Asian World May 2019

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Kashmir Boycotts Indian Elections

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iolent attacks have disturbed the running of the Indian Elections in the turbulent region of Kashmir. The territory, which is the only Muslim majority state in the country, has been subjected to terrorist attacks and boycotting ...continued on page 6 voters, which have left many polling stations deserted...

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UK AntiArsenic Terror Chief Water in Mainstream Bangladesh Could Newspapers Cause Over are Radicalising 20 Million

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Virgin trains flies the Flag for Coventry

Interview with Rameet Sandhu

Phase 2 of Games Village in Perry Barr

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ritain’s Counter Terrorism chief has said that the far-right are being radicalised by typical newspaper coverage....

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he Bangladeshi Government is falling short in adequately addressing the clean water crisis across large rural areas of the country...

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irgin Trains has named one of its trains after one of Coventry’s most famous historic icons in celebration of its UK City of Culture status in 2021...

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xclusive Q&A with Rameet n outline planning application for the second phase of the Sandhu regeneration of Perry Barr has been

formally submitted to Birmingham

Page 29 Page 53 City Council.

UK Anti-Terror Chief: Mainstream Newspapers are Radicalising Far-Right Britain’s Counter Terrorism chief has said that the far-right are being radicalised by typical newspaper coverage, although criticising the falseness such as Mail Online, which uploaded the “manifesto” of the gunman in the Christ church terror attack. One of Britain’s top police officer’s Neil Basu said that the newspapers had criticised the likes of Facebook and Google for uploading original content, on websites including the Sun and the Mirror showing clips of the footage filmed by the Gunman as he attacks Mosques in New Zealand.

Basu had said in an open letter to the media on how to report terrorism: “The media companies who have attacked social media platforms for not acting fast enough to remove radical content, which is carrying on getting published free on their websites, or making the pointless ‘manifestos’ of crazy killers available for download.”

He had appeared to be singling out on Mail Online, which uploaded the New Zealand’s terror on page 74 “manifesto” on its website and wrote the document, which included an explanation of the thought for having it available for users to download from one of the world’s most significant new outlet.

Neil Basu who has been described as the toughest in UK policing, said that

19-year-old teenager gets shot in Bordesley Green the time has come to accept that many of the terrorists have radicalised the news outlets. The reality is that the terrorists we have dealt with, have required inspiration from the publicity of others, and when they could not find it on Facebook, YouTube or Twitter they only have to switch on the TV, read the newspaper or go to one of the mainstream media websites to compete with those platforms. As an example, In London, he cited the 2017 terror attack in Finsbury Park of a man, who was driven to an act of terror, which he found mostly on mainstream media.

Basu was invited to the national

newspaper editors to debate about the coverage with survivors of terrorism and those who are trying to counter it. He said that he hoped the government would deal with the issues and upcoming proposals online harm, and they are not just targeting large social networks, such as Facebook and YouTube. A piece of radical propaganda, which might reach thousands of people through their channels, but as soon as a national newspaper publishes it, then it is possible that it would reach millions of people. This is why it must be recognised that this is harmful to the community and security.

A 19-year-old was seated was in the passenger seat of a car on Pretoria Road, Bordesley Green when he was shot in the shoulder. Detectives are continuing to find the person who shot the victim. The teenager was inside a Silver Ford Mondeo when he became fatally wounded on the scene.

Another car pulled up alongside and shot a gun into the Mondeo, shattering the driver’s side window. The 19-yearold was injured in the drive-by shooting. It is not yet known if there was anyone else in the car at the time of the shooting, which took place during the evening at around 8.25pm.

The 19-year-old did not call 999, but took himself to the hospital, where he remained in critical care. He is being

By Tauseef Asif treated for the wound to the shoulder, which is not thought to be life-threatening. Both Pretoria road and Whitacre road were closed off for several hours whilst forensic examinations were being carried out. It is believed that armed officers drove to the scene after the shooting.

West Midlands Police confirmed that no arrests had been immediately following the shooting and that enquiries were still being carried out. Anyone with information is urged to contact the police via Live Chat at westmidlands.police.uk between 8 am and midnight, or at anytime call 101.

Crime Stoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting log number 2405 13/4.

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Get in Touch: NEWS

Editor’s Note Hello to our readers and welcome to another edition of Asian World Newspaper! With the cherry blossoms now in full bloom, this May is going to hopefully welcome that warm sunshine weather we’ve been longing for all year round (fingers-crossed)! As we also settle into the holy month of Ramadan, we will be exploring a number of charitable campaigns and upcoming events that our local area has to offer. So sit back, take a breath and delve into the pages of this next issue right now!

In this edition, we will be reflecting on the important aspects of self-restraint and physical well-being during the period of fast. For articles on this topic, please turn over to pages 10 and 14.

We will also be talking about the heartbreaking shooting of a young teenager in Bordesley Green, to read more on this story, please take a look at page 4.

In our Glam section, we have some exciting Q&As with the freshest rising stars of the Bollywood/UK Desi scene.

This May, we’ve kept it sweet and chatty with singer Rameet Sandhu as we talked all about her new track and hectic personal life. For all of the hot details on this interview, turn to page 29! On page 28, we also asked Subaig Sigh about his thoughts and feelings on the Punjabi

FOOD 46-47

music industry, and got all the knowhow about his upcoming hits. For more show-biz news, please read through the Glam section on pages 26-33.

We have also been exploring the best hot-spots in Brum to give our readers all the info they need about where to go for an evening of R&R. For a special review on Spa Diamond Aston, one of the most favoured massage and therapy clinics in the city, turn to our travel section on page 42! And for the most up to date fitness facts and tips: warrior abs training with British Body Building Champion Syed Rahat can be found on page 54!

Whichever category you pick, there is a feature for everyone. So grab a copy of your favourite paper, take it with you on your way to the park and sip through with an iced brew by your side. Read through the rest of this issue NOW! For latest and exciting advertisement offers for 2019 please don’t hesitate to Contact us: on 0121 771 4545 or email: sales@asianworldnews.co.uk Have a great read!

Editor: Manisha Bhanot editor@asianworldnews.co.uk Visit us online at: www.asianworldnews.co.uk

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May 2019

Sadiq Khan Joins Hands with Jewish Labour Movement Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has joined hands with the Zionist Jewish Labour Movement as an associated member.

He has also encouraged his Labour colleagues to do the same as well. The Jewish Labour Movement supports Israel, which has close ties to the Israel Embassy in the UK and has been the centre of the attacks against the pro-Palestine Jeremy Corbyn over his alleged failure to deal with the Anti-Semitism within Labour.

In a statement, Sadiq Khan has said that his party has been slow at engraving out to appealing anti-Semitism and described a depressing collapse of trust between Labour and the Jewish community. He has also said that he is proud to join Gordon Brown and others in becoming an associate member of the Jewish Labour Movement. I encourage all the Labour colleagues to do the same. He also

stated that it had been a challenging time for the members of the Jewish Labour Movement.

The majority of those within the party are distraught of how let down by it the Jewish community and Jewish Labour members are feeling.

This is why it is crucial that they come together across the Labour movement to do whatever, so that they can make Jewish people feel at home in their party once again.

In the past, Sadiq Khan has praised Israel and said that he would visit Israel very soon. He has spoken about the importance of the economic and cultural ties between the capital and Tel Aviv. Moreover, he has praised the Londoners working with Israel and Israeli businesses. The Mayor also supported in furthering the cultural links between London and Israel after having supported the Tel Aviv London Festival in 2017.

Sahil- Praising the Beloved

by Mohammed Zafran

For a lot of British Muslim youths growing up in the UK, life is mainly about going to school, college, university and going out with your friends to have a good time. At a time where crime is really at a high level in Birmingham, and a lot of youths are engaging in drugs and knife crime, it is refreshing to see youngsters like Sahil Zafran who have become a rolemodel for so many youths.

Sahil has taken the route of Praising the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) by reciting the Nasheeds. He is currently an IT student at South and City College Birmingham. Although he just turned 18, Sahil was diagnosed with cholesteatoma (final stage) when he was 16, which is a serious illness, but came through after a lengthy operation and recovery time. Sahil then started to read Nasheeds in local gatherings and soon got involved with an organisation called Bazm e Raza Events, which gives youths the opportunity to read at a national scale, run by Hassan Ali. Sahil now has released his own Single Album which has been

Kashmir Boycotts Indian Elections: Grenade Lobbed Towards Pulwama Polling Station

By Manisha Bhanot

Front Page Story Cont’d...

According to Kashmiri sources, alleged militants threw grenades at two polling stations in The Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir during the 3rd phase of voting during the national elections. One of the explosions was set off inside Rahmoo Village Middle school where voting booths were being located.

Protesters also lobbied pebbles and stones at security personnel, hoping to call-off the voting. No one was killed or seriously hurt in either of these circumstances.

However, Indian Police forces reacted to the violence with increased aggression. The Police Department fired pellets at the

lobbyists; many members of the public were injured as a result. In previous weeks, police also arrested dozens of people in South Kashmir following the calls of Separatist movement leaders for the polls to be boycotted. Leading up the opening of polling booths, India also deployed hundreds of its soldiers to Kashmir in an effort to safeguard the voting process.

The chairman of a separatist organisation, Syed Ali Geelani, said in a statement that the elections were a “vast military exercise” and that the Indian government had executed “ruthless killings” in Kashmir.

Kashmir has been subject to

much unrest since India and Pakistan’s independence from British rule. Militant strikes and gun violence are typical in this much-disputed region, and the locality’s inhabitants have come into conflict with India’s Hindu majority. Voting in this area also has a history of being contentious and leading to heavy political dispute.

In this year’s elections, there have been findings of empty polling booths, missing polling agents, and petrified polling staff that have been left to defend themselves. Out of the region, the districts of Pulwama and Shopain have presented the lowest turnout, with only 3% of citizens casting votes during the final phase of the elections. This is in comparison to turn-outs of over 60% in other parts of the country.

Shailendra Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer said the twin districts documented a voter turn-out of 2.81%, with almost half of 695 polling booths seeing no voting at all during the election period.

Despite this, independent sources argue that the actual turn-out is far fewer than the officially stated 2.81 per cent.

highly appreciated. He has over 20,000 followers on Instagram who view his posts. Sahil has also been volunteering at Unite & Uplift, a youth and community organisation run by his father, Mohammed Zafran BEM. Sahil is a training graphics designer and wants to be an inspiration for youths so they make friends who keep them on the right path.

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HRH the Prince of Wales praises UK exhibition recognising contribution of Muslim soldiers in World War One

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has visited a unique UK exhibition celebrating the contribution of Muslim soldiers to Allied forces during World War One. Prince Charles attended the British Muslim Heritage Centre (BMHC) in Manchester UK and was shown the Stories of Sacrifice installation which was curated by Dr Islam Issa, Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Birmingham City University.

Research conducted by Dr Issa revealed that at least 885,000 Muslim soldiers were recruited by the Allies, more than twice the figure that had previously been reported (400,000).

The exhibition, which was commissioned by the BMHC, is the first dedicated entirely to Muslim involvement in the Great War. During his visit, the Prince of Wales was shown individual stories and images from the exhibition, including one photograph featuring his great-grandfather King George V, wearing a turban during a period as head of a Muslim cavalry regiment.

HRH said the exhibition and other work being carried out by the BMHC were “of huge importance”.

He said: “I’ve been so impressed by all the different initiatives and projects you run here and the difference you are making, in terms of all the work you are doing in the community, but also in terms of linking all the other communities together.

“It is obviously of huge importance, this dialogue and activity.

“If I may say so, I just wanted to

congratulate you and to say how much I admire all the work you are doing. And how important your communities are here in this country.”

Stories of Sacrifice first opened at the BMHC and has been featured in locations around the country including Greater Manchester’s Police headquarters, Manchester Central Library and Blackburn Cathedral.

Dr Islam Issa said: “I’m delighted that the exhibition is still going strong even after the commemoration period when it had over 30,000 visitors.

“It was just wonderful to see the Prince

of Wales so engaged and genuinely interested in the content and the rare photographs.

“At one stage, the project manager of the exhibition, Ashraf Ali, asked HRH if he recognised the picture of King George V and the response was ‘Of course I recognise him!’”.

The Prince of Wales is the latest in a string of high-profile names to visit the exhibition, including the Chief of the UK Army General Sir Nick Carter and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

During his research Dr Issa also discovered that Muslims involved in the

war effort came from as far as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia and that at least 89,000 Muslims were killed fighting for Allied forces under French or British command.

The roles included front-line soldiers, trench builders and those transporting vital goods and materials.

While carrying out the studies Dr Issa also found that at least 20 per cent of all British Empire recruits were followers of Islam and that the financial and material contribution from India alone was £479 million - £20 billion in today’s money.

May 2019

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Birmingham’s

declining population in the next decade The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produced an estimated figure based on five years of data; previously they had predicted that by 2026 there would be 1,209,500 people living in the city.

However, when re-evaluating these figures, ONS found that this figure may be significantly lower. When basing these figures on the past ten years of data, it was revealed that the population might only expand to 1,194,300 by 2026 which is 15,200 fewer than expected. These figures do not consider the possible drop in migration following Brexit.

AW Facts Did you know?

Birmingham’s Star City is largest Bollywood movie centre in Europe.

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May 2019

This month in History

Saeed Anwar Riots in Ceylon scores 194 runs Sri Lanka

Pakistani legendary player Saeed Anwar created history on this day in 1997 when he scored 194 runs against India at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. Anwar’s 194 runs exceeded Sir Vivian Richards’ total of 189, which he had scored against England in 1984. He made 22 boundaries and fives sixes and also had to ask Shahid Afridi to run for him.

After 146 balls and playing for 206 minutes, Anwar closed in making 200 runs. Nevertheless, Sachin Tendulkar stepped up and got him out, when he was six runs short from making a second century. Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry equalled Anwar’s achievement of 194 runs, but he stayed undefeated against Bangladesh on 16th August 2009. Pakistan went on and won the match by 35 runs, despite Rahul Dravid making a century. A year later, on February 4th, 2010, Tendulkar himself managed to break the 200 run record in One Day International, against South Africa at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior.

What comes as a shock to everyone is that the ‘master-blaster’ isn’t the first individual to score a double hundred in the ODI. Australia’s player Belinda Clark a year on from Anwar’s 194 runs, became the first to break the record of scoring above 200. On December 16, 1997, Clarke broke the record of an unbeaten 229 just off by 155 balls against unlucky Denmark in a Women’s World Cup game at the MIG Ground in Mumbai.

In the year 1958, riots occurred in Ceylon, also known as the 58 riots, which were the first island-wide ethnic riots that targeted the minority Sri Lankan Tamils in Ceylon after it became an independent country from Britain in 1948. The riots lasted from May 22 until May 27, 1958. Irregular disturbances even happened after the declaration of an emergency on June 1. The event was termed as an ethnic riot, but in some locations in its scale of its destruction, it was a massacre. The estimates of the murders which occurred ranged from between 70 to 300 killings.

Although most of the victims were Sri Lankan Tamils, some people and their property were also affected by attacking Sinhalese mobs that provided safe homes to Tamils as well. There were ‘tit-for-tat attacks’ by Tamil mobs in Batticaloa and Jaffna as well In 1956, Solomon Bandaranaike came in power, on a Sinhala nationalist platform. The new government approved the Sinhala Only Act, by making Sinhala the sole official language of the country. This was despite the fact, nearly a quarter of the population used Tamil as their primary language. The Act immediately triggered dissatisfaction among the Tamils, who perceived their language, culture, and financial position as being subject to an increasing threat.

In the protest, Tamil Federal Party politicians launched a satyagraha (Nonviolent resistance) campaign. This led to a situation which increased the current tensions and the deaths of 150 Tamils in the Gal Oya riots in the east of the country. Finally, Bandaranaike entered into negotiations with them, and the Federal party agreed to the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam. This pact solicited the birth of a series of regional councils in the country as an entryway to giving autonomy to the Tamil people of present-day Sri Lanka.

Manchester Ship Canal

Manchester itself was expanding quickly, and by the 1830s it was known as the most significant industrial city in the world.

As well as mills, there were also many engineers to construct and ensure the smooth running of such buildings. There was a lot of general manufacturing as well as a large proportion of the chemical industry that went hand in hand with the bleaching companies needed for the city’s cotton supply. Therefore, by the 1870s, in spite of building of the world’s first inter-city railway, the Liverpool/Manchester Railway routes were stretched to breaking point and so was Manchester’s ascendancy as a manufacturing hub.

However, it was cheaper to send ships to Hull on the other side of the country and transport it. In 1882, Manufacturer Daniel Adamson made a plan suggested back in the 1660s to build a waterway, which would be stretched from the Mersey estuary right into the City of Manchester, big enough to take the ships to carry the shipment. The project required to be passed through legislation in the Parliament. It was rejected twice, due to complaints from Liverpool, who feared to lose the income from the taxes that were currently charged.

However, in May 1885 the legislation was passed as the Manchester Ship Canal Act. As a condition that the newly formed company had to raise £8million as a means of shared wealth.

This was achieved, and two years later, in 1887, the turf was cut. The route was 36 miles long, and it was divided into eight sections each with its chief engineer. Queen Victoria arrived on May 21st to publicly cut the ribbon, and the Port of Manchester became the third busiest in the UK in a short span of time, in spite of being nearly forty miles from the sea.

Supper Club

To celebrate the beginning of Ramadan, family and friends come together to enjoy iftari meals, created from generations of family favourite recipes. Asda took part in the Ramadan festivities, organising the Asda Supper Club with hosts Radikal Kitchen and Zaleha Olpin.

The event was created to share global flavours from around the world and with both hosts embracing their mixed heritage. Guests including food bloggers, influencers and celebrity names were greeted by welcome drinks followed by a delectable spread of savoury and sweet dishes.

Parveen Ashraf from Parveen’s Indian Cooking, ITV also attended to taste the different flavours of Ramadan.

During the evening, both food enthusiasts, Radikal Kitchen and Zaleha Olpin presented an array of dishes sharing inspiration with influencers and guests with ingredients bought under one roof in Asda. A 13-recipe spread was displayed over 4 courses including 2 rounds of entrees, 1 round of mains and a lavish spread of desserts. The most popular recipe of the day was the Keema Pao and there was plenty to go around. Amongst the variety of mains, were flavours of Harissa chicken and the delicious coconut taste of Malaysian Laksa. The Rose Flavoured Vermicelli Pudding was not only beautifully displayed but also looked pleasantly appetising with its creamy base sprinkled with

By Tauseef Asif

rose petals as finishing touch. With the food looking delectably inviting, guests made sure to take their pictures for social media before demolishing their plates.

With Asda at the heart of the community, sharing global flavours during special occasions encourages people to experiment and explore cooking outside of their comfort zone. As the Asda Supper Club displayed wonderful, fresh ingredients, there is much culinary inspiration to be shared with one another. From traditional to modern and fusion to authentic, there is something available for everyone at your local Asda during your iftar meals this Ramadan.

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BUSINESS 20-25

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WEDDINGS 35-39

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May 2019

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May 2019

Shocking Racist RAMADAN: THE TIME FOR RESTRAINT IN THE FACE OF HATE Slur on Solihull

For a quarter of the world’s population, this month of May and the early part of June will be the most precious time of year. It is Ramadan, the Muslim holy month which will be observed by 1.8 billion people across the world.

Even those who have only the flimsiest knowledge of Islam will know that it involves refraining from food and drink during the day (from just before dawn to dusk). For instance, they’ll see colleagues in workplaces and offices forsaking their regular coffees, lunches and snacks and looking a bit more tired than usual.

For Muslims, it means much more than just not having food or drink. It’s a time for spiritual awareness, discipline and patience. So as well as no food or drink, there’s an emphasis on prayer, remembrance, thankfulness, generosity and charity.

Unfortunately, that’ll mean little to those who, for whatever reason, have decided that Muslims are, for want of a better phrase, ‘the enemy within’. It doesn’t matter if you were born in the UK or your family have been here for generations, you’ll still be regarded as outsiders and Ramadan or no Ramadan you’ll still be the objects of hate.

It’s a hatred fuelled by ignorance and irrational fears, stoked by elements in society – politicians, media, so-called influencers – that have their own agenda.

The month of Ramadan is a great time to show them that those fears are unfounded, to educate them through our actions and demonstrate that we’re as much a

Takeaway

By Jemma Tennison

valuable part of this society as they are.

Sometimes however even the best of examples are not enough to convince those who ultimately don’t want to be convinced. Admittedly they’re a minority but expect the Islamophobia and hate crimes to continue especially as there’s more publicity about Muslims because of Ramadan.

So how to respond? There is a Hadith (prophetic saying) in which the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said that if someone fought or abused a Muslim, the response should be “tell him twice, ‘I am fasting.”

In other words, don’t be provoked, which is easier said than done but at this time of year, restraint is one of the virtues that should be practised by those who are fasting.

The situation isn’t helped by those who commit atrocities around the world in the name of the very religion that this holy month is part of. Terrorism, at whatever time of year but especially

during this period, is abhorrent and fully deserving of condemnation.

(And for those who keep bleating that Muslims don’t speak out about it, instead, why not ask your mainstream media outlets why they don’t report the statements of condemnation that mosques, imams, religious leaders and Muslim communities always issue after such atrocities).

So while Muslims will be observing a period when they are demonstrating the best of humanity, some of them will feel fear and concern, some will be vilified and subjected to abuse and violence. A sad reflection of today’s society and one we can only hope will change over time through the example Muslims set during Ramadan by demonstrating the virtues of patience, empathy and humanity.

Mohammed Ilyas is Communications Manager for the Birmingham charity Islamic Help. The views expressed in this column are his personal opinions.

A racist slur which was graffitied onto a local Indian takeaway in Solihull has left the shop’s owner devastated.

Muzibar Rahman is the owner of Saffron Indian Takeaway, which he opened on Damsen Lane in 1995, 24 years ago.

Mr Rahman went to his store to find the racist slur ‘P***’ had been graffitied across the shutters in large black lettering. This left Mr Rahman devasted and has led to him questioning ‘Where am I living?’ in the modern-day suburban area of Solihull.

Mr Rahman is 52 years old and has three children, after having moved from Bangladesh to England in the 1980s and settling in Birmingham in 1991. His takeaway was established soon after and is a thriving business in Solihull.

Naturally, he was disgusted by the racial attack and said it left him feeling ‘victimised and incredibly hurt’.

The shop owner went onto say: ‘‘I can’t really express my feelings. This is something very unusual that has happened. In a long time we have been in Solihull, this kind of this has never happened before’. The incident has left Mr Rahman and his family feeling unwelcome in a country they have called home - ‘We’ve never felt like we’re from another country,’ he said. The graffiti was a shocking attack to the Rahman family and has left a bitter feeling of displacement and vulnerability. This is

to the extent that Mr Rahman reports his family frequently check on him: ‘I just feel victimised, incredibly hurt. I had my 19-year-old son text me to see if I was OK. My family were waiting for me as I pulled up at home when I finished work the other night, to see if I was OK’.

The stain of the abuse remains on the store front as Mr Rahman reported ‘It’s still on the shutters now. I just don’t understand’. Mr Rahman affirmed his horror at the incident in his statement: ‘England is my country’.

The West Midlands Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway and that officers are due to visit Mr Rahman over the coming weekend.

Helping Little Angels: Growing bigger and better!

Helping Little Angels (HLA) was set up with a vision to care for orphans, educate children from deprived backgrounds, alleviate poverty and hardship among poor families, provide humanitarian emergency aid, as well as become an integral part of the local community in Birmingham, where the charity is based.

Determined and passionate about helping orphans and needy children, the late Mrs Shamim Mahmood (pictured),

Upcoming Event:

used her small inheritance to open the Al Jannat Orphanage in 2004 in Lahore, Pakistan - where the charity is also known as Jannat ul Firdous.

Ayesha Saddiq, Trustee, said: “The orphanage was set up by my mother. It has been at the heart of the charity ever since, and we consider each and every child to be as our own.

Currently, we have 56 children in our care, and offer some of the best facilities in comparison to other orphanages

Come and join the HLA team for a Ramadan Iftar fundraising event on Saturday 18th May at the Al Miraj Banqueting Suite, Birmingham, from 7.00pm. Special performance by SHAAM and Taha Elamin. There will also be presentations, auction, some great stalls and a mascot to keep the children entertained.

For further enquiries please call 07904 160 726 or book tickets online visit: https://helpinglittleangels.org.uk/events/grand-iftar-2019/

Links:

Website: www.helpinglittleangels.org.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/events/2443981918993012/ https://www.instagram.com/hla_helpinglittleangels/ @HLAUK

in Pakistan, including quality education and pastoral care.

“With schools in Sargodha, Brarkot and Layyah, and a vocational training institution in Lahore, we provide a high standard of education to over 700 school children. In addition, we actively engage in promoting girls education.

Through our college for girls in Brarkot, we aim to reduce discrimination and poverty by providing access to equal opportunities and further education for girls.

“The children at the orphan-

age and schools are inspiring; many with confident and creative personalities who will make a positive contribution to society in the future. We are proud to see one of our girls complete her Master’s degree.”

The charity offers orphan and education sponsorship programmes. Members of the public can make one-off donations or set up sponsorship on a monthly basis. There are several other projects people can donate toward.

During the blessed month of Ramadan, for instance, the

charity distributes essential food parcels to poor families, provides iftar meals on a daily basis, and collects funds for Eid gifts for the orphans and school children. The charity welcomes donations in the form of sadaqa, zakat, fidyah, fitrana or lillah.

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May 2019

Parents Fined £60 if their Children are Late to School 10 Times £140 million of Asian gold stolen in UK A BBC report has revealed that over the past five years in the UK, over £140 million worth of Asian gold jewellery has been stolen. This figure came to light after a freedom of information request was issued by the BBC to the 45 police forces in the UK. They departments reported that since 2013, £141.3 million of Asian gold had been stolen. It was also revealed that there had been 28,000 thefts of Asian gold since 2013.

Police forces in Wales were not able to provide data for the investigation but revealed that Asian families in the area were being specifically targeted for such robberies. One family that was victim to one of these robberies in the North of England were retired couple Shaheed and Syeda Syed, who were robbed last December. The as-

sailants wore masks and were armed with what has been referred to as an iron bar. The couple were assaulted and Mr Syed had a heart attack as a result of the robbery. Various items of gold jewellery were stolen from the house, including some which were family heirlooms and some which would have been passed down to their granddaughters.

As was the case with the Syed family, it appears that these burglaries are not necessarily aimed at wealthy families or homes where there is a vast amount of jewellery, it seems to be Asian families in particular which are targeted.

For example, three men were arrested in Slough, Berkshire for a spree of seven break ins between 26th January and 12th February, all targeting high value Asian gold items. Thames

By Will Rymer Valley Police have since encouraged owners of expensive jewellery to use safes and to insure these items.

Head of crime at Cheshire Police, Aaron Duggan, highlighted the ease with which gold can be disposed of.

Questions are rarely asked of people selling jewellery to second had shops and therefore stolen jewellery can change hands quickly and then it is no longer in the hands of the thieves.

Sanjay Kumar, a specialist in selling Asian gold in Southall, west London, said (in an interview with the BBC) the jewellery has cultural significance.

He said that the buying of gold as an investment and a luck symbol is “something that we as Asians do, so people are following the tradition and the culture.” He has urged customers to be careful.

Formerly, parents only faced a fine if their children received 20 unauthorised late marks over a period of 12 weeks.

However, in a new council restriction, parents could be fined a further £60 if their children are repeatedly late to school.

Children who would enter their lessons late will see their parents receiving financial penalties. According to the Staffordshire County Council, the new regulations will be implemented after the Easter Term and will be used to promote and support good attendance at school.

But the figure has now also been halved for the same period, as children only have to be late entering the classroom a total of 10 times for their parents to receive a penalty notice with a sum of the changes made.

Paul Senior, the council’s head of education stated: “Before, a pupil had to receive 20 unauthorised late marks before a penalty warning could be received. This has now been changed to 10 marks, and it does not have to be one after the other for its penalty issue to be issued”. Therefore, it has now been made prominent than ever that children should be made to attend school on time.

However, if your child is late, then the school must be informed of the reason, as they might be able to give advice or support you. If your child is late 10 times over 12 weeks, then you may receive a penalty warning notice and also a fine. These changes have been agreed with the head teacher of the school in each instance, and have been implemented to help promote and

support good attendance. The majority of the children in Staffordshire have an outstanding record of school attendance, and we have recognised the efforts of so many parents that ensure that their children attend school regularly”.

Parents at Elison Primary Academy, in Ellison Street, Wolstanton, welcomed the new rule for latecomers. Emma Smith from Wolstanton said. “My kids are never late, so it won’t affect me, because I make sure they get to school on time.

There is no reason whatsoever for them to be late and some people will stay in bed until later, but I get them up early. I make sure that they have 100% attendance at the end of the year”. The council letter states that the parents also face being fined for any period of unauthorised leave from 1st January 2019.

The letter furthermore adds that the head teacher will continue to be the only person to be able to authorise leave in term time, but it would also apply only in exceptional situations.

Anyone that will get issued an unauthorised absence will be referred by your head teacher to the local authority.

Shop worker Jamie Stonier took his children on holiday in September, because of some work commitments.

He had said. “I had written to the school and asked for permission, and I have been told that I will find out what is going to happen two weeks before the break, which seems a little short notice.”

As the new regulations are implemented, time will tell how the fining procedure will affect families and the attendance of their children in schools.

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May 2019

Birmingham’s Primark Becomes Largest Retail Store in the World

The megastore features in the Guinness Book of World records This amazing renovation transformed the former Pavilions centre, measured 14,761 m2, into the world’s biggest fashion store right in Birmingham’s city centre. As the new Primark opened its doors in April, the Guinness World Records adjudicator, Pravin Patel, announced, “With an area of 14,761 m2, Primark Stores Limited UK, you have set a new Guinness World Record for the largest fashion retail store. Congratulations. You are officially amazing! For the purpose of this record, a fashion retail store is defined as an establishment which primarily sells clothing, accessories and other wearable garments.”

London’s Oxford Street had been the previous record holder with their Topshop store which opened in 1998, covering 7,897 m2.

The store includes a Disney-inspired café featuring a Disney themed menu and an interactive game zone; customers can also enjoy an entire section dedicated to Harry Potter themed clothing, accessories and gifts. The record-breaking store also offers a beauty studio for women, ‘Duck & Dry Xpress x Primark’ , where customers can access head-to-toe treatments alongside ‘Mills x Primark’ which is a barber that

caters for the male customers. They have also created the ‘Custom Lab x Primark’ where customers can create personalised t-shirts and other items. Furthermore, the store offers an in-house restaurant ‘The Mezz’ and also the Primarket Café where

customers can choose from a range of food and hot drinks. Around the store, there are also seating areas designed to allow customers to relax and charge their phones.

The store has a great selection of clothing for all genders and ages and offers the

latest trends at a reasonable price, and it provides an extensive range of footwear, accessories, home wear, lingerie and also Primark’s cruelty-free beauty range, ‘Leaping Bunny PS’. The store also offers a variety of products, made just for Brummies. The size of this store allows Primark to showcase a bigger range of items than their other stores.

Tim Kelly, Primark’s Director of New Business Development, stated, “Our customers can expect a great experience at Primark Birmingham High Street. They can spend time with friends and family, eat great food, recharge and have fun, and find everything under one roof including Fashion, Beauty and Home wear – all at an amazing price.”

In total, the store employs 1,000 people and will be creating 500 new jobs for staff moving from the former Primark. Not only has the store benefitted employability, but Primark has also ensured that their store is eco-conscious as they will be providing a recycling scheme allowing customers to recycle any of their old clothes and shoes.

Tim Kelly expands and says “We’re proud to bring this great store and everything it has to offer, to Birmingham.”

Asian World News Motivation!

Top Ten Motivational Tips For Success:

1. Time Management The way that we manage our time determines our future. If we are spending most of our time indulged with Netflix marathons then we are not investing in it correctly. Start your day with a written list of things to do. In this list include the most productive things you can do to get you closer to your goals. Once time has gone, it can never come back. Time doesn’t stop for anyone, so make sure you make the most of it.

2. Goal setting Where do you see yourself in five years time? Ten years? Chances are you will be exactly where you are today unless you take those bold steps and decide what it is you want in your life and how you are going to get it. Write down all the small actions you can take that will lead you towards the attainment of your major goal. Give yourself deadlines. Make both short and long term goals then monitor them regularly.

3. Avoid procrastination We all know what we should be doing to achieve our goals, but sometimes we just keep putting them on the ‘backburner’ and leave them for another day. Most of the time that day never comes. DO IT NOW! Rather than talk yourself out of doing something, talk yourself into doing more! Don’t be your worst enemy, be your best friend and stop making excuses. Keep telling yourself, ‘Come on! Get Up! Let’s do this right now!’

4. Have fun!

Put the hours in and work hard but just make sure you set time aside for undivided attention to relax with your loved ones, friends or even just me time. This is so important and will help you unwind.

You need to get your ‘head out of the office’ sometimes and have a break. If you are working hard, I am sure that you must have earned a well-deserved break and it will do you a world of good.

5. Visualisation/Imagination With the hectic lives some of us lead today we barely get a chance to spend a few minutes on our own. But, it is important

to do so. Find a moment and just chill out on your own.

During this

time visualise your future. Let your imagination go wild! Use the ‘eye’ of the mind and see everything you want to achieve already in your possession. Follow this process everyday and you will be sending messages to your brain that will help your mind magnetise you towards your success.

6. Persistence Starting anything is easy, but maintaining it is the key. Did you know that it’s estimated that 90% people who start the Gym in January leave by April? You must remain persistent and become the 10% who stay! Sometimes you will feel defeated, tired and as if you don’t have no more energy left to continue. This will be the test! Get up and keep moving! Your persistence will play a major key role in your quest to achieve success.

7. Role Models Once you have decided exactly what it is that you want to achieve find someone who is already a success in that area. Find out how they started, what challenges they had and how they overcame them. Learn what actions they took to get where they are, then mirror them. You can even use the internet, books and films to find your role models. You can have as many role models as you want. Learn from them and imitate their behaviours accordingly.

8. Go easy on yourself!

If you fail at doing something or make a mistake, go easy on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up for days on end. After all, you are trying your best and that’s what counts. If it’s not working find another way, speak gently to yourself and motivate yourself to try again rather than put yourself down.

At times when things don’t turn out as you expected them to, don’t worry, shrug it off, smile, and try again.

9. Believe in yourself!

If you don’t believe you can do it deep inside then you won’t. You must believe in yourself 100%. Once you begin to take action watch your confidence grow accordingly and your belief will get stronger.

Using powerful self-affirmations daily is a great way to become confident, such as ‘I believe in me’, ‘I can do this!’ If you have even one shred of doubt that you can’t do it, guess what? You won’t. Believe you can and you will.

10. Never give up!

I love the proverb: ‘How do you defeat a person who refuses to be defeated?’

If you are truly serious about achieving your dreams you must have the ‘refuse to be defeated’ attitude. Your determination needs to be iron strong and despite what obstacles stand in your way you must find a way to get through them, jump over them or move sideways. It doesn’t matter how, just get past them. Defeat is not an option. Keep moving forward.

Jag Singh is an inspirational speaker, writer and he is constantly campaigning for Anti-Bullying, Mental Health and many other areas that affect the well-being of our communities. Jag has supported the NSPCC (The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) by conducting seminars and workshops campaigning and working in child protection.

He has also been supported by the AntiBullying Alliance, Sikh Channel, Zee TV, Essex Police and many other organisations with his community work. Jag is also an expert in Effective Sales/Business and Team Management.

Twitter: @jagsingh_ican Email: JagSingh@asianworldnews.co.uk

Ramadan 2019 Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is observed by Muslims worldwide. Fasting is compulsory for all adult Muslims, except for the people who are unwell or travelling. During this time, even though it is not obligatory for them to do so, many Muslim children try to keep as many fasts as they can, as a practice for later in life.

This year Ramadan is set to start in the first week of May depending on lunar sightings and would end on either the 29th day or after 30 days, in accordance with the new moon. This would mark the end of Ramadan and hence Edi-al-Fitr would begin.

The fast is kept by Muslims from the day’s sunrise to its sunset. During this time, they cannot eat food, drink or smoke. They also strive against any sinful behaviour, such as lying, cursing and false speech. The food eaten before sunrise is called suhoor and the food eaten after sunset is called Iftar. In these times, Muslims spend a lot of money to send food off to the people who are less fortunate than themselves, as well as making it available for the whole of the community as well.

Each day, before sunrise, Muslims make the suhoor, so that they can cope throughout the day without any food or drink. Many Muslims would have a lot of greasy and oily food, which isn’t good for the system as it can lead to constant hunger and thirst throughout the day. Instead, it is suggested that members of the faith control their diet and have something healthily so that they can go on throughout the whole day, without feeling thirsty and hungry.

Children who are fasting can be served eggs or cheese, bread, dates, 1 teaspoon of honey and milk during this meal. These foods contain Vitamin B, calcium, proteins and carbohydrates, which activate digestion and provide the child with the energy needed for fasting after they leave home for school in the morning.

Adults who are fasting should consume the same types of food, or even cereal, dried fruits, fresh fruits and a glass of milk. This will ensure that their body benefits from the nutrients and energy provided by the Suhour meal for longer hours during the day. This is why Muslims should carefully plan for a steady diet so that it helps them stay rejuvenated and active throughout the day.

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Rajnath to Man release his first Immune to biography Electric Home minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh is set to release his first political biography this May. The piece will be written by author Gautam Chintamani and will follow Singh’s 50-year career in politics. The 344 –page book will be called ‘Rajneeti: A Biography of Rajnath Singh’.

Publishers, Penguin Random House India, described the biography as a tell-all about “a politician who never shied away from doing the right thing.” Also when commenting on the book, author Chintamani said: “In this odyssey, Singh has both witnessed and played a significant role in shaping the history of India.”

The book will follow Singh’s rise to power through his determination and hard work.

Arsenic-Laced Water in Bangladesh Could Risk Over 20 Million Deaths

The Bangladeshi Government is falling short in adequately addressing the clean water crisis across large rural areas of the country. In a recent report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has estimated that around 20 million Bangladeshi citizens do not have a source of safe and uncontaminated water to drink from.

The figure has come as a shock for many, especially since prominent steps were taken to purify Bangladesh’s water supply at the start of the millennia. Statistics report that as many as 43,000 deaths take place per year as a direct result of the country’s citizens drinking arseniclaced water, many of whom are poor and living in underdeveloped areas.

The issue stems from natural arsenic content being found in Bangladeshi groundwater, as is similar to other parts of Asia such as China, Taiwan and Nepal. Drinking water with high-arsenic content can have a range of long-term harmful effects on the human body. These can include skin lesions, cancer of the kidneys, lungs and bladder, diabetes, heart-attacks and impaired intellectual function.

In children, arsenic ingestion into the body can significantly impact their development process. This includes neurological impairment and an increased risk of cancer diagnosis as adults. Newborn babies may even have a reduced birth weight or be more prone to infant mortality.

In the country’s capital of Dhaka and other large cities, water is still clean for consumption and unpoisoned.

This is because it is drawn up from

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deep under the ground as it undergoes pipe purification, or it is filtered before distribution to local homes and public buildings.

However, the HRW report has declared that since the arsenic

death figures were first made known to the world in 2003, a poor level of action has been taken by Government councils to address the issue. In rural areas, roughly around 10million of Bangladesh’s population still draw water from hand-pumps and communal wells. The new pumps that have been installed to combat the issue at the turn of the century are largely based in areas where government officials are to be benefitted only.

“The government acts as though the problem has been mostly solved, but unless the government and Bangladesh’s international donors do more, millions of Bangladeshis will die from preventable arsenic-related diseases” said Richard Pearson, senior researcher at HRW. Human Rights Watch interviewed 134 individuals for the basis of their report. This included inhabitants of rural villages and staff of NGOs. Some statements from those interviewed included the following: “I’ve never been to a hospital; I’ve never seen a doctor. I take no medication. No one from the government has ever told me anything about arsenic or that I suffer some effects of arsenic poisoning.”

–Astha, a woman in her 40s living in Ruppur village, possibly identified as having arsenicrelated health conditions.

“There are no government-installed water sources in this area. Look at my children!

Even if we feed them as best we can and look after them well, they will fall sick from arsenic in the water.”

–Khobor, a farmer in his mid-30s in Bilmamudpur village, with arsenic-caused skin lesions on his chest and feet.

It has been estimated that as many as 5 million children born from the year 2000 to 2003 may die after being exposed to lethal arsenic contaminants in Bangladesh’s water supply.

By Manisha Bhanot

Shocks

A Pakistani man holds an extraordinary power Zafar Iqbal, from Sargodha in Pakistan, discovered his unique power over a decade ago, when he felt no shock when coming into contact with a plug, he is also able to touch and sort through high voltage live wires without feeling any effect.

The extraordinary man has been seen touching live tension wires while climbing an electric pole; this high voltage contact can usually easily kill any human being; however, he can withstand these shocks without any pain.

“I can climb an electricity transmission line and do some tweaks here and there because I know I won’t be affected by the current,” he laughs.

His power has now become part of a daily routine for Zafar as he states, “When I get up in the morning, I hold a 220-volt wire for 5 to 10 minutes. It might sound weird, but it helps me to relax and ‘charge’ up.” He has never seen a doctor to explore his condition; however, his parents believe he has been given “a gift from God.” Zafar has caught the attention of many over social media platforms as people remain astonished at his abilities. He now wishes to become a full-time electrician and work to his strengths.

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May 2019

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May 2019

Cooling Provisions Needed to Help Indian Farmers Reduce Foodwaste and Boost Income

Harnessing Smartphone technology so that Indian farmers make better business decisions could help to tackle the sustainable cooling challenge facing India and the wider world, according to a new report that has been recently launched.

Using mobile apps and data analysis to manage harvesting and logistics could help to reduce the amount of food wasted between farm gate and supermarket shelf, whilst boosting farmers’ incomes and reducing the environmental impact of much-needed food cooling.

The recommendation is part of a four-point ‘roadmap’ developed by experts at the University of Birmingham working with the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and MP Ensystems to uncover the cooling needs of farmers in the states of Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Effective refrigeration is essential to preserve food and medicine. It underpins industries and economic growth, while air conditioning is key to sustainable urbanisation and human productivity and makes much of the world bearable - or even safe - to live in.

Toby Peters, Professor in Clean Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham, commented: “We’re proposing a radical new approach to cooling provision with recommenda-

tions combined with Government of India action to address needs from the first to last mile of the cold-chain as well as those of the broader rural community.

The problems in India are acute, where up to 50% of food is lost postharvest because of lack of cold chain.

The report highlights that only 4% of produce that would benefit from a cold-chain actually does so, compared with around 70% in the UK. Pawanexh Kohli, CEO, National Centre for Cold-chain Development and Visiting Professor at the University of Birmingham commented: “Cold-chains enhance economic wealth, cash flow and security for farmers and improve food quality, safety and value to the customer, but they must achieve this with minimum environmental impact.

While we can reduce the loss of food in the delivery chain through use of technology, existing cold-chain is an energy intensive application, often relying on diesel to provide off-grid and on-vehicle cooling – this is not good for the planet.”

The report was launched at the twoday Clean Cooling Congress, which opened in– hosted by University of Birmingham with the World Bank Group and the UK Department of Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Mission Innovation.

With populations and incomes

growing, urbanisation continuing and climate change causing rising temperatures, the world will need to provide far more cooling. Between now and 2050, it is estimated that 19 pieces of cooling equipment (such as room-size AC units, refrigerators and industrial size chillers) will be deployed every second. Despite this massive increase in cooling provision, access to cooling for all people that need it will still not be a reality, and the poorest in many hot countries will feel the impact.

How the world meets this challenge and provides cooling services to a growing middle class and to the vulnerable poor in the coming decades will have important ramifications for our climate: without innovations and targeted interventions the energy demand for cooling could increase more than five times by 2050 – and fast growing direct and indirect GHG emissions associated with cooling equipment can easily outpace all our attempts to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement and halt global warming.

Clean cold - how do we meet urgent global need for cooling without overheating the planet? - is now at the heart of the climate and development debate, which concerns many of the world’s international development and environmental agencies.

A man chopped off his Finger in General Election

Pawan Kumar chopped his index finger off in fear because he voted for the wrong party in India’s General Election. He became unsure by the symbols on the electronic voting machine and had voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party, instead of their regional opponent in Uttar Pradesh state on the 18th of April 2019.

Kumar aged 25 went home, and with the meat cleaver chopped off his finger.

Even though votes are cast electronically at the polling stations, the index finger of every voter is marked with the indelible ink

after they cast their votes in their ballots, so that they don’t vote again. Kumar’s brother Kailash Chandra had said that his brother was thrilled that he was voting for the first time. He stated that but once he realised his mistake, he was so hysterical that he chopped off his finger. He added that every time he saw his inkmarked finger, he felt annoyed.

Chandra said that the family rushed Kumar to the hospital and videos began circulating online showing the first time voter with his hand bandaged. Kumar said in one video. “I wished to vote

for the elephant, but it went to the flower”. He also stated that he was not being pressurised to vote for a particular party.

The lotus is the symbol of Modi’s party, while the Bahujan party is part of an alliance fighting Modi in the northern state, which uses the symbol of the elephant. The party symbols are used on voting machines.

Thursday 18th April 2019 was the second day of India’s marathon election which started on 11th April and will run up to 19th May.

The plan’s authors recommend four key actions in ’Promoting Clean and Energy Efficient ColdChains in India’: • Promoting new business models that involve the communities taking charge of their own cooling needs; • Establishing ‘Living Labs’ in rural communities where new technology can be tested; • Providing training to enable people in the food industry to use new technology; and • Creating a new framework for delivering IT-based cold chain solutions; particularly ITbased services to manage harvesting and logistics, and selling surplus cooling capacity.

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World’s Third Largest Mosque to be built in Karachi The town of Bahria within Karachi, Pakistan, will soon house the construction of the world’s third largest mosque, after the Masjid al-haram and Masjid-e-Nabwi. The new grand mosque will have capacity for up to 800,000 worshippers. Bahria Town has shared an official statement on its website confirming the new project.

The first two most significant mosques in the world are Masjid-al-Haram, in Makkah and Masjid-e-Nabvi, in Madina. For their sacredness, no mosque can be holier than these two mosques. After these sacred mosques, by God’s will, the mosque being built in Bahria town in Karachi will become the third biggest in the world.

The mosque will also house an international university alongside an Islamic cultural centre museum and a research

centre. Currently, Bahria Town in Lahore holds the world’s 7th largest mosque named Grand Jamia Masjid, which can hold a maximum of 70,000 worshippers. It is also Pakistan’s largest mosque followed by Faisal Masjid in Islamabad.

The Mughal and Islamic style building will give the mosque a different look. In Bahria Town Karachi, the Mosque is being designed alongside the guidance of Mughal Era experts. Inspiration for the blueprints is also being drawn from Mosques in Turkey, Malaysia, Iran, UAE and Kuwait.

The Mosque University would feature state of the art air conditioning, an electrical powerhouse and water supply system on its completion. It would be a hub for learning the Arabic Language and studying the Islamic faith for all members of the local community.

Sri Lanka is shaken by Terror Attacks:

Nation Mourns after Fatal Bombings

By Manisha Bhanot

The teardrop of India was left in a catastrophic state after a wave of bombings hit the country during the Easter weekend At least six suicide bombers were involved in the attacks which were aimed at Hotels and other public places on Easter Sunday. Officials claim that sites which were known to be housing mass gatherings for prayer were specifically targeted. A video previously emerged showing one of the bombers calmly entering a Church in the city of Negombo, in the Northern Province of Colombo.

Dozens were murdered in the blast that followed.

Who were the Victims?

Approximately 310 people have been killed and almost 500 injured following the attacks. Among those murdered were Sri Lankan citizens and British Nationals holidaying in Sri Lanka at the time. Victims included a British mother and her two children, a retired Manchester fire-fighter commander and his wife, as well as a fifth-grader from Washington and the 3 children of a Danish billionaire.

How have the Government Responded?

The day following the incident sent Sri Lanka into a national state of emergency. This gave the military and police personnel the power to place suspects under arrest and interrogate them without a court order. At least 40 suspects were detained in relation to the bombings. These types of powers have not been given to the authorities since the time of Sri Lanka’s last civil war.

A media ban was also imposed on the

AW Facts Did you know?

Islamabad, Pakistan is ranked the second most beautiful capital in the world.

country as the government called-out ‘false news reports’ which were spreading terror amongst locals as well as circulating incorrect information. Many websites and their associated platforms were blocked for use, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Whatsapp and YouTube.

Two days following the attack saw a national day of mourning. A countrywide moment of silence was observed

at 08:30 am, mirroring the time the first bombs were detonated in the previous Sunday’s attacks. White flags were hung all over buildings across Colombo in a touching tribute for the deceased. A wave of mass funerals also took place, in Negombo more than 20 coffins were lowered into the ground for a collective memorial.

Who is to Blame?

According to sources, Sri Lanka was

warned by India and US intelligence services that “something terrible was to happen”, but failed to act upon the news.

De Silva, a trustee of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, stated that: “it wasn’t a failure of the intelligence apparatus” but “a failure of implementing” a justified response.

The PM said that the government was not informed of any information prior to

the attacks and an investigation is to be launched about why this was so.

So far, the Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attacks. They bombings were allegedly a response to the Christchurch shootings which took place at a Mosque in Zealand and killed many followers of the Islamic faith.

Sri Lanka’s government has acclaimed local Islamist group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) for the attacks.

International Response Interpol and the FBI are among the global agencies who have stepped up to assist the investigation.

The UK Foreign Secretary has released the following statements in response to the attacks. Jeremy Hunt has said: “I’m deeply shocked and saddened by the horrifying attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka today, and the tragic news of more than 200 people killed, including several British nationals.

“To target those gathered for the simple act of worship on Easter Sunday is unspeakably wicked. Everyone has a right to practice their faith in peace, safety and security but tragedies like this, and the one in Christchurch, remind us that there are some who hate these rights and freedoms.

“The UK stands in solidarity with persecuted Christians around the world and with the government and people of Sri Lanka. My prayers are with all the victims and their families.”

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Rain’s fury played havoc in North western and Central region of India The unseasonal rain and thunderstorm claimed and many as 64 lives across India, reports suggest.

2019 saw highly disturbing weather in various parts of the nation. As the whole of India was struggling with a blistering summer for some days, the onset of the pre-monsoon shower was quite a relief to certain parts from the intense heat with some places recording a 10-12 degree Celsius drop in the maximum temperature a day, its ferocity brought a lot of places to dilapidate.

The high ferocity wind alongside rain resulted in many deaths nationwide.

The unwelcome weather took shape because of the western disturbances being active over eastern Iran and neighbouring countries, causing cyclonic circulation over Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana Punjab, West Uttar Pradesh and the disturbance is expected to move eastwards.

Humid winds from the Arabian Sea resulted in high temperatures. This high temperature and high humidity, in turn, sparked off thunderstorms, according to the Met department. As the temperature surged, the condition came to normal.

Winds blowing at 60kmph vandalised house sheds, uprooted trees and erected electric poles causing numerous deaths and injuries to people around.

The most affected region with maximum deaths was Rajasthan as reported by Rajasthan Relief and Disaster Management Secretary Ashutosh A.T Pednekar with the death toll going up to 25 persons. Madhya Pradesh was observed to have 15 deaths due to the heavy rain accompanied by a thunderstorm. The storm took the lives of 11 people in Maharashtra and 12 in Gujarat and left many severely injured in the accompanying thunder squall.

The PM expressed his deepest despair for the crisis-hit areas and families and assured all possible assistance to those affected. He tweeted “Anguished by the loss of lives due to unseasonal rains and storms in various parts of Gujarat. My thoughts are with the bereaved families”.

Authorities are monitoring the situation very closely. All possible assistance is being given to those affected.

An ex gratia of 2 lakh each would be granted to the next of kin of those killed

By Khushboo Chauhan

and Rs. 50,000 for those injured in the natural calamity from PM’s National Relief Fund. The opposition party also came forward in expressing its grief saying it was saddened by the loss of lives by the catastrophe.

The gusty wind brought down the visibility level to an alarmingly low range partnered with the rain clearing it all. Not only did the ill-timed weather change leave ravaging results for human life but also for the cattle and crops.

Punjab and Haryana too were hit by the storm damaging the standing yet to be harvested crop. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has ordered a special survey to access crop damage. The high-velocity wind and uninvited rain decimating the region’s harvest is an alarming call to the political parties making sky-high claims for farmer welfare in their manifesto to fill their vote bank. In relation to this, expressing concern over the crop losses, the Punjab government has promised to provide compensation to the calamity and grief-stricken families at the earliest.

Bangladeshi Teenage Girl Burned Alive after Reporting Sexual Harassment against Teacher A schoolgirl aged 19 was burned to death in Bangladesh on the orders of her head teacher after she had reported him for sexually harassing her. The demise of Nusrat Jahan Rafi flickered protests across the South Asian nation. This included statements from the country’s Prime Minister Sheik Hasina promising to prosecute all those who are involved.

Nusrat was lured to the rooftop of her school, where the attackers asked her to withdraw the complaint she had filed against the head teacher to the police.

When she refused to do so, they poured kerosene on her and set her on fire.

Police had said that one of the 17 people arrested is connected with her death and had accused the school’s head teacher of ordering the attack.

Nusrat had gone to the police in late March to report the sexual harassment and had leaked a video, which shows the local police station chief registering her complaint, but dismissing it stating that it is not a big deal.

Mohammad Iqbal, who is leading the

By Tauseef Asif

investigation had said that at least five of those who are under arrest, including three of Nusrat’s classmates, had tied her up with a scarf before setting her on fire. He also mentioned that the plan was to make it look like a suicide, but it didn’t work as Nusrat managed to come downstairs while on fire because the scarf burnt and freed her hands and feet. Nusrat died on 10th April after she suffered burns to 80% of her body.

She recorded a video before her death,

giving her statement against the head teacher. She also stated, “The teacher touched me, and I will fight this crime till my last breath”. She also identified some of the attackers. Nusrat’s brother Mahmudul Hasan Noman said that the people close to the head teacher had also tried to put pressure on the family to withdraw the case against him.

This case has caused shame in Bangladesh, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promising that “legal action will be taken and the culprits will not be spared”.

Human Rights organisations have asserted that the number of sexual assault cases have increased in Bangladesh, as authorities have failed to prosecute the attackers. South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Meenakshi Ganguly, said in a statement that: “the horrifying murder of a brave teenager, who asked for justice shows how badly the Bangladesh government has failed victims of sexual assault”.

May 2019

19

New Railway Line in Sri Lanka Built With Chinese Assistance China gained major success in the field of railways when it successfully implemented its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Sri Lanka. China laid down a railway line of 26.75 kilometres between the areas of Matara and Beliatta in the Hambantota area of the country.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that this was the first railway project contracted by a Chinese company in Sri Lanka under the BRI. This is incidentally the first railway which has been built after the country gained independence.

The media in Sri Lanka pointed out a significant factor that the railway track in Matara was started in 1991. This was long before the BRI was conceptualized in 2013. The foundation stone was still visible to the people at Matara. A leading Sri Lankan news portal by the name of Colombo Page reported that the construction of the railway track from Matara to Kataragama was launched in 1991 by the then President Ranasinghe Premadasa.

The new railway line was inaugurated in the presence of Sri Lanka’s Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera and other eminent dignitaries.

The Chinese foreign ministry, on the other hand, threw light on the fact that this railway will make transportation easy and help to facilitate economic and social development of the area.

The total cost of this railway project is 278 million dollars. This railway extension project was financed by the Export-Import Bank of China (China

By Priyanka Dutta

Exim Bank). The contract was given to the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation.

Trains on the newly opened track will run at a speed of 120 km per hour. This is the fastest in Sri Lanka.

Though this may help to facilitate social and economic development, this will, on the other hand, increase the debt burden of the country. Sri Lanka has been a major recipient of Chinese loans and investments which leads to a total of 8 billion dollars.

Sri Lanka earlier was forced to hand over the port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease. This was done after the country failed to repay the loan that they took for the port. It should be pointed out that the Chinese action of getting the port through this debt was criticised by many countries all over the world including the US. The US mentioned that the BRI projects were actually a debt trap for the small countries of the world.

Among the completed BRI projects in Sri Lanka were the Norocholai power station, the Colombo airport expressway, the Colombo international container terminals and the Moragahakanda Project, the biggest water reservoir in Sri Lanka.

Much of Sri Lanka’s foreign debts are with China. They have taken loans to build motorways and develop other infrastructure. It remains to be seen how the railway construction will impact the development of Sri Lanka and whether their debt account with China will further increase in the near future.

Gun Law Change in New Zealand

Following the Christchurch massacre, New Zealand introduced a new gun reform bill which all but one Member of Parliament voted in favour of. The change in gun laws passed 119-1; however, the bill must obtain royal assent from the governor general before it can be implemented as a law.

White supremacist, Brenton Tarrant, killed 50 people in the deadly shooting.

He is now being prosecuted with 50 murder charges as a result of the attack.

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May 2019

LOCAL 6-14

GLOBAL 15-19

BUSINESS 20-25

GLAM 26-33

WEDDINGS 35-39

HEALTH 40-41

TRAVEL 42-43

TECH 44-45

FOOD 46-47

MOTORING 48-51

SPORTS 52-54

May 2019

21

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May 2019

BUSINESS

T: 0121 771 4545

www.asianworldnews.co.uk

Talking about mid-life

– how conversations make a difference in the workplace Anne Willmot, Business in the Community Age Campaign Director writes of the importance of conversation and why age should not be a taboo subject.

The Hundred Year Life

We all like to talk – over a coffee, in the queue at the supermarket, maybe on social media. And we all talk about a lot of things. But one thing people still don’t feel comfortable talking about is our age.

With a 100 year life on the radar for an increasing number of us, we need to be able to talk about age – not least when we are at work. Fear your age will count against you is particularly true in the workplace, where people fear admitting their age will lead to age bias or even direct discrimination against

them. In fact only 20% of people over 50 feel they can talk openly with their manager about retirement plans, only 21% can talk about adjusting their current role, and only 24% feel they can talk about future career plans at all.(1) This doesn’t make sense. People have important decisions to make in their 40s, 50s and 60s– about staying in work, when to retire, how they can balance work with responsibilities to care for family members, how much they need to save and making plans for the future they want.

A real difference can be made by ‘mid-life MOTs’, the name that has been coined to describe conversations about work, health and well-being, and financial planning. It’s not a great name – but the idea is a good one. We prefer the term mid-life navigator – where people can think about where they are now, where they want to be in the future and how to navigate between the two. In particular, they can focus on what might need to change, either now or in the future.

Mid-life MOT pilots have provided participants with one to one support, group seminars, peer discussions and directed on-line advisory tools. In these sessions, people in mid-life can talk and think about their futures. They can think about and discuss options to change their way of working, perhaps moving to a flexible working pattern or home-working, and explore opportunities for training and career development.

They can consider their health and well-being and also make plans to ensure their pension will provide the income they want in the future.

Demand for employers to help is high:94% of employees at Aviva signed up for a mid-life MOT with the benefit of these valuable conversations, people feel confident to stay in work for longer. So supporting employees in mid-life can drive retention of older workers. Aviva, one of our Age Campaign Leadership Team partners, piloted mid-life MOTs last year to 100 of their staff over 45.

Their research found that 24% of people in mid-life would feel reassured by a mid-life MOT that they could work for longer as their skills would still be valued. They are now offering it to all employees aged 45+.(2) Driving retention in the older workers delivers for the bottom line. By holding on to more older workers, businesses can retain crucial knowledge and skills within the organisation and dramatically decrease business costs. Research consultancy Oxford Economics found that it costs an average of £30,000 to replace an employee and train their replacement to the same level.(3)

What is the solution?

References (1) Centre for Ageing Better (2018) ‘Age discrimination in the workplace’ (2) Aviva (2019) ‘Working on tomorrow today: Mid-life in the UK 2019’.

(3) HR Review February 2014 ‘It costs over £30K to replace a staff member’

More than one million homes and businesses can now order full fibre broadband via the Openreach network

More than 1.2 million homes and businesses across the country now have access to faster, more reliable and futureproof Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband services over the Openreach network.

The milestone, which has been reached just over a year since the digital infrastructure company announced its ‘Fibre First’ build programme, means Openreach is on track to reach three million homes and businesses with ‘full fibre’ broadband by the end of 2020.

Since the launch of Openreach’s Fibre First build programme in February last year, its engineers have deployed around 2.6 million kilometres of fibre– enough to travel to the moon and back three times. The massive engineering project has involved a dedicated team of around 2,000 fibre engineers, using hundreds of heavy plant machinery, pole erection units, cherry pickers, mini-diggers, 3,000 spades and a small fleet of drones.

To celebrate the one million milestone, the company is funding one year’s free broadband connectivity to the millionth home now able to order over its ‘full fibre’ network.[1] Our engineers broke the news to lucky recipient Shaun Duffield, when they

Dad of eight Shaun Duffield and his family enjoying his new ultrafast broadband connection. Engineers Danny Parkin and Dave Scargill (back row) helped connect up Shaun’s Leeds home are at the back of the shot. arrived at his home in Leeds to connect him to our network.

The delighted dad of eight said; “Getting fibre broadband has made a massive difference already but being able to get it free for a year is brilliant news.

“With a family this size, getting online

at the same time with our old broadband was just impossible, there was constant arguing and moaning. But since the new fibre was switched on I’ve not heard a peep out anyone.”

Carer Shaun, who reckons the family have more than 20 online devices be-

tween them, including gaming consoles, smart TVs and smart phones, added: “Our old broadband service used to lag and freeze as soon as more than one person tried to download or stream anything. But now it’s amazing, everything is instant, no matter how many of us are online at the same time or what we’re doing.”

Openreach has doubled its FTTP footprint in one year and continues to ramp up the build – making the technology available to more than 14,000 new homes and businesses every week across the UK. Openreach continues to heavily invest in both its network and people to drive is fibre broadband ambitions and has already recruited close to 1,400 out of the 3,000 trainee apprentice engineers hires announced in January for this year, having received more than 44,000 applications in just three months. To support the new intake, a new training school will open in Swindon next month – one of 12 new regional fibre training centres. This will support our expansion in Exeter and the West Country; with Salisbury our first city to gain universal access to full fibre.

Minister for Digital Margot James said: “The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Re-

view set out our approach to maximising full fibre coverage, and I’m delighted that Openreach has now reached one million homes and businesses. Significant investment like this from network operators is critical to deliver our plans for nationwide coverage, and we’re working with industry and Ofcom to create an environment that supports and encourages the commercial rollout of full fibre broadband.”

Clive Selley, Chief Executive of Openreach, said: “Our full fibre build is speeding ahead and we’re now ready to connect more than a million consumers and businesses if they decide to order from a service provider that’s using our FTTP network.”

[1]Openreach will fund the cost of the customer’s chosen FTTP broadband package to include monthly charge inclusive of line rental for one year.

[2]Openreach has committed to publishing information on its website detailing its build plans for the next 12 months - including the total number of exchange areas to be reached in each location over the next 24 months. The company will update this information every three months

LOCAL 6-14

GLOBAL 15-19

BUSINESS 20-25

GLAM 26-33

Labour market in good order but challenges remain

“The strong increase in employment, coupled with another fall in the number of people out of work, suggests that the UK labour market remains in good order.

“However, behind the strong headline figures a number of key challenges remain.

“Businesses are increasingly reporting that persistent hiring difficulties, cost pressures and ongoing uncertainty are dampening recruitment intentions. If this trend is sustained it could well translate into a weakening in UK jobs growth over the next year.

“Pay growth continues to comfortably outstrip price growth, and in real terms is likely to remain in positive territory for some time to come. However, the combination of a sluggish economy, weak productivity and high upfront costs for business is likely to limit the extent of pay rises.

“The record high number of job vacancies is further confirmation of the perennial skills shortages plaguing UK businesses, which continues to hold back business activity and growth.

“To protect the long-term health of the UK labour market, businesses need answers to key questions on how firms will be able to manage their future workforce needs over the next few years. Brexit has distracted government and Westminster for too long, much more must be done at home to address the UK’s chronic skills shortage, including easing the burden of upfront business costs to help firms to hire and train staff.”

Kye Parkin Communications Executive | Business West

AW Facts Did you know?

Dell computers was started by a 19-year-old with £1000.

WEDDINGS 35-39

HEALTH 40-41

TRAVEL 42-43

TECH 44-45

FOOD 46-47

MOTORING 48-51

SPORTS 52-54

Virgin Trains flies the flag for Coventry

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire’s Lorna Bailey and Pete Waterman celebrate the naming of Lady Godiva Virgin Trains has named one of its trains after one of Coventry’s most famous historic icons in celebration of its UK City of Culture status in 2021.

The Lady Godiva Express was unveiled

by Lorna Bailey, presenter of BBC Coventry & Warwickshire’s Saturday morning show, at a ceremony at London

May 2019 Euston in front of assembled guests including Coventry Lord Mayor, Councillor John Blundell, Pete Waterman and a group of young Coventry Ambassadors.

Pendolino 390039 also proudly adorns the city’s first official flag on each cab end. The flag was chosen as part of competition run by BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, to mark the first anniversary of Coventry being awarded the UK City of Culture title. It showcases two hugely important parts of the city’s history.

Front and centre is Lady Godiva, an iconic part of Coventry’s long history.

Edging the flag is two blocks of sky blue, the colour which represents Coventry City Football Club.

The train departed London Euston at 10:43 bound for Edinburgh, with invited guests speaking to customers both at the station and onboard to promote all the city has to offer.

Amanda Hines, General Manager for the Virgin Trains in the West Midlands, said the train naming celebrated Virgin Trains’ role in serving Coventry: “Virgin Trains has been proud to serve Coventry for the past 21 years and it’s fitting that we are naming one of our trains after one of the city’s most famous daughters.

“We’re delighted to be flying the flag for Coventry. Lady Godiva will clock

23

up over 300k miles in the next 12 months and be seen the length and breadth of the West Coast route from Liverpool to London, Birmingham to Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and of course Coventry.”

Gareth Roberts, editor of BBC Coventry & Warwickshire commented: “Last year in the build up to City of Culture we launched our Coventry flag competition as part of what is going to be a long-lasting legacy for the city. We’re very proud that this flag will take pride of place on the front of a Virgin Train’s Pendolino which will be seen by so many. This is just one of the many things we are doing to mark this special occasion and we are excited to show the rest of the UK what our city has to offer.”

The significance of Lady Godiva has been identified as one of the key drivers of the city’s plans to promote the city in the lead up to 2021.

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for jobs and regeneration at Coventry City Council said: “Lady Godiva is an iconic symbol for our city so it’s great to see a train that will be visible up and down the country named after her. I’d like to thank BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and Virgin Trains for organising and helping to promote Coventry.”

Wolverhampton station artwork celebrates city landmarks and history

An impressive new piece of artwork can now be found in the waiting room on platform one at Wolverhampton station.

The large mural, which measures over 10 metres wide and 3 metres tall, has been produced by local student Coree Bridgen. The artwork celebrates Wolverhampton’s landmarks and history, including references to Molineux, Prince Albert’s Statue, a giant wolf, The Black Country Flag and Banks’s Park Brewery - where Coree’s grandad worked for over 30 years.

Coree’s design was chosen as the winner of a competition arranged by staff at the station. The initiative invited those with an artist flare to come up with designs to brighten up the waiting area during the ongoing station redevelopment works.

Coree, said: “I am thankful for the opportunity of painting the mural. The staff at the station were very welcoming and I enjoyed our conversations. I would like to say thank you to Andy for being a big help and my fantastic art teachers at St Matthias School. Without

Student Coree Bridgen with his artwork at Wolverhampton station them, none of this would have happened. I hope this piece will allow me to have future opportunities with other businesses.”

In autumn 2018, hoarding was put up along the main wall of the waiting

room. Staff at the station saw this as an opportunity to get the local community involved and bring a flavour of the city onto the railway.

Wolverhampton station manager Mel Bryett, said: “Coree’s design is fantastic,

and reflects perfectly what my team had in mind for the hoarding – something that links to local landmarks and symbols. The city is undergoing a lot of change at the moment – particularly around the station – but we still wanted the lounge to be inviting for passengers during these works.

“We have had some great feedback from passengers while Coree has been hard at work, and would encourage anyone passing through the station to come and have a look at what has been achieved – as it is truly magnificent!”

The impressive mural can be found inside the waiting room on platform one, by the main information desk, and will be on display until the autumn. £150m is currently being spent on a new transport hub at the station, to connect Wolverhampton’s rail services to local buses and trams. The first phase of work is due to be completed this autumn – with the project due to be fully completed next year (2020).

24

May 2019

This Ramadan...

What you give, is what those who need it, get - 100%!

Donate yours with ILM UK

%03000 111 000

www.ilmuk.org

LOCAL 6-14

GLOBAL 15-19

BUSINESS 20-25

GLAM 26-33

With its recent introduction, new research suggests nearly one in five businesses above the VAT threshold still know little or nothing about Making Tax Digital, according to the British Chambers of Commerce.

Responding to the findings, and amid the significant cost pressures placed on business by the ongoing Brexit uncertainty, the leading business group is reiterating its call for government to delay the introduction of this major change, scheduled for just a few days after the UK’s planned departure from the EU. The results of a BCC survey of almost 1,000 firms from across the UK, found that while levels

WEDDINGS 35-39

HEALTH 40-41

TRAVEL 42-43

of awareness and preparation have increased since the previous year, businesses are still insufficiently prepared for the incoming processes. With just weeks to go, 19% of companies required to take part have never heard of Making Tax Digital or know it only by name.

The BCC study saw widespread dissatisfaction on the roll-out of MTD, particularly from small businesses, with significant new administrative burdens and a lack of clear guidance from HMRC commonly reported.

Over a third (38%) of businesses have had to upgrade or source new accounting software to prepare for the introduction

TECH 44-45

FOOD 46-47

MOTORING 48-51

SPORTS 52-54

of Making Tax Digital. Businesses are also reporting that they are facing significant costs to upgrade – unacceptable at a time when firms are facing a myriad of upfront and Brexit related costs.

Making Tax Digital represents a significant overhaul to the UK tax system, so the timing of its introduction just days after the UK’s planned departure from the EU is particularly concerning for business. Government is expecting firms to get to grips with these tax changes while simultaneously asking them to dedicate time and resources to prepare for all possible Brexit scenarios.

Cyber-attacks on Businesses in 2019

UK firms have reported that the amounts of cyber-attacks into 2019 have rocketed.

This has been in relation to most businesses stating that they are not prepared for the breaches according to research uncovered from Hiscox.

In 2019, the insurer found 55% of firms had faced an attack, which is an amount that has gone up from 40% last year. However, almost threequarters of the firms are graded as beginners in terms of cyber readiness. Hiscox said that a lot of businesses felt that they were not at risk.

The firm had surveyed more than 5,400 small, medium and big businesses across seven countries, including the UK, Germany, US, Belgium, France, Netherlands and Spain. It had said that there had been an increase in the amounts of cyber-attacks with more than 60% of companies having to report one or more attack, from 45% in 2018. Average losses from the breaches also climbed from £176,000 to £283,000, which is an increase of 61%.

In spite of this, the insurer

said that the percentage of the companies scoring top marks on cybersecurity had fallen with the UK businesses are doing bad. British companies have the lowest cybersecurity budgets; spending on average less than $900,000 on average compared with $1.46million across the group. They were also joint least likely with US companies to have a defined role for cybersecurity on their staff. Head of Cyber at Hiscox Gareth Wharton said that the low UK spending could be determined by a large number of small businesses in Britain.

Gareth also states that they may feel they will not be tar-

geted as they only intend to read about massive breaches in the press. If they think that they won’t be targeted, then they may be less likely to spend on cybersecurity.

Nevertheless, Hiscox also found out that the average the cost of an attack in the UK was lower than an average of $243,000, compared with $906,000 in Germany and $486,000 in Belgium.

New regulations have also provoked an action, with eight in ten UK organisations saying they had made changes since the outline of new EU data protection rules last year.

May 2019

25

BCC research highlights need to delay Making Tax Digital

The lack of awareness, and poor communication and timing from government, demonstrate the need to urgently delay its introduction. Next week’s Spring Statement would be the perfect opportunity for government to acknowledge that both its agencies and business communities need more time to plan sufficiently for these major changes, and announce a postponement.

Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The idea to modernise the UK’s tax system is a good one, but the timing couldn’t be much worse. In the current environment, the introduction of Mak-

ing Tax Digital is an added cost and administrative burden and there still isn’t adequate understanding or preparation among businesses to make its rollout a success right now.

“It’s time for government to acknowledge that this isn’t the right moment to implement an overhaul of the system. A rollout of this scale is bound to have hiccups, and HMRC’s already stretched resources will be focused on Brexit and changes to tax and customs process, so there is a heightened risk for confusion and disorder.”

Phil Smith, Managing Director of Business West, which runs the Chambers of

Commerce in Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, said: “We should not under estimate the time and money small businesses have to spend just to keep pace with regulatory burdens.

“Many of our members have voiced their opinion on Making Tax Digital, regarding it as an unreasonable amount of complex jargon and an unnecessary extra cost. Businesses have enough to worry about with Brexit and this is an added unnecessary burden.”

26

May 2019

AW Facts Did you know?

Fatima Begum became Bollywood’s first female director in 1926 with Bulbul-e-Paristan.

Interview with

h g n i S g i a b u S Page 28

Reason to Smile Charity nt Eve ge 30 Pa

2 r a e y e h t f th student o y 10 a out PM age 31

Interview with

u h d n a S t e e Ram

Page 30

‘Noor, a true story of Liberté’ Page 29

LOCAL 6-14

GLOBAL 15-19

BUSINESS 20-25

GLAM 26-33

WEDDINGS 35-39

HEALTH 40-41

TRAVEL 42-43

TECH 44-45

FOOD 46-47

MOTORING 48-51

SPORTS 52-54

May 2019

Get in the party mood with Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet & Tabu

27

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After mesmerizing the audience with a series of upbeat songs, the makers of De De Pyaar De have now released another smashing track – Hauli Hauli, which will make your feet go tapping for sure.

A recreation of Garry Sandhu’s popular Punjabi number – Yeah Baby, the electrifying beats of Hauli Hauli, composed by the master of foot-tapping recreations – Tanishk Bagchi, takes the song to another high.

Talking about the song, Tanishk Bagchi said, “Garry is a champ and his ‘Yeah Baby’ is a smashing song.

Recreating an already popular song is always a challenge, but I take it positively. I try my best to keep the original feel and vibe of the song intact, while at the same time giving it a fresh treatment and arrangement.

I think ‘Hauli Hauli’ is all set to fuel up the dance floors.” Tanishk further added, “Akiv Ali has done a fantastic job with De De Pyar De. The trailer hitting a 50 Million on YouTube is proof what dynamite of a film it’s going to be.”

Penned by Garry Sandhu and Mellow D, the peppy song is crooned by Neha Kakkar and Garry Sandhu. Picturized on Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet Singh and Tabu, the up-tempo song thrives on their infectious energy and wonderfully captures the zestful mood of the film.

Choreographer Bosco Martis said, “Hauli Hauli is a pure party number and it was a lot of fun choreographing it. As it is a promotional track and features many of the film actors apart from Ajay sir, Tabu ma’am and Rakul, so I had to ensure that the hook steps were simple, catchy and looks good on all the actors.

Once that part was cracked, it was a smooth sail for me. I must say, I really enjoyed working with all the actors. We had a great time dancing on the song.”

Speaking about the track, director

Akiv Ali said, “We wanted to shoot a promotional track that was not only a fun, foot-tapping number but also resonated with the mood of the film. I personally like Garry Sandhu’s ‘Yeah Baby’ very much, and all of us knew this was an apt song for our promotional track. Tanishk has done a

fantastic job and I hope this fun number that we all have loved so much finds a place on everyone’s playlist.”

Hauli Hauli’s catchy beats will certainly compel you to rock the dance floor.

28

May 2019

w e i v r e t n I

MRS INDIA UK 2019 WINNERS ANNOUNCED An evening of beauty, grace, extravaganza of glamour and fashion as never seen before Brandwok Ltd hosted the 3rd Mrs India UK grand finale - one of the largest, impartial and most influential pageants in the UK at Hilton Tower Bridge London.

The evening was attended by VIP’s, media and high profiled judges who witnessed the crowning of the winners with of Mrs India UK 2019. Dolly S Ahuja Mrs India UK winner, Rose Marok Mrs India UK Classic winner and Geeta Gangurde Mrs India UK Platinum winner amongst the 3 individual categories with age criteria.

Mrs India UK has set itself apart from others through an evening of glamour and entertainment hosted by popular stand-up comedian Tommy Sandhu. The evening commenced with an amazing catwalk and fashion show

with the final 28 contestants showcasing their talent; bringing out each finalist’s individual personality whilst modelling breath- taking designs

by Stella Haefele and Vlastara Rauer and make up team headed

by Queen Singh and Studio50.

This year

with

Subaig Singh

Interview Script – Tauseef Asif | Conducted by – Manisha Bhanot 1) What inspired you to begin a career in the music industry?

I’d always had a love for music from a young age. It was when I went to University that I started to associate with more Asian people and I developed a love for Punjabi/Folk music.

The artists that inspired me the most were Kuldeep Manak and Surinder Shinda. I wanted to follow in their footsteps and make some soulful Punjabi music.

2) How do you feel about your new song DAMN DAMN reaching over 5 million views?

It feels great. The track is international and a commercial song. It’s very different to the songs I started making in my early days. I’m delighted that it’s had the success it has. Just hearing all the positive reviews from the fans and their Tick-Tock videos coming through, it feels really good!

3) What motivates you the most when releasing a song or working on a new project?

I think what’s motivational to me the most is that I want to be able to express myself. I get a lot of satisfaction from creating music.

I enjoy the whole process; from selecting a song to

Mrs India UK Social initiatives and fund raising activities rose over GBP11000 for various charity associates.

Since its inception, the team has been dedicated to promoting Asian cultural heritage, international cultural awareness and community pride. 2019 has seen Mr India UK taken another level with media partnership with B4U and TV partners and key sponsorship partners from UK & India.

The event provided a platform where outstanding individuals had the opportunity to display their artistic skills, intelligence, confidence, cultural pride and leadership in order to further advance themselves in society, as

recording the song, seeing the song being transformed with the backing track, the story evolve into a music video and then a commercial campaign. I very much enjoy the journey and seeing a project from start to finish and then the audience reaction at the end.

4) What would you say stands out about your music?

I think it’s the versatility I can offer. I’m very proud of the fact I can switch tracks and switch category effortlessly and seamlessly, rather than being pigeon-holed into one category. I’ve got the knowledge, appetite and the desire to try different things.

5) Who is your role model in the music industry?

I would say my role model is Gurdas Maan. I think he’s an amazing human being. He spreads a great message through his music. He’s also a great performer, writer and a singer. The way that he conducts his personal life and public image as a respectable and honourable human being is fantastic.

6) For people who haven’t heard your music before, how would you describe your signature style, or would you say you had one at all?

I would always say that my roots are traditional Punjabi Folk music. I would argue that I can’t really be categorized into a single style, purely because one factor that’s typical of me as an artist is that I like to try new things, and dip into different varieties and genres.

7) What are your long term goals?

I have another four tracks being released this year – they’re all Punjabi/Bollywood style songs. I will also be releasing a 10-12 track album at the end of this year. I’m hoping I’ll continue to make good music and I also want to pursue my goals into a career in acting as well.

well as raising their profiles.

Established in 2017, Mrs India UK is one of the pioneer beauty pageants in the United Kingdom for British Indian and Asian married women residing in The United Kingdom. Mrs India UK has successfully embarked on a new journey since 2017 and completed 2 seasons declaring its National and International winners and looking forward to building this vision further in the coming years. All 3 winners will go on to represent the UK in Mrs Universe, Mrs International and Mrs Earth this year.

Mrs India UK has been an amazing journey for all involved to set a bench mark in the beauty pageant industry from the management team to the sponsors, media partners and the finalist. From extensive training, photo shoots,

team building and much more.

The grand finale was the final step of the 3 months of intense training by The Pageant School, where the multi-talented finalists went through numerous training sessions with industry experts, mentors and coaches on topics of personnel grooming, fitness, choreography, nutrition, smile design, make-up, catwalk and talent and personnel development.

Directors of Mrs India UK Aditi commented, “We aimed to deliver and excel Mrs India UK brand to the next level. The evening no doubt demonstrated our commitment in hosting this exceptional event. At the same time we would like to congratulate all the finalists who took part and of course our winners, we look forward to working with them as our official brand ambassadors’.

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Deepika Padukone’s Pregnancy Pressures Actress Deepika Padukone and actor Ranveer Singh’s relationship has taken the media by storm, and they have become one of Bollywood’s most admired couples following their feature together in the movie, ‘Ramleela’. Fans were then overjoyed when the couple announced their marriage at Lake Como in Italy last year followed by back-to-back parties in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi.

Following these events, it was not long until fans began to speculate eagerly when the couple will be expecting their first child. In result of this, there has been a wave of questions and rumours on Deepika and Ranveer’s plans on having a baby, which has irritated the actress.

In a recent interview, Deepika expressed her views on these speculations and stated that it is unfair to place such pressure and questions on women regarding pregnancy. She continued in saying that she will conceive in her own time however people need to

stop asking questions and change their mindset on the topic as she states, “Of course, it will happen at some point, but no, I think it is unfair to put women through that, to put a couple through that.”

Therefore, implying that the media and fans should stop indulging in such rumours on Deepika’s potential pregnancy.

For now, the actress is enjoying her life with husband, Ranveer Singh, as she states, “It’s beautiful living together. It’s the best feeling in the world. I always looked forward to living together because I moved out of home at a young age to start working. I crave that quality time where you wake up in the morning and have someone to talk to while you’re having breakfast.

For the last 15 years, I was alone.”

In other news, Deepika will be appearing in Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Chhapaak’, which is a movie that will tell the story of acid attack survivor, Laxmi Agarwal, which is set to release next year.

By Navkiran Bains

‘Noor, a true story of Liberté’

A recent play about the multi-cultural WWII spy Noor Inayat-Khan at the Tristan Bates Theatre

By Saiqa Latif

There’s been much media attention lately around Noor Inayat Khan, following a campaign last year to feature her on a redesigned £50 note. During WWII she was a key player in helping the French Resistance as a radio operator sent to Paris from London. It seems only inevitable therefore that a play would be set around her life. Born just a few months before the onset of World War I, she died only a year before the end of World II. She first trained as a wireless operator in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) before becoming a Secret Operation Executive (SOE) trained

in espionage and sabotage. Noor was eventually arrested and interrogated by the Gestapo before being sent to Dachau concentration camp and executed by gunshot. Throughout the interrogations she never revealed her identity; her last uttered word forms the title of the play ‘liberte’ (freedom).

What is lesser known about Noor is her life before the war as a musician and children’s author trained in child psychology at the Sorbonne. It is from this premise that producers from Exchange Theatre have created a family-based play by tapping into Noor’s storyteller

voice. Following their bilingual productions of revisited classics like Misanthrope, this latest offering from the company is a documentary style continuation of their unique act of merging cultures and languages on stage as part of a festival of European theatre.

With a cast of three principal actors, all took turns in playing Noor by the privilege of sharing a piece of her multi-faceted identity. The daughter of an Indian Sufi Master and American mother, the production focuses mainly on her mixed heritage and an upbringing divided between the U.K and France.

The question of identity forms the central core of the play with different cultural perspectives brought in from supporting characters with varying results. It was sometimes difficult to keep pace with the rapidity of the differing vantage points and changing roles. With only partial dramatisation of the key events of Noor’s life, the rest of the play is a composite of war testimonials from family members, improvisations and facts relayed to the audience in static speeches.

In a basement theatre with blackened walls, a sweeping wave of claustrophobia was heightened by an assault to the senses with air raid sirens. The seriousness of the realities of war were sensitively balanced with moments of humour and enough dynamism to keep the diverse audience engaged with moments of genuine surprise with a schadenfreude twist. The fluidity in Noor’s identity makes her the perfect character to bring on stage for young people living in a world where borders are at odds with blood relatives across the divide.

Though not a polished performance, substance combines well with this experimental Edinburgh Fringe style theatre. The sheer rawness of the material makes the stage the perfect medium to showcase a version of history not often taught in schools and overlooked in our history books. By focusing on young people, the cast emphatically draws the audience into a lived experience through the lens of child-like innocence. Lessons in cultural relativity through art is perhaps one way of weakening inherited beliefs from the hold of political divisiveness.

Overall, I found it a bold attempt to engage younger audiences with a complex narrative made simple without any loss to the seriousness of the subject’s life, one that was bookmarked by the tragedy of two world wars. Remembered by her codename Madeline by some, for others, she will remain Noor-un-nisa, “the light of womanhood”.

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with

1. How do you feel after the release of your new track ‘Karde Haan’?

It has been absolutely amazing, the response so far has been incredible and the support from the industry has just been a blessing. I am very happy!

2. What makes you different from other Punjabi artists?

Being a young female singing in Punjabi, I want to do something different with it and bring in the urban side of music into my tracks too.

Not only that, but I’ve also learnt dancing so when I’m performing in Punjabi, I have the urban music and the dancing to match that too, so the whole package!

3. What inspired you to pursue a career in the music industry?

The main thing that inspires me is my family, my mum and dad especially. My dad actually writes my songs with me, so I think by having my family’s support, there is nothing more inspiring than that. They’re always there to push me with everything I do and what I love doing too.

4. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in the music industry?

There has been quite a lot of challenges; it hasn’t been an easy journey at all. I think being independent and standing on my own two feet has been absolutely difficult.

As of now, I am very blessed to be independent and releasing my song with the best PR team (UK Premier) with me, it’s great.

Rameet Sandhu

By Navkiran Bains

5. You have previous experience in acting, would you pursue this career further in the future?

Yes of course, with my acting I had my Punjabi film out a few years back with Hardy Sandhu which has been great. I was also a child actor working on CBBC, so acting is always going to be there for sure. I also featured in an advert in India about four/five months back. Any amazing opportunities that come up, I will be open to.

6. What advice would you give to anybody wanting to pursue a career in the music industry?

Coming into this industry you have to be very strong with your mindset and even emotionally strong because you need to be open to positive and negative comments. You just need to be strong enough to stand on your own two feet and never give up on what you want.

Do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be.

7.What can your fans look forward to from you this year?

I’ve got a lot more music coming out; I’m flying off to India to shoot my video for my next song which is produced by Mumzy Stanger and will be dropping towards the end of June, so that’s something to look forward to. I also have a few collaborations lined up with other artists which I’m really excited about, so there’s quite a lot happening this year.

Keep supporting!

Reason to Smile Charity Event

The night of Friday the 26th of April witnessed a houseful of laughter and excitement as the Reason to Smile Charity Event kicked off in Wolverhampton. The PR Marketing and Events Management Company 1Nation Media, hosted the event in support of AandAServices – A non-profit organisation based in Walsall which works to bring aid to the elderly and vulnerable in the West Midlands area.

The event was held at the Royal Banqueting Suite Ltd, where guests were welcomed into a Princely and beautifully decorated venue, with candle-lit chandeliers and a star-embezzled stage. The night’s festivities began with awards being handed out to

attendees for their esteemed charitable work and contributions to society. In attendance were the region’s most distinguished businesses and organisations, including sponsors such as Holiday Inn, S & Co Solicitors, Sky Channel 779/A1 TV, The Mascoteers and Asian World Newspaper.

The evening saw entertainment from live DJ Code Music, dancers Desi Ronak, as well as singers Sonu Chand, Reece Turner and the much-favoured Asif Khan. A three-course buffet was also included, as well as a bar for visitors to purchase drinks.

Guest speakers such as Host Poli Tank and Dr Saroj Duggal (MBE) also made an appearance to

By Manisha Bhanot

encourage guests to donate and contribute towards to the important cause.

About AandAServices AandAServices are a charity which aim to provide help to those who require it in the form of Food Banks, Cleaning services, and Buddying services in order to give support to the lonely and isolated. A&A also support the physically disabled such as the blind and deaf, and the elderly in their homes by providing house sitting and pet care facilities.

They include support for those who are being rehoused on their return from Hospital and special care. A&A can be contacted on a 24Hour Help Line for those who need aid, or for more information; you can dial them directly on 01922 687344.

NIKITA KANDA LANDS ASIAN STAR DRIVETIME PRESENTER JOB NIKITA CONFIRMED AS THE NEW DRIVE TIME PRESENTER EARLY EVENING SHOW BETWEEN 4-7PM

Nikita said she was ‘ecstatic’ after impressing bosses after her stint on the station. Talking about taking over in the drive time slot after working so hard, she said: ‘I am proud to be part of the Asian Star family. ‘And the opportunity to present such a big show as Drive time – playing fantastic music and hopefully making people smile as they head home after a day’s work – is the icing on what is already a very brilliant cake. I love those breaking news stories. Radio is like three hours of rolling coverage, so I know I will get that adrenaline rush’ she said.

To present 15 hours a week of the music on The Big Drive Home, playing the biggest Asian beats is a dream come true for this very talented young lady.

Before joining the Asian Star Nikita Kanda started her media career in theatre and went onto TV production and presenting for an international channel.

Ray C, Head of Asia Star commented: ‘’We are delighted to have Nikita on board, she’s always smiling and is full of life which is exactly what the show needs and I am sure the listeners will love her’’.

GIRL POWER CONTINUES

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Mental Hai Kya new poster is OUT

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Get ready for craziness that cuts through! Mental Hai Kya - releasing on the 21st of June 2019! The poster for upcoming film Mental Hai Kya has been released. Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao’s team shared the poster on their Instagram profiles with the caption: “Madness has made

The dance number of the year has arrived just in time for the wedding season #mumbaidillidikudiyaan

One of the most talked about films of this year Student Of The Year 2 has released the party anthem of the year titled Mumbai Dilli Di Kudiyaan. The new kids on the block can be seen in a desi avatar perfect for the wedding season. The terrific trio; Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria are surely leaving the audiences grooving to the celebratory

number.

The song opens with Tiger Shroff’s amazing dancing skills and the new female leads, Ananya and Tara, looking gorgeous in their modern ghagra-choli and perfectly matching their coactors’ peppy moves. A love triangle can be seen forming within the song between the characters, Rohan, Mia and Shreya leaving the audience

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wondering who will end up together.

Tiger Shroff took to Twitter to share the new song Student of the Year 2 is helmed by director Punit Malhotra and is presented by Fox Star Studios in association with Dharma Productions.

Student Of The Year 2 is slated to release on 10th May ‘19

May 2019 its cut! Catch Mental Hai Kya in theatres on 21st June 2019” The poster shows Kangana and Rajkummar balancing a razor blade on their tongues.

Directed by National Awardwinning filmmaker Prakash Kavelamudi, Mental Hai Kya is slated to release in cinemas on 21st June 2019.

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APWA Charity Event

All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA) UK Family Musical Fundraiser Evening was held at Digbeth Hall. It was a highly successful event attended by many dignitaries and distinguished guests, hosted by Rana Shama Nazir, Adeela Parvez and Bina Ahmad.

The event included a presentation on the history of All Pakistan Women’s Association UK and the work being done by All Pakistan Women’s Association Birmingham. The auction and raffle tickets proceeds will be donated to All Pakistan Women’s Association Government schools in Pakistan. The keynote speakers were Lord Mayor of Birmingham Councillor Yvonne Mosquito, Labour candidate for the Member of European Parliament Ansar Ali Khan, Riffat Mughal Chairperson APWA Bir-

mingham, Samina Raja and others. They expressed their views and appreciated the work All Pakistan Women’s Association Birmingham have done under the supervision of chairperson of All Pakistan Women’s Association Birmingham Riffat Mughal over the past year. Speakers also condemned the tragic incident that happened in Sri Lanka where approximately 250 people lost their lives in a suicide attack by Terrorists.

Special performances were given by Sohail Salamat, Amina Sultani and young khadija. Also present were Nazir Awan, Ishtiaq Latif, Fajli Bibi, Sajeda Awan, Nasreen Awan, Samina Raja, Gazala Ahmed, Dr Nikhat Iftekhar, Samina Yaqub, Nagina, Rabab Malik, Shazia Bashir, Sham Abbasi, Shagufta Naz, Ruby Tariq, Saeeda, Winston

Mosquito, Naveed Malik- Deputy Chief Constable Metro Politon Police, Marie Lerycke - Barrister, Sajid Yousaf ‘Neena Gill Member of European Parliament, Fadel Takrouri Regional Director Labour, About APWA APWA was first established in 1949 by Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan, wife of the first Pakistani PM Liaquat Ali Khan. The organisations focus on the safeguarding and social well-being of Pakistani women who come abroad into foreign countries.

They make sure they are well integrated and settled into their host nation, and have a strong network of support around them at all times. APWA is focused on the empowerment of Pakistani women, promoting young girls’ education overseas, and keeping females aware of their human rights at all times.

By Manisha Bhanot

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www.asianworldnews.co.uk

Asian Wedding Section Welcome to the renewed version of the AsianWorld wedding directory – inclusive in your monthly copy of our newspaper. This section will include a handful of all your favourite and well established brands, as well as some new and upcoming featured businesses. Either way, we aim to make planning your perfect wedding

so much easier!

The lay-out and design of the next few pages is set to put you at ease – either side of the bridal party will find it simple to dip into our list of useful clientele, services and products, and tick off all their wedding needs!

On average, the Asian wedding costs a huge

sum of £50,000 upwards, which is more than twice the price of a traditional British ceremony.

Whether it be a Sikh, Muslim or Hindu marriage, Asians are known to invite all of their friends and members of their extended family from near and far. With an invitation list that normally exceeds 100 guests, hosts are eager to please. Hence, the

average Asian couple will spend around one fifth of their entire lives’ earnings on this single most prestigious event!

If you would like your business advertised in our wedding directory, and promoted across the West Midlands in various ways, you can get in touch with us using the contact details on page 3.

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Sikh Wedding TraditionS The Sikh wedding rituals begin with the engagement ceremony.

The families start the Sikh wedding ceremonies by reading the entirety of the Guru Granth Sahib.

After this, the wedding date is fixed. Following all of these rituals, both families present each other with gifts and the bride and groom exchange rings.

After the engagement, the groom’s family visits the bride, and his mother covers the bride’s head with a chunni.

His family also gifts the bride with clothes and jewellery. Afterwards, the mehndi ceremony starts.

Mehndi is artful henna designs on the hands and feet of the bride to be.

For the chooda ceremony, the bride’s maternal uncle gifts her with a set of red bangles, which are dipped in milk.

Golden ornaments called Kaleerien are tied to the bangles. Then the Haldi ceremony begins, which is similar to the Hindu Haldi ceremony. A paste of turmeric powder is applied to the bride and groom before the wedding for a natural glow.

In the Gharoli ritual, holy water

is brought from the Gurdwara, and the bride and groom have to bath from it. The water is bought by the sisters-in-law of the couple in an earthen pot (gharoli).

Anand Karaj refers to the main Sikh wedding ceremony. This means blissful union. The family go into the Gurdwara and attend the Kirtan, which is a set of religious songs that are sung.

A Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs is brought out, and the priest recites a collection of prayers, whilst the bride and groom are seated.

After this, the Laavan Phere ritual starts. Lavan is the four prayers which seal the marriage. The bride’s scarf and the groom’s shawl are tied together as a symbol of unity. They then take rounds around their holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib as the Laavan is chanted. The groom leads the rounds holding a sword. After this, a ceremonial sweet is offered to the guests. The desserts are either made by the bride’s family or by the Gurdwara in a certain way, and it is blessed and considered holy.

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Family Matchmaking App Launch Fateha Majid is a South Asian woman working in tech. With a background in Psychology, she is fascinated by the science of love, attraction and relationships. She has developed a new Family Matchmaking app and website called Biye Biye.

What’s Biye Biye about?

How did you come up with the idea?

I am really excited about the launch of Biye Biye and I hope your readers will be too. It’s basically a traditional way to find a Bride or Groom but it’s online.

I was harassed at work. I felt that it wouldn’t be addressed properly, so I ended up walking away.

It was a low point. A friend sent me a newspaper clip about ‘SingleMuslim.com: how the Yorkshire dating site transformed Muslim romance’. He was like ‘didn’t you say you wanted to do something like this?’ He reminded me that it was time for me to follow my bliss.

Like all these things, it uses an algorithm that matches you up with compatible families within your community. It’s absolutely free to register and free to swipe through profiles and contact other families.

I’m giving away 3-months worth of Boost to anyone who registers before 31st May 2019.

What do you get with Boost?

You’ll get to view full family profiles, have an expanded search criteria, and be able to use the video-chat and see which families are interested in yours.

What does Biye Biye actually mean?

It’s pronounced ‘Bee-ya’ which means ‘Wedding’ or ‘Marriage’ in Bangla. My parents are from Bangladesh so wanted a catchy name connected to my roots.

So will your parents be using it?

Yes, of course! They’ll be amongst the first users.

It’s not only for parents, any member of the family can set up an account. You can even look for yourself.

Things started to change very quickly after that. I got myself a coach and started exploring different matchmaking business models. I was introduced to the CEO of Project 143, Aneeka Patel, who set up an award-winning matchmaking agency for Asian professionals. I called her up, the next thing I know is I am cheekily asking her to be my mentor!

I interviewed lots of people which I’m really grateful for as that helped me to shape the idea.

It seems coaches played a big part in your journey. Did you stop there?!

I’ve started asking different people to be my coach and it’s amazing how many people say yes. I got the CEO of Peabody to be my coach. If it wasn’t for him, I think my Business Plan would be floating around in my mind or on scraps of paper.

The place to find a bride or groom.

Join today and contact other families for free.

www.biyebiye.com

Muzmatch, Single Muslims and Shaadi have male Founders. How does it feel being a female founder of a matchmaking app?

It feels quite exciting and daunting at the same time. I think I am the first South Asian woman to be treading this path. Currently, women make up 17% of the tech industry in the UK, so it’s definitely a man’s world. But things are starting to change.

What is it that you’ll do differently?

I believe making a great first impression is so important so I’ve set up a few services to help families. We have a Photoshoot, Profile Writing and Date Night Concierge Service delivered by our in-house team and affiliates, Hey Saturday and Secret Dates. We also have the Love Lab which you’ll be able to get advice from the relationship experts.

Biye Biye is just really cool and sassy.

Aside from setting up Biye Biye, what’s the bravest thing you’ve done?

I have a fear of heights, so it has to be skydiving last year to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

What do you do to relax?

Laughing therapy is the best way to relax.

I recently went to see Guz Khan in Leicester Square. Such a legend!

Join by 31st M and ge ay 2019 t 3 mo nth Boost for FR s EE

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Virgin Trains Research shows that mushrooms reduce brain decline partner with Solihull Moors FC and Solihull Mind to deliver mental health support sessions A new route into nursing

According to new research, there is a unique antioxidant in mushrooms which can have a positive effect on the brain. Studies found that eating mushrooms over twice a week can prevent problems with language and memory. The six-year study tracked the lifestyle of 663 adults aged over sixty, and in result found that eating mushrooms had lowered risks of cognitive damage. Regular mushroom consumers shower better performances in their brain tests and also a quicker processing speed. The lead study author, professor Lei Feng, described these results as “surprising and encouraging.”

Virgin Trains is partnering with Solihull Moors Football Club, and Solihull Mind, on a six-month programme of footballing sessions to promote improved health and wellbeing.

The weekly all-inclusive coaching takes place every Friday and is aimed at men and women of all ages, providing support and advice for the increasing number of people affected by mental health issues.

“Solihull Moors is more than just a football club,” explained Becci Fox, Disability and Community Manager for the Moors. “And in Virgin Trains we have found a partner who shares our vision of working with the local community.”

“With their support, we’ve been able to work with Solihull Mind to deliver bespoke training sessions for people suffering from poor mental health who perhaps might not have the confidence to speak about their problems in a more formal setting.”

The first sessions have attracted around 20 people each week, and the feedback has been extremely positive.

“It’s been great for team building and getting me motivated and out of a rut” …Tom “Can’t we make it every day, it’s been the best escape from my mental

health condition”…Mark “The positive impact on all the players has been amazing. It’s creating an environment which is supportive in helping to improve mental health”…. Dave “Great for the players to take their minds of their mental health, and for encouraging them to think outside the box and improve communication”…. Andy “Mental Health is an issue that touches on everyone’s life,” explained Jo Buckley, Community Manager at Virgin Trains. The facts speak for themselves: one in four adults and one in ten children are likely to have a mental health problem in any year. This has a profound impact on the lives of tens of millions of people in the UK. “Through raised awareness our aim is to be able to help customers, employees, friends and family members alike to recognise symptoms and to protect and maintain their mental health. That’s why we didn’t hesitate to partner with Solihull Moors and Solihull Mind on such a rewarding project.”

The sessions take place between 13:30 and 15:30 each Friday in Knowle. Further details are available by calling Solihull Mind on 0121 742 4941.

Student Wendy Parry working on the simulation ward at Northumbria’s Clinical Skills Centre The government announced a Registered Nursing Degree apprenticeship scheme in 2016 to enable people to train to become a graduate registered nurse through an apprenticeship route.

Working in collaboration with Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Northumbria University was approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council to deliver the UK’s first 18-month nursing degree apprenticeship, which began in September. Eight apprentice nurses are now well into their studies and when they complete the course in March 2020, they will be the first ever Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeships qualified nurses in the country.

The apprentice nurses all work as Assistant Practitioners in Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital and Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Wendy Parry said she was glad to be part of the first cohort at Northumbria. “I think it’s a great opportunity to use our background experience and the skills we already need to improve and develop our nursing careers further. It also gives us the chance to learn the underpinning knowledge behind the things we do already in practice,” she said.

Matt Diment added: “We have been on location from the beginning of our apprenticeship and the course here at Northumbria has increased our awareness of time-management and our ability to transfer that to our existing practice in a hospital situation.”

Professor Alison Machin, Head of the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University, said that the University was delighted to be working with Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to deliver its first ever degree nursing apprenticeship programme.

“Our collaboration builds on a long history of successful partnership working in undergraduate and postgraduate education of nurses and other health professionals. We are also working together on several exciting nursing, midwifery and allied health professions research projects, including an evaluation of this Degree Nurse Apprenticeship,” she said The course has been approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council with advanced standing of 50% applied.

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is funding it using the government’s Apprenticeship Levy scheme.

Degree apprenticeships combine university study and workplace learning to enable employees to gain new knowledge and skills whilst completing a degree.

This Degree Apprenticeship is delivered in flexible delivery modes. The delivery model includes 20% time away from the workplace to enable development of theory to practice.

Northumbria University offers a range of degree apprenticeship courses in other subjects, including Business Leadership and Management Practice; Quantity Surveying; Risk and Compliance and a Solicitor degree apprenticeship.

Full information and details visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/degreeapprenticeship

AW Facts Did you know?

Laughing is good for the heart and can increase blood flow by 20%.

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Asian women talk openly about their cervical screening experiences

Around 2,600 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in England each year and around 690 women die from the disease – that’s two deaths every day. It is estimated that if everyone in England attended screening regularly, 83% of cervical cancer cases could be prevented.

Attending your cervical screening appointment when you are invited is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself from getting cervical cancer. And that’s why Priyanka Abbi, Jas Dosanjh, Lakshmi Jesani and Chhaya Jones are supporting the ‘Cervical Screening Saves Lives’ campaign - sharing their experiences and encouraging all eligible Asian women to book their appointments as soon as they get their invite letters, and attend.

Research shows that 1 in 4 women do not attend their cervical screening - a test that could stop cancer before it starts. We also know that Asian women are even less likely to attend.

So why is attendance so low?

Priyanka shares her story: Priyanka Abbi, 33 shares “I had my first screening two years ago. It was over in less than five minutes and wasn’t as uncomfortable as I imagined it would be. The results showed abnormal cells and after further investigations it revealed I had cervical cancer which left me in shock at the time. I wish I had gone for my screening test when I received the invitation. I kept putting it off as I found it difficult to find the time to go.

“I’ve been successfully treated now and would urge all women - especially Asian women, as I know talking about private body parts within our culture can be a taboo – please, please don’t ignore your cervical screening

invite.”

Chhaya, 42 said “I had an abnormal result after I had been for my cervical screening, however I was successfully treated. I’m so glad I had the test. Since then, I religiously book my appointment when I receive my invitation and just tell myself that even if it is uncomfortable, that five minutes of discomfort could save my life.”

Jas Dosanjh, 45 said “As soon as I get my invitation letter, I make an appointment and go straight away. My last screening was fine but 15 years ago, I had an abnormal result from my test. I had treatment and was closely monitored for a while, then I was given the all clear.

I then returned to the regular

programme where I was invited every 3 years.

Lakshmi Jesani, 37 said “I always go for my screenings even though I get nervous about test on the day. Most tests are done by a female nurse, but I usually ask for a female nurse because you can, just to put my mind at rest. The nurses I have seen are very good at putting me at ease so that I don’t feel embarrassed and they have given me tips to make the test more comfortable.

My last test I asked for a smaller speculum which was more comfortable and the test was over in minutes.”

For further information about cervical screening, search ‘NHS Cervical Screening’

May 2019

41

Bollyfit with

By Reema Sarin, Founder Bollyfit

Reema Sarin

Burn those Calories this Summer!

Resolved to finally lose weight this year? Well, you need to mix up your workouts so they stay challenging. This will help keep your heart rate up, and force your body to burn more calories.

The following workouts will not only burn serious calories, but they will also push your body way past your comfort zone. If you’re not actively exercising already, then perhaps that it might be better to ease into these exercise in order to help prevent injury.

Below are some easy to follow calorie burning workouts: Interval Workout Interval training is all about challenge and recovery -- over and over -- for a cardio blast.

You can do intervals in many different ways -- running, on any sort of cardio equipment, or in a pool.

1. Warm Up: On the treadmill, with the incline set at a challenging angle, power walk at a speed of 3-3.5 for 7 minutes.

Keep your elbows up above your heart. Stop, get off the treadmill, and stretch.

2. Sprint: Drop the incline to 0, increase the treadmill speed, and sprint hard for 30 seconds.

Aim for 90% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, bring your speed down to 3.0 and walk for one minute.

3. Squats: Get off the treadmill and squat, with your bottom out to the rear and your legs slightly apart. Then jump from the squatting position into the air, landing in the same squat position as before. Do this for one set of 15 or 20, working your quadriceps. To intensify the exercise, hold dumbbells by your sides.

4. Overhead Presses: Do 15 or 20 overhead presses with the weights, pushing them straight

up and directly over your shoulders.

5. Sprint: Get back on the treadmill and sprint for 30 seconds (no incline). The goal is to be at 80% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, decrease your speed to 3.0 and walk for one minute.

6. Tricep Extensions: Using dumbbells, do one set of 15 or 20 overhead tricep extensions.

Your elbows should point toward the ceiling, with the weights behind your head. Lift the weights directly above your head and back down again.

7. Pushups. Do one set of 15 push-ups, with your elbows at a 90-degree angle from the body.

Modification: Do the push-ups with your knees on the ground, but do 25 instead of 15.

8. Sprint: Back to the treadmill. Sprint for 1 minute, aiming for 70% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, jog for 90 seconds.

9. Jumping Jacks. Do one set of 15 or 20 jumping jacks. If you’re strong enough, add two 10- or 15-pound dumbbells -- lift up the weights when you jump out, in an overhead press position, pulling them back down to shoulder height as your legs go back together.

10. Finale: Incline your treadmill to an angle that really challenges you -- but don’t hang onto the treadmill’s rails.

Walk at a 2.0-3.5 speed for 30 seconds, aiming for 60% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, bring the treadmill down to a 1.0 incline and drop your speed to 1.9 or 2.0 for a 1-minute walk. Finish by stretching.

Exactly how many calories you burn depends on your weight - and how intensely you do the exercise!

Keep Fit!

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May 2019

TRAVEL

T: 0121 771 4545

www.asianworldnews.co.uk

Spa Diamond Birmingham Review

By Manisha Bhanot

Spa Diamond is a small yet sophisticated venue situated within Aston, Birmingham. The local business and its staff are renowned in the area for being entirely dedicated to helping their clients dismiss their common strains and stresses.

Once welcomed at the reception desk, visitors are seated at a chic and trendy foyer, dotted with miniature statues of the harmonious Buddha, alongside scented candles to put your mind at ease.

Guests are encouraged to tell their masseuse about their individual treatment needs, the condition of their skin and the required pressure of their massage to ensure that the appointment runs smoothly and that each customer is left feeling thoroughly satisfied.

Once taken upstairs, guests can expect to find themselves in a comfortable room equipped with a massage bed and fully functioning hottub. Each room is beautifully decorated with oriental lamps, figurines and scenic paintings.

Every suite also holds an aromatic diffuser and tranquil background music is played to relax clients whilst they have their treatment.

Also located on site are bathrooms and showers if visitors choose to use them after their session is over.

Guests are given their own bathrobes and towels upon appointment. During the treatment, the masseuse will carefully explain to the client each step of the treatment and ensure their personal requirements are met.

Clients may rest assured that the massage specialist will relieve all of their bodily tensions and strains, in a professional and accommodating manner. It is the award-winning attention to detail and care of Spa Diamond’s staff that ensures their customers keep returning to them after each massage and beauty consultation.

Among the treatments on offer at the Spa are traditional Thai massages, Sports Therapy massages and Couples treatments. In the more luxurious end of the spectrum, included are Hot Stone sessions, Herbal Compresses, Indian Head Massages and Aromatherapy.

Oils included in the aromatherapy massage are inclusive of; tea-tree, lavender and citrus orange to awaken and rejuvenate the body’s senses.

Each massage also features a foot cleanse and specific areas of the body can be targeted to relieve the patient’s muscle problems and pains.

Whether you require an indulgent one-hour treatment or a quick facial and exfoliating scrub, Spa Diamond is the answer to all of your pampering needs. Located just 5 minutes away from the city centre, with an exclusive product range and trained experts ready at your beck and call. Book in with Spa Diamond via their website www.spa-diamond-birmingham.co.uk or call 0121 359 5566 now!

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Tel: 0121 771 4545 info@asianworldnews.co.uk

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A NEW FOREST BREAK AT BALMER LAWN HOTEL ….

The New Forest is one of the most un-spoilt and glorious parts of southern England. This unique area, full of picturesque villages, bustling market towns and winding country lanes is a great place for a short and relaxing break whatever the season. It’s made up of a well cared for mix of forest, pasture and heathland. The environmental impact of the many visitors has to be carefully balanced and the forest has a 40mph speed limit and lots of car parking areas. Here you will give way to the ponies and cattle grazing freely as they have done for centuries. There are plenty of opportunities to see the famous ponies at close quarters and deep in the wooded areas there’s a good chance of spotting one of the 2000 or so deer.

My wife and I took a short break to the area in early Spring staying at the delightful Balmer Lawn Hotel and Spa.

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Situated on the outskirts of Brockenhurst the hotel is ideally located in the heart of the New Forest and just a few miles from Lyndhurst, a firm favourite with visitors. Stop off at one of the many tea rooms and explore the local shops. Not to be missed is the New Forest Heritage Centre in the main car park. This free to enter museum, gallery and reference library is dedicated to sharing the history and traditions of the New Forest. With a gift shop and an excellent little cafe, it’s a great place to find out about this diverse and beautiful area.

The Balmer Lawn Hotel’s name is taken from the lawn at the front of the hotel. There are 54 rooms reached by a rather grand staircase near the reception area or via a convenient lift to all floors. We had room 10, and what a room! Luxurious accommodation, a large bathroom with shower and a

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super balcony with artificial grass and a wonderful view across the lawn and the forest beyond. With cricket matches in the summer, ponies, deer and cattle most months and the New Forest all around, this is the place to stay.

A number of ‘dog-friendly’ rooms are also available.

Using Balmer Lawn Hotel as a base, there are a lot of places to visit and attractions to see. First up was the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu which houses more than 250 vehicles kept in immaculate condition. There’s a monorail, rides on a veteran bus, cars from the movies and World of Top Gear. Visit the Palace House and lose yourself in the gardens and then, like us, lunch in the Brabazon restaurant.

We visited Brockenhurst famous for the water splash at the bottom of the High Street where animals stop to drink and just beyond is open heathland and some

May 2019

fantastic woodland walks. Lyndhurst is a must and if you have the time the Georgian market town of Lymington set on the coast between Southampton and Bournemouth is worth a visit.

Famous for its sailing history, there are two large marinas filled with fishing boats and yachts, as well as two sailing clubs. The town’s narrow streets are lined with pretty period cottages and houses, as well as plenty of local pubs and restaurants. From Lymington, we made the short journey to Burley village made famous by its history of witchcraft.

Other nearby attractions include Paultons Park, home of Peppa Pig World, Fairweather’s Garden Centre in Beaulieu, Rockbourne Roman Villa in Fordingbridge, The Eling Tide Mill Experience at Totton, Buckler’s Hard a unique 18th Century village where warships for Nelson’s Navy were built, and

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the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum to name just a few. Do take a look at the New Forest website for a comprehensive list of attractions and days out to help you plan your stay. www.balmerlawnhotel.com For more information on the New Forest visit www.thenewforest.co.uk www.newforestheritage.org.uk

AW Facts Did you know?

There is a city called ‘Rome’ on every continent.

44

May 2019

TECHNOLOGY

T: 0121 771 4545

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BT and British Asian Trust launch partnership to help empower adolescent girls in India

BT (BT Group plc) and the British Asian Trust have launched a landmark three-year programme which will use apps, videos and other interactive digital technologies to empower young people, with a particular focus on adolescent girls, in India. Working with innovators and sector leaders, the programme aims to create a sustainable movement for change that will increase the opportunities available to girls between the ages of 10 and 19. The programme also aims to address critical areas such as education, health, economic empowerment and life skills.

India’s population includes 120 million adolescent girls, which is about 10 per cent of the population. Many of these young women have little control over their own futures and face multiple barriers to fulfilling their potential. India has the highest rate of teen pregnancy globally and 18 per cent of girls drop out before they finish secondary school; furthermore, 27 per cent of women are married before the age of 18.

The British Asian Trust and BT’s partnership will encourage young people to

recognise their potential, with a focus on young women. Working in and around some of India’s largest urban centres, near to BT operations in Gurugram, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, the programme aims to help improve the education opportunities, health and skills of around 500,000 young people, giving them greater control over their futures.

The BT-British Asian Trust partnership will explore the different ways technology can be used to break down social barriers, as well as use BT’s technology and the skills of its people to positively impact the lives of young people in India, focusing on: • Education of girls and boys in India – building a strong foundation for lifelong learning and skills development • Employability of adolescent girls – improving their skills in key areas, as well as encouraging their curiosity and passion for learning • Health choices – increasing the confidence of young women and their ability to make decisions about their own health • Autonomy – Helping women and

girls to understand their rights and gain greater control over their futures As part of their collaboration programme, BT and the British Asian Trust are also partnering on an innovative funding initiative called a Development Impact Bond (DIB). This DIB aims to improve literacy and numeracy skills for more than 300,000 children, drive a focus towards outcomes in the development sector and transform the way education is funded in India. This DIB brings together an impressive coalition of public and private sector partners, and the funding in year one will be invested into three education NGOs. BT Group Chief Executive, Philip Jansen, said “The world of work has changed enormously during the 30 years BT has been in India. We recognise that digital technologies have the potential to transform opportunities for this and future generations of girls. We’re delighted to be partnering with the British Asian Trust to deliver sustainable social impacts, and hope to galvanise our team of 10,500 BT people based in India to support this programme.”

Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of the British Asian Trust, said “At the British Asian Trust, we pride ourselves on taking an innovative approach to tackling development challenges. Brokering partnerships and promoting economic development through scalable solutions is at the heart of what we do.

“We’re delighted to find a partner in BT who shares this vision and we’re excited to be working together with them on a programme that will directly improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of adolescent girls across India.” ¬¬

Britain Breaks Coal-Free Power Record

Britain has broken its record for the most extended period without generating electricity from coal. The National Grid said that the coal-free period lasted for more than 90 hours before coming to an end in the afternoon of 22nd April 2019. It is the most extended period since the industrial revolution, and it breaks the previous record set of 76 hours and 10 minutes set in April 2018.

The government plans to phase out of Britain’s last coal power plants by 2025 to cut the emissions of greenhouse gases. The director of the operations at the National Grid, Duncan Burt, had stated that it was a huge deal. He had also said that it is all about the hot weather we have seen, so the energy demand is low.

There has also been lots of solar power off the panels too.

Burt said that the UK generated a quarter of its energy from solar over the Easter weekend, with similar portions from the nuclear and gas and the rest was imported from Europe. In 2017, Britain went its first full day without coal since the 19th century. According to the National Grid, the coals made up

less than 10% of the country’s energy mix last year and would be even lesser in 2019.

However, experts have warned that the power which was generated by coals was mainly being replaced by gas, which was another fossil fuel rather than a renewable energy source. They also said that the reliance on gas made the UK helpless to the notions of international markets and it was not clean enough to meet the UK’s authorised targets to cut greenhouse gas releases.

The law of the 2008 Climate Change Act requires greenhouse gas releases to be reduced by 80% compared with 1990 levels, by 2050.

Climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, Muna Suleiman said: “89 hours of coal-free electricity is great, but let’s make it an all-day every day. Electricity is generated by renewable sources, which is a key part of the fight against climate chaos, so it’s time to remove all the blockers to renewable energy.

The government must prioritise the development of sources such as solar and onshore wind”.

London Luton Airport welcomes arrival of new NEO aircraft

London Luton Airport (LLA) has welcomed Wizz Air’s first new generation Airbus A321neo aircraft, which has a reduced noise footprint of almost 50%.

This new generation aircraft is equipped with the latest technology which in turn will deliver significant environmental benefits, including reduced emissions, lower fuel burn, and less noise than previous generation aircraft.

The new aircraft is the first of 256 A321neo and A320neo’s Wizz Air will take delivery of over the next seven years, as the airline looks to become one of the greenest in the industry.

Wizz is the second airline at LLA to adopt the NEO. easyJet took delivery of its first in June 2017 and now has 25 in its fleet, with over a hundred more on order.

James Dontas, Flight Operations

Managerat London Luton Airport, said: “It is great news for our local communities that our two biggest airlines are now taking delivery of these quieter aircraft. We continue to work with all our airlines to encourage and incentivise the use of quieter aircraft.

This will make a significant difference, when added to our already stringent noise control measures – the toughest of any major UK airport.”

Owain Jones, Managing Director, Wizz Air UK said: “The arrival of the airline’s brand new Airbus A321neo aircraft to our London Luton base is a major milestone for Wizz Air in the UK, both in terms of our industry-leading growth and our aim to become one of the greenest airlines in the sky. WIZZ is proud to operate one of the youngest fleets in Europe, and this new aircraft

decreases our environmental footprint even further.”

The ultra-efficient A321neo touched down from Budapest this afternoon and received the traditional aviation ‘water arch salute’ welcome for maiden aircraft.

The NEO will now regularly operate between the two airports, Wizz Air’s busiest route.

AW Facts Did you know?

HP, Google, Microsoft and Apple have one thing in common, that they were all started in garages.

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Artificial Intelligence in Medical Robotics

By Muhammad Nadeem Jahangir - Technology Correspondent

With ever-changing technological achievements Robots and Artificial intelligence are taking on everything, from business to agriculture and medical and engineering. Researchers believe that a trained system is more precise than a human and it is true in many cases.

Industrial robotics are another spark looking to catch on in our current era.

Different countries are implementing AI and Robotics based methodologies to overcome some common commercial issues. Medical science is a tough field, and it took years of experience to master certain life-saving surgeries, even for humans. We also understand that doctors are humans who cannot work with 100% accuracy. Whereas there is the concept of automotive industrial robotic arms which help to assemble automobiles, micro-engineering etc. that are totally correct. With these acknowledgements, young entrepreneurs are looking for solutions that might replace surgeons in future and it will be a great step toward the era of autonomous living.

Currently, the medical robotics sector does not have many visible use cases in terms of fully automated surgery or other medical procedures. This is because regulations dictate that a recognised professional administer these procedures and a machine cannot do it by itself. Issues such as liability are harder to resolve with AI because it is usually unclear exactly how an AI application came to its conclusion.

For a fully automated machine learning model a healthcare company may take months to acquire enough data to properly train a model that performs robotic surgery well enough that it would not be considered a liability.

Searching top medical robotics companies on Google does give good names.

Only are top-notch with their innovations so far. One may see Intuitive Surgical and Medrobotics Corporation. Their robots also include an arm with a camera attached to allow a closer view of the operation with a multiple movement operation feature which makes it a swift

worker. The precision in their automated systems are the result of their PhD staff, on the other hand, humans also are very conscious in allowing machines to operate them without the supervision of another person. So this is a challenge that will likely be overcome with the time, as technology becomes more reliable and the public is more comfortable with allowing robots to operate on them without human assistance.

Additionally, data scientists and machine learning experts are working very hard to develop a method for training a machine learning model that can learn surgical procedures which cause no damage to the patient. However, there is still a long way to go to explore the hidden patterns of human surgical methodologies and for artificial intelligence system to make decisions accurately. A small error in an automated tool can endanger a patient’s life, and no health care company would like to do that; therefore robotic surgery is still a far from perfect concept to take onto the medical line.

May 2019

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Facebook’s Rolling Out New Font Style Options for Posts

By Khalid Karim - Technology Correspondent Long overdue I believe but let’s see what they are coming up with. Too little too late?

It’s been recently reported that Facebook is now beta testing a new ‘Text Effects’ option for News Feed posts which would enable end users’ options of a small range of stylised text types within their Facebook updates.

Currently it is available in Desktop version.

There are five style or text options which are already in use in Stories, and now Facebook is rolling those styles out to the rest of the News Feed, which makes perfect sense. It’s important to know that users can still add a colourful background to their posts, so it’s not a deviation from format. It has the potential to make your

Feed a bit more colourful if certain users get more creative and artistic with their posts.

No official figures are available from Facebook as of yet on how many users are implementing this new format, but you’d think that there would be some crossover between the users and the two options. Some would argue that most users don’t use post backgrounds because it’s not a default setting so suggestion is it hasn’t really taken off. However, the choice is still there, at least and by providing both background and text options within the update creation window. It can only encourage users the options in sharing onto Facebook Stories as this is where one of the Social Media site’s main focuses is at presently.

User gets Ads for the Things she is talking about on Facebook

Tyler Mears is convinced that Facebook is spying on her after two product Adverts cropped up when she had been chatting about them. The journalist had been talking about unusual things, and the next day adverts appeared on her timeline.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook has denied that the Social Network uses your phone’s microphone to listen to your conversations and target them with Ads, in spite of this, the urban myth continues.

How is this happening is the question?

Is Facebook listening to us 24/7, or is there a less of a sinister explanation? Tyler Mear who works for Wales Online, tells her story that for years now there has been an urban Myth, that Facebook has been using the phone’s mic to listen to people’s conversation and target them with Ads. The Theory is that they chat about something with a friend, about a broken washing machine or where they want to go on holiday and then they come across an Ad for that very thing or place. In spite of the struggle

to contain the conspiracy, Facebook has denied it. This was a past altercation which Zuckerberg faced when he was questioned in front of US politicians at Congress, about how the company uses data.

Senator Gary Peters asked: “Does Facebook use audio obtained from mobile devices to enrich personal information about the users, yes or no?” But Zuckerberg had said no. He went on to elaborate that Facebook does have access to audio, when people record videos on their devices for Facebook, but it does not access your microphone.

However, the rumours are not going away with more and more people claiming that the privacy invasion is happening. Tyler Mear talked to about something with somebody, and later she got Adverts bout those two things.

In the beginning, she thought that she was just being suspicious. But the products were completely sudden, and she is struggling to explain how she could have gotten those Ads, despite Facebook’s denials.

By Tauseef Asif

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May 2019

FOOD

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AW’S

Kitchen

Fast Food is for Flunkers? the group project tomorrow. So what do you do? A quick pit stop for a bite to eat won’t hurt anyone, and it’ll save you tons of money and time on food prep. Kebab and Poutine? That’s a student loan well spent.

It is true that fast food comes in the form of various different cuisines. It’s already fully cooked and immediately ready to consume. It’s convenient because you can get it from a street vendor or from your local takeaway – eat it whilst standing up, on paper plates or take it home with you to share among your mates.

However, does eating these kinds of processed foods your body craves – instead of the fresh produce and fibre enriched meals we need to function – reduce your brain power? Surely you and your fellow students find yourselves more lethargic in the afternoons, falling asleep on your daily commute into Uni, or unable to stay awake during your seminar?

To find out, we asked some current UK students about their feelings on fast food, how often they eat it and how much they spend out of their own pockets on the fast food industry.

navkiran kaur bains

Gursimran Kaur Mehat

TAUSEEF ASIF

Nav is a 22-year-old student from Derby. She is in her third year of studying English at Birmingham City University. She loves reading novels and going shopping as she’s a huge fan of retail therapy.

Her thoughts on the topic are: 1) How many times per week do you eat fast food on average?

Around 3/4 times a week, sometimes more if I don’t go home.

2) What’s your favourite type of fast food meal?

Pizza or fish and chips.

3) Do you prefer getting a takeaway for dinner or home-cooking and why?

Definitely prefer home-cooking, mostly because I do enjoy cooking and it feels a lot cleaner and fulfilling.

4) How much money would you say you spend on takeaways and processed food per month?

Maybe around £100.

5) Do you think eating fast food makes you feel more tired and unable to concentrate on your studies?

Sometimes it does, but getting fast food just seems convenient because it’s quick and easy to eat before doing any uni work.

Sim is a 21-year-old student from Wolverhampton.

She is in her third year of studying Diagnostic Radiography at City University London. She loves baking cakes, and to chill out by watching her favourite shows on Netflix. Her thoughts on the topic are: 1) How many times per week do you eat fast food on average?

At least 3 times per week on average.

2) What’s your favourite type of fast food meal?

McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets Combo Meal.

3) Do you prefer getting a takeaway for dinner or home-cooking and why?

Home Cooking – I prefer using fresh ingredients and it has a better impact on my health. I know what I’m adding to my food and how it will benefit me.

4) How much money would you say you spend on takeaways and processed food per month?

Roughly £100.

5) Do you think eating fast food makes you feel more tired and unable to concentrate on your studies?

It does make me more tired because its heavier food that makes me feel more weighed down.

However, it doesn’t impact on my study routine at all.

We explore some of the reasons behind why flocks of students are vouching for fast food over healthy home cooked meals on a regular basis.

It seems that as often as every other week, a new fast food chain restaurant is popping up around the corner. Beckoning you over to its open doors as the warm aroma of grilled chicken wings, deep-fried chips and savoury burger sauce waft past your airways. You know you’ve got pages and pages of coursework waiting for you back at your student flat – a society meeting in under an hour and you still have to go over your presentation notes for

Tauseef is a 23-year-old student from Birmingham. He is in his first year of studying Computer Science at Birmingham City University. He has been nominated for various awards by his University for his endeavours in local community work. He enjoys fixing computers and reciting Urdu poetry in his spare time. His thoughts on the topic are: 1) How many times per week do you eat fast food on average?

Around 12 times on average.

2) What’s your favourite type of fast food meal?

Chicken burger meal.

3) Do you prefer getting a takeaway for dinner or home-cooking and why?

For dinner home cooking is essential because I love my mum’s handmade food.

4) How much money would you say you spend on takeaways and processed food per month?

About £45 in total.

5) Do you think eating fast food makes you feel more tired and unable to concentrate on your studies?

No because I have time set to study and eating fast food happens nowhere near that time.

On behalf of Asian World Newspaper, I would like to thank all of the interviewees for their time and wish them the best in their studies!

Manisha Bhanot

AHMAD HASSAN 1) How many times per week do you eat fast food on average?

I’d say I eat fast food at least 3-4 days a week because I’m a University student and it just saves me the time and effort of cooking. So, I usually just get a takeaway when I’m in University. But when I’m home on a holiday, that’s when I have a home-cooked meal.

2) What’s your favourite type of fast food meal?

When it comes to fast-food I don’t really have any preferences. But overall, I would say Lebanese is probably my favourite type. If not then donner kebab or something like that because it’s usually filling, you get a good quantity in terms of the money you’re spending at the same time.

3) Do you prefer getting a takeaway for dinner or home-cooking and why?

When I’m home I usually prefer home cooked food because I live with my family so my Mum cooks for me often. But if I’m living out on my own, I just order a takeaway because it saves the effort of me cooking. But sometimes if I’m feeling it, I just like to cook home cooked food, just to get a bit of a change of taste.

4) How much money would you say you spend on takeaways and processed food per month?

In terms of money, I’d say I spend at least £250 a month on fast food and processed food, maybe more. Every time I go to the supermarket, I just grab some fast food and especially after a night out I just get a takeaway, so taking all of that into account I would say possibly up to £300.

5) Do you think eating fast food makes you feel more tired and unable to concentrate on your studies?

I would actually say the opposite; fast food helps me concentrate because it’s very less timeconsuming. If I’m cooking, I spend a lot of time on prepping food and then cleaning up, for a dish which is only going to last me around two meals. However, with fast food, I can just order something and spend all of that time on studying instead. So, I would say fast food actually helps me focus more on my work.

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Food enthusiasts share their family favourites with Asda this Ramadan

With a few weeks to the onset of Ramadan, people start looking for inspiration for their Iftars and want meal ideas their families can enjoy and bond over. Read on to discover four unique styles of cooking for Ramadan, ensuring no two iftars are the same. Most of us like to explore new flavours and experiment in our kitchens. If these stories inspire you to try something new, make sure you share your images at #ASDACelebratesRamadan.

A World of Inspiration

Speaking of inspiration, writer and recipe developer Hungry Hijabi’s family favourite is Chicken & Red Pepper Fried Udon Noodles, which she chanced upon on a day trip with her family to the London Eye. Her kids love to enjoy it with boneless cubed chicken with a sweet roasted squash or with red peppers.

She suggests garnishing with coriander or spring onions with extra chillies. Initially, she

found it difficult to find the right Udon noodles to cook at home but found them at her local Asda.

Hungry Hijabi is a Bengali, children’s food and British Asian blogger. She grew up watching television cookery programmes where she would experiment with recipes for her husband and now for her kids.

Find her recipe at: www.instagram.com/hungryhijabi/

Fusion of Global Flavours Radhika’s Ramadan favourites include dishes like Harissa infused pilau, yoghurt with smoked aubergine with a sprinkle of sumac, or a take on the humble samosa – tuna and corn samosas.

One recipe which infuses the flavours from around the world and is an absolute family favourite in Radhika’s household is Kashmiri kofte curry served with saffron infused couscous. This meal is an explosion of flavours from the Middle east, a little bit of Spain and a hint of Kashmir! Lamb mince is infused with herbs and spices and made into koftas by baking them and then letting them soak in a rich tomato and yoghurt-based sauce. It’s served with couscous infused with delicate flavours of saffron.

For this recipe and more fusion of flavours please

visit www.instagram.com/radikalkitchen/?hl=en RadikalKitchen by Radhika Howarth is the epitome of global flavours. There are new ideas simmering in her kitchen all the time as she tries new flavours or experiments with unique ones.

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Fantastic Foods to have at Ramadan to last you throughout your Fast Dates

Dates are a blessed food mentioned numerous times in the Quran and they are amazing and excellent to include as part of your suhoor meal.

Whole oat pudding

Oats are a great source of fibre that slow down the release of energy and keep you fuller for longer. Steel-cut oats, which take around 15 minutes to cook, contain even more fibre than other oat varieties. You can cook the oats in milk for a more rich taste. Sweeten your oats with a drizzle of honey, then mix in some dried fruits and top it up with pumpkin seeds and you’re good to go!

Peanut butter and banana

Peanut butter is an excellent protein source, and it’s filled with healthy monounsaturated fat, which has a satiating effect. Spread on whole grain bread and pair it with sliced bananas. Why bananas you ask? Well, because the yellow fruit is a source of resistant starch, which helps many people to feel full up. Bananas can also help keep those mid-morning cravings away.

Poached Eggs

The Oriental Touch From the Middle East to the far East, the oriental flavours of South East Asia kick in to make your iftars even more special.

Infusing authentic Malaysian flavours into Ramadan Iftars is Masterchef UK 2018 contestant Zaleha Olpin. She

calls this family favourite, Squid in Oyster Sambal. She explains that “just how the Chinese love their soy sauce, Malaysians cherish their sambal! There are many ways to make sambal, including basic Sambal, soy sambal, sweet and sour sambal and many more recipes!” Sambal is a homemade cooking sauce which combines garlic, tamarind, shallots and spices. A couple of tips before you get cooking - all ingredients are available at your local Asda and buy your prepared squid, so it is less tricky to cook.

Raised in Malaysia, Zaleha discovered her passion for cooking after moving to Australia. With her unique cooking style, she joined Masterchef UK 2018 where Zaleha believes she found her true profession.

Find her squid sambal recipe www.instagram.com/zaleha.olpin/?hl=en

Bangla Food with a Twist Inspiration for Ramadan recipes can come from around the world and it’s not just the traditional dishes like chai and samosas or biryanis that adorn the iftar table. Dina’s recipes like Batera Bhuna, Jhalmuri and Chanar Kofta are certainly worth looking at.

Dina’s cooking ranges from simplistic snacks to slow cooked meat recipes with plenty of inspiration for Ramadan.

For British food writer, Dina Begum, experimenting with Eastern and Western flavours

defines her unique style of cooking.

Her Chai Malai cake infuses the flavours of her favourite drink Chai and Ras Malai that is delightful and is a must try for your family. You can get all the ingredients for this recipe and more at Asda.

Dina Begum, a cookbook author, shares her recipes www.instagram.com/ dinasfoodstory/?hl=en

If you are inspired by the recipe ideas above, do visit your nearest Asda or go online to https://groceries.asda.com/ for all the ingredients.

Eggs are considered to be a healthy basis of protein and contain vitamin D, although they are avoided by some of due to their high cholesterol content. Add the poached eggs on top of grainy toasts and top them off with sliced tomatoes for a full nutritional breakfast.

Watermelon and halloumi

As the name suggests, watermelon is a juicy fruit and it is a great way to hydrate for only 40 calories per cup. If it is combined with white halloumi cheese, it would sustain a great filling effect.

Fruit smoothie

Not every smoothie is the same. A lot of smoothies have high amounts of sugar and can leave you feeling hungry. The one we have chosen is quite the opposite. Combined with dry chia seeds, yoghurt, grapes with skin intact and ice, then blended together to achieve a smooth and yummy drink. This smoothie would contain omega 3, fibre, and protein all in one go, while it is keeping your blood sugar balanced.

Quinoa porridge

Quinoa is a vegetarian food source which is rich in protein and fibre. It also makes a great glutenfree alternative to oats. Cook it with coconut milk and dice in some apples and cinnamon for a great tasting meal.

Frozen yoghurt parfait with granola and berries

Craving for something sweet? Store-bought plain old frozen yoghurt is your answer and it only takes a couple of minutes to prepare it in a bowl.

Make sure to select satiating toppings, which include fruits, berries and granola.

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May 2019

MOTORING

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LOTUS CONFIRMS FIRST ALL-NEW PRODUCTION CAR SINCE 2008: TYPE 130 – THE WORLD’S FIRST FULL ELECTRIC BRITISH HYPERCAR About Lotus: Group Lotus plc is based in Norfolk, UK. Lotus Cars builds world class, high performance sports cars including the Evora, Elise, Exige and 3-Eleven ranges of sportscars. Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to many of the world’s OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers and is an internationally recognised automotive engineering consultancy.

Some notable Lotus ‘Type’ numbers include:

Type 14 – World’s first composite monocoque production road car (Elite, 1957) Type 25 – World’s first fully-stressed monocoque F1 car, first Lotus to win F1 world championship (1963) Type 72 – Most successful F1 car of all time and the blueprint for F1 car design for many years (Championship winner in 1970, ‘72 and’ 73) • Lotus continues its legendary bloodline with Type 130 confirmed as an all-new hypercar, now in advanced stages of development • First glimpse of the new vehicle is revealed at Shanghai International Auto Show 2019 • Lotus embarks on an exciting new era today with the announcement of its first all-new product in more

Type 78 – World’s first ‘ground effects’ F1 car (1977) Type 88 – World’s first carbon fibre F1 car (1981) Type 92 – World’s first active suspension F1 car (1983) Type 111 – World’s first aluminium and bonded extrusion construction production car (Elise, 1995) Type 130 – World’s first full electric British hypercar (2019)

than a decade – set to become the first all-electric hypercar from a British manufacturer.

Type 130 continues the legendary bloodline from Lotus during its 71-year history, which has seen a number of true game-changers introduced from the Norfolk, UK based brand in both motorsport and sportscars.

CEO Phil Popham said: “Type 130 will

be the most dynamically accomplished Lotus in our history. It marks a turning point for our brand and is a showcase of what we are capable of and what is to come from Lotus.”

The all-new car will be revealed, together with the full remarkable details and specification of this technical tour de force, in London, the birthplace of Lotus, later this year.

CHECK IN FOR A TREAT AT VAUXHALL THIS SUMMER • 29-point visual check with vital fluid top ups • Just £29 and includes a free treat • Treats include Chilly’s bottle, afternoon tea for two, or ice cream With summer and warmer weather just around the corner, Vauxhall is encouraging customers to stay safe and book their Vauxhall in for a Check and Treat.

From the 11th April, Vauxhall customers can choose from one of three free treats as a ‘thank you’ when they take their Vauxhall in for a check.

For only £29, Vauxhall-trained technicians will carry out a comprehensive 29-point check. This includes testing the working order of everything from lights and electrics, to brakes and suspension, as well as topping up vital fluids. In the summer months in

DEALING WITH VULNERABLE ROAD USERS: TIPS FROM IAM ROADSMART

particular, tyres need to be at the correct pressure, as the heat increases the risk of a blowout. Higher temperatures can also cause the cooling system to overheat, so fluids must be maintained at the correct level.

Vauxhall-trained technicians know our vehicle range inside-out, so customers can have full confidence that they’ve made the right choice by bringing their Vauxhall to one of our authorised retailers.

After the check has been carried out, customers can choose from one of the following treats: -500ml Vauxhall-branded Chilly’s bottle -Afternoon tea for two at participating cafés -Five Classic Ice Cream tubs (Hotel

Chocolat in mainland UK and Morelli’s in Northern Ireland) For absolute ease, customers can book their Check and Treat online. For more details, visit: https://www.vauxhall.co.uk/owners/ offers/check-and-treat.html “Vehicle checks are sometimes overlooked in the summer, as dangers on the road might not be as obvious” said Paul Painter, Vauxhall’s Ownership Programmes Manager.

“Nevertheless, road safety is crucial at any time of the year. Nobody wants their summer holiday ruined by a problem that could have easily been avoided, so make sure to take your Vauxhall for a check now.”

As we make the same commute every day to work and back, we can get used to seeing pedestrians on the streets, motorcyclists on the road and even a few cyclists appearing now that the season is officially changing. But this can sometimes mean we get a little too used to the things around us and may unintentionally stop paying attention to our surroundings. Richard Gladman, IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, provides a set of tips to refresh your knowledge on how to manage vulnerable road users.

Note: If you have friends and family who drive, please share these tips with them to help them stay safe on the road.

Check to see the type of pedestrians around you. Do you see an elderly person crossing the road? They may be walking slowly so ensure they feel safe by reducing your speed. Children can be easily distracted and are unpredictable too, especially when crossing the road, so do all you can to help them out.

Drive with care and be vigilant as a few extra seconds added to your day may make all the difference.

A cycling club will often cycle as a group rather than in single file. This makes it safer for all of us; a simple overtake on a short group is often easier and safer to achieve than 30 overtakes on separate cyclists. Before you overtake them, make sure you have given them enough room as they could adjust their road positioning unexpectedly for a pothole or drain. A few seconds delay is better than a lifetime of regret. It’s always good to remember that a young, fit individual on a bike is likely to be more stable than an older person doing their shopping run.

Take note that there are two types of mobility scooters. Class 2 scooters are only allowed on pavements and have a top speed of 4mph. Class 3 mobility scooters should be registered and are driven on the road with a top speed of 8mph. Bear in mind that this group of road users may have restricted move-

ment, vision or hearing so give them plenty of space and time.

Have you thought about taking a more scenic route now that the days are getting lighter for longer? You may come across a horse and its rider walking along the side of the road. To avoid scaring the horse, turn the radio down and keep the engine revs low. Slow down and take your time when passing a horse. Keep your car well away from them and proceed with caution. The British Horse Society campaign encourages ‘Wide and Slow’ which reiterates driving no more than 15mph and leaving at least a car’s width gap.

Who has heard of SMIDSY (“Sorry mate, I didn’t see you”)? This is a regular acronym in a motorcyclist’s dictionary and often our strategy when looking for a culprit! The science behind this is called Saccadic Masking.

The simple explanation is that people don’t see clearly when their head or eyes are moving, and they don’t pick up objects travelling towards them very well. So make sure you have a good look, not just a quick glance. A good tip is that if you’re specifically looking for motorcyclists or cyclists, then you are more likely to see them.

Richard said: “The importance of sharing the road space and understanding the needs of other road users cannot be stressed enough. If we are aware of vulnerable road users, we can make provisions to keep us all safe. Remember to treat others how you would like to be treated.”

AW Facts Did you know?

The Volkswagen group owns Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Audi, Ducati and Porsche.

LOCAL 6-14

GLOBAL 15-19

BUSINESS 20-25

GLAM 26-33

WEDDINGS 35-39

HEALTH 40-41

TRAVEL 42-43

TECH 44-45

FOOD 46-47

MOTORING 48-51

SPORTS 52-54

May 2019

WISH EVERYONE

We are very fortunate that we have been granted another month of Ramadan. Let’s take advantage of this favourable month to make this life and the hereafter successful. Please remember us and the Muslim Ummah in your duas.

PROBABLY THE LARGEST RANGE OF SAUCES IN THE UK A TRADITIONAL ZAKAAT PAYER IS ONE WHO GIVES TO THE SAME CHARITIES YEAR IN YEAR OUT. Rather , LOOK AROUND IN THE WORLD TO SEE WHERE YOUR HELP IS NEEDED MOST.

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May 2019

THE FAST AND THE CURIOUS… NOW KIDS ARE DRIVING LAMBORGHINIS

Leading driving experiences provider reports massive increase in kids driving supercars, swapping computer games for a real life experience Children as young as 11 getting behind the wheel of cars capable of nearly 200mph! www.trackdays.co.uk is adding more and more junior driving experiences to keep up with demand.

TrackDays.co.uk, a leading provider of driving experiences in the UK, is report-

ing a huge surge in bookings for kids driving supercars around race tracks.

In fact, recent figures from www.trackdays.co.uk reveal a massive 71 per cent increase in junior driving experience bookings in 2018.

Many of the supercars being driven by children as young as 11 can reach top speeds of around 200mph, including the Audi R8 and the mighty Lamborghini Gallardo.

Most of the supercars can also hit 0-60

mph in under five seconds, such as the Porsche 911 and Nissan GT-R. Dan Jones, operations manager at www. trackdays.co.uk, said: “We’ve seen an explosion over the last couple of years of children driving supercars at circuits across the UK, many of whom have experienced what these cars can offer in computer games and now want to drive them for real.

“Indeed, such has been the surge in bookings that we’ve had to increase the

number of junior driving experiences we offer.

“Of course, all junior driving experiences are with specially trained instructors, with safety given the utmost priority.”

TrackDays.co.uk has also seen a particular rise in bookings for electric vehicles for children to drive with its Junior BMWi8 experience, up 40 per cent in bookings last year.

Dan added: “On a practical note, these driving experiences are designed to

teach kids driving skills in a safe environment. The younger they can learn how to drive, then the more experienced they will be when it comes to driving on the road for real.”

To learn more about TrackDays, visit www.trackdays.co.uk, while for junior supercar driving experiences, visit www.trackdays.co.uk /driving-experience/junior/

ASTON MARTIN REVEALS FUTURE PROOF CARS AT AUTO SHANGHAI

Shanghai, China: British luxury car maker Aston Martin Lagonda has celebrated the global debut of its first all-electric model, the Rapide E, at the world-renowned Auto Shanghai motor show. Alongside the production-ready Rapide E, the hotlyanticipated AM-RB 003 and Lagonda All-Terrain Concept are making their debuts in China after formerly being revealed at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Aston Martin Rapide E, the marque’s first all-electric model, will be built at St Athan in Wales, Aston Martin’s home of electrification.

Just 155 examples of the car developed in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering will be built.

With twin electric motors producing over 610PS and 950Nm of torque it is the most powerful Rapide model yet.

The AM-RB 003 concept car on show at Shanghai is the first taster of what will become Aston Martin’s third mid-engined hypercar. The sublime AM-RB 003, heavily-influenced by the game-changing Aston Martin Valkyrie is being developed in partnership with Red Bull Advanced

Technologies. Described as both evolutionary and revolutionary, AM-RB 003 will incorporate F1TM technologies that will provide it with unparalleled levels of performance.

Aston Martin Lagonda is also proud to present the first glimpse in China of the first production model from its Lagonda brand, whose cars will all

be driven by zero emission powertrain technologies. The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept showcases the unique design language of Lagonda ultra-stylish and supremely luxurious – providing numerous clues to the Lagonda models of the future, while broadening the new brand’s horizons with a car that is as comfortable in

the city as it is in the wildest countryside.

Aston Martin has a long-held commitment to the rapidly-growing Chinese market, highlighted in 2018 with the announcement of a £620m trade and investment programme in the region, which has already seen an expansion in its dealer network

and the commencement of a design and innovation partnership with the prestigious Tongji University in Shanghai. In addition to this, Aston Martin recently opened its first global brand centre in China. The ‘House of Beautiful’ in Shanghai showcases every aspect of the Aston Martin brand, reinforcing the British brand’s commitment to the region which registered a 31% growth in 2018.

Marek Reichman, EVP and Chief Creative Officer, Aston Martin Lagonda, commented: “The automotive world is developing at a rapid pace and these three models demonstrate the direction we have taken with Aston Martin’s product strategy to future proof our business. Unveiling Rapide E is a milestone for Aston Martin as it kick-starts a new era for Aston Martin’s future power train strategy. The Chinese market continues to be strong for us as we see the benefits of the investments we made to strengthen our brand and our sales infrastructure throughout the region.”

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GLOBAL 15-19

BUSINESS 20-25

GLAM 26-33

WEDDINGS 35-39

HEALTH 40-41

TRAVEL 42-43

TECH 44-45

FOOD 46-47

MOTORING 48-51

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VAUXHALL’S ALL-NEW CORSA Salma Marwat ACHIEVES 10% WEIGHT LOSS Khan named Pakistan’s Fastest Female Driver

By Navkiran Bains

The fastest female has claimed her win at the Chakwal 4x4 off-road rally

Salma Marwat Khan completed the inaugural Chakwal 4x4 challenge in 22:09:40 minutes, the rally driver aimed to prove that women are open to explore all challenges and domains. In breaking these stereotypes, Pakistani women are gradually influencing other women to also do the same and explore out of their comfort zone. Although this movement is already underway with women, individuals such as Salma Marwat Khan break new grounds.

While Salma won first place in the women’s category; she was also followed by Asma Raza Siddiqi who came in second, following behind by only 1:32 minutes, and Anila Khan who came in third place, who finished in first place

last year.

When commenting on her accomplishments, Salma states “It’s a great feeling to win titles, I love motorsports, and I aim to be the best in this sport.” She expands on this and says that she has always loved motorsports and was not going to allow gender stereotypes to hold her back; she was determined to turn this passion into a career. In doing this, she aims to inspire other women to pursue their passions.

This title was not Salma’s first achievement as she has three other off-road titles and has participated in eight different races. She has undoubtedly made her mark on Pakistan’s motorsport achievements.

• All-new Corsa weighs up to 108kg less than outgoing model • Lightest Corsa model tips scales at just 980kg • Corsa battery electric vehicle will also benefit from weight-saving Luton – Available to order this summer, Vauxhall’s all-new, fifth generation Corsa has achieved a significant weight loss, with the new model weighing in from just 980kg.

Thanks to its lightweight design, the new Corsa weighs up to 108kg less than the outgoing model. This means that every new Corsa benefits from improved performance and handling, and increased efficiency, whether it’s powered by an electric motor or conventional engine. Despite losing around ten per cent of its weight, the Corsa retains similar dimensions to the outgoing model at 4.06m.

Making its debut in 1993, the Corsa has been Vauxhall’s best-selling model for many years with over two-million sold in the UK and 13.6 million sold across Europe.

The light-weight design was created using the latest virtual development methods. The specific use of various steel grades and connection methods enabled the Corsa’s significant weight reduction.

This includes the consistent use of high-

strength and ultra-high-strength steels, as well as the optimisation of load paths, connections, structure and form.

Compared with the previous model, the body-in-white is 40kg lighter.

The all-new Corsa is based on the new multi-energy platform for small and compact cars, which allows a variety of propulsion systems. So for the first time customers can opt to go fully electric with a Corsa BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), or choose from a range of highly efficient petrol or diesel engines.

Contributing further to the weight loss, these engines are of all-aluminium construction. Of these, the compact three-cylinder petrol engines weigh around 15kg less than the previous generation of similarly powerful fourcylinder units.

The Corsa also features an aluminium bonnet (a rarity in its segment) that saves 2.4kg compared to the outgoing steel bonnet. The top-of-the-range Insignia was previously the only model in the Vauxhall range with an aluminium bonnet.

The seats have also been put on a diet with their new structures saving a total of 10kg: 5.5kg at the front, 4.5kg at the rear. A new lighter insulating material was also used in their construction.

These measures combined result in a

weight reduction that, allied to optimum aerodynamics and the efficient powertrains, will lead to a considerable reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

From Astra to Insignia: lightweight design strategically important to Vauxhall Acceleration and braking benefit from every kilogram saved. Lightweight design is therefore strategically important to Vauxhall. The current Astra, which launched in 2015, set new standards in this respect. The 2016 “European Car of the Year” is up to 200kg lighter than its predecessor.

The Insignia flagship followed exactly the same initiative as the Astra. Once again, Vauxhall’s engineers’ main objective was efficiency. Thanks to optimised packaging and lightweight materials they could save up to 175kg on the Insignia Grand Sport compared with its predecessor – much to the benefit of dynamics and fuel consumption.

Depending on powertrain and equipment, the current Insignia Sports Tourer weighs up to 200kg less than a similar model variant from the first generation.

Finally, Grandland X is also designed for optimum efficiency and is one of the lightest cars in its class.

GEM PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR #DONTSTREAMANDDRIVE

ROAD SAFETY AND breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is offering its support for the latest #dontstreamanddrive awareness campaign.

It’s a worthy cause highlighting the risk posed by drivers who choose to ‘livestream’ their journeys using hand-held mobile phones.

GEM road safety officer Neil Worth said it was hard to understand why any driver would think live-streaming was a good idea. “Using a mobile phone while driving leads to a significant rise in the risk you pose on a journey,” he said.

“Not only will you fail to keep proper control of the car you’re driving, but

you will also miss road signs and you will be unable to maintain constant speeds or safe positions on the road.

“Your ability to identify risks as they unfold will be severely restricted, meaning you most likely won’t be able to react to situations. The result might be anything from a sharp intake of breath through to a devastating and totally avoidable collision.

“Quite frankly it’s hard to believe that anyone would live-stream while in control of a car. After all, why add another layer of entirely avoidable distraction to the already complex task of driving?

“Our message to drivers who still think it’s acceptable to use a hand-held mobile

phone for any purpose while driving is simple. Please put it down and give 100 per cent concentration on safe driving. If you don’t, you are likely to kill someone and you will go to prison for a long time.”

The #dontstreamanddrive initiative is spearheaded on social media by @SgtTCS (Neil Dewson-Smyth), a UK police officer with nearly 30 years’ experience. Neil has a strong passion for the dangers of distracted driving, with particular emphasis on the use of mobile phones. Follow GEM on Twitter @MotoringAssist for the latest industry news.

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May 2019

SPORTS ICC PARTNERS WITH UNICEF TO DELIVER ‘ONE DAY FOR CHILDREN’ AT MEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP 2019

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The ICC Cricket for Good, in partnership with UNICEF, has announced #OneDay4Children at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. #OneDay4Children ambassador Nasser Hussain and England all-rounder Chris Woakes, launched the tournament-wide campaign focussed on bringing the world of cricket together as one team to help build a better world for every child.

There will be #OneDay4Children activity throughout all 48 matches of the

event, peaking with a day of celebration during the England v India game on 30 June at Edgbaston. The money raised will support UNICEF’s work in cricket playing nations to help children learn to play and be healthy.

The #OneDay4Children match will be special, with the players, the sell-out crowd and global audience all playing a part in the celebrations. Edgbaston will turn blue whilst players will support the campaign with special one off #OD4C

branded kit. Celebrities and legends of the game will join the action with unique activations and fundraising both in stadium and across the live broadcast.

David Richardson of the ICC said: “As part of our continuing work with UNICEF through Cricket for Good, we are delighted to launch #OneDay4Children and use the platform of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 to help more children to play and be healthy.

This is our most ambitious charity pro-

ject to date and we know that cricket’s one billion fans will come together to help build a better world for every child.

“Our partners have got right behind #OneDay4Children, with global broadcast partner Star Sports ensuring it will be seen by hundreds of millions around the world, whilst locally in the UK Sky have also committed to promoting it to their viewers. Booking.com and Gray Nicolls have committed to a significant donation whilst our other global partners are working on in-venue activations and promotions to drive fundraising ensuring our #OneDay4Children match really captures the imagination of cricket fans.”

ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, Managing Director, Steve Elworthy said: “#OneDay4Children is such an important tournament wide campaign which we are extremely proud to be delivering. We have a unique opportunity while the eyes of the cricketing world, and beyond, are watching, to show how we can harness the power of the fans to help support the wonderful work UNICEF do for children across the globe.” Mike Penrose, Executive Director at Unicef UK, said: “We are delighted to see the world of cricket unite for #OneDay4Children at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Players, teams and one billion cricket fans will come together for Unicef. The money raised through #OneDay4Children will support Unicef’s work to help children learn, play and be healthy through cricket.

It is a shared belief that cricket has an incredible power to raise vital funds and inspire and empower millions of children.”

• ICC Cricket for Good, in partnership with UNICEF, announced ‘One Day for Children’ bringing together cricket’s one billion fans to help build a better world for every child • #OneDay4Children will use the power and reach of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 to help children learn play and be healthy. The money raised will support UNICEF’s work for children in cricket playing nations across the world • The tournamentwide #OneDay4Children campaign will climax at the England v India game at Edgbaston on 30 June where fans will be treated to a Men’s Cricket World Cup match like no other.

THE FA LAUNCHES NEW DRIVE TO INCREASE ASIAN INCLUSION IN FOOTBALL Paul Elliott CBE, Chair of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board, said: “The FA is passionate about helping to create an inclusive and diverse game and we want to continue to encourage and support anyone who wants to enjoy football, regardless of their background.

We recognise the pivotal role The FA can continue to play in helping to break down the barriers that may stop people from getting involved in football as Asian communities have historically been underrepresented across all areas of the game.”

AW Facts Did you know?

India cricket team is the only team in the world to win 60, 50 and 20-over World Cups.

The Football Association [The FA] has launched the second phase of its ‘Bringing Opportunities to Communities’ strategy, which was first launched in 2015 to help increase the representation of Asian communities across English football.

This initiative is an important part of The FA’s broader inclusion plan, ‘In Pursuit of Progress’, which is The FA’s ongoing commitment to ensure the diversity of those leading and governing football better reflects what we see on the pitch in the modern game.

The announcement was made during a gathering of community members and football stakeholders at Aston Villa FC. A key strand of this

campaign focuses on the importance of role models and to raise awareness of the Asian ‘success stories’ in English football. To accompany the announcement, The FA has created a short film featuring four Asian role models, referee Lisa Rashid, England Women’s deaf futsal player Lucindha Lawson, Charlton Athletic Women’s manager Riteesh Mishra, and Swansea City FC player Yan Dhanda. It is hoped that the film will disprove outdated stereotypes and provide motivation for those who want to follow in theirs and other role models’ footsteps.

As part of the new ‘Bringing Opportunities to Communities’ drive, The FA will launch the first Asian inclusion in football online guide, which will share learnings, case studies and provide guidance on Asian inclusion for football at all levels. It will

also form an Asian female guidance group, which will inform the actions needed to embed Asian women in football at all levels. This work will form part of The FA’s next Women’s Strategy starting in 2020 through to 2024.

And, working alongside the Football Supporters’ Federation [FSF], The FA will introduce Asian fans forums, starting with the Euro 2020 qualifier between England and Bulgaria at Wembley Stadium connected by EE on Saturday 7th of September 2019.

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GLOBAL 15-19

BUSINESS 20-25

GLAM 26-33

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HEALTH 40-41

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May 2019

PCB and British Asian Trust announce strategic partnership to transform mental health in Pakistan • Three-year partnership aims to harness the power of cricket in Pakistan to challenge the stigma around mental health and wellbeing The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the British Asian Trust has announced a threeyear strategic partnership, which will see the British Asian Trust become the PCB’s charity of choice.

The partnership, announced in the run-up to Pakistan’s T20 and ODI tour of England in May and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales that follows, provides a unique opportunity to utilise the voice and reputation of the PCB and the Pakistan cricketers to tackle the mental health crisis and help create real long-term change in Pakistan.

The partnership was formally launched at an event at The Savoy, London at the start of the British Asian Trust’s Ramadan appeal in aid of their mental health work in Pakistan.

According to the World Health Organisation statistics, one

• It builds on the British Asian Trust’s work with local partners to deliver mental health services and challenge perceptions on the ground in Pakistan

in four people will be affected by mental health disorders in their lifetime – accounting for more than 50 million people in Pakistan. Yet there are fewer than 400 psychiatrists and 500 psychologists in the country to support them as well as widespread stigma attached to speaking openly about personal mental health and wellbeing.

The partnership will shine a light on the issue of mental health in Pakistan, helping people understand there are services available to support individuals and families, and encouraging them to speak out and seek help. It will address the pressing need in Pakistan to normalise the conversation around mental health and wellbeing, in the hope that more people will seek help.

• The PCB will support the British Asian Trust’s work through events, site visits, and joint campaigns, starting with their 2019 Ramadan appeal The PCB becomes one of the first national cricket teams to partner with a charity in this way, therefore, showcasing a new way of giving back and making a difference.

PCB Managing Director, Wasim Khan, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the British Asian Trust in what will be a ground breaking partnership.

“Driven by our values, we believe that cricket has a huge role to play as both a catalyst for change and as a force for good. The work of the British Asian Trust within Pakistan has made a huge difference in supporting mental health and wellbeing amongst some of our most vulnerable people.”

Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of the British Asian Trust, said: “We’re delighted to find a partner in the PCB who shares our commitment to tackle the mental health crisis in Pakistan.

“Since 2018, we have significantly stepped up mental health support in Pakistan. As well as working with local partners to provide much needed services, we have always recognised that lifting the silence on mental health and educating communities is paramount to achieving real long-term change.”

No Radio Commentary in India for ICC World Cup

By Navkiran Bains

In India, radio broadcasts reach out to more than 90% of the population with many still depending on it for information. For those who use their radio to follow the ICC World Cup, they may be out of luck after Prasar Bharti, India’s largest public broadcasting agency, submitted to the Delhi High Court that it will not take feed from India Sports Flashes Pvt Ltd, who hold the rights for the live feed for the ICC World Cup.

According to the Sports Broadcasting Signals Act (2007), India Sports Flashes Pvt Ltd are not permitted to broadcast and radio commentary of national importance unless they share this live broadcasting signal with Prasar Bharti.

The sub-clause in section 3 of the Act states, “The terms and conditions shall also provide that the advertisement revenue sharing between the content rights owner or holder and the Prasar Bharti shall be in the ratio of not less than 75:25 in case of

television coverage and 50:50 in case of radio coverage,” The Delhi High Court has said that Sports Flashes “is obliged to share such feed nor Prasar Bharti is obliged to accept the same.”

This battle continues in the courtroom however fans who rely on commentary from All India Radio (AIR) risk missing out on the ball-by-ball action updates from England.

Kohli and Mandhana named the ‘Leading Cricketers in the World’

Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2019 edition named Virat Kohli the ‘Leading Cricketer in the world’ alongside Smriti Mandhana who

was named the ‘Leading Cricketer’ in women’s game. Kohli scored 2,735 runs across three international formats in 2018 and Mandhana had 1,291 runs

across two limited-overs formats. It is the third year in a row that the India captain, Kohli, has been awarded this title.

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Phase 2 of Games Village legacy scheme submitted to planners

An outline planning application for the second phase of the regeneration of Perry Barr has been formally submitted to Birmingham City Council.

Proposals for the 12.27 hectare site could see the delivery of around 400-500 new homes, associated public open space and a new secondary school for 1,260 pupils.

The area, between Holford Drive and Aldridge Road in Perry Barr, is adjacent to the site of the former Birmingham City University Campus – already being demolished to make way for the residential element of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Village, which will then be converted into approximately 1,400 new homes for the public post-Games.

The Phase Two site, the subject of the planning application submitted today, is set to come forward for development after the Games, as it will initially form part of the Athletes’ Village, accommodating a number of facilities during the period of the Games such as the dining hall and other temporary facilities.

As this site is not proposed to be developed until after the Games the exact details regarding the mixture of housing type and tenure are unconfirmed at this stage, but it is expected to provide mainly family housing. There would also be a sporting legacy through improved access to facilities in the area including the retained Doug Ellis Sports Centre and associated all-weather pitch currently at the heart of the Phase Two site.

A decision on this outline application is due from the council Planning Committee in summer 2019. The secondary school would open in 2021 if approved at planning.

Warriors Abs by British Champion Syed Rahat Crunches are a great way to start for Beginners, but you are not a Beginner anymore.

Step up the Strength and try more challenging ab Exercises to carve out the six-pack.

Seated Rotations If you get worn out of floor exercises for your abs or you need to find something you can do at work, seated Rotations are the right choice.

You can work your Obliques, along with your lower back and holding the weight adds intensity and will resolve the shoulders, arms and chest as well.

The first thing to do is to sit tall on a ball or a Chair and hold a medium Weight. Secondly, begin the movement with the weight at chest level with the shoulders relaxed. Thirdly, keeping the hips and knees facing forward, rotate the torso to the right as far as you comfortably, whilst focusing on squeezing the muscles around your waist. Finally, turn back to the centre and then to the left, keeping the movement controlled.

Continue to do so, alternating sides for 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps.

Seated Double Knee Lifts - Perfect for when you’re at Work!

It is not relevant to use anything in particular to work your abs. Though, you can do work-outs right from your chair with the double Knee lift. You will feel the Exercise in the lower abs.

Firstly, sit tall in a Chair, feet flat on the floor and Shoulders down. Secondly, brace the abs and lift the feet off the floor and bring the knees to the Chest. Thirdly, try to avoid leaning back in the Chair, as you lift your legs. Lastly, lower and repeat for 1016 reps.

Spiderman Planks Holding a plank position can get boring, but it won’t with Spiderman Planks. With this, you’re bringing the Knee towards the same Elbow,

directing the Obliques as well as your Balance. This one is tougher than it looks.

The first thing is that being in a plank position, on the Hands and Toes.

Make sure the hips are down, and the Back is tight while bracing your abs. Secondly, lift the left leg, bend the knee and bring it towards your left elbow, without moving the rest of the body. Thirdly, take the left leg back and then bring the right knee in towards the right elbow and keeping the body in the same position. Repeat for 30-60 seconds, completing 1-3 sets.

For more training exercises and additional help, you can watch Rahat’s tutorials on his Youtube Channel, or contact him via Facebook or Instagram.

YouTube https://youtu.be/H6DV9RIT8 Facebook: rahatali.shahmodel Instagram: rahatfitnessworld