Asian Standard (Bradford) 30 Jan - 5 Feb 2021

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Inside

THIS WEEK, OUR EDITOR’S AMAZING DESI EGG AND POTATO RECIPE

HUMPTY

IS HITCHED

CHECK RECIPE ON PAGE 28

VARUN NATASHA KI SHAADI

BY THE PUBLISHERS OF ASIAN SUNDAY

BRADFORD / 30 JANUARY - 05 FEBRUARY 2021 / FREE

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DEAR SOUTH ASIAN READERS WE URGE YOU TO TAKE UP THE COVID VACCINE PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE FAKE NEWS. Yours sincerely

BY TEAM ASIAN STANDARD More than 100,000 pe ople have lost the ir live s to the de adly coronavirus – Le t that sink in.

Closer to home, in Bradford it’s more than 1,000 deaths.

The Coronavirus pandemic continues to have a devastating impact across the UK and we know that the pandemic has disproportionately affected our British

South Asian communities, so we are urging our readers to help save lives by continuing to follow government guidelines and we strongly encourage our readers to also take up the Covid vaccine when it is offered to you.

Here’s why.

Vaccine myths busted on pages 6 & 7

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NEWS IN BRIEF

The new Volkswagen ID.4 goes on sale in the UK

For the first time ever Volkswagen is offering a fully electric SUV – the ID.4. As the second model from the brand to be launched on the dedicated MEB platform, it boasts class-leading digitalisation and connectivity, allied to a highlyefficient electric powertrain and battery layout – this time with the availability of four-wheel drive at a later date. Like the ID.3 the new model is being launched as a limited-run 1ST Edition with a range of pre-configured trim levels to follow later in the year. The ID.4 1ST Edition will cost £37,800 RRP OTR after the plug-in vehicle grant is applied, and is expected to arrive in dealerships during March.

COVID-19 has now been found in ice cream in North Eastern China We know Covid-19 has infected millions across the globe, but now it seems COVID-19 has also been found in ice cream.

Three ice cream samples — chocolate, strawberry and taro — tested positive for traces of the coronavirus after they were submitted for a food inspection in northeastern China’s Tianjin municipality, according to a report from local Chinese media mid January.

The samples were produced by the Tianjin Daqiaodao Food Company, which makes cakes, ice cream and other frozen products.

The company locked down after the discovery: All goods that had been distributed from the company’s warehouse were tracked and all 1,662 employees went into quarantine.

The infected samples, made from milk and whey powder imported from New Zealand and Ukraine, came from a batch of 4,836 boxes. More than 2,700 of these had already entered China’s food market, while the rest remained in storage. Health officials have called for locals to avoid purchasing the ice cream.

It is unclear how COVID-19 could have found its way into a batch of frozen dairy products, but University of Leeds virologist Dr. Stephen Griffin told Sky News that the baffling turn of events was likely a “one-off,” and the virus may have still been present within the ice cream’s fat due to its cold storage temperature.

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PANDEMIC FUELING HIGH VACANCY LEVELS The Covid pandemic is making it increasingly difficult to market office space for small businesses in Bradford – according to new planning applications.

Three separate applications to convert space in the Centre for Enterprise on Manningham Lane into flats have recently been submitted to Bradford Council.

Each application relates to one floor of the six storey building – which offers small office space to rent for new and emerging businesses.

The plans would see eight apartments created in a floor of the building, with applications for the second, third and fourth floors soon to be decided by the Council.

The plans, submitted by Jade 3 Architecture, say that with Government advice urging people to work from home, there is little demand for the space in the building.

Previous applications to convert parts of the building into flats have been approved by planners – although this permission will soon expire.

The building is run as an Enterprise Hub – a chain that leases space for incubation style offices to small businesses that could not afford larger, more permanent office space.

Whilst some office space in the building is currently let, the planning application says vacancies within the building are increasing due to the pandemic.

The application says: “Due to the continued harsh economic climate, the lettings agents have difficulty in letting the small offices, and spaces are becoming

vacant.

“The Government has started promoting working from home to stay safe during Covid, and this has caused further vacancy.”

It says the previous applications to create “small, compact” apartments in the building has been re-designed to “meet the market demand for the working from home concept, following the advice to stay at home to keep safe.”

It adds: “This regeneration of existing properties in the heart of Bradford will create a proper home with space to work as well.”

The applications go on to say the conversion will create work for local construction companies and will “assist with regeneration and avoid the building from falling into disrepair due to not being in occupation.”

PAKISTAN GETS GI TAG FOR BASMATI RICE

Pakistan has received GI (geographical indicator) tag for its Basmati rice, which will help its case against India in the European Union (EU), where India has applied for declaring Basmati as its origin.

“Pakistan received the geographical indicator tag for Basmati on 26 January 2021,” confirmed an official government source.

The GI tag will aid Pakistan’s case against India at the EU as it has challenged the Indian claim by registering its own GI for Basmati and would be claiming the same protection of its Basmati in the EU as India.

“Since Basmati rice fetches higher prices in the International markets, India had attempted to block Pakistan’s trade in the EU by declaring that its Basmati was the geographically original one,” said the government official.

Pakistan’s was quick to take notice of the matter as The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) prepared the book of specifications

for Basmati, laying down the criteria of characteristics for Basmati, needed to be followed by any producer or operator in Pakistan.

“Since REAP is a trade body, which has been involved in exporting Basmati to the world and it is representative of Pakistan’s exporters of Basmati, it was best suited to offer insight into Basmati’s trade, characteristics, regions and history,” said the government official.

The Pakistani government had designated the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) as registrant of Basmati, which moved the application for registration of Basmati with the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO).

As per details, IPO, with the help of REAP, mapped the regions where Basmati is grown by taking recommendations from all provinces of Pakistan.

Pakistan’s fast paced acquiring of GI tag comes after India applied for the GI tag on Basmati in the EU, a move that many rice traders say, caught Pakistani authorities napping as deliberate delays in acquiring the GI tag were witnessed for years.

Pakistan aims to block India’s way for the GI tag at the EU as it fears losing billions in rice exports if India gets the rights of Basmati trade.

FACEBOOK NEWS NOW AVAILABLE FOR USERS IN UK Facebook News is now available in the UK featuring news from hundreds of leading national, local and lifestyle outlets.

Facebook News, that was launched in the US in 2019, is set to arrive soon in Germany, France, India and Brazil.

With Facebook News, people in the UK will see the top headlines and stories of the day next to news personalised to their interests.

“We’re also announcing a number of new partners for Facebook News, including Channel 4 News, Daily Mail Group, DC Thomson, Financial Times, Sky News and Telegraph Media Group,” the company said in a statement.

These are in addition to outlets already announced including The Economist, The Guardian, The Independent, STV

and hundreds of local news sites.

Facebook recently found that over 95 per cent of the traffic Facebook News

delivers to publishers “is incremental to the traffic they already get from News Feed”.

“We’ll continue to learn, listen and improve Facebook News as it rolls out across the UK and into other markets, including France and Germany, where we are in active negotiations with partners,” the social network said.

Campbell Brown, VP, Global News Partnerships at Facebook, said in August last year that consumer habits and news inventory vary by country.

“So we’ll work closely with news partners in each country to tailor the experience and test ways to deliver a valuable experience for people while also honouring publishers’ business models,” Brown said.

“We will keep building new products and making global investments to help the news industry build longlasting business models”.

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UK SHOPPERS COULD FACE HIGHER FEES FOR BUYING GOODS FROM EU USING MASTERCARD

They add: “In this dim and challenging economic climate it is applaudable to seek a grand vision for the change of use from offices to apartment use as a secondary option.

“Hopefully by providing continued occupation

for the building it will provide a contribution to the local area and create social vibrancy.”

There are eight parking spaces available at the front of the building and 24 to the rear.

Decisions on the applications are due next month.

METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICERS FINED FOR HAVING HAIR CUT WHILE ON DUTY More than 30 Metropolitan Police Officers have been fined after having their hair cut while on duty.

The thirty-one officers each face a £200 fixed penalty notice after breaking coronavirus rules in London.

It comes after the Met says it heard allegations that a number of officers had their hair cut by a professional barber at Bethnal Green police station on January 17. A local investigation was launched, and the Met announced on Tuesday 26 January, it would issue the fines.

Two officers, who were involved in organising the cuts, are also under investigation for misconduct. Local policing commander, detective chief superintendent Marcus

Think carefully about the cost of your goods, if buying online as a British shopper using a Mastercard debit or credit card from a company based in the European Union, as Mastercard is set to increase its transaction fees by five times. From October 15, credit card fees will increase from 0.3% to 1.5% of the value for every online payment from the UK to the EU, the Financial Times reports. The fee for debit card payments will reportedly increase from 0.2%

to 1.15%. This could impact British consumers if the EUbased companies decide to pass on the fee to them.

The EU introduced a cap on Mastercard and Visa ‘interchange’ fees – paid by a shop to a card issuing bank – in 2015 after concerns they were leading to higher prices for consumers. But Mastercard reportedly told businesses this will no longer apply between UK payments and the European Economic Area (EEA) after Brexit as

they are now deemed ‘interregional’. Mastercard said the change is aligning the fee to those that were agreed with the European Commission in 2019 for cards issued outside of the EEA. The firm said this only applies to online payments at EU-based merchants, while transactions made in person will remain the same.

Transactions made by European cardholders at UK based shops will also be unaffected.

Become a foster carer in 2021 with Team Fostering Barnett, said: ‘It is deeply disappointing and frustrating that my officers have fallen short of the expectation to uphold Covid-19 regulations.

‘Although officers donated money to charity as part of the haircut, this does not

excuse them from what was a very poor decision. I expect a lot more of them. ‘It is right therefore, officers should each face a £200 fine, as well as misconduct action for those two who organised this event.

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BRADFORD MAN JAILED FOR SIX YEARS FOR POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO SUPPLY CLASS A DRUGS A Bradford man has been jailed for six years for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Zaki Rehman, 32, of Durham Road, Bradford was charged with numerous drugs offences by police.

On 19 September 2019, police executed a warrant at an address on Thornton Road following on from community intelligence submitted to the police.

When officers entered the property they discovered a significant amount of drugs and equipment for supply

of drugs.

The amount of drugs seized from the property was valued at £37,263 and nearly £5,000 in cash was also recovered.

Rehman appeared at court on 20 January 2021 and pleaded guilty to charges against him.

He was sentenced to six years in prison.

Detective Inspector Matt Walker, of Bradford Programme Precision Team, said: “We welcome the sentence handed down to Rehman at court last week. A significant

amount of Class A drugs were taken off the streets of Bradford during this investigation.

“As this case proves, community intelligence is vital to our work to disrupt organised crime and supply of drugs. We are committed to disrupt and dismantle organised crime in the District and we would urge anyone who has any information on criminality to contact the police via 101 or information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

TWO MEN GIVEN £10,000 CORONAVIRUS FINES OVER LEEDS SNOWBALL FIGHT Two men involved in organising a mass snowball fight in Leeds in clear breach of Coronavirus restrictions have each been given £10,000 fines.

The men, aged 20 and 23, were identified as a result of police enquiries following the incident on January 14 which saw hundreds of people gather on Woodhouse Moor in close proximity to each other for more than two hours.

Organising any such gathering of more than 30 people is illegal and leaves organisers liable to a £10,000 fine under Coronavirus legislation.

The men were interviewed yesterday and today in relation to the incident and reported for fixed penalty notices to be issued against them.

The 23-year-old had previously received a fine for breaching restrictions in relation to mixing households at an address in Hyde Park in November.

Chief Superintendent Damien Miller, Leeds District Commander, said: “We take absolutely no pleasure in handing out such heavy fines

to these two young men but their actions encouraged hundreds of people to be in close proximity to each other, creating a significant and completely unnecessary risk of increasing the spread of the virus.

“It was a blatant breach of the legislation that is in place to help keep people safe at what remains a critical time for us all.

“The event attracted understandable media attention and widespread public condemnation of all those who irresponsibly took part.

“That said, it remains clear that the vast majority of people recognise the need for collective responsibility and are continuing to stick with the regulations that are there to protect our families and our communities.

“We will continue our approach of engaging, explaining and encouraging compliance but we won’t hesitate to enforce the law where people blatantly disregard the rules and put others at risk.”

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WE URGE YOU TO TAKE UP THE

COVID VACCINE PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE FAKE NEWS.

Continued from cover Like many others across the UK, our communities have been subject to misleading information and confusing interpretations around the vaccine. This has led to mistrust and lack of confidence in the Covid vaccine.

As a result, NHS England and GP’s across England have raised concerns over low uptake of Covid-19 vaccination among BAME patients.

A document released by Sage on 15 January found “marked difference existed by ethnicity, with black ethnic groups the most likely to be Covid-19 hesitant, followed by Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups.”

Adults in the minority ethnic groups were less likely to receive the vaccine than those in white groups, by between 10 – 20 per cent.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has warned that the virus could 'spread quickly' among BAME communities if they make up a large proportion of those who do not take up

the chance to be vaccinated.

In an interview on BBC Radio 4 Mr Zahawi said: “My big worry is that - if 85 per cent of the adult population get vaccinated - if the 15 per cent skews heavily to the BAME community, the virus will very quickly infect that community and really hurt them.”

It is therefore important we understand the facts so we can save lives and ultimately help get the country out of the pandemic.

Reader concerns around the vaccine are legitimate and understandable and we unconditionally support our readers to ask questions and to do their research, however we do request readers to ask and obtain information from credible sources.

Asian Standard have over the past few weeks been hearing from medical experts, celebrities and faith leaders who overwhelmingly are in favour of the vaccine and would advise everyone to take it.

The Al-Abbas Islamic Centre in Balsall Heath, Birmingham became the first mosque

to offer Covid vaccinations. Sheikh Nuru of the mosque said: “it will send a strong message to our Muslim brothers and sisters we are doing this to say a big ‘no’ to fake news and a big ‘yes’ to the vaccine.

He isn’t the only one, Chief Imam Hafiz Mohammad Sajid at the Al Mustafa Centre in Middlesbrough agrees with Sheikh Nuru.

The Chief Imam said: “We have received guidance from The British Board of Scholars & Imams (BBSI). They have consulted various experts in infectious diseases and sought scholarly opinion on the issues of vaccination.

The Tees Valley Muslim Council members, on the advice of our national bodies, therefore, give a clear and unequivocal message that individuals should take the Covid-19 vaccine on their medical practitioner’s advice following informed consent.”

Leaders from the Hindu, Sikh and Jewish communities have also been taking the message out "that it's the right thing to do".

A video was recently released by British Asian celebrities, who had teamed up to encourage

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communities to save lives and take the Covid-19 vaccine.

The video titled ‘If You Could Save Someone’s Life…’ features various stars from comedians Meera Syal, Romesh Ranganathan to actors, Bhavna Limbachia, Boman Irani, Shoba Kapoor, to politicians Baroness Warsi, Sadiq Khan, to legal professionals Nazir Afzal and more.

amplified.

“Whilst these communities must accept some responsibility too, and take the vaccine to save lives, we all must do what we can and come together to fight this deadly virus.

“We hope this video can help dispel some of the myths and offer some encouragement for everyone to take the vaccine.”

Adil Ray OBE, who helped organise the video explains “After taking part in the Stay At Home campaign last year, we felt that once again we had to do something to help.

We at Asian Standard share the views of these people, but like we said, don’t just take our word for it, make an informed choice with facts not fakes.

“Unfortunately, we are now fighting another pandemic – misinformation, where communities who are ignored are preyed upon and voices that endanger lives are

The vaccine isn’t a conspiracy to kill people, if that was the case, we wouldn’t vaccinate our front-line workers first, as we need them the most.

Still in doubt? Then our myth buster might help.

Myth #1: Covid vaccines are unsafe

because they have been fast-tracked into production?

Truth: Safe Covid vaccines have been

produced quickly because of a global effort among experts. They have all focused on a single task and learned lessons from recent outbreaks of Ebola and Zika viruses.

– we’re all just guinea pigs.

Truth: mRNA vaccines have been tested on animals and were very safe and effective against influenza virus, Zika virus, rabies virus and others. mRNA vaccines have also been tested in human clinical trials to treat cancer.

Myth #7: The vaccine will contain a

microchip that will track me for the rest of my life.

Truth: There is no truth in this. The

Myth #2: I will be forced to take the

vaccine will cause an immune response and then be cleared out of the body.

Truth: You will not be forced to take the

Myth #8: The Vaccine contains beef,

vaccine and that infringes my human rights. vaccine it is a choice. But if you choose to take the vaccine you will be protecting both yourself and the vulnerable.

Myth #3: Natural immunity is better

than vaccine-acquired immunity, so I’ll take my chances.

Truth: Trials have shown that the new vaccine protects around 90 percent of people and re-infection with Covid is possible, which means we cannot predict who will get severe disease, so the safest option is to have it.

Myth #4: The vaccines are pointless unless everyone takes them.

Truth: If you are vaccinated you will

be protected regardless of who else is vaccinated. But the more people who are vaccinated the better because this will protect babies and other vulnerable groups who can’t be vaccinated themselves.

Myth #5: The type of vaccines for Covid have never been tried before

pork or other animal ingredients so I can’t take it for religious or dietary reasons.

Truth: The Covid-19 vaccine does not

contain any animal products or egg and the government has undertaken to list substances contained in the vaccines so potential allergies can be identified.

Myth #9: Are these vaccines suitable for people with compromised immune systems?

Truth: These particular vaccines do not utilise live viral material and are safe to use for those with compromised immune systems.

Myth #10: Covid-19 vaccines will alter our DNA

Truth: Of the vaccine trials currently underway involving humans, none are designed to alter human DNA, nor do they contain the technology to effectively plug us all into The Matrix.

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FOOD COURT PLAN REFUSED.

BY CHRIS YOUNG | LDRS Reporter Plans to create a food court in a city centre Conservation Area have been refused by planning officers.

Late last year an application was submitted to Bradford Council that called for a section of pay and display car park on Sunbridge Road to be converted into an outdoor eatery.

It would have seen shipping containers installed in the walled car park area at National House, and seating for 92 diners, both outdoor seating and seating under a new roof that would be installed between the containers.

The application, by Sheraz Akram, said the plans would “inject life” back into that area of the city.

The site would lie behind the walls of National House, the remains of a building that was demolished in 2008.

But now planning officers have

refused the proposals, claiming the proposed late night opening of the outdoor food court would harm the residents of Woolston House, an apartment building that overlooks the site.

And heritage officers had also raised concerns about the impact a development made up of storage containers would have in the Goitside Conservation Area – where National House is based.

The site is one that has been earmarked for a number of developments. In 2006 an application to build a six-storey residential building on the site was approved by Bradford Council, and National House was demolished to make way for this development.

In 2009 a more ambitious plan for the site was approved – to build a 145 bed, seven storey- hotel, with a restaurant, bar, and pool area.

Neither scheme has progressed, and the site became a pay and

compromise its development potential.”

The proposed development by reason of its proximity to a significant number of residential apartments and the extension of the proposed operating late into the night and into the early hours of the morning would result in significant harm to the residential amenity of these property through the generation of noise and disturbance at unsociable hours.

Jon Ackroyd

Refusing the plans, officers said: “ The proposed development by reason of its proximity to a significant number of residential apartments and the extension of the proposed operating late into the night and into the early hours of the morning would result in significant harm to the residential amenity of these property through the generation of noise and disturbance at unsociable hours.”

Conservation Officer

display car park.

The food court plan was just for a section of the site, but a Council Conservation Officer feared that it could hinder the wider development of the prominent site. Conservation Officer Jon Ackroyd said: “ There have in the past been ambitions to develop behind the perimeter façade and such a prospect would be a good

regeneration opportunity with catalytic effect on the area. “ The public benefits of the proposal are ambiguous, and it is doubtful whether it satisfies the intent of policies in terms of avoiding piecemeal development which would compromise the proper planning of the area.

The subdivision of the space with proposed walls would also

Referring to the appearance of the food court, officers said: “ The proposed development by reason of its use of shipping containers would represent an incongruous form of development in this area and the proposed canopy would obstruct views of Woolston House through openings in the high walls fronting Sunbridge Road. “ This is considered to result in significant harm to visual amenity and to the setting of the Goitside Conservation Area.”

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PLAN FOR MASS TRANSIT SCHEME IN WEST YORKSHIRE REVEALED

BY CHRIS YOUNG | LDRS Reporter A multi-billion-pound plan to create a new mass transit system linking areas of West Yorkshire could use abandoned rail routes.

For the past two years, West Yorkshire Combined Authority has been working on a mass transit scheme for the region, and today more details about the hugely ambitious plans were revealed.

Although exact locations of stops on the various routes have yet to be decided, the scheme would likely see a mass transit interchange in Bradford city centre as well as stops in areas without rail stations, including Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton, Junction 26 of the M62, “South Bradford” and Laisterdyke.

There would be additional stops in areas with existing rail stations such as Low Moor, Bradford Interchange and Bradford Forster Square and Pudsey.

The full network could eventually include a line linking Bradford to Baildon, Guiseley and Leeds Bradford Airport, one linking the city to Halifax, Elland and Brighouse and one linking Bradford to

Dewsbury – as well as the direct Bradford to Leeds link.

is now asking people across the region to have their say.

At a briefing by West Yorkshire Combined Authority this morning, members acknowledged that it was a long term scheme – the document says the plan is a vision for 2040. And it was in such early stages that the exact type of mass transit being used, whether it be tram or a new technology, had not yet been decided.

At a briefing yesterday Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council and Chair of the Combined Authority, said: “This is a really exciting piece of work.

Similarly, the exact locations of the stops are not set in stone. Transport union says the scheme needs to be delivered at a much faster pace.

The Authority hopes that the proposals will help reduce car usage and create “an integrated network including walking and cycling, bus, mass transit and rail.”

The most likely funding source for the network is a £4.2 billion pot of cash that West Yorkshire will be able to bid for once it becomes a Mayoral Authority in May. Yesterday the Authority published the Connectivity Infrastructure Plan and Mass Transit Vision 2040 today and

“It is important that throughout this Covid 19 crisis we look to the future.

Getting transport right as well as skills and culture is a key element to create a thriving West Yorkshire economy.

“Connectivity between towns and cities in West Yorkshire is not good enough.”

She said more commuters pass between Bradford and Leeds than any other two cities in the UK. Around 73 per cent of these journeys are by car, and Cllr Hinchcliffe added: “That is not sustainable – we need to make public transport easier.”

Leeds Councillor Kim Groves, who has been developing the scheme for two years, said it was important the network was accessible to all people in West Yorkshire. She said: “We want them to be able to step out of their door and be able to connect with different

forms of transport.”

stages, not all at once.

She said the plan had identified the areas of West Yorkshire that created the most journeys – and that the network would take into account new business/ industrial sites, as well as emerging housing areas.

When asked when more details of the locations of stations and stops would be revealed, Cllr Hinchcliffe said: “We have to do a full feasibility study first, looking at things like how the technology might work. The Government will expect to see all of this before they consider funding anything.”

She said West Yorkshire was years behind other big cities when it came to mass transit systems – but that meant there was the opportunity to incorporate the latest technology.

She said: “Road schemes in the past have favoured the car – we need to make it that the public transport system is the first choice for journeys.”

The route could involve some of the region’s disused rail lines.

Cllr Groves told the briefing that no exact cost of the scheme had been decided yet, but a business case for the plan needs to be prepared by 2022 to be able to access the £4.2B government funding.

Cllr Hinchcliffe said the network would be built, in

When asked why this scheme would succeed where Leeds mass transit plans had failed in the past, Cllr Groves said West Yorkshire becoming a Mayoral authority gave it more powers. And the Government’s push to tackle climate change would also help any push for public transport investment.

After the announcement TUC Regional Secretary Bill Adams said: “Investing in public transport is the best way for us to build back better from the pandemic. We welcome the news of the proposed tram network. Council leaders are staking out a bold case for a modern, green future economy.

“But we cannot wait till the late 2020s to break ground on this project. A region wide infrastructure programme

has the potential to create thousands of skilled, green, union jobs in engineering and construction, and support many more local businesses in the supply chain.

“We need this project to happen much, much quicker, to support West Yorkshire’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We can’t leave key towns and cities waiting until the 2030s before the tram reaches their communities. Under the current plans, towns miss out and passengers get left behind.

“I call on council leaders in West Yorkshire to reconsider this timeline and fast track a project which could deliver high quality jobs and economic growth to our region much sooner than planned.

“Now we need government to keep its promise to level up the North. This is the most urgent and important infrastructure programme for our region. If government is really committed to levelling up West Yorkshire’s economy, and fighting climate change, then they need to commit more money to accelerate this project.”

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GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND WON'T REOPEN TILL MARCH. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that schools in England will not reopen after the half-term break, but there is hope that they can resume from early March.

While addressing Parliament on Wednesday, 27 January he acknowledged parents' frustration with school closure and hopes to begin reopening England's schools from March 8.

A firm decision would be taken in the week of February 22, after the spring halfterm, which is the date the government had originally hoped schools would reopen.

The March 8 date was based on the thinking that the National Health Service (NHS) will be successful in vaccinating the four most vulnerable groups by midFebruary, Mr Johnson noted, adding that there was not enough data yet to decide when to end the current lockdown.

His government hopes other lockdown restrictions could begin to be gradually eased at some point after schools reopen, but pupils returning to class would be the "first sign of normality", the Prime Minister added.

Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, called on the Johnson-led government to "use the window" of the February half-term to vaccinate all teachers and support staff.

Johnson said teachers in the top nine priority groups would be vaccinated as a "matter of priority".

More than 6.8 million people in Britain have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, the latest official figures showed.

The UK is on track to deliver a first dose to 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February and to offer all adults their first dose by autumn, according to vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.

Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

While schools won’t open as planned, in other news the government is also considering hotel quarantine, amid Covid variant concerns.

Mr Johnson has confirmed that the government is mulling measures to require arrivals into the country to quarantine in hotels amid concerns over new

coronavirus variants from abroad.

"We have to realise there is at least the theoretical risk of a new variant that is a vaccinebusting variant coming in.

We've got to be able to keep that under control," Johnson said at a vaccination site in north London on Monday.

"We want to make sure that we protect our population, protect this country against reinfection from abroad. That idea of looking at hotels is certainly one thing we're actively now working on.

"We need a solution that gives us the maximum possible

protection against reinfection from abroad," he added.

According to reports, the new measure to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days will apply to arrivals from most of Southern Africa and South America, as well as Portugal, since many flights from Brazil come via Lisbon.

Hotel quarantine is already in place in countries including New Zealand and Australia.

Most foreign nationals from high-risk countries already face UK travel bans, under which almost all people must test negative for Covid-19 up

to 72 hours before travelling.

Even after this negative test, arrivals still have to quarantine for up to 10 days, although this can be done at home.

In his address on Monday 25 January, the Prime Minister also said that the government will be "looking at the potential of relaxing some measures" before mid-February when the top four priority groups covering around 13 million people are expected to be vaccinated.”

"We're looking at the data as it comes in, we're looking at the rates of infection, as

you know the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) groups one to four will be vaccinated

by February 15," he said.

"Before then we'll be looking at the potential of relaxing some measures... But don't forget this country has made huge progress in reducing infection. I don't think people want to see another big surge in infection," he added.

We certainly don’t want to see a rise in infections, so, please remember, continue to wash your hands, keep your distance, wear mask and avoid any non-essential trips.

Stay safe!

30 january - 04 february 2021 WWW.ASIANSTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

IS HITCHED VARUN NATASHA KI SHAADI

CAST OF ‘THE WHITE TIGER’ RECEIVE HONOURABLE MENTIONS IN THE GOLD LIST SELECTIONS TEAM ‘RAM LAKHAN’ REUNITE TO CELEBRATE 32 YEARS OF THE MOVIE

IMAGE: PALLAV PALIWALL

HUMPTY

30 YEARS OF AKSHAY KUMAR ­— HERO, ROMEO, JOKER, PHILANTHROPIST

TWO

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

BOLLYWOOD STARS TAKE OVER INSTAGRAM WITH THEIR HILARIOUS VERSIONS OF THE BERNIE SANDERS MEME

KANGANA RANAUT TAKES TO TWITTER TO EXPRESS ABHORRENCE OVER THE FARMERS’ PROTEST ON REPUBLIC DAY

to express that she Actress Kangana Ranaut has taken to Twitter t on Republic Day in protes rs' farme the of s was disturbed by visual Delhi. labeled as The actress denounced the farmers, whom she , for supporting actors ing includ e, "terrorists", and slammed peopl pread violence. wides to led says she which s, action their them and be a spec in the "I did my best to avoid this but I failed... I may at least it feels like scheme of things but my failure is enormous.... t the integrity of protec not could I . shame in that .... my head hangs a failure today," am I ..and my nation. I am no one still I am everyone

Kangana shared.

"An instagram account When a user pointed out an account, saying 6 million followers than more with lly antbo @inst PR ood of bollyw time, it needs to be long a since ganda has been running their propa ry. indust the ed slamm na Kanga ed", report cleaned immediately.

"This is the gandagi for bollywood needs to be provoking and nt ainme Slyly hiding behind the garb of entert an iota of law even is there if jail in them put ce, violen terrorism and the bones away eating are es n order left in this country these termit said. of Bharat," she past in order Ranaut has frequently taken to Twitter in the the hashtag to express her political opinions, even inciting believed that users some after tly recen #SuspendKaganaRanaut some of her views were actively harmful. t to take action.

In another tweet, Kangana urged the governmen Farmers bill will also "CAA is on hold after so much terror I am sure have chosen a be pushed on back burners, we as a democracy g. Black day for winnin are tionals antina yet t nmen nationalistic gover democracy our make and India, please implement these laws asap . wrote she win @PMOIndia," of new laws that The protests took place on Republic Day in light g produce, which farmin of sales d aroun rules the e chang would exposed to the free many believe could potentially leave farmers t. marke

'I HOPE THIS WILL BE THE YEAR OF BIG-SCREEN ENTERTAINERS': VAANI KAPOOR ON GETTING BACK TO THE CINEMA AFTER COVID. Actress Vaani Kapoor was last seen on screen in the 2019 blockbuster War, and is all set to be seen in upcoming biggies Shamshera, BellBottom, and Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui.

Vaani feels new content will play an important role in bringing people back to the theatres, as she expects the taste of the audience to have changed during the pandemic.

She feels lucky that all three films are theatrical releases.

"They (audience) would want to watch films that are new, fresh and clutter-breaking. The taste and preference of the audience must have changed because of the coronavirus and they would only want to come to theatres to watch something that tells them a grand, new, compelling story!

“I hope this will be the year of big-screen entertainers! People are waiting for the virus to be under control and with the vaccines, the confidence of people will slowly build.

“They would want to go back to doing things they’re used to. People are missing many experiences that made them happy and we are a society that thrives on community hangouts," Vaani said.

She added "Community celebrations will come back in a big way, and for Indians going to a theatre to watch a movie with friends and family is a huge thing. That's going to make a big comeback. They would want to come back to soak in an experience."

“So, I'm really confident that the films that are lined up for release will do that," she said.

The actress added "I'm lucky that I have three films Shamshera, BellBottom, and Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui which are all theatricals because of the subject and the experience that they are offering to the audience. I can't wait for people to watch these films in theatres because they will truly entertain them to their core."

Unless you have been living unde r a rock , you might be familiar with the viral memes surro unding US Senator Bernie Sanders' look at the US presiden tial inauguration ceremony, which has taken social media by storm.

The picture has proven extremely popular with many Bollywood stars this week, who took to their Instagram to share their own hilarious versions of the meme.

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone is one of the stars who has happily joined the bandwagon.

The 'Cocktail' actor shared her mem e on the photo-sharing application and asked her Instafam to suggest a caption for the rib-tickling post.

The picture sees her seated at a kitchen counter preparing something, where she is joined by Bernie.

The post prompted hilarious resp onses from the 'Om Shant Om' actor's followers with her acto r husband suggesting a caption that says, "Namak zara kam daalna beti."

Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra, who was last seen in the 2019 film 'Marjaavaan' also joined in the meme fest.

The star shared a photo of him in a pink-themed studio background standing beside the US senator.

He wittily captioned the post as "Because Sanskar... #berniesanders”.

One of the many other stars to join in was Bollywood diva Malaika Arora.

The 47-year-old star posted her Insta gram on Sunday in which she shared a stunning sunkissed picture as she sits with her pup on the balcony. How ever, she gave the picture a funny twist by fixing the viral phot ograph of Sanders in the post.

Asking fans to give an apt caption to the picture, Malaika wrote, "Need a caption ....#Gettin AsunBern."

The picture of Sanders with his cozy mittens and grandpa jacket went viral after he appeared at the inauguration ceremony of the 46th US Presiden t Joe Biden.

TAAPSEE PANNU HAS FINISHED SHOOTING HER UPCOMING FILM ‘RASHMI ROCKET’ AND POSTED AN EMOTIONAL NOTE ON HER INSTAGRAM TO CELEBRATE Actress Taapsee Pannu has completed the shoot of her upcoming film Rashmi Rocket.

She posted an emotional note recalling the film’s hectic and eventful shoot.

"Not sure if I have the time and space to explain how this film actually happened. From the basic storyline I heard in Chennai 3 years back to actually complete its filming against all odds in these challenging times. This was one hell of a driven team effort!" she wrote on Instagram.

"I'm going to reserve the details for later coz I'm sure we have many

more battles to fight till the release but what I can say is this is one team that's gonna do it all with a smile and most effortlessly coz the captain of this ship @akvarious believes in working strictly in between chilling with bunch of friends on set, instead of the other way round," she continued.

"For now drawing the curtains on #RashmiRocket and moving onwards n upwards coz this Rocket has left us sky bound! #FilmWrap #RashmiRocket," concluded Taapsee.

The star has shared many moments from throughout

the shoot with her fans on her Instagram.

Most recently, she has shown several images from the breathtaking scenery of Kutch, where the titular character hails from.

In the Akarsh Khurana directorial, Taapsee will be seen as a runner from the Rann of Kutch who faces struggles during her journey of becoming an athlete.

The film began principal shooting in November 2020 and will also star Priyanshu Painyuli and Abhishek Banerjee. The film is set to be released later this year.

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

DIRECTOR DIYANG THAKKAR OPENS UP ABOUT UPCOMING RANVEER SINGH FILM 'JAYESHBHAI JORDAAR'

THREE

BRITISH-ASIAN DUO JOIN FORCES WITH INTERNATIONAL CHARITY CAMPAIGN #WEMAKEEVENTS TO HELP REVITALISE THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY The past year and the impact of the pandemic have, without a doubt, had a devastating impact on the UK economy as a whole.

However, one industry that has received little government recognition or support is the UK’s Live Event Industry and, within that, the sub-economy of the British-Asian events industry.

During this global pandemic, Chunz and Makh, the duo behind the leading podcast Roots & Rhymes, have been in conversation with entertainers, musicians, and performing artists about the impact it has had on their livelihoods and mental health.

Debutant writer-director Divyang Thakkar has opened up about how Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh starrer 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar' is a quintessential big-screen experience.

"I think on the other side of this pandemic, as far as going to the movies is concerned, we're all craving that community experience where we are entertained together, laugh and cry along with absolute strangers, that is the experience we are all craving for," he said.

"And I hope that Jayeshbhai Jordaar manages to deliver on that front because it is designed primarily as an entertainer," he added.

Divyang Thakkar initially started out as a comedy actor in films such as ‘Kevi

Rite Jaish’ (2012) and ‘Bey Yaar’ (2014), and ‘Javeshbhai Jordaar’ will see the comedian take his first turn as director.

Divyang further said that he would like to always have the discipline to write his thoughts on paper and devote time to develop original scripts because that's what worked for him.

"You know when I was writing Jayeshbhai Jordaar, I was not thinking about who would eventually make it, at what scale would it be mounted, who would be starring in it, I just wrote it for the pure joy of writing and creating that story," he said.

"I would like that honesty and that excitement to carry forward in my future work as well. To not worry about the

outcome but just to enjoy the process of writing and creating," he added.

'Jayeshbhai Jordaar' is a humorous social comedy set in Gujarat and Ranveer Singh will be seen playing the role of a Gujarati man.

Ranveer as Jayeshbhai is the unlikely hero who will be seen championing women’s empowerment.

In the first look that was released by YRF, Singh was seen to have visibly transformed himself again, shedding many kilos.

Whilst the film was set to be released in October 2020, the producers are holding off release until all theatres have reopened.

Meanwhile, Ranveer will be next seen in Kabir Khan's sports drama '83'.

AMAZON PRIME CONFIRMS 12 FEBRUARY AS THE LAUNCH DATE FOR SERIES 2 OF HIGHLYACCLAIMED SPY THRILLER ‘THE FAMILY MAN’ Amazon Prime Video has confirmed that the new season of the highly-acclaimed Amazon Original ‘The Family Man’ will be released 12 February 2021.

more different than before," commented Bajpayee.

"It is going to be an experience that you will not forget easily," he promised.

This time Srikant, while struggling to balance his personal and professional life, will be pitted against a new nemesis, Raji played by Samantha Akkineni.

The new season of ‘The Family Man’ is poised to have a bigger scale, spectacular action, and a deadlier nemesis. The show will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and across 240 countries and territories.

Earlier in January, Amazon Prime Video launched an intriguing teaser of the show which led to a wave of euphoria amongst its fans across the country.

Amidst heightened anticipation, many of the superfans of The Family Man managed to decode the launch date of the new season, from a clue hidden within the teaser.

With a multi-layered narrative,

Replete with twists and turns, the upcoming season will see Srikant embarking on a new mission as ‘This Time, No One is Safe’. the sequel of the action spy thriller marks the return of India’s favorite Family Man, Srikant Tiwari, played by Manoj Bajpayee.

"At times I reserve comments (about my work) because you start sounding flamboyant.

All I would say is that it is going to be far bigger and far

Created by the maverick duo, Raj and DK, the new season of Amazon Original Series ‘The Family Man’ will mark the digital debut of superstar Samantha Akkineni who joins the stellar cast of the show including Padma Shree recipient Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, and Seema Biswas.

Through their ongoing talks and first-hand experience, Chunz and Makh decided to take the issue into their own hands, by joining the international charity campaign, #WeMakeEvents.

The podcasters joined forces with the international movement to help raise awareness that the industry as a whole, is on the verge of collapse.

“Makh and I represent everything that the Roots & Rhymes brand stands for and now we’re proud to be campaigning with #WeMakeEvents within the British-Asian community and raising awareness on an urgent matter that is not yet being discussed,” Chunz commented.

British-Asian events contribute significantly towards the UK’s live event industry and without raising awareness it could be devastating for this sub-culture.

Gary White, Lead Producer at #WeMakeEvents said: “The live events industry is vitally important to this country and contributes billions of pounds each year to the UK economy.

“We’re extremely excited to have Chunz and Makh from Roots & Rhymes on board and

campaigning to the British-Asian community, which is a major contributor to this industry.

“Together we will be committed to keep this industry going and ensure those affected are supported.”

As a part of the brand-new season of their podcast, Roots & Rhymes have made a commitment to reach an initial target of £1000 which will be donated to #WeMakeEvents chosen charity 'Backup'.

'Backup' aims to provide people within the events industry support with any essential financial commitments due to ill-health or unforeseen financial hardship.

Individuals can apply for support directly through the charity to help if they are struck

by COVID or unexpected financial distress or hardship as a result of the pandemic.

Check out the campaign trailer at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=R3D6FelX5J0&feature=youtu.be and find out how you can help support the cause at https://we-make-events.raisely. com/rootsandrhymes.

TEAM 'RAM LAKHAN' REUNITE TO CELEBRATE 32 YEARS OF THE MOVIE As the film 'Ram Lakhan' clocked 32 years on Wednesday, the cast of the film including Madhuri Dixit Nene, Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher and others reunited to celebrate.

A picture from the celebrations was shared

by Madhuri Dixit on Instagram along with a black and white picture of the cast from the sets of the film.

The recent picture from the celebrations also featured the director of the film Subhash Ghai, actors Jackie Shroff, Satish Kaushik and Gulshan Grover each of whom had pivotal roles in the film.

Madhuri Dixit added a short note about the film and thanked all the fans for "watching, enjoying and loving" the hard work of the team.

"Celebrating #32YearsOfRamLakhan and the wonderful memories we made while working on the film. Thank you for watching, enjoying and loving the hard work of the entire team," she wrote in the caption.

The Subhash Ghai directorial that featured Anil Kapoor, Jackie

Shroff and Madhuri Dixit in the lead role was released back in 1989.

'Ram Lakhan' emerged as one of the most successful films of Anil Kapoor's career and his hook step from 'My Name Is Lakhan' song is still exceptionally popular.

FOUR

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

ACTRESS ANITA HASSANANDANI SHOWS OFF HER BABY BUMP IN PREGNANCY PHOTO SHOOT ON INSTAGRAM

PRIYANKA CHOPRA CONFIRMS THAT SHE HAS STARTED SHOOTING ON AMAZON'S LATEST SERIES 'THE CITADEL'

Sharing a stunning sun-kissed picture, Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jonas on Monday treated fans to a gorgeous glimpse as she confirmed her start on TV series 'Citadel'.

The 'Baywatch' star hopped on to Instagram and shared a gorgeous close-up photo.

In the image, Chopra soared temperatures while she bears a minimal makeup look.

The close-up picture sees Chopra as she candidly poses for the lens while staring off the camera.

REMO D'SOUZA SHOWS THAT HE HIS DANCING HIS WAY TO RECOVERY FOLLOWING HEART ATTACK IN DECEMBER

Tiger' star Wishing her fans a happy Monday, the 'White el (fisted hand #Citad job new day, "New as, post the ned captio emoticon) Happy Monday ." chimed into the Adoring the gorgeous picture, scores of fans ruck emojis lovest and hearts red left and n comments sectio under the post. ed spy series, 'Citadel' which has been touted as an action-pack side Chopra. along Moller d Rolan and en also stars Richard Madd we do show, TV ing upcom the Whilst not much is known about ors of direct , Russo Joe and ny Antho by d heade is it know that me’, and is set to several Marvel films including ‘Avengers: Endga ages. langu local in ffs spin-o l ationa feature intern ‘The White Tiger’ Chopra has recently been seen in Netflix ’s film which opened to critical success in January.

Choreographer-filmmaker Remo D'Souza, who was recently admitted to hospital after suffering cardiac problems, on Monday revealed that he is dancing his way to recovery.

D'Souza took to Instagram to share a video that shows him dancing as part of his ongoing treatment.

"Dance is the joy of movement and the heart of life. Thank you my amazing team of doctors... you guys are great @lizelleremodsouza @kokilabenhospital #cardiacrehab Dancing my way to full recovery," he wrote with the video.

In December, D'Souza was rushed to hospital after suffering cardiac problems. He underwent angioplasty.

D'Souza recently reflected upon the lessons he learned from the traumatic experience and thanked the doctors who attended to him.

Remo rose to fame as a choreographer, before making his transition into filmmaking with F.A.L.T.U in 2011. He went on to helm ABCD Any Body Can Dance (2013), ABCD 2 (2015) and Race 3 (2018). His last directorial Street Dancer 3D starring Varun Dhawan, Nora Fatehi and Shraddha Kapoor, opened in 2020.

Check out the full Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/p/ CKdOU9qJIr1/.

Filmmaker Manish B. Tiwary has slammed the Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI) for allegedly dumping his film, 'Chidiakhana'.

Tiwary claims he is now entangled in a lengthy battle to secure a release for the film.

Children's Film Society India greenlit the film, but on a much smaller budget than Tiwary was prepared for.

“I agreed on the budget because at least the story was now being made.

But my skepticism was getting a release for the film, as hardly any CFSI films get popular release and distribution," Tiwary said.

"So when I joined hands with CFSI, it was on the premise that I would be able to give the film a wide, popular release. That I would do the PR and marketing and release the film with the PR partners.”

However, the agreement between Tiwary and CFSI quickly changed.

The director shared that when he

Anita announced her pregnancy in October on social media. She shared a video where the 39-year-o ld actress and her husband Rohit Reddy re-live their romance, with shots that include moments of their engagement and the exchange of wedding vows. Rohit is seen kissing Anita's baby bump at one point.

Anita and Rohit tied the knot in Goa on October 18, 2013.

On the work front, Anita and Tusshar Kapoor will co-star in a new film, after almost two decades.

The two actors, who were seen toge ther in the 2003 films "Kucch To Hai" and "Yeh Dil", unite for the myst ery thriller "Maarrich", which also stars Naseeruddin Shah.

He also shared a picture from the hospital with the medical staff, besides one with his family.

MANISH B. TIWARY SLAMS THE CHILDREN’S FILM SOCIETY OF INDIA FOR DROPPING HIS UPCOMING FILM ‘CHIDIAKHANA'

"I wanted to tell a coming-of-age story that was close to my heart -- about a Bihari boy embraced by the hostile Marathi Chawl due to his footballing skills. The story was called 'Chidiakhana'," said Tiwary.

Actress Anita Hassanandani on Wed nesday shared a photograph channelling her inner Beyonce and flaunting a blooming baby bump.

In a monochrome picture she posted on Instagram, Anita is seen wearing a black leotard and striking a sexy pose for the camera.

"Enjoying "Beyonce vibes" until "mom my vibes" kick in," she wrote as the caption.

Beyonce famously posed for a phot o-op when she was pregnant in 2017. The shoot was declared Instagram 's most-liked photo of the year.

CAST OF ‘THE WHITE TIGER’ RECEIVE HONOURABLE MENTIONS IN THE GOLD LIST SELECTIONS Actors Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rajkummar Rao, and Adarsh Gourav have received honourable mentions in the Gold List selections for their powerful performances in the insanely popular Netflix film 'The White Tiger.'

Priyanka has received the honourable mention in the category of the best supporting female actor, alongside other stars including Gong Li (Mulan) and Lea Salonga (Yellow Rose).

arrived with " a 'U' certificate in one hand and a distribution plan in another" that the top management at CFSI had changed over for the second time during production, leaving him having to start over with negotiations.

film.

“They didn't quite remember the distribution part of our deal! I was not prepared to just dump the film with CFSI and let it languish."

Tiwary also asserted that he never expected CFSI to market and distribute the film widely, but "what has been totally mind-boggling and heart-wrenching is to see CFSI dillydally on the distribution of the film that had been promised to me".

He continued "I took my case to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under whose aegis CFSI functions, and to my good fortune, both the Minister, Mr Prakash Javadekar, and the Secretary, Mr Amit Khare, met me and promised justice to me and the

"Now, as things get normal, I hope CFSI and the Executive Council will keep their word and allow me to give the film the best possible chance for a wider release," he added.

"Chidiakhana" stars Ritvik Sahore, Prashant Narayanan, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Govind Namdev, Avneet Kaur, Anjan Shrivastav, and Ravi Kishan in the pivotal roles.

Meanwhile, Rajkummar has received a mention in the category of best supporting male actor. Other actors with honourable mentions in the category include Lucas Jaye (Driveways) and Tzi Ma (Mulan).

Rajkummar, who seemed thrilled with the mention, took to his Twitter handle to share the news.

Adarsh, the breakout star of 2021, has received an honourable mention in the category of the best lead actor, alongside Dev Patel (The Personal History of David Copperfield) and Harry Shum Jr. (All My Life).

'The White Tiger' has also received an honourable mention in the Gold List in the category of Best Film, along with other movies such as ‘The Half of It' and 'Yellow Rose'.

'The White Tiger', directed by Ramin

Bahrani, explores India's class struggle and is told from the perspective of Balram (Adarsh), a lower-class citizen who becomes a chauffeur for a rich landlord named Ashok and his wife named Pinky played by Rajkummar and Priyanka respectively. Priyanka is also the executive producer of the film.

Gold List is known to honour artists from the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) in the film industry every year.

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

FIVE

30 YEARS OF AKSHAY KUMAR - HERO, ROMEO, JOKER, PHILANTHROPIST Since making his Bollywood debut in the 1991 romantic action film ‘Saugandh’, international megastar Akshay Kumar has gone on to become one of the biggest names to ever grace the silver screen.

periods and on the importance of providing affordable and safe sanitary pads for women.

Akshay Kumar was praised for this role, and his desire to openly tackle periods and menstruation has gone to bring about many positive changes.

With 30 years under his belt, there is no better time than to remember why Kumar has become such a regular fixture on our screens and is an undisputed megastar!

A symbol of hope The coronavirus pandemic has no doubt been one of the most difficult times ever faced.

The action star Akshay Kumar’s versatility is just one of the many successful traits the actor possesses.

It is the action genre which is arguably where he cemented himself.

His charisma, energy, and looks made him the perfect fit to be the ultimate action hero that Bollywood was desperately looking for.

'Khiladi' (1992), 'Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani' (2002), 'Baby' (2015), and 'Tashan' (2008), are just some of the films in which Akshay Kumar has shown his heroic side and are still some of his most popular films.

The comedy legend Akshay Kumar has also been able to

leave us in stitches.

Whether it is playing loser Aarush in the 'Housefull' franchise (2010 – present), or Raju in the cult comedy franchise 'Hera Pheri', there is no doubt that Akshay is not afraid to show a different side to him in his movies.

Kumar is also known to have a knack for blending horror and comedy, as with the super hit, 'Bhool

Bhulaiya'a (2007) which has gone on to become one of his most popular movies.

His passion for addressing social issues For many, choosing roles that place social issues at the front of the agenda is scary territory. However, this is not the case for Akshay.

In 2017, he was given the lead role in Shree Narayan Singh’s 'Toilet: Ek Prem Kath'a (2017) which raised awareness for India’s sanitation issues, openly tackling the problem which affects millions across the country.

In 2018, Akshay Kumar also took on the more daring role of Laxmi Kant Chauhan in the film 'Pad Man' which focused on the stigma surrounding

Throughout the pandemic, the actor has donated an incredible Rs 25 crore (£2.5M) to PM Narendra Modi's coronavirus relief fund, provided Mumbai police with 1,200 smart wrist bands that detect Covid symptoms, and hosted a virtual music concert.

Akshay Kumar is one of the most iconic actors of his generation and with his unmatched professionalism, limitless talent, and excellent chemistry with his co-stars, there is no doubt there is plenty more to come.

Thank you Akshay Kumar – here is to the next 30 years!

RANVEER SINGH AND DEEPIKA PADUKONE CELEBRATE THE THREE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF 'PADMAAVAT' ON INSTAGRAM WITH UNSEEN BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE

Bollywood stars and real-life couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone celebrated the three-year anniversary of their blockbuster film 'Padmaavat' on social media.

Rani Padmaavati, Deepika shared a behind-the-scenes video in which she thanked ace director Sanjay Leela Bhansali for giving her the opportunity.

The couple, who tied the knot in November 2018, shared throwback videos on Instagram as the film, which also starred actor Shahid Kapoor in the lead role, clocked three years today.

She captioned the post as "3 Years of Padmaavat. Some memories and experiences are difficult to articulate but live in your heart forever.

Celebrating her iconic character of

"Padmaavat was one such

experience. Thank you Sanjay Leela Bhansali for entrusting me with this movie and character of a lifetime."

unforgettable experience. Thank you Sanjay Sir for making me a part of this spectacular vision. #Khilji"

Ranveer Singh, who played the character Alauddin Khalji in 'Padmaavat', posted a video sharing his 'unforgettable experience' of his 'tryst with the dark side'. He also thanked the filmmaker for the opportunity.

He shared BTS footage from his last day on the set of the movie.

He wrote, "#3YearsOfPadmaavat My tryst with the dark side. An

The film, which also featured Shahid Kapoor in the role of King Maharawal Ratan Singh, was marred by multiple violent protests and attacks on the film's cast by certain power groups over the portrayal of Rani Padmavati in the

movie.

However, the film was well-received by the viewers and critics alike and went on to make over Rs3 billion at the domestic box office.

Check out Ranveer's Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ tv/CKdQ9UBBue6/?hl=en and Deepika's at https:// www.instagram. com /tv/ CKdXqvgD8LA/?hl=en.

SIX

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

VARUN AND NATASHA KI SHAADI Following months of speculation and top secrecy from close family and friends Varun Dhawan finally tied the knot with his long-term girlfriend and now wife, Natasha Dalal. The two were high school sweethearts who married in an intimate wedding ceremony in Alibaug on Sunday 24 January.

The couple began dating after they bumped into each other at a music concert. The actor had revealed on the Kareena Kapoor Khan radio show that Dalal had rejected him 3-4 times before finally admitting to her feelings.

Dalal is a fashion designer who has reportedly designed her own wedding gown.

After a delay in plans due to the pandemic, the couple moved their wedding from Vietnam to Alibaug due to travel restrictions with just 50 guests.

The small guest list from B-town reportedly included Karan Johar, Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Raj Kundra, Remo D’Souza, Manish Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Arjun and Janhvi Kapoor.

With pictures and images doing the rounds on social media, we’ve put together a snap shot and bring you all the highlights from our Humpty and his Dulhania’s shaadi.

Firstly, there were some adorable images posted by ace designer Manish Malhotra. He captured some heartening moments of dressing groom Varun Dhawan up for his big day.

Apart from being a very close friend of Varun Dhawan, Manish Malhotra also happens to be a cousin of the actor. Sharing candid moments of dressing up the groom, Manish Malhotra shared an amazing video montage on his social media. Varun looks ecstatic to be marrying his ladylove.

Describing the details of his outfit, Manish posted the video with the caption, “Capturing the endearing moments while dressing up the ever-so-charming #ManishMalhotraGroom, Varun Dhawan (@ varundvn) as he transforms into a debonair prince in our bespoke ivory sherwani adorned with intricate gold and silver zardosi hand-embroidery, layered

FILM FASHION BEAUTY

with a celeste blue drape paired with custom encrusted embroidery shoes to complete the look.”

Now it’s time to make an entry at the mandap and in true hero style Varun doesn’t disappoint. The actor is seen making an entry at his jailmala ceremony on a quad.

Dressed in groom attire, with a young child from Varun’s family sat on the back, Varun rolls in on a quad bike.

In another viral picture, Natasha is seen trying to put jaimala around Varun’s neck as his friends and family members lift him up on their shoulders.

The moments were not just full of masti, but also full of majestic moments like the candid shot captured between Varun Dhawan and Natasha Dalal with Varun’s brother Rohit Dhawan and Jaanvi Desai during the wedding time. Another aw moment.

Guests also didn’t shy away from sharing images from the stunning wedding. Director Shashank Khaitan posted a series of pictures on his Instagram

stories where he was seen posing with Varun Dhawan ahead of the wedding, as did Karan Johar who launched the young actor in Student of the Year.

Varun certainly does have an amazing boy’s group, as that was once of the first images to do the round of Varun and the boys.

According to a reports, the soon to be married couple will set off for a romantic honeymoon at the massive and magnificent Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul, Turkey. To note, The Ciragan Palace - a five-star hotel is known to be the most beautiful hotels in the world and is said to be among the most

SEVEN

expensive hotels in the world.

Post wedding Varun and Natasha took time to have pictures with the waiting paps and Varun even took to social media to thank his wedding management team. He shared a photo from the wedding with them and wrote, “Thank you for making this happen @shaadisquad.” The actor also thanked fans for all the love he and Natasha received over the last few days.

Well we are in awe and have been cooing over all the images of the fairy tale wedding of Varun and Natasha and take this opportunity to wish them both a very happy married life. Shaadi Mubarak!

Wedding | Corporate | Event Catering

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ASIAN STANDARD / BRADFORD

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LEGAL

Luke Patel

PARTNER AT BLACKS SOLICITORS LLP Luke Patel is a Partner at Lee ds law firm Blacks Solicitors LLP specialising in commer dispute resolution and hea cial ds up that team.

Luke was the winner of the Best Professional in Busines s award at the Asian English Business Awards 2013. Des cribed in the Legal 500 as “exceptional” he primarily acts individuals, owner manage for d businesses and SME ’s in a wide range of sectors.

21

&

PUZZLES Crosswords CROSSWORD Across 1 Badly dealt with (10) 7 Countryside walker (7) 8 Liberated (4) 10 Curved structure (4) 11 All people (8) 13 Fought with swords (6) 15 Material for violin strings (6) 17 Indoor footwear (8) 18 Scrutinise (4) 21 Fortified wine (4) 22 Bind tight with clothes (7) 23 Unhappy (10)

CORONAVIRUS – INSURERS TOLD TO PAY OUT ON CLAIMS As a consequence of the government lockdown last year, many businesses made claims through their business interruption insurance policies for the losses they had suffered when they had to close. However, most if not all of these claims were rejected by insurers who argued that only the most specialist policies provided such cover.

Down 1 Imitate (5) 2 Sodium chloride (4) 3 Come to the destination (6) 4 Postponement (8) 5 Soon (7) 6 Morning meal (9) 9 Judicial penalties (9) 12 Tyrannical (8) 14 CAPITAL OF Kenya (7) 16 Jail (6) 19 Trainee officer (5) 20 Female horse (4)

In September 2020 the High Court heard a test case brought by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on behalf of a number of policyholders whose claims had been declined by insurers. The FCA and the policyholders were successful with the claim, but the insurers appealed. Due to the importance and urgency of the issues in question the appeal bypassed the Court of Appeal and went straight to the Supreme Court.

On 15 January 2021 the Supreme Court gave its judgment in the case of FCA v Arch Insurance (UK) Limited and Others.

The Supreme Court largely agreed with the decision of the High Court and found in favour of the FCA and the policyholders. The issues considered by the Supreme Court were: 1. Disease clauses These clauses typically cover business interruption losses incurred as a result of an occurrence of a notifiable disease within a specified distance of the insured premises. The Supreme Court found that, in disagreement with the High Court, each case of Covid-19 was a separate occurrence and that the clauses would only cover losses due to a case of disease within the specified radius. However, due to the issues considered in respect of causation (see below) the ultimate outcome was that the same scope of cover would be provided as that given under the High Court ruling.

Spot the

5

differences

2. Prevention of access and hybrid clauses These clauses specify a series of requirements before cover is provided (typically, either where restrictions are imposed by public authority denying/preventing access to a business, possibly as a result of a notifiable disease within a certain radius). The Supreme Court allowed a more generous interpretation of these clauses, such that a mere instruction from a public authority could be considered an imposed restriction, in addition to those clear mandatory requirements. Further, the exact manner of the prevention/inability to use a premises was considered and it was found that an inability, as opposed to mere hindrance, was required but this could apply to either a discrete business activity or a discrete part of the premises.

3.Causation The Supreme Court found (in agreement with the High Court) that all individual cases of Covid-19 which had been established by the date of any public authority measures were equally effective proximate causes. As such, a policyholder was only required to show that there was at least one case within the geographical area covered by the clause.

4. Trends clauses Nearly all policies considered by the Court contained a “trends clause” which allowed for the losses calculated to be adjusted to take into account trends or other circumstances affecting the business, in order to estimate the losses suffered if the pandemic had not occurred. The insurers had used these arguments to try and argue that some of the effects of Covid-19 (for example, a reduction in footfall for retail businesses) were separate from the insured peril itself and therefore could be used to reduce the sums calculated. However, the Supreme Court disagreed and found that trends and circumstances arising out of the same underlying cause i.e. Covid-19, should not be considered to reduce the calculated losses.

5. Pre-trigger losses

The judgment by the Supreme Court will come as a welcome relief for hundreds of thousands of policyholders who will now be entitled to payment under their policies.

If you have a business interruption insurance policy, then Blacks Solicitors can advise you as to whether you will be able to pursue a claim under that policy. Please contact Luke Patel on 0113 227 9316 or by email at “LPatel@LawBlacks.com”.

ANSWERS SPOT THE 5 DIFFERENCES 1. The bottons of Varun's shirt.

2. Natasha's necklace.

3. The color of Varun's sunglasses.

4. The handle of the suitcase.

5. The rope on the speedboat.

The High Court did allow adjustments to be made under trends clauses when calculating losses to reflect if there had been a downturn in business due to the pandemic prior to the actual triggering of the insurance policy. However, the Supreme Court rejected this entirely and stated that adjustments should only be made to factors which were not linked to Covid-19.

CROSSWORD ANSWER

22

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MAHMUD KAMANI BUYS BRITISH FASHION BRAND DEBENHAMS FOR £55 MILLION

BY ARUNDHATI MUKERJEE Debenham’s fallen kingdom in British High Street has allowed online fashion retailer Boohoo to snap it up at £55 million. However the online fashion retailer has only bought Debenham’s brand and its website for this price.

This means Boohoo is going to relaunch the department store as an online-only operation. They will not take responsibility to save any of Debenham’s 118 stores or the 12000 employees that come with it.

This paradigm shift highlights once again how the world has changed after the pandemic.

The 243-year-old retail giant was, perhaps, the last soldier standing in British high Street, after the sad demise of BHS, Mothercare and many more.

Debenhams was in trouble for years with falling profits.

Its struggles intensified by the coronavirus pandemic when shops were forced to close during the lockdown.

Since the company went into liquidation in December 2020, administrators have been seeking offers for all or parts of the Debenhams business.

Boohoo confirmed that it was purchasing the brand and its website, using its existing cash reserves, on Monday 25 January 2021. Experts

consider that Boohoo is now in an even stronger market position by securing this deal than its competitors ASOS or Amazon.

So, who owns Boohoo and why has it bought Debenhams?

Boohoo is an online fastfashion brand for women and men between 16 to 30. The Boohoo Group is owned by billionaire British businessman Mahmud Kamani. He co-founded the company alongside Carol Kane, the joint CEO of the brand.

Mahmud Kamani is an Indian-born billionaire who arrived in Manchester from Kenya in 1969 and sold handbags on a stall. He then invested his money in the wholesale business. He sourced garments from his native country for brands like Topshop and Primark.

The company that started with only three employees went onto become a global business with a 5000 strong workforce, in just 15 years.

Mahmud Kamani is now one of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs with a net worth of just over £1billion.

The 15-year-old modern online retail upstart, Boohoo, has already snapped up prominent fashion brands like Oasis, Karen Millen and Coast out of administration.

The online retailer has received criticism for poor working conditions in its supply chain on several occasions. But it’s ability to promptly respond to the change of taste and style of today’s consumers has made its position strong in eCommerce today.

us to capture the fantastic opportunity as eCommerce continues to grow. Our ambition is to create the UK’s largest marketplace.”

“Our acquisition of the Debenhams brand is strategically significant as it

Kamani has earlier been surrounded by several other controversies, which include human trafficking. Boohoo’s Leicester based factory also came under the radar for forcing its employees to go to work while suffering from Coronavirus.

Why did Boohoo buy Debenhams?

Mahmud Kamani said, “The sale would allow Boohoo to become a leader in other retail categories and fashion, including beauty and homeware.”

Speaking about the deal, he said: “This is a transformational deal for the group, which allows

Mahmud Kamani

represents a huge step which accelerates our ambition to be a leader. Not just in fashion eCommerce, but in new categories including beauty, sport and homeware.”

Debenhams was a longstanding and leading UK

fashion and beauty retailer with high brand awareness.

Along with 118 departmental stores across the UK, it had an established online platform with approximately 300 million UK website visits per annum, making it one of the country’s top retail chains.

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PATAK’S FORMER OWNER KIRIT PATHAK DIES IN A CAR CRASH IN DUBAI

BY ARUNDHATI MUKERJEE

Kirit Pathak, former head of the world-renowned Patak’s food brand, tragically died on Saturday.

Following a car crash in Dubai on Sunday, January 17th, he was treated in hospital for multiple injuries for a week, before he sadly passed away.

The 68-year-old was a renowned

business icon in the UK, India and Dubai. He had taken over the global brand founded by his parents, the late Laximishanker and Shanta Gaury Pathak. The brand Patak is a pioneer of Indian food in the UK. In 2007, he had sold the business to Primark’s owners, Associated British Foods

(ABF) for a whopping £105 million. At that time, the company was making an annual turnover of £66 million. However, he had retained the Indian brand’s rights and was made Chairman of ABF’s combined world foods group.

Mr Kirit Pathak and his wife Meena had moved to Dubai following the sale of their business. They divided their time between the UAE, India and the UK. He has been survived by his wife and three children, Neeraj, Nayan and Anjali.

Patak’s now supplies to around 90 per cent of Britain’s over 10,000 Indian restaurants, as well as supermarkets and local groceries with curry pastes, chutneys, pickles, poppadums, ready-made meals and other food products.

The Leigh-based business also exports curries, sauces, pickles and bread to over 90 countries, including India.

Associated British Food has paid him tribute today. George Weston, Chief Executive of Associated British Foods, said: “From the Board of ABF and on behalf of the Weston family, our deepest

Kirit Pathak sympathies go out to Kirit’s wife, Meena, and all his family and friends at this sorrowful time. Kirit was a great man who was blessed with entrepreneurial flair, astute business acumen and a passion for authentic Indian cuisine.

From humble beginnings, he and Meena created an incredible business all built on the concept of making Indian-style meals easy and accessible to busy people.

But what they actually did was

introduce a fantastic genre of cooking into millions of homes, transforming it into a home-dining staple.”

Andy Mayhew, Managing Director of AB World Foods, added: “On behalf of everyone at AB World Foods, I would like to convey my deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to the Pathak family on the unfortunate news of Kirit Pathak’s passing. Under Kirit’s visionary leadership, a-state-of-

the-art factory was built in Leigh, where we are still based today. The factory employs over 350 people.

He remained involved with the business as Chairman and, later, Honorary Life President of AB World Foods.”

Neeraj Pathak, the eldest son of the late businessman, is Bolton School alumni. He has, however, moved on from the family business to become a successful actor with an impressive portfolio.

Asian Sunday Online is a digital platform, where you can watch new content every Sunday only on our YouTube channel Asian Sunday TV. Join the discussion with Let’s Talk or perhaps join in with some cooking with Simmering Sundays.

If you want to be on the show then email letstalk@asiansunday.co.uk

TUNE IN EVERY SUNDAY

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MOVIE REVIEW HINDSIGHT IS 20/20: A RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF ‘TANDAV’ FOLLOWING ITS CONTROVERSY

attempts to elevate their one-dimensional characters past their limits but struggle with so little to work with.

BY REBECCA TODD At the beginning of the year, Amazon’s political thriller ‘Tandav’ was set to be one of the most popular and ground-breaking Indian television shows of 2021.

In the first episode, the show immediately throws its audience into a huge action set piece and it never takes a moment to properly pause and digest after this point.

However, following several allegations of anti-Hindu sentiments, there have now been many official complaints lodged against the creators of the show, specifically against director and producer Ali Abbas Zafar.

We end up watching characters we do not understand or particularly like, for that matter, go through a series of motions that are meant to thrill. The result is that we end up not caring about them or the consequences of their actions.

Despite several apologies made by all involved and, even after cuts were made to the programme, the creators will have to appear in court in order to deal with the complaints filed against them.

After a plea to the Supreme Court on Wednesday 27 January to protect the cast and crew was rejected, it appears now that the creators will also face arrest for their actions.

And, despite the actors’ best efforts, it quickly becomes laborious to watch characters whose only personality trait is their desire for power.

Tandav has become infamous for its careless approach to religious icons,

In place of depth and storytelling, the series utilises its lavish set design and big budgets to impress.

but is that all there is to this highly anticipated show?

Thanks to lead actor Saif Ali Khan’s title as the current Nawab of Pataudi, the series is shot mainly at the incredible location of Pataudi Palace.

Were the problematic religious scenes an incredibly unfortunate misstep for the show? Or did it fail to impress its audience right from the outset?

Through use of sweeping shots and sharp set design, ‘Tandav’ establishes an impressive visual flair.

Here, I take a look back at Tandav following all the criticism to see how the show fairs amongst everything that has happened.

‘Tandav’ follows the story of power-hungry Samar Pratap Singh (Saif Ali Khan), the charismatic son of threeterm party leader Devki Nandan Singh (Tigmanshu Dhulia).

The series begins in the midst of both an election and a farmers’ protest and follows the extreme progression of events as the characters attempt to rise to prominence, blackmailing and destroying each other as they go.

Since Tandav’s release on 15 January, the show has been inundated with complaints, specifically against its depiction of Hindu deities.

In the first episode, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub’s character was seen

Whilst these settings certainly create a feeling of grandiosity for the series, this anticipation for the exceptional makes the mundanity of the story even more anti-climactic.

to portray a cursing Lord Shiva in a stage play. The scene caused immediate outrage and was accused of depicting the Hindu god in a blasphemous manner.

It has since been cut out of the web series, along with other scenes considered inappropriate.

Whilst the cut scenes are particularly disrespectful because of their sensitive subject matter, it is clear from the outset that Tandav is a show intended to appal and shock rather than intrigue and fascinate.

The particularly fragrant language and hardcore drug use within the first fifteen minutes of the first episode provide a preview for the rest of the show.

Despite all the promises of a series that would take a deep dive into the details of Indian politics, Tandav quickly reveals itself to be a soap opera in ‘House of Cards’ clothing.

The serious acting talent in the show, such as Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Sunil Grover, make many

In Tandav’s eagerness to surprise its audience, it ended up using offensive and shocking material as a gimmick. With more care, Tandav could have been a success, but it appears that style has prevailed over substance for this show.

As Sunil Grover’s character Gurpal Singh states at the beginning of the first episode, ‘There’s a thin red line that separates right and wrong’.

Unfortunately for the cast and crew of the show, Tandav has managed to end up on the wrong side of that line.

COMING SOON ONLY ON ASIAN SUNDAY TV

28

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RECIPE

DESI EGG AND POTATO

INGREDIENTS

With the cold winters and being locked in, we all need a little bit of comfort. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what to make especially when your cupboards are perhaps already diminished of delicious ingredients from the huge shop you did from the supermarket only a few days ago.

This is where a little bit of creativity comes into the mix and we honestly believe you really can’t go wrong with our Editor’s amazing Desi egg and potato.

This delicious dish, oozes warmth and yumminess.

Get your family involved and cook it together.

1 small onion 2 large potatoes 3 eggs Fresh or peeled plum tomatoes 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp coriander powder ¼ tsp turmeric powder Salt to taste Green chillies

SERVES 2 COST = £2

METHOD Finely chop your onion and golden fry in around 2 tbsp oil.

Once lightly golden brown. Add in ginger garlic paste and stir.

Add in salt and stir. Then add in your spices and stir. Allow spices to cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

Chop potatoes into thin round slices. Add to spices and leave to cook on low heat stirring occasionally. Once potatoes are cooked to your satisfaction, add in around tbsp of chopped and blended tomatoes, or from plum tomato tin.

Leave to cook for around 10/15 minutes.

Throw in eggs, but do not stir, allow the yolk to settle and form so it is medium cooked.

Once it is, then stir and combine with the potatoes. Add in fresh green chillies to taste, stir and leave to cook for around 5 minutes on low heat.

Serve with naan bread or salad of your choice. Or you can even just have it on your own it is yummy!

This week’s recipe has been provided by Fatima Patel

Have a tantalising recipe? Want to share? We would love to feature your recipes. If you would like to have your recipe featured on this page then email us at: recipes@asianstandard.co.uk

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NADAL SUPPORTS AUSTRALIAN OPEN COVID-19 MEASURES World number two Rafael Nadal has urged his fellow competitors to take a "wider perspective" on Covid-19 safety measures put in place ahead of the

Australian Open, as players and staff remained quarantined on 27 January.

All players arriving in Australia were required to undergo two

weeks' quarantine along with their support staff. However, cases detected on three charter flights forced 72 players into an even stricter

Photo: Wikipedia

lockdown during which time they were unable to train.

So far, nine positive cases have been directly linked to the event, with 281 people considered close contacts.

"It's a different situation than usual, it's much more sad for everyone. But at least we're here, we're going to have a chance to play here. The world is suffering in general, so we can't complain."

Last week, some players took to social media to complain about the conditions in quarantine and the impact of not being able to train in the lead up to the event.

Nadal was among those unaffected by the new cases, meaning he was still able to train for several hours each day while undergoing two weeks of quarantine.

However, Nadal told CNN that many people had it much worse under the pandemic, and to be able to play in an international tournament should be considered a privilege, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, local player Nick Kyrgios singled out world No. 1 Novak Djokovic for not setting a good enough example in encouraging players to respect official health orders.

"I feel very sorry for all of them but when we came here, we knew that the measures were going to be strict because we knew that the country is doing great with the pandemic," Nadal said.

Djokovic had previously called to relax restrictions on the 72 players in lockdown in order to allow them to train. Following a backlash to his request, the reigning Open champion clarified he simply intended to support disadvantaged players.

"When he was doing some of the things he was doing during the global pandemic, it just wasn't the right time," Kyrgios told CNN. "I think it's very important (to hold players accountable) especially when it's one of our leaders of our sport," he added.

Photo: Wikipedia

HARD TO SEE THIS DREAM COME TO AN END: IGHALO BIDS FAREWELL TO MANCHESTER UNITED Odion Ighalo on Wednesday 27 January, penned a heartfelt message for Manchester United as the player's loan with the club is set to come to an end.

Ighalo's loan with the Premier League side will end on January 31 and he will return to the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.

Reflecting on his time at Manchester United, the Nigerian said it was an honour he will forever

cherish and be grateful for.

"It's so hard to see this dream come to an end. But I give God the glory for helping me fulfill this lifelong dream of putting on a Manchester United shirt as a player and represent this great club, it was indeed an honor I will forever cherish and be grateful for," Ighalo wrote in an Instagram post.

"To the Manager, I say thank you for trusting and

believing in me when many did not, to my amazing teammates I will miss you guys, it was always fun and a time I look forward to training and spending time with all of you. And I pray we win the LEAGUE and FA cup this year," he added.

He also reserved a special mention for the club's fans, saying that he missed their presence in the stadiums.

The fans are not allowed in the stadiums due to

the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"To the best fans in the world (the Manchester United fans) we have missed you, but we hear your voices cheering us on from afar, we can't wait to have you all back on the stands. I'm still and would remain a MANCHESTER UNITED FAN forever. Once a Red, always a Red. Thank you @ manchesterunited and God bless," Ighalo concluded.

Photo: Wikipedia

SPORTS

SPECULATIONS ON TOKYO OLYMPICS HURTING ATHLETES IN THEIR PREPARATIONS: IOC CHIEF BACH The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has put all speculations to rest, asserting that they are fully concentrated on and committed to staging the Tokyo Olympics.

IOC Executive Board (EB) meeting took place on Wednesday 27 January and after that, Bach spoke to the media, reiterating the IOC's commitment to delivering the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 this summer.

"We are fully concentrated on and committed to the successful and safe delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, starting on 23 July with the Olympic Games and 24 August with the Paralympic Games," IOC's official website quoted Bach as saying.

"In the last couple of days, we had consultation calls with the International Federations and the National Olympic

Committees, also getting reports from the athlete representatives. We could experience there today, again, that all of them are fully united and committed; all 206 National Olympic Committees, all the International Federations and the athletes are standing behind these Olympic Games. We see the same commitment on the Japanese side with the Japanese government, the Organising Committee and the Japanese Olympic Committee," he added.

However, Bach also acknowledged the difficulties posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and said they are fighting this fight like Olympics athletes.

"The organisation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as such, is already an extremely complex challenge. But this complexity is multiplied when it comes to organising postponed Olympic Games

for the first time ever, and this under the conditions of a pandemic. So, there is no blueprint for this, and we are learning every day. This fight against the virus, as you all know from your personal circumstances, is a tough one. But we are fighting this fight for, and like, Olympic athletes. This means with full determination, with a will to win, with hard work every day, and with all the physical and mental strength we have," he said.

Looking towards the future, Bach said that nobody can predict the health situation and this is leading to speculations that are hurting the athletes in their preparations.

"Nobody at this moment can predict the health situation in 206 National Olympic Committees for the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, from late July until September of this year -- not even the most prominent scientists in this area.

This leads you may say naturally, you can also say unfortunately, to much speculation. But all this speculation is hurting the athletes in their preparations, who have already overcome the challenges in their daily training and competition with all the restrictions they are facing, either in their country or when it comes to travelling," Bach said.

"So there is speculation about cancellation; I heard about a plan B, about everything. Some even make the proposal to postpone the Olympic Games in Tokyo to the year 2032. I want to say good luck, if you would have to discuss this with an athlete who is preparing for the Olympic Games in 2021.

There are some proposals to move it to another city.

Everybody who knows about the complexity of Olympic Games knows this is not possible. They're in such a short period of time.

For all these reasons, we

are not losing our time and energy on speculation. We are fully concentrating on the Opening Ceremony on 23 July this year. We are not speculating on whether the Games are taking place.

We are working on how the Games will take place," he added.

to ask for patience and understanding -- from the athletes, from the National Olympic Committees, the International Federations, the Japanese people, the Organising Committee, everybody. We have to be patient and diligent in the same way," he said.

Bach said they are working to put COVID-19 countermeasures together "for every possible scenario" and they are relying on the advice of all the different authorities.

"Soon we will be able to release the first version of the so-called 'playbooks' for the Games, which will explain the measures for the different stakeholder groups, to protect themselves and to protect others. The first version of the playbooks will be presented to the National Olympic Committees and the Chefs de Mission at the beginning of February. So there, they -- the NOCs, the athletes, everybody -- can all trust that we are providing the facts and our planned countermeasures as the situation develops.

The priority is always the same -- safe and secure Games," Bach added.

"There's the Japanese government, the health authorities, the World Health Organization; we are talking with the manufacturers of vaccines -- with all the experts.

From these consultations, we can conclude that it is too early to tell which of the many COVID countermeasures will finally be the appropriate ones when it comes to the time of the Games. We just have

Photo: Wikipedia

SPORTS

30 JANUARY - 5 FEBRUARY 2021

NADAL SUPPORTS AUSTRALIAN OPEN COVID-19 MEASURES

SPECULATIONS ON TOKYO OLYMPICS HURTING ATHLETES IN THEIR PREPARATIONS: IOC CHIEF BACH

Page 31

Page 30

CHELSEA SACK FRANK LAMPARD! STEVEN GERRARD SAYS ‘SACKING NO SURPRISE’ Former Liverpool and England player Steven Gerrard has said that Lampard's sacking is no surprise as Chelsea has got a history of letting managers go after some poor results.

Chelsea FC, on Monday 25 January, confirmed the sacking of Frank Lampard as the head coach. The club said that the decision was taken looking at the recent results of the club.

"Obviously I'm gutted for Frank, he's an ex-teammate of mine, someone I respect greatly. But knowing the guy, he will be back in no time. He will dust himself down and get back involved. He will use this time to spend with his family. He's obviously got a young family and one on the way," Goal.com quoted Gerrard as saying.

Frank Lampard

"I'm disappointed for him. I thought it was a very swift exit on the back of a positive result at the weekend. But I don't know the details. I don't know how it's been for him. I don't know the relationships that he's had inside the club. I did think it was an opportunity for Chelsea to really reach out and support him during

Photo: Wikipedia

Steven Gerrard

this tough period rather than do what they have done. But Chelsea has got history for that, so it was no surprise," he added.

five losses in their last eight games, and speculation was rife about Lampard's future with the club.

Chelsea on Sunday had progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup after defeating Luton town 3-1. However, the win did not bring about much change in the thinking of the club's top management. The Blues managed to only defeat West Ham of the top 11 clubs this season. The Blues have registered

The club is currently at the ninth spot in Premier League 2020-21 standings with 29 points from 19 matches. The side will next take on Wolves on Wednesday.

The side has picked up the second-lowest number of points at this stage of a season since Roman Abramovich bought the

club in 2003.

Lampard leaves the club after being in-charge for 83 games.

The former Chelsea great was hired as the coach in 2019 and after 18 months, he has now been asked to go.

The 42-year-old had previously managed Derby County after retiring as a player. Lampard's playing career saw him win the Champions League and three Premier League titles.