AV 25th December 2021

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE India’s vaccine maker donates $66mn to Oxford University

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Kolkata’s Durga Puja gets World Heritage tag

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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side Safe celebrations with loved ones

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25 - 31 DECEMBER 2021 - VOL 50 ISSUE 33 Sikh MP condemns Golden Temple sacrilege attempts, courts controversy SEE PAGE - 12

Bhutan confers highest civilian award on PM Modi SEE PAGE - 26

THE BEAUTY OF KINDNESS In the last issue of 2021, Asian Voice reached out to the community to tell tales of kindness, what it means to them, and how they are helping in their own little capacity to make a difference for the less fortunate this Christmas. While many would be in self-imposed isolation as the virus spreads like wildfire, the diaspora reaches out to Britons, in an effort to make the holidays less grim or lonely.

Perseverance wins dignity for the departed Anoopam Mission wins landmark appeal to build Hindu Crematorium

Pallavi and Shashikant Patel during Christmas 2017

Pallavi Patel (from Vaso-Alindra, Gujarat, India) and Shashikant Patel (from Uganda), with their sons Deepen and Meeten (Photo from 2019)

Shefali Saxena Congratulations! You survived another catastrophic year. You’ve been brave, resilient, and more importantly, kind. The amount of courage that it takes to get through these unprecedented times and the unity shown by our community is a huge endeavour. Yet, one must not forget that many people still haven’t managed to see Continued on page 16-17 their families in the longest time.

Anoopam Mission UK has received a landmark planning decision to build a state-of-the-art crematorium on its grounds in Denham, Buckinghamshire, adjacent to its existing Hindu Temple and Community Centre. This would represent the first purpose-built Hindu faith crematorium in the UK. But this is a result of six years of perseverance and dauntless determination on part of many stakeholders who pushed for this landmark appeal, which otherwise, would have never seen the light of the day.

Continued on page 13

2 UK

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

25 - 31 December 2021

with Keith Vaz

MD of woodworking firm announced finalist in ‘Entrepreneur’ category

SHAMIM KHAN

Dhiren Katwa

Non practicing Barrister and Entrepreneur Shamim Khan leads a very busy life in Birmingham with her two young sons and husband, running the family Pharmacy as well as being a Freelance Lingerie Designer and Assistance to a Photographer.

Shamim studied the Bar course at the University of Law, London but she returned to Birmingham to start a family and family business.

1) Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in? (50 words response) I love to travel and explore different cultures but my roots are embedded in Birmingham. My childhood memories and my family are here. Home is where the heart is, and that’s definitely Birmingham for me.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

(50 words response) That has to be completing my legal education after getting married with the support of my husband and family.

Studying law especially after a big Pakistani wedding did raise a few eyebrows in our community but I led the way to demonstrate that it’s okay to study after getting married.

3) What inspires you? (50 words response) Women in power inspire me.

4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career? (50 words response) Studying law after getting married was challenging enough, but as an asian female from a working class background, with children, trying to enter a middle class, white, male dominated profession has been the most difficult obstacle.

5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date? (50 words response) The whole of our older generation have inspired me to work hard to achieve our collective dreams. Watching them struggle to communicate in English, taught me the value of the education system from a very young age as I would often find myself being their translator.

6) What is the best aspect about your current role? (50 words response) It has to be interacting with the patients who can’t always leave their homes. They look forward to just having chat with a friendly person and quite often

it’s the highlight of their day. Together, my husband and I have been effectively looking after the vulnerable and elderly patients.

7) And the worst? (50 words response) The pandemic has been tough as we’ve not only lost people, but we’ve had to remain open while other businesses were closed. We’ve had to send our children to school at an uncertain time where no-one knew what was going on just so that we could continue serving the community.

8) What are your long term goals? (50 words response) I’d like to train and practise at the Bar. As a young girl, I would listen to my friends talking about embarking on top professions. I never dreamt that would be possible for me so I settled on aiming for a secretarial role - I never managed to pursue that!

9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? (50 words response) I would abolish grammar schools that cause an unnecessary divide and make the highest paid professions accessible to all. I would also sneak in a compulsory trip for all children to visit a third world country so they understand poverty and actively help reduce climate change.

10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why. (50 words response) I would say Florence Nightingale. If she can handle the mammoth task of establishing an improved healthcare system whilst helping to expand the acceptable forms of female participation in the workplace, then I am certain that together we could hatch a plan to escape from the island.

MoD spent more than £4.5m on Afghan crisis charter flights As per the procurement data, the Ministry of Defence spent more than £4.5m on passenger aircraft that were used to evacuate people from Afghanistan in nine days in August. From 16 to 24 August, the MoD’s Defence Support Chain Operations

and Movements (DSCOM) unit closed five short-term contracts titled "The supply of whole aircraft charter to move passengers worldwide", which were worth between £440,000 and £1.3m.

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The Royal Air Force operated several flights a day during late August from Kabul airport that carried civil servants, other British citizens and Afghans who worked for the UK. As per the data, charters were operated roughly four days after the tenders were closed.

An MoD spokesperson said: “We regularly charter civilian aircraft for routine tasks, allowing RAF aircraft to focus on operations "This summer, Defence chartered numerous flights in support of the evacuation operation from Afghanistan where the military airlifted over 15,000 people.

The boss of a family-run industry leader in British woodworking has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.

Amarjit Binji, pictured, who runs AJB Group Limited, is among six finalists in the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ category of the Midlands Business Awards (MBAs). Now in its 16th year, the MBAs recognise and reward achievers who demonstrate remarkable outputs and contributions in line with category crite-

well as famous celebrities.

Father-of-two Amarjit started out as a carpenter and joiner. Frustrated with the lack of innovation and modern technique within his specialist field, he decided to set up his own company in 1999 which continues to prosper. AJB Group currently employs around 40 staff, including his brother Mandeep, sister Kully and best friend of over 35 years, Hitesh, who work as Operations Director, HR Director and Project Manager, respectively.

Amarjit Binji

ria. AJB Group is a manufacturer of world-class joinery products. Its client list includes The Shard, BBC TV Centre, Centre Point and Battersea Power Station, as

Rail fares to rise by 3.8% in March Commuters will now have to pay higher rail fares as a 3.8% rise will take effect from March rather than January, the biggest increase since 2013. Annual rail fares depend on the previous July’s inflation rate plus 1%.

To calculate the increase than its official measure, the consumer prices index (CPI), the Government uses the higher retail prices index (RPI).

Now, the cost of an annual season ticket

between Brighton and London will rise by £164 to £4,480 while a similar ticket between Manchester and Leeds will increase from £2,744 to £2,848.

Chris HeatonHarris, rail minister, said, “[It will allow the Government] to invest record amounts into a more modern, reliable railway, ease the burden on taxpayers and protect passengers

from the highest RPI in years.”

“Delaying the changes until March 2022 offers people the chance to save money by renewing their fares at last year's price.”

Teenagers arrested for robbery and manslaughter of a law student Two teenagers Marvin Ward, of Westwood Road, Goodmayes and Alexis Morris, of South Park Drive, Seven Kings, have been found guilty of manslaughter and robbery of law student Hussain Chaudhary.

The latter met his killers outside his Walthamstow home while selling a designer jacket. The victim was

fatally stabbed outside his house on March 17.

Morris was also found guilty of possession of a machete in a public place and they were both also found guilty of maliciously wounding Hussain’s mother Bushara and brother Arshyam during the incident.

Apart from robbery and

manslaughter, Morris was found guilty of possessing machete in a public place and both were found guilty of wounding the victim's mother Bushara and brother Arshyam.

On 19 March Ward was arrested and two days later, Morris was handcuffed.

Next year on 4th February, the duo will be sentenced.

Boris Johnson sacks Cabinet Secretary over Number 10 parties probe Boris Johnson has sacked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, the country’s leading civil servant when it was found out that he himself had hosted an event last year during Christmas when London was under Covid-19 restrictions. Mr Case was investigating alleged lockdown-breaking parties that took place inside Downing Street.

This revelation has put the Prime Minister's administration in crisis as it is believed that on May 15 last year, he alleged- The Queen has cancelled her ly joined around 20 traditional pre-Christmas famcivil servants and Tory ily lunch following the surge in aides, where he had Omicron cases. Following the pizza and wine inside surge in Omicron cases, the Downing Street and in Queen has called off the traditional pre- Christmas family the garden.

A Cabinet Office lunch. As per the source, the source confirmed that decision was taken as a precauon December 17, 'vir- tionary measure as the Queen tual quiz' was held in felt the gathering of her

the Cabinet Secretary's private office which started at 5.30 pm and lasted for an hour.

Simon Case will be replaced by veteran civil servant Sue Gray, who is the second permanent secretary at the communities and levelling up department.

Queen cancels Windsor family lunch extended family can put too many people's Christmas plans at risk.

The lunch that is organised for up to 50 people, is a chance for the Queen to see her wider family before leaving for Christmas at Sandringham, Norfolk.

Last year’s lunch was also cancelled due to the pandemic.

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

25 - 31 December 2021

A community working hard for all The Hindu community got its first purpose-built crematorium in north-West London. A welcoming news indeed. It has been the climax of a long and frustrating journey- and there has been a considerable effort, not only by Anoopam Mission but by Bob Blackman MP and especially by Lord Jitesh Gadhia.

Lord Gadhia, a committed peer, has been loved by the Tory government for his clear vision and commitment towards his community. One may recall, Lord Gadhia swore his oath of allegiance on the Rig Veda- the book’s first official entry into the Parliament. He is one of the youngest Indian-origin peers in the House of Lords where the average age is about 69. A well-known investment banker in the past, he has been part of the largest investment flows between UK and India and was instrumental in helping craft Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in November 2015 at the Wembley Stadium.

When Asians migrated to the UK, from India, East Africa, and various other parts of the world, it was not just due to Idi Amin’s expulsion. Pretty much like the Windrush, many were brought from various parts of India, now South Asia, to work in factories in the UK. In later years came people – a product of conscious migration to a better skilled job and country. Though they integrated well, as the records show, they built their lives around already existing Churches and community centres converted into temples, so that they were not entirely alienated. These community centres and temples were not just a place of faith or celebration, but a home away from home, connecting with one’s own roots and heritage. As the community gained a strong foothold in the country, monetarily and socially, they focussed on building many things serving specific needs including temples, gurdwaras and mosques. Britain as ever gave them a fair and equal chance but not always all initiatives were met with open arms.

Asian Voice (then called New Life) and Gujarat Samachar were instrumental to saving the Hare Krishna Temple, that the Hertsemere council was determined to close to public. It was an epic 10-year battle, and one of the

most effective campaigns – ‘Save the Temple’, that the newspapers ran in the last 50 years.

Over 35,000 people sat outside the Parliament on March 14, 1994, to protest the closure of the Hare Krishna Temple, one of the most famous Hindu temples outside of India. Hindu, Jain, and Sikh communities came together to stand in solidarity with ISKCON, proving how strong the public voice can be. Lords, MPs, Councillors, and key members of the Hare Krishna community came together to share their memories of the first ever campaign that brought the entire British Indian community together. CB Patel, Publisher and Editor of Asian Voice, was not just a key figure behind the successful campaign, he was also the one to move the crowds, use the newspapers as a weapon to unite generations and communities.

This crematorium by Anoopam Mission is not the end of the journey for the community. Motivated by the purpose of building a crematorium in Leicester, providing one similarly for London’s Hindu population, it is important, what Lord Jitesh Gadhia has highlighted in his column (see page 11). He said the final decision from the Planning Inspector, published last week, represents a genuine breakthrough on multiple fronts. The Planning Inspector recognised the very special circumstances that exist in meeting the unfulfilled needs of the Hindu community and this precedent will hopefully enable other facilities to be considered in areas of high Hindu, Sikh and Jain population. The review commissioned by the Government in 2015 formed an important part of the evidence base supporting this assessment and demonstrates why responding to public consultations is such an important ‘civic’ duty.

The community is on a relentless mission to perfection. It has now joined hands to circulate a petition to gather support for a signage to be placed on the A40 for Anoopam Mission, as many miss the entrance on the highspeed dual carriage way. A difficult one, but as always we pledge support to their commitment. We wish them goodluck for another successful achievement.

The onus is on us More than two thirds of people aged 18 and over and who are eligible have now received their top up protection against Covid-19 as the NHS booster campaign continues to protect the nation against the virus. The latest numbers follow a week of “blockbooster” records for vaccinations including a mammoth weekend with over 830,000 boosters on delivered on last Saturday – the highest number ever – and more than 1.5 million boosters reported over Saturday and Sunday.

More than 5.3 million boosters were reported between Monday 13th and Monday 20th December. The NHS is urging everyone who is eligible – three months on from their second jab and able to book after two months – to get their booster as soon as possible. However, people cannot get vaccinated within 28 days of having had the virus.

Recent data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed that two doses of the vaccine are not enough to stop people becoming unwell from Omicron, but a booster significantly increases protection against the variant. Every eligible adult can now book in for their all-important jab online and given some sites remain busy, the NHS is encouraging people to book to guarantee their slot.

Appointments continue to be available over the festive period with one third of slots still up for grabs this week, as England’s top GP thanks staff for their hard work and urges people to come forward and “get boosted now” (see page 7).

Dr Nikki Kanani, deputy lead for the NHS Covid vaccination programme, said, “We are not at the finish line yet –

NHS staff are creating endless convenient opportunities for people who haven’t had their booster yet and there are lots of slots available. So, my message to you is give your loved ones the best possible present for Christmas – get boosted now.”

The onus is not only on the government to protect all.

People also need to take up the responsibility to not only save themselves but the vulnerable, friends and family by rightful action. The new variant is highly transmissible, which means people need to be careful about mixing with others. As the Prime Minister promises no further lockdown before Christmas, it is likely the new year will see closures.

The government has also extended extra fundings to the hospitality sector, which saw catastrophic cancellations over the last few weeks, especially when the PM made the announcement for Plan B. But vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaxxers protesting on the streets of London, clearly show the recklessness that plague Britain. Of course, the decision makers are failing at targeted health messages, to ensure the hesitating groups are convinced about vaccine efficacy and efficiency. But that people believe in social media generated fake news to put themselves in the harm’s way is shocking.

This country has around 50 million adult population.

People have their right to choose what is best for them. But they also have a social responsibility towards others and failing in that duty should be made a punishable offence.

A buoyant economy despite adversities India's foreign exchange reserves inched lower by $77 million during the week ended December 10. The IANS reported that the Reserve Bank of India's forex reserves decreased to $635.828 billion from $635.905 billion during the week ended December 3. India's forex reserves comprise foreign currency assets (FCAs), gold reserves, SDRs, and the country's reserve position with the IMF. On a weekly basis, FCAs, the largest component of the forex reserves, edged lower by $321 million to $572.860 billion. However, the value of the country's gold reserves rose by $291 million to $38.709 billion.

Henny Sender, Managing Director at Black Rock, writing an article in the Financial Times said how India’s economic growth remains buoyant, despite a sea of challenges.

He wrote, in 2013, when the mere whisper of Fed tightening in Washington was enough to send a so-called taper tantrum across emerging markets, India was among the hardest hit. The currency plummeted more than 10 per cent and foreign investors pulled $11bn out of local capital markets. Today, most Indian businesspeople and financiers believe such vulnerability is a thing of the past, despite the profound economic scarring of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deepak Parekh, the chair of HDFC, said, “In 50 years, I have never been more optimistic.” HDFC the leading financial conglomerate in the country. After months of suffering, such optimism comes as a relief. But is it justified? There are

indeed many reasons for the optimism. The Reserve Bank of India is sitting comfortably on around $600bn in foreign exchange reserves. Economic growth is also upbeat, thanks to the strong exports in everything from engineering goods to gems and jewellery, and to government investment.

There is another industry that investors and economists miss out as the pillars of India’s growth- the start-up industry. India’s cybersecurity industry reported $9.85 billion revenue in 2021.

NDTV recently reported that from Paytm, Byju's, Ola Cabs to OYO, India has quickly become the preferred ranch of unicorns, having one of the largest start-up ecosystems in the world. The number of unicorns, that are companies valued over $1 billion, are based in India now and estimated to be more than 100.

The country is only behind the US (ranked no 1), China, and the UK in terms of the number of operational unicorns.

Despite the global economic slowdown over the last two years, several Indian start-ups have reportedly managed to beat the original sentiment and launched initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2021. Most of them have been quite successful too. India is a resilient and resourceful country.

Despite the worries about increasing rate of unemployment, it shows what the country is capable of even in the wake of the worst adversities, but under clear and right optimism.

New year—a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours. —Alex Morritt

Alpesh Patel

Ask what you can do Forgive my selfindulgence. But I hope my story will inspire others. I this week received my OBE for Services to the Economy and International Trade.

Don't be fooled by the picture.

Like Investiture ceremony for Alpesh’s OBE for his services to the economy and international trade most people, I look around and wonder how did I get here?

That letter from the Prime Minister when I was 29? Why? How did I get called to represent my country? Or what if the Principal of that College at Oxford University was not in my talk and suggested I stand to be elected Fellow that year.

I simply cannot imagine my life without the people who helped make it happen.

I would be sitting at home on that day, staring into space and thinking about what could've gone wrong when an idea struck--if only someone else had taken a chance instead of shutting them down early with rejections! So many doors were opened for me due to one person's courage in pushing forward despite their reservations; if you're reading this right now, thank YOU because chances like these don't come often enough or easily, which means they shouldn't either.

Would I be a bestseller without the help of 24 rejected book proposals? Or how about when Bloomberg Global Head Of Television watched CNN and offered me my own show because they liked what I had written on finance. The doors would not have opened up for all those years if it weren't for people saying no first! What if the 50th Barristers chambers had decided, like the others, to reject me? Or my Headmaster had not written that letter which got me in? Or my Law tutor not written to tell me never to give up and what he saw in me?

What if my Oxford politics tutor had not bothered writing the same? How many times would giving up have been the easier choice. And what if I decided not to accept the calls from Government time and again to represent my country. A privilege yes, but it’s a lot easier just to have focussed on making money for myself instead.

And what if I had not given that talk, and that woman was not in the audience, a stranger she was then, who told me this day belongs to me and would be, should come my way. I'm no fool. I married her.

Is it all chance? Is chance just genes and grace?

You keep gathering people you don't want to let you down, not because you believe in you, but because they do. And when those people are in Government and asking you to represent your country - you don't want to let your country down.

Do not be fooled by the picture. Read my CV of failures first. It isn't ever over.I stand on the bones of all those defeats.

And many more never spoken of. No, I dance on the bones of those defeats. When you win, nothing hurts. They never see the tears of fear or sadness, only of joy, don't they? God's delays are not God's denials.To those who took what was mine, who built walls not to let me in, closed doors which rightfully should have been opened. To you, I say, my God, my Queen, and my country believe in me.

But there is solemnity. Of those to whom so much is given, so much is expected— the debt of honour, born of privilege. I shall at some point pause to enjoy it. Always make sure for everyone left behind, you are never less worthy than they. And a lot are left behind and forgotten.

Those that went before, the shopkeepers they mocked, the people with the funny accent, smelly food they laughed at, and people they abused. They all built a reputation on hard work and dignity that opened doors for me because it gave me a brand on the backs of their labours: my father, my family, and my community. I stand on their shoulders. But it was me to whom they gave the medal. It should be them. (But I'll keep it, I'm no fool).

And I dedicated this to the mothers in my life. My wife, the mother of my child, my own mother, and my aunts, who, like mothers to me, raised me and to my grandmother. To the mothers, for the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.

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Sadiq Khan and communities join forces to ensure no Londoner is left behind in vaccine rollout The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that a series of virtual events will take place in the coming weeks as the capital’s health leaders and community representatives join together to ensure that no Londoner is left behind in the vaccine rollout.

The virtual sessions will include representatives from NHS London and London’s diverse communities – including Black, Muslim, Jewish and Eastern European communities - to encourage open and positive conversations on the current situation in London and why vaccines are such a crucial part of keeping us all safe.

The capital’s Black and Asian communities and those living on lower incomes have been impacted disproportionately by the pandemic, and Londoners from minority ethnic backgrounds, and Black Londoners

Dr Vin Diwakar

Dr Salman Waqar

in particular, have been targeted with dangerous misinformation on social media making communities less likely to take up the vaccine.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I don’t want any Londoner to be left behind in the vaccine rollout – particularly those communities who have been so badly affected by the pandemic, with the disproportionate loss of both loved ones and livelihoods. That’s why, working closely with leading community groups and health leaders, we’re hosting these Big

Conversation sessions to encourage frank, honest and open dialogue on the questions and concerns Londoners have about the safety of the jabs. I urge Londoners to join these sessions, to ask the questions you want answered and to take the right action to protect yourself and your loved ones this winter.”

Dr Vin Diwakar, Medical Director for the NHS in London, said: “It is incredibly important that all Londoners have access to accurate information so they can make the right decision to

protect themselves and their loved ones against this virus.

The fact is that the more vaccinated you are, the more protected you are against serious illness and we want all Londoners over the age of 18 to complete all three doses. But it all starts with a first dose, so don’t delay even if you’re starting off with your first dose now – the NHS’ offer to get vaccinated is there for everyone.”

Dr Salman Waqar, General Secretary of BIMA, said: “Many Muslims in the UK are from ethnic minority groups who are at risk of Covid-19 related complications which we know can be minimised by vaccination. It is so important for us to hold spaces for our community to come together and access the information needed to make informed decisions about getting vaccinated so that no one gets left behind.”

Mayor of London and Dhaka write about 'climate migration challenge' Ahead of International Migrants Day - 18 December, in an Op-Ed for the New Statesman, Mayor Sadiq Khan (London) and Mayor Islam (North Dhaka) wrote about how world leaders must prepare for climate migration challenges. Sadiq Khan is also the chair of C40 Cities.

Mohammad Atiqul Islam is Mayor of Dhaka North and vicechair of C40 Cities and co-chair of the C40-MMC Global Mayors Task Force on Climate and Migration.

Here are a few excerpts: “London and Dhaka may be separated by thousands of miles and multiple time zones, but we are united by strong and historic bonds that transcend geography and bring us closer together in today’s globalised world.

“London, for example, is home to a Bangladeshi-origin community of more than 200,000, based mainly in the East End and around the cultural hub of Brick Lane, which makes a significant and positive contribution to the city’s economy. London and Dhaka’s relationship is not only based on business; it is also rooted in human connections between family and friends in the diaspora. This means we share a much deeper affinity, not to mention a mutual love of spicy food and cricket.

“All over the world, people are already being forced to move due to the climate crisis, from small island states in the Pacific to Latin America, South-East Asia, Africa and North America.

The World Bank estimates that 216 million people across six world regions could be displaced within their countries by 2050 due to climate breakdown.

“Tackling this global issue requires collaboration and concerted action. That’s why C40 Cities and the Mayors Migration

Council (MMC) launched the C40-MMC Global Mayors Task Force on Climate and Migration in 2021. The task force is led by the mayors of a diverse group of global cities – including developed, developing, coastal, inland, large and mega-sized cities – which are dedicated to accelerating local, national and international responses to the challenges of climate and migration.

“The C40-MMC Task Force released an Action Agenda at COP26 and will champion this agenda over the next year ahead of Cop27, when progress is needed to secure global net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and mobilise sufficient levels of climate finance, particularly for adaptation in the Global South, to reach the already delayed public commitment of raising $100bn per year.

Mohammad Atiqul Islam, Mayor of Dhaka

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London

"The task force’s agenda urges national governments and international agencies to support cities by investing more in urban resilience to climate hazards, especially in climate-vulnerable countries and communities. They must ensure the protection and inclusion of those displaced by the climate crisis and guarantee equitable access to essential services such as Covid-19 vaccinations.

“Every country, city and individual will be affected by the climate crisis – and so we all have a shared interest in rising to meet this challenge.

Wherever we are in the world, we all benefit from stronger and fairer economies, healthier communities, more equal societies and cleaner air. We have so much to gain by working together, and so much to lose by not doing so."

The Christians release charity single in support of detained British Iranian national Musical ensemble 'The Christians', from Liverpool, England, has released the new single 'Naz Don't Cry' after learning about the case of a British-Iranian national Nazanin ZaghariRatcliffe, featuring her husband Richard and seven-year-old daughter Gabriella.

'Naz Don't Cry' is a new version of their song 'Man Don't Cry'. The band will raise money for Redress which is an international human rights organisation that works to help victims of torture.

Nazanin's husband,

Richard recently spent 21 days on a hunger strike to draw attention to his wife's case.

Mr Christian said: “We want the song to deliver the simple message that we are all still standing shoulder to shoulder with Nazanin, her devoted husband Richard and beautiful daughter Gabriella".

In 2016, Mrs ZaghariRatcliffe was arrested in Iran when she was trying to fly back to the UK, with her daughter Gabriella to see her family.

Naz Don’t Cry is available on Island Records.

Wembley High Road's new paving slabs get covered with red spit stains Brand new paving slabs that were installed a few days ago in Wembley High Road have been covered with red spit stains from tobacco chewers.

Brent Council completed this new stretch of pavement in early December as part of its wider £3.5 million street improvement plan.

In order to tackle this menace, the council has threatened to impose a fine of up to £100. Ex-local councillor Paul Lorber said: “The council have put these new slabs in to meet their own design guide but they should have known Wembley High Road has a notorious paan spitting problem."

in brief in brief VIOLENT CRIMES DIP IN LONDON BUT HOMICIDES REMAIN STEADY According to new City Hall analysis, violent crimes have reduced in London in the past four years however, levels of homicide rates have been steady. The report by the GLA’s City Intelligence Unit, which was published last week, found out that violent crimes in London is 22 per cent lower in 2020-22 than in 2019-20. In the most recent financial year, the number of recorded knife crime victims were 39 per cent lower than in 2019-20 and the number of gun crime victims were 22 per cent lower. However, in 2021, levels of homicide have remained steady with 28 young people killed.

Considering the publication of the analysis, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced Violence Reduction Unit will carry out a new package of measures over the next 12 months to tackle the root causes of crime and support up to 100,000 young Londoners.

SON TRIES MURDERING MUM WITH WASHING LINE NOOSE 20-year-old Kormel Pienczykowski tried murdering his mother with the help of a washing line noose after Googling 'how to kill your mother'. When the victim was doing her household chores, he locked the doors and pounced from behind and tried choking her to death by placing a section of the blue nylon cable around her neck. The victim managed to free herself and call for help.

At first, the mother didn't report the matter, however, Pienczykowski confirmed to the psychiatrist that he tried to kill his mum when his sister accompanied Pienczykowski to an appointment she made for him at Glenfield Hospital's Bradgate psychiatric unit. The police were notified and Pienczykowski was arrested who later pleaded guilty to attempted murder.

Pienczykowski, formerly of Hand Avenue, Braunstone, has been jailed for seven years and four months.

PROTESTS AGAINST NATIONALITY AND BORDERS BILL AT NO 10 On Sunday, organisations including Media Diversified, the Muslim Association of Britain, South Asian solidarity group, Stand up to Racism, the Association of Muslim Lawyers, Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) and Windrush Lives came together in a mass demonstration outside 10 Downing Street. Under provisions in Clause 9 of the Nationality and Borders bill, nearly six million individuals could be stripped of their British citizenship without warning. An online petition signed by over 250,00 people is urging the government to remove Clause 9 from the Nationality and Borders Bill. Clause 9 of the bill, “Notice of decision to deprive a person of citizenship,” which was updated earlier this month, exempts the Government from having to give notice if it is not “reasonably practicable” to do so, or in the interests of national security, diplomatic relations or is otherwise in the public interest. British Sikh MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi said, “Boris Johnson is disgracefully getting someone of Asian heritage to do his dirty work. The Nationality And BordersBill could have enduring disastrous consequences for the citizenship stripping of minorities, and that’s why all fair-minded people in full solidarity must oppose it.”

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£1bn for companies across the UK hit hardest by the pre-Christmas surge Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced £1bn in support for companies across the UK hit hardest by the pre-Christmas surge in the new Omicron variant of coronavirus on Tuesday under tremendous pressure.

While Sunak had presumed that enough had been done to rehabilitate the sector, amid the sudden wave and rising number of cases of Omicron variant of Coronavirus, his presumptions fell flat.

The hospitality and leisure sectors, which have been the hardest hit during the pandemic, will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises — worth a total of up to £683m for England alone for an estimated 200,000 businesses.

The Treasury is also providing a £30m top-up to the Cultural Recovery Fund - which supports institutions such as museums and theatres - and reintroducing the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme which allows small and medium-sized companies to claim compensation from the government for the cost of their employees' sick pay, Sky reported.

According to FT, “£100m of discretionary funding will be made available for councils in England to support companies in other sectors. Ministers will also pledge to cover the cost of statutory sick pay for Covid-related absences for small and medium-sized employers and hand over a further £30m for the Culture Recovery Fund. The final piece of the package is £154m to provide equivalent support in Wales, Scotland and

Northern Ireland.”

The chancellor has also announced a "£30m to top up our successful cultural recovery fund to support institutions like theatres and museums".

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said, "I know the current situation is very difficult especially for those in the hospitality industry so today we are announcing three new measures to help people and businesses.

"Firstly we are announcing a billion pounds in financial grant support which means eligible hospitality companies will be able to claim a cash grant worth up to £6,000.

"And lastly, we are reintroducing our statutory sick pay rebate scheme so that small and medium-sized companies can claim compensation from the government for the cost of sick pay for their employees.

"Taken together, I am confident that these measures will help hundreds of thousands of businesses and the millions of people that they employ."

"Now, of course, I will always respond proportionately and appropriately to the situation that we face, people can have confidence in that, but where we are now we have responded I think generously today.

"The grants that I've outlined, up to £6,000, are comparable to the grants that we provided for hospitality businesses when they were completely closed earlier this year - so there is a benchmark for you."

Indeed a Merry Christmas!

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s much-anticipated address to the country came along with the advice of caution where he said that "people can go ahead with their Christmas plans" but warned that the situation remains "finely balanced" ahead of the New Year. Johnson also urged people to take a test before meeting elderly relatives.

"What I can say tonight is that naturally we can't rule out any further measures after Christmas, and we're going to keep a constant eye on the data - we will do whatever it takes to protect public health," Mr Johnson said.

"But, in view of the continuing uncertainty about several things - the severity of Omicron, uncertainty about the hospitalisation rates or the impact of the vaccine rollout and the boosters - we don't think today that there is enough evidence to justify any tougher measures before Christmas.

"We continue to monitor Omicron very closely and if the situation deteriorates we will be ready to take action if needed."

"People can go ahead with their Christmas plans but the situation remains finely balanced and I would urge everyone to exercise caution, to keep protecting yourselves and your loved ones, especially the vulnerable. "And remember to keep following the guidance - wear a mask indoors when required to do so, keep fresh air circulating, and take a test before you visit

elderly or vulnerable relatives.

"So, if you have not done so already then please drop everything, find a walk-in or go online and make an appointment and get boosted now." the BBC Meanwhile, reported, “Operations may need to be cancelled in the coming weeks at some of London's biggest hospitals. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust has confirmed "routine and nonurgent" operations may be can-

celled due to the Omicron surge. Barts Health NHS Trust has also warned of operation cancellations in the new year. A Barts spokesman stressed services were currently running "as normal" despite rising staff absences.”

The figures also showed that 847 patients were admitted into the hospital. Looking at the trends behind the numbers, the seven-day average for cases is up 63.1%.

For deaths and patients admitted into hospital, it is much flatter - up 0.9% and 2.2% respectively.

There were 988,710 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine recorded in the latest UK figures.

Hospitality fund reaction: Insult to pubs and restaurants on the brink Responding to the Chancellor announcing a new package of support for hospitality businesses, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: "This is an insult to pubs and restaurants on the brink.

The Chancellor must be living on another planet if he thinks this will be enough to save hospitality firms who have seen their Christmas bookings fall off the cliff in recent weeks. It is simply far too little, too late for too few. The Conservatives have buried themselves in their bunker, trying to save themselves rather than save the country from an economic crisis that is hitting family-run businesses the hardest. This miserable offering will do nothing to reboot our economy and will fail to save thousands of independent businesses. Instead of this feeble one-off grant, the Liberal Democrats have demanded bold action which would support businesses for weeks and months to come, including tax cuts."

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Charnwood Borough Council unveils plan of 9000 new jobs, 15,500 new homes The Charnwood Local Plan has unveiled a plan under which nearly 9,000 jobs will be created to help to lead post-pandemic recovery and land has been allocated for sustainable homes where more than 15,500 new homes will be built across

Loughborough and the wider borough to achieve a Government target of 1,111 new homes a year between now and 2037.

Along with this, five news schools will also be built in towns such as Loughborough, Shepshed

and Syston as well as villages Barrow and including Ansteyunder.

Councillor Richard Bailey, the council’s lead member for planning, said that they have submitted their local plan to the Government that included repre-

Police hunt for a man after fatal stabbing of a teenager In connection with the fatal stabbing of a teenager Yahya Sharif in Small Heath, West Midlands Police are hunting for Abdirahaman Yussuf.

The police have already charged a second man for the murder.

West Midlands Police said on December 10, just before 5.30 pm, the 18-yearold died after being stabbed on Coventry Road, Small Heath.

On December 18 Cops revealed the name and has

Yahya Sharif

urged members of the public to call 999 if they locate Yussuf.

"We continue to investigate Yahya’s death and still want to hear from anyone who may be able to help us, " one of the officers said.

"If you don’t want to speak to us, call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. They won’t take your name, address or any other personal details. They just want the information you have. You may even be entitled to claim a reward for your information."

Ex-Wolverhampton councillor and wife commit fraud over bogus Covid loan Former Wolverhampton councillor Harman Banger and his wife Neena Kumari have been convicted of swindling thousands from a government Covid scheme to revive a defunct pizza shop.

He has been accused of abusing his position of power to exploit Covid bounce back loans offered to struggle businesses.

Ex-councillor and his wife applied for a £10,000 small business grant for Pizza Plus even though it

Harman Banger

was defunct and had no electricity supply.

On December 17, the couple was convicted of

fraud by false representation at Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court.

Wendy Stevens, the specialist fraud prosecutor at CPS, said: "As a trusted, elected official, Harman Banger abused his position of power alongside his wife Neena Kumari in order to defraud the public at a time of national crisis".

On January 14, Banger, 40, and Kumari, 38, will be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court.

Mum dies in a week after catching Covid 38-year-old Nuria Daniela Gomes was tested positive for the virus on December 2 and assured her loved ones not to worry. However, in a week's time, her health deteriorated and she passed away on December 9 leaving behind her devastated daughters Erica, 20, and Myra, 17.

Daughter Erica recalled the traumatic minutes to the Manchester Evening News

reports.

She said: "Mum didn't want to sleep alone so we put a mattress in her room. We

could hear she was struggling to breathe. I was panicking, but she said she was fine. When we switched the light on we saw her hands were purple, her lips were purple and her eyes looked huge. It was really disturbing."

Sisters performed CPR until paramedics arrived but they believe that their mother died before she could make it to Whiston Hospital.

Jagtar Singh Johal’s brother makes a plea for his release Scottish solicitor Gurpreet Singh Johal has made a plea for his brother’s release from detention in India. Jagtar Singh Johal was arrested and detained in 2017, after his wedding in Punjab. He is accused of paying £4000 into a murder plot motivated by religion and politics. His family strongly believes the accusations are connected to his online Sikh activism.

A trial is yet to be held after four years. UK MPs have raised grave concerns over his alleged torture.

However, Indian authorities have dismissed the criticism, claiming to have enough evi-

dence.

Meanwhile. Gurpreet believes only public pressure will move his brother’s plight to change. Jagtar has been subjected to over 235 hearings and yet, no evidence has

been produced against him, nor have any charges been framed.

Gurpreet said his entire family “is being punished for something he has not been tried or convicted”.

sentations from residents, developers and other organisations.

The plan was developed with the help of four public consultations, including the latest one that took place in the summer which attracted more than 700 representations.

Hermes couriers mishandle parcels, insults customers Couriers working for Britain's largest delivery company Hermes, which delivers online orders for retailers including John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Next have been accused of mishandling parcels, failing to complete next-day orders and lying to the customers. This was exposed by an undercover reporter of The Times who worked as a courier at Hermes for a month.

According to the reporter, managers used to be spectators when workers used to throw parcels across a depot to save time sorting them.

Retailers that use the company for the deliveries are worried about the investigation findings and are seeking urgent explanations.

Meanwhile, Hermes has begun a “full investigation”.

Building the Network of Liberty Foreign Secretary Liz Truss gave a speech at Chatham House to set out how the UK is building a network of liberty around the world.

She said, “The world is moving very fast, and ideas are moving even faster.

“This revolution is why we enjoy incredible freedom, powered by free enterprise and technology.

Our businesses are driving the Covid recovery; our scientists are saving the world through their miracle vaccines, and we’re vaccinating the British population in record time.

“It is time to dump the baggage, ditch the introspection and step forward, proud of who we are and what we stand for, ready to shape the world anew. Let’s stop fighting about the past. Let’s start fighting for the future.

“By championing our ideas, building our influence and inspiring others with our cause, we can forge ahead as a global network of liberty.

Govt urges former teachers to return to classrooms following staff shortages The Department for Education (DfE) has issued an appeal to former teachers to return to the classroom next year in a bid to combat staff shortages. The government has called upon recently retired teachers or those who trained as teachers and changed careers to “find even a day a week for the spring term to help protect face-to-face education.”

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi urged available ex-teachers to return to the classroom to apply on the Get Into Teaching website. He added they should ideally start the process before Christmas Eve, and prepare to join the workforce from January. The rising cases of the Omicron Covid variant is expected to drive up staff absence levels in the spring term. The headteachers’ unions have also warned of possible disruption to in-person lessons.

in brief KIDNAP KILLER REVEALS BURIAL PLACE AFTER 51 YEARS A killer kidnapper convicted of one of Britain’s most notorious murders has finally revealed where his victim is buried 51 years after her death. There has been immense pressure on the police from the family of victim Muriel McKay to excavate the site and recover her remains after the confession by Nizamodeen Hosein, 75. McKay was the victim of a bungled kidnapping by Hosein and his older brother Arthur in 1969. She was mistaken for the wife of Rupert Murdoch.

Hosein informed a barrister representing the victim’s family of the location of her burial, claiming that she died from a heart attack two days into the 40-day ransom attempt.

McKay was 55 at the time. Hosein and his brother has demanded £1 million for her return, denied killing her but were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the country’s first conviction for a murder without a body.

PIERS CORBYN REPORTEDLY ARRESTED FOR TELLING CROWDS TO BURN DOWN MP OFFICES English businessman and antivaccination activist Piers Corbyn has been arrested after a video featured him telling other anti-vaxxers to burn MPs’ offices down.

The video which is making the rounds on the internet, shows Corbyn criticising politicians who voted for Covid restrictions.

The 73-year-old brother of Jeremy Corbyn is heard telling the crowd, “You’ve got to get a list of them … and if your MP is one of them, go to their offices and, well, I would recommend burning them down, okay. But I can’t say that on air. I hope we’re not on air.”

The Metropolitan Police confirmed a man in his 70s has been arrested on suspicion of encouragement to commit arson, and that he remains in police custody. Several politicians have reacted to the video, with Home Secretary Priti Patel calling it “sickening”.

SHAMIMA BEGUM DENIED RETURN TO THE UK The Supreme Court has ruled against ‘Jihadi Bride’ Shamima Begum’s cross-appeal to return to contest the removal of her citizenship. The ruling overturns a decision by the Court of Appeal in July last year that would have allowed the 21-year-old to return to the UK from a Syrian refugee camp she currently resides in. The ruling was to decide whether Begum had the right to “cross-appeal” over how the Special Immigration Appeals Commission had decided an element of her appeal against the decision to deprive her of her citizenship.

The move is a victory for Home Secretary Priti Patel, whose department revoked her British citizenship, and has fought to prevent her return. Begum left her home in east London in 2015 with two school friends for Syria, where she married a foreign fighter.

She was later found in a Syrian refugee camp

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PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH UK GOVERNMENT

SAFE CELEBRATIONS WITH LOVED ONES Republic is an Indian restaurant on Chiswick High Road, which is known to be a leafy district with a village feel. While Republic’s launch was delayed by a year due

Let’s help protect each other during the Christmas and New Year celebrations Rupanjana Dutta It is necessary to create a safe space for friends and family this festive season, so that everyone can enjoy without fear. The year has been difficult for many people, and this is a chance to spend quality time with the near and dear ones celebrating the festive season.

But due to the new Omicron variant it’s important that everyone observes Covid-19 safe behaviours and takes extra caution to keep themselves, families, and friends safe over the holiday. The following are four simple steps to do so: ventilate your homes, businesses or venues, test regularly, wear a mask indoors, especially in crowded spaces and get your vaccine or booster jabs as soon as possible.

These guidelines are not only meant to ensure our own safety but also help those we are spending time with during Christmas and New Year’s Eve, whether it’s at home or outside at parties.

How to stay safe this festive season?

1

‘Get Boosted Now’ Close contact with others increases your chances of catching Covid. The new Omicron Covid-19 variant is spreading fast. This means it will quickly infect very large number of people and anyone who is unvaccinated. Every adult in the country now needs to get a Covid-19 booster vaccine, because two doses does not give you enough protection against catching Omicron. Get your booster now at

nhs.uk/covidvaccination.

Get Boosted Now is the national mission to build a wall of defence against the new Omicron variant. This mission is more urgent and more important than ever before with Covid because Omicron Covid-19 is spreading fast.

Vaccines are the best way we can protect ourselves.

You can get a Covid-19 booster 12 weeks after your second dose.

Boosters give you the best possible protection against the virus and should significantly reduce your risk of serious illness and hospitalisation.

2

Take a test before meeting others • Remember to take a lateral flow test before meeting up with friends and family this festive season. If your test is positive, you must self-isolate and take a PCR test.

You are at higher risk of catching or passing on Covid-19 in crowded and enclosed spaces where there are more people who might be infectious and where there is limited fresh air.

• Take a lateral flow test if you are expecting there to be a period of higher risk on the day.

This includes spending more time in crowded, enclosed, and busy spaces or before visiting people that are more at risk of severe illness if they get Covid-19.

• If you have been in contact with someone with Covid-19 and are double vaccinated you should take a daily rapid lateral flow test for 7 days if you have no symptoms.

• This will help slow the spread of the virus and allow you and your loved ones to continue your plans that day if you test negative.

• This applies to those who have been contact traced officially and those who have found out in

any other way.

3

Let in fresh air when meeting indoors • Letting in fresh air can help reduce the spread of Covid-19 - opening doors and windows even for 10 minutes when you are meeting indoors can help you and your loved ones stay safe.

• Wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed areas, especially where you meet people you do not normally meet.

• To protect yourself and others, face coverings must be worn in shops and on public transport.

4

Wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed areas From Friday 10 December, face coverings have become compulsory in most public indoor venues, such as cinemas, theatres, and places of worship. There are exemptions in venues where it is not practical to wear one, such as when you are eating, drinking, or exercising.

• Wearing a face covering can help reduce the spread of the virus. It is now a legal requirement to wear face coverings on public transport, in shops and in other places like hairdressers. A full list is available on GOV.UK. • Don’t breathe the disease onto others. Wear a mask in enclosed spaces.

• Those with Covid-19 release contagious droplets when they exhale. You can get Covid-19 even if you have been fully vaccinated.

1 in 3 people who have Covid-19 have been asymptomatic.

• Wear a face covering over your mouth and nose in enclosed spaces, so that if you have coronavirus without your knowledge, you reduce risk of breathing on to others.

Kuldeep and Mustaq, founders of Republic in Chiswick

to Covid, co-founder Mustaq Tappewale told Asian Voice, what precautions they are taking to keep their staff and customers safe as the pandemic continues.

He said, “Face mask is compulsory for all the staff.

We have also compulsory face masks for customers walking around in the restaurants, except those exempted. We have hand sanitisers on every side station and the tables are disinfected after every seating with specialised wipes. Staff are needed to do lateral flow tests every week. They are all double jabbed, but we are asking them to get their booster jabs as soon as possible.” *** Yogesh Patel, from BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden told this newsweekly, “All the staff, volunteers and visitors are advised to wear masks/face coverings at all times whilst in indoor spaces within the mandir (temple). The mandir has an in-built ventilation system which is further supplemented by keeping doors and windows open as necessary to ensure circulation

of fresh air.

“We ask and encourage visitors before they come to maintain at least one metre distance from others where possible unless they are within their family bubble. Signage around the mandir also indicates this. Each area in the mandir has a predetermined visitor capacity depending on the size of that area.

“For all devotees attending mandir events, they are advised to ensure that no one in the household has symptoms prior to leaving home. We recommend everyone to have home tests prior to visiting or volunteering at the mandir. We also strongly encourage all (those eligible) who visit to be at least doublevaccinated and are confident that all our volunteers are double jabbed. For those eligible, booster vaccines are also strongly advocated.” *** Dr Helen Lawal said, “Christmas is around the corner and as we are all looking forward to spending more time with family and friends. It’s so important to remember that Covid-19

Dr Helen Lawal

hasn’t gone away. With this in mind make sure that you are taking the necessary precautions to minimise the risk of the virus spreading. You can do this by making sure indoor spaces are well ventilated by opening windows, even just for ten minutes. Not only this, wearing face coverings on public transport, in public enclosed spaces, in large groups and taking a rapid Covid-19 lateral flow test before special occasions such as meeting up with friends and family or celebrating Christmas with work colleagues will help stop the spread of the virus and keep each other safe.”

Celebrate this festive season safely. For more information visit gov.uk/coronavirus

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50th Anniversary of Glorious Victory Day of Bangladesh On the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh, Saida Muna Tasneem, High Commissioner for Bangladesh to the United Kingdom, Permanent Representative to IMO, extended her wishes on social media saying, “Heartiest felicitations to Bangladeshis living in UK&Ireland on the 50th Anniversary of Glorious Victory Day of Bangladesh.

My tribute2 #FatheroftheNation Salute2valiant #FreedomFighters Homage to 3 million martyrs &morethan 200,000 Bengaleewomen #supremesacrifice #1971WarofLiberation.”

Rami Ranger tweeted.

To mark Bangladesh’s Victory Day, Tower Bridge was bathed in the colours of Bangladesh’s flag to cele-

green to commemorate 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence."

City of London Corporation Policy Chair Catherine McGuinness said: “The Square Mile is all about bringing communities together and celebrating our amazing spirit and diversity. This helps make us so special. Our status as a leading global financial centre hinges on our shared values of diversity and inclusion. We are proud to support our Bangladeshi community.”

There is a thriving community

Flag hoisting ceremony at Bangladesh High Commission London

HC Saida Muna Tasneem

Remembering Bangladesh's Glorious Victory Day

The High Commissioner also shared photographs of the flag hoisting ceremony at 28 Queens Gate, which was followed by messages & prayers for the martyred and fallen during Bangladesh Liberation War 1971 and homage was paid to Jatir Pita reaffirmed oath to uphold secular Bangladesh.

“The Independent and free people of Bangladesh are making a great contribution to the world.

Congratulations. Joy Bangla,” Lord

brate the contribution of the Bangladeshi community to London and the City, and mark 50 years of the country’s independence. London is home to a large Bangladeshi population, with the first migrants arriving as early as the seventeenth century.

Councilman - City of London, Mansur Ali CC tweeted, "I am delighted that yesterday one of my initiatives, with the support of my City colleagues, took shape as we lit up the iconic @TowerBridge in red and

within the City, and its neighbouring borough of Tower Hamlets is home to the largest Bangladeshi population in the UK. The Bangladeshi community have made a major contribution to the UK in many areas including commerce, politics, art, culture and food.

There are currently five Bangladeshi MPs and many examples of important contributions to the media and business worlds, and numerous well-known artists and writers.

Tower Bridge lit up with green and red colours to mark Bangladesh's 50 glorious years

Outdoor weddings and civil partnerships consultation launched Marrying couples will have greater choice in how they celebrate their big day under government plans to legalise outdoor weddings in England and Wales.

It follows temporary legislation introduced in July, which allowed outdoor civil wedding and partnership ceremonies for the first time.

A consultation launched today seeks views on making this change permanent. It will also examine extending it to religious weddings so that these can take place outdoors at places of worship for the first time for most faiths, such as in the grounds of a church or chapel. Around 55,000 weddings a year would be affected by this change – in 2017, 96% of these were Christian ceremonies. No religious group would be obliged to provide outdoor ceremonies, and existing protections to safeguard religious freedoms would remain in place.

Prior to last summer’s legislation, civil ceremonies at an approved premise such as a hotel had to take place indoors or otherwise

within a permanent structure, such as a bandstand.

Couples can now have the whole ceremony outside on the grounds of such

a venue – providing greater flexibility, especially during the pandemic when there are important public health considerations to take into account.

Ministers would like to hear from professionals, religious bodies and couples who have used the current provisions or who would consider using the provisions in the future, in order to understand how they have worked or might work in practice and whether they should remain in force beyond April 2022.

A Law Commission review will separately present options for further marriage reforms to the Government.

Kenton hospice unsafe for care?

St Luke’s Hospice in Kenton Grange has reportedly been rated ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission citing that several people will be at risk due to this situation. Dirty equipment and inadequate medicines are being cited as the primary reason for this rating.

The Harrow Times reported that according to Inspectors found suction pumps and resuscitation trolleys were “visibly dirty and dusty”, while some weekly cleaning checklists for portable toilets and oxygen machines were left incomplete.

There implied increased risk of infection, also stating that storage was ‘cluttered’ and many expired medicines, some of which

are needed for emergency procedures were allegedly found at the hospice.

In a joint statement, St Luke’s chief executive Alpana Malde and its chairman Gillian Schiller said: “We are pleased that the report recognises how valued we are by those who use our services but extremely disappointed with our overall downgrade.

“We take this very seriously and have already reviewed and improved working practices ahead of the CQC’s return visit.

“Our colleagues, patients and local community deserve nothing but the best, and we have tightened up our systems rapidly so that we can provide the highest level of care to the people that we serve.”

Compassion

Rohit Vadhwana As the year 2021 ends, we have seen the trough and crest of covid waves, giving us strong challenges and chances to bring the best out of ourselves. People needed to pull all their resources to fight against this difficult time. Finance, relations, health, strength and endurance - everything was stretched and tested during the time of the pandemic. Among all, what is most strikingly coming out as a message for humanity is kindness. Without kindness, it would not have been possible to sail through this tough time. Our helpfulness transcended all the boundaries and limitations to save each other. It kept the society, economy and people afloat. So, the best message of the year was kindness - generosity and selfless services to humanity.

You might have seen and shown compassion during the year in some form or other but as the year ends, it is better to take it as a lesson for the future as well. It will be the best takeaway out of the year to make the future safe and prosperous. If one can decide to maintain a considerate attitude towards others' problems, it will ensure a better future for everyone. Throughout the evolution of humankind, we have relied on the support of other elements of the universe. Our progress also depends on the sacrifices made by others - by way of contributing through physical labour, scientific development and societal progress. We are benefited from animals, birds and other living beings from the time mankind have come into existence. It is time to be altruistic and magnanimous to others - both to humans and non-human.

While we take a pledge to maintain a kinder attitude in the future, it is important to make it more specific. A doctor can decide to be forgiving in terms of fees for poor people, a lawyer can provide free counsel to the needy and a teacher may decide to give some time in free tuition to deprived students. If you have any possibility where kindness can flow from your profession or skill, that chance should be considered as a blessing. You can decide to make the best use of this opportunity to be generous towards disadvantaged people.

There are many people living in poverty and suffering pain. They need a nudge from those who are placed in privileged situations. Those who are blessed with wealth and prosperity should come forward to genuinely share the resources they can for others. It differs from person to person as to what kind of support and sympathy one can extend, but there is always someone in need of it. There is no competition or comparison. Every little thing counts towards the betterment of someone. If you can commit yourself to at least one act of benevolence in the next year, that will go a long way. Continuing with this approach, your accumulated contribution in a lifetime will be so generous to make yourself proud. Decide the kind of kindness that you can extend to others.

(Expressed opinions are personal)

More than half of UK workers wouldn’t ask a colleague how much they earn to determine unequal pay More than half (56%) of workers in the UK say they don't feel confident in asking a colleague how much they earned to determine if there was an unequal pay situation, a survey by Leigh Day has found.

The survey of more than 2,000 workers, found that more women (57%) than men (54%) didn’t feel confident in raising the issue.

Leigh Day currently represents more than 55,000 shop workers from Asda,

Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons and Next in some of the UK’s biggest equal pay cases.

The difference in hourly pay for shop workers and those in a distribution centre can range between £1.50

to £4 an hour, which could mean a disparity in pay of many thousands of pounds.

The firm believes the average worker could be entitled to in excess of £10,000 for up to six years’ back pay. Some may be entitled to as much as £25,000 According to the poll, conducted by Censuswide for Leigh Day, three in 10 (32%) employees don’t believe they know their legal rights in the workplace.

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Indians for India!

Ruchi Ghanashyam Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam is the former High Commissioner of India to the UK. With a career in Indian Foreign Service for over 38 years, she has been posted in many countries including South Africa, Ghana, before arriving in the UK. She was only the second woman High Commissioner to the UK since India’s independence and during her tenure, she witnessed a number of significant developments in the UK-India relations. @RuchiGhanashyam

It is said that one can take an Indian out of India but not India out of an Indian. This is true even for those Indians who are happy residents and citizens of another country. Every Indian carries with him/ her the heritage and culture of India. They share the joy of Indian music, dance, art, or Bollywood, and if nothing else, Indian cuisine! They may call another part of the world home, but long to visit their roots in India, meet family and friends, and those who are fortunate enough, manage to visit India for shopping, especially at wedding times!

It is heartwarming to see Indians abroad celebrating Indian festivals, observing Indian traditions, building temples, mosques and Gurudwaras, forming Indian associations and taking an active interest in developments back home.

Our compatriots abroad seem as united and as divided as the rest of us in India.

In most countries, there is an Indian Association that welcomes all Indians and people of Indian origin. Several years ago, I was somewhat amused to find that the Indian Association in one country served as a kind of South Asian association and included Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, who with their minuscule numbers were happy to share the joys of togetherness with other Indians. The very same people also celebrate their identities as Bengalis, Oriya, Tamil etc, and these divisions are even caste-based in some rare cases.

A commitment to the progress and development of India amongst the people of Indian origin seems to exist across continents. Thus, when the Swachh Bharat campaign was launched in India, we found a number of our people in South Africa taking interest in its implementation in different parts of India. In our outreach, we found some innovative efforts even at the individual level. A number of private individuals and their trusts support various causes in India, including the welfare of women and children, including girls and widows, education and healthcare, skill development and others. In fact, my hus-

band and his Indian-origin friend are engaged in one such effort to make youngsters physically active through TOPYA, the company that promotes this through its online programme.

Earlier in December, I was happy to see another such effort move forward. While in London, I had become acquainted with efforts to set up the BAPIO Training Academy, an associate of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), an organisation representing doctors of Indian origin. In collaboration with UK Universities and Indian Institutions, BAPIO started an Indo UK fellowship programme in different specialities with 2 years of training in India and 2 years in the UK aimed at providing enhanced competencies to Indian MBBS doctors and serving India better on their return.

BAPIO doctors were struck by the pressure put on health systems by globalisation and its impact on social cohesion in many countries. Health systems are key constituents of the architecture of contemporary societies but are often underperforming and unable to deliver levels of national health coverage to meet demands and changing needs. With health systems unable to meet expectations, despite the mounting costs, there’s an urgent need for such interventions. The pandemic has exposed the fragility of the healthcare system almost everywhere. The need for higher outlays to health is not in question, but with economies struggling under lockdowns imposed due to the pandemic, citizens need to come forward as well.

Doctors, nurses and other non-physician clinicians play an increasing role in both industrialised and developing countries. The current pandemic highlights the need for every healthcare system to have sufficient numbers of adequately trained doctors/clinicians. In pursuit of this objective, BTA joined hands with the Ujala Cygnus group in a collaborative effort that will commence at the Ujala Cygnus chain of hospitals. A group of interested doctors already working at Ujala will be recruited for this programme and enrolled in MSc in Acute Medicine, which will provide them with knowledge, hands-on clinical training and bedside medicine by local faculty topped up virtually by a UK based faculty.

40 trainees would be enrolled for the first pilot.

The candidates will also be able to sit for either of the three Royal College exams: MRCGP (UK) from Royal College of General Physicians, MRCP (Acute Medicine) from Royal College of Physicians, and MRCEM (UK) from Royal College of Emergency Medicine, in the UK. We saw doctors and professionals from BAPIO help numerous Indians stranded in the UK following the lockdown during the first wave of the pandemic last year. It is hoped that this program will contribute to skilling up medical doctors in India and building acumen for treating patients at par with international standards, in yet another example of Indians working for India’s development.

Trafalgar Square New Year’s Eve celebration cancelled Mayor Sadiq Khan cancelled the Trafalgar Square New Year’s Eve celebration because of the surge of omicron cases in London.

Khan said: “With infections of Covid-19 at record levels across our city and the UK, I’m determined to work closely with partners in our city to do everything we possibly can to slow the spread of the new variant and ensure our NHS services are not overwhelmed this winter.

“This means that we will no longer be hosting a celebration event for 6,500 people on Trafalgar Square this New Year’s Eve. This will be very disappointing for many Londoners, but we must take the right steps

to reduce the spread of the virus. I’m proud that we will still have an incredible broadcast spectacular to watch on our screens, which will showcase our great city to the rest of the world.

“Our world-renowned retail, hospitality, tourism, nightlife and cultural businesses are already suffering from the impact of the latest wave of Covid cases during what is usually their busiest time of the year. I continue to urge the Chancellor to step up with a package of support to help businesses through this difficult time and to ensure they will be able to survive and help drive our economy forward again next year.”

Anita Goyal's Voices From Gujarat now available on Amazon Anita Goyal's much-awaited book, Voices From Gujarat, is now available on Amazon.

CEO of the Hemraj Goyal Foundation, Anita Goyal MBE has always been passionate about celebrating the strength and voices of women.

The book captures the stories of twenty-one prominent and influential Gujarati women. Whilst each of them has led a unique life, their resilience and strength is universal. Their stories will resonate with women from all around the world. In a collection of interviews, these prominent women share stories of their careers and achievements whilst reflecting on their upbringing within the Gujarati community in the UK. They reflect on the values instilled by their families and how their upbringing in a mixed Gujarati-British culture has shaped their approach to life, empowering them to break new ground and encouraging others in the process.

Dealing with the complexities of a dual identity and maintaining a work-life balance, their stories also serve to show the sacrifices made by these women and those who came before them to pave the way for future generations.

The women featured in the book are MasterChef UK Semi-Finalist, Nisha Parmar; Journalist and broadcaster Sonali Shah; Ameesha Bhudia, a dedicated and award-winning sportswoman practicing

“Anita has encapsulated the essence of Gujarati women at their best. The contribution of UK’s Gujarati women to British society is hugely inspirational and this book is perhaps one of the best portrayals of determined women willing to transform communities.”

CB Patel, Editor - Asian Voice Martial Arts; Panna Vekaria who tells her story of being a single parent whilst facing the onset of early menopause; Dr Yoge Patel, an authoritative and respected figure in the Aerospace and Maritime Industry; Shivali Bhammer, a British-born singer, writer, public speaker and actress; Hansa Pankhania, who offers training and coaching to help people become stress-free and successful; Nishma Gosrani OBE, a partner at a leading Strategy Consulting Firm in Financial Services; Minal Mehta, a recognised leader for driving diversity and inclusion; Naomi Dattani, professional cricketer for Sunrisers and sports coach for Middlesex; Lavina Mehta MBE, a British Asian award-winning Personal Trainer; Heena Solanki, a leader in her field of event design and management in London; Nina Amin MBE, a chartered accountant, one of

Anita Goyal

the founders of Unicorn Ascension Fund (a UK based technology fund; Trupti Patel, a civil engineer, the first female president of the Hindu Forum of Britain; Varsha Mistry, a Forensic Practitioner specialising in detecting and recovering fingerprint evidence; Heeral Shah, Head of UK Debt Structuring, Global Lending Group, Corporate Banking at Barclays Bank; Kalpana Doshi, a professional laughter

yoga leader who also works fulltime in visitor experience at the iconic Victoria and Albert Museum in London; Kamu Palan, Director of Golden Tours, a travel company which she co-founded with her husband Nitin Palan MBE; Chandni Vora, the Chief Operating Officer at Vascroft Contractors Ltd; Krishna Pujara, Chief Executive of Enfield Saheli; Dr Trisha Radia, an acute paediatrician at King’s College Hospital.

Says Anita,'No matter the reader’s background, I strongly believe that they will be able to relate to the key messages shared by these women; they are relevant to anyone who has prevailed against hardship and come out more determined on the other side.'

Anita Goyal is a renowned author (Voices from Punjab, Troubador Publishing), award-winning philanthropist, a chair and trustee of many charitable organisations and foundations and the host of the podcast Relight Your Fire.

She sits on the Board of Trustees of the Hallmark Care Homes Foundation, holds the position of Vice President of Barnardo’s and is an ambassador of the Alzheimer’s Society alongside her involvement with a number of other related charities. In 2014, she launched Ultimate You, an organisation delivering educational workshops and seminars.

The book is dedicated to her husband Avnish Goyal who is a celebrated entrepreneur and a noted philanthropist.

10 UK

AsianVoiceNews

25 - 31 December 2021

Are Christmas trees environmentally unfriendly?

Thank you for GS/AV of 18th December 21.

Please convey our Heartiest congratulations to Ms Namishaben Madhvani on her appointment as High Commissioner for Uganda in the UK. As one of the Ugandan Lohana, I had an opportunity to meet her Father Late Shree Jayantbhai Madhvani was such a friendly down to earth and a good listener and caring person. We wish Nimishaben every success and enjoyable term in office.

The appointment is rightly timed at the 50th anniversary of the expulsion of Asians from Uganda in 1972 by dictator Idi Amin. Om Namah Shivay.

Ravindra J Nathwani Exeter

Britain is first and foremost a friendly Christian nation.

No wonder we all celebrate and enjoy Christmas holidays, irrespective of our own culture and religion. Then, it is the greatness of Hindu (Hindus, Jains Sikhs) culture and religion that we can mix and assimilate with any culture with ease, without feeling outsider or alien! No wonder Hindus are considered hard-working, well-educated with the lowest crime rate and lowest prison population.

One tradition I feel is out of step with the present environment is the use of Christmas trees practically in every home, especially in America where no home could be seen without lights and trees clearly visible from front glass windows! Britain alone uses four million homegrown trees.

Those who may have visited the USA during this festive season will never forget their experience, full of joy, tradition, charm and sheer enthusiasm found nowhere else in the world. Vast farmlands are cultivated for this festive season, planted with Christmas trees which are harvested at the age of five years, depending on the height, size and demand.

As these trees are thrown away after the festive season is over, it is indeed a waste of fertile land, especially now that artificial plastic trees are so real looking, cheap to buy, environmentally friendly and can be used year after year, thus negating the need of homegrown trees.

The land can be used much more effectively for agriculture or forestation to reduce carbon build-up that harms the environment with a raised temperature, forest fires and unseasonal rainfalls, resulting in floods and destruction of crops, thus causing food shortages and even famines in many African countries. It also leads to internal strife, civil war and unimaginable human sufferings, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya and Somalia are prime examples of human sufferings beyond imagination!

It is the right time to move forward, leave obsolescent, medieval time behind, with courage, confidence and purpose to save our planet; our way of life; after all, we have only one mother earth to rely on!

“Priti Patel for PM?” “Priti Patel for PM?” as reported in AV dated 18-24 Dec 2021 is good news at a first glance but when we try to understand and analyse the current geopolitical situation of the country, it can be concluded that anybody who takes over as the PM will be made a scapegoat. This is not the time to think and waste time and resources on issues like the Christmas party in 2020 at Downing Street or who paid the money for the refurbishment of PM’s flat. When the country is passing through a crisis situation, there is no shortcut or a quick fax solution. Changing the PM will not change the situation of the country immediately. It will create more problems in short term.

We understand that some of the members of the conservative party are not happy with the PM because of the measures taken to contain the spread of the Omicron virus. The leader of the country has been acting based on the advice provided by the scientific advisors who are experts, knowledgeable and have more robust data to support. Hence a myopic approach by a handful of people should not derail the efforts and hard work done by many people. To save the NHS and the country from a full lockdown, stringent measures must be implemented as soon as they are required.

Can we please spare the PM for the next 6 months and allow him to focus on the eminent virus threat and how to tackle it, how to boost the economic recovery and other more important issues which are touching our daily lives. Please put party politics apart and concentrate on more challenging and real issues. Changing the person at the top will not resolve or mitigate the problems overnight unless the incumbent comes with a magic stick.

Hitesh Hingu London

Bhupendra M. Gandhi

London has the highest number of people at risk from flooding

precisely with available technology, governments can plan responses that minimise the danger and disruption caused by increasing coastal floods.’

The events of the summer of 2007 demonstrated the major impacts floods can have. They also showed the importance of understanding the flood risks we

face nationally so that we can be better prepared to face future risks. In all, around 5.2 million properties in England, or one in six properties, are at risk of flooding. More than 5 million people live and work in 2.4 million properties that are at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea, one million of which are also at risk

of surface water flooding. A further 2.8 million properties are susceptible to surface water flooding alone.

This National Flood Risk Assessment examines where flooding could occur in all 69 river catchments and the coastline around England using 39 weather patterns of varying severity and likelihood. The assessment includes the extent to which flood defence structures reduce the chance of flooding and what might happen if they overtop or fail. Regionally, London has the highest number of people at risk from flooding. In the Greater London area, there are 542,000 properties – around one million people – located in the floodplain.

Government to compensate wrongly convicted sub-postmasters The government is to provide the money to compensate former Post Office workers wrongly convicted of theft in one of Britain’s biggest miscarriages of justice, media reports suggest.

Postal Affairs Minister Paul Scully said: "We want to see these postmasters with quashed convictions compensated fairly and swiftly. I am pleased to confirm that

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READERS' VOICE

Heartiest congratulations to Ms Namishaben Madhvani

According to Climate Central’s interactive coastal risk screening tool, it’s predicted that many areas of London, including Merton, Kensington and Chelsea, will be seriously affected by flooding.

The agency said, ‘The sea-level rise and coastal flood risks illustrated in our maps are based on current peer-reviewed research, including the latest IPCC projections published earlier this year, and the most accurate global coastal elevation dataset available,’ explains Peter Girard from the organisation. Our tools visualise the best available science on the risks posed by rising seas and identify at-risk areas. Assessing those more

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

today the government is making funding available to facilitate Post Office to make final compensation payments to postmasters whose convictions have been overturned. By providing this funding, the government is helping Post Office deliver the fair compensation postmasters deserve."

Between 2000 and 2014, the Post Office prosecuted

736 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses - an average of once a week - based on information from a recentlyinstalled computer system called Horizon.

The government had reportedly agreed to cover interim payments up to £100,000 for each sub-postmaster whose conviction had been overruled and

pressure was rising for the state to cover the legal fees of the victims.

A publication said that the government did not provide a specific figure on how much the total settlement would be but it could reach into hundreds of millions of pounds.

Physical violence against MetPolice at protests The MetPolice officers are said to have suffered “physical violence” amid clashes outside Whitehall in Westminster at the hands of anti-vaccine protesters. As the police struggled to control the crowd outside the entrance to Downing Street, demonstrators threw projectiles, beer cans, metal railing and screamed insults. Some of them shouted “Nazi pricks”, “How do you sleep at night?” and “Shame on you”.

Mayor Sadiq Khan declared this “a major incident” as UK crossed a daily Covid cases number of 90,418.

Dr Rachel Clarke, an NHS palliative care doctor,

wrote: “The London Ambulance Service was 100 ambulances down because nearly 400 staff are off with Covid. But these charmers still chose to congregate in their unmasked thousands.”

Dr Julia Grace Patterson tweeted: “If you want to avoid more restrictions, congregating at a time when a new variant is accelerating isn’t a fantastic plan.”

The anti-lockdown protest was arranged by Together Declaration, a group claiming to “unite people from all walks of life to oppose the government’s draconian response to Covid”.

Deputy Mayor of Transport quits Heidi Alexander, the deputy mayor for transport, has resigned and she leaves her position with £132,664-ayear. This is despite Transport for London’s long-term funding still being unresolved and an ongoing funding crisis.

She said: “It has been an enormous privilege to work with Sadiq and so many brilliant colleagues at both TfL and City Hall during the last three-and-a-half years.

“I have learnt from some exceptionally talented people and I am tremendously proud of the way we kept London moving through one of the most difficult periods in its history.

“The work we have done on Crossrail, protecting free travel for children and young people, cleaning up London’s air and making cycling safer is critically important for our city and I am pleased to have been able to make a positive contribution to those efforts.”

Sadiq Khan Khan said: “I want to thank Heidi for her exceptional service to London as deputy mayor for transport. Heidi has worked tirelessly to support our public transport during the

Heidi Alexander

last three-and-a-half years.

In particular, I’d like to pay tribute to Heidi for tirelessly leading TfL through the pandemic - the most difficult period in its history. She is without doubt one of the most dedicated, resilient and respected politicians I have ever worked with and I wish her all the best for the future.

“I am delighted that Seb Dance has agreed to become our new deputy mayor for Transport. I look forward to working with him to strengthen our public transport network, ensure the Elizabeth Line is a success and continuing to improve TfL as an organisation.”

Mr Dance was an MEP until the UK withdrew from the European Parliament in 2020 as part of Brexit.

Not Priti, it’s Truss versus Sunak for PM? In a recent round of rumours and possibilities, it is being said that the competition between politicians to run for the PM’s office is not between Home Secretary Priti Patel, but in fact among Lizz Truss and Rishi Sunak. The Sun reported, “The two main challengers — Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss — will square

up as they try to fight it out for the keys to No10. They are both more classic Tories than Boris, with his freespending and high-tax agenda, and will need to demonstrate it to their MPs if they are to seize the crown. “Dishy” Rishi Sunak has for some time been a red-hot favourite to become the next Prime Minister.”

We are grateful to all letter writers for more and more versatile letters well within word limit. Please keep contributing as always. If you are new, then write to Rupanjana at rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

25 - 31 December 2021

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25 - 31 December 2021

Sikh MP condemns Golden Temple sacrilege attempts, courts controversy A UK MP Preet Kaur Gill has condemned the alleged sacrilege incidents at the Golden Temple, and the lynching of the alleged culprit. She courted controversy over a purportedly deleted tweet in which she accused a “Hindu terrorist” of committing sacrilege.

UK’s first female Sikh MP, Gill Monday, “Beadbi tweeted incidents are unacceptable but the lynching of another person is also unacceptable and no one should take matters into their own hands.

We need a full enquiry into these matters.” An unidentified man was beaten to death at the Golden Temple in Amritsar Saturday evening after he allegedly attempted to desecrate the Guru Granth Sahib.

Screenshots of what appears to be a deleted tweet by Gill emerged over the weekend in which she allegedly replied to an unverified video by saying, “Hindu terrorist prevented from an act of violence at the Sikh Holy shrine of Harmandir Sahib, (Golden Temple) against Sikhs.”

Preet Gill, MP Edgbaston, Birmingham, Shadow Cabinet Minister International Development in response to her dismaying Tweet about the violation of the Guru Granth Sahib at the Golden Temple recently and the lynching that followed it.

Author writes an Open-Letter to Preet Kaur Gill MP Dr Gautam Sen wrote an open letter to the Sikh MP on 20th December 2021, which read as follows: “Madam, you gleefully

Preet Kaur Gill MP

pronounce the shocking transgression of the Guru Granth Sahib at the Golden Temple was by a ‘Hindu terrorist’.

This insinuation suggests Hindu terrorism is some sort of recognised general problem and abounds everywhere Hindus live.

You apparently need reminding, the sacred Golden Temple was in fact occupied by the Khalistani terrorist, Bhindranwale until it was liberated by brave Indian soldiers at a high cost in lives.

“That tragic act of liberation even received some support from HMG at the time. It was the same Khalistani terrorist Bhindranwale and his supporters who brought shame on the revered Gurus of Sikhism and the incarnation of the divine, Guru Nanak, by executing innocent Hindu bus passengers across Punjab. Yet, his life-size portrait adorns the entrance to the major gurdwara in Southall, shamefully, adjacent to Guru Teg Bahadur’s and his portraits also hang in many others across the U.K. And Air India’s Kanishka was downed over the Irish Sea by

terrorists, killing Khalistani hundreds of innocent people. This is the kind of terrorism and its continuing celebration by Khalistanis that should preoccupy you instead of slandering people who are mostly at the receiving end of terrorism.

“Your tweet also seems to imply that the way the unwarranted and condemnable violation of the Guru Granth Sahib was dealt with prevented violence.

You’re surely not suggesting extrajudicial lynchings are justifiable once criminals have been apprehended since your Tweet is ambiguous. However, such treatment of the accused would be entirely in keeping with the national traditions of the neighbouring country that sponsors Khalistani terrorism? Do consider the rather dire consequences such methods of dealing with terrorists of one faith would have on the streets In Britain. I will be looking forward to your unambiguous denunciation of terrorism on British soil in the future, even at the cost of votes in your Edgbaston, Birmingham constituency.

“However, many of us will campaign against you at the next general elections at Edgbaston and nor will we deal with the political party which sees fit to appoint you as a front bench spokesperson.

Disgraceful and all of a piece!

I understand the inflammatory Tweet has been deleted but that does not automatically obviate suspicions about the mindset which first posted it.”

Complaints about Pret a Manger’s drink subscription ads The British advertising watchdog has stepped in to referee a row over Pret a Manger’s drink subscription service. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has advised the coffee and sandwich chain to rethink how it advertises the £20a-month service, which lets subscribers enjoy five barista-made drinks, including hot and iced coffees, teas, frappes, smoothies and hot chocolates, every day.

Customers have complained they are often unable to get

drinks such as smoothies via the deal as some of the stores were unable to make them. A report by the BBC said it understood the

chain had received about 5000 complaints about the deal.

The ASA said it had sent an “advice notice” to Pret after receiving four complaints.

It advised the chain to review the adverts for its subscription service which says, “If our baristas brew it, blend it or steam it, you can have it!”

A third of night-time businesses faced closure in the last 30 days TomTom data shows London had its quietest morning rush hour last week since the first day of the third lockdown, as hospitality venues are facing a 'cataclysmic Christmas' as bosses call for urgent financial support. Night Time Industries Association has said that one-third of venues fear closure within a month without help.

While Mayor Sadiq Khan warned of the consequences of delays in decision making, hospitality and entertainment firms called for a clear decision from the government on whether there will be further Covid

restrictions in England in the coming days.

A survey by the Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) of more than 500 nightclubs, bars, pubs and hospitality venues has today revealed that the sector faces a 'cataclysmic Christmas'.

One-fifth of nightlife businesses could lose their entire

workforce, and one third fear closure within a month without urgent Government support following new Covid restrictions and omicron uncertainty.

On average, nighttime economy venues have lost £46,000 per unit in lost sales and cancellations during the festive period.

“And half of all businesses in the nighttime economy will have to cut over half of jobs in their workforce if the Government does not provide commensurate financial support,” Daily Mail reported.

Oxfordshire council in hot soup over vegan-only rule The Oxfordshire council has invited controversy with its decision to serve only vegan food at official events. The ruling Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green Party alliance in the county passed a rule prohibiting serving of any meat or dairy products.

Conservative councillor David Bartholomew called the decision dictatorial.

The councillor for Sonning Common said, “The Conservative opposition believes that veganism is a choice that should be respected. But it is not something that should be rammed down the throats of vegetarians and meateaters. A carrot, not a stick

approach should be employed.”

The motion was put forward by Green Party councillor Ian Middleton, who is vegan, and wanted to ensure all county council meetings were “entirely plant-based”.

Passed last week, the motion also called for “targeted education in schools on dietary health”.

Omicron wave pushes further travel restrictions across Europe European countries are tightening restrictions to control the spread of the already soaring Omicron coronavirus variant.

The Netherlands has reimposed a nationwide lockdown and Germany set new entry requirements for people from the UK. Meanwhile, Berlin designated the UJ as a “virus variant region”, launching the country’s toughest travel regulations allowing only German citizens, residents, and transit passengers to enter the country from the UK. Only just emerging from a national lockdown, Austria said it would allow entry only to vaccinated travellers, while the Dutch government shutdown all bars, non-essential shops,

hospitality venues, cinemas, and gyms until at least January 14.

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid, meanwhile, has declined to rule out further restrictions in England before Christmas, warning there were “no guarantees”. Speaking with the BBC, Javid said, “The reality is there’s a lot of uncertainty” and that it was “time to be more cautious.”

Ireland kicks off new Covid rules as Omicron rages Ireland’s new Covid rules came into effect Monday, with bars and restaurants working with fresh curfews. The move comes as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus surges.

The government has ordered restaurants and bars, excluding takeaways and delivery services must close at 8 PM. It has also been said that there should be no indoor events after 8 PM, and attendance at indoor and outdoor events earlier in the day

will be restricted. The new measures, introduced at midnight on Sunday, will last until January 30.

Ireland’s CMO Dr Tony Holohan said the National Public Health Emergency Team would continue to monitor the spread of the Omicron variant over Christmas. He said he hoped the measures would be enough to curb a sharp rise in infections, however, warned people to “buy into not just the letter but the spirit of that guidance.”

Retailers offloading Xmas trees for £1 or less as new cases put a dent in holiday spirits Major retailers appear to be offloading Christmas trees for £1 or less after shoppers kept their distance from UK high streets and retail centres a week before Christmas. B&Q has slashed its otherwise £49 tree to £1 or less at stores around the country.

Meanwhile, Homebase slashed prices from £10 to £5 to only £3.50.

Sources reveal some of the major chains overbought trees in reaction to last year when most sold away. Not just tree sellers, several other retailers with too much stock have been hit particularly hard by the decline in visitors on the peak shopping weekend.

Springboard has recorded a 2.6 per cent fall in visitors across UK shopping centres, high streets, and retail parks. Analysts said there was “growing nervousness” among consumers caused by the rapid rise in Omicron cases.

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Perseverance wins dignity for the departed Continued from page 1 Background According to the 2011 Census, 2.7% of Britons in England & Wales are currently Hindus (817,000) and 1.4% are Sikhs (423,000).

Chancellor George Osborne had launched a review into crematorium facilities for Hindus and Sikhs in his summer budget of 2015, to ensure that they were appropriate to the needs of all users and faiths.

This was intended to follow representations to the Chancellor from British Hindus and Sikhs, who were concerned that current facilities were often too small, and not equipped to meet their needs. Through this proposed consultation, the Government wanted to know more about these issues and what steps need to be taken to improve existing facilities in line with current law.

The then Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said that his Budget delivered for British Hindus and Sikhs: backing business, supporting aspiration and standing behind families that work hard.

Osborne acknowledged the concerns of British Hindus and Sikhs who had raised their concerns with him about cremation facilities for their communities. He had praised that the consultation would be led by the Department for Communities and Local Government and launched in due course. It was intended to take into account the views of all faiths and members of the community. Lord Jitesh Gadhia and Bob Blackman MP were instrumental in taking this campaign forward.

Six years later In its decision published on 16 December 2021, the Planning Inspectorate acknowledged the very special circumstances which justify building on green belt land. In particular, the Planning Inspector noted that for faith and cultural reasons, the Hindu community in North and West London, and the surrounding counties, are disadvantaged by being denied the opportunity to fully observe their cultural and religious beliefs and traditions for funerals and cremations.

Designed to honour death Specifically, existing crematoria in the area do not adequately cater for all Hindu rites and rituals with an inadequate size of facilities, parking facilities and difficulties in providing a funeral when necessary and with insufficient service times. The proposals were noted for offering a quality, auspicious and fitting funeral experience for the Hindu community that is currently not provided for in this country.

The design of the crematorium building, and associated facilities, has been specifically tailored and architecturally designed to meet the needs of the Hindu community. The proposal includes 2 waiting rooms, 2 private ritual rooms for preceremony rituals, a large ceremony hall and a crematory hall. There is also a separate canteen building including dining seating and showering facilities. This would enable ritual washing and communal eating following a cremation. Ample car parking would also be provided.

Over 2,000 signatures of support were received for the proposals, with Lord Jitesh Gadhia and Bob Blackman MP speaking in favour of the application during the Appeal hearing on behalf of the Hindu Community.

Another petition titled ‘Entrance signage for Anoopam Mission Hindu Temple’ has been started to get at least 5000 signatures to support signage to be placed at the entrance of Anoopam Mission on the A40.

This is a critical requirement for all visitors and is a road safety issue as many drivers miss the entrance due to the high-speed dual carriageway.

Commenting on the decision, the

Crematorium permission is a big step forward for Britain’s Hindu community

Representational picture

Spiritual Leader of Anoopam Mission, Param Puya Sahebji said: “We welcome this important decision and the opportunity for Anoopam Mission to serve the Hindu population of the UK. Observing ‘antim sanskar’ or last rites in accordance with our Hindu customs and rituals provides liberation for the departed soul and peace of mind for families during a sensitive time.

Our large and tranquil grounds in Denham, with our newly built Mandir facilities, provide an ideal location for this ‘manav sewa’, or service to humanity. We look forward to working with all Hindu organisations to deliver this vision for the whole community.”

Lord Jitesh Gadhia’s undeterred spirit In his then address to the readers of Asian Voice in 2015, Lord Jitesh Gadhia wrote, “A serious initiative emanating from the highest levels of Government deserves an equally professional and coordinated response from our community. Whilst the exact nature and scope of the review process has yet to be announced by the Department for Communities and Local Government, it provides a unique opportunity to finally move this vexed issue from the arena of debate to a series of concrete recommendations and deliverables.

He asserted that this Review was “a critical test of our community’s maturity and capacity to collaborate and speak with one cohesive voice.”

Citing the root cause of the lack of crematoriums for the ethnic minority communities, Lord Gadhia had mentioned that Local Councils back then had certain obligations for the maintenance of existing burial sites but didn’t have specific legal responsibilities regarding the provision of new or locally appropriate facilities.

For example, the two London boroughs with the highest Indian populations – Brent and Harrow – didn’t actually provide any crematorium facilities in their own catchment area but relied on instead on facilities in neighbouring boroughs.

“The Crematorium Review is a critical test for our community. Not only is the outcome important for but so too is the manner in which we conduct our response.

It could mark a milestone in the way we are perceived as a community. I hope we will rise to the challenge,” Lord Gadhia wrote.

Six years later, as the landmark appeal comes into motion, Lord Jitesh Gadhia said, “This is a landmark moment for the Hindu Community in the UK. Many of us have actively campaigned for a purpose-built Hindu Crematorium to meet the needs of our community and the provision of better facilities sensitive to our cultural and social requirements.

“I congratulate the Anoopam Mission UK for persevering with this planning application and appeal. The welcome judgment from the Planning Inspector recognises the very special circumstances that exist in meeting the unfulfilled needs of the Hindu community and I hope will enable other facilities to be considered in areas of high Hindu, Sikh and Jain populations.”

(Read 'A community working hard for all' on P3)

Lord Jitesh Gadhia Last week’s welcome news of the breakthrough in securing planning permission for a purpose-built Hindu crematorium in Denham, on the border of North West London, has been greeted with widespread approval. It is the culmination of a long and sometimes frustrating journey – absorbing considerable effort by the applicant Anoopam Mission UK – and involving many stakeholders from across the community. It represents a landmark moment that deserves to be applauded and also carefully reviewed to learn the right lessons - both retrospective and forward-looking.

The fundamental need for bespoke crematoria facilities to meet the cultural and social requirements of the Hindu, and wider Indian community, has been evident for many decades. It is a topic which I first heard being raised during a conversation between Late Manubhai M. Madhvani, the widely respected industrialist and philanthropist from Uganda, and a group of prominent spiritual leaders almost 30 years ago. To his credit, Manubhai challenged these revered individuals to meet the practical needs of the community.

In the early stages of migration from East Africa and India, the initial priorities for diaspora groups were understandably focused on building landmark projects such as temples, gurdwaras and community centres. Indeed, we shouldn’t forget the struggles which many of these projects faced, such as the epic 10-year battle to save Bhaktivedanta Manor, the ISKCON temple in Watford, from being closed to the public

by Hertsmere Council. This dispute was eventually resolved by building an independent access road by-passing the local village of Letchmore Heath.

Today, these and other temples have multiplied and thrived, providing a wide network across the country. So it is right that the focus now shifts to other facilities appropriate to an increasingly ageing population.

My own interest in this topic deepened in 2015 when I was asked by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon George Osborne, for suggestions of how to help the Hindu and Indian community as part of his budget. To his credit, Osborne followed through on addressing the inadequate provision of crematoria facilities by initiating a formal review and public consultation. This initiative was welcomed by a wide spectrum of community leaders at the time. My opinion column in Asian Voice from July 2015, published to coincide with the announcement of this review, expressed the following hopes and concerns about the situation quoting directly: “a unique opportunity to finally move this vexed issue from the arena of debate to a series of concrete recommendations and deliverables”; “a complex subject which spans many different stakeholders, users and providers and could easily be kicked back into the long grass of local government bureaucracy and planning laws”; “identify some ‘inaugural’ projects which could be accelerated and deliver quick tangi-

ble results, providing templates which can be replicated and improved upon elsewhere”; and “need to be forensic and assertive in understanding why this issue has not been addressed thus far despite the overwhelming demand in areas of high Hindu, Sikh and Jain concentration”.

In the meantime, word of the crematoria review reached the spiritual leader of the Anoopam Mission, Param Pujya Sahebji, and he felt that his own organisation should investigate developing such a project, taking advantage of its large 15-acre site in Buckinghamshire. Anoopam Mission also undertook careful research about whether a crematoria could be built adjacent to a temple complex under Vedic traditions, whilst also investigating the feasibility of doing so on green belt land. The Trustees assembled a professional team of architects and consultants to work on suitable plans – named the AUM Crematorium - and were encouraged by positive engagement from planning officers at Buckinghamshire Council.

Eventually, a scheme was developed which was recommended by the officials and taken to the South Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee in September 2020.

Having actively participated in these deliberations, it was hugely disappointing to see the elected Councillors reject the advice of their own professionals. My concerns, five years earlier, about “local government bureaucracy and planning laws” had sadly proved to be accurate.

At this stage, many would have given up but the Trustees of Anoopam Mission UK, led by Satish Chatwani, persevered and lodged an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, appointing a top barrister in this field, Peter Goatley QC, to represent the My Parliamentary colleagues Bob case.

Blackman MP and Joy Morrisey MP joined for a briefing in Denham in May 2021 in advance of the planning inquiry, beginning in July 2021. At the start of the public inquiry, both Bob Blackman and I made representations on behalf of the Hindu community.

The final decision from the Planning Inspector, published last week, represents a genuine breakthrough on multiple fronts: Firstly, it secures permission for a project serving a wide catchment area of North West London and the surrounding counties accessible to a substantial concentration of the UK’s Hindu population; Secondly, the Planning Inspector recognised the very special circumstances that exist in meeting the unfulfilled needs of the Hindu community and this precedent will hopefully enable other facilities to be considered in areas of high Hindu, Sikh and Jain populations. The review commissioned by the Government in 2015 formed an important part of the evidence base supporting this assessment and demonstrates why responding to public consultations is such an important civic duty; and Thirdly, the Planning Inspector noted that the Public Sector Equality Duty (under the Equality Act 2010) was not being met and should be accorded significant weight. It, therefore, highlights the completely erroneous position of the two London boroughs with the highest Indian populations – Brent and Harrow – neglecting the provision of any crematoria facilities in their own areas but relying instead on facilities in neighbouring boroughs. Frankly, neither authority has been adequately held to account on this matter by our community over a long period.

Looking forward, this project also provides an opportunity to bring different Hindu community organisations together to make this landmark permission a shared endeavour. The Covid pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for adequate social infrastructure for an ageing and multicultural society. We owe everyone dignity in death and their grieving families and friends an appropriate setting to bid farewell consistent with their own faith and beliefs. A purposebuilt crematorium for Hindus will be an important facet of meeting this basic but profound human requirement.

14 WOMEN'S VOICE

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How Covid-19 caged the victims of sex trade Shefali Saxena Gitanjali Babbar is the Founder and Executive Director of Kat-Katha, a non-profit that has been shaped by experienced, passionate and professional changemakers. Today, the organisation holds the confidence of many, both inside and outside of the community and stands synonymous with love, trust and diversity to end the Editorial credit: R.M. Nunes / Shutterstock.com forced sex trade.

Gitanjali has been accredited with the Global - How challenging is it to find donations, support and Fellowship by Youth Action Net along with 20 outstanding resource material to carry on Kat-Kathain such times? young leaders from 18 countries. Gitanjali is also a TEDx What we do is subtle work that takes a long time to show Speaker with having spoken at the TEDxGBU and TEDx any impact. Our work is not short-term. It is not tangible. It Hindu College about initiating the change in the life of sex does not deal with numbers. This makes it extremely chalworkers. A postgraduate from MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia lenging to get support via donations or otherwise. Most University (PG Diploma in Developmental donors or other institutions require a certain scale of work Communication), she has worked with FHI, Bill and or require visible outputs in a shorter time frame. It takes Melinda Gates Foundation as a Consultant and National years to work deeply with one woman and support her Aids Control Organisation as a Program Officer. transformation and build that sense of freedom and choice In an exclusive Q&A with Asian Voice, Gitanjali Babbar within her. Only donors that are sensitive to the context of spoke about the lives of sex workers during the pandemic.

GB Road, the violence and power structures there, are able to understand the cause and wholly stand by us in trying times.

- How many people have you helped so far?

Q

Q

There are around a thousand women and over a hundred children at GB Road. Besides that, there are various other parts of the ecosystem like the male servants at these brothels, the male partners living at the brothels, the pimps and the owners etc. The extended families of these women were also supported in several instances. Kat-Kathaworks with the entire ecosystem and has reached out to support all the members of the GB Road community directly during our pandemic relief efforts.

- What is it that we as laymen and NRIs do not know about the lives of sex workers which is eye-opening and needs immediate intervention?

Most women who work as sex workers are trafficked at a very young age and are forced into the trade. Their young bodies take a major toll due to it that can have lifelong consequences. Most women at GB Road have multiple abortions, often in an informal unsafe environment without any doctor's medical supervision. Women here also are forcefully impregnated at young ages to trap them in the brothel and prevent them from running away. Their lifestyle in the brothel lacks a basic diet or even exposure to fresh air and sunlight. Women start ageing faster and experience various orthopaedic problems and nutritional deficiencies along with being at risk for gynaecological ailments.

Q

Gitanjali Babbar, Founder and Executive Director, Kat-Katha

Q

- How has Kat-Katha survived the pandemic? What were the challenges that you came across?

The pandemic was a deeply uncertain time for everyone across the globe and for Kat-Kathathe biggest challenge was to not just offer short-term relief to the community, but build resilience in the community for the long term damage that the pandemic would cause. Our work cannot happen completely online and we need to be on the ground with the community, so during the lockdown, this mobility was hampered and the safety of everyone was also a concern for us since red-light areas were potential super-spreaders of the virus. Kat-Katha could only survive the pandemic through the active contribution of sensitised well-wishers and the cooperation of the state authorities that allowed us to continue with our relief efforts.

- While unemployment has risen significantly, where do the sex workers stand when it comes to a life-threatening disease like Covid, which may be here for a while?

Sex workers earn on a client-to-client basis. In some cases, even this income is not paid to them directly and the brothel owners and pimps get a massive cut. Some women only get paid for food and shelter and nothing more. With the pandemic and the lockdown, the number of clients that would visit GB Road has drastically reduced, leading to a major dip in income. The paying capacity of the client has also reduced due to the overall economic crisis, leading to lower rates and higher exploitation. Their work is dependent on heavy bodily contact which puts them further at risk.

- Were you able to help them with funding and maintaining their mental health while many of them may have not earned anything for a living in the past 18-20 months?

It’s not been easy. These women carry severe trauma and have lived extremely violent lives with rampant abuse. Our efforts are to create a sense of community where the women can come together in sisterhood and support each other.

Women who took steps to invest in skill-building and alternative livelihood became the inspiration for others and they continued to motivate each other during the lockdown. Our team also held listening sessions with women to hold them gently through distress and to reassure them that we are with them through all ups and downs. For formal intervention, Kat-Katha has partnered with Neev, a team of mental health professionals, to offer psychological and psychiatric support to the women.

Q

Q

Pregnant women urged to come forward for Covid-19 vaccination The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is calling on all pregnant women to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

There is growing evidence showing that women who are pregnant are at increased risk of serious consequences from coronavirus (Covid-19) and as a result, they should be considered a clinical risk group within the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Given that the majority of pregnant women who have been admitted to hospital with severe Covid-19 are unvaccinated, the key priority is to increase the number of pregnant women completing their primary course (2 vaccine doses 8 weeks apart).

Recent data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) adds to the existing international evidence, which has not identified any safety concerns of vaccinating women during pregnancy.

Additional efforts focused on improving vaccine uptake amongst pregnant women will require a coordinated response from professional groups including midwifery, charities and support from local community leaders.

Pregnant women who have completed their primary vaccine course should book their Covid-19 booster if they had their second vaccine dose at least 3 months earlier.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, UKHSA, said: “The serious risks posed to women who become infected with Covid-19 during pregnancy have become increasingly clear. We know that the vaccines used in the UK Covid-19 vaccination programme have been highly effective in preventing serious complications and those recommended for pregnant women have a good safety record. I would urge all pregnant women to come forward and get their vaccine without delay. This is the best way to protect you and your baby.”

Iconic Black feminist author Bell Hooks Dies At 69 Born Gloria Jean Watkins in 1952, bell hooks passed away early Wednesday at her home in Kentucky, her niece wrote on Twitter. Gloria Jean Watkins, better known by her pen name bell hooks, was an American author, professor, feminist, and social activist. The name "bell hooks" is borrowed from her maternal greatgrandmother, Bell Blair Hooks.

The focus of hooks' writing was the intersectionality of race, capitalism, and gender, and what she described as their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination. She published more than 30 books and numerous scholarly articles, appeared in documentary films, and participated in public lectures. Her work addressed race, class, gender, art, history, sexuality, mass media, and feminism.

Also an academic, she taught at institutions including Stanford University, Yale University, and The City College of New York, before in 2004 joining Berea College in Berea, Kentucky, where a decade later she founded the bell hooks Institute.

Some of her memorable quotes include the following: “No insurgent intellectual, no dissenting critical voice in this society escapes the pressure to conform… we are all vulnerable. We can all be had, co-opted, bought. There is no special

Bell Hooks (September 25, 1952 – December 15, 2021)

grace that rescues any of us.

There is only a constant struggle.”

“To create loving men, we must love males. Loving maleness is different from praising and rewarding males for living up to sexistdefined notions of male identity. Caring about men because of what they do for us is not the same as loving males for simply being.

When we love maleness, we extend our love whether males are performing or not.

Performance is different from simply being. In patriarchal culture, males are not allowed simply to be who they are and to glory in their unique identity. Their value is always determined by what they do. In an antipatriarchal culture, males do not have to prove their value and worth. They know from birth that simply giving them value, the right to be cherished and loved.” Bell Hooks, The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love

Absence of diversity in tourism organisations A study by social enterprise Women in Travel CIC and the University of Surrey School of Hospitality and Tourism Management has revealed that there is an absence of diversity, equity and inclusion in tourism organisations, services and products.

When choosing destinations, concerns for physical safety and worries about

racism and discrimination are a key priority for ethnic minority travellers. They are willing to pay more for the right destination in order to ensure safety and accessibility, the report says.

This is one of the first indepth investigations into the travel decisions made by black, Asian and other minority ethnic travellers in the UK.

Call for project bids supporting women’s participation in peacebuilding The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) is a cross-government fund that supports and delivers activity to tackle instability and to prevent conflicts that threaten UK interests. It has been a catalyst for a more integrated UK government response to fragility and conflict, including delivering the UK National Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security (WPS) 2018-2022.

In line with the Yemen Gender Strategy and the

MENA Gender Strategy, Yemen CSSF funds projects, which aim to increase women’s meaningful and representative participation in peacebuilding and peace processes. It supports the implementation of the UK National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security and the UK’s goals as set out in the Integrated Review: to be a force for good, supports open societies, protects human rights, and prevent and tackle conflict and instability.

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Lavina Mehta MBE's Investiture at Windsor Castle by Royal Family

‘Choose hospitality; it's a rewarding career’ Shefali Saxena Jomon Kuriakose, Chef De Cuisine, Baluchi at The Lalit, London is an optimist, a man we need in such testing times, where it is easy to lose hope within a fraction of seconds when you hear words like ‘lockdown’ or ‘cases are rising’.

In an exclusive chat with Asian Voice, Chef Jomon said, “Life will bloom once more as Spring follows Autumn. Life with the new normal had its drawbacks, but it was time to embrace them and make the best of it.”

Kuriakose, from Jomon Basildon in England, is a very household name among the community as Chef Jomon. His magic touch in preparing the tasty dishes have watched millions through the nation's most-watched BBC, and he has also bagged British Malayali's 'News of the year 2019' award. He has always been at the forefront of supporting needy people worldwide, and he had undertaken a skydiving charity challenge in 2019 organised by the British Malayali Charity Foundation.

This was to raise funds to facilitate the studies of financially unsound nursing students from India.

He was born and raised in South India; Jomon completed a Bachelor's Degree in Hotel Management from SaroshInstituteof of Hotel Administration at Mangalore University. Upon graduating, Jomon was offered his first role within Speciality Restaurant Pvt Ltd, one of India's leading restaurant groups, as Chef de Partie at Sigree. Jomon moved to London in 2008 and took up the role of chef de Partie at Bombay Palace, where he was able to strengthen his expertise in authentic Indian cuisine and develop his skills in fine Anglo-Indian dining.

Now, as the Covid 19's impact has adversely affected the people from the financially weaker sections of the society throughout the world, BMCF has issued 'Covid Support Appeal' and have appealed to people to come up with charity challenge to raise funds. Chef Jomon always came forward to join hands with the British Malayali Charity Foundation to support the suffering fraternity in South India due to the unprecedented situation resulting from the Covid lockdown. BMCF will be providing the collected fund directly into the hands of beneficiaries after stringent verification of applications to ascertain the genuinity. . How did the current Covid chaos impact your work and business? Have you had more cancellations than bookings?

With limited resources, I began experimenting more with Indian cooking, trying various plating concepts and publicising them on social media. In fact, our home kitchen has evolved into a hotspot of activity and comfort.

While my wife was serving the country as a crucial worker, I was responsible for cooking food for my family three times a day. The family embraced and encouraged all of my new learnings and attempts, from breakfast to their many sweet cravings and indulgences, and it was all charming. I learned that I'm not only a chef, but also a husband, a father, and a friend, and it was all endearing. It's currently difficult with a new variant. Every year, Christmas is supposed to be a terrific time for business. Food trials, food photography sections, research, and other preparations usually begin well in advance. Since joining the profession, I've never spent Christmas with my family, but I've been fortunate to be a part of many people's Celebrations to make them special.

However, this year, cancellations are increasing enormously than bookings. I'm crossing my fingers for a brighter tomorrow. No, it hasn't been tedious; rather, it has been an extraordinary journey of breakthrough. . What are your signature dishes for Christmas? What do Asian customers prefer eating during western festivals? Do westerners come for Asian food at festivals?

The rich curries of the northwestern frontier were the inspiration for Baluchi, which was originally introduced in 1988 at The Lalit, New Delhi. Over time, the restaurant has won the hearts of its devoted patrons and has established itself as a cornerstone of excellent Indian cuisine. Baluchi has become a pan-Indian attraction by embracing the rich tradition of Indian cuisine. After acquiring the Indian fine diner, Baluchi proudly crossed the ocean and came to the Great Hall with the intention to engage into the London palate. It accomplishes this by bringing the best of its Indian heritage to new heights to create an Indian fine dining experience unlike any other. Baluchi's food combines the best of

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British ingredients with rich, inventive Indian flavours and modern presentation to surprise and satisfy diners.

Festivals bring enjoyment and pleasant energy to the hotel, and we always have a mixed population, whether it's Western or Asian. People appreciate festival-inspired dishes such as Banana stem steak with ivy gourd salad, Goose Mappas, breast

Lavina Mehta MBE is a 43-year-old Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, Speaker and mum of three who was awarded an MBE for services to health and fitness during Covid-19 in October 2020 Queen Honour’s List. She is honoured for her services to health and fitness with special interest to the Asian community and older people.

Her free workouts with her 74year-old Mother-inLaw, which she has continued, have helped thousands globally, even up to the age of 100 in Care Homes. She is fitness making accessible to all with her concept of Exercise Snacking – breaking down barriers of time, cost and motivation.

Lavina’s story is quite unique, having left her successful corporate career as a Global Project Manager 13 years ago, to become a housewife and raise her 3 boys. Lavina was requalified as a PT just 3.5 years ago. She only started her own fitness journey 10 years ago and cannot herself believe that she is now an influencer with a large social media presence, a fitness role model in the South Asian Community, helping to train thousands

Chef Jomon with his family

Sekhar Abraham photography

Pumpkin Steak – inspired by Errisseri, a dish from my hometown and Lobster – Theeyal served with dry shrimp (a Kerala delicacy). . How do you strike a balance in satisfying customers in Britain, while meeting the demands of both AsiansNonAsians at your restaurant?

My career vision is to bring the healthier food options of my cuisine to an international gourmet standard with a unique presentation style.

Food plating is the process of organising and embellishing food in order to improve its presentation. Enhancing the presentation of the preparation adds worth to the dining experience and provides room for a higher mark-up on your food. It's a unique approach to reintroduce and showcase flavours that complement each other. Diners will also appreciate a more delightful experience with a stunning plate of food appealing to their visual taste as well as their palate.

Despite the fact that eating is a sensual experience, every meal requires the most elaborate presentation. Anything, such as a previous memory of a meal I had in my hometown or any new things I've seen, could impact my food plating.

I'm sometimes inspired by plate ideas that come to me, which are often prompted by tunes, natural colours, special ingredients, or anything different. I keep a close eye on the market and keep in touch with my suppliers for new arrivals.

I keep up with industry trends by following them on social media. . How supportive and encouraging are your co-workers and employers, especially when the hospitality industry fears a bad harvest due to a possible no show during the festive season?

Many things have become memories for me, including my prestigious uniform, daily meetings with colleagues, the rush and bustle of busy event days at the hotel, and so on. A life in which I would go to work at the crack of dawn and return home while the entire house was sound sleeping.

Dinner services, parties, celebrations, and festivities are all in a frenzy. Life comes to a halt in the middle of a fast track to take a turn.

Everyone on the team, in my opinion, is there for everyone. My kitchen is not a one-man show; it takes the combined efforts of everyone from the kitchen porter to the executive chef. We operate together as a family. We actually spend more time in the kitchen than we do in our actual houses. Everyone recognises the significance of working together to win the battle. In my professional life, I have never taken a vacation during the Christmas season. It’s the busiest time of year for the sector. I didn't have the courage and strength to ask for vacations when I first started working. Even though my family is my priority, I don't want to leave my team during this hectic period. . What would your advice be to any young aspiring person who would want to be in your shoes one day?

Choose hospitality; it's a rewarding career with a wide range of flavours and opportunities. Never stop learning; this is a fast-changing field, so study as much as you can and adapt as much as you can to new techniques and skills.

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British Asian artist’s ode to Alice in Wonderland

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of people virtually and globally, and she never envisaged receiving an MBE Honour from the Queen alongside the likes of Joe Wicks, ‘Mr Motivator’ and Marcus Rashford.

Lavina has supported many charities this year including Alzheimer’s Society, Brain Tumour Research and is a proud Ambassador for Diabetes UK on her mission to help everyone Feel Good physically and mentally. Her slogan is “Exercise for Sanity, not Vanity.”

She has been featured on The Royal Family’s Instagram & Twitter accounts.

British-South Asian artist Shezad Dawood is all set to reveal his largest sculpture to date in London’s St Pancreas station for Terrace Wires. It will be a 5mwide sculpture in a “psychedelic colour scheme” that will evoke Gothic Revival architecture of the 19th-century station as well as aesthetics of steampunk fiction, the Art Newspaper reported.

Its proposed title, HMS Alice Liddell, refers to a

Shezad Dawood

friend of the writer Lewis Carroll who it is thought gave her name to the title character in Alice in Wonderland, it added.

Chef Jomon’s Achievements • • • • •

National Chef of the Year Semi-Finalist 2021 Awarded as The Culinary Hero 2021 by The Craft Guild of Chefs Awarded as one of the 100 Most Influential UK Malayalees Awarded as The News Person Of The Year 2019 BBC Celebrity master chef fame

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THE BEAUTY O Continued from page 1 Some have cancelled their holidays and trips due to the scare of the new Covid variant, which also means thousands of people will be alone this Christmas, children and the elderly will need more help than ever before.

Christmas may not be merry for those who have lost their jobs. What will they do? Where will homeless, disabled and lonely people take shelter this Christmas?

To help such people, Deepen Patel of Meet & Deep is doing God’s work with his family on Christmas. Patel told Asian Voice, “My family and I use this divine opportunity to create a community party in our newsagents’ shop, we all dress up in a fancy dress and my father becomes Father Christmas. We provide free food and a place to be in the company of others to all those in our community who are less fortunate. We play carols, we dance, and we put disco lights all around our newsagents.

“We have been doing this for the past 20 years and will always do so as it is this message of sharing the good things you have with others and celebrating unity and compassion with all beings regardless of cultural backgrounds or faiths that we feel is the true message of Christmas. If you are free, pop by to Meet and Deep Newsagents in Twickenham or log onto our ‘Meet & Deep News’ Facebook page to see how we celebrate with our entire community!”

Deepen affirmed that, “We even try to take the message of kindness even further than people and put-up posters on our shop windows to promote kindness towards all living creatures.”

“These tiny acts of kindness also bring good karma and Christmas is a time we will

Patel family takes a selfie outside their store

family.

“We are also providing a talking service, where people who feel lonely can come and speak to us on Christmas day as there are many people who have plenty of food, money and presents, but simply want someone to talk to on the one day when everything else is closed. So, we like to be available for them too.

We believe no one should ever have to feel that they are alone at Christmas and that's what we are here for.”

The crisis is not over yet According to Charan Sekhon - Founder Chairman SEVA Trust UK (A registered charity in the UK working in Education, Health, Social-Welfare, and Environment, it has been

UK and everyone worked very hard to support the local communities and international students during these very tough times for all.

“We worked closely with community & faith groups, universities, student unions and other stakeholders to reach out over 400 families and homeless, over 750 international stu-

Muhammad (peace be upon him) who has commanded Muslims to show kindness to all people, regardless of their background. He once said that “the one who is deprived of kindness is deprived of goodness.” He also said that “The merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth and the One in the heavens will have mercy upon you.”

It is therefore at the core of our faith to do all we can for the people around us, our neighbours and fellow countrymen and women.”

Christmas service for vulnerable children Bhawani Singh Shekhawat, CEO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK spoke to us about TAPF’s plans for Christmas. He said, "We have a sense of Deja Vu this Christmas.

Our teams begin the day at the kitchen by 5 am. The demand for food is more than ever, but the helping hands of volunteers are fewer with Covid threatening us further. The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK is serving thousands of meals daily, from its North London kitchen to children, the elderly, the vulnerable and students. While we are conscious of tackling hunger, we are also trying to give dignity to those receiving the meals. We are individually packing the food in most cases, adding a festive item on the menu to bring in some cheer and ensuring the food is nutritious, hot and tasty. Food brings cheer and hope. So

Charan Sekhon with team SEVA Trust UK

SEVA Trust UK's aide operations

promote these tips of kindness towards the smaller life forms too. This year we are going to have a Bollywood Christmas theme where my mother will wear a Christmas Saree and for snacks, make little spicy Christmas trees (samosas!) and we will have the glitz of Bollywood meet the sparkle of Christmas.

“We are planning to set up tables outside our shop to give away free food to those in need, with the help of a local generous friend, we have set up our own food bank and fund which we call the Anna & Tess Fund (A&T fund) to provide any help to those who are in need most, we have used it not only to provide food but to buy gifts for those who have no

a very tough year for everyone, the businesses, workplaces, families, local communities and international students have all been hugely impacted by the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

He said, “Every religion teaches us the true meaning of kindness and compassion. I feel it is a moral duty for all of us to play our part to offer support to others in any way we can. I believe in the concept of ‘seva’ (selfless service) gifted to Guru Nanak that is to help others who are in real need.

“Working as one team, we set up a wide range of support projects through SEVA Trust

dents and over 100 vulnerable women and even if it is hard for us, we don't feel fatigued. elderly by delivering free food, hot meals and “The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK is daily essentials who were in real need aiming to continue the Christmas service to throughout Covid-19 and I would like to the vulnerable and to needy children even thank everyone who supported us in playing after Christmas, as the coming winter months our part. Let’s hope we all can carry on supare staring at unprecedented food poverty in porting each other as the crisis is not yet over.”

Cllr Sekhon further added, “We are supporting around 50 homeless this Xmas by providing them staple food, soft drinks, water and on Sunday offered a Xmas treat by providing them fresh cakes! We are also supporting a number of elderly over Christmas who are living alone or unable to cook due to health issues.”

Gratitude towards healthcare Viva Andrada O’Flynn and her husband John workers Remembering people who may have lost Greater London.”

Christmas shoebox appeal their livelihood and loved ones during this Dr Hardik Bhansali of Seva Day in year, Farhad Ahmad, an Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said, “During Manchester told us that for the past year and the pandemic, many people have had their a half his team has been doing cooked meals livelihoods altered and we’ve all been affected for the vulnerable and homeless in in some way or shape. Where it’s created Manchester every week (nearly 8000 meals so many challenges, it has also given an opportufar). They also distribute long-lasting food in nity to find new ways to help people. The various food hubs around Greater Manchester Ahmadiyya Muslim Community delivered (nearly 11 tonnes in the past year and a half). food and PPE to NHS staff who were working “During the pandemic, we helped the around the clock at the peak of the pandemic. elderly, NHS staff looking after Covid Many people who were self-isolating, our patients, nursing homes as well helping to youth did shopping for them and dropped it improve Mental health in elderly. This off at their doors. We were also able to run Christmas, along with our activities to help vaccination drives in our Mosques, working food poverty, we have made a Christmas shoealongside the NHS. box appeal where we will distribute essential “Our inspiration for this is the Prophet toiletries, tea bags, coffee etc to the needy in

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OF KINDNESS Manchester. Same a last year’s appeal we will also be distributing gift bags/boxes as a token of thanks to hard-working volunteers of various food hubs/ food banks, hospice and spe-

A slate of kindness at Meet & Deep

cial needs schools,” Dr Bhansali said.

Every small act of kindness counts Viva Andrada O’Flynn told the newsweekly that she believes helping out connects you with humanity. It makes you part of a bigger whole; that you have blessings to share with those in need. It could be that somebody helped you get to where you are now. It’s your turn to repay the favour by giving someone a boost. She further explained, “My husband and I are sponsoring children in the Philippines. We have also donated Christmas dinners for two families in need. I have used my skills and talents to share love, joy, and inspiration with the world as host of World Humanitarian Drive’s Inspiring Millions Show. I have also donated my delicious bakes of my business Love Viva Cakes and Crafts to help charities celebrate.”

true spirit of Christmas.”

HRH the Prince of Wales supports the DEC’s Afghanistan crisis, raises more than £17.5 million in five days HRH The Prince of Wales has issued a message of support for the DEC’s Afghanistan Crisis Appeal which has now raised more than £17.5 million in under a week, with aid already being distributed on the ground.

HRH, The Prince of Wales, Patron of the Akshaya Patra UK - Winter Christmas Feeding International Rescue Winter survival kits and 10,000 Committee in the UK, which is one of the meals of free food DEC’s member charities, said: “The situation Hanuman Dass, Founder & Chairman of in Afghanistan is truly catastrophic. More Go Dharmic said, “Love and compassion are than half the population will face acute the core of all spiritual traditions and during a hunger and freezing temperatures this time when there is so much suffering in the Winter, including 1 million children under five world we have an opportunity to express the could die unless they receive immediate who highest dharma. Go Dharmic volunteers live treatment for malnutrition. the spirit of the Bhagavad Gita and act for the “This is why I am so gratewelfare of the world. We have been helping ful that some of the world’s people who are suffering from food insecurity biggest charities have come and in times of disaster. Many will say in together to launch an emerwords that we are all one, but to truly express gency appeal to support people that oneness we must see the suffering of othin Afghanistan. ers as our own we must act. Whether through “I am proud to support this distributing food and blankets to the homeless effort to provide the collective or helping victims in a flood, it is the exprespeople of Afghanistan with sion of our love that is important. For anyone emergency food, nutritional wishing to get involved with Go Dharmic as a support for children and volunteer, they can download the Go Dharmic Winter kits to help them stay app and introduce themselves! warm.

The International “Over the Christmas period Go Dharmic is Rescue Committee has been holding over 40 distributions across the UK on the ground in Afghanistan handing out food, blankets, sanitary products for thirty years and despite for women, sleeping bags, winter survival kits everything, they are increasing and over 10,000 meals of free food. Our motto their efforts to reach those is Love all, Feed all, Serve all and this is the

OBITUARY Shri Chhotalal M. Limbachia 16 January 1933 - 16 December 2021

Shri Chhotalal M. Limbachia was born in Nairobi, Kenya on 16th January 1933. He grew up in Kisumu where he worked as a clerk at Kenya Railway. He came to the United Kingdom in 1969 and settled in the town of Preston, Lancashire at 13 Lauderdale Street.

He obtained employment at British Aerospace Systems (BAE Systems).

The Gujarat Hindu Society’s inception occurred in the 60s, however, his involvement in the Society came to fruition in the early 1970s. He played a key role in organizing Society activities, religious festivals, and cultural events for the Hindus of Preston. It was here where he played a key role as Secretary during the purchase of an old school building which was accomplished in 1975. This was the beginning of the GHS’ flourishing development. A prominent role for Chhotalal was the installation of the GHS’ first murtis – Radha-Krishna in August 1975. Following this, he actively progressed the installation and Murti Pratishtha of Lord Shiva and Mataji in 1978.

His extensive religious knowledge allowed the development of Pujaris (Priests) to fulfil their temple duties daily. During the 80s and 90s, he actively united UK Mandirs to form The National Council of Hindu Temples UK (NCHT). He was a fundraiser for many charitable causes, most notably for the organization of Pujya Morari Bapu’s Katha to raise funds for drought relief in India, 1986. Further to this, he organized lecture tours for not only Pujya Morari Bapu, but Pujya Bhaishree Rameshbhai Oza too. His devotion to Sanatan Dharma was extended to helping the ‘Save ISKCON’ movement during the 90s.

His guidance and strong leadership allowed him to become a monumental pillar of the Society and elevated the centre through all activities. Shri Chhotalal created many strong links with notable Sadhu-sants who came to visit and were catered for by Shri Chhotalal and his dedicated wife Kusumben. Shri Chhotalal has always been supported by his dedicated family, his wife Kusumben, beloved daughter Shilpa and son-in-law Dilipkumar. His talents were elevated by his family, and he always remained committed to his family duties.

Shri Chhotalal was a true gentleman, a leader, commander, a scholar, a teacher, a friend, who touched many lives. His devotion to Lord Krishna is noted by many and he will remain dear to our hearts. The GHS have recognized his work by awarding him with the Gaurav Vanta Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. The GHS would also like to recognize his compelling lifetime achievements and work he has done not just for the Society, but for Sanatan Dharma. He will be truly missed.

- Gujarat Hindu Society, Preston

most in need.”

Within days of the launch, DEC member agencies were able to start spending funds raised in the appeal. Cash grants are helping people buy stoves and a 3-month supply of firewood. Members are supplying winter clothing – hats, coats, shoes for families to stay warm. Mobile teams have been deployed to screen children for malnutrition and provide treatment.

As well as winter kits and healthcare, the money raised will help DEC charities and their local partners to provide emergency food and nutrition support for children, supply clean drinking water and protect women and girls.

The UK Government announced it will match pound-for-pound the first £10 million donated by the public to this appeal, to make donations go even further and help DEC charities reach more people in need.

In Northern Ireland, the British Red Cross, Tearfund, Save the Children and Concern Worldwide have joined the appeal.

Go Dharmic volunteers

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Young Investors are Taking Too Much Risk; While Older Investors are Taking Too Little.

This has marked 2021 and will 2022. The readers of Asian Voice tend to be the type who say to their children ‘hey read this artiAlpesh Patel cle’. I’ve been writing for this paper since I Dear Financial was in my 20s. Now, somewhat older, I want a younger readership. So if you’re a parent – Voice Reader, tell your kids to read this – and get their own subscription to the paper! It’s a community paper after all.

The recent "Schroders Global Investor Study 2021" has highlighted some interesting differences between the risk appetite of younger and older investors. Schroders Global Investor Study 2021 has demonstrated the effects of the pandemic on investing. The most eye-catching finding suggests that 37% of investors are willing to allocate more capital to highrisk investments to beat inflation and COVID uncertainty. This number goes up to 44% for younger investors.

The report also looks at which high-risk asset classes people are investing in. Some of these sectors include cryptocurrency, electric vehicles, and biotech. Worryingly, many of these investors have no experience with these volatile assets. The survey asked what people would allocate "more" or "much more" of their capital towards in the wake of COVID-19. The answers were: 46% on general savings 46% of low-risk investment 37% on high-risk investment These numbers were interesting when broken down by demographics.

The percentage of investors who are taking on high-risk assets were: Age 18-37: 44% Age 38-50: 37% Age 51-70: 28% Age 71+: 22% The data shows that younger investors are taking on more risks.

However, what is less talked about is that older generations may not be taking on enough risk. The S&P 500 has rebounded almost 100% since the March 2020 crash. Much of these gains were in what would be categorised as high-risk equities, like Tech.

The report goes on to show disparities between young and older investors' expectations.

Interestingly, 56% of 18-37-year-olds expect their portfolios to return an annual rate of more than 10% over the next five years. This number is roughly similar among the 38-50 bracket.

However, the picture is different for the 51-70 and the 71+ groups. Only 45% and 38% respectively expect 10%+ returns in the same period.

The most popular first-time investments are: Electric vehicle funds and stocks: 24% Bitcoin or Pharmaceuticals stocks or funds: 23% Tech or Internet stocks or funds: 22% Cryptocurrencies: 22% Other interesting findings from the report were the difference between Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert investors. Incidentally, these categories were self-assigned.

Expert investors put capital into a far more comprehensive range of assets. Across all categories, they were far ahead. On the other hand, beginner investors had far less diversified portfolios. Perhaps this is a sign that they are sticking to investing in what they know? However, a concentrated portfolio with high-risk assets will leave some investors exposed and vulnerable to market swings.

So, what does all this mean?

Firstly, these findings aren't exactly shocking. Anyone who has been paying attention over the last few years will have noticed an influx of new investors. Apps like Robinhood and eToro have gamified trading and attracted a new generation of investors.

While much of the media coverage has been fairly negative and played on the inexperience of Reddit and Crypto investors, these criticisms can somewhat miss the point. Yes, the risk is high, but young people must start learning and investing somehow. Secondly, a sizable majority of people over 50 were happy with yields of 9% or less. Almost 1 in 5 predicted that their investments would earn less than 5%. While older investors can't often afford to ride out recessions or market pullbacks, the reality is that they are leaving money on the table. My goal in this cohort is to continue getting 40% annual returns.

BoE raises interest rates to 0.25% amid rising inflation The Bank of England (BoE) has raised UK interest rates from record lows of 0.1 per cent to 0.25 per cent for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 8-1 to take action amid pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who discouraged it from any more delays. It also voted 9-0 to maintain the amount of quantitative easing at £895bn.

According to the Office for National Statistics, UK inflation soared to its highest level in more than a decade last month, climbing to 5.1 per cent. This was significantly more than the Bank of England’s two per cent target and well above the expectations of 4.5 per cent, due to the rising cost of clothing, fuel,

and second-hand cars.

Threadneedle Street said, “Bank staff expect inflation to remain around five per cent through the majority of the winter period, and to peak at around six per cent in April 2022, with that further increase accounted for predominantly by the lagged impact on utility bills of developments in wholesale gas prices.”

The UK’s main interest rate has been at 0.1 per cent since the pandemic began, having been set at 0.75 per cent pre-pandemic. A rise to 0.25 per cent has been the lowest the bank has ever set. Analysts have said that they expect the rate to be hiked to pre-pandemic levels in the next 18 months as the economy resumes a more steady course.

123 FTSE 350 companies have BAME directors The number of FTSE 350 companies with a director of colour has increased by 108 per cent over the past year, according to Thomson Reuters which compiled the data.

The increase means 123 of the largest listed firms now have a black, Asian, or minority ethnic director (BAME) on board, up from just 59 last year. This accounts for nearly half of the FTSE 350 at 45 per cent.

A director of practical law at Thomson Reuters, Hilary Owens Gray was quoted by a report as saying, “It is important that companies continue to make improve-

ments in this area, as there seems to be no slowing in the drivers for the increased board and leadership diversity, including pressure from politicians and regulators.

Evidence shows that more diverse businesses can be more successful businesses and ultimately deliver better long-term returns for shareholders.”

Launched in 2017, the review gave FTSE 100 firms until the end of 2021 to appoint at least one BAME board-level director. The same target was set for the FTSE 250 companies, but with a deadline of 2024. The increase in represen-

tation was a result of companies racing to meet voluntary deadlines to appoint at least one BAME director to their boards.

Presently, women make up 39 per cent of all directorships across the FTSE 100, up from 35 per cent last year, holding a total of 402 roles, according to the Thompson Reuters research also found. About 46 companies now have boards where women hold at least 40 per cent of the roles, compared with 31 in 2020 and just 25 in 2021, suggesting “significant strides” had been made towards gender parity at the board level, the report said.

Retail sales boosted by pre-Christmas shopping Retail sales volume rose to higher than pre-pandemic levels in November as strong Black Friday and pre-Christmas trading boosted numbers. ONS data revealed retail sales volumes rose by 1.4 per cent in November 2021 and were 7.2 per cent higher than February 2020 levels, right before the pandemic hit. Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium said, “It is clear that plenty of customers used the Black Friday sales as an opportunity to snap up bargains ahead of Christmas.”

She added, “This sales event, once limited to the last week in November, has now become a month-long discounting event.”

Dickinson said that while traditional sales in TVs and other electronics could be found, there has been a clear expansion in clothing and footwear Black Friday discounts, boosting sales growth in these areas. She said, “This was bolstered by the cold weather during November, which led many to prepare their wardrobe for the win-

ter.” The report said non-food store sales volumes rose by two per cent, because of growth in clothing stores 2.9 per cent and other nonfood stores 2.8 per cent such as computer stores, toy stores and jewellery stores.

Clothing stores sales volumes were above pre-coronavirus levels for the first time, 3.2 per cent above levels seen in February 2020.

Computer, toy and jewellery retailers also reported robust sales. Fuel sales volumes rose by 3.7 per cent following some disruption to supplies in the previous two months.

Volumes were 1.9 per cent below their February 2020 levels. Food store sales volumes fell by 0.2 per cent in November 2021 but were

still 3.2 per cent above levels in February last year.

Dickinson said, “With more consumers choosing to visit the high street and retail parks, the proportion of online sales continued on a downward trend, to their lowest level since March 2020.” The proportion of retail sales online fell to 26.9 per cent in November 2021, its lowest proportion since March 2020 (22.6 per cent) and a continuation of a falling trend since its peak in February 2021 (36.8 per cent).

Dickinson said, “Retailers focus is now squarely in the final preparations for Christmas. There has already been a gargantuan effort to ensure that essential food and gifts are ready for the festive season, despite ongoing challenges in the supply chain. We remain confident it will be a great Christmas for consumers, and retailers are pulling out the stops to keep staff and customers as safe as possible during these difficult times.”

Inflation could push over a quarter of Brits into debt A new report has revealed that the inevitable increase in inflation could only push UK families into debt. Subscription loan provider Creditspring reveals over a quarter of Brits with dependents have said they will need to borrow to survive the winter. The company has seen the number of people seeking affordable credit double since July.

Almost half of the people with children under 18 said they couldn’t survive another lockdown, compared to 16 per cent of adults without children. CEO of Creditspring, Neil Kadagathur said, “Families are feeling the brunt of rising costs during the most expensive time of the year and are becoming increasingly worried how they’re going to sur-

vive what is shaping up to be the toughest period since the financial crisis.”

He added, “Inflation and living costs are soaring at the exact moment when the nation needs to tighten the purse strings. The approaching Christmas period is only going to exacerbate the situation and could be the tipping point that pushes households into debt.”

Their research showed almost 22 per cent of families with children under 18 have been forced to turn to high-cost loans after being rejected by mainstream lenders. 20 per cent of these borrowers have struggled with the expensive repayments. Around 40 per cent of families with children under 18 said they want more support from

banks when making financial decisions and managing money, more than twice as many as adults without children.

Meanwhile, recent figures from the Centre for Economics and Business Research indicate that the average family could be £1,700 worse off next year as UK inflation has now hit 5.1 per cent, the highest rate in a decade.

Kadagathur said banks and financial providers need to ease the pressure on families and increase access to affordable credit.

He said, “There are still too many families forced to turn to high-cost lenders who take advantage of their perilous financial position and offer credit with extortionate repayment terms.”

Sunak holds talks with hospitality business leaders Chancellor Rishi Sunak and his team have held meetings with business leaders as more and more pressure mounts on the Boris Johnson-led government to provide assistance to companies impacted by the Omicron variant.

Cutting his trip to the US short to hold more talks with business leaders last week, Sunak and his team met with a range of hospitality and business organisations including peri-peri chicken restaurant Nando’s and brewery giant Greene King.

Following new guidelines to work from home and prioritise social engagements, offices in major cities in the UK have emp-

tied out and Christmas parties have been cancelled, hurting hospitality businesses. The guidance came in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant. New research suggests the new strain largely evades immunity from Rishi Sunak past coronavirus infection or two vaccine doses.

Sunak said, “We understand that this is a concerning time for businesses. Myself and my wider team met with business representatives earlier today, listened to their concerns and will continue

to work with industry leaders over the coming days. To keep safeguarding our economic recovery and the lives and livelihoods of the British people our priority is now to make sure everyone has the opportunity to ‘Get Booster Now’.”

Sunak’s priorities after returning to the UK was to start “unblocking” £250m held by local authorities under the additional restrictions grant for companies hit the hardest by the new rules, as said by media reports.

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25 - 31 December 2021

Chanel appoints India-born Leena Nair as CEO Leena Nair, the first female and youngest-ever Chief Human Resources Officer of Anglo-Dutch FMCG major Unilever has stepped down to join the French luxury group Chanel as its Global Chief Executive.

Nair said in a Twitter post that she was “humbled and honored to be appointed the Global Chief Executive Officer of @CHANEL, an iconic and admired company”. While Nair, 52, is not a part of the Paris fashion scene, her appointment is seen back

Leena Nair

home as a sign of the rising stature of Indian business leaders, especially women.

Nair is succeeding billionaire co-owner and

Adani wins bid for India's longest expressway

The Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradesh, which will connect Meerut with Prayagraj, will be India’s longest expressway to be implemented on DBFOT basis.

Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), the flagship company of the Adani Group, India’s fastest-growing integrated infrastructure group, has won the bid to implement three major stretches of the greenfield Ganga Expressway on a DBFOT (Toll) basis. The concession period shall be 30 years.

Of its 594-km length, AEL will build 464 km from Budaun to Prayagraj, which comprises 80% of the expressway project.

AEL’s road portfolio has grown to 13 projects with more than 5,000 lane kms.

chairman of privately held Alain Chanel, Wertheimer, as CEO. The grandson of Chanel co-founder Pierre Wertheimer remains as global executive chairman of the fashion house.

In an emailed press announcement, Chanel said Nair’s hiring “will further ensure longterm success as a private company”. She will start her

new role at the end of January and be based in London, the company said.

British consumer goods giant Unilever describes Nair as its first woman, first Asian and youngest-ever chief human resources officer. She joined Unilever in 1992 in India and advanced up the ranks, spending time at the company’s factories early on.

Nair is married to financial entrepreneur Kumar Nair and has two sons.

SpiceJet announces settlement with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada (DHC)

SpiceJet and DHC had entered into a Purchase Agreement on September 8, 2017, relating to 25 Q-400 series aircraft.

SpiceJet paid for and took delivery of the first five aircraft.

According to DHC, SpiceJet failed to make pre-delivery payments for subsequent aircraft, following which it terminated the entire purchase agreement in February 2020.

Just a few days after the written judgment was issued, a settlement agreement between SpiceJet and DHC was announced. “The terms of De Havilland Canada’s settlement with SpiceJet are confidential,” said Philippa King, lead, events and communications, DHC. It is to be noted that, big conglomerates routinely mount multi-jurisdiction proceedings, which have now become a necessity. The SpiceJet-De Havilland case is a reminder why it is prudent to maintain a consistent stand in courts across continents.

Meet the Blind billionaire industrialist Srikanth Bolla Born visually-challenged, Srikanth’s parents were advised to leave him in an orphanage. Some even advised his parents to let the baby die.

The 29-year-old industrialist was ignored by teachers and the society as a child. He was made to sit at the back of the class and made to feel invisible. But his parents fought with one and all for their son and instilled the same fighting

spirit in him.

Srikanth had to fight with the government to earn the right to study science.

After a six month wait, he was allowed to study science at his own risk. He surpassed everyone’s expectations when he scored 98% in his class 12 board exams. Still, the society refused to believe in his potential.

Srikanth returned to India after studying in US

and founded his company, Bollant Industries, in 2012.

Bollant Industries, which manufactures packaging solutions grew with exceptional growth and climbed to a turnover of INR 1.5 billion by 2018.

Srikanth’s industrial empire has 5 manufacturing plants and employs more than 650 people, with around half of

citizen woes

resolve to further expand the two-way economic engagement.

The move to set up the facility comes amid increasing demands for chips in India by automakers and technology companies, among others, when there is a global shortage of chips.

The Consumer Prices Index rose from 4.2% in October to 5.1% in November, which coupled with the rise of the Omicron corona virus variant One financial analyst declared “Welcome to the winter of discontent" as inflation leaping to a 10year high due to supply chain issues and soaring fuel prices sending the cost of living soaring in recent months.

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

We’re involved in a refinance for a client. They own a building in a freehold company. About half of the building was refurbished and converted into six flats and rented for a healthy figure.

A separate company was created to hive off the developed flats and then transferred within this new company; this way it could benefit from a lower rate of borrowing, which over a five year period was a pretty substantial saving to the tune of about £65K. The transfer did not attract either stamp duty or capital gains tax as it is classed as an inter company transfer.

This arrangement, however, led the lender to want what they call a comfort charge on the freehold title of the company.

Given that the application and approval was only on six separate leases, I questioned the reason as to why this was requested.

The reason I was given, which sounded reasonable, was when the ownership is the same, they require the charge to ensure the freehold company simply does not dissolve the underlying leases; and therefore leave the lender with no security.

That made sense, any lender would seek the same.

However, the devil is always in the detail. And when it came to the lawyers and the actual legal stance there transpired a different picture. It appeared the lender wanted the freehold company to give a full guarantee for the loan amount.

Which was not applied for or even offered. This was outside the scope of what had been agreed.

Perhaps they were hoping this would slip through the cracks, and would get unnoticed.

This point could potentially stop us from selling or even refinancing the property in the future.

Needless to say, we have pushed back on this point. Furthermore, we are relooking at alternate ways to finance this deal just in case the existing lender does not see reason.

We are fortunate to have a good connection with the current lender, they have agreed to extend the term for a further six months; giving us plenty of breathing space to either find an alternate lender or sort the current issue out. Meanwhile, the rented flats are bringing in an annual income of almost £90K. As we enter the Christmas period, things are slowing down, lawyers, and lenders are of course winding down.

However, this is also the time one can pick up a few deals. Remember, there are sellers in the market who have to sell. Now, our job is to seek them out.

This week we have placed several offers, mostly for repossessed properties. The ones which come to fruition will be seeking investors. If you are ready to do a deal, do get in touch.

Srikanth Bolla

the workforce coming from differently-abled individuals.

India setting up semiconductor 10-year-highest inflation manufacturing plant with Taiwan coupled with Omicron mounts The Indian government has already proposed a number of sites for the facility and one of Taiwan's leading semiconductor producers, including the Taiwan S e m i c o n d u c t o r Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and the United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), may implement the mega project, they said.

India and Taiwan have also started negotiations for a free-trade agreement and setting up a semiconductor manufacturing hub in an Indian city, signalling their

The devil in the detail

It is the first time CPI has broken the 5% barrier since 2011, and is two and half times the Bank’s target of 2%. The increase surpassed predictions inflation would rise to 4.8%.

Analysts are warning that increasing the base rate may also dampen growth just at the point the economy faces a fresh battering if the surge of Omicron causes activity to reduce.

Axis leads in taking over Citi's India Retail Business Citigroup had, in April, announced its decision to exit its consumer banking operations in India as part of an ongoing strategic review, which was part of strategic actions in global consumer banking across 13 markets.

A handful of top domestic lenders were interested in Citi’s India retail business. Private sector lender Axis Bank is leading the race for Citi’s India retail business, with a final outcome expected in

the coming weeks.

Axis Bank is one of the top private sector lenders.

The bank's retail business franchise has strengthened, with the share of retail loans improving to about 56 per cent of total loans – led by home loans.

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7-year-boy killed in hit-andrun near ABQ BioPark A 7-year-old Pronoy Bhattacharya, his 4-year-old brother Rheet, mother Deepshikha Chowdhury and her husband, Aditya Bhattacharya, were crossing Central at Tingley, using the crosswalk with the walk signal illuminated. They had parked their vehicle some distance away and were walking to the ABQ BioPark.

It was about 8:30 pm and suddenly an off-road vehicle blew through a red light, striking Pronoy and his father. The vehicle fled west on Central.

While Pronoy, a kind-hearted and precocious second-grader at Georgia O’Keeffe

Elementary School, died at the scene, His father suffered facial fractures and other injuries.

Pronoy's mother was a medic who lived in the UK around the year 2005. One of his parents has an origin in Kolkata, India.

In the hours following the crash, APD released grainy photos taken from a security camera that showed the gray or dark-colored vehicle on Central. Tips poured in and officers found the suspect vehicle without the driver in the 200 block of 65th NW. Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers is now offering $3,500 for information that leads to an arrest.

Pronoy attended Montessori ONE Academy, until last year had begun second grade at Georgia O’Keeffe Elementary School in the fall.

In a statement, Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Scott Elder said “all of us at APS, especially Pronoy’s teachers, staff and friends at Georgia O’Keeffe, will miss him dearly.”

According to Chowdhury the school had identified her son Pronoy as gifted and he was going to be moved to a gifted class. She said he was brilliant, but beyond that he was incredibly kind and loving.

.NORTH KOREA BANS ALL LEISURE ACTIVITIES INCLUDING LAUGHING FOR 11-DAYS Pronoy Bhattacharya

For Chowdhury, the moments around the crash are a blur. She remembers holding hands with her younger son and walking a little ahead of Pronoy and his father, who were also holding hands. Then she heard some kind of sound – maybe a thud, definitely not a honk – and turned around to see her husband down in the road. Her son’s body was some distance away where it had been flung or dragged by the speeding vehicle.

Nirav Modi's appeal against ED questions Aishwarya Rai India extradition deferred in Panama papers leak case

by London court Nirav Modi currently in UK's Wandsworth prison is accused of defrauding India's Punjab National Bank, of more than INR 70 billion, of laundering the proceeds and interfering with witnesses and evidence.

The UK high court has recently deferred rulling on Nirav Modi's appeal against his extradition to India in order to allow his barrister more time to make submissions on a fresh assurance from the Indian government on how his mental health will be taken care of at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.

Fitzgerald representing

Nirav Modi

Nirav said there was no evidence of how he would be transferred out of prison to hospital. Helen Malcolm QC representing Indian government said they were refused access to Nirav's medical records for expert viewing.

Israel Christians fume as government exempt 'Jewish Tourism' from Covid ban Upon the discovery of omicron, the Israel government has restored the ban on foreign citizens entering the country.

While, other groups, including Christians wishing to visit Israel for Christmas, have had their requests to enter denied, Birthright delegations and similar organizations were exempted from the ban and are being allowed into Israel.

Christian organizations in

Israel protested the selective policy, noting that Christmas is approaching. Church leaders recounted that they had approached officials in the health and interior ministries, asking to approve the entry of a few dozen priests and nuns, but were refused.

The arriving members of Jewish tour groups were required to quarantine for three days subject to a negative coronavirus test.

Food delivery in space! Are you kidding?

Uber Eats Japan has leapt into space in order to expand its delivery zones.

The food delivery company has done the unimaginable.

It made its first delivery from Earth to space on Saturday by sending meals to the astronauts in the International Space Station.

For the delivery of food, Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa served as the delivery boy.

Uber Eats Japan also posted a video of the food delivery on its Twitter page. There, we can see Mr Maezawa delivering an Uber Eats brown paper bag to ISS commander Anton Shkaplerov. Mr Maezawa was dressed in a white T-shirt, shorts and an Uber Eats cap. Mr Maezawa, who is on a 12-day orbit in space, delivered the food after traveling 248 miles within eight hours and 34 minutes of his trip.

New Delhi: Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate at its Delhi headquarters in a case linked to the 2016 ‘Panama papers’. She is facing money laundering claims for her alleged involvement in an offshore entity/trust.

Sources said Aishwarya is one of the directors of an entity/trust that is under probe for alleged laundering of tax-evaded income. Her mother and other family members are also likely to be questioned for their alleged role in the entity, they said.

Aishwarya’s actor-husband Abhishek Bachchan and fatherin-law, superstar Amitabh Bachchan, are already facing a probe in separate cases being investigated by the ED under the Foreign Exchange Management Act and the PMLA. The Bachchans have been quizzed for their involvement in separate entities registered in tax havens as early as 2004-05.

Many of these entities (for alleged involvement in which the Bachchans, including Aishwarya Rai, have been questioned), generally created for tax evasion and

holding of unaccounted assets, have been shut down since the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers leaks in 2016.

So far, a multi-agency probe has revealed unaccounted income of more than Rs 20,000 crore laundered by at least 970 entities/individuals in the two paper-leak cases, according to the finance ministry. Many of these cases have been booked under the Black Money Act and the PMLA. Taxes of Rs 154 crore have been collected from some of the entities/individuals in some cases.According to the ministry, in 52 cases of Panama Papers and Paradise Papers leaks, criminal prosecution complaints have been filed under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) Act. Further, in 130 cases, proceedings under the Black Money Act have been initiated. Further, in the recent Pandora Papers leak, the government has constituted a multiagency group to investigate cases. It has members from ED, RBI, Income-Tax department and the Financial Intelligence Unit.

208 die in Phillipines typhoon The death toll from the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year has surged to 208, making it one of the deadliest storms to hit the country in recent years.

More than 300,000 people fled their homes and beachfront resorts as typhoon Rai slammed into the country as a super typhoon.The Philippine Red Cross has reported "complete carnage" in coastal areas as the storm ripped off roofs, uprooted trees, toppled concrete power poles, smashed wooden houses to pieces and flooded villages.One of the hardest-hit islands this time was Bohol – known for its beaches, rolling "Chocolate Hills" and tiny tarsier primates – where at least 74 people have died.

North Korea imposed a ban on laughing, drinking, and grocery shopping as it was a mourning period for the country, marking the 10th death anniversary of former leader Kim Jong-il, who ruled North Korea from 1994 to 2011.

All leisure activities have been banned for this period. The offenders will be arrested as it happens every year.

According to reports, even if your family member dies during the mourning period, you are not allowed to cry out loud and the body must be taken out after it's over.

People cannot even celebrate their own birthdays if they fall within the mourning period. The mourning period will go on for 11 days this year, instead of 10 days every year, as this is the 10th death anniversary.

NASA SPACECRAFT OFFICIALLY TOUCHES SUN Because the sun lacks a solid surface, the corona is where the action is; exploring this magnetically intense region up close can help scientists better understand solar outbursts that can interfere with life here on Earth.Scientists announced the news during a recent meeting of the American Geophysical Union that a Nasa spacecraft has officially “touched” the sun, plunging through the unexplored solar atmosphere known as the corona. Launched in 2018, Parker was 8m miles from the center of the sun when it first crossed the jagged, uneven boundary between the solar atmosphere and outgoing solar wind. The spacecraft dipped in and out of the corona at least three times, each a smooth transition, according to scientists.

MODERNA'S THIRD DOSE PROVIDES GOOD IMMUNITY TO OMICRON A 50 microgram booster dose - the authorized amount, which is half the dose used for primary immunization - saw a 37fold increase in neutralizing antibodies, the company said in a statement. The company also tested a 100 microgram dose, which increased antibody levels 83-fold compared with the primary two-dose course.

As company's shares rose 6.5% in premarket trading in New York, Moderna Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said in a statement. "To respond to this highly transmissible variant, Moderna will continue to rapidly advance an omicronspecific booster candidate into clinical testing in case it becomes necessary in the future." The results add to a growing body of evidence that three shots will be needed to neutralize the fast-spreading omicron.

WUHAN LAB LEAK MOST LIKELY ORIGIN OF COVID Dr Alina Chan and Matt Ridley who has cowritten a book about the origins of SarsCoV-2, the virus behind the pandemic gave an update to MPs at the Science and Technology Select Committee today.

According to Dr. Chan "We all agree there was a critical event at the Wuhan seafood market that was a super spreader event caused by humans, but there’s no evidence pointing to a natural animal origin of the virus at that market".

The idea of a lab leak was dismissed early on in the pandemic as a ‘conspiracy theory’ but it has now started to gain ground, even among Western intelligence officials.

Mr Riley told MPs that it was ‘incredibly surprising’ no animal host has been discovered after two years of searching.

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in brief UGANDA LEADER BOBI WINE RESTRICTED WITH HOUSE ARREST Uganda's singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, has said that police and military officers deployed overnight had barred him from leaving his house in Magere, north of the capital, Kampala. The security forces have surrounded his residence and put him under house arrest before a planned campaign rally.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was set to campaign on Tuesday in support of an opposition candidate running in a by-election in the central district of Kayunga, where Museveni is also expected to hold a rally.

Earlier Wine had come second in a tense January election that returned Museveni to power for a sixth term. The vote was conducted under an internet blackout after campaigns where opposition candidates were routinely obstructed by police, and many people were shot dead by security forces.

OVER 38 KILLED BY AIR STRIKES IN ETHIOPIA Drones attacked the market and killed more than 38 people and more than 80 people were injured. These are people who were buying and selling in the market in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

Footage shown by Tigray Tv, controlled by the TPLF rebels shows images of dead bodies on the streets and the injured being carried away. The target was a market in the town of Alamata.The attacks started last Wednesday and lasted for three consecutive days.

The government of Ethiopia and various rebel groups have been involved in fighting in Tigray for over a year.

NUMBER OF US COVID DEATHS IN 2021 SURPASSES 2020 FIGURE Overall, more than 771,000 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the U.S. during the pandemic. About 385,000 were reported in 2020, according to CDC data, and more than 386,000 have been reported this year as of the last week of November. Unlike 2020 when the northeast states had more deaths, this year, Southern states have reported the highest death rates due to a major surge caused by the contagious Delta variant.

Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee have reported the highest death rates so far this year.

GOOGLE EMPLOYEES MAY LOSE JOB IF NOT VACCINATED Google is one of several large US employers to have adopted a “no jab, no job” policy for their workforce. The company's employees were reportedly informed by a memo they were required to have declared their vaccination status and uploaded proof of it, or to have applied for a medical or religious exemption, by 3 December.After 3rd December, Google would start to contact workers who were unvaccinated or had not uploaded proof of vaccination, or whose exemption requests had not been approved.

The US government has ordered companies with more than 100 staff to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or regularly tested for Covid by 18 January.

Military seizes power from elected government in Myanmar The power has been handed over to military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for a year in Myanmar, also known as Burma, where neighbouring China has a powerful influence.

Myanmar’s military, in what it said had responded to “election fraud”, seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her party in early morning raids.

Western nations condemned the sudden turn of events, which derailed years of efforts to estab-

lish democracy in the povertystricken country of Myanmar and raised even more questions

over the prospect of returning a million Rohingya refugees.

The Nobel Peace Prize laure-

ate Kyi’s election win followed decades of house arrest and struggle against the military, which had seized power in a 1962 coup and stamped out all dissent for decades.

The November vote faced some criticism in the West for disenfranchising many Rohingya but the election commission rejected military complaints of fraud. In its statement declaring the emergency, the military cited the failure of the commission to address complaints over voter lists, its refusal to postpone new parliamentary sessions, and protests by groups unhappy with the vote.

English court orders Dubai ruler to pay £550m to ex-wife 47 year old Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, who is the half-sister of Jordan's King Abdullah, originally fled the UAE for England in April 2019 with her two children, claiming she was "terrified" of her husband.

Later that year, the London court ruled Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had carried out a campaign of threats and intimidation that made her feel unsafe, and that he had also previously abducted and mistreated two of his daughters from another marriage.

The Dubai ruler has now

been ordered to pay around £550m to his former wife and their two children in what is thought to be the largest award of its kind ordered by an English court.

He will make a one-off payment of £251.5m within three months to Haya for the upkeep of her mansions in the UK, which will cover the money she said she was owed for jewelry and racehorses, as well her future security costs. He will also pay £11.2m a year for the children's maintenance and for their security when they become adults.

However, the sheikh's lawyer, Nigel Dyer, told the court during hearings that "the moth-

er's financial claims, and the size of the relief that's being sought, are quite unprecedented".

Canada’s Foreign Affairs 48 passengers on Royal minister tests positive for Covid Caribbean infected with Covid As Canada recorded over 10,000 fresh cases, potentially tied to the new fastspreading Omicron variant the country’s foreign Minister Melanie Joly has now also tested positive for Covid-19.

Her announcement on Twitter came as 10,621 new Melanie Joly infections were reported in locations, leaving individuals & the country, and several jurisfamilies to make tough decidictions tightened restrictions sions to keep everyone safer amid concerns over a winter through the weeks ahead”. She wave driven by the Omicron has also mentioned the largevariant. scale rollout of Covid vaccine As Christmas weekend booster doses, with the counapproaches, Canada’s chief pubtry’s most populous province lic health officer Dr Theresa Ontario opening it up for everyTam said “it’s clear the epidemic one above the age of 18. has accelerated quickly in many

Harassment fears for women at events in Saudi Mass entertainment events are no longer a novelty in the once austere kingdom.

In these events, men and women were also able to mix in ways that were once unthinkable.

However, there have been reports by local and foreign women that they have faced harassment at them some of it documented on video.

Those close to Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and his inner circle say that these incidents are the inevitable growing pains of a country in the midst of a major transition from the dictates of a deeply conservative

interpretation of Islam to a more permissive society - exemplified for many by the removal of the once ubiquitous morality police from the streets.

Supporters of the prince say this process is still at an early stage - and call for patience until such changes become normalised.

The Royal Caribbean cruise operator which ended a week-long cruise in Miami on Saturday after setting sail on Dec. 11 had 6,091 guests and crew members on board its Symphony of the Seas cruise ship.

Out of this 48 people tested positive for Covid-19 fueling concerns that the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus could put a damper on a recovery in the cruise industry.

While 95% of the community on board were fully vaccinated, while 98% of those who test-

ed positive were also fully vaccinated, the passengers who tested positive were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, Royal Caribbean said in a statement, adding that six guests were disembarked earlier in the cruise and transported home.

North California coast struck by a 6.2 earthquake A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Northern California coast recently bringing significant shaking but likely minimal damage to the sparsely populated area.

The earthquake occurred just after noon and was centered off the coast about 210 miles (337 kilometers) northwest of San Francisco, just off a tiny town called Petrolia that's home to fewer than 1,000 people. The nearest population center, Eureka, is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north.

California's Office of Emergency Services said 2,500 people were notified about the

earthquake before shaking began through the state's early warning system called MyShake.

A tsunami was however not expected to follow, the National Weather Service said.

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Biden orders 500 million test kits to tackle Omicron Omicron, that was first identified in southern Africa last month but has now spread around the globe, has become the dominant strain in the US, accounting for nearly threequarters of all new cases.

According to officials, unvaccinated are at high risk of getting sick. This variant is highly transmissible and the unvaccinated are eight times more likely to be hospitalised and 14 times more likely to die from Covid.

Amid new measures to tackle the surging Omicron variant US President Joe Biden's administration is to make 500 million rapid tests for Covid available.

The rapid tests will be delivered free to all Americans who request them from January.

In addition, there would be new federal testing sites would be launched nationwide by Christmas, with the first in New York City - which has seen a massive surge in Omicron.

in brief GERMAN DOCTOR ASSOCIATION HAS SAID CITIZENS WILL NEED FOURTH BOOSTER According to figures released by the Robert Koch Institute for disease control (RKI), some 1.1 million Germans have received their third COVID-19 vaccine since the summer.

At this point, some 20% of Germans are fully vaccinated with a booster. Meanwhile, Germany's chief of doctors has said that a fourth booster vaccination campaign would likely be needed later next year for the country to manage the pandemic. Ulrich Weigeldt, the head of Germany's general practitioners' association, said that he expected the boosters to mirror the yearly flu vaccine. He added that they expect that by summer, or fall at the latest, a fourth vaccination will be necessary.

Bangladesh demands US designates Indian-origin Urza as Special Coordinator US recognition of Pakistani EU STEPS UP VACCINATION FOR for Tibetan issues army genocide Fluent in Arabic, French and Spanish, Indian-origin Urza Zeya was acting assistant secretary of human rights, democracy, and labour. In that post, she had led UN-US human rights dialogue with China, Egypt, and Bahrain, among others, he said.

Zeya is now designated by the US as its Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and she has been tasked with promoting “substantive dialogue” between China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives, in support of a negotiated agreement on Tibet.

She will coordinate the US

Urza Zeya

government policies, programmes and projects concerning Tibetan issues, consistent with the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, as amended by the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020.

To commemorate their 50th victory day, Bangladesh community members in the Washington DC Metro Region held a demonstration in front of White House on December 18.

US-based Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) Executive Director Priya Saha.

US based human rights congress for Banladeshi minorities executive director Priya Saha informed the gathering that Pakistan Army had killed three million bengalis and raped about 400,000 Bengali women and girls during

CHILDREN AGED 5-11

the 1971 genocide. This is the second biggest genocide after the Holocaust and needs to be recognized as such by the global community.

The US Administration also needs to sanction the Pakistan and its Army officers involved in 1971 genocide under the Magnitsky Act, she demanded.

SA scientists probe links between Omicron and untreated HIV

Canadian farmer's discovery may become a game changer

Researchers have already observed that Covid-19 can linger for many months in patients who are HIV positive but who have, for varying reasons, not been taking the medicines that would enable them to lead healthy lives.

But, as they push ahead with their research, the scientists are anxious to avoid further stigmatising people living with HIV, both in South Africa - home to the world's largest HIV epidemic - and globally.

South African scientists are now investigating the "highly plausible hypothesis" that the emergence of new Covid-19 variants could be linked, in some cases, to mutations taking place inside infected people whose immune systems have already been weakened by other factors, including, though not limited to, untreated HIV. There is currently no evidence that any of the current Covid variants of concern have emerged in Africa, although the sudden arrival in southern Africa of a variant as transmissible as Omicron has fuelled speculation that it may be linked to someone local with a compromised immune system.

U.N. says the strongest lever we have to reduce global warming is to curb the emissions of the greenhouse gas: methane. But emissions continue to accelerate.

Dorgan, who founded North Atlantics Organics, which produces and distributes organic seaweed, stumbled upon what is nothing short of a climate miracle — the seeds of which were planted through five generations of family farming along the shores of Prince Edward Island. Back then, farmers harvested seaweed for feed and fertilizer.

He sent samples of it to Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia to test for organic certification. Through that, it was discovered that the high uptake of natural vitamins and minerals in seaweed drove up reproduction and milk production in cows.

While there's lots of optimism for this seaweed product, critics say it hasn't yet been proven at scale. It's clear that methane reduction from seaweed is effective in the short-term, but there's some fear that its effects may diminish over time as the cow's digestive systems adapt.

Kenya's picture of six dead Giraffes shocks the world

Now US has a software to predict Chinese government reaction

A heartbreaking photograph of Kenya shows a family of six giraffes lying dead after they got stuck in the mud, as experts warn the drought being experienced by the African country could kill 4,000 of the animals.

Food and water shortages as a result of the lack of rain have affected animals and people alike, with 4,000 giraffes in the nearby Garissa County at risk of death as a result.

The drought was declared a national disaster by Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta in September. It is estimated that

more than two million Kenyans risk starvation because of the drought that is affecting half the country.

US military commanders in the Pacific have now developed a computer-based software tool to predict how the Chinese government will react to US actions in the region like military sales, US-backed military activity and even congressional visits to hotspots like Taiwan.

The tool will help the Pentagon predict whether certain actions will provoke an outsized Chinese reaction. It looks at data from early 2020 and evaluates significant activities that had impacted US-Sino relations by calculating strategic friction.

While relations between the United States and China are already at a low point, this new software will allow US officials to look forward to planned actions as far as four month in advance.

At Hospital Principe de Asturias in Alcala de Henares near Madrid, nurses wearing Christmas antler headbands welcomed children and gave them stickers after their shots. Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Spain were among those opening up their inoculation drives to younger kids, with other nations still weighing their approach.Even as children lined up to get jabs, the EU health agency ECDC said measures like mask-wearing, distance working and the prevention of crowds were essential to reduce the burden on healthcare systems in the time available, with vaccines alone taking too long. Doctors across Europe are reporting strong initial demand from parents.

UAE WILL NOT CENSOR FILMS ANYMORE Censors in the UAE, like elsewhere in the Middle East, have long removed scenes in cinematic releases that show nudity, homosexuality, sex and other content deemed inappropriate, sometimes leading to plot holes.

The UAE has now announced that it will no longer censor films released in cinemas, the country's latest effort to boost its brand as a liberal hub attractive to foreigners as the nation promotes its socially liberal environment to lure international workers.

The Emirati Media Regulatory Authority has said that instead of cutting sensitive scenes that could offend traditional Islamic sensibilities, that it will introduce a new 21+ age category for viewers.

BRAWL BREAKS OUT IN GHANA PARLIAMENT OVER TRANSACTION TAX Ghana Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Artta has said electronic transaction tax including that for mobile payments is necessary to widen the tax net, arguing that it could raise an extra 6.9bn Ghanaian cedi ($1.15bn; £870m) next year. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) rejected the proposed levy saying it will hit low-income people and those outside the formal banking sector. The deputy speaker was seen as crucial as parliament has been heavily divided over the proposed tax.

However, opposition MPs rushed forward to prevent Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei Owusu from leaving his seat to vote creating a huge chaos. MPs shoved, pushed and threw punches at each other, while others tried to stop the fighting. The session was adjourned because of the disorder.

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India’s vaccine maker donates President Kovind inaugurates $66m to Oxford University historic Kalibari temple in Dhaka Vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII) has pledged 50 million British pounds ($66.2m) to the University of Oxford for setting up a research campus that would also house the institute behind the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid19 shot.

The pledge builds on the collaboration between Oxford University, AstraZeneca and SII, the world’s largest maker of vaccines and the producer of a version of the British duo’s Covid-19 shot for low- and middle-income countries.

The donation will be the university’s largest-ever gift for vaccines research, the Oxford University said.

The new Poonawalla Vaccines Research Building would be named after SII’s billionaire owners. The new facility will house more than 300 research scientists and will help scale up the university’s key vaccine develop-

Adar Poonawalla

ment programmes.

SII has also agreed with the Jenner Institute, which was behind the OxfordAstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, to produce and develop Jenner’s R21/Matrix-M malaria shot on a large scale.

The shot is currently in latestage trials.

SII was founded in 1966 in the western Indian city of Pune by Cyrus Poonawalla, son of a horse breeder, and India’s fifth-richest person, according to Forbes. In 2019, Cyrus was also conferred an

honorary degree by Oxford University. It is currently run by his son Adar Poonawalla, whose wife Natasha Poonawalla heads Serum Life Sciences. With a penchant for luxury cars and racehorses, the pair is often seen rubbing shoulders with Hollywood and Bollywood stars. The Poonawallas in September invested 50 million pounds ($66.2m) in Oxford Biomedica to help fund the development of a plant that manufactures Covid-19 shots.

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated a famous Hindu temple in Dhaka that was destroyed by Pakistani forces in 1971. He declared that the revived shrine represents the “spiritual and cultural” bonds between India and Bangladesh.

Addressing the Indian community in Dhaka after inaugurating the new Ramna Kalibari, Kovind said the relationship between India and Bangladesh is marked by shared language, culture and kinship. “I pay tribute to the enormous sacrifices made by the people of Bangladesh to achieve freedom from tyranny. We salute your indomitable courage in fighting against the formidable odds and standing up against injustice,”Kovind said in his speech.

The inauguration of the reconstructed Kalibari tem-

ple coincided with the 50th anniversary of the victory of Bangladesh and India in the Liberation War, which also marks the golden jubilee of the bilateral relations between the two sides.

President Kovind participated in the festivities at the National Parade Ground of Dhaka.

The President also held delegation-level talks with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, wherein both sides took stock of the progress in bilateral relations and discussed ways to further deepen cooperation for the

benefit of the people of the two countries. It should be noted that the temple was completely destroyed by the Pakistani Army’s operation code-named ‘Operation Searchlight’ in 1971, targeting the resistance movement in the country. The temple was set on fire by the Pakistani forces, killing many people, including devotees and those residing in it. India supported the renovation of the temple.

Hindus make up some 10 per cent of Muslimmajority Bangladesh’s 169 million population.

Terror groups targeting India continue to operate from Pakistan, says US report Terror groups targeting India continue to operate from Pakistan which did not act against known terrorists, including JeM chief and UN-blacklisted Masood Azhar and 2008 Mumbai attack project manager Sajid Mir, who remain free in that country, according to the latest US report on terrorism.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the 2020 Country Reports on Terrorism said that regionally, terrorist groups continued to operate from Pakistan.

“Groups targeting Afghanistan – including the Afghan Taliban and affiliated HQN [Haqqani Network], as well as groups targeting India, including LeT [Lashkar-e-Taiba] and its affiliated front organisations, and Jaishe-Mohammed (JeM) – continued to operate from Pakistani territo-

ry,” the report stated.

It also noted that Jaish-eMohammed founder Masood Azhar and 2008 Mumbai attacks “project manager” Sajid Mir were free in Pakistan till date. On November 26, 2008, ten terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba took the

sea route from Pakistan to Mumbai and carried out a dozen coordinated shooting and bombing attacks at various major landmarks across the city. Over 160 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the attacks that lasted four days.

The US report found that the terror organisations that have attacked several places in India over the last two decades have been raising money in Pakistan and other countries. For instance, Jaish-e-Mohammed had withdrawn funds from bank accounts and invested in legal businesses in Pakistan to avoid seizure of assets by the government, the report stated. The terror outfit has also collected funds through donations, sometimes using charitable causes.

According to the report, operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba have been collecting donations in Pakistan, Arab countries and even the United Kingdom, where it is designated as a terrorist organisation. Hizbul Mujahideen, which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in

2017, is suspected to have received funding from Pakistan as well Kashmir.

The report by the secretary of the state also mentioned that India’s National Investigation Agency had examined 34 terrorism-related cases related to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria last year and arrested 160 persons, including 10 alleged Al Qaeda operatives from Kerala and West Bengal.

Highlighting the US-India cooperation, the report said that the United States continues to build its strategic partnership with India, including through bilateral engagements such as the 17th Counterterrorism Joint Working Group and Third Designations Dialogue in September, as well as the third 22 Ministerial Dialogue in October.

This Gujarati food blogger in Karachi is creating strides around the world Nischal Sanghavi During the India-Pakistan partition, many Gujaratis were left in Pakistan, similar to those who left behind families in Pakistan as they migrated to India. With both country gearing up to celebrate their 75th independence day in 2022, it is a delight to find how citizens on both sides of the border still hold on to their families’ roots.

Alina Maniar, 25 belongs to an elite Gujarati family in Karachi.

Alina always had interest in social media, but, since there was no appropriate course available in Pakistan, she did a certificate course in Digital Marketing.

Currently, Alina is a popular and stylish food blogger, much loved among Pakistan's youths with over 40,000 followers across the world. This includes followers from India, UAE, US, UK and

other countries, apart from a huge following in Pakistan.

According to Alina, "we landed up on this side of the border due to partition. Our surname 'Maniar' identifies us as Gujarati.

According to my family, anybody with 'Maniar' surname in both countries are someway our relatives. There are an estimated 3.5 million people who speak Gujarati in Pakistan. I have many Gujarati friends and our family speaks Gujarati at home since decades, but now Urdu is mixed in our sentences. My grandparents could read and write Gujarati and I am also looking forward to learn it one day. We cook Gujarati food at home, in fact I love Gujarati cuisine more than Pakistani food and 'Dhokla' is my most favourite."

Alina who hails from an opulent family has taken up food blogging with objective to show-

case Pakistan to the world the way people do not get to see on media.

As Alina puts it, "very few people outside Pakistan are aware that the food street vendors are very welcoming here. In fact, they love and respect foreign tourists.

So much so that most food vendors happily provides his/her most delicious variety complimentary to a foreign tourist. They would not like to charge them for food, but instead wants them to remember Pakistan and its food for a long time. Currently there are many upmarket restaurants in Karachi serving British delicacies like Shepherd's Pie, Trifle, Fish & Chips, Scones and English Breakfast."

Alina's hobby of food blogging earns her over 100,000 PKR a year, but the love she gets from her audience gives her a high. Though she has not been able to visit

Gujarat due to visa constraints, sweet stories of family members’ visits to Ahmedabad and Dhandhuka run in the family. She is looking forward to visit Gujarat one day and treat herself with street dosa, mango shrikhand, bhakharvadi, fafda and do street shopping, from the stories she has heard from her parents. The Mohanthal and Ghevar that were sent by relatives from Ahmedabad

have left the whole family's lip smacking for days. They have always found Indians very welcoming and loving during their visits.

Pakistani youths like Alina are now showcasing the real essence of their country to the world which is enabling the world to look at the brighter side of the country beyond the television news channels.

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PUNJAB

Man beaten to death at Golden Temple for ‘sacrilege’ attempt One person died after being beaten by devotees when he entered the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, according to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) – the apex body for the management of gurdwaras.

Cops have so far not been able to ascertain the identity of the person who committed sacrilege in Golden Temple’s sanctum sanctoram on December 18.

In an official statement, SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said an attempt was made by a man at “Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib'' (Golden Temple) to cross the safety grill while the recitation of daily ‘Rehras Sahib’ (evening prayer) was underway. “During the

about 20 to 25 years of age, had a yellow cloth tied on his head and jumped the fence... the people inside held him and escorted him out to the corridor where there was a violent altercation and he recitation, a man jumped over the safety grill and entered the sanctum sanctorum and picked up the sword kept in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, but he was apprehended by the ‘Sewadars’ on duty, and he died due to beating by the sangat (devotees),” Dhami said.

Parminder Singh Bhandal, deputy commissioner of Amritsar police, said "The man,

died."

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed "shock and disbelief” at the incident and alleged a deepconspiracy.

In a rooted statement, Badal said that it is impossible to believe that this could be the act of just one person and there clearly is a deeprooted conspiracy behind it.

Amritsar police

commissioner Sukhchain Singh Gill said that cops had not found any identity card or document that could help trace the person’s background. The police chief said the police had circulated a photograph of the person from footage captured by CCTV cameras. He said the SIT had started its probe and that police had registered a case under IPC Sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 307 (attempted murder) at the East Division police station on December 19.

Police had also released mobile numbers that anyone having any information about the accused could call.

SOUTH INDIA

Karnataka firm on APMC law, farmers plan stir BELAGAVI: The state government has decided not to repeal the amendment to the Karnataka Agriculture Produce Marketing (APMC) law in the ongoing assembly session in Belagavi prompting the farmers to plan a Delhi-like stir in the state. The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha-Hasiru Sene announced that it would lay siege to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.

Cooperation minister ST Somashekhar said the state will continue with the Karnataka Agriculture Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Act, 2020 that curtails powers of local Agricultural Produce Marketing

Committees (APMCs) and allows farmers to sell their produce outside APMCs. “The present law is in the interest of farmers as it gives freedom to sell their produce

anywhere inside or outside APMC markets. The central policy will not have a bearing on the state law and we won’t change it,” he said.

Soon after Modi’s

announcement that the Centre will repeal all the three farm laws, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai had said he’d await instructions from party top brass and then take a decision. “The state government promised us that the amended law would be repealed in the Belagavi session.

It has gone back on the promise, prompting us to launch the agitation,” said Kodihalli Chandrashekhar, president, Karnataka Rajya Raitha SanghaHasiru Sene.

In May 2020, the state government had promulgated an ordinance to amend the APMC (Regulation and Development) Act that envisages opening up the agricultural market.

WEST BENGAL

SC restrains Bengal Pegasus probe, says ‘breach of undertaking’ The Supreme Court restrained a West Bengal governmentappointed two-member Commission of Inquiry, headed by retired top court judge, justice Madan B Lokur, from investigating the alleged use of the Israeli Pegasus spyware to snoop on Indian citizens This order was passed by a bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli on a PIL filed

by NGO ‘Global Village Foundation Charitable Trust’.

Right at the beginning of the hearing, the CJI asked senior advocate A M Singhvi, who was appearing for West Bengal: “What is this? Last time you had given an undertaking. When we wanted to pass an order, you said it is not necessary and that you will convey to the Commission not to proceed with the inquiry.

“Again you have started the inquiry.” Singhvi squarely put the blame on the Commission’s door for continuing with the proceedings despite his

conveying the desire of the SC, expressed on August 25, for the Commission to hold its hands till the apex court decided the bunch of petitions raising the issue of Pegasus and seeking a SC judge-monitored SIT probe into the alleged snooping using the spyware.

He said, “It was conveyed

that the Commission should not proceed till the SC decides the matter. After the SC decided the matter (referring to the October 27 interim order), the Commission has started its work. The SC can call the Commission and pass orders.”

The Pegasus row erupted on July 18 after an international

consortium of media outlets and investigative journalists reported that the phones of Indian ministers, politicians, activists, businessmen and journalists were among the 50,000 that were potentially targeted by Pegasus, Israeli company NSO Group’s phone hacking software.

Durga Puja of Kolkata’ gets World Heritage tag Bengal’s biggest festival was inscribed on the representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at a meeting of a Unesco committee in Paris. Durga Puja joins other Indian cultural practices and expressions, such as Kumbh Mela, Chhau dance from Bengal and Odisha, Sankirtana from Manipur, yoga, Ramlila, Buddhist chanting in Ladakh and Navroz on the ICH list. Globally, Baul songs of Bangladesh, Tango in Argentina and Uruguay, Samba de Rode and Frevo of Brazil, Royal Ballet of Cambodia, China’s Dragon Boat Festival and Flamenco of Spain are among those listed as ICH by Unesco.

The news was greeted with euphoria. “A matter of great pride and joy for every Indian!...,” tweeted PM Narendra Modi. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee also tweeted her happiness: “Proud moment for Bengal! To every #Bengali across the world, Durga Puja is much more than a festival, it is an emotion that unites everyone...”

in brief KARNATAKA CONG MLA APOLOGIZES FOR RAPE REMARK Former Karnataka Speaker and senior Congress MLA KR Ramesh Kumar, who had said “enjoy rape when it is inevitable” in the state assembly apologised for his “offthe-cuff remark”. “If it hurts the sentiments of women, I’ve no problem apologising. I apologise from the bottom of my heart,” Kumar told the assembly. He made the remark during a discussion on rain and flood damage when Speaker Visveshwara Hegde Kageri found himself dealing with MLAs who insisted on extending the debate. After widespread outrage over his insensitive remark, Kumar tweeted: “I would like to express my sincere apologies to everyone for the indifferent and negligent comment I made in today’s assembly about ‘Rape!’. My intention was not to trivialise or make light of the heinous crime, but an off-the-cuff remark! I will choose my words carefully henceforth! (sic)”

SOLE SURVIVOR OF IAF CHOPPER CRASH DIES IN HOSPITAL Group Captain Varun Singh, the only person to have survived the December 8 Mi-17V5 chopper crash in which 13 people including India’s chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat were killed, passed away on December 15 after battling for life for a week.

The IAF (Indian Air Force) is deeply saddened to inform the passing away of brave heart Group Captain Varun Singh, who succumbed this morning to the injuries sustained in the helicopter accident on December 8, 2021.

Singh passed away at the Air Force Command Hospital in Bengaluru. Son of an army officer, Singh was awarded Shaurya Chakra earlier this year for displaying outstanding courage and presence of mind while handling a rare mid-air emergency involving a light combat aircraft (LCA) that he was flying last year.

HINDU TEMPLE VANDALISED IN PAKISTAN'S KARACHI The man entered a Hindu temple in Ranchore Line area of Karachi in the evening and damaged the statue of Hindu deity Jog Maya using a hammer. The accused was later apprehended by the public and handed over to local police. According to media reports, the accused has been booked under sections that deal with blasphemy. In recent years, there has been a surge in attacks on places of worship of religious minorities in Pakistan.

The country has been repeatedly slammed by the international community for not safeguarding the interest of its minorities.

TWO RSS WORKERS ARRESTED FOR MURDER OF SDPI LEADER IN KERALA The police arrested two persons in connection with the murder of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) State secretary K.S. Shan in Alappuzha. The arrested have been identified as Rajendraprasad, alias Prasad (39), of Mannancherry and Ratheesh, alias Kuttan (31), of Mararikulam South, both Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists. The police said the duo had actively participated in the conspiracy to kill Shan. An official said Rajendraprasad hatched the plot, organised attackers and the vehicle used in the assault.

Shan was attacked by assailants at Kuppezham Junction in Mannancherry.

Following the murder, a gang hacked Ranjith Sreenivas, BJP OBC Morcha State secretary, to death at his house at Vellakinar in Alappuzha municipality. A special investigation team led by Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Vijay Sakhare is investigating the twin political murders.

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India blocks 2 sites, 20 YouTube channels linked to ‘Pak disinformation campaign’ NEW DELHI: The government has ordered 2 Kashmir-related websites and 20 YouTube channels to be blocked under the new information technology rules notified this year, a ministry of information and broadcasting statement said, saying the channels and websites “belong to a coordinated disinformation network operating from Pakistan”.

The orders, the first to be issued by the ministry of information and broadcasting under the new information technology rules notified on February 25 this year, were issued in a closely coordinated effort with intelligence agencies, the ministry said.

“The channels were used to post divisive content in a coordinated manner on topics like Kashmir, Indian Army, minority

communities in India, Ram Mandir, General Bipin Rawat, etc,” it added.

Among the 20 YouTube channels ordered to be blocked are those launched by The Naya Pakistan Group (NPG), operating

from Pakistan, having a network of YouTube channels that have a combined subscriber base of over 35 lakh. Their videos have had over 55 crore views. “Some of the YouTube channels of the Naya Pakistan Group (NPG) were being

operated by anchors of Pakistani news channels,” it said.

The 20 YouTube channels include The Punch line, International Web News, Khalsa Tv, The Naked Truth, News 24, 48 news, Fictional, Historical Facts, Punjab Viral, Naya Pakistan Global and Cover Story, among others. The two websites, Kashmir Global and Kashmir Watch, have been ordered to be blocked in their entirety.

An unusually detailed statement issued by the government listed screenshots and instances of fake news that were being put out by these YouTube channels.

According to this list, The Punch line claimed in one report that 20 Indian Army generals had been killed at a training facility in Kashmir by “Kashmir mujahed-

din”. Another report in the same channel claimed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has decided to build a mosque in place of Ram mandir in Ayodhya. A third example listed a report in Naya Pakistan Global channel that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent his army to Ayodhya.

The two orders to block the YouTube channels and websites were issued by the information and broadcasting secretary Apurva Chandra invoking his emergency powers under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules notified on February 25 this year. This is the first time that the information and broadcasting ministry has invoked its powers under the new IT rules.

HC rejects plea of woman seeking Goa would’ve been liberated earlier possession of Red Fort if Patel lived a bit longer: Modi NEW DELHI: In a bizarre incident, a woman requested the Delhi High Court to direct the Centre to hand over the Red Fort of Delhi to her or compensate her, claiming to be the widow of late Mirza Mohammed Bedar Bakht, the great-grandson and legal heir of last Mughal emperor late Bahadur Shah Zafar II. Citing an inordinate delay of over a century, the Delhi high court dismissed the plea.

The woman, Sultana Begum, who, according to reports, resides in Kolkata, claimed that her late husband managed to escape to India from Rangoon, where the last Mughal emperor was exiled by the East India Company. The woman’s plea claimed that after her husband returned to India, he was recognised as the inheritor of Bahadur Shah II in 1960 by the Government of India, and after his death in 1980, she started receiving a pension.

Sultana Begum moved court to seek the rights to Red Fort while also seeking compensation from the union government for the alleged illegal occupation of the historic monument for several years. Justice Rekha Palli sought to know the reasons for the delay in filing the petition and asking for the

claim after 150 years.

“First explain the delay...in approaching the court. Forget about whether you can be owner or not because the first line of your petition (is) that there was injustice caused to you by the British East India Company,” the court told the counsel for the petitioner.

“According to you, the injustice was done in 1857. After 170 years you have approached the court, please explain how you can do that. We will then come to merits, how you own the Red Fort, we will see. We need to inform all other people they should not be using it without permission, that is what you want to say,” said the court.

When the counsel for the petitioner said that his client is illiterate and could not file the plea, the court said, “…merely because the petitioner is an illiterate person, there is no reason as to why if the petitioner’s predecessors were aggrieved by any action of the East India Company, no steps were taken in this regard at the relevant time or soon thereafter.”

The judge said that the petition is a gross misuse of time and rejected any relief while clarifying that it was not going into the merits of the petition.

More than 3,70,000 crimes against women reported in India last year In 2020, 3,71,503 cases of crimes against women were registered across India, the Centre told Parliament, citing data from the National Crime Record Bureau. Crimes against women include cases of rape, outraging modesty, dowry deaths, harassment, acid attacks, and kidnappings.

Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani shared the figures in a response to a question posed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Jharna Das Baidya in Rajya Sabha. Badiya had sought to know the number of cases pertaining to crimes against women registered in every state and if action had been taken to resolve the problems.

In her reply, Irani said that 3,98,620 persons had been arrested for committing crimes against women, 4,88,143 had been chargesheeted and 31,402 were convicted.

Among states and Union territories, Uttar Pradesh saw the highest number of such cases, with 49,385, followed by West Bengal (36,439), Rajasthan (34,535), Maharashtra (31,954) and Madhya Pradesh (25,640).

The CPI(M) leader also wanted to know the number of cases in which justice was served and the steps taken by the Union government to expedite their proceedings. Irani said that police and public order were state

subjects under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

“The responsibility to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including investigation and prosecution of crime against women and children rests primarily with the respective State Governments,” she said. However, she said that the Union government had passed several laws and formulated schemes to protect women and children of the country.

According to the NCRB report released in September and cited by the government, “Majority of cases under crimes against women were registered under [the category of] cruelty by husband or his relatives (30.2%), followed by assault on women with intent to outrage modesty (19.7%), kidnapping and abduction of women (19.0%), and rape (7.2%).”

PANAJI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it would not have taken so long for Goa to be liberated from Portuguese rule had Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel lived a bit longer. He said the delay in Goa’s liberation meant that several freedom fighters continued to lose their lives in the struggle to free Goa. Modi arrived in Goa to attend liberation Day celebrations at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Goa's Taleigao.

“Thirty-one satyagrahis lost their lives in 1955, including youngsters like Karnail Singh Banipal of

Punjab. These brave freedom fighters were restless because at the time a part of India was still under foreign rule. Today, I want to say that if Sardar Vallabbhai Patel had to live a bit longer, Goa would not have to wait for so long for its liberation,” Modi said in his address to Goa on the state’s 60th liberation Day celebrations held at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium on the outskirts of Panaji.

Taking a dig at the then government under Jawaharlal Nehru, Modi said that a freedom fighter like Mohan Ranade continued to languish in Portuguese

prison even after Goa was liberated. The issue had to be finally raised by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Parliament back then, he added.

Recalling the sacrifice of Pune-based Ranade for Goa’s freedom, Modi said: “We must remember Mohan Ranade, who was sent to jail for fighting for Goa’s freedom. He was kept in a prison in Portugal and had to live through unspeakable difficulties. Even after Goa’s liberation, he remained in prison. At the time, it was Atal Bihari Vajpayee who raised the issue in Parliament.”

Bhagwat calls for ‘ghar wapsi’ of those who have left Hinduism RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat gave a call for ‘ghar wapsi’ at the Hindu Mahakumbh in Chitrakoot, urging Hindus to make the religion ‘impenetrable’.

Bhagwat administered four pledges to the attendees at the Mahakumbh.

The first: “I, a great warrior of Hindu culture, vow on God and take the pledge to work throughout my life for the protection and pro-

motion of Hindu religion and culture.”

The second: “I will not allow any Hindu to turn away from Hinduism. And will work to bring back to Hinduism those brothers who left.” The third to “protect the modesty of Hindu mothers and sisters”, and the final pledge: “I will always work to make religion impenetrable by rising above sect.”

Around 5 lakh people from across the country, including thousands of sadhus, have joined the three day Vishwa Hindu Ekta Mahakumbh being organized under the guidance of seer Rambhadracharya.

The sadhus say the convention has no relation to politics or the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Neena Gupta 3rd female in the history to receive Ramanujan award The Ramanujan Prize is handed out every year to an eminent Mathematician who is under the age of 45 years by the Indian Government's Ministry of Science and Technology.

Professor Neena Gupta, who is a mathematician at the Indian Statistical Institute in India's West Bengal state, becomes only the third woman to receive the prestigious '2021 DST-ICTP-IMU Ramanujan Prize for Young

Neena Gupta

Mathematicians from developing countries' for

her excellent work in commutative algebra and affine algebraic geometry, announced the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The 38-year-old's process for solving the Zariski cancellation problem, which is a fundamental problem in Algebraic Geometry, had earned Gupta the 2014 Young Scientists Award of the Indian National Science Academy.

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Can Omicron lead to an anticipated third wave in India?

Considering the current situation, there is no visible sign of Omicron’s unprecedented spread in India but knowing how the new variant is detected through the laborious genome sequencing, there is always going to be a lag between the reported cases and actual situation. In such a situation it is hard to know how far the new variant has penetrated the Indian population.

No doubt India is in a better position than other countries like South Africa in terms of vaccination with 38 per cent people fully vaccinated compared to South Africa’s 26 per cent. Also India’s Covid cases have remained below 10,000 mark for the longest time without any visible sign of surge.

But the number of cases of Covid's fast-spreading strain

Omicron has crossed the 200mark in India according to the Union Health Ministry.

Maharashtra and Delhi have reported the highest number of cases of the new variant followed Telangana, Karnataka, by Rajasthan, Kerala and Gujarat.

The ministry's data also recorded that India had clocked 5,326 cases of Covid infections over the past 24 hours, the lowest daily case count in 581 days. The total number of Covid cases reported in the country now stands at 3.48 crore. As per the recent data, there

are now 79,097 active cases in the country, the lowest in 574 days.

The Omicron strain of Covid, known to be highly transmissible, has set off alarm bells and stoked grim memories of the devastating second wave of the pandemic that had brought the country's health infrastructure on its knees. If hybrid immunity, previous history of infection and high vaccination rate has anything to do with the spread of Omicron that India will witness a milder third wave than thought.

However, considering its population, if the variant starts spreading like in South Africa there can be no less than one lakh cases per day by the fifth week of the surge and up to 8 lakh weekly cases in the second month of the surge.

According to Manindra Agarwal, an IIT scientist involved in the

mathematical projection of trajectory of Covid cases the peak of the Omicron-driven wave is expected in February.

Meanwhile, the Omicron strain is leading to an alarming spike in cases across the world. In US, the new variant accounts for 73 per cent of all sequenced Covid cases, surging from around 3% last week, according to the latest federal estimates. The delta variant, which had been the dominant form of the virus in the US last week, has now receded to roughly 27 per cent of sequenced cases.

World Health The Organization has said the Omicron variant is spreading faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from Covid.

Bhutan confers highest civilian India to raise legal marriage age award on PM Modi for women from 18 to 21 years Reaffirming close ties between Bhutan and India, the Himalayan kingdom conferred its highest civilian decoration, ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ (Ngadag Pel Gi Khorlo), on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on its 114th National Day even as India-China border tensions remain unresolved.

The conferment of the award comes at a time when Bhutan is struggling to deal with growing Chinese pressure on their border, as well as trying to work out a border deal with Beijing, which some reports had suggested did not suit India.

The award is seen as a political gesture to India, underlining the importance of the relationship that has endured the test of time.

Tweeting the news, Bhutan PM Lotay Tshering said he was overjoyed to hear “His Majesty pronounce Your Excellency Modiji’s (Narendra Modi) name for the highest civilian decoration, Order of

the Druk Gyalpo”.

Responding to the announcement, Modi said, “Thank you, Lyonchhen @PMBhutan! I am deeply touched by this warm gesture, and express my grateful thanks to His Majesty the King of Bhutan”.

This year Bhutan has been subjected to unprecedented pressure by China to settle a border problem. Essentially, China appears willing to give Bhutan territory in the more inhospitable north in return for Bhutan signing

off on the trijunction in Doklam. In 2017, Chinese troops intruded here in a 72-day standoff with India, a crisis that saw Indian troops coming to the aid of Bhutan.This year too, China has allegedly built at least four new village settlements which have been identified along the Sino-Bhutan border areas, adding to the security conundrum. The latest provocation is a village called Gyalaphug, which China says is built in its Tibet Autonomous Region, but is seen to be in Bhutanese territory.

The Indian government is likely to table in Parliament the bill to raise the marriageable age for women from 18 to 21 years.

Though the Union Cabinet has approved raising the marriageable age, there is a view that the government may cede space for a deeper scrutiny of the bill by a standing committee if such a demand arises from the opposition parties.

Sources said the government would not want to rush through with the passage of a crucial legislation that will have far-reaching implications and which is being opposed by a section of commentators, activists and some political parties. SP, CPM and AIMIM chief Assadudin Owaisi have opposed it.

Last week, the Cabinet approved the introduction of the ‘The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021’ for amending ‘The Prohibition

of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (PCMA)’. The age of marriage for women was increased from 15 to 18 in 1978, by amending the erstwhile Sharda Act of 1929. As the debate hots up, Union minister for minority affairs and deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, at a programme to mark ‘Minorities Day’ hit out at opponents, saying the “Talibani mentality” on women’s liberty, dignity, empowerment and constitutional equality will not be tolerated.

The Centre sees the

CHARUSAT organised third International Conference on Soft Computing and Engineering Applications The 2021 and third International Conference on Soft Computing and its Engineering Applications (icSoftComp2021) was organised at Charotar University of Science and Technology (CHARUSAT), Changa, India in December. The theme of the conference was "Soft Computing for Smart Nation" and was technically sponsored by Springer, USA and financially co-sponsored by Department of Science and Technology (DST) and GujCOST, Govt. of Gujarat.

Surendra Patel (President, CHARUSAT) and Dr. M. C. Patel (Secretary, CHAMOSPKM) were the chief patrons of the conference. Conference patron was Dr R V Upadhyay (Provost, CHARUSAT). Dr. Atul Patel (Dean/Principal, CMPICA, CHARUSAT) and Dr. Pawan Lingras (Professor, Saint Mary's University, Canada) were the general chairs of the conference.

Dr. K. K. Patel (Asst. Professor, CMPICA, CHARUSAT) was the Technical Program Committee (TPC) chair of the conference.

Dr. Gayatri Doctor (Professor, CEPT University, Ahmedabad), and Dr. Deepak

Garg (Professor, Bennett University, Greater Noida, India) were the TPC co-chairs of the conference. icSoftComp2021 provided an excellent international forum to the researchers, academicians, students, and professionals in the areas of computer science and engineering to present their research, knowledge, new ideas and innovations. It exhibited an exciting technical program and also featured high-quality workshops, keynote and six expert talks from prominent research and industry leaders.

The keynote speech was given by Dr. V.

Susheela Devi (Principal Research Scientist, Dept. of Computer Science and Automation, Indian Institute of Science (IIS), Bangalore, India). Speeches by experts included Dr. Ashish Ghosh (Professor, Machine Intelligence Unit, ISI Kolkata, India), Dr. Massimiliano Cannata (Professor in engineering geomatics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland - SUPSI, Switzerland), Dr. Shailesh Kumar (Chief Data Scientist, CoE AI/ML at Jio, Hyderabad, India), Dr. Vishnu Pendyala (San José State University, San José, CA, USA), Dr. Kiran Trivedi (Vishwakarma Government Engineering College, Ahmedabad, India) and Dr. Pritpal Singh (Jagiellonian University, Poland).

Researchers from 15 countries presented 33 research papers in 10 technical sessions. All selected and presented papers will be published as proceedings with Springer, USA in their prestigious Communications in Computer and Information Science (CCIS) series, ISSN: 1865-0929. More than 315 participants registered and attended the conference.

proposed amendment legislation as a strong measure to bring women on an equal footing with men in keeping with the vision of the Constitution on gender equality. Clearly, the big test for the Centre’s proposed legislation will be in Parliament. The move is also being cited by the government as a step that will allow women to attain psychological maturity before marriage, exercise their reproductive rights better and have a bigger say in decisions on family planning and use of contraceptives.

Sandhu's Miss Universe gown designed by a transwoman India's Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe on Monday, bringing the title home after 21 years.

Few know that Harnaaz Sandhu's stunning Saisha Shinde silver gown with its beaded embellishments and plunging neckline that became part of the historic moment, was designed by Saisha Shinde (formerly Swapnil Shinde) who came out as a transwoman in January this year.

The gown is embellished with embroidery, "stones, and sequins. Harnaaz believes in sustainability, so we used embroidery material which was lying around at the studio," explained the 40year-old designer.

Saisha Shinde has also designed outfits for celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Taapsee Pannu, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif and Madhuri Dixit, among many others.

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not only helps to reduce the duration of illness but also prevents one from falling prey to viral infections. The fruit stimulates the production of antibodies and white blood cells that help the body to fight against the pathogens which do us harm.

Fluids It can speed up your recovery from flu as moisture helps to loosen trapped mucus and eliminate bacte-

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Ginger With its anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties, ginger root plays a big role in combating the symptoms of the common cold.

Sipping on ginger tea or chewing a piece of the root helps manage pain, reduce congestion, and soothe a sore throat.

Honey Honey’s medicinal and anti-microbial properties make it an effective treatment option for cold and flu.

Its sweet taste stimulates salivation and mucus secretions that help to clear the blocked airways.

Nuts and Seeds Incorporating nuts and seeds in your diet is an excellent way to ramp up your dietary protein levels and add some essential fats to your diet when you are under the weather. They are high in selenium, vitamin D, zinc, copper, and other nutrients.

Extensive smartphone use by parents might damage child’s development: Study A brand new study has found that interaction between mothers and their toddlers is reduced by a factor of four when the mothers use their smartphones.

The research has been published in the Child Development Journal. Led

by Dr. Katy Borodkin of the Department of Communication Disorders at the Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine of Tel Aviv University, the study involved dozens of mothers of toddlers.

The mothers were ostensibly invited to participate in a study examining the link between the mother’s and the child’s interests, and so they were asked to perform three tasks: Browse a designated Facebook page and like videos and articles that interested them, read printed magazines and mark articles that interested them, and finally, play with the child uninterrupted.

Borodkin said, “Our goal was to simulate situations in real life where the mother has to take care of her child, while at the same time devoting some of her attention to her smartphone.” She added, “The mothers were unaware of the purpose of the experiment, so they behaved naturally by splitting their interest between the toddlers and the smartphone and magazines. We videotaped all the interactions between the mothers

and the toddlers and later scanned the recordings frame by frame in an attempt to quantify the mother-child interaction.”

Researchers from Tel Aviv University have defined three components of mother-child interaction. The maternal linguistic input was examined first, which is the linguistic content that the mother conveyed to the child. Conversational turns were examined as such as how interactive the discourse was. And maternal responsiveness was examined, that is, to what extent the mother responded to child bids. It is a measure of the immediacy of the response and its contingency on the child bid’s content.

Dr. Borodkin said, “We found that the three components of mother-child interaction were reduced by a factor of two to four relative to uninterrupted free play, both when the mother was reading printed magazines and browsing on her smartphone.”

“In other words, the mothers talked up to four

times less with their children while they were on their smartphone.

Moreover, they exchanged fewer conversational turns with the toddler, provided less immediate and contenttailored responses, and more often ignored explicit child bids. Even when they were able to respond while browsing Facebook, the quality of the response was reduced - the mothers kept their responsiveness to a

27

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ria or viruses through coughing and sneezing. You can take plenty of fluids in the form of plain water, coconut water, juices, herbal tea, etc., to heal sore throat and find relief from a stuffed nose.

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Foods for quick recovery from the common cold Every winter we prepare for a host of illnesses pertaining to cold weather to try and not fall bait to multiple viruses. The dry winter air plays a key role in accelerating virus transmission, which makes those with weak immune systems vulnerable to several diseases.

One of the most prevalent health conditions during this time is the common cold and while there is no cure for the viral infection, one is generally advised to ensure adequate nutrition that could help with quick recovery. Some of the symptoms of common cold include runny nose, congestion, sneezing, sore throat, and coughing. In this article, we will discuss some foods and beverages to manage your symptoms of the common cold.

Kiwi A storehouse of antioxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and other nutrients, Kiwi

25 - 31 December 2021

bare minimum to avoid a complete breakdown in communication with the toddler,” she added.

“We did not find that one media distracted more than the other. However, it is clear that we use smartphones much more than any other media, so they pose a significant developmental threat. It should be noted that we currently have no research evidence suggesting an actual effect on child development related to the parental use of smartphones, as this is a relatively new phenomenon.

However, our findings indicate an adverse impact on the foundation of child development. The consequences of inadequate mother-child interaction can be far-reaching,” she explained.

HEALTH & VITALITY Tablets

2021 Reflections and Learnings Psychologist Mamta Saha Dear readers, the end of 2021 is fast approaching. One of the best ways that you can review your year is by asking yourself some questions. Selfreflection is vital if you want to live your life by design.

Self-reflecting can help you recognise your accomplishments, acknowledge your mistakes, and analyse how you can move forward. In this article, I am sharing my learnings and reflections from this year. I hope they inspire you to look inward and explore your learnings and insights from this year.

1. Your intuition will keep directing you to what you need to learn until you learn it Our gut evokes feelings that tend to come on suddenly. When you feel anxious, fearful, or certain that something’s wrong, you might experience stomach twinges, pain, or nausea. That’s your intuition trying to tell you something. What I have learnt in 2021 is that by truly trusting my intuition I gained clearer direction.

Psychologists have shown that intuition is grounded in observation and experience. Time and practice can help you to hone your intuition, so give your gut feeling the space to communicate with you. Tuning in to your emotions and bodily cues can help you practice this alignment to your authentic self.

2. Speak up for you, not for them. Every time you do – you grow stronger There have been many moments this year where I questioned if I should speak up and communicate about how I felt. And in all the moments I chose to do so instead of swallowing how I truly felt, I gained more self-confidence and did not let my silence be mistaken for compliance. Things felt unnerving when I did but I sat with the feelings and learnt that it was a wise choice to make. I encourage you to do the same.

Next time you find yourself in a situation questioning whether you should say something, do it. The likelihood that something positive will come from it is high.

You will feel more confident, heard and will above anything else show respect for yourself.

3. Holding on to resentment is anger directed at yourself When you’re holding on to resentments, your mind is agitated; it is centred around the ego, reconfirming to you that you were treated unfairly. It is impossible to enjoy your life being resentful. It can create unhealthy habits and leave you feeling powerless. Resentments left unattended can lead to bottled emotions and unhealthy outbursts. Learn to accept, let go and forgive not for others but for you to bring back your peace of mind.

Just as you should review each day, week, and month, at the end of each year you should set aside a block of time to review the year and reflect on it. You will be surprised at how much you can acknowledge and learn about yourself from your journey. One of the best ways to do this is by asking yourself questions. To help you start 2022 with a bang get yourself my powerful Affirmations for inner peace, available on www.mamtasaha.com and of course, follow me on Instagram (@ Saha_mamta) and Facebook (Mamta Saha) for daily reflections. Stay in touch, reach out and let me know how you go! You are powerful, never forget that. Good luck dearest readers.

Rujuta Diwekar’s three-step formula to curb sugar cravings We all know celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar is known for her unconventional views on sustainable health. She regularly updates her social media with tips and tricks to health and nutrition. In a recent post, she shared a three-step formula to curb those major sugar cravings you might be having.

Shedding that extra weight, or maintaining your ideal weight needs much more attention than one would think.

Understanding why you are craving certain foods, especially unhealthy ones can make a big difference. Some people indulge in emotional eating out of stress, while some simply are not able to give up certain unhealthy eating habits.

This is why it is important to know if that sweet craving is valid or a toxic habit you need to shed.

Shedding some insight, Diwekar shared on her page, “The 3-step formula to know whether you are actually feeling like a cake/ chocolate/cookie or simply giving in to the craving out of habit.”

Her steps included : Have a glass of water Many a time, thirst is confused with hunger and leads to sweet and unhealthy cravings. Having some water on the other hand can help promote a feeling of satiety.

Eat a fresh fruit Fruits are naturally sweet and loaded with nutrition. If you have an old habit of having something sweet at a particular time in the day, you can try eating fruit instead. Having fruit can help you deal with unhealthy cravings.

Defer your decision by 15 minutes Sometimes we pick a sugary treat out of impulse or habit.

Giving a pause and waiting for a couple of minutes can make the craving go away, especially when the goal is to eat healthily.

To Our Readers

We are publishing these reports in good faith. Before you try any of these remedies, please consult the doctor. We are not responsible for any adverse effects.- Editor

28

ART & CULTURE

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25 - 31 December 2021

How an Indian folk artist in Amersham is reviving Mithila art via Madhubani Yoga Shefali Saxena When the world was shut and people were grappling with loneliness and anxiety of being in an unprecedented lockdown, away from their loved ones, it was art that came to the rescue of billions of people around the world. Art therapy is not just an excellent tool to soothe your senses, but it also plays an instrumental role in reviving our heritage.

Harsha Wadhwani Basu is a Madhubani-inspired Indian folk artist based in Amersham. Her art has immensely helped her mental health and is the sole reason why she is on a mission to encourage and inspire everyone to make art a part of their life. She has a background in literature, journalism and book publishing which, along with a love for children, helps her bring unique concepts together to make art come alive in different areas of life.

Harsha spoke to Asian Voice about how she’s promoting Madhubani Yoga within the South Asian community across the globe and in turn helping people cope with the pandemic through art. Here are a few excerpts: - Please explain the concept of Madhubani Yoga to our readers.

Madhubani-Yoga is an ingenious concept designed for contemporary children where we offer a five-day creative retreat that brings together two ancient Indian art forms Mithila art and Yogasana. Each day we visualise and learn to draw one animal in Madhubani style followed by discovering and having fun with the Yogasana associated with it. We want the little artists to move their bodies and young acrobats still; all the while focusing on

Q

Recasting and innovation sometimes make art more appealing but obviously with the huge risk of tampering with the tradition.

- What role according to you does art like yours play in healing people or how does it act as a coping mechanism in such times where we all could do with some warmth and kindness?

The word 'art' is often associated with 'therapy' because art brings us back to ourselves. If applied in the right way, it asks nothing from us and yet gives us so much. I have found Mithila art very forgiving and rudimentary. While it has no expectations around perfection, all focus is on telling our stories and painting our thoughts. If done properly, Mithila art feels like writing a diary. It makes us spend time with ourselves and loved ones while making something that's beautiful to us because it is made thoughtfully. It is the focused and mindful people who are able to put themselves in others' shoes and share and kindness warmth wholeheartedly. We are able to share more love when our own glass is full in the first place.

- What are your plans and vision for the near future. for your art and its dissemination?

I am on a mission to make everyone paint - no age bar; no gender bar. Period. What I do has given me infinite love which I share with the world through art events and by creating more and more conscious art. I am also learning constantly from life and from the traditional artists right from the birthplace of Mithila art. These are my plans and my heart's doors are wide open to welcome grace whichever form it falls into my lap.

Q

Harsha Wadhwani Basu the vital life skill called 'patience' and learning by doing.

Q

- What kind of workshops and exhibitions have you been doing over the years? How did the pandemic impact that?

While most of my time is dedicated to practising and learning Mithila/ Madhubani Art, I do look forward to school holidays when my doors open wide to give modern children the opportunity to relax by doing something 'unambitious' and learn this ancient, culturerich art form. All my art events revolve around enjoying some pristine time away from social media and the constant chatter of our very own minds. I tend to lean into using my skills for social causes and host mindful events for all genders and age groups.

I have participated in a few group exhibitions in the past which has given me the huge opportunity to introduce this lesser-known art form to the international community.

Pandemic, however, has had a

huge impact as there is nothing like face-to-face interaction with artwork or being able to draw on the universal energy in a physical event.

- How challenging is it to run a niche artwork like yours and what goes into making it more and more visible and appealing?

The biggest challenge is finding and reaching the right audience. It is huge as everything seems to get lost between countless cheap and fair-looking options. Social media does help in making it more visible, but what works most is word-of-mouth, customers' direct experience and art-appreciation events.

Q

Kathmandu Triennale announces 2022 dates, list of artists, and venues Kathmandu Triennale is announcing dates for the fourth and upcoming edition, ‘Kathmandu Triennale 2077’, which will now take place between 11 February - 11 March 2022.

Organised by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in Nepal and Siddhartha Arts Foundation, this edition will be the largest and most ambitious artistic project staged in the country to date, becoming a key event for contemporary arts in Nepal even beyond the exhibition’s duration, as well as the key event for South Asian arts presented on a global platform.

Amidst the rethinking and adaptations brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the team looks to honour with great care and respect the collective feeling of deep loss, and equally, the paramount hope, sense of community, and imagination that has remained constant in our work and in our lives.

“2077” is for the Triennale both a cemented, stagnant time and a fluid, unpredictable variant. The curatorial team, led by Artistic Director Cosmin Costinas and Co-Curators Sheelasha Rajbhandari and Hit Man Gurung, have retained this spectral title for the upcoming edition, first adopted in a shift of perspective towards the Triennale’s

locality: 2077 in the Nepali Bikram Sambat calendar was 2020 in the Gregorian calendar, the original year for this edition. As the repeated postponement, dark periods of uncertainty, as well as new reflections and possibilities - all ripple effects of that illfated year - have inextricably shaped this project, acknowledging it is an act of humility and honesty towards this journey.

Led by the Director Sharareh Bajracharya and Founder/Chairperson Sangeeta Thapa, Kathmandu Triennale is planned and produced by a small but ambitious, growing team of art workers from Nepal and abroad, including Binod Adhakari, Rashana Bajracharya, Sujan Bir Bajracharya, Binod Bhujel, Priyankar Bahadur Chand, Ujen Norbu Gurung, Nischal Khadka, Sara Tunich Koinch, Deepak Lama, Tenzing Sedonla Ukyab Lama, Denish Maharjan, Matina Maharjan, Puja Maharjan, Rubi Maharjan, Sanjeev Maharjan, Suresh Maharjan, Jagdish Moktan, Pooja Pant, Shreeti Prajapati, Apoorva Rajagopal, Aman Shahi, Luniva Shakya, Dipti Sherchan, Kamal Shrestha, Sujan Shrestha, Veeranganakumari Solanki, Laxmi Tamang, Subas Tamang, Vibhustuti Thapa, Urmila Gamwa Tharu, Hitesh Vaidya, Bishal Yonjan.

Q

Indian auction house has entered the NFT space for the first time Prinseps are set to host the Gobardhan Ash Live Auction, offering 35 rare works on paper from the family estate alongside 35 accompanying NFTs. The auction will open for live bidding on 14th January 2022 at 7 pm, representing the first time an Indian auction house has entered the NFT space.

The Gobardhan Ash Auction re-creates the 2nd exhibition of the Progressive Artists’ Group and Calcutta Group, 1950, in which Gobardhan Ash presented a series of gouache works alongside FN Souza, MF Husain and S.H. Raza amongst others. The bright and eclectic modern images painted by Ash for the exhibition, and now offered for auction, perfectly captured the milieu of the time presenting modernist interpretations of everyday people or animals.

Key works include Tribhanga, 1950 and 2021 (Lot 03 and 04 pictured above left) which depicts a common stance in traditional Indian Art and popular Indian dance forms such as the Odissi; FA-HI-AN, 1948 and 2021 (Lot 25 and 26 pictured above centre) which depicts an avatar of a Chinese

Latimer brings festive cheer to local Southall school To spread some cheer this festive season, Latimer has teamed up with the local North Primary School in Southall for a home themed colouring competition this December. The 120 students from years 5 and 6 were invited to create artwork illustrating ‘What home means to me’ on canvas, with the opportunity of winning prizes.

The entries were carefully judged by Latimer representatives who selected a winner and two runner ups. Each piece of art can now be viewed at the Union Walk at The Green Quarter marketing suite throughout December.

Kirushika Vijiyasekaram was crowned the overall winner of the competition with her depiction of an underwater home that shared similar values to her own home, while Tamim Chowdury and Avani Randhawa were the two runner ups with their portrayal of their family homes and lifestyles.

Iryna Khlebovych, Regional Sales Manager at Latimer comments: “A huge thank you to all the pupils and staff North Primary School for getting involved in this competition. There is clearly some real talent in the area and it was a very hard decision to choose the winners. All the children that took part should be very proud of themselves.

“The competition has been a fabulous way to celebrate the importance of our homes with the younger member of our local community. At Latimer, we enjoy working closely with schools and organisations, fostering good relations with the local community is important to us. We enjoyed judging the fantastic artworks and the gallery in our marketing suite looks great and has been a great talking point for visitors.’’

Nicola Forster, Headteacher at North Primary school added: “Our year 5 and 6 students thoroughly enjoyed participating in this creative competition. It is such an important time of the year to reflect on the importance of family and home. We would like to thank Latimer for giving us and the children the opportunity to get involved.’’

Buddhist monk who travelled by foot from China to India to study Buddhist texts; and Mosgul, 1949 and 2021 (Lot 33 and 34 pictured above right), which depicts a man lost in thought and was exhibited in the Joint Exhibition of the Calcutta Group and the Progressive Artists’ Group, 1950.

Speaking about Prinseps upcoming Gobardhan Ash Auction, Prinseps curator Indrajit Chatterjee notes “Ash’s paintings struck me as bearing a resemblance to the crypto punks movement, but from seven decades earlier. We are delighted to be presenting what we see today as an avatar, painted in Ash’s unique and primitive watercolours more than seventy years ago.

These works will also represent the first NFTs offered on the market by an Indian auction house, making this a groundbreaking sale for Prinseps”

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BOLLYWOOD 29 25 - 31 December 2021

Priyanka asks Seth Meyer the same question she was asked during Miss India 2010 Actress Priyanka Chopra appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers over the weekend, and the episode was as fun as one would expect. The actor, who is currently gearing up for the release of ‘The Matrix Resurrections’, in a segment, asked the TV show host the same question she was asked 21 years back during the Miss India contest.

A clip from the episode was shared on Twitter by Late Night’s official account, and it features Priyanka asking Seth, “I am going to ask you my question, the one I was asked during the Miss India contest. Let’s see what your answer is.” She added, “My question was very Matrix actually, blue pill or red pill, but it was ‘If ignorance is bliss then why seek knowledge?”

Seth replies by saying, “Well, that’s a wonderful question.” Priyanka interrupts, “Great way of buying time.” Seth then continues, “And I don’t want you to think that I am buying time from this answer because I value your time. And I appreciate that this is a timed answer and at some point, a bell will ring and I won’t have to get where I was going. Because I can be bailed out, Right Priyanka?” To which the actress responds, “No, no no.”

Feeling the pressure, Seth says, “Priyanka I can’t.” Priyanka then reminds him, “Millions are watching.” Seth then says, “On behalf of all of you, I think you, too, have forgotten the question.” Priyanka then laughs and interjects him, “Concentric circles. And the Miss America is Seth Meyers.” The crowd then starts cheering as Seth exclaims,“Oh my god.

Thank you.”

Currently busy promoting ‘The Matrix Resurrections’, Priyanka recently hit the headlines for calling out an article for referring to her as “Nick Jonas’ wife”. Highlighting the text, Priyanka wrote, “Very interesting that I’m promoting one of the most iconic film franchises of all time, and I’m still referenced as ‘the wife of…’." She also said, “Please explain how this still happens to women? Should I add my IDMB link to my bio?" Priyanka also tagged her husband, singer Nick Jonas in her post.

Kareena heartbroken to spend time away from babies, recovering from Covid-19

Deepika teases an announcement with new stills from Shakun Batra’s upcoming

Anushka urges paps to not share pictures of her daughter Vamika Actress Anushka Sharma took to her Instagram Stories to share a message thanking those who refrained from publishing daughter Vamika’s pictures on public platforms and made a request to those who didn’t. The note read, “We are deeply thankful to the Indian paparazzi and most of the media fraternity for not publishing pictures/videos of Vamika. As parents, our request to the few who carried the images/video will be to support us going forward.”

It added, “We seek privacy for our child and would like to do our best to give her a chance to live her life freely away from media and social media. As she is older, we cannot restrict her movement and hence your support is needed so kindly practice (retrain) in the matter. A special thank you to fan clubs and people of the internet for going out of your way to not post images. It was kind and highly mature of you.”

Anushka and Vamika joined husband Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket term on a tour of South Africa where the squad will play against the hosts. A clip of the team landing in the country went viral, as it showed Viral getting off the bus,

walking towards the paparazzi and requesting them to not click pictures of their kid. “Baby ka mat lena haan (Don’t click pictures of the baby, okay?).”

The parents have been vocal about not wanting to raise Vamika in the public eye. Speaking with Vogue India in December 2020, Anushka had said, “We’ve thought about it a lot. We definitely do not want to raise a child in the public eye—we don’t plan on engaging our child in social media. I think it’s a decision your child should be able to take. No kid should be made to be more special than the other. It’s hard enough for adults to deal with it. It’s going to be difficult, but we intend to follow through.”

Actress Deepika Padukone, along with Siddhant Chaturvedi.

Ananya Panday and Karan Johar have shared pictures from Shakun Batra’s upcoming movie to tease an announcement.

The team shared black and white stills from the movie and they are as beautiful as they come.

One picture shows Deepika and Siddhant sitting on the beach, lost in conversation. In another, she is seen resting her head on Siddhant’s shoulder while he watches the sunset. There are also behind-the-scenes shots showing the actress receiving a brief from Shakun. Ananya, Deepika and Raja Kapoor in a bedroom during a shot, and a scene that seems to feature Ananya in a market space.

Sharing the pictures, Deepika wrote, “Yes…It has been a bit of a wait. But as the saying goes…Sometimes, the longer you wait for something, the more you appreciate it when it finally arrives! Hopefully, the same holds true here. I took the opportunity to be a part of something that I believe was truly magical. And with love in my heart and utmost gratitude, I cannot wait to share our labour of love with all of you… Stay tuned for the announcement tomorrow!”

In an interview last year, Deepika had scribed the film as a domestic noir. She had said, “You can’t call Shakun’s film ‘light’ either... Although the overall tonality of the film is slightly lighter than my last film, in terms of the inner, emotional turmoil my character goes through, it’s quite challenging. The overall genre of the film is something we haven’t seen much in Indian cinema, it’s called domestic noir. I don’t think that’s a genre we are very familiar with, but at the same time the audience is completely ready for it, as we have been exposed to that genre in different ways, whether through Hollywood films or OTT platforms.”

Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan shared an emotional message about missing her babies Taimur and Jeh. Currently, self-isolating as she recovers from Covid-19, Bebo took to her Instagram Stories and wrote, “Covid I hate you…I miss my babies but… soon…will do this.”

Kareena shared a picture of her husband Saif Ali Khan from the balcony of the room where she is quarantining. He stood on the terrace of the opposite building, drinking from a cup. She wrote, “Ok so we are still… in love in the times of Corona era. Don’t forget guys!!! It’s lurking.” The actress and her best friend Amrita Arora were diagnosed with Covid-19 earlier this week, after attending a dinner hosted by Karan Johar.

Other guests at the gathering included Seema Khan and Maheep Kapoor, who also tested positive for the virus.

The Brihanmmbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) released a statement saying Kareena and Amrita “had violated Covid norms and attended several parties”.

However, Kareena’s spokesperson denied the allegations and was quoted in a media report as saying the actress has been, “extremely responsible throughout the lockdown period.”

They added, “She and Amrita Arora contracted Covid-19 at an intimate dinner where a few friends had gathered to catch up. It wasn’t a big dinner, just a few people close to Bebo. There was one person in the group who seemed unwell and was coughing. This person should have been responsible enough to not attend the dinner and put others at risk.”

Earlier last week, Kareena announced that she has tested positive for Covid-19. She said, “I request anyone who has come in contact with me to please get tested. My family and staff are also doubled vaccinated.

They are currently not showing any symptoms. Thankfully, I am feeling ok and hope to be up and about soon.”

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Took two years to Akshay Kumar bag debut film: praises Sara Ali Khan for ‘Atrangi Re’ Abhishek Bachchan Promoting their upcoming movie ‘Atrangi Re’, actors Akshay Kumar and Sara Ali Khan appeared on ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’. The guests engaged with the comedianhost and appeared to have had quite the blast. Akshay, on the show, made a point to compliment Sara on her talent and dedication.

He said, “I think these guys are more prepared. When we entered the industry, we did not have so much preparation. We were learning with experience. We gained our experience by doing 60 to 70 films but, when the new actors enter the industry, they already have that kind of experience.” Akshay also heaped praise on Sara’s performance in ‘Atrangi Re’, and added, “Let me tell you, I have watched ‘Atrangi Re’. She had done such a fantastic job in the film. I was taken aback! The whole film belongs to her, then to Dhanush and then to me. She has performed so brilliantly!”

The actor is reportedly playing a magician in the film and will also be seen romancing Sara in the movie. This is Akshay’s first collaboration with Aanand L Rai. The two are also working on another project titled ‘Raksha Bandhan’ which also features Bhumi Pednekar in the lead.

‘Atrangi Re’ is all set to release on Disney Plus Hotstar on December 24.

In a recent interview, Abhishek Bachchan said he has seen the good side of being an employed actor, but also faced a time where he was unemployed. Addressing the subject of nepotism and trolls, he revealed that it took him two years to bag his debut film. Abhishek made his Bollywood debut with ‘Refugee’ alongside Kareena Kapoor in 2000.

Since then, he has starred in a number of hit films including ‘Guru’, ‘Paa’, and the ‘Dhoom’ series.

Speaking with Rolling Stones India, Abhishek said, “I’ve seen the good side of being an employed actor, I’ve seen on the other side of being an unemployed actor. The point is, you can’t take things personally… At the end of the day, it’s just business. If your films are not doing well, nobody’s going to put money on you to make another film. So, I do believe that the conversation around this whole nepotism has become a bit convenient. And we’re forgetting certain details. I’ve… It’s taken a lot of effort, a lot of heartache and heartbreak to make it through these 21 years. It’s not been easy.”

Abhishek added that his father Amitabh Bachchan has neither made a film for Abhishek nor asked someone to make a film with him. He said, “It took me over two years to get my first film. A lot of people would think that being Mr. Bachchan’s son, people are going to be lined up around the block. No, they weren’t. I spoke to almost each and every director before starting, and they did not decide to work with me, and that’s fine.”

Abhishek was last seen in ‘Bob Biswas’, which was well received by the audience. On the work front, he has ‘Dasvi’, and ‘Breathe : Into the Shadows’ Season 2 in the pipeline.

Ayushmann Khurrana I am a big-screen believes trans women should hero: be in the lead for ‘CKA’ sequel John Abraham on OTT platforms

Actor John Abraham believes his movies are not fit for OTT releases, and most suit theatres. Set to be seen in ‘Attack’, actor was recently asked if he would ever release films on digital platforms. He responded by saying, “I believe, in my head, I am a big-screen hero, and I will come on the large screen.”

John said, “At this point, I can’t even visualise myself coming for a subscription fee, it is difficult. All my films have been designed for the big screen for the next three years. So that is the way it is going to be for the next few years at least. I don’t have the time to do anything else outside of big-screen films at this point of time…But, never say never.”

A lot of big Bollywood stars such as Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, and Salman Khan have released their big-budget films on streaming platforms due to Covid-induced restrictions on cinema halls across the country. Meanwhile, John chose to hold out for a theatrical release for his film ‘Satyameva Jayate 2’ recently.

His upcoming movie ‘Attack’ is set to arrive in theatres on January 28, 2022. She also has ‘Ek Villain Returns’ and ‘Pathan’ in the pipeline.

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana’s latest ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ is receiving mostly positive reviews. The film, co-starring Vaani Kapoor, deals with the gender identity theme and revolves around a weight-lifting champion who falls in love with a Zumba trainer, who happens to be a trans woman.

Since its release, the movie has also garnered criticism for lack of representation for the trans community in the cast.

Ayushmann, in a recent interview, said the film should ideally be left alone.

However, he added, “If there’s a sequel, we should go for representation, a trans girl should be in the lead. It’s just a conversation starter and Vaani believes that as well.” He opened up about the feedback from the trans community that they have received. He said, “If you’re getting validation from the leaders of the community, it says a lot. At the same time, in the beginning, you’ve to make a trailer that gives a lot of intrigue. Of course, you will get a lot of comments from the community. But begin an ally, we’re all learning a lot.

This film is just an induction for people, just as the first step.”

He also opened up about the criticism and backlash that the film received ahead of release in another interview. Ayushmann said, “That’ll always happen. It’s important to watch the film first. When the trailer came out, there was some backlash because woke intellectuals are skeptical of Bollywood. The trans community hasn’t been portrayed well since time immemorial. I am glad that after watching the film, the community is happy and they have accepted the film. That’s the biggest validation for us.”

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Samantha pens appreciation post for Allu Arjun on ‘Pushpa’ release Just two days after Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ release at the box office, it managed to become a major draw despite mixed reviews. Amongst several who poured praises on the actor and the film, actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu penned an appreciation post for the film’s lead star. It needs to be noted that she has done a special dance number in the movie.

Samantha wrote, “This is an @alluarjunonline appreciation post !! A performance that just keeps you hooked .. every second I am always always inspired when an actor is just so good that it is impossible to look away .. @alluarjunonline was that for me in #Pushpa .. from the accent to the one side drooping shoulder and that god damn SWAG ….

Phew .. absolutely stunning .. truly truly inspired.”

She also responded to fan videos from inside theatres, and wrote, “Missed the mass #ooAntavaOoooAntavaa.” Makers of the film did not release the music video of ‘Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava’ ahead of release and the song is now receiving amazing response from audiences in theatres.

Samantha had initially rejected the song as revealed by director Sukumar at a press conference.

He said, She initially told me that she might not be the right choice for it. I explained to her how the song would be a hit. Such numbers had brought fame to many top female stars. Take the case of Pooja Hegde, she played “Jigelu Rani” in Rangasthalam and the song went on to become a massive chartbuster. I am sure that the song in Pushpa is being received well by the masses. Samantha did the song believing in the trust that she has in me.”

‘Pushpa: The Rise’ was released nationwide in theatres on Friday.

Suriya, Jyotika talk to locals during a vacation in Kerala

A video of Tamil superstar Suriya and wife/actor Jyotika has been making the rounds on the internet where they can be seen interacting with some of the locals at Kerala’s Chavakkad beach. The pair were in Kerala for a vacation, where he also trained for martial art form Kalaripayattu for his upcoming film with Vetri Maaran.

In the video, Suriya and Jyotika can be seen having a heartfelt conversation with the locals. In another video, they were seen walking along the beach enjoying the view. Suriya's recent release ‘Jai Bhim’ has made waves internationally. The TJ Gnanavel directorial was widely appreciated by critics and the audience.

The star will next be seen in ‘Etharkkum Thunidhavan’ which is scheduled to release in February 2022.

Dulquer Salmaan teases ‘Kurup’ sequel as film releases on Netflix Actor Dulquer Salmaan has shared a video suggesting the sequel to his latest hit ‘Kurup’ is in the works. The announcement came as the movie was released on Netflix last week. The video hints that the hunt for the wanted criminal Kurup, who now goes by the name Alexander, will continue. The movie had released a month ago in theatres to mixed reviews. The film, however, managed to throw a surprise by becoming a hit in terms of theatrical collection.

The movie earned Rs 50 Crore from its worldwide ticket sales within three days of its

release, making it Dulquer’s career-best opening. The movie is inspired by real-life criminal Sukumara Kurup, who has been a fugitive of the law for nearly four decades now. In the big-screen adaptation of the crime, which has become sort of an urban legend in Kerala.

Dulquer plays the criminal mastermind who fakes his death to solve his financial troubles through insurance money.

Directed by Srinath Rajendran, ‘Kurup’ also stars Sobhita Dhulipala, Indrajith Sukumaran, Shine Tom Chacko, Sunny Wayne and Bharath Niwas.

TV Listing

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 27 DEC - FRI 31 DEC 2021 6.00 RAAJ RATTAN 15.00 RASOI SHOW 18.30 SURI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI 21.30 SUDI VACHCHE SOPARI

Trisha clocks 19 years in the film industry Actor Krishna Krishnan has completed 19 industries in the industry.

Sharing the milestone on Twitter, she said she is never letting go of those people who’ve been with her on this long journey. Trisha made her acting debut opposite Suriya with the 2002 Tamil romantic drama ‘Mounam Pesiyadhe’. She’s worked in over 50 films across all southern languages and in a couple of Hindi projects too.

She wrote, “A wise man once said, "Get a job you don’t need a vacation from” And so I did. And I’m still vacationing. For those who’ve been with me on

this journey, I’m never letting you go and I am today because of you all.

Beyond thankful for the best 19 years of my life.” While several fans reacted to her post, singer Haricharan Seshadri’s wishes stood apart.

Congratulating the actress, he wrote, “Congrats Trisha on 19 years. You are definitely a class apart.”

Last year, Trisha starred in Gautham Menon’s short film, ‘Karthik Dial Seytha Yenn’, a reboot of their popular Tamil film ‘Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya’. On the work front, Trisha awaits the release of Mani Ratnam’s upcoming magnum opus ‘Ponniyin Selvan’.

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 27 DEC - FRI 31 DEC 2021 9.00 BIGG BOSS 15-WEEKEND KA VAAR 11.00 KARADI TALES 16.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 16.30 RASOI SHOW DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 SASURAL SIMAR KA 18.30 TU AASHIQUI 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 BALIKA VADHU 2 20.30 SIRF TUM 21.00 THAPKI PYAR KI 2 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2 SATURDAY 25 DEC 9.00 BIGG BOSS 15

SATURDAY 25 DEC 6.00 Chundadi Odhu Ne Sajan Sambhre 15.00 RASOI SHOW 18.30 SURI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI 21.30 SUDI VACHCHE SOPARI SUNDAY 26 DEC 12.00 Vat No Katko 15.00 Wassup! Zindagi 18.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.00 SHU CHALE CHE 19.30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU 22.00 SHU CHALE CHE 11.00 KARADI TALES 15.00 SHU CHALE CHE 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT 3 18.00 SASURAL SIMAR KA 18.30 TU AASHIQUI 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 19.30 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 20.00 COMEDY NIGHTS WITH KAPIL 21.00 THAPKI PYAR KI 2 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2 SUNDAY 26 DEC 9.00 BIGG BOSS 15 11.00 KARADI TALES 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT 3 18.00 BFFs with Vogue - Season 2 19.00 20.00 21.00 21.30

KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA COMEDY NIGHTS WITH KAPIL THAPKI PYAR KI 2 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

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Asian Hockey Championship: India to face Pakistan Defending champions and Olympic bronze medallist India suffered a stunning 3-5 defeat against Japan in the second semifinal of the Asian Champions Trophy men's hockey tournament in Dhaka on Tuesday.The Japanese looked a completely different side on Tuesday as they toyed with the defence of the Manpreet Singhled side from the beginning.In the other semifinal of the day, South Korea beat Pakistan 6-5 in a thrilling contest.

This means India and Pakistan will now play to fight for the 3rd place in Asian Champions Trophy

The tournament ended in an anti-climax for India as after

having topped the round robin stages with an unbeaten

record.India's goals against Japan were scored by Hardik Singh (17th, 58th minute) and vice-captain Harmanpreet Singh (43rd). While Japan scored through Shota Yamada (1st minute, penalty), Raiki Fujishima (2nd minute), Yoshiki Kirishita (14th), Kosei Kawabe (35th) and Ryoma Ooka (41st).

In fact, India and Japan had met 18 times before with the hosts winning 16 games, while Japan emerged victorious on one occasion and one ended in a draw. Japan will now take on South Korea in the summit clash, while India-Pakistan fight for the bronze medal.

Nepal's Sherpa guides are Grand slam brothers of mountaineering Mingma Sherpa and Chhang Dawa Sherpa have already climbed the 14 highest peaks in the world – every one of which is in Asia. Their youngest brother, Tashi Lakpa, who will join them on the worldwide adventure, has climbed six of those peaks.

The brothers are now setting out to climb the highest peaks in the seven continents and reach both the

poles to become the ‘grand slam brothers of mountaineering’ in the climbing community Mingma said they plan to complete the trip within a year and are paying for their adventure with their own money. The brothers operate the Seven Summits Treks in Kathmandu, which is the largest expedition organiser in the country.

Complaint against Pakistan cricketer for helping a rapist friend Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah didn’t travel to Bangladesh for the recent Test series as he is nursing a finger injury.

A police FIR has been registered by a girl alleging Yasir’s friend, Farhan kidnapped her on gunpoint, raped her, made videos of her and later made threats to her.

In the FIR it is alleged that Yasir Shah helped his friend and later with Farhan threatened the girl that if she raised any voice they would release her videos.

Yasir Shah

The girl also claims that when she went to the police Yasir offered to give her a flat and monthly expenses for 18 years if she remained quiet.

The Pakistan cricketer is yet to respond on the issue.

Emma Raducanu is the Sports Personality of 2021 Emma Raducanu was sitting her A-levels in economics and math just two months before making her debut at Wimbledon in June.

The 19-year-old enjoyed an astonishing breakout Emma Raducanu year in tennis as she dominant display in her second won the US Open and became only Grand Slam event as she the first British woman to win a did not lose a set on her way to Grand Slam singles title since winning the US Open.

Virginia Wade in 1977.

Emma says she has watched Emma has now been Sports Personality of the Year crowned BBC Sports Personality growing up and it’s an honour to of the Year 2021. be amongst those past winners.

She had delivered a

AC Milan's Ibrahimovic completes record number of goals AC Milan striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic entered the 300goal club by completing 300th goal in Europe's top five football leagues.

He has now become the third player to score 300 goals in the top five football leagues in Europe since January 1, AC Milan striker 2000, after Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo (483) and Ligue 1 in France.

Argentine maestro Lionel Messi At 40,Zlatan has been (475). sensational for Milan. He has The leagues include the scored consistently across Premier League in England, the competitions. What makes him Bundesliga in Germany, La Liga stand out is his desire and the in Spain, Serie A in Italy, and fitness level he maintains.

Kohli may overtake Dravid’s record in SA Indian captain Virat Kohli could overtake Rahul Dravid's haul of runs scored in Test matches in South Africa in the upcoming series between the two teams. Dravid is the Indian team’s head coach right now.

Currently, Kohli is also just 177 runs away from overtaking Dravid on the all-time list for Test matches played between the two sides overall.

The three-Test series between India and South Africa starts on December 26.

Kohli sits fourth in all-time highest run scorers for India in

Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli

Tests played in South Africa.

Overtaking Dravid would take him to second on the list.

Kohli is, however, a fair distance away from becoming the all-time highest run scorer, which is batting great Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar played 15 Tests in South Africa, scoring 1161 runs at an average of 46.44.

in brief $380M SETTLEMENT IN GYMNASTS ABUSED BY TEAM DOCTOR CASE US national Larry Nassar, 58, is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty in late 2017 and early 2018 to sexually assaulting athletes while working as a sports medicine doctor at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. According to a settlement with USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and their insurers victims will receive $380 million. The settlement -- one of the largest ever recorded for victims of sex abuse -- ends a five-year legal battle that erupted following the abuse scandal that rocked the US Olympic movement. USA Gymnastics reported Nassar to the FBI in July 2015, but he continued to work at MSU and sexually abused at least 70 more women until a newspaper exposed him in September 2016.

EU AUTHORITIES DISALLOW BREAKAWAY COMPETITIONS Some of Europe’s biggest football clubs wanted to break away from the Champions League and run their own competition called the Super League, but it quickly collapsed within 48 hours of launch in April following protests by fans and governments. European lawmakers have now voted their opposition to breakaway competitions following the aborted Super League project that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are still backing. With 597 votes to 36 and 55 abstentions, members of the European Parliament said they want European sporting culture “to be aligned with EU values of solidarity, sustainability, inclusiveness for all, open competition, sporting merit and fairness.” They opposed breakaway competitions that they feel undermine these principles and endanger the stability of the overall sports ecosystem.

LEWIS HAMILTON 4TH F1 DRIVER TO BE KNIGHTED Lewis has become just the fourth F1 driver to be knighted after Sir Jackie Stewart in 2001, Sir Stirling Moss in 2000 and Sir Jack Brabham in 1979. The motorsport icon was denied a record eighth title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday as Max Verstappen claimed his maiden championship in controversial circumstances. Despite the controversy surrounding the season finale, Hamilton was gracious in defeat. The Brit was seen speaking to Prince Charles at Windsor Castle just moments after receiving his knighthood on Wednesday morning.

TALIBAN RULED AFGHANISTAN TO HOST PAKISTAN TEAM FOR CRICKET SERIES Afghanistan will host Pakistan for a threematch One-day International series in 2023, according to the Future Tours Programme (FTP) announced by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Tuesday.

A total number of 11 ODIs, four T20Is and two Test series have been included in Afghanistan schedule for the upcoming two years. These series are scheduled on home and away basis, among which Afghanistan will play 18 home and 34 away matches, apart from participating in the Asia Cup 2022, ICC T20 World Cup 2022, Asia Cup 2023 and the ICC World Cup 2023 The series with Pakistan on home turf will take place in February-March 2023, however the exact schedule will be released later.