel Ltd.

wife Prabhaben. But a new rule introduced by the then African government in 1968 mandated for businesses to have an African partner in the business as part of the government's 'Africanisation' policy.

“We never experienced any security concerns or personally faced any political unrest. But, my father was presented with two options- he could either accept Kenyan nationality or effectively leave the country.

“Being aware of the future growth prospects and opportunities available in this country especially for all the children, my parents decided to retain their British passports and arrived in the UK,” says Bharti Shah, Director, Citibond Travel (London) Ltd.

Old Family photo

accepted her first job at the local steel factory. Bharti and her sisters lent their contributions to the family as they started working at local retail outfits whilst Hitesh and the younger siblings continued pursuing their education.

Having left behind a life of luxury to come to the UK and make ends meet was a tough period for the family, but Bharti and Hitesh look back on those times as the making of the family unit headed by their parents.

Instilling the ethics of honest hard work as the foundation to their lives in the UK. FAMILY BUSINESS OFFERING BESPOKE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES TO OTHER FAMILIES In those early days, our parents like many other immigrant families only travelled abroad to Kenya or India to visit family or friends. They could not afford any holidays beyond that. It was in 1985 when Hitesh, Bharti and Kishore bought Citibond Travel a small firm in West End. Citibond’s Role then was to establish relationships with Airlines and wholesale to the industry, we have since evolved further to retail for flights only, Tailor made worldwide packages and escorted tours to the community. 34 Years later and still going by the examples set by their parents, Citibond is still a

Kishore Shah, Bharti Shah, Jay Shah and Hitesh Mehta

AFRICANISATION AND MOVING TO THE UK Over the years, Vanechandbhai Mehta would establish his independent wholesale business in Mombasa and owing to business requirements moved around Kenya, exploring the trade market in Naivasha, Kisumu, and Nairobi. Amidst setting up his business, he had married and settled down with his

Thus, the family wound up their business and arrived in the UK with bare minimum resources in their stow. Finding shelter in this country was a challenge for them and with the help of family friends Vanechandbhai eventually, found and rented a modest two-bedroom apartment to accommodate the entire family of 9 and began working in the printing industry, whilst Prabhaben

family run business with offices in London and Leicester.

Today, Citibond's clientele still predominantly comprises of Asian families who have come from East Africa and settled in the UK. Studying the market trend cycles wherein Asian families have economically progressed over recent years, Citibond, now offers exotic holiday packages to their customers

Citibond Team celebrating their 50th Anniversary with the Lord Mayor of Westminster

across the world.

Their two offices in Northwest London and one in Leicester have also started offering personalised packages around 'Heritage Tourism'.

“During my first visit back to Kenya, Bharti and I had taken our children with us to the house in Naivasha, the town where I was born in. This sparked the idea in me of these tours and in a way give back to Kenya, our place of birth. As a result, we now offer custom tours to Kenya whereupon special request a tour to their childhood towns, or villages

can be arranged alongside safaris and beach stays” explains Hitesh “These tours not only allow families like ours to enjoy a holiday of a lifetime , but we also take them to go back to their place of birth and to visit their old homes, schools and much more, our “Back to the Roots trips” He adds, “apart from a 5 star holiday it is also an education to the younger generation of where their parents and grand-parents came from. Kenya was our place of birth, but it is also a fantastic holiday

destination. We conduct many tours, where we have 3 generations of the same family travelling together to get this experience. There is no holiday like it!”

Citibond Travels works with local staff on the ground in East Africa who inspect the tourist destinations to ensure a safe and special experience for their customers. Today, the company brings to the forefront not just heritage tourism in the East African country but also offers breathtaking safaris and insight into its panaromic wildlife and more.

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TRADING, TRADITION AND TOGETHERNESS An Indian childhood in colonial Burundi Sushilaben Kalyanji Naker Usumbura, now known as Bujumbura, lay quietly along the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, where water met land with an unhurried calm. In the mid-1940s, during the final years of the Belgian trusteeship of RuandaUrundi, it felt less like a city and more like a carefully ordered outpost of the empire.

Life moved slowly, shaped by colonial routines, the rhythms of trade, and the steady presence of the lake. Cargo boats came and went, palms swayed along the shoreline, and days

unfolded with a reassuring predictability that offered comfort to those who lived there.

Within this small world, Indian and Asian families built lives rooted in discipline, faith, and community. Shops opened early, prayers marked the start of each day, and homes- simple and practical, often above or behind places of work, blurred the boundaries between family life and livelihood. Joint families were common, elders were respected, and decisions were taken collectively.

Children grew up between languages and cultures, learning early how to belong to more than one world at a time. We were few in number and knew one another well; celebrations, sorrows, and festivals were never private affairs, but shared moments that bound us together.

It was into this closeknit town that I was born in 1943. At the time, there were barely fifteen Hindu families in Usumbura, making community life intimate and deeply interconnected. My parents, Juthalal Punjani and Kamalagauri, raised five daughters and two sons with quiet discipline and unwavering values. My

Kamalaben Punjani

Juthalal Punjani

brother, Amratlal Juthalal Punjani, and his family were also born there, and our home naturally became a gathering place, one of worship, festivals, conversation, and shared

meals, welcoming many from the Indian business community.

In the 1950s, my father’s journey took a decisive turn. After losing his clerical and bookkeeping position with a firm, he set out to build a business of his own. The shop he managed to secure was little more than a shell: rundown, poorly roofed, and without proper ceilings. Yet it was enough to begin again. My parents and my brother ran the shop together, selling whatever goods could be sourced locally. The shop never truly closed. My mother would rise even at midnight if someone knocked at the door, ready to sell as little as two cigarettes. No effort was too small, and no customer was ever turned away.

Through relentless hard work, discipline, and honesty, the business slowly grew. What began modestly evolved into a thriving shop selling fruit, groceries,

tobacco, needles, and household wares, everything a small town might need. Trust was built patiently, one customer at a time, and reputation travelled by word of mouth.

In time, my father began importing goods from India, marking a new chapter of confidence and expansion.

Despite long hours and heavy responsibilities, my father retained a fondness for new cars, changing them every few years— Mercedes, Impala, Opel— each one a quiet marker of progress and perseverance.

Evenings often ended with the family gathered on the floor after dinner, counting the day’s earnings together, sharing numbers, stories, and the satisfaction of collective effort.

Life in Usumbura offered simple pleasures.

Cinema was the only real form of entertainment, and we often watched films at the Taj Cinema, owned by Mr Tar Mohammed, a wellknown and popular figure in the town. The cinema stood just a few metres from our home, and those outings always felt special.

Christmas celebrations and New Year fireworks were among the year’s great highlights, briefly lighting up the quiet town with colour and excitement. The airport itself was little more than an open field, yet planes came and went, reminding us that even in a

Jashwant Jethalal Kalyanji Naker & Sushilaben Kalyanji Naker

small colonial town, the wider world was never entirely out of reach.

Educational opportunities were limited, and I attended a French-medium school, as there was no English or Gujarati instruction available. At the age of twelve, I left home to continue my studies in Dar es Salaam, undertaking a journey that took four days—a distance that felt immense at the time, yet marked my first step towards independence.

Travel remained a constant thread in our lives.

We journeyed to surrounding towns and regions, spent evenings

along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, and escaped on weekends to quieter places nearby. These journeys, modest as they may seem now, stitched together a childhood rich in movement, responsibility, and belonging.

In 1963, my life entered a new chapter when I married Jashwant Jethalal Kalyanji Naker in Dar es Salaam. I carried with me the values, resilience, and memories shaped by those formative years in Usumbura, years that taught me the enduring meaning of family, perseverance, and community.

BUJUMBURA IS CHANGING Bujumbura, Burundi’s largest city, is changing at a remarkable pace. At what was once its outer edge, the pressure of growth is now visible everywhere. In places where an old cemetery once stood, new homes have been built, sometimes so close to the past that graves remain beneath the ground.

It is a quiet but striking marker of how urgently space is being claimed.

Across Burundi, people are adapting to crowding in whatever ways they can.

Around 14 million people now live in a country not much larger than Wales or Massachusetts. While some islands and city-states are denser, only Bangladesh, Taiwan and, by a narrow margin, neighbouring Rwanda surpass Burundi both in population density and overall crowding.

This makes Burundi one of the clearest examples of how population pressure is reshaping societies across Africa. For much of its history, the continent was sparsely populated, and large parts of it remain so.

But Africa’s population has grown more than tenfold in the past century. Regions

such as the Niger Delta, the Ethiopian highlands and the belt stretching from Kenya to eastern Congo are becoming increasingly crowded. Nowhere is this more apparent than around Africa’s Great Lakes, where reliable rainfall and higher altitudes have long made settlement attractive.

Density here does not always take the form of cities. Most Burundians still

live in the collines, the rolling hills, growing bananas, cassava, beans and maize on steep slopes that fall into narrow valleys.

Along roadsides and between houses, almost every spare patch of land is cultivated. By conventional administrative measures, Burundi remains one of the most rural countries in the world.

Yet newer ways of

measuring urbanisation suggest a more complex reality.

Africapolis, a research project backed by the OECD, defines an urban area as one with more than 10,000 inhabitants living in buildings no more than 200 metres apart. By this measure, 78 per cent of Burundians already live in urban settings. By 2050, much of the country could form a near-continuous agglomeration. This should not be read literally, but it does point to Burundi becoming an in-between place, no longer clearly rural, but not yet fully urban either.

The most pressing challenge is how the country will feed itself.

Some economists look to the ideas of Ester Boserup, who argued that land scarcity can drive innovation and more intensive farming. Others hear echoes of Thomas Malthus, who warned that population growth would outpace food production.

Climate change plays a role, but deeper pressures come from economic fragility and relentless competition for land. Fields

are no longer left fallow, and crop yields have flattened. Fertiliser use is rising and remains subsidised, but distribution is handled by a single supplier that often delivers late. Even with additional inputs, productivity gains are limited when 78 per cent of farmers own less than a quarter of a hectare of land, about the size of four tennis courts.

Without a sharp fall in fertility rates, Burundi will have another ten million people to feed by 2050. The government aims to reduce births per woman from around five today to three by 2040, an ambitious goal, but not an impossible one.

Rwanda has already reached 3.7, and Kenya 3.2. As these pressures build, Burundian society is slowly being redefined. Land, cattle and children have long been central to ideas of status and security.

In the years ahead, people may have less of all three and will be compelled to find new ways to measure stability, success and belonging in a country where space itself has become precious.

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IN QUEST OF KNOWLEDGE Celebrating the remarkable life and legacy of Dr Vibha Dineshkumar Shah Biographies are usually written about famous people who have achieved extraordinary things. Rarely, however, does someone turn the biographical lens toward a spouse.

Dineshkumar Devchand Shah does exactly that, offering a deeply moving tribute that celebrates the life, intellect, and spirit of Vibha his wife, Dineshkumar Shah (MPharm, FCCA, MBA), in a work that resonates with both the heart and the soul.

This tribute finds expression in ‘In Quest of Knowledge: A Biography’, launched on September 27, 2025, at the Nairobi International Book Fair (NIBF) at the Sarit Expo Centre, Westlands. The book was co-edited by Obingo Wesonga and features a preface by teacherturned-writer Charles Okoth.

Married for 42 years until her passing in 2021, Dineshkumar and Vibha Shah shared a life marked by intellectual rigour, disci-

Panel discussion on book Daljit Solanki, Dinesh Shah, Dr Jennifer Nyambura Muchiri, Charles O Okoth

Pitman shorthand, she passed away in October 2021 after battling vasculitis.

More than a husband’s tribute, ‘In Quest of Knowledge’ is a hymn to family, constancy, and quiet heroism. A love letter to a departed wife and a chronicle of the Visa Oshwal community’s resilience, it celebrates a life devoted to knowledge, travel, and purposeful living.

Union shaped by grace and grit In an interview with The Books Café, a literary pro-

with 100 percent.”

In 1995, their third child, Preksha, was born.

Describing her, Shah said, “She’s lively, talkative, and very much like her mother.”

He noted her wide circle of friends across the world, adding with pride, “She has that same spirit, she carries her mother’s warmth wherever she goes.”

“Her life was remarkable and inspiring for young people” Recalling what led him to write the biography, Dineshbhai said the idea first came from Vibha herself. “Around 2018 or 2019, she suddenly said, ‘I can write my autobiography,’” he remembered. When he encouraged her to begin, she replied, “‘Let me first finish my doctorate, then I’ll write it.’” Reflecting on the book, he added, “If she had written it herself, much more would

modest and always helped others—that’s why so many people had stories to share about her.”

Dinesh also spoke about Vibha’s sudden illness in June 2021. “One evening she couldn’t get up from the sofa,” he recalled. After weeks of uncertainty, a specialist diagnosed vasculitis. “‘Either vasculitis or TB,’ the doctor said,” Dinesh remembered. Though she briefly emerged from a coma and regained her speech and memory, the intensive treatment took its toll. “I collected about 150 pints of blood in six weeks,” he said, expressing gratitude to doctors and donors. “The specialists later confirmed the treatment was right-but sometimes, even when you do everything right, fate decides.”

Two years after her passing, the idea of writing the

Master of Ceremonies, Dr Tom Odhiambo

Dinesh Shah with family and Guests at Launch Ceremony Dineshkumar Devchand Shah

pline, and quiet excellence.

The biography traces Dr Shah’s extraordinary pursuit of knowledge across pharmacy and accountancy.

Born in 1953, her academic journey began at Visa Oshwal schools, where she quickly distinguished herself, scoring the only Grade A in English in Standard Seven. She went on to excel at Pangani High School as a top student and debater, before completing her A-levels at Jamhuri High School, where she served as a prefect and received the President’s Award.

Between 1972 and 1975, she graduated magna cum laude in pharmacy from what is now Cardiff University, launching a professional career at London’s Hammersmith Hospital and later at Boots. Returning to Kenya in 1978, she was registered as a pharmacist and married Dineshkumar Shah that same year. The couple had three children, one of whom died in childhood.

Later, Dr Vibha Shah transitioned into accountancy, registering with ACCA-UK in 1982 and becoming a full ACCAKenya member and FCCA affiliate in 1999. Proficient in French, computing, and

gramme on the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) English Service hosted by Khainga O’Okwemba, businessman-turned-author Dineshkumar Shah reflected on his early life, education, and return to Kenya. “I was born in Nairobi in June 1950, on Milner Road, now Kolobot Road, in Ngara,” he said, recalling how his family later moved to Lindi in southern Tanzania, where his father worked on a sisal estate. Health complications caused by exposure to sisal fibres, however, forced their return to Nairobi three years later.

Back in Kenya, Dineshbhai studied at Visa Oshwal Primary and Jamhuri High School. After excelling in his O-levels, he went to London for further studies. “I came back in 1976 for a holiday, but my father got a stroke, so I had to take over the Nairobi River Service Station,” he said.

Recalling a turning point, he added, “In 1978, I met Vibha.

We met only three times, got on so well, and decided, ‘let’s get married.’ We married in December 1978.”

Recalling how he met his wife, Dineshbhai said the introduction came through a mutual family friend,

Kantaben Lalji, who was close to Vibha’s mother.

“She knew I had returned from the UK, having studied economics and statistics, and she arranged our first meeting,” he said. That meeting took place at the Hilton Hotel, where they spoke about their aspirations and life journeys. A second, discreet dinner followed at the Serena Hotel, and their third meeting was at the Simba Restaurant at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. “That’s where we said yes,” he recalled, adding, “we walked out of the restaurant hand in hand.”

Speaking about his children, Dineshbhai recalled that their first child, Shail, was born in 1984.

“Everything was fine,” he said. Their second child, Shrena, born in the early 1990s, was diagnosed with microcephaly. “The doctors here told us, ‘the best thing is to go to London,” he recalled. The family sought treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and later at a specialist centre in Bournemouth, travelling repeatedly between Kenya, the UK, and India.

“Everywhere they told us there was no cure,” he said.

Shrena passed away in May 1994. “We did our best, everything we could, but the doctors had warned us her life would be very short.” He remembered Vibha’s unwavering care, adding, “Whatever she did, she did it

have come out.” Much of the early material, he explained, came from conversations with her relatives, friends, and classmates. “She never boasted about her qualifications,” he said. “She was very

book took shape. “Her life was remarkable and inspiring for young people,” Dinesh said. “In August 2023, it came to me, Vibha wanted to write her autobiography, but she couldn’t.

So I decided to try.” Though a businessman all his life, Dinesh said his experience in problem-solving and decades of community service, within the Visa Oshwal community, the Hindu Council of Kenya, and other organisations, gave him the confidence to begin. With the support of his children and both families, the project moved forward.

Reflecting on the lessons readers can draw from the biography, Dinesh said Vibha’s life was defined by humility and commitment.

“Whatever you do, do it 100 percent, with your heart,” he said. “She never boasted about her qualifications, she always spoke to people at their level.” He added that her humility was also the foundation of their 42-year marriage. “That was the secret,” he said. “It was a truly excellent marriage.”

A grand launch of the book in the UK is being planned by Mr Dinesh Shah in June 2026.

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Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel OBE

One of the advantages I feel of being British Indian is I think it may be why financial literacy is something I take for granted. It’s why I write these columns, to ensure no one is left behind.

Why do investors tolerate underperformance from famous managers but not from anonymous ones?

In a rational market, reputation should follow performance.

Investors should withdraw capital from underperforming managers regardless of fame, and reward those who outperform irrespective of obscurity. Yet the asset-management industry repeatedly defies this logic. Well-known fund managers often retain assets, media prominence and investor loyalty through extended periods of weak returns, while anonymous managers are quickly abandoned after similar or even milder underperformance.

1. Authority Bias and the Comfort of Expertise Behavioural finance offers the most immediate explanation.

Authority bias leads individuals to overweight the opinions and actions of those perceived as experts. A famous manager’s past success, media presence or institutional pedigree creates an anchor of competence. Once established, this anchor is remarkably resistant to disconfirming evidence.

When an anonymous manager underperforms, investors interpret this as information about lack of skill. When a famous manager underperforms, investors reinterpret the same outcome as noise, bad luck or temporary cyclicality. The data are identical; the inference is not.

Fame converts uncertainty into comfort. Investors facing the anxiety of markets prefer to believe that someone “who knows what they’re doing” remains in control, even when returns contradict that belief.

2. Narrative Protection: Underperformance With a Story Is Forgivable Famous managers rarely present returns without interpretation. They offer a philosophy: patience, discipline, contrarianism, long-term thinking. This narrative acts as insulation. Poor performance becomes evidence of virtue rather than failure: the manager is “sticking to their process.”

Anonymous managers lack this protection. Their underperformance arrives without an interpretive frame, and is therefore read as incompetence. Investors are far more tolerant of losses when those losses are embedded in a coherent story.

This reflects a deeper truth: humans process uncertainty through narrative, not statistics. A believable explanation reduces cognitive dissonance. Underperformance without a story feels like chaos; underperformance with a story feels like sacrifice on the road to redemption.

3. Sunk Costs and Identity Attachment Investor tolerance is also shaped by the sunk-cost fallacy.

Those who have invested with a famous manager often did so publicly, confidently and over long periods. To exit is to admit error, not just financially but psychologically.

This is especially true for advisers and institutions.

Recommending a star manager becomes part of professional identity. Abandoning them signals fallibility. Staying invested allows advisers to reframe persistence as conviction rather than stubbornness. By contrast, exiting an anonymous manager carries little reputational cost. There is no public embarrassment, no narrative reversal. Thus, the cost of being wrong is asymmetrical, and behaviour follows incentives.

Tech skills fuel 12% rise in UK finance jobs Demand for expertise in artificial intelligence, regulation, data reporting and other specialist skills pushed vacancies in Britain’s financial sector up 12% in 2025, according to recruitment firm Morgan McKinley, as employers raced to keep pace with rapid technological change.

The year-on-year rise

came despite a slowdown in the final quarter, with volatile global markets and uncertainty surrounding the government’s November budget prompting hiring managers to act more cautiously, Morgan McKinley’s London Employment Monitor showed.

Software and computer

5. The Illusion of Skill Persistence Investors tolerate famous managers because they believe in persistent skill, despite overwhelming empirical evidence that such persistence is rare. The belief that true genius must eventually reassert itself is psychologically comforting in a random environment. Accepting that markets are largely unpredictable, and that even great managers experience long periods of underperformance, forces investors to confront the limits of control. Famous managers offer an illusion that randomness can be mastered by intellect or temperament.

Anonymous managers do not carry this illusion. They are assumed to be replaceable. Famous managers are assumed to be exceptional.

6. Social Proof and the Fear of Being Alone Another powerful force is social proof. Investors ask not “Is this manager underperforming?” but “Who else still believes?” As long as other investors remain committed, exiting feels premature. Famous managers benefit from visibility. Their continued presence in portfolios, headlines and conference panels signals ongoing legitimacy. Anonymous managers disappear quietly. The absence of social reinforcement accelerates capital flight.

Thus, tolerance is sustained collectively, not individually.

Good luck in 2026. I hope you will learn to invest yourself if you’re unhappy with your IFA and fund manager and pension.

roles dropped 20%, reflecting the growing impact of AI and automation on back-office and transactional functions.

Astbury said hiring momentum is expected to remain strong into the first quarter, supported by relatively low unemployment of 5% and stable inflation at 3.2%.

European fashion brands ramp up India audits UK and European apparel brands, including Marks & Spencer, Primark and Next, have begun talks with Indian suppliers as negotiations on the India-UK and India-EU free trade agreements near ratification.

Exporters said buyers are stepping up factory audits and assessments in manufacturing hubs such as

Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, with plans to start or expand sourcing from India. The interest is being driven by supply-chain disruptions in Bangladesh and expectations of lower tariffs once the FTAs come into force.

Under the proposed India-UK FTA, tariffs would be eliminated on 99% of

India’s exports to the UK. The agreement will take effect after ratification by UK Parliament, the expected in the coming months.

Of India’s $37 billion textile and apparel exports in 2024-25, the US accounted for 28.5%, followed by the EU at 19.6%.

The UK was the fifth-largest

destination, with a 5.4% share.

Ongoing political uncertainty in Bangladesh has further prompted European buyers to reassess sourcing strategies and consider India, where apparel and textile exports currently face duties of 12.5% and 9.6% respectively in both the EU and the UK.

Award-winning chef launches Borough restaurant In spring 2026, acclaimed chef Aktar Islam will make his long-awaited London debut with the opening of Oudh 1722 in Borough.

One of Britain’s most influential chefs, Islam is best known for Birmingham’s Opheem, which holds two Michelin stars and is one of only two Indian restaurants in the UK, and just four

Aktar Islam

worldwide, to achieve the distinction.

Oudh 1722 will spotlight Awadhi cuisine, a refined culinary tradition shaped in the royal courts of northern India. Named after the Awadh region and a year that nods to the cuisine’s historic roots, the restaurant will occupy three floors of a listed Victorian building. It will offer Islam’s

interpretation of the food of Lucknow, long celebrated as one of India’s great gastronomic centres and recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy.

With Oudh 1722, he brings that vision to London for the first time, giving Awadhi cuisine a dedicated home in the capital.

Zydus Lifesciences gets India’s GDP to grow 7.4% nod to manufacture in FY 2025-26 cancer drug biosimilar

4. Career Risk and Institutional Safety The tolerance gap is reinforced by career risk. For advisers, trustees and fund selectors, backing a famous manager is professionally safer than backing an unknown one. If the star underperforms, the failure is collective. “Everyone owned it.” If the obscure manager underperforms, responsibility is personal.

This is the logic of herding. Famous managers benefit from what might be called institutional camouflage. Their underperformance is obscured by widespread acceptance.

Anonymous managers stand exposed.

The asset-management industry therefore rewards recognisability over performance. Fame functions as a form of insurance against accountability.

services accounted for more than 16% of all vacancies, overtaking traditional areas such as investment management and banking, which each made up 15% of roles last year, said Mark Astbury, a director at Morgan McKinley.

By contrast, clerical and administrative jobs fell 16% over the year, while broking

The Delhi High Court has allowed Zydus Lifesciences to manufacture and sell a biosimilar of Bristol Myers Squibb’s cancer drug Nivolumab, overturning a previous temporary restraining order. The court noted that patients should not be denied access to affordable treatment, giving a boost to the Ahmedabadbased company ahead of the patent’s expiry.

Nivolumab, marketed as Opdivo, is used to treat various cancers and is under patent protection in India until May 2. The Delhi High Court allowed Zydus Lifesciences to manufacture and sell a biosimilar, ZRC3276, but instructed the company to maintain detailed sales records until the patent expires. This ruling overturned a July 18 order that had temporarily blocked Zydus’ launch. BMS had argued that Zydus’ trials

infringed its patent, while Zydus maintained its product complied with Indian regulations.

Zydus also highlighted that a post-grant challenge by its subsidiary had resulted in the Opposition Board recommending the revocation of the patent, bolstering its case.

India’s economy is projected to grow 7.4% in FY 2025-26, according to the National Statistics Office’s first advanced GDP estimates, up from 6.5% last year. Nominal GDP is expected to rise 8.0%.

The services sector is driving growth, with Financial, Real Estate, Professional Services, and Public Administration, Defence & Other Services forecast to expand 9.9%.

Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communication, and Broadcasting are expected to grow 7.5%. Manufacturing and construction are projected to rise 7.0%.

Agriculture and allied sectors are projected to grow 3.1%, while electricity, gas, and utilities may rise 2.1%.

Real private consumption is expected to

increase 7.0%, and gross fixed capital formation 7.8%, up from 7.1% last year.

The RBI projects India’s GDP growth at 7.3% for FY 2025-26, with Q3 at 7.0% and Q4 at 6.5%. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said growth is supported by strong rural demand, recovering urban consumption, healthy investment, and robust agriculture, while manufacturing and services improve despite weaker exports.

Looking ahead, growth will be aided by agriculture, GST benefits, low inflation, and strong corporate and financial health. Reforms and trade deals may boost growth, though global risks persist. Q1 and Q2 of FY 2026-27 are projected at 6.7% and 6.8%.

India drops to 3rd-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels India fell to the third-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels in December 2025 after Reliance Industries and state-owned refiners sharply cut crude imports, the European think tank CREA reported.

India’s Russian hydrocarbon imports fell to €2.3B in December from €3.3B in November, with crude at €1.8B, coal €424M, and oil products €82M. Turkiye overtook India as the second-largest importer (€2.6B), while China remained the top buyer (€6B, 48% of exports).

India’s crude imports from Russia dropped to 25% from 35% as Reliance halved Jamnagar purchases and state refiners cut back amid US sanctions, though IOC

continued sourcing from non-sanctioned suppliers. Since the 2022 Ukraine war, India’s share surged from under 1% to nearly 40%.

CREA reported that Indian, Turkish, and Brunei refineries exported €943M of Russian-derived oil products in December to sanctioning countries—EU (€436M), USA (€189M), UK (€34M), and Australia (€283M).

Exports to the EU and UK fell 26% and 53%, while US shipments rose 121% and Australia 9%, mainly from Jamnagar and Tupras Aliaga. China remained the largest buyer, with crude making up 60% (€3.6B) of imports. Seaborne ESPO-grade crude rose 23% and Urals-grade 15%, reaching the highest Q4 volumes since mid-2023.

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in brief VIVEK RAMASWAMY QUITS SOCIAL MEDIA US Ohio governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has announced he is quitting social media in 2026, revealing in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece that he deleted X and Instagram from his phone on New Year’s Eve. While his team will continue to campaign online, Ramaswamy said stepping back from social media would make him happier and allow more direct engagement with voters. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, he warned that algorithms, bots, and echo chambers distort reality and fuel polarisation. Ramaswamy warned that online abuse misrepresents public opinion, calling social media “a broken mirror,” and joked he might return to X by March if the resolution falters.

BANGLADESH TIGHTENS VISA RULES FOR INDIAN NATIONALS Bangladesh has tightened visa restrictions for Indian nationals, suspending most visa services at its deputy high commissions in Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai, citing security concerns, reported the Dhaka Tribune. Only business and employment visas remain available. The move follows strained India-Bangladesh relations after ousted PM Sheikh Hasina took refuge in India and comes after India closed two visa centres in Khulna and Rajshahi amid antiIndia protests. A Kolkata mission official said visa processing is now limited to business and employment categories, following Bangladesh’s December 22 suspension of visas and consular services in several Indian cities.

SWISS BAR OWNER ARRESTED FOLLOWING DEADLY FIRE KILLING 40 Jacques Moretti, the co-owner of "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, was arrested by Swiss authorities. The arrest followed a rigorous hearing at the Office of the Public Prosecutor of the Canton of Valais in Sion, where he was deemed a potential flight risk. Moretti and his wife, Jessica, face grave charges of manslaughter, bodily harm, and arson by negligence after a catastrophic fire killed 40 people and injured 116 others during New Year's Eve celebrations. A fire erupted at 1:30 am on January 1 when sparklers ignited flammable basement foam, killing mostly 19-year-old teenagers. The venue hadn’t been inspected since 2019.

Switzerland observed a national day of mourning on January 10.

ANANT NAMBIAR BECOMES FIRST SOUTH ASIAN ON WESTCHESTER COUNTY BOARD Democrat Anant Nambiar was sworn in as Westchester County District 7 legislator, becoming the first South Asian and Hindu in the role. The ceremony at Purchase College saw Judge Anne E. Minihan administer the oath on the Bhagavad Gita. Nambiar, who won over 68% of the vote in November 2025, succeeds Catherine Parker in a district covering Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye, and parts of Harrison. A resident of Westchester for 25 years, Nambiar brings extensive experience from the financial sector and previous service on the Mamaroneck School and Town Boards. At his inauguration, he highlighted that 8% of the county’s one million residents are of Asian descent and pledged to represent this community alongside colleague David Imamura.

Uneasy balance of a changing world T

he year 2025 was marked by widespread instability, with military takeovers, governance breakdowns, and escalating conflicts across Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia. Even as ceasefires and diplomatic efforts offered fragile hope in some regions, the overall global landscape remained deeply turbulent.

Increasingly, turmoil has emerged in countries once considered stable, as major powers wage wars against one another and reshape the global order by drawing smaller nations into their conflicts.

During a 2025 press conference, UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres highlighted this disturbing shift while presenting a report on the rapid rise in global military expenditure. “The world is spending far more on waging war than on building peace,” he warned. Security spending increased across all five global regions in 2024, marking the steepest year-on-year rise in at least three decades. At nearly $2.7 trillion, global military spending dwarfed the less than $300 billion required to eliminate extreme poverty worldwide.

The scale of this imbalance is stark. Arms-related spending in 2024 alone was 750 times greater than the UN’s regular budget and nearly 13 times the total development assistance provided by the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee. This highlights a troubling trade-off between militarisation and sustainable development. Guterres stressed that redirecting even a fraction of military budgets could transform global outcomes by putting children in school, strengthening primary healthcare, expanding clean energy, and protecting the most vulnerable. The UN estimates

Donald Trump

Vladimir Putin

that modest reallocations could fund education in low- and lower-middle-income countries, eliminate child malnutrition, support climate adaptation, and move the world closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Amid this escalating militarisation, the prospect of a third world war no longer feels remote. European nations are openly preparing for conflict, urging citizens to stockpile essential supplies. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte recently warned that Russia could launch a full-scale attack on Europe by 2030, stating that any assault on Poland or another NATO member would be met with the alliance’s full

force. His warning followed a deadly Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy and comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fourth year with no sign of de-escalation.

Defence experts warn that if Ukraine falls, Russia may be emboldened to target the Baltic states, Finland, or Poland, potentially within the next three to five years. Such a move would almost certainly trigger NATO intervention, raising the risk of a broader global conflict.

Meanwhile, another dangerous fault line lies in the intensifying rivalry between the United States and China. As both powers increase military posturing around Taiwan, Singapore’s Prime Minister

Lawrence Wong has cautioned that continued escalation could push the world “to the brink of a Third World War.” Paradoxically, this growing uncertainty has created opportunities in another domain. Global shocks, from the pandemic to wars in Ukraine and Gaza, along with political shifts such as Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela. have fuelled booming demand for risk consulting services. Today, corporations are investing heavily in understanding geopolitical, economic, and strategic threats, driving a risk advisory market now valued at approximately $160 billion.

Many of these so-called “chaos consultants” are former government officials and policy experts who advise companies on risks ranging from supplychain disruptions to trade restrictions and political instability. As geopolitical risk becomes a boardroom priority rather than an internal afterthought, traditional firms like the Big Four are increasingly challenged by strategy-focused consultancies such as WestExec, McKinsey’s geopolitics arm, and Flint Global.

The old world order is dead Rishi Sunak writes in his Times coltechnological, and military rival to umn that the old world order is the United States, and the growing dead, opening his argument with a coordination among authoritarian pointed observation that even Keir states.

Starmer’s attempt to set out a He also highlights the shifting domestic agenda at the start of the balance of power beyond the West, year was overwhelmed by genuinely noting that while Europe is in relamomentous global events. tive decline, countries such as India and the Gulf states are emerging as He argues that the stability influential swing states, unwilling which once underpinned internato tie themselves fully to any single tional politics, trade, and business bloc. has disappeared, leaving a dangerFor Sunak, this volatile transious vacuum in which power, rather Rishi Sunak tion is both perilous and transforthan rules, increasingly dictates outmative, demanding resilience, investment in comes. security, and adaptation to rapid technological Sunak points to the end of Pax Americana, change, particularly in artificial intelligence. the rise of China as a formidable economic,

Hindu autorickshaw driver killed in Bangladesh A Hindu autorickshaw driver, an anti-discrimination student moveSamir Kumar Das (28), was beaten ment, with supporters calling the and stabbed to death by a mob in charges false. These deaths have Bangladesh’s Chittagong division raised concerns about the safety of on January 11, in the latest attack on Hindus and political detainees in the minority community.

Bangladesh.

Following the December killing The assailants reportedly fled of radical youth leader Sharif Osman with his vehicle, and no arrests Hadi, attacks on minorities, includhave been made. Police said it ing Hindus, have surged in appears to be a case of murder and Samir Kumar Das Bangladesh. Last month, the robbery. The attack follows the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity death of 25-year-old Mithun Sarkar, who Council recorded 51 incidents, including 10 drowned while fleeing a mob in Naogaon dismurders, 10 thefts, and 23 cases of home, busitrict on January 6. Proloy Chaki, a musician and ness, and temple looting or arson. Four more Awami League official, died in prison Sunday Hindus have been killed so far in January, night from a reported heart attack. He had been bringing the total deaths since December to 14. arrested in a case linked to an alleged attack on

US seizes Russian-flagged tanker with Indian crew The US seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker, Marinera (formerly Bella 1), in the North Atlantic, carrying 28 crew members, including three Indians.

The vessel, tracked from the Caribbean, was operating under a Guyana flag at the time. The multinational crew also included 17 Ukrainians, six Georgians, two Russians, and others. The tanker had been chartered by a private trader, according to RT and Russia’s transport ministry.

US officials said the tanker was seized for

alleged links to sanctioned Venezuela after it evaded a maritime blockade and ignored Coast Guard boarding attempts. The operation involved both the Coast Guard and US military.

Russia said it lost contact with the vessel after boarding, while Moscow condemned the seizure as “outright piracy.” The US later confirmed it had also seized a second Venezuelalinked tanker, M Sophia, saying both operations were carefully coordinated after Bella 1 tried to evade authorities by changing its name and flag.

Stricter screening for Indian students in Australia Australia has tightened student visa checks for applicants from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, moving them to the ‘highest-risk’ category under the Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF).

The government cited “emerging integrity risks” for the out-of-cycle rerating. Officials said the move aims to manage risks while ensuring genuine students have a safe, high-quality education experience in Australia.

Indian students applying for Australian visas will face stricter screening, including additional documents, manual verification of bank statements, extra English language proof, and checks with institutions or referees.

Processing times may extend from three to eight weeks. The move follows reports of fake degrees in India and affects nearly one-third of Australia’s international students, including India’s 140,000. Experts say the stricter rules aim to filter applicants and ensure genuine study intentions, as Australia becomes the primary option while the US, UK, and Canada tighten student entry.

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Africa section

Museveni seeks seventh term in Uganda’s 2026 elections Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is set to seek another term in office in elections scheduled for 15 January 2026, extending a rule that has lasted nearly four decades and renewing questions over succession for the 81-year-old leader.

Political analysts say Museveni’s grip on state institutions makes victory for him and his National Resistance Movement party highly likely, though the conduct of the presidential and parliamentary polls could shape Uganda’s future direction. In power since leading a rebellion in 1986,

Yoweri Museveni

Museveni is pursuing a seventh term, with his main challenger

Indian-American doctor Tina Shah launches bid for US Congress Dr Tina Shah, a prominent Indian American physician, formally entered politics seeking the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.

In a remarkable show of momentum, the triple boardcertified doctor surpassed $1 million in fundraising within a year of launching her campaign.

Motivated by the systemic failures she witnessed in the medical field, Shah is centring her platform on healthcare affordability, reproductive rights, and the rising cost of living. She has explicitly criticised the current administration’s approach, arguing that dismantling existing healthcare structures endangers patient safety.

Shah brings extensive policy experience to her candidacy,

Dr Tina Shah

having served in senior roles across three White House administrations. As the former National Director of Clinician Wellbeing at the Department of Veterans Affairs and a senior adviser to the US Surgeon General, she led federal strategies to combat medical burnout.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas champions diversity at Golden Globes Global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas stood as the sole South Asian presenter at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, marking her third appearance at the prestigious Beverly Hills ceremony.

Dressed in a custom midnight-blue Dior Haute Couture gown by Jonathan Anderson, she represented Indian talent on the world stage just ahead of her highly anticipated 2026 releases. In a moment that immediately went viral, Priyanka walked hand-inhand onto the stage with Blackpink’s Lisa to present the award for Best Actor in a Television Drama to Noah Wyle for his performance in The Pitt.

Attending the event with her husband Nick Jonas, Priyanka shared behind-the-scenes moments with her fans. In a video, Priyanka expressed excitement about her "date night" with Nick, while also admiring her elegant Dior dress and joking about making sports references on stage. She showed a

expected to be opposition figure Bobi Wine, the 43-year-old former pop star who secured 35% of the vote in the 2021 election and retains strong support among younger voters.

Other notable candidates include former army chief Mugisha Muntu, now an anticorruption campaigner, and Nandala Mafabi, a senior lawmaker and former opposition leader. Museveni is campaigning on a promise to “protect the gains”, citing decades of relative stability and pledging to lift Uganda to middle-income status by expanding manufacturing,

adding value to exports such as coffee and cotton, and harnessing oil production expected to begin later this year.

Bobi Wine, Museveni’s main rival, campaigns on restoring political freedoms, tackling corruption, boosting youth employment, and renegotiating oil deals. Uganda’s elections have been violent, with dozens killed in 2021 and ongoing of opposition detentions supporters. Amid youth-led protests and growing ties with China, Russia, and the UAE, Museveni’s expected win will be closely watched after his reduced 58% share in 2021.

Rodríguez’s faith in Sathya Sai Baba draws global attention

Delcy Rodriguez visited Prasanthi Nilayam during her August 2023 trip to India for the G20 Summit

Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s acting President following a dramatic US military operation that captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The transition has thrust Rodríguez’s personal faith into the global spotlight, revealing her as a dedicated devotee of the late Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba. Official records from the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust confirm that Rodríguez, who served as Vice President since 2018, visited the Prasanthi Nilayam ashram in Andhra Pradesh in August 2023 and again on 26 October 2024 to offer prayers at the guru’s Mahasamadhi.

While Rodríguez initially adopted a defiant tone,

declaring Venezuela would never again be anyone’s colony, she faces immense pressure from Washington. President Donald Trump issued a stern warning on January 4, stating she would pay a “bigger price than Maduro” if she failed to cooperate with US demands, including providing American oil companies total access to Venezuela's reserves.

Despite her spiritual leanings toward peace and calm, the acting President struck a more conciliatory tone, inviting an agenda of cooperation with the US. This shift occurred as the US military maintained its presence, with Trump asserting that Washington would run the nation until a judicious transition is secured.

Nalini Joshi named 2025 NSW Scientist of the Year Priyanka Chopra with Lisa (right)

humorous side, saying, “Our grandmothers taught us well” as she pulled out a tissue to dab her watering eye before heading to the venue. Netflix's Adolescence also made history, winning four awards, including Best Limited Series. 16-year-old Owen Cooper became the youngest-ever supporting actor winner, with co-stars Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty also taking home awards. Kumail Nanjiani won Best Stand-Up Comedy Performance for Night Thoughts, while ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters' won Best Animated Film.

Nalini Joshi, a mathematician of Indian origin, has been named the 2025 NSW Scientist of the Year, the first mathematician to receive the state’s top scientific honour.

The award, presented at Sydney’s Government House, recognises her leadership in applied mathematics and integrable systems.

Joshi, Chair of Applied Mathematics at the University of Sydney and the university’s first female mathematics professor, focuses on quantum cryptography, addressing cybersecurity challenges posed by the rise of quantum computing.

Joshi has warned that

governments and industries are unprepared for the quantum computing era, noting that while smartphones transformed daily life in 20 years, quantumenabled devices will pose major security challenges.

“Mathematics is central to securing our quantum future,” she said. A University of Sydney graduate with a Princeton PhD, Joshi has held leadership roles including VP of the International Mathematical Union, is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. She is also a dedicated mentor, winning the 2018 Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentorship.

in brief LEKHA SUNDER AS NYC DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed 26-year-old Yale graduate Lekha Sunder as Deputy Communications Director.

She will oversee city messaging and previously played a key role in Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral primary campaign, boosting its digital and traditional media presence.Before joining Mamdani, Sunder worked as press secretary for Vice President Harris’s presidential campaign in Pennsylvania. She will report to Communications Director Anna Bahr and joins a young, progressive administration focused on policies like universal childcare and rent freezes, aiming to better communicate complex reforms to New York City’s eight million residents.

CANADA FREEZES NEW PARENT AND GRANDPARENT SPONSORSHIP APPLICATIONS Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has officially suspended the acceptance of new sponsorship applications for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP). New Ministerial Instructions close the 2026 intake, citing a backlog of 40,000+ cases and prioritising clearance of existing files for more efficient processing. Under new rules, only the 10,000 applications from the 2025 intake will be processed in 2026, as Canada aims to cut permanent resident admissions by 4% to around 380,000. New applicants are encouraged to use the Super Visa, allowing parents and grandparents to stay up to five years (extendable by two), though it doesn’t grant permanent residency or provincial healthcare.

INDIAN-ORIGIN BUSINESSMAN JAILED OVER WIRECARD FRAUD Singapore’s district court sentenced 59-year-old R. Shanmugaratnam to ten years for his central role in the multibillion-euro collapse of German fintech Wirecard AG. As director of Citadelle Corporate Services, he was convicted on 13 counts of falsifying balance confirmation letters between 2016 and 2018, fraudulently claiming his firm held nearly €1.1 billion (S$1.65 billion) in escrow accounts for Wirecard, misleading auditors and hiding the company’s true financial state. British accomplice James Henry O’Sullivan, 51, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years for aiding fraud by instigating five letters.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH ANCIENT COINS AT TAXILA Pakistani archaeologists announced the discovery of rare ancient coins and semiprecious stones at the UNESCO-listed Bhir Mound near Taxila. Led by Aasim Dogar, the excavation team uncovered 6th-century BC lapis lazuli fragments and 2nd-century AD bronze coins in Taxila’s B-2 trench. University of Peshawar experts confirmed the coins depict Emperor Vasudeva, the last major Kushan ruler, with a female deity on the reverse

JEDDAH TOWER TO BECOME WORLD'S TALLEST SKYSCRAPER The Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia is rapidly advancing towards its goal of becoming the world's first one-kilometre-high structure. As of January 2026, construction has officially surpassed the 80-floor mark, with engineers from Thornton Tomasetti confirming the core is on track to reach the 100th floor by February. Standing at a projected final height of 1,008 metres, it will exceed Dubai’s Burj Khalifa by approximately 180 metres. The project, which originally broke ground in 2013, faced a multi-year halt in 2018 due to political shifts and contractor issues.

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PM Modi and Chancellor Merz pledge ‘economic partnership’ Continued from page 1 Merz was on a two-day official visit to India from January 12 to 13, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.

Earlier in the day, Chancellor Merz was received by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat at the Ahmedabad airport.

This visit, celebrating 75 years of India-Germany diplomatic relations and 25 years of their Strategic Partnership, aims to strengthen bilateral ties. The MEA noted that the meeting between Merz and PM Modi will further enhance IndiaGermany cooperation.

The leaders later held bilateral talks at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar to discuss cooperation in trade, technology, defence, education, and green development.

They also explored regional and global issues and met with business leaders. This visit builds on high-level political exchanges, including a prior meeting at the G7 Summit, and sets the stage for the India-EU Summit on January 27, 2026. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also visited Bengaluru on January 13, 2026, for the second day of his official visit to India. He was welcomed at Kempegowda International Airport by Karnataka Minister M B Patil and senior officials. Merz and his delegation visited Bosch's India headquarters in Adugodi and the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science before leaving the city.

Merz visits Sabarmati Ashram, explores Gujarat's heritage Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed German

PM and German Chancellor Merz at the International Kite Festival

50 countries and nearly 1,000 kite enthusiasts from India, continues until January 14. It has attracted over 3.83 lakh visitors in previous years and is expected to draw over 5 lakh this year, boosting tourism in Gujarat's cultural hotspots like Dholavira and the Statue of Unity.

Chancellor German Friedrich Merz also visited the Adalaj Ni Vav stepwell near Gandhinagar, accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The stepwell, built in 1498, is a five-story, intricately carved structure. Later, Merz attended a private event at The

MoUs Signed Between India & Germany in Presence of PM Modi & Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri

House of MG, a heritage hotel in Ahmedabad's Lal Darwaja area.

Bilateral talks at Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level

PM along with the Chancellor of Germany, Mr Friedrich Merz visited to Sabarmati Ashram

Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on January 12, 2026, marking his first official visit to India. The two leaders paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, signed the visitors' book, and toured Hriday Kunj, Gandhi’s residence, where they observed the process of spinning the charkha.

Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Secretary M K Das, and other dignitaries were present. Modi and Merz later inaugurated the 2026 International Kite Festival at Sabarmati Riverfront, highlighting the cultural exchange. They were seen interacting with participants and flying kites together, including one depicting Lord Hanuman. The festival, featuring 135 participants from

2025 High Defence Committee meeting. They agreed to deepen military-tomilitary ties through joint exercises, training, and senior official exchanges. They also welcomed Germany’s participation in upcoming naval and air exercises and collaboration on the Eurodrone MALE UAV programme.

A Joint Declaration of Intent for Defence Industrial Cooperation was signed, fostering long-term partnerships, co-development, and co-production of defence platforms. The leaders condemned terrorism, stressed cooperation against terrorist

talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad during his first official visit to India. The meeting, attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, took place at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

The discussions focused on deepening India-Germany ties, with a review of cooperation in trade, investment, technology, education, and defence, as well as exploring collaboration in security, science, innovation, and sustainable development.

PM Modi and Chancellor Merz reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence and security cooperation, highlighted by outcomes from the November

networks, and welcomed progress on counter-terrorism efforts, including the ratification of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

On trade, the leaders noted record bilateral trade exceeding USD 50 billion in 2024 and emphasised the untapped economic potential in sectors like AI, digitalisation, and innovation. They welcomed the India-EU Free Trade Agreement and the creation of the GermanIndian CEO Forum to promote business ties. In technology and innovation, they discussed progress in semiconductor, critical minerals, and telecommunications cooperation. The leaders celebrated the Indo-German collaboration on science, research, and space exploration, and committed to fostering advances in bioeconomy and renewable energy.

On sustainability, they recognised the success of the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership and committed to enhancing collaboration in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and sustainable infrastructure.

Both sides welcomed the progress of Triangular Development Cooperation projects in Africa and Latin America. They also reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and emphasised the need for UN Security Council reforms.

In education and cultural exchanges, the leaders noted

the growing number of Indian students in Germany and welcomed initiatives to improve job market integration. They also discussed the establishment of IndoGerman Centres of Excellence for skilling in renewable energy and the signing of agreements to facilitate the mobility of skilled workers. Finally, they celebrated the growing cooperation in maritime heritage and sports, and agreed to hold the next India-Germany

visit.

Both countries sign joint defence declaration Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz engaged with Chief Executive Officers from both countries at the India-Germany CEOs Forum, where PM Modi announced that the two nations have decided to turn their economic partnership into a “limitless” collaboration. He stated, “We have decided to make this seamless

PM holds a bilateral meeting along with the Chancellor of Germany, Mr Friedrich Merz

Inter-Governmental Consultations in 2026.

India-Germany trade hits $50 billion, says PM Modi At a joint press conference after their meeting, PM Modi highlighted the recordhigh India-Germany bilateral trade, surpassing $50 billion, and the presence of over 2,000 German companies in India, reflecting strong confidence in the country’s opportunities. He also praised the growing technology cooperation and announced the establishment of the IndiaGermany Centre of Excellence for innovation and renewable energy.

Chancellor Merz condemned Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters, calling it a sign of weakness. He also reaffirmed the importance of

economic partnership limitless. This means that along with traditional economic sectors, there will now be deeper cooperation in strategic sectors as well. In the defence sector, we are a Joint exchanging Declaration of Intent today.”

Chancellor Merz’s visit, Modi remarked, reflects India’s importance in Germany’s diversification strategy, highlighting the trust Germany has in India.

“Chancellor Merz’s decision to choose India for his first trip to Asia reflects India’s central role in Germany’s diversification strategy and indicates high levels of trust,” Modi added.

The Prime Minister emphasised India’s robust growth, maintaining a rate

tions,” he stated.

Bilateral trade between India and Germany reached $51.23 billion in 2024-25, with Germany being India’s largest trading partner within the European Union. Trade in services rose by 12.5%, reaching a record $16.65 billion.

Germany remains a key investor in India, with cumulative FDI of $15.4 billion, including $469 million in 2024-25.

India pushes for resolution in Ariha Shah foster care dispute Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the case of Ariha Shah, a five-year-old Indian girl who has been in foster care in Germany since September 2021, during his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The issue centres on the allegations of abuse against Ariha's parents, which were dropped in 2022, but the girl has remained in care since she was seven months old.

Modi requested that the matter be resolved quickly and emphasized the importance of ensuring that Ariha is exposed to Indian culture, language, and religion while in foster care.

The case has become a sensitive issue in IndiaGermany relations, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri describing it as a humanitarian matter rather than a legal one. Misri confirmed that India has been engaging with both the German government in Berlin and the embassy in New Delhi for some time.

India has also advocated for Ariha to be raised in an "Indian environment," which includes exposure to Hindi, participation in Indian festi-

PM in a group photograph along with the Chancellor of Germany, Merz at the India-Germany CEOs Forum

India-Germany economic cooperation, which benefits not only the two countries but humanity as a whole.

PM Modi expressed his gratitude for Merz’s announcement of visa-free transit for Indian citizens and invited German universities to open campuses in India.

He noted that Merz’s visit, coinciding with Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary, strengthens the philosophical ties between India and Germany. Both leaders discussed global issues like Ukraine and Gaza, emphasising their united stance against terrorism and commitment to UN Security Council reforms.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) between the two countries were also signed during the

over 8% driven by reforms in defence, space, mining, and nuclear energy. He also highlighted India’s commitment to reducing compliance burdens and enhancing ease of doing business. “India will further strengthen its cooperation with Germany through stable policies, mutual trust, and a long-term vision,” he assured, inviting German companies to leverage India’s scale and speed.

Modi expressed optimism over the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, expected to open new avenues for trade and investment. “The path is clear for you here. I invite German precision and innovation to combine with India’s scale and speed. You can manufacture in India, take full advantage of domestic demand, and export without any restric-

vals, and interactions with Indian people in Germany.

India has repeatedly called for Ariha’s repatriation, but the German government has not agreed to these requests. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Modi have both raised the issue with Germany's leadership, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the past. The Save Ariha Team, a group campaigning for her return, has also requested that she be taught Hindi, Gujarati, and the Jain religion of her parents, Dhara and Bhavesh Shah. While the parents are allowed to visit her twice a month and Indian officials have had consular access to Ariha, the dispute remains unresolved, with her aunt alleging that the child is being held "against her will."

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Son of Vedanta chairman, Agnivesh Agarwal, passes away edanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal’s son, Agnivesh Agarwal, 49, died after suffering a cardiac arrest in the United States.

Calling it the darkest day of his life, Agarwal said in a post on X that no words could describe the pain of a parent losing a child, adding that the family was still trying to come to terms with the loss.

Agnivesh, the eldest son of Anil and Kiran Agarwal, was born in Patna on June 3, 1976. He studied at Mayo College in Ajmer before pursuing higher education in the US. Instead of joining the family business immediately, he spent years gaining global exposure in business, finance and corporate governance, experience he later applied while working with Vedanta Group companies.

Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where he was said to be recovering.

“We believed the worst was behind us, but fate had other plans,” Agarwal wrote, adding that a sudden cardiac arrest claimed his son’s life. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences, calling Agnivesh’s passing “deeply shocking and saddening,” and prayed for strength and courage for the Agarwal family.

Credit: X/@AnilAgarwal_Ved

V

Anil Agarwal with his son Agnivesh (Right)

Anil Agarwal said Agnivesh played a key role in setting up Fujairah Gold and later served as chairman of Hindustan Zinc. He was also a board member of Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), one of Punjab’s largest private thermal power plants.

Though he kept a low public profile, Agnivesh was regarded within the Vedanta Group as a thoughtful and visionary board member.

He had earlier suffered injuries in a skiing accident in the US and was undergoing treatment at

EAM Jaishankar meets Macron, Luxembourg leaders on Europe ties External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar wrapped up his visit to France and Luxembourg, highlighting India’s deepening engagement with Europe.

The Ministry of External Affairs said he met French President Emmanuel Macron and held talks with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, focusing on innovation, technology, startups, health, education and mobility under the India-France Year of Innovation, as well as expanding cooperation in defence, security, space, civil nuclear energy, maritime security, the economy and global issues.

Dr Jaishankar addressed the 31st Conference of

After son’s death, Anil Agarwal reaffirms 75% wealth donation vow

EAM Dr S Jaishankar with French President Emmanuel Macron

French Ambassadors as Guest of Honour, becoming the first non-European foreign minister to do so, and spoke on global shifts and the need for strategic autonomy. He also took part in the first India-Weimar Foreign Ministers’ meeting with counterparts from France, Germany and Poland to discuss

strengthening India-Europe and India-EU ties, and met with French parliamentarians.

In Luxembourg, Dr Jaishankar met Prime Minister Luc Frieden and held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel on strengthening ties in areas such as trade, investment, financial services, innovation, digital technology, space, and people-to-people links. He also interacted with the Indian community, praising its role in deepening bilateral ties. The ministry said the visit reflects growing alignment between India and Europe amid global shifts.

India faces impact from US tariffs amid Iran trade tensions US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on goods from countries doing business with Iran, escalating pressure on Tehran amid widespread protests. The tariff, effective immediately, targets any country trading with Iran, potentially affecting India, which has been a major trade partner with Iran.

India's trade with Iran reached $1.34 billion in 2025, with key exports including rice, tea, pharmaceuticals, and machinery, while imports include dry fruits and chemicals. The new tariff comes as India grapples with 50% levies on goods related to Russian oil purchases.

Sanctions are delaying Basmati rice exports, lowering prices. Although India’s crude imports from Iran are minimal,

Trump's decision could increase global oil price volatility, affecting India’s oil costs, fiscal space, and growth, depending on how long prices remain high.

Iran's political unrest is raising geopolitical risks, with protests intensifying and Trump warning of military action. Any disruption to Iran's oil supply could push prices higher, with Barclays estimating a $34 per barrel geopolitical premium.

Diplomatic talks stalled after Iran’s Foreign Minister canceled his visit to India to discuss the Chabahar Port. The US sanctions waiver for the port expires in April, but India has convinced Washington of its strategic value in regional connectivity, countering China’s influence.

Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal has renewed his longstanding pledge to donate more than 75% of his wealth to society following the sudden death of his son, Agnivesh, in the United States.

In an emotional post on X,

Bhaikaka University inaugurates Waymade Institute of Nursing

The building was inaugurated by Guruhari Saint Bhagwant Sahebdada, alongside the Bhikhubhai and Vijay Patel family, Atul Patel (Chairman Emeritus), and other distinguished members

Bhaikaka University reinforced its commitment to enhancing healthcare education in the Charotar region by inaugurating the Waymade Institute of Nursing Sciences on 7th January 2026. The institute aims to address India’s growing shortage of trained nursing professionals, as highlighted by the WHO’s 2020 report on nursing.

The state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated by Dr Bhikhubhai C Patel and Dr Vijaykumar C Patel (OBE), founders of Waymade Group and Shanta Foundation, along with their family members from London. The ceremony was attended by BJP Anand District President Shri Sanjaybhai Patel as the Chief Guest and Guruhari Saint Bhagwant Sahebdada of Anupam Mission, Mogari, as the Guest of Honour.

The foundation stone of the Waymade Institute was laid in January 2024, marking a key milestone in Bhaikaka University’s academic expansion.

The event was attended by prominent dignitaries, including Shri Tarak Patel, Chairman of Charutar Arogya Mandal; Shri

PM Modi to launch free road accident care scheme Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to launch PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victims Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment), a scheme offering free medical care to road crash victims, later this month.

The pilot, earlier rolled out as Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims in Chandigarh, Assam, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Puducherry, provides free treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh for a maximum of seven days. Notified by the road transport ministry last May, the scheme is now ready for rollout after integrating crash-data systems with the National Health

Authority’s hospital claims and payment platform.

Hospital reimbursements under the scheme will be made through the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF), financed by contributions from general insurers in insured cases and budgetary support for uninsured ones.

The scheme guarantees stabilisation treatment at designated hospitals for up to 24 hours in non-life-threatening cases and up to 48 hours in life-threatening cases, subject to police response, and will override other central or state schemes.

Agarwal recalled their shared vision of a self-reliant India and quoted his son’s belief that the country lacked nothing and should never fall behind. “We dreamed of a nation where no child sleeps hungry, no child is denied education, every woman stands on her own feet, and every young Indian has meaningful work,” he wrote, adding that he had promised Agnivesh to give back most of what he earned. “I renew that promise today and resolve to live an even simpler life.”

Calling it the darkest day of his life, Agarwal said Agnivesh had been recovering well at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York after a skiing accident before a sudden cardiac arrest claimed his life. He said his son’s legacy would live on through the lives he touched.

Waymade Institute of Nursing Sciences

Atul Patel, Chairman Emeritus; Shri Amit Patel, Secretary; Dr Gauri Trivedi, President; and Dr Abhay Dharamsi, Provost of Bhaikaka University, along with board members, faculty, staff, and guests. Dr Jyoti Tiwari, Registrar, welcomed the guests and highlighted the institute's mission.

L to R Dr Vijaykumar, Smita Patel, Shashi Patel and Dr Bhikhubhai Patel

Shri Atul Patel addressed the gathering, noting that the Waymade Institute project was made possible by a generous ₹7.5 crore

Guests at the event included Kokilaben Patel, alongside other dignitaries and esteemed attendees

donation from Dr Bhikhubhai Patel and Dr Vijaykumar Patel. He emphasised the growing demand for nursing education, which drove the expansion of infrastructure and academic capacity.

The institute currently trains 265 students across MSc, BSc, and Diploma Nursing programs, with plans to increase capacity to 575 students by adding 310 more seats. He also announced that Pune-based Bajaj Holdings Limited has extended scholarships to 180 students in nursing, physiotherapy, and allied health sciences to support underprivileged students. Spanning over 25,000 square feet, the new building includes modern facilities such as smart classrooms, specialised labs, advanced simulation mannequins, a community health nursing lab, a departmental library, and faculty offices, supporting cutting-edge education in nursing.

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Somnath Swabhiman Parv honours India’s spiritual resilience T he Somnath Swabhiman Parv, held at the first Jyotirlinga in Gujarat, marks one thousand years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026.

This national event, instead of focusing on destruction, celebrates India’s resilience, faith, and civilisational pride. Somnath has been repeatedly targeted by invaders, but each time, it was through collective rebuilt devotion, making it a symbol of India’s enduring spirit.

The event also celebrates 75 years since the Somnath Temple was reopened to devotees in 1951.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Somnath during the Parv, where he participated in the Omkar Mantra chanting, had darshan, and watched a spectacular 3,000-drone show. He also paid tribute to past warriors, including Veer Hamirji Gohil, who defended the temple, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, for their roles in restoring it.

On the second day, Modi led the Shaurya Yatra, a procession of 108 horses honouring those who sacrificed their lives for the temple. Crowds of locals and devotees gathered to greet the PM, who also performed puja at the temple.

Modi highlighted PM Somnath's significance in India’s history, recalling how invaders like Ghazni and Aurangzeb tried to destroy the temple but failed.

"The flag hoisting at Somnath today shows India's power and resilience to the world," he said.

He also criticised past governments for "whitewashing" the true history of the temple’s repeated attacks and emphasised that the assaults weren’t just about looting wealth but an attempt to destroy India’s spiritual identity.

Modi reaffirmed that Somnath is not just a structure but a living

PM inaugurates the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference with Gujarat’s Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel (Right) and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi (Left)

symbol of India's faith and pride.

PM Modi inaugurates Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot After Somnath Swabhiman Parv, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference for Kutch and Saurashtra in Rajkot.

This was his first visit to Gujarat in 2026, following a visit to Somnath earlier that morning.

In his address, Modi highlighted the "Vikas bhi, Virasat bhi" mantra, emphasising that the Vibrant Gujarat Summit had evolved from merely an investment platform to a symbol of global growth, international cooperation, and partnerships.

Modi spoke about Gujarat’s evolution and the focus of the regional summit on transforming Gujarat’s untapped regional potential into performance. He acknowledged the importance of local strengths such as coastal lines, tribal belts, industrial clusters, and farming traditions.

India, as the fastest-growing large economy, is progressing towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, according to Modi, who cited several key achievements in India’s growth, such as the rise in mobile data consumption,

manufacturing, solar power, and more. The country’s global trust

Modi playing Chenda (Traditional music) during Somnath Swabhiman Parv

has grown, with institutions such as IMF and S&P praising India’s stability.

Modi also emphasised the importance of Saurashtra and Kutch in India's growth story, pointing to Kutch's recovery from the 2001 earthquake and Saurashtra’s overcoming of droughts. He noted how these regions, with their vast industrial clusters, renewable energy projects, ports, and emerging technologies, are driving India's green growth and manufacturing efforts.

The Prime Minister mentioned key infrastructure projects such as the Dholera Special Investment Region, the 30GW renewable energy park in Kutch, and developments in

LIBF Expo 2026 to feature international delegations and networking The Lohana International Business Forum (LIBF) will host LIBF Expo 2026 from January 30 to February 1 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.

The event is open to businesses, professionals, entrepreneurs, startups, investors, job seekers, and institutions, regardless of background.

Positioned as a futurefocused platform, the Expo will span 1.7 lakh square feet and feature over 200 exhibitors from Hon'ble Union Minister Amitbhai Shah invited to attend LIBF Expo 2026 20+ sectors, including manufacturing, MSMEs, real up-investor engagements, and of LIBF, stated that the goal of estate, healthcare, technology, networking sessions, with a focus LIBF Expo 2026 is to create a education, and more. on youth, skill development, platform that offers LIBF Expo 2026 entrepreneurship, and job more than just stalls stands out with strong creation. and displays.

"It’s global participation, Unlike typical exhibitions, designed to connect featuring exhibitors, LIBF Expo 2026 integrates businesses with business delegations, business with purpose. Organised opportunities like and entrepreneurs from under a non-profit framework, global expansion, Africa, the UK, Europe, any surplus generated will overseas partnerships, the USA, the Middle support education and healthcare start-up mentoring, and East, Australia, and initiatives in India and abroad. job creation. This is an Satish D Vithalani beyond.

This Following successful editions inclusive, opportunityinternational presence will foster in Uganda (2023), Gandhinagar driven ecosystem," he added. opportunities for cross-border (2024), and Dubai (2025), the Expo LIBF Expo 2026 will feature partnerships, sourcing, aims to position Mumbai as a hub 20 sector-specific global investment, and joint ventures. for inclusive global business conventions, panel discussions, Satish D Vithalani, Chairman collaboration.

B2B and B2G interactions, start-

PM Modi receives welcome by enthusiastic crowd at Somnath Temple

green hydrogen and battery storage systems.

The Prime Minister shared the milestone on X, highlighting

PM flags off the final section of Phase 2 of the Ahmedabad Metro Rail project

The summit also attracted global leaders and dignitaries, including Rwanda's High Commissioner Ms Jacqueline Mukangira and Ukraine's Ambassador Dr Oleksandr Polishchuk. Both spoke about strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation with India, particularly in trade, agriculture, defense, and skills development.

Modi flags off Ahmedabad metro phase 2 services Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase 2 of the Ahmedabad Metro, flagging off services from Mahatma Mandir Metro Station in Gandhinagar.

This marks a significant enhancement in urban connectivity for Gujarat.

the government’s commitment to boosting Ahmedabad's infrastructure. He noted that the newly inaugurated 7.8-km stretch from Sector 10A to Mahatma Mandir will improve the 'Ease of Living' for residents of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

The new section, which includes seven operational stations, Mahatma Mandir, Sector-24, Sector-16, Old Secretariat, Akshardham, Secretariat, and Sector-10, expands the metro route to 28.25 km, linking Motera in Ahmedabad to Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The new connectivity promises faster, safer, and more comfortable travel, easing traffic congestion between the twin cities.

US-India trade deal talks continue amid tensions The US and India are actively continuing trade deal negotiations, with the next round scheduled, according to Sergio Gor, the new US ambassador to India.

US Ambassador Sergio Gor highlighted the strong bond between President Trump and PM Modi, noting that while they may disagree, they will resolve differences. His comments followed claims from US officials blaming India for delays in the trade deal, which India denies. Trade tensions have risen since the US imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including penalties related to India’s Russian oil purchases.

The US has pushed for more access to India’s agricultural sector in trade talks. While Ambassador Gor has yet to present his credentials, he was welcomed in Delhi, where he called the US-India relationship "the most consequential partnership of the century," stressing cooperation in security, counterterrorism, energy, and

Sergio Gor

technology. Despite tensions over trade and Pakistan, Modi and Trump maintain regular communication.

India dismissed claims from US Commerce Secretary Lutnick that Modi’s failure to call Trump stalled the deal. Trump has threatened higher tariffs over India's Russian oil imports, though India has reduced purchases. Despite initial talks, India remains one of the few major economies without a trade deal with the US.

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Taliban diplomat takes charge of Afghan Embassy in Delhi Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, a senior Taliban official, arrived in New Delhi to assume leadership of the Afghanistan Embassy.

His appointment as Charge d’Affaires marks the first time a Taliban-nominated diplomat has taken control of the mission since the group seized power in Kabul in August 2021.

The move follows a landmark week-long visit by Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi in October 2025, during which an agreement was reached with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to formalise diplomatic representation.

Noor, a former Director General in Kabul and part of last year’s delegation to

Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor

India, has been accepted as part of India’s pragmatic, people-centric engagement with Afghanistan, officials said. The tricolour of the former Afghan Republic will remain at the Shantipath embassy for now, with existing staff continuing to ensure continuity.

While India does not

formally recognise the Taliban regime, it has maintained limited engagement through humanitarian aid and diplomatic contacts, allowing Taliban envoys to operate Afghan missions in Mumbai and Hyderabad, and the Delhi embassy to function under interim arrangements.

India announces three-year national anti-drug mission Union Home Minister Amit Shah has declared a decisive three-year nationwide mission to eradicate drug abuse, set to commence on March 31.

Speaking at the 9th apex-level NarcoCoordination Centre (NCORD) meeting in New Delhi, Shah reframed the narcotics crisis as a matter

of narco-terrorism rather than a standard law-andorder issue. He has directed all central and state government departments to finalise comprehensive roadmaps by the March deadline, with strategies extending through to 2029.

The mission follows a three-tier strategy: a tough

crackdown on drug networks, focused efforts to curb demand, and a medical-first approach for users.

Data shared at the summit showed a sharp rise in enforcement, with narcotics worth £17 billion (₹1.71 lakh crore) seized between 2014 and 2025, nearly four times the previous decade.

Non-veg food delivery banned within 15 km of Ram Temple The Ayodhya administration has imposed a ban on the delivery of non-vegetarian food within a 15-km radius of the Ram temple after complaints about online platforms supplying such items along the Panchkosi Parikrama route.

Officials said some hotels and homestays were also serving non-vegetarian food and alcohol, and have been warned to cease these activities.

Despite a May 2025 deci-

sion by the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation to ban liquor and meat sales along the 14-km Ram Path linking Ayodhya and Faizabad, locals say liquor sales continue at more than two dozen outlets even nine months later. A municipal official said meat shops had been removed but action against liquor vends requires approval from the district administration.

Assistant Food Commissioner Manik

Chandra Singh said complaints had surfaced that non-veg food items continued to be delivered to tourists through online platforms despite the ban.

"Following the complaints, the ban on online non-vegetarian food delivery has been imposed. All hotels, shopkeepers and delivery companies have been informed, and continuous monitoring will be conducted to ensure compliance," he added.

NHAI smashes global road construction records The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has set four Guinness World Records during the construction of the Bengaluru–Kadapa–Vijayawada Economic Corridor (NH544G). Two of these records were achieved near Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh.

NHAI recorded the longest continuous bituminous concrete paving, 28.89 lane km (a 9.63-km, three-lane stretch), within 24 hours, and the highest quantity of bituminous concrete laid in a day at 10,655 metric tonnes. Both milestones were achieved for the first time globally on a six-lane national highway

Sabarimala chief priest arrested in gold theft probe The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested Kandararu Rajeevaru, the former chief priest (Thantri) of the Sabarimala temple, following intense questioning.

Rajeevaru, aged 66, was detained in Thiruvananthapuram after witnesses, including former Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar, alleged his complicity in a major gold misappropriation scandal.

The probe centres on the alleged diversion of goldplated temple artefacts, including sanctum door frames and guardian deity idols donated by industrial-

Kandararu Rajeevaru

ist Vijay Mallya in 1998.

The SIT alleges that Rajeevaru used his supreme ritual authority to facilitate the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, in removing sacred panels for unauthorised work in 2019.

Under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the priest is accused of silent acquiescence as valuable temple property was taken outside the shrine premises, violating established ritual norms.

Following his arrest, Rajeevaru was remanded to 14 days' judicial custody at the Poojappura Special Sub Jail, though he was later shifted to a hospital on 10 January due to health complications.

While Rajeevaru maintains his innocence, claiming his role is strictly limited to spiritual rites, the SIT continues to trace over 475 grams of missing gold.

Kerala woman arrested for burning stepdaughter over bedwetting Police in Kerala, India, have arrested 35-year-old Noor Nazar (also known as Rubi) for allegedly burning her five-year-old stepdaughter’s genital area with a heated steel spatula as punishment for wetting the bed. The abuse was discovered by the child’s preschool teacher, who noticed the girl had difficulty sitting.

The victim, whose father is a Nepalese national working locally, is now under the care of the Child Welfare Committee. Nazar, originally from Bihar, has been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. She faces

charges under the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for the assault.

While the five-year-old in Kerala receives medical and emotional care, her case highlights a disturbing trend of violence against children in India. Just a week prior, a six-year-old girl in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, died after she was gangraped and thrown from a rooftop.

Separately, a 12-year-old student in Maharashtra recently died following an incident in November where she was forced to per-

Noor Nazar

form 100 sit-ups while wearing her school bag as punishment for being late. Her health deteriorated rapidly after the ordeal, leading to her death in a Mumbai hospital.

Bengaluru named India’s most women-friendly city Bengaluru has emerged as India’s best city for women in 2025, according to an index released by Chennaibased inclusion firm Avtar, which evaluated 125 cities on social and workplace inclusion.

The city led the rankings with a City Inclusion Score of 53.29, ahead of Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad and Mumbai, highlighting the dominance of southern and western metros.

The index assesses social inclusion, covering

safety, health, education, mobility and liveability, and industrial inclusion, which tracks jobs, skilling, corporate practices and women’s workforce participation.

While Chennai topped social inclusion, Bengaluru’s edge in industrial inclusion made it the best overall city for women’s long-term career growth.

Pune and Hyderabad recorded balanced performances across both pillars.

Regionally, southern India

ranked highest, followed by the west, while central and eastern regions continued to lag on industrial inclusion.

The report noted that cities combining strong social systems with inclusive industries offer the most resilient environments for women. The top 10 cities are Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurugram, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Coimbatore.

Mamata Banerjee claims BJP-EC nexus behind voter list errors

project. NHAI set two more Guinness World Records on January 11, including laying 57,500 metric tonnes of bituminous concrete and paving 156 lane km, both surpassing previous global marks. The records were achieved on Package-2 and Package-3 of the Bengaluru–

Kadapa–Vijayawada corridor.

The 343-km, six-lane corridor, featuring tunnels, interchanges and forest stretches, will cut travel distance by 100 km and reduce travel time between Bengaluru and Vijayawada by about four hours once completed.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission deleted 54 lakh names from the draft electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision in the state, without giving voters a chance to defend themselves.

Speaking at a press conference at Nabanna, she claimed the deletions, carried out through the powers of electoral registration officers, affected many genuine voters. Banerjee

said those removed were not informed of the reasons, leaving them unable to contest the decision. She also alleged that AI tools, influenced by the BJP, were used to identify mismatches, leading to the deletion of names, including women who changed their surnames after marriage.

Mamata Banerjee claimed AI-driven digitisation errors caused voter record mismatches, particularly affecting women and those with valid personal

changes. She accused the "BJP-EC nexus" of planning to delete another crore names from the rolls.

Banerjee also criticised the EC for blocking Booth Level Agents (BLA-2s) from hearings, alleging the BJP's failure to mobilise workers.

In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, she highlighted the errors in the 2002 voter list, accusing the EC of ignoring procedures and forcing voters to re-verify their identities.

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17 - 23 January 2026

Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal reveal son’s name B

ollywood power couple Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal have captivated fans by revealing their newborn son’s name as Vihaan Kaushal.

Sharing the news via Instagram, the couple posted a tender photograph of their hands cradling their child’s tiny hand, describing him as their “ray of light”. The name Vihaan, which translates to dawn or new beginning, holds special significance for the family, as it was also the name of Vicky's celebrated character in the 2019 blockbuster ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’.

This milestone comes four years after their high-profile wedding at Six Senses Fort Barwara in Rajasthan on December 9, 2021.

The announcement triggered a wave of congratulations from industry peers, including Parineeti Chopra and Dia Mirza. By introducing Vihaan through a heartfelt digital post, the pair have finally ended weeks of intense media speculation regarding the baby’s identity.

This joyous revelation marks a new chapter for the actors, whose relationship has remained a subject of public fascination since they first met at an awards ceremony several years ago.

British censors clear Vijay starring ‘Jana Nayagan’ amidst Indian legal row

Lokah- chapter 2 starring Tovino Thomas set for 2027 Onam release

T

T

he British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has granted a 15 rating to Jana Nayagan, the highly anticipated final film of actor-turnedpolitician Vijay.

While the film has secured its UK release, it remains embroiled in a dramatic legal battle in India. The Madras High Court initially ordered the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant a U/A certificate, but this was swiftly stayed by a division bench following a late-evening appeal by the board.

The BBFC’s classification highlights strong bloody violence and references to sexual violence, noting scenes involving beheadings, terrorism, and drug trafficking.

In India, the £50 million production faced delays after a lone member of the examining committee flagged concerns regarding the portrayal of the armed forces and religious sentiments. Although originally scheduled for a grand Pongal release on January 9, the producers, KVN Productions, were forced to postpone the premiere indefinitely.

The film, directed by H Vinoth and co-starring Bobby Deol, serves as Vijay's cinematic swansong before he transitions fully into politics with his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. Kerala distributors have since proposed a new release date of January 14, pending the final judicial outcome in Chennai.

he makers of the Malayalam superhero franchise Lokah have reportedly scheduled the filming of its second instalment for late 2026.

This sequel, titled Lokah Chapter 2, follows the massive success of Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, which premiered in August 2025 and became the first Malayalam film to cross the £30 million ( 300 crore) mark globally.

Directed by Dominic Arun, the upcoming film will shift its focus from Kalyani Priyadarshan’s character to Michael, a witty ‘Chathan’ or goblin portrayed by Tovino Thomas.

Produced under Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films, the project is part of an ambitious five-film cinematic universe. While the script is currently being cowritten by Dominic Arun and Santhy Balachandran, the production team is strategically eyeing an Onam 2027 theatrical release to capitalise on the lucrative festive window. The sequel is expected to expand the folklore-heavy narrative, potentially featuring an on-screen collaboration between Dulquer Salmaan and Mammootty.

Producers appeal to PM Modi over Dhurandhar’s Middle East ban

T

he Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) has formally written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking diplomatic intervention following an unofficial ban on the blockbuster film Dhurandhar in the Middle East.

Despite receiving an 'A' certificate from India's Central Board of Film Certification, the spy thriller was barred from release in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman upon its debut. Regional censors reportedly blocked the film due to its sensitive antiPakistan themes and geopolitical narrative.

Directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh as an undercover agent in Karachi, Dhurandhar has become a historic commercial success. The film has grossed over £126 million ( 1,267 crore) globally, surpassing Pushpa 2 to become the highest-grossing Hindi film in Indian history. In the letter signed by President Abhay Sinha, the IMPPA described the restrictions as a unilateral suppression of freedom of expression.

The association argued that because these Gulf nations are India-friendly trading partners, the government should leverage its bilateral ties to revoke the ban, which has cost the producers tens of millions in potential overseas revenue.

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India scrape past New Zealand in tight chase Virat Kohli was cruising on 93 while chasing 301 in the first ODI at Vadodara, seemingly in full control, until Kyle Jamieson struck, dismissing Kohli, Jadeja, and Iyer in just seven balls.

Suddenly, India needed 59 off 53 with five wickets in hand, including lowerorder Harshit Rana, while Washington Sundar was sidelined.

The chase turned thrilling, with Rana’s 23ball 29 and a hobbling Sundar helping set the stage. KL Rahul finished it, hitting debutant Kristian Clarke for 4, 4, 6 to seal victory with six balls to spare. Kohli’s innings, featuring 118- and 77-run stands with Shubman Gill

Virat Kohli

and Iyer, combined vintage flair with modern control.

Just short of a century, Kohli fell to Jamieson, who then removed Jadeja and Iyer. Rana added 37 with Rahul before falling with 22 needed off 22, and with Sundar limited to walking between wickets, India eked out singles until Rahul

completed the chase.

India’s dominance reflected New Z e a l a n d ’ s inexperienced, injury-hit attack.

Rana dismissed both openers, Conway off an inducker, Nicholls with a wide slower yorker, while India’s seamers took most of the wickets, and Kuldeep Yadav removed Glenn Phillips with a clever wrong’un.

Daryl Mitchell kept New Zealand competitive, reaching a 51-ball halfcentury and unleashing a 4, 6, 4 off Prasidh Krishna, including a scooped four, before falling lbw.

Toor, Tejas win to lead India at Asian Indoor Championships Two-time Asian Games gold medallist Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Asian Games medallist decathlete Tejaswin Shankar will headline the 17-member Indian squad for the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tianjin, China, from February 6 to 8, with the team set to depart on February 3.

Toor, also a two-time Asian Indoor champion, will start as one of the favourites alongside fellow shot-putter Samardeep Singh Gill, following his gold medals in Tehran (2024) and Astana (2023), the year he set India’s national outdoor record of 21.77m.

India claimed four medals, including three golds, at the last edition but will miss hurdles star Jyothi Yarraji due to injury.

Shahnawaz Khan makes his first major international appearance in long jump alongside CV Anurag, while

Tejaswin Shankar (L) and Tajinderpal Singh Toor

Praveen Chithravel competes in triple jump.

Tejaswin Shankar features in the heptathlon, with Manikanta Hoblidhar and Nithya Gandhe, Abhinaya Rajarajan and Moumita Mondal competing in sprint and hurdle events.

India’s squad for the 2026 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships features Manikanta Hoblidhar (60m), Tejas Shirse (60m hurdles), J Adrash Ram (high jump), CV Anurag and Shahnawaz Khan (long

jump), Praveen Chithravel (triple jump), Samardeep Singh Gill and Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put), and Tejaswin Shankar (heptathlon) in the men’s events.

The women’s contingent includes Nithya Gandhe and Abhinaya Rajarajan (60m), Moumita Mondal and Pragyan Prasanti Sahu (60m hurdles), Pooja (high jump), Ancy Sojan and Moumita Mondal (long jump), Yogita (shot put), and KA Anamika (pentathlon).

Anahat Singh finishes runner-up at British Junior Open India’s top seed Anahat Singh finished runner-up in the women’s Under-19 category at the British Junior Open Squash Championships after a closely fought final at the University of Birmingham.

Playing her first U-19 final at the event, the Delhi teenager lost to France’s second seed Lauren Baltayan 9-11, 11-7, 3-11, 911, marking her ninth appearance in a British Junior Open final across age groups.

Anahat reached the final with a composed straight-games semi-final win over Egypt’s Malika El

Anahat Singh

Karaksy, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 in 28 minutes, extending her strong record against the Egyptian opponent.

Earlier in the tournament, Anahat impressed with wins over Egypt’s Barb Sameh and

Malak El Maraghy, after easing past Hong Kong’s Wing Kai Gladys Ho. The runner-up finish crowns a strong phase in the 16year-old’s career, highlighted by a breakout 2025 season that saw her climb to a career-high world ranking of 28 in just her second year on the PSA Tour.

She also claimed wins over two top-20 players and beat former world No. 10 Joshna Chinappa in fivegame finals at the HCL Squash Indian Tour 4 in Chennai and the SRFI Indian Open in Indore, lifting her 13th PSA title.

Leg-spinner Adithya Ashok eyes place in New Zealand squad New Zealand leg-spinner Adithya Ashok, who was born in Vellore and raised in Auckland, says he is relishing the chance to bowl to Indian greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the upcoming three-match ODI series in Vadodara.

The 23-year-old, who has limited international experience, sees the series as a valuable opportunity with several senior players absent from the New Zealand squad.

Calling it an exciting challenge, Adithya Ashok said facing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma would be a

Adithya Ashok

chance to test himself against true greats of the game and learn from their excellence. The 23-year-old also sports a tattoo reading ‘En vazhi thani vazhi’ (My way unique way) on his

bowling arm, a famous Rajinikanth line from ‘Padayappa’, inked as a tribute to the superstar and in memory of his late grandfather, with whom he watched the film.

Ashok views the India series as an opportunity to learn and grow, having prepared with a two-week spin camp at the CSK Academy in Chennai. The 2020 U-19 World Cup player credits Shane Warne, Ish Sodhi, and his mentors Tarun Nethula and Paul Wiseman for their guidance, especially in recovering from a rare back surgery.

Glasgow 2026 to be broadcast on pay TV for first time The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will be on pay TV for the first time, after TNT Sports outbid the BBC for broadcast rights.

While the BBC reportedly offered less than TNT’s deal, believed to be around £5 million, organisers prioritised revenue over free-to-air coverage. TNT may still negotiate highlights with

the BBC, but the move marks a major shift from tradition.

Glasgow stepped in after Australia’s Victoria withdrew as host in 2024 due to rising costs, paying million in £140 compensation. The Games will feature a reduced programme of ten sports and six Para sports, with India set to host the centenary 2030 edition

under a similar format.

The BBC said it was outbid for Glasgow, but will explore free-to-air coverage via its platforms.

TNT, jointly owned by BT and Warner Bros Discovery, will air 600+ hours in the UK and Ireland, including on HBO Max, offering expanded live coverage and new ways for fans to follow the Games.

Arsenal set to make Saka club’s highest-paid player Bukayo Saka is close to agreeing a new five-year contract with Arsenal worth around £300,000 a week, which would make him the club’s highest-paid player and among the Premier League’s top-earning English footballers. The deal is expected to run until 2031.

The 24-year-old winger, on a £200,000-a-week contract signed in 2023, has become a key player for club and country, with four goals and five assists this season, and 57 goals and 48 assists in 214 Premier League appearances overall.

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal academy graduate Saka is set to follow Saliba and Gabriel in committing long-term, while the club nears deals with Jurriën Timber and

plans talks with Ødegaard, Havertz, Raya, and Merino.

Havertz, 26, earns around £270,000 a week, and Declan Rice’s 2028 contract includes an option to extend to 2029. Sixteenyear-old Max Dowman has signed scholarship terms and can start talks for his first professional deal at 17.

Arsenal’s accounts show wages of £328 million, 53% of £616 million turnover, supported by £97 million from Champions League semi-finals and £171.5 million for finishing league runners-up.

Mandaviya unveils FIFA World Cup 2026 Trophy in India Union Minister for Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, along with former Brazilian footballer Gilberto D’silva, unveiled the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy, kicking off its three-day tour of India.

Fans got a rare chance to see the iconic silverware up close.

The trophy will stay in Delhi for two days before heading to Guwahati for a day, bringing the celebrations to India’s northeast. The tour reflects FIFA’s efforts to engage football fans ahead of the

2026 World Cup, to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 11, with Mexico taking on

South Africa in Group A at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City.

For the first time, the tournament will feature 48 teams, divided into 12 groups of four.