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In the wake of widespread unrest since the May 9 arrest of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, two journalists were allegedly abducted, with BOL News president and anchor Sami Abraham released by captors after one week, and journalist and YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan remaining missing for almost a month. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), in urging the Pakistani authorities to ensure Khan’s immediate release and allow all journalists to operate without fear of arrest or intimidation.
On May 24, local police confirmed the disappearance of BOL News president Sami Abraham, hours after Abraham’s brother filed a police complaint that the journalist had been abducted by eight people in four cars while returning to his Islamabad home. His driver was unharmed during the incident.
Abraham re-emerged on May 30, with his family and network verifying that he had been released by his captors. No group or organisation has claimed responsibility for his abduction, however, Abraham’s supporters and family have alleged the involvement of Pakistan’s security forces.
In a separate incident, BOL News editor and prominent YouTuber, Imran Riaz Khan, was arrested on May 11 by police officers at Sialkot International Airport in Pakistan’s Punjab province. According to his family, the journalist was attempting to flee to Oman after his Lahore home was raided the previous day. Since his arrest, Khan has been uncontactable.
Khan’s lawyer informed Dawn that consecutive directions by the Lahore High Court to produce the anchor have not been followed. Leadership from both law enforcement and the armed forces have continued to deny holding the journalist in custody.
Both journalists are widely perceived as being aligned with former prime minister Imran Khan, and his political party, Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Imran
Riaz Khan has previously been arrested in July 2022 in Punjab for controversial ‘anti-national’ statements against the Pakistani army, and again in February 2023 for allegedly attempting to defame state institutions. In both instances, Khan was released after less than a week.
The PFUJ said: “President GM Jamali and Secretary General Rana Muhammad Azeem strongly condemn the arrest of journalists in Pakistan for criticism of
government or security agencies. PFUJ has filed an appeal to the Chief Justice of Pakistan for the early release of Sami Ibrahim who is now back home, but Imran Riaz Khan is still missing. PFUJ consider it tantamount to curb freedom of speech and believes that no one should be on the missing list and should be produced before the court if any journalist is found guilty and be given a legal right of defence.”
The IFJ said: “The disappearances of journalists Imran Riaz Khan and Sami Abraham are greatly concerning, with the rule of law established under Pakistan’s constitution seemingly disregarded. The IFJ urges the Pakistani authorities to conduct a thorough and immediate investigation into the detention of Sami Ibrahim and obey the Lahore High Court’s directions to produce Imran Riaz Khan.”
of support for Telford-based battery manufacturer AceOn, allowing it to secure new export contracts in the Portuguese renewable energy market.
This deal sees UKEF use its partnership with non-bank lender Newable to support the export ambitions of small and medium-sized enterprises through its General Export Facility scheme. This scheme has unlocked almost £250 million of working capital for UK exporters since it was first launched in March 2021.
UKEF’s support has allowed AceOn to win new contracts to supply batteries to Portuguese firm Meterboost, a manufacturer of solar energy and energy storage technology established in 2019.
Tim Reid, CEO of UK Export Finance, said:
Flexible trade finance products like the General Export Facility mean that we have more to offer SMEs than ever. AceOn is a great example of a small company with extraordinary ideas, and I am proud to help them
seize opportunities for driving the global energy transition. The announcement comes as AceOn uses the Lisbon Energy Summit to announce its latest collaboration with Meterboost, which will see AceOn supply batteries for the Portuguese firm’s off-grid battery energy storage systems (BESS) for residential and commercial use.
Mark Thompson, Managing Director of AceOn, said:
Newable’s support has allowed us to finance the huge number of cells needed for our export of battery energy storage systems to Meterboost. Alongside this, UKEF’s backing has been key to driving our exports – together, they have brought us from our first contracts with Meterboost to our latest collaboration with them, which I am proud to announce at the Lisbon Energy Summit.
Philip Reynolds, Managing Director of Lending, Newable, said:
It is great to have been able to support an exporting, high-growth SME with a Newable Export Finance loan. We are grateful for the continued support of the UKEF GEF scheme, which has enabled this business to secure new export opportunities, create jobs and continue to grow.
This latest deal adds to more than £7 billion in support that UKEF has already dedicated to the UK’s renewable energy sector since 2019.
Alongside the £30 million set to be awarded to more than 50 successful projects, the government has also made a further £12.5 million available to fund innovative projects helping to deliver a more productive, resilient and sustainable agricultural sector.
The funding is all part of the Farming Innovation Programme, run in partnership with UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) and delivered by Innovate UK, which is making £270 million in grants available before the end of the agricultural transition to fund research and development projects to help farmers and growers produce food more sustainably.
Secretary of State for Agriculture
Thérèse Coffey said:
Farmers are always forward-looking, and innovation is key to driving forward a resilient, productive and sustainable agriculture sector that puts food on our tables whilst protecting and restoring the environment. Alongside our new farming schemes, these grants will help to support farmers and pave the way for a technological transformation that will help produce food sustainably for generations to come.
Katrina Hayter, Executive Director Healthy Living and Agriculture of Innovate UK, said:
The competitions once again demonstrate the sheer breadth and quality of innovation within the UK agri-food space.
We’re proud to be able to help deliver these funding and partnership opportunities to the sector, bringing together farmers, growers, technologists and researchers in a common aim of making the UK food system more sustainable and resilient.
Whether improving existing production or introducing novel foods and techniques, the winners have all risen to the innovation challenge and we look forward to supporting their devel-
opment further.
These grants, alongside the government’s new flexible and accessible farming schemes, will ensure that farmers remain at the heart of the rural economy and putting food on our tables.
It follows the Farm to Fork Summit earlier this month where the government announced a package of support for the farming sector, including new measures to ensure the sector remains at the forefront of adopting new technologies and techniques. This includes substantial investment to unlock the potential of precision breeding following royal assent for the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, and a working group to bring plant breeders, food manufacturers and retailers together to agree an approach that enables these products to reach our shelves.
£12.5 million for new ‘On-Farm Environmental Resilience’ competition
The new £12.5 million ‘On-Farm Environmental Resilience’ competition will see farmers and growers apply for up to £1 million in project costs to drive the development of new technology and innovative farming methods, with a focus on practical solutions that make a real impact on farms. Projects could find new ways to detect pests and prevent and manage disease; help farmers to reduce their fertiliser use; boost soil resilience; and manage threats from extreme weather and flooding. Projects researching how gene editing and methods including regenerative cropping could boost productivity and crop resilience are also encouraged to apply.
Details for the new competitions feasibility strand can be found online as well as details for the competition’s industrial research strand. UK registered businesses will be able to apply until Wednesday 19 July 2023. UK Export Finance (UKEF) has announced £300k
Birmingham’s new Lord Mayor, Cllr Chaman Lal, has taken the office of First Citizen after a Mayor Making ceremony during the council’s Annual General Meeting.
Cllr Lal is the first British Indian, from a Sikh family, to become the city’s Lord Mayor. He was born in the village Pakhowal, in Hoshiar Pur district, in Punjab, India. He came to Birmingham with his mother in 1964, and has lived in the city ever since - so considers himself to be a true ‘Brummie’.
First elected to Soho and Jewellery Quarter ward in 1994, Cllr Lal has served the city council for the past 29 years.
Prior to his appointment to the ceremonial role of Birmingham’s First Citizen, Cllr Lal held various roles including Chair of Sustainability and Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC), and membership of Co-ordinating OSC and West Midlands Combined Authority Transport Scrutiny Sub-Committee. Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Chaman Lal, said: “By accepting this honour, I am very proud to be able to serve this great city as Lord Mayor.
“When I was first elected to the city council nearly 30 years ago, I never imagined that one day I would become Lord Mayor.
“It will be a huge privilege to serve this city as First Citizen, and I look forward to representing Birmingham locally, nationally and internationally over the coming year.
“I’m also keen to meet people from our diverse communities and will do all I can to support organisations and volunteer groups that help vulnerable residents, especially during the cur-
rent cost of living crisis.”
A twice-yearly survey conducted for Project Solar UK to analyse how Birmingham residents are coping with the rising energy prices has uncovered some key findings.
The snapshot survey was first conducted in August 2022 and then again at the end of March 2023. Asking exactly the same questions, the survey found that after the winter where energy bills have been at an all-time high, residents have been creative in their coping strategies to deal with unprecedented costs.
The bi-annual research project was con-
ducted by Project Solar UK, the leading retailer and installer of solar panels in the country, who wanted to uncover what people in Birmingham were thinking around how to lower energy costs and save money in practical ways and to see if opinions had shifted after the cold winter. In both sets of research respondent showed interest in solar panels. In the latest survey (March 2023) 14% said they would install solar panels in their home compared to 15% questioned last summer. 9% of those questioned in March 2023 said they would move house to a
• Thirty per cent of respondents living in and around Birmingham said they would take fewer showers to save energy – a figure up from 36% last August.
• Ten per cent would choose to take cold showers –that is down from 26% of residents who said they would last summer when the temperatures were particularly high.
• Ten per cent stated they would move to a higher paying role
place with solar panels already installed in an effort to reduce outgoings on energy bills compared to 14% questioned in the height of summer 2022.
Simon Peat, CEO of Project Solar UK, says, “The cost-of-living crisis, and specifically the cost of energy, is a real concern and we wanted to look at ideas in these surveys of the practical ways people are considering making changes to save money. We are aware that there is a lack of information on the benefits of solar energy and are committed to helping educate people to understand the value
solar panels offer. As the leading supplier and installer of solar panels in the UK, we offer a full information service to anyone who would like to understand more about how solar panels might be able to help using our free hotline on 0800 112 3110.”
When asked about how up to date they were on how their energy bill will be changing with the end of the Energy Bills Support Scheme, 52% stated they know how their bill will change, 21% advised that they did not know how their bill will change and 17% stated that they were unsure – showing that many Birmingham
compared to 19% surveyed last year.
• Eleven per cent state they would ask for a pay rise from their current employer to help pay the increased heating, lighting and other energy bills to run a home, down just 4% on last summer’s response of 15% to this question.
• Stopping working remotely was highlighted by 7% in March 2023 compared to 4% in summer 2022.
residents are not clear on what exactly they will be paying. Continues Simon Peat, “There is confusion as the Energy Bills Support Scheme ended on the last day of March and bills for the winter and spring months need to be paid. Solar panels, fitted with battery and monitors, would allow households to keep track of energy being used and to harness the power of the sunshine during daylight to maximise the natural energy source from the sun.”
• Six per cent said they would go on strike to not pay bills last summer with 10% suggesting they would do that now.
• The number of respondents saying they would consider renting out a room in their home to split the bills increased from 7% last summer to 10%
• People saying, they would start charging children rent shifted from 5% last August to 4% in March 2023
When asked what they would consider doing to lower energy costs –
Vile trolls who hide behind the anonymity of the internet to encourage others to cause themselves serious harm will face prosecution as part of an overhaul of online safety laws announced on18 May 2023. Additions to the Online Safety Bill will make it a crime to encourage someone to cause serious self-harm, regardless of whether or not victims go on to injure themselves and those convicted face up to 5 years in prison. The new offence will add to existing laws which make it illegal to encourage or assist someone to take their own life.
Police or prosecutors will only have to prove communication was intended to encourage or assist serious selfharm amounting to grievous bodily harm (GBH) – this could include serious injuries such as broken bones or permanent physical scarring. The offence will apply even where the perpetrator does not know the person they are targeting – putting an end to abhorrent trolling that risks serious self-harm or life-changing injuries.
Encouraging someone to starve themselves or not take prescribed medication will also be covered.
Research from the Mental Health Foundation shows that more than a quarter of women between 16-24 have reported self-harm at some point in their life and since 1993 the levels of self-harm among women have tripled. Today’s announcement is the latest step in our work to provide greater protections for women and girls who are more likely to selfharm.
Research also shows more than twothirds of UK adults are concerned about seeing content that promotes or advocates self-harm while online.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk KC, said: There is no place in our society for those who set out to deliberately encourage the serious self-harm of others. Our new law will send a clear message to these cowardly trolls that their behaviour is not acceptable.
Building on the existing measures in the Online Safety Bill our changes will make it easier to convict these
vile individuals and make the internet a better and safer place for everyone.
The new offence will be created following a recommendation from the Law Commission in 2021 and balances the need to protect vulnerable people while not criminalising those who document their own self-harm as part of their recovery journey.
Justice Minister, Edward Argar MP, said: No parent should ever worry about their children seeing content online or elsewhere encouraging them to hurt themselves.
Our reforms will punish those who use encourage vulnerable people to inflict serious injuries on themselves and make sure they face the prospect of time behind bars.
This new offence builds on measures already in the Online Safety Bill, which will better regulate social media and ensure that social media companies like Tiktok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and others are held legally responsible for the content on their sites.
An eleventh consecutive gold medal for horticultural excellence has been earned by the city council at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The 631 parks and open spaces of Birmingham were celebrated and promoted through the entry, which has continued the tradition of promoting the council’s excellence on a world-renowned stage.
Sponsored by Lendlease, the display showcased a wide range of aspects of the history of parks in the city, which account for 3,700 hectares of land – something that was not always the case.
Cllr Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Congratulations to our hardworking and talented parks and nurseries team – once again they have done the city proud.
“This year’s display showcases our
bold green city in an interesting and informative way, helping break down the common misconception that we are not a place with a flourishing natural environment.
“The history of our parks and open spaces is genuinely fascinating and helps explain why Birmingham is the fabulous place it is today.”
Neil Martin, CEO, Lendlease Europe, added: “This win is testament to the hard work and creativity of everzyone involved. Birmingham’s garden truly reflects the beauty of the hundreds of parks and open spaces across the city, and I’d encourage everybody to come along and enjoy this creative and beautiful garden over the summer.”
Plans are being made to exhibit the display in the city’s Cannon Hill Park this summer – in recognition of the fact it is 150 years since the venue first opened to the public.
Penny Appeal’s CEO, Ridwana WallaceLaher, the first Muslim woman to lead a major British charity, recently represented the organisation at a future-focused roundtable discussion organised by Aspen Institute UK and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. The conversations focused on inclusive growth strategies tailored specifically for Bradford and the wider Yorkshire region. A vibrant mix of distinguished figures from diverse organisations contributed to the discussion, exchanging ideas and charting a promising course for the city.
Under the guidance of Penny Richards, CEO of Aspen Institute UK, and Pooja Bhachu, Director of Public Policy UK & Ireland at Mastercard, the dialogue was rich and collaborative. The group explored a range of subjects from infrastructure, education accessibility, equality of opportunity, to healthcare services and the desirability of life in Bradford. Ridwana shared her perspectives as a former teacher turned humanitarian and
CEO of Penny Appeal. Being a Bradfordian, born and raised, she underscored the power of harnessing local talent and fostering resilience, a distinctive trait of the Yorkshire spirit.
Reflecting on the dialogue, Ridwana said, “Our spirited discussion served as a potent reminder of the strength of our community. We face many challenges, from the cost-of-living crisis to an increasingly hostile culture towards minority groups. But I have seen, both as a former teacher and now as CEO of Penny Appeal, the extraordinary resilience, kindness, and hope that our communities possess. Let us not forget that our small changes can indeed make a big difference.”
This impactful roundtable discussion ended with a collective resolution: to utilise the rich insights gleaned and transform them into actions, paving the way for greater inclusive growth in Bradford and beyond.
The Foreign Secretary will visit countries across Latin America and the Caribbean over the next 7 days to renew the UK’s relationship with the influential region.
James Cleverly arrived in Jamaica on 18 May, on the first leg of a 4-country trip that will focus on climate, democracy and the links between our people.
In Kingston, he will announce £15 million in funding for a Violence Prevention Partnership to counter serious and organised crime, as well as up to £7million for climate finance – supporting the island’s security and protecting vital sites against flooding and coastal erosion. He will then travel to Colombia, Chile and Brazil, 200 years after Britain first began establishing diplomatic ties with the independent Latin American republics, to deliver a keynote speech on the future relationship with this important region.
It is the first visit by a Foreign Secretary to the Caribbean since 2017 and the first to South America since 2018 – helping meet a UK foreign policy objective to revive old friendships and build new ones beyond established alliances.
Latin America, home to 660 million people and with combined GDP of more than $6 trillion, is also an enormous potential market for the UK. Mexico, Chile and Peru are among the region’s members the UK will be joining in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trading bloc – boosting British jobs, growth and influence.
With more than a quarter of the world’s forests, it is also an essential partner in tackling climate change.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:
This is a milestone year in the history of UK relations with countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. While I look forward to celebrating our close bonds of friendship and family, I am also here to renew and enhance our ties for the years ahead.
It is a partnership that will be marked and strengthened by our shared values of freedom, democracy and concern for the state of our planet.
In Jamaica today, Cleverly will attend the UK-Caribbean Forum to set out support for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), following a reception he hosted in London on the eve of the Coronation. He will then meet with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
From 19 to 21 May, the Foreign Secretary will be in Colombia to announce new UK support and funding for peace and tackling climate change by protecting the Amazon. Cleverly will visit the Amazon frontier region of Guaviare to see how UKfunded projects are preventing deforestation and helping former combatants rebuild their lives through eco-tourism. The UK has contributed over £80 million towards implementation of the landmark 2016 Colombian Peace Agreement.
On 22 May, Cleverly will give a speech in Chile’s capital Santiago setting out the UK’s approach to Latin America and like-minded powers around the world. The speech will launch bicentenary celebrations of UK-Latin America relations in British embassies across the continent – 2 centuries after then-Foreign Secretary George Canning played a pivotal role in guaranteeing the independence of the region’s new states.
The visit will conclude in
Brazil, where Cleverly will sign a wide-ranging climate partnership with his hosts on Green and Inclusive Growth and travel to the Amazon rainforest. This will build on the £80 million of Amazon funding announced by the Prime Minister during President Lula’s visit to the UK for the Coronation.
He will emphasise the UK’s support for Brazilian democracy at the national Congress, which was attacked by protestors on 8 January.
The Foreign Secretary set out his personal commitment to deepening UK engagement with countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America in his speech on 12 December 2022 – where he said the UK’s future global impact will depend on winning over a far broader array of global partners.
Then in March, the Integrated Review Refresh set out how the importance of deeper, enduring partnerships with influential actors, including Latin America, that will shape the geopolitical environment in the years ahead.
Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI), criticised the arrest of party officials despite having been granted bail and vowed to fight the injustice until his last breath. The former prime minister said in a tweet that PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi had been detained again following his release on bail, just like PTI members and supporters. He claimed that the only thing preventing us from living under the “law of the jungle,” where “might makes right,” is our judicial system. PTI’s leader stated that the constitution is being flagrantly violated alongside Supreme Court decisions.
According to him, police are being utilised to dismantle PTI and force party leaders to resign. He said that fundamental rights are being flagrantly violated, that the media has been completely restrained, and that social media activists are under threat. Despite the court’s instructions, he claimed, journalist Imran Riaz is not being produced in court. He claimed that while some PTI employees have endured abuse in detention, others are crammed into tiny cells in the scorching heat. He declared, “I will fight until my last breath because yielding to this Yazeediat means the death of our country.” Shortly after being freed from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was once again taken into custody.
Qureshi stressed that he was still and would continue to be a member of the PTI when speaking outside the jail before being rearrested.Police then led the former foreign minister to an unidentified location. Qureshi was granted freedom by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) upon the submission of an undertaking by him promising not to incite unrest among the workforce. After violent protests by PTI workers followed the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9, Qureshi was one of the senior PTI officials taken into custody from Islamabad.
Over 900 people have been hurt and at least 233 people have died as a result of a terrible train collision in the Indian state of Odisha. The incident happened on Friday 2nd June when the Howrah Superfast Express, which was travelling on a different track, struck the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express after it had derailed.
The incident left passengers laying by the tracks and severely damaged train compartments. Rescue operations are in progress, with a focus on freeing trapped passengers and giving injured people medical care.
Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, expressed his sadness at the occurrence and sent his condolences to the impacted families.
Amit Shah, the home minister, too expressed his profound sorrow over the tragedy. Local law enforcement and rescue crews have arrived on the scene, with the injured and survivors transported to hospitals in ambulances and buses. An emergency medical response has been sent by medical personnel.
As rescue efforts go on, it is still unclear how many people have died or been injured. Amitabh Sharma, executive director of Indian Railways, stated that in addition to the two passenger trains, a stalled freight
train was also involved in the collision. There are tales of passengers still being trapped under the debris, raising fears that the death toll may rise much higher.
Unfortunately, there are hundreds of occurrences involving rail accidents every year in India. In recent years, there have been fewer of these accidents as a result of the government’s major financial investments and technological advancements to improve railway safety.
Odisha’s position is very dire, and the rescue efforts are anticipated to last all night and maybe into the following day. The National Disaster Response Force and the Indian Air Force are only two of the organisations that the government has summoned to help with the rescue efforts.
In order to stay informed about the situation and make sure all required steps are done, Prime Minister Modi has spoken to the minister of railroads.
The goal of the ongoing rescue operations is still to save lives and treat the injured. To ensure that the crisis is handled promptly and effectively, the authorities are coordinating their efforts.
More than 100 business and policy leaders travelled from across India to attend EPG’s inaugural India Week last week, and another 800 participants from across the UK, Europe and the US.
Global advisory firm EPG organised India Week to create a global conversation around India’s increased important in the world economy. Now the most populous country in the world, India’s economic growth rate is the highest amongst major economies today. India’s inflation rate is lower than that of the UK, US and other major economies. As the Western world diversifies its supply chains and geopolitical dependencies away from China, India stands to benefit.
India Week started on 7 May with a CEOs Golf Weekend in Leicestershire, followed by an education conference and Awards in Oxford, with a Keynote Address from Rakkam Sangma, Education Minister of Meghalaya. The London leg was on 11-12 May, including the Ideas for India conference, an invite-only dinner in the House of Commons, and a black-tie dinner with KT Rama Rao (Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries, Commerce & IT, Telangana).
KTR, as he is known, highlighted the remarkable progress made by Telangana in the last nine years. KTR was optimistic that by doing things right, what China could achieve in 30 years, India could do in less than 20 years. “As India, we have to focus on the fundamentals and basics the way Telangana did. We need to focus
on the farmer, the youth, while creating a future that is based in innovation and making India a leader in the fourth Industrial Revolution,” he said.
His speech was to more than 300 attendees, including leading members of the Telangana diaspora, and drew several standing ovations.
During the Telangana government’s visit to the UK, KTR signed an Memorandum of Understanding with the London Stock Exchange Group CIO’s Anthony McCarthy for the establishment of a Technology Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad, generating up to 1,000 new jobs.
Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan, delivered the Keynote Address during the Ideas for India conference, organised in conjunction with think tank Bridge India. In it, he said India’s growth path lies in leveraging its intrinsic strengths and becoming crucial to global supply chains by building on its historic culture of tolerance and respect for all. “Our independent judiciary, our liberal democracy, these are critical advantages if we are to go down this <span;>manufacturing service-led growth path because this will enable us to earn the world’s trust; it’s intrinsically
necessary,” said Rajan.
Nigel Huddleston MP, Minister of State for International Trade, said he was “Delighted to speak to our friends from India during India Week and highlight how a free trade agreement can benefit both nations. A UK-India trade deal is a huge opportunity for both sides, and could boost our £36bn trading relationship and pull down barriers to trade.”
Ruth Cadbury MP, Shadow Minister for International Trade, said: “The conference showed the close links between our two countries and important work we can do around energy security and trade.”
Supriya Shrinate, Chairperson, Social Media and Digital Platforms, for the Indian National Congress, said: “As a proud Indian – I asserted India has made huge strides to emerge as a global super power and reach where we have … Also insisted that despite moments of weakness that plague our democracy it is the resilience and the inbuilt course correction by people that keeps hope and democracy alive. Because they aren’t just some lofty ideas or pillars of our constitution, these are the virtues on which our economic heft and our role as a global power are built upon.”
Pratik Dattani, Managing Director of EPG, said: “India is the world’s largest democracy, most populous country and has the fastest economic growth rate amongst major economies. During India Week, we saw interest from governments from across India in engaging foreign investors to bring new ideas, innovation and investment into their cities. Telangana’s MOU with the LSEG is one example of how the bilateral partnership can work for mutual benefit.”
A wide range of cross-party policymakers travelled from India especially for the event, including Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly Rahul Narwekar; Chairman of Tipra Motha Pradyot Manikya, who spoke on the need for a strong federal structure in India; Regional Spokesperson for the NCP Umar Farooqui, and several others.
The first-ever recipients of the Made in the UK, Sold to the World awards have been announced, celebrating the exporting success of small businesses across the UK. Exporters support jobs, pay higher wages and help deliver on the government’s priority to grow our economy, and these inaugural awards highlight the vital contribution small businesses make to the UK.
Winners include Little Moons who produce colourful ice cream bites wrapped in ‘mochi’ dough which have become a mainstay of major supermarkets in the UK. Awarded in the agriculture, food and drink category, the business exports to 28 countries including Australia, the Middle East and mainland Europe.
Business and Trade Secretary
Kemi Badenoch said:
We’re proud of our British exporters and these Awards rightly highlight some fantastic businesses punching above their weight and selling UK-made products around the world. I hope they serve as inspiration to others looking to get onto the exporting ladder. The winning businesses have been drawn from seven sectors: consumer goods, education, agriculture, food and drink, creative, financial and professional services, digital and manufacturing. In the consumer award category, ScotlandShop were recognised for their high-quality tartan cloth-
ing, fabrics and home accessories, made to order. The business has grown from start-up to £2.4m sales in 2022 and employs 20 people in the UK and 2 in the USA.
Awardees also include those at the cutting-edge of technology, such as Scanning Pens, which won the education award. The company promotes and distributes the most innovative, award-winning assistive reading technology on the market. Their pens are being sold in over 100 countries, including Australia, Canada, United States, Asia and Europe.
Within each category three additional businesses were also awarded highly commended status for their inspiring business stories and exporting prowess.
A high number of winning and highly commended businesses are also DBT Export Champions, who help to promote the benefits of exporting and encourage other companies across the UK to consider selling to overseas markets.
Marco Forgione, Director General of the Institute of Export & International Trade:
It is a great honour for IOE&IT to partner with DBT in this exciting new award programme. As a judge of the inaugural Made in the UK, Sold to the World awards, I had the pleasure to see the depth of talent, entrepreneurial spirit and outstanding business success which this year’s competition showcased. It was very difficult
to choose just one winner in each category.
This competition is further proof that international trade is a force for good, and that British goods and services are hugely valued overseas. The ingenuity of these winners should act as a catalyst to encourage more British businesses to explore new export markets. We look forward to welcoming all the winners and highly commended businesses in this year’s awards as members of the Institute of Export & International Trade and we will continue to work closely with DBT to champion the amazing work being undertaken by British businesses trading across the world.
In 2021, DBT launched the ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ campaign to celebrate exporting success from across the UK and tell businesses’ stories. The new awards programme will build on this to further recognise and celebrate the global trading success of SMEs from across the UK. Winning businesses will receive a digital badge and physical certificate and have promotional activity across DBT channels, including individual profiles to share their export success. They will also be visited by a DBT official and receive an Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT) complimentary business membership for one year.
UK businesses will be able to sell to Australia and New Zealand more easily as the UK’s trade deals with the countries, the first negotiated from scratch since we left the EU, come into force. Under the deals’ beneficial terms tariffs on all UK goods exports to Australia and New Zealand will be removed, unprecedented access to these markets for services unlocked, and red tape slashed for digital trade and work visas.
Each region and nation of the UK is expected to benefit. Tailored to the UK’s strengths, the deals are set to deliver an economic boost by driving bilateral trade up by 53% with Australia and 59% with New Zealand. The agreements could also mean reduced prices for UK consumers on favourites such as wine, Tim Tams and kiwi fruit and lowered costs on machinery parts for UK manufacturers. The announcement comes after the UK, Australia and New Zealand completed their domestic ratification processes, allowing the deals to enter into force. In the UK this required primary legislation in the form of the Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill.
Business and Trade Secretary
Kemi Badenoch said:
Today is a historic moment as our first trade deals to be negotiated post-Brexit come into effect.
Businesses up and down the country will now be able to reap the rewards of our status as an independent trading nation and seize new opportunities, driving economic growth, innovation and higher wages.
International Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston will tour DHL’s Southern Distribution Centre near Heathrow to see off two handpicked consignments of UK goods, some of the first to be sent to Australia and New Zealand under the new deals. Iconic British goods from across the country including signed Beano comics, Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky, Brighton Gin, The Cambridge Satchel Co. bags and Fever-Tree mixers are all among the items which will be sent from the UK government to the Australian and New Zealand trade ministers. Many of the items included will benefit from the removal of tariffs under the deals.
The parcels will also include an England cricket top signed by James Anderson and Emma Lamb, a Wales rugby shirt signed by the men’s team and a real tennis racket from Gray’s of Cambridge.
Minister for International Trade, Nigel Huddleston, said:
It is incredibly exciting to be visiting DHL to see some of the first shipments leave the UK, knowing that when they arrive Down Under they will benefit from our brand new deals.
Australia and New Zealand are two of our closest friends and likeminded partners and our trade deals secure favourable terms for British exporters, removing tariffs on all UK goods and slashing red tape. Alongside the new trade agreement with Australia, more young Brits will benefit from life-changing opportunities
Down Under thanks to the expansion of our shared Youth Mobility and Working Holiday Maker visa schemes. On 1 July 2023 the age limit for UK applicants going to Australia will go from 30 to 35 years old, and from 1 July 2024 Brits will be able to stay in Australia for up to three years without having to meet specified work requirements.
The consignments will be sent via express air freight with DHL, which is accelerating to low carbon operations with a commitment to reach zero emissions logistics by 2050 globally. Moving more than 100,000 shipments per day for UK businesses, Australia, New Zealand and other CPTPP countries are popular markets, with expectations for continued growth.
CEO of DHL Express UK Ian Wilson said:
The new free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand provide businesses with a great opportunity to capitalise on the demand in these markets for British goods. We are delighted to have marked the commencement of these deals with a visit from the International Trade Minister to our site today, in which he had the chance to meet businesses and see the important role our colleagues play in the global economy.
Through our recent collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade, we have been able to explain the new deals through webinars and simplified guides which we hope will help our customers achieve even greater international growth.
Both free trade agreements are also part of the UK’s strategic tilt to the Indo-Pacific region and complement our accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP) – a huge trade bloc which will have a total GDP of £12 trillion once we join.
The deals include robust protections for British farmers, including staging tariff liberalisation
for sensitive goods over time.
Other key benefits of the deals include:
Access to Australian work visas for UK service suppliers without being subject to its changing skilled occupation list and enabling Brits to work in New Zealand more freely
Flexible rules of origin and removal of tariffs on all UK exports to both markets
Advanced rules on digital trade which cut red tape, unlock the free flow of data and give businesses confidence their valuable intellectual property will be protected
Access to government contracts and investment opportunities, including equal footing to compete for an additional £10 billion of Australian public sector contracts per year and high investment screening thresholds for New Zealand
Progressive opportunities to grow our low-carbon economy through liberalised tariffs on environmental goods and encouraging investment in low-carbon technology
Environment chapters reaffirming our commitments to the Paris Agreement and recognising our right to regulate to meet
Net Zero
Founder and Managing Director of Brighton Gin Kathy Caton said:
In an increasingly competitive and global market removing trade barriers is exactly the support that the British gin industry needs. With a Brighton in every state in Australia, one of our goals is to see Brighton Gin being served in every one! Hopefully the free trade agreement gets us one step closer to that.
CEO of Frugalpac Malcolm Waugh said:
Frugalpac produces the world’s first paper bottle for wines and spirits and the machines that make them. Our Frugal Bottles, which are made from 94% recycled paperboard and have a carbon footprint six times lower than a glass bottle, are now sold in 22 countries including Australia and New Zealand.
The Department for Business and Trade has been hugely supportive of Frugalpac and these free trade agreements will boost our plans to export machines to help the Australian and New Zealand drinks industry to further decarbonise.
The Department for Business and Trade is working with firms of all sizes from across the country to explain how they can harness these trade agreements to grow their business. Dedicated resources are available to help businesses every step of the way as they seize these new opportunities.
Councillor Karen Grinsell opened the first skin and cryotherapy clinic in Solihull at a special launch event by Active Clinics as they expand their revolutionary treatments across the Midlands. After bringing a range of innovative treatments including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, cryotherapy and nitrogen facials to Edgbaston in 2015, people of Solihull will now get the chance to try these cutting-edge treatments at a new store at the MK Health Hub in Solihull. Councillor Grinsell was joined by 30 people from the local community who were invited to a special ribbon cutting event where they were given free trials of these exciting techniques.
The multi award-winning Active Clinics are the only clinic in the Midlands who specialise in hyperbaric oxygen therapy – a pioneering treatment which enhances the body’s natural ability to heal by breathing in 100% oxygen at pressures lower than sea level to help repair and enhance cell function. The clinic also offers customers cryotherapy, which has been medically proven to help people find relief from injury, muscle strains and pain as well as promoting skin rejuvenation and weight loss.
Speaking at the launch of the store in Solihull, owner and founder Tammy Takkar, said: “We’re so delighted to offer the people of Solihill a diverse range of state-of-the-art health and wellbeing treatments after a big surge in demand from our customers. Our aim is to offer a unique and unforgettable experience to help people, whether it’s to recover from injury or to look and feel the best they ever have.”
Cllr Karen Grinsell added: “Supporting and enabling new business growth is critical both for creating new employment and self-employment oppor-
tunities. A vibrant business economy is critical for Solihull and one of our priorities is to develop a more entrepreneurial economy and support the growth of small businesses. I wish Active Clinic Solihull the very best of luck with their new business venture here in Shirley, Solihull.”
Heather Fisher, Olympian and TV personality is a regular customer at Active Clinics, said the difference it’s made has been remarkable: “I’ve used the hyperbaric and cryotherapy treatments for a few years now at Active Clinics and they’ve made a remarkable difference. Being active has always been a
huge part of my life so being able to aid recovery and improve energy levels, stamina and endurance has brought me so many benefits. I’d encourage everyone to give it a go!”
Stars including English actor and producer Scott Adkins, famed for roles in blockbuster movies including John
Wick and The Bourne Ultimatum, as well as MMA fighter Leon Edwards and Birmingham City Football Club players have also opted for courses of cryotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen chamber sessions at Active Clinics in recent years.
Warner Bros. Pictures invites you to experience the extraordinary sisterhood of three women who share one unbreakable bond in The Color Purple. This bold new take on the beloved classic is directed by Blitz Bazawule (Black Is King, The Burial of Kojo) and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones.
The Color Purple stars Taraji P. Henson (What Men Want, Hidden Figures), Danielle Brooks (Peacemaker, Orange Is the New Black), Colman Domingo (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fear the Walking Dead), Corey Hawkins (In the Heights, BlacKkKlansman), H.E.R. (Judas and the Black Messiah, Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration), Halle Bailey (The Little Mermaid, Grown-ish), Aunjanue EllisTaylor (King Richard, If Beale Street Could Talk), and Fantasia Barrino (in her major motion picture debut).
The screenplay is by Marcus Gardley (Maid, The Chi), based on the novel by Alice Walker and based on the musical stage play, book (of the musical stage play) by Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. The executive producers Alice Walker, Rebecca Walker, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Carla Gardini, Mara Jacobs, Adam Fell, Courtenay Valenti, Sheila Walcott and Michael Beugg.
Joining director Bazawule behind the camera are director of photography Dan Laustsen (John Wick: Chapter 4, The Shape of Water), production designer Paul Denham Austerberry (The Flash, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) and editor Jon Poll (Bombshell, The Greatest Showman). The choreographer is Fatima Robinson (Coming 2 America, Dreamgirls) and the costumes are designed by Francine Jamison-Tanchuck (Emancipation, One Night in Miami…). The music supervisors are Jordan Carroll (The Greatest Showman, Godfather of Harlem) and Morgan Rhodes (Space Jam: A New Legacy, Selma); the music is by Kris Bowers (King Richard, Green Book); and the executive music producers are Nick Baxter (Babylon, CODA), Stephen Bray (Respect, Juanita) and Blitz Bazawule.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Harpo Films Production, an Amblin Entertainment Production, a Scott Sanders Production/a QJP Production, The Color Purple. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Color Purple will be released across the UK and Ireland on January 26, 2024
Pan Indian actress, Shruti Haasan, walked the Red Carpet at Cannes Film Festival at the World Premiere of Project Silence. She wore Vaishali S Couture.
The actress will also be attending an event hosted by film initiative for women and underrepresented genders in cinema, Breaking Through The Lens, entitled “Activating Change” as Guest of Honour. The evening will feature a round table discussion with the Breaking Through The Lens Ambassador, multi award-winning actress and activist alongside other industry trailblazers, each sharing their unique experience on the challenges and opportunities facing underrepresented genders in the film industry.
On 21st June, the actress and musician attended a Private Reception at the Chopard Rooftop at Hotel Martinez to launch a film funding initiative aimed at under-
represented filmmakers. Internationally renowned jewellery brand, Chopard, and film initiative, Breaking Through The Lens, held the event to announce a new Action Grant in support of underrepresented filmmakers. Shruti was introduced as part of the Grant’s Jury alongside Chopard President, Caroline Scheufele.
Shruti has just wrapped filming her first international production, The Eye, a female-helmed production with Fingerprint Content, and is in Cannes with the director, Daphne Schmon, for her other work on gender parity.
The actress and musician, known for her multifaceted acting skills and powerful performances, has used her social platforms to speak out about the issues faced by women in the entertainment industry and has been a strong supporter of initiatives aimed at promoting gender parity.
Step into a world where love and devotion transcend time and space. Adipurush, the highly anticipated film, beckons us with its enchanting tale of Raghav and Janaki, portrayed by the mesmerizing duo Prabhas and Kriti Sanon. Amidst the anticipation surrounding this cinematic masterpiece, the team Adipurush has now released the full version of the captivating track Ram Siya Ram, a melodic journey that beautifully captures the essence of their profound love and yearning.
With the slow, melodious notes composed by Sachet-Parampara and the heartfelt lyrics penned by Manoj Muntashir, Ram Siya Ram paints a vivid picture of the deep connection shared between Prabhu Shri Ram and Sita Maa. As the song unfolds, it showcases the significance of their bond in each other’s lives, reminding us of the enduring power of true love and the timeless depth of human emotions. Beyond the enchanting music and soulful vocals, the melodious track invites us into its mesmerizing world of Adipurush depicting the qualities and virtues of Prabhu Shri Ram and Sita Maa, highlighting their righteousness, compassion, and divine grace. Adipurush, directed by Om Raut is produced by T- Series, Bhushan Kumar & Krishan Kumar, Om Raut, Prasad Sutar, and Rajesh Nair of Retrophiles, Pramod and Vamsi of UV Creations, will be releasing globally on 16th June 2023.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
Expanding our brilliant primary care teams was a key promise of this government, and we have delivered.
It is fantastic news we have achieved our target to recruit an extra 26,000 primary care professionals almost one year earlier than planned. These dedicated professionals play a vital role at the front door of our NHS – supporting patients, delivering excellent care and helping to cut waiting lists.
“
The government has delivered on its manifesto commitment of recruiting 26,000 additional primary care professionals – such as dieticians, paramedics and physiotherapists – who provide care directly to patients, or support doctors and nurses to do so.
A year ahead of the March 2024 pledge, data published today by NHS England shows there are 29,103 additional primary care staff helping to deliver on one of the government’s key priorities to cut waiting lists.
This means that since March 2019, there are 3 and a half times more people working in these roles – from 11,500 in 2019 to over 40,600 as of March – in GP practices working with doctors and nurses to deliver care to patients.
We are working to create many more appointments, with recent data showing there were almost 2 million more GP appointments delivered in March when compared to a year ago – that is 83,500 more appointments each working day.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:
This government is focused on cutting waiting lists – which is one of our 5 priorities – and getting patients the care they need, when they need it.
We have delivered on our promise a year early to recruit 26,000 extra primary care professionals which means more clinicians delivering better, more specialised and accessible care to patients.
Building on the primary care recovery plan, we are deter-
mined to end the 8am scramble, improve technology and reduce bureaucracy.
Today’s milestone builds on the recently published primary care recovery plan which set out action to make it easier for patients to contact their GP and end the 8am rush. It included £240 million funding given to practices across the UK this year to embrace latest technology. More broadly, there are record numbers of doctors and nurses working in the NHS helping to deliver extra appointments, speed up diagnoses and tackle the COVID-19 backlog. Data also shows 440 more doctors working in general practice and face-to-face appointments on the rise.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS England Chief Executive, said:
It is fantastic to see more than 29,000 staff join our general practice workforce since 2019, a year ahead of the government target, following NHS recruitment campaigns with these new staff including mental health practitioners, social prescribers and pharmacists offering people expert care and advice at their local practice.
Thanks to these new GP teams record numbers of appointments are being delivered, with the latest figures showing that more than 31 million appointments took place in March 2023 – up almost a third compared to prepandemic.
The increase in primary care staff has enabled Mitesh – a pharmacist working in GP surgeries – to deliver approximate-
ly 100 appointments a week, helping assist GP staff with medication queries and carrying out reviews of patients with long-term health conditions and structured medicine reviews, which help maximise the benefit of medication.
Some GP teams have expanded to include dedicated care coordinators like Gill, who works with voluntary and care home services to provide support to patients with life-limiting conditions and release valuable time for GPs. There are now thousands more care coordinators, working in general practices, ensuring all services are talking to each other about local, often frail and older patients and making sure there are no gaps in the support and care provided.
Care coordinators also offer patients more time so that GPs can see patients who are clinically unwell. With care coordinators, patients have the opportunity to go into more detail about their concerns, knowing that they will be raised with a GP if necessary. Other examples of how better care has been provided include the recruitment of mental health practitioners in the North East and Yorkshire region which has meant increased access to mental health services closer to home for patients and a shorter waiting period. GP appointments are now freed up as patients do not have to repeatedly see a GP and patients are seen and treated by clinicians sooner.
Cutting-edge research initiatives to develop new treatments to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – known as the ‘silent killer’ – will receive a cash injection of up to £39 million from the UK government’s Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF).
AMR – where bacteria have evolved so much that antibiotics and other current treatments are no longer effective against infections – is a silent killer costing millions of lives across the world a year, with one in 5 of these deaths in children under the age of 5.
Of this new funding package, up to £24 million over 4 years has been awarded to bolster the UK’s partnership with CARB-X – a global AMR research initiative – to support the continued early development of invaluable new antibiotics, vaccines, rapid diagnostics and other products to combat life-threatening drugresistant infections and prevent death and disease across the world.
The UK has already given £20 million of its ringfenced Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget to the initiative which, together with other funders, has resulted in CARB-X in turn investing nearly £40 million into the UK’s world-leading science and innovation industry.
In addition to the CARB-X grant, GAMRIF is investing £5 million over 2 years into the Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership (GARDP) to develop – and ensure global access to – new antibiotic treatments against major global health priorities.
The announcement comes as Health Minister Will Quince attends the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland, and Development Minister Andrew Mitchell participates in an event on health leadership and climate change alongside the WHA. They will announce the launch of the UK government’s Global Health Framework for 2023 to 2025, as part of Minister Quince’s address at
the WHA. Health Minister Will Quince said:
Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to global health and has led to millions of tragic deaths per year, but the Global AMR Innovation Fund is supporting cutting-edge research and developing vital new treatments to prevent death and disease across the world.
This funding will provide a much-needed boost to protect people from diseases such as drug-resistant gonorrhoea, lifethreatening sepsis in newborn babies and serious bacterial infections.
The UK is placing ourselves at the centre of the global health agenda and it’s fantastic to be in Geneva at the World Health Assembly to reinforce our commitment to improving health globally and building resilience against future health threats through our new Global Health Framework.
The framework will reaffirm the UK’s commitment to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – the goals adopted by all UN member states that recognise that ending poverty must go hand in hand with strategies that improve health and education – and ensuring that people in the UK and globally live healthier, safer and longer lives.
The key aims of the framework are to: strengthen global health security through improving our preparedness and response to future epidemics, pandemics, drugresistant infections, and climate change reform the global health architecture, including through a strengthened World Health Organization, to drive more coherent governance and collaboration across the international system strengthen country health systems and address key risk factors for ill health, working towards ending the preventable deaths of mothers, babies and
children in the world’s poorest countries, and enabling women and girls to exercise their rights advance UK leadership in science and technology, strengthening the global health research base of UK and partner countries, while supporting trade and investment
The framework supports the UK’s engagement with international partners and organisations and will provide the opportunity to build on existing relationships and identify new opportunities for collaboration to tackle health threats around the world.
Foreign Minister Andrew Mitchell said:
2023 is a critical moment towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The UK government has a proud history of leadership in global health.
The UK is committed to creating strong and inclusive health systems globally, that help end the preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children and are resilient to global health threats. Through investment, innovation and engagement with key partners, we can develop a healthier, safer and more prosperous world for everyone.
A 4-year grant of up to £10 million has also been signed with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
The GAMRIF-IDRC partnership, known as InnoVet-AMR, will identify solutions to reduce the emerging risk to global health and food security posed by AMR in animals.
Minister Quince will also meet with the Ministerial Alliance of Champions against AMR to discuss plans and priorities for tackling AMR over the next year. Minister Mitchell will attend a UK-led climate and health event alongside the WHA hosted with the Netherlands, UAE, Fiji and the World Bank with assistance from Wellcome Trust to highlight how the UK is helping accelerate action on climate and health.
Executive Chef Mehmet Bilcan (Instagram A/c: chef_mehmet_bilcan) from Turkey has 1 million followers on his Instagram account. He began to put in a lot of effort at an early age, and cooking has always been one of his passions. He used the opportunities as a road map and put a lot of time and effort into it to reach his objectives.
Q.) On Instagram, you have one million followers. How do you feel?
Chef Mehmet: It goes without saying that having a million Instagram followers makes me happy and proud of my accomplishments. But in order to avoid becoming comfortable in the face of this accomplishment, I think it is vital to work harder.
Q.) How did your career in cooking begin, and what inspired you to pursue it?
Chef Mehmet: I used my masters’ ideas and concepts as a springboard for my profession. I got started by putting goals in front of myself. Of course, there were challenges at first, but I was inspired with each step. Each step was harder than the one before it. I kept myself encouraged and joyful as I moved on by thinking back to the previous stage whenever a challenge arose. I have benefited much from every bit of knowledge I have acquired, but I only did so after exercising discipline, perseverance, determination, and hard work.
Q.) What other cuisine do you enjoy cooking besides Turkish food?
Chef Mehmet: Italian and French cuisines are quite interesting to me. I astonish everyone when I serve these delights to someone who have never tried them. Of course, understanding international cuisine is essential, but I would caution anyone working in this field to avoid turning to international cuisine if they are unfamiliar with the foods of their own country. People from every culture and region can be found in the site I discovered, which is Turkey, in a city like Istanbul. I stay current by communicating with several colleagues abroad.
Q.) Which recipe or dish gave you a real sense of pride?
Chef Mehmet: The most beautiful and ideal kind of art is cooking. I prefer to prepare vegetables, meat, and dough foods because I want to bolster meat dishes with sauce and veggies. This allows me to be selfless.
Q.) What makes Turkish food distinctive?
Chef Mehmet: It has a very diverse nutritional culture that dates back to the beginning of human existence. Turkish food, which is an heir to Ottoman culture, is one of the world’s greatest cuisines. The diversity of Anatolia, brought about by coexisting with other civilizations, to the palate and visual flavours, is what makes Turkish cuisine so unique and rich. Delicious, juicily-prepared foods in copper pots that are slowly cooked are a hallmark
of Turkish cuisine. Particularly, the glaze that spreads beneath similar flavours may contain elements like onions and lamb meat. Every meal in Turkish cuisine might include soups, boiled meat, and bone broth, and these dishes can hold a particularly important place as sources of health. Turkish meat dishes like shish kebab are well known around the world.
Q.) Any advice would you give someone who want to become a chef?
Chef Mehmet: If you love your job, others will admire you. because it necessitates selflessness, curiosity, and interest. I attempt to make myself selfless while performing my duties. Additionally, progress must be made by defining incremental targets.
Ingredients
» Light crème brûlée Leafing
» 300 g type 45 flour
» 125 g type 55 flour
» 7.5 g salt
» 160g water
» 1kg Pear
» 60g cold melted butter
» 250 g tourage butter
Icing sugar
» 170g Sugar
» 7 cl of water
» 60 g caster sugar
» 20 g cinnamon sticks
» 20 cl whole milk
» 15g cornstarch
» 60g egg yolks
» 4 sheets of gelatin
» 120g egg whites
Knead the two flours, salt, water and cold melted butter for 2 min at 1st speed. Book at cost. Butter, move to 5 single rounds with rest times between each one. Spread to 2 mm and pre-bake at 180°C for 8 min. Cut out circles 18 cm in diameter. Finish cooking at 180°C for 15 to 20 min, between 2 baking sheets and parchment paper. Sprinkle the bases of icing sugar, then glaze them in the oven at 240°C between 30 seconds and 1 min, so as to obtain a smooth and shiny surface. Make a dry caramel with the caster sugar. Then deglaze with water. Recover half of the caramel for the use of the cinnamon crème caramel. Pour the other half of the liquid caramel over the pears, previously peeled and cut into 12 quarters. Add the cinnamon. Cover with aluminium foil and bake in the oven at 180°C until the pears are translucent. Beat the sugar and the egg yolks until they whiten. Reduce the rest of the caramel to half and cook it with the infused milk. Add the cornflour incorporated into the cream and the rehydrated and drained gelatine then cook for two minutes. Whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar and incorporate them into the still boiling cream. Continue to work with a whisk over low heat, bring the two devices together.
Finishing and dressing: After draining the pear quarters cooked in the caramel, place them in a rosette at the bottom of the puff pastry all around then fill the center with caramel cream. Caramelize with a torch.
deal from the tritium course. The content matched what we needed and the delivery was engaging and focused. We’re looking forward to continuing this part of our broader relationship going forward.”
Course attendees can speak with and learn from UKAEA tritium experts and will experience a tour of UKAEA’s tritium processing
plant – providing a unique opportunity to see the real-world application of what they have just learned in the training room. The one day, classroom-based course is applicable to industry, academia, start-ups, graduates, new starters, scientists, engineers and operators with a range of tritium knowledge. Organisations can also contact UKAEA to
request bespoke sessions tailored to their areas of interest. For more information about future course dates this Autumn and to sign up for the next course on Tuesday 27 June 2023, at UKAEA’s Culham Campus, please contact info@h3at.ukaea. uk
UKAEA tritium trainers with the First Light Fusion team participating in the successful pilot of the tritium training course at Culham Campus United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has launched a new tritium training course – taking place on 27 June 2023 – as part of its commitment to upskill the fusion industry. The course is being launched for the wider fusion industry following a successful pilot course in April, which was attended by a team from private fusion company, First Light Fusion.
Tritium is a likely fuel of future fusion powerplants, which will combine the hydrogen isotopes of deuterium and tritium to generate electricity.
Managing, storing and supplying tritium fuel is vitally important
for the commercialisation of fusion energy. UKAEA has been safely handling, processing and storing tritium for more than 40 years as part of its research into fusion energy.
The course will cover tritium’s chemical properties, behaviours and safety factors, before delving into tritium fuel cycle stages. It will also include the processes and equipment required within a tritium plant.
Hayley Taylor, Tritium Training, Development and Recruitment Manager for UKAEA, said: “UKAEA is committed to sharing our tritium knowledge to drive forward tritium research across the scientific and engineering community.
“Fusion energy has the potential to be a safe, low carbon and sustainable part of the world’s future
energy supply. To make this happen, solutions must be found to address important challenges, such as supply, containment and quantification of tritium.”
UKAEA was pleased to recently host members of the First Light Fusion team for the successful pilot tritium training course.
Ryan Ramsey, Chief Operating Officer of First Light Fusion, said: “We recognise that training creates future capability in our growing team. Some of the skill sets we need are exceptionally niche and it’s difficult to find organisations that can train them. Being part of the Fusion Cluster has enabled an increase in collaboration as we all search to solve the challenge of fusion.
“The training that UKAEA has provided has been really impressive and our team gained a great
Aston University has begun a management Knowledge Transfer Partnership (mKTP) with nationwide accountants and business advisors Beever and Struthers to help drive the firm’s digital transformation.
A management Knowledge Transfer Partnership is built around identifying strategic management-based initiatives to increase business effectiveness and improve management practices.
As part of the mKTP, led by Aston University in collaboration with Professor Brian Nicholson and Dr Sung Hwan Chai (Alliance Manchester Business School), Dr George Moyenda Salijeni (Aston Business School) and the team will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of Beever and Struthers’ existing data systems. Following the assessment, specific methodologies will be proposed to ensure alignment between the mKTP and the firm’s ongoing data systems.
The 30-month programme will aim to develop, embed and exploit smart data driven technologies within the audit function, enabling the business to increase the quality, productivity and capacity to deliver additional insight and value to clients.
Dr George Salijeni, a lecturer in accounting at Aston Business School and an expert in data analytics tools used in external audits and knowledge base supervisor in the mKTP, said:
“This mKTP offers an opportunity to share and utilise knowledge and technical exposure which academics at Aston University and Alliance Manchester Business School have gained and generated over the years through undertaking multi-disciplinary research and engagements with practitioners and audit regulators on data driven technologies which include artificial intelligence.
“Potentially, this project generates insights, workflows which could impact and transform the way audits are performed by leveraging data driven analytics tools and models.”
Michael Tourville, partner at Beever and Struthers, said:
“Given that the business has been around for up to 125 years it is quite traditional in its approach, but we are now keen to embrace the opportunities that a truly digital transformation could offer.
“Although we are a firm with a long history, we are also an entrepreneurial business and are keen
to grasp opportunities when we see them.
“This mKTP is all about giving our clients more insight and helping us navigate data far better too. The main improvements for us will come from increased efficiency and insight, but we will also be able to further improve the quality of the service we offer.”
Professor Andy Lymer, head of the Accounting Department at Aston University, said:
“Digital approaches to accounting are increasingly at the heart of how the accounting industry works – and therefore increasingly at the heart of what we teach and research related to this industry and its practices.
“This extremely innovative project will enable us to work with the partners in this programme to go in depth into an organisation exploring how the use of the latest developments in the use of digital tools such as advanced data analytics can further enhance the processes of audit.
“The experience and knowledge gained in this work will be brought back into the classroom for our students to benefit from also.”
By: Rida Khan (Aviation Author)
A decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will permit more flights by Chinese airlines to operate to the United States. There will be 12 roundtrips
per week, which is equivalent to the number of flights China has permitted to the United States, in order to increase the number of passengers flying between the two nations. Air China, Beijing Capital Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines will operate the passenger flights. The connection between the U.S. Department of Transportation and CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) will be improved as a result, allowing both sides of the Pacific Ocean’s airlines to fully utilize their bilateral traffic rights. In order to prevent longterm harm to the market and other variables, CAAC
has removed restrictions, which is a beneficial development. DOT stated, “We have increased to 12 weekly flights as a result of the most recent shift in CAAC posture. The long-term impact of CAAC’s limitations calls for an incremental return to services in U.S.- China combination services market.”
According to Liang Nan Director of the Transport Department of Civil Aviation Administration of China, “The number of passenger flights is still low compared to before the pandemic even after China removed its travel restrictions on January 8. Approximately 58 nations— or 80% of those offering such services prior to the pandemic—restarted operating international flights to
and from China. She further stated that if the market does well, the number of foreign flights to and from China by the end of the year is anticipated to increase to around 7,300 flights per week, or about 80% of the level prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Although there will be some challenges for the carriers as U.S. and other foreign air carriers are barred from flying over Russia owing to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, this will result in longer routes and higher operating expenses to reach destinations in Asia. China has reopened its borders to foreign visitors, and the country’s aviation industry will soon be back on track.
New research of British parents reveals that three quarters (75%) choose the car for the school run, with 80% of these stating convenience as the top reason for choosing to use the car, instead of a different mode of transport.
However, nearly half (47%) of parents will give up their car in support of National Walk To School Week (15th – 19th May), as they rack up 2,280 miles a year, the equivalent of driving from Dover to Madrid, twice.
The study, by webuyanycar, found that parents will drive a staggering 31,920 miles and spend £12,558, for the journey to and from their children’s school in their lifetime. Other forms of commuting included walking, cycling or public transport, with 1 in 4 parents (25%) choosing one of these modes of transport, instead of using a car. Rising costs of petrol and diesel were the top reason for them ditching the car to cycle or walk to school. Other reasons for not using a car, included exercise purposes (28%) and environmental reasons (19%).
Richard Evans, head of technical services at webuyanycar, said: “It’s great to see that half of parents will be giving up the car to celebrate National Walk To School Week, along with others looking at more sustainable ways to head to school.
“Parents looking to be more environmentally conscious but still require a car for the school run, could consider selling their car to upgrade to an EV, which will also save on rising fuel costs.
“Whilst we can’t help parents rack
up less miles every year on the school run, we can help with making selling your car quicker, with it taking under an hour to sell a car from quote to sale at webuyanycar.”
The survey showed that British parents are more environmentally conscious than ever, with half (49%) stating that they would give up using the car for the school commute for environmental reasons.
As 1 in 3 (35%) stated that rising
costs of petrol and diesel has made them buy an electric vehicle sooner. Despite more of a focus on sustainability, the study highlighted that the daily school commute still amounts to 18.2 tonnes of CO2 produced per child’s school lifetime, the equivalent of a return flight between London and New York, four times.
As more cities across the UK introduce the Clean Air Zone’s, 1 in
10 (10%) have changed their vehicle for the commute since living in a Clean Air Zone area, as 1 in 10 (9%) stated that they now live in a Clean Air Zone.
Cities that have recently introduced a Clean Air Zone, include Bristol, Bath and Birmingham.
Electric vehicles are exempt from the charges incurred from entering a Clean Air Zone, however, 9 in 10 (90%) Brits still don’t own an elec-
tric vehicle, with a quarter (26%) not considering an electric vehicle due to the lack of charging points in their area.
Webuyanycar has recently launched their ESG Policy to offset 1,000 tonnes of carbon by planting 273 trees, in a bid to become closer to a carbon neutral company.
Two Four Six Sports have been appointed to initiate the delivery of the European Athletics Championships 2026.
Stephen Brown, as founder of Two Four Six Sports, will now deliver those services in his position as Interim Chief Operating Officer of the Championships. Stephen has enjoyed a wide-ranging career in the sports industry working in both football and rugby league. Birmingham was announced as host of Europe’s most prestigious athletics competition following a successful bid process with UK Athletics in November 2022 – the first time theUK has ever hosted the European Athletics Championships.
Stephen previously served as Chief Operating Officer for the Rugby League World Cup 2021 and was instrumental in the delivery of the first-ever staging of simultaneous men, women and wheelchair games at a Rugby League World Cup. The event was acclaimed for its successful social impact programme, commitment to inclusion, broadcast and commercial partnerships and
was recently nominated for three awards at the 2023 Sports Industry Awards.
Speaking on the appointment Brown said: “I am delighted that Two Four Six Sports has been contracted for this exciting opportunity and I will fulfil the role of Interim Chief Operating Officer for the European Athletics Championships in 2026. I am very grateful to Birmingham City Council, UK Athletics and UK Sport for giving me this opportunity and putting their trust in me.
“I am enthusiastic to be able to learn and work in a new sport in what is an exciting time for mega events in the UK and Birmingham and I look forward to building on the recent success of the Commonwealth Games.”
Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “For a major international sporting event like this, it’s essential we have someone of Stephen’s calibre on board.
“He played a crucial role in the success of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup and he knows exactly what needs to be done.
“I’m delighted to welcome Stephen to Birmingham and look forward to working with him as we further implement our 10-year Major Sporting Events Strategy.”
Cherry Alexander, UKA’s Strategic Lead for Major Events, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Stephen to this crucial interim Chief Operating Officer position ahead of Birmingham 2026.
“UK Athletics’ track record for staging major championships such as the hugely successful World Athletics and World Para Athletics Championships in London means we are excited towork with individuals who can help maintain this standard of world class delivery.
“We look forward to working with Stephen alongside the other partners to bring to life our vision for this Championships and ensure the sport of athletics is given an amazing platform in 2026.”
Esther Britten, UK Sport Head of Major Events, said: “The 2026 European Athletics Championships is a key part of UK Sport’s programme of mega events, building on the fantastic legacy of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and
providing another opportunity for the British public to enjoy seeing the world’s best athletes in action.
“Stephen’s contribution to delivering a hugely successful Rugby League World Cup 2021 – an event that was truly world-leading in inclusivity and accessibility alongside a hugely successful social impact programme – stands him in good stead to take on this new position.
“Given that Stephen was part of UK Sport’s inaugural Event Leaders Programme, we are delighted that UK Sport’s investment into the UK’s major events network is continuing to develop the world’s best sporting event leadership.
“We look forward to working closely with Stephen, Birmingham City Council and UK Athletics to deliver an event that will deliver huge benefits for the city of Birmingham, the West Midlands region and the whole of the UK.”
