February Edition 2012

Read Inside

Rabi-ulAwal Programmes Sheffield Property Corner Page 8

Story of GAZA Page 11

Arfa Kareem Page 17

Punjab Dilects Page 18

Al-Mahdi XI CC Page 30

Muhammed PBUH Page 37

Pages 26 - 31 34 - 36

I’M NOT LOVIN’ IT

Global fast food giant, McDonald’s, has confirmed none of its food served in the UK is halal certified.

A chain message on the ‘Bulletin’ internet forum, allegedly claims in UK outlets, are not HALAL. Although the remarks have not been qualified, the fish-based product allegedly goes through cross contamination in the making process, along with the fries.

The news may come as a bit of a shock to Muslim consumers, as the Filet-o-Fish is one of the more popular Options.

However, McDonald’s has nerve claimed to be halal – but many Muslim customers have rather assumed the fish and

potato-based products to be fine to eat.

In response to a question from a concerned member of the public, the responding message on the forum, allegedly from Joe Cuffaro at McDon-

ald’s customer services department but unconfirmed.

“I can confirm that the Filleto-Fish we offer at our restaurants in the UK is not halal. In fact I can confirm that we do not offer any menu items in our restaurants that are halal products. I trust the above information is of help.”

However, this isn’t the first the first time the fast food giant has been in the spotlight over its food.

Just last year it admitted selling halal chicken, which has now been stopped, without

telling its customers.

The poultry was used in popular menu items such as Chicken Mcnuggets and the McChicken Sandwich in its 1,200 British outlets. Speaking about the recent revelation in an e-mail, Kate McGown a spokeswoman from McDonald’s, said “I can confirm that McDonald’s does not currently serve halal certified food in the UK.” A worker from McDonald’s added that “However, there is contamination between the deep fried products because at

the end of the day, the oil from each vat is filtered with the same machine.

Each vat would be filtered separately but the same filtering machine would be used for the next vat, so inevitably there would be some cross contamination (albeit a very small amount).”

“I know previously, the fries used to be cooked in a combination of beef and vegetable shortening.”

Let us remind you all that March last year another giant Coca Cola also revealed that

their secret recipe contains alcohol but has that stopped Muslims from purchasing the product?

If you have any concerns or doubts in regards to this issue please write to Joe Cuffaro Customer Services Manager McDonald’s 11-59 High Road East Finchley London N2 8AW Tel: 08705244622.

McDonald's NOTHING ON THE MENU IS HALAL

Muslims'are more Patriotic than most British people' British Muslims feel a greater sense of national pride than the average UK citizen, according to the results of a new poll.

While 79 per cent of the Britons quizzed said they agreed with the statement 'I am proud to be a British citizen', the figure rose to 83 per cent among Muslims.

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And Muslim Britons were also found to be significantly more optimistic than most with just 31 per cent agreeing with the notion that Britain's best days are in the past compared to an average of 45 per cent.

The figures are, to some extent, understood to reflect a reaction

to the hostility and distrust felt by many British Muslims in the post 9/11 world.

There is also the belief that Muslims are more able to appreciate the political freedoms UK citizens enjoy as they can trace their family roots to far more oppressive and non-democratic regimes.

British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan, one of the most prominent flag wavers among the nation's Muslim population, often speaks in interviews about his sense of national pride.

The poll of 2000 people, taken by the think tank Demos, was designed to find what symbolises

the best of Britain.

The report found: 'This optimism in British Muslims is significant as - combined with their high score for pride in being British - it runs counter to a prevailing narrative about Muslim dissatisfaction with and in the UK.' Around half of people questioned

for the survey said they believed Britain benefited from being a multicultural country.

They survey also discovered that courteous and generous behaviour inspired patriotism more than institutions such as the monarchy or the BBC.

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Firefighters Donate Kit To Kashmir Crews

GREEN PARTY ANNOUNCE CANDIDATES FOR SHEFFIELD COUNCIL ELECTIONS Sheffield Green Party announced that Cllr Rob Murphy will stand for re-election in Central ward in the Sheffield City Council elections on May 3rd. He has represented the ward since 2008 alongside Cllr Jillian Creasy, the leader of the Green group on the Council. Rob Murphy commented “I hope I am re-elected so that I can continue to represent local people. I believe I am well known for addressing residents’ concerns and problems. I also want to give voters a real alternative to

South Yorkshire’s firefighters are sending 20 full fire kits to crews in Kashmir to help improve the region’s firefighting resources.

Helmets, boots, tunics, trousers and gloves, worn by SYFR crews before their recent switch to a new all black outfit, will go to firefighters in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The region’s already under-resourced firefighters are often called on to deal with major rescue operations. The area is prone to landslides and was one of the places worst hit by a devastating earthquake in 2005 which killed around 75,000 people. Khawaja Siddique, the Chief of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir’s police and fire service visited SYFR in December last year, when the idea of donating kit to

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his country was put forward.

SYFR’s Director of Finance & Resources Beverley Sandy said: “Firefighters in Kashmir simply don’t have access to the same standards of fire kit as our crews, so this donation will definitely lead to improvements in their safety at incidents.”

Shahbaz Ramzan, Safer Neighbourhood Officer at Sheffield Council, said: “The fire service was one of the organisations who provided help to the people of Kashmir during the earthquake relief effort, and so we are extremely grateful that they have once again come to their aid.”

The Kashmiri authorities are funding the transport costs for the kit transfer, and it should arrive there within the next six weeks.

Labour and the Lib Dems, who simply aren’t tackling concerns about jobs, cuts and many other issues. More than 18,000 people voted Green in Sheffield last year, showing that many local residents realise that we are the best option.”

The Greens also announced that former Central ward councillor Bernard Little and recently graduated Sheffield University ex student Amy Mack will be their candidates for the Broomhill and Crookes wards respectively.

Sheffield Taxi Drivers Concerned At New Traffic Cameras Taxi drivers in Sheffield are concerned about plans to introduce mobile cameras to catch illegally parked vehicles. Black cab drivers said a lack of taxi ranks meant there was often no choice but to park on double yellow lines.

Hafiz Rehman, of Sheffield Taxi Trade Association, said mobile cameras would threaten drivers with “tickets every other day”.

Sheffield City Council said it would consider more taxi ranks for busy areas.

Leigh Bramall, transport and the environment councillor, said he would work with cab drivers to solve problems at busy areas like Sheffield station, West Street, Hillsborough and Castle Market. Mobile camera enforcement

would not be specifically aimed at taxi drivers, but at illegal parking in general - such as cars parked illegally in bus lanes or dangerous parking near schools. “There is no issue with taxis stopping to pick up and drop off customers on double yellow lines, providing they stop somewhere appropriate,” said Mr Bramall.

Mr Rehman said taxi drivers often helped elderly or disabled people into their homes. “Parking officers will need to be sensible and ensure that if a taxi is parked illegally and the driver is on a job there needs to be some kind of leniency,” he said. “The last thing we need is a ticket every other day.”

Council House Rents in Rotherham Tenants in Rotherham can expect to pay an average rent of £64.27 per week over 52 weeks for their council properties during the coming financial year as the authority complies with government directives on rent increases. Rotherham Borough councillors agreed to an average 9.45 % rise, which equates to an average increase of £5.55 per week over a 52 week period. Cabinet members agreed to the increase after hearing of the Government’s plan to align public sector rents with the other sectors by 2015 as part of its intention to replace the existing Housing Revenue Account subsidy with a new devolved financing system.

Coun. Rose McNeely said that

if the council did not follow the government’s formula, for every 1% deviation the authority would lose £697,000 of rental income, which is required for the proper maintenance of council homes.

And while 1% would have a massive impact on the council’s ability to maintain homes, it would only save rent payers 70 pence per week. If we choose not to follow the government’s own formula, Rotherham would suffer and we would be unable to properly maintain homes, but in turn the government would make a significant saving on its housing benefit budget because of the amount of people who claim housing benefits.

£15M Cuts To Vulnerable People’s Care Frail, elderly and vulnerable people will bear the brunt of Sheffield Council cuts next year, with £15 million of £57m spending reductions due to fall on the city’s care budget. Unison, claimed the cut would mean 235 frontline care jobs will go among nurses, care visitors and support workers. The council did not confirm if there would be redundancies. Around 12,000 elderly and disabled people in Sheffield rely on help from the council’s care service.

The Labour administration has announced the care budget will be cut by four per cent - equivalent to eight per cent when inflation and

cost increases are taken into account. The council said the reduction is lower than in other areas, and pledged not to change the criteria for who is eligible for care.

The total care budget next year will total £190m, including services such as housing advice and supporting independent living.

Lib Dem leader Coun Shaffaq Mohammed called for the council to reveal its full budget rather than releasing information bit by bit. “It’s time the full budget was made public instead of carrying on this sham of a consultation,” he said.

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Campaign Stub Out Rent Shisha 7.8% RiseAims in toCouncil

A major crackdown on shisha operating in first-floor premises olme. These bars are becoming popular with young adults aged smoking in Manchester’s curry and rooms with no ventilation. mile will be launched in the New Coun Rabnawaz Akbar, who rep- 18 to 25. There is a misconcepYear. Health bosses at Manches- resents Rusholme, said: “There tion that Shisha is not as harmter council will launch a public has been an idea that smoking ful as smoking cigarettes as it health campaign to warn people shisha is in some way safer than can be fruit flavoured and passes about the dangers of smoking the cigarette smoking, but guidance through water first. However, wapipes. Police have also vowed from the World Health Organisa- terpipe tobacco smoking delivers to tackle law-breakers who are tion says it is just as dangerous as nicotine and high levels of toxic smoking shisha pipes indoors tobacco. “It’s also against the law compound and the health impacts are comparable to those of cigaand say anyone caught will be to smoke inside.”

David Regan, director of public rette smoking. We are aware that given a £50 fine.

More than 30 of the bars – which health for Manchester, said: “We, some shisha bars have not been provide Middle Eastern hookah along with Manchester coun- complying with the smoke-free pipes for people to smoke to- cil, are developing a campaign legislation and have been allowbacco – have opened in a quarter- which aims to raise awareness ing waterpipes to be smoked in mile stretch of Wilmslow Road, of the dangers to health of smok- enclosed public spaces. The camin Rusholme, over the past three ing shisha and of being exposed paign then also aims to reinforce years. Shisha bars are legal but to second-hand smoke from shi- the message that smoking Shiare bound by the 2007 smoking sha pipes. “This will run early sha in an enclosed public space ban and can only operate in areas in the New Year. In the last year, is against the law and if you are caught doingsince this 2002, you could there has a rapid subsidy. rise in thebeen with threehouse sides rents open for in place and recostsbeen without Council are ventilato go ment notice number of have shisha opening inis ceive tion. inspections by council Rent there ato fixed-penalty ensure fairness in of levels tobars be equalised up byBut inflation-busting amounts £50,” he said.whether council Manchester, particularly Rush-social staff andSouth policeYorkshire have found- some housing, 2015-16 or councils in suffer across but by People who receive home care in or housing association homes. housing bosses blamed the rises financial penalties.

Rotherham can expect of a better The Association Non servStun on Government policy. Shef- Coun Harry Harpham, Sheffield Social rents remain well below ice in the future thanks to Abattoirs (ANSA), an groundindustry field’s 42,000 council house- Council cabinet member for market levels, and housing benbreaking now traditional taking place. body changes representing UK holds face a 7.8 per cent rise housing, said: “We are doing efit will continue to meet the The Halal 1800 people across thewelcomed borough slaughterhouses, - an average of £4.87 a week. what the Government says we costs for eligible tenants who whothe getnews domiciliary services that the care proposed parAverage rents in the city are have to do. “The increase will cannot afford to pay.” that the government is tofurrecon- can expect Underouttheatgovernment’s cuts toThe The National Landlords Associamorebill flexible andreligious localliamentary to ban Government said that £4.87 per housecurrently £62.32 per week but work sider include hous- ised slaughter LHA, based onther tionsum (NLA) is urging support inofthe futureinthanks to animals the Nethrentproposals rises aretodue for the butpayments what wewill canbeconfirm the is set to rise landlords to £67.19.to hold ingfurther benefitsyears within its ‘universal 30th of local rents,two report thetenants rent levels of their list isthe major changes the delivery of theIt erlands hadin been withdrawn. before rent that wepercentile have frozen charges Council in Rotherham credit’between system. This would rather than the previous 50ththe per-levels property will be taking durwasthat withdrawn after place a majority council andhave service possible to ease will have to to the pay Valuation a 9.45 perOffice cent wherever seen LHA go directly tenants ing the centile. There Therefore, helping Agency (VOA)intoBarnsley help local au- burden. coming months.

Rotherham of Dutch senators expressed their associations are to equal, will be no in-thehousing rise and people face as part housing of a single VOA arrive at an for accurate figureenabling mar- crease Counciltohas all reservations thewritten ban ontoHalal to bebenefits ‘self fi-pay- Borough in charges commuathorities 8.8 per determine cent hike -average with inflament, which they would then service for heating, rent levels could ultimately ket rents in their area. users about the changes, and Kosher slaughter. nity or service charges nancing’. tion running at 5.2 per cent. needintonumbers: pass on to the landlord. which benefit landlords if the have ten-Rents This is vital in helping the local for see 15 care Anwill agreement couldcompanies be made furnished accommodation, Housing bosses say the increase However, the government ants receiving LHA. Landlords authority gain a full understandthe home comwith Jewish and services, Muslim slaugh- the number of councilmay providing accommodation and 42,000 is necessary because of a long- temporary now give people the option of re- pared can report theirWe rentsunderstand to the VOAhouses ing of the state of the private to the current nine. au-of terhouses regarding the The length in Sheffield alarms. standing Government policy to burglar ceiving themselves, thority by budgets filling in lettings infor-7.8% rented sector in the area. this willis result in timebelieves that an animal conscious - rentthe risepayment in Sheffield arethe tight.” increase historically lowFurthercoun- that or it -going straight to their land- a more mation Minister and collection form and9.45% more, it will determine the Housing flexible is farof before dying service and thethat number rent rise in rotherham Grant Shapps cil house rentshelp to the same level lord. emailing,theposting amount housing allow- defended moreanimals responsive the needs of into be to ritually slaughtered.

- rent rise in Barnsley. policy.orHefaxing said: it8.8% as those of of local housing association back current to them.rents policy has ance (LHA)tothat is paid to ten- “The dividual clients and will Mohammed go beyond ANSA spokesperson properties, cover manageIt follows the announcement ants on benefits. personal caresaid, provided home.

Saleem “This in is the a positive,

Landlords Urged to Report Rents

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Welcome Withdrawal of Proposed Better Care Being RolledReligious Out Slaughter Ban

UK Diets

Britons are not eating enough fruit andand vegetables sensible welcomedespite step. nuWe tritional advice are glad they havebeing finallywidely seen available, studymovement suggests. to A sense.

The ainitial review of eating habits 19 ban religious slaughter was in based EUmisconceptions countries put the in 14th on andUK some poplace. motives.

The analysis carried litical The was welfare of out by the Inforanimals is aEuropean primary Food concern for mation Council (EUFIC).

Muslims and Jews, and Kosher It says thatmethods on average, Britons and Halal are both deeat 258g of fruit and signed to be(9.1oz) most compassionate vegetables a day, with to the animal.

It iscompared entirely incora European average slaughter of 386g rect to equate religious (13.6oz).

The average with cruelty to UK animals.

The also fact short the 400gother (14.1oz) isfalls there areofcountless real minimum consumption recomacts of cruelty being carried out mended by the World Oron animals daily in Health industrial ganisation. Onlyincluding four European slaughterhouses, under countries metso-called this target: Poland the guise of ‘merciful’ (577g), of Italy (452g),which Germany methods stunning, merit (442g)scrutiny and Austria (413g). We proper and attention.

The EUFIC report said: “A majority of Europeans not would advise proponents do of anireachwelfare WHOto recommendations mal turn their focus to on vegetables andactually fruit leads conwhere the evidence sumption. “Consumption varies, them.” with few higher intakesthat in southern The countries still ban comparedslaughter to the in northern rereligious Europe are gions.” traceable The EUFIC said that mostly to pre-World highIIintakes of fruit and vegWar anti-Semitism. etables wereSaleem associated with a Mohammed said “This lower risk of chronic tremendous success for diseases, our joint particularly cardiovascular efforts.

We said before and wedisreease, type 2 diabetes certain iterate again, we stand and united with cancers. the Jewish and Muslim communiThe ofreport alsothe acknowledges ties the UK, Netherlands that other the definition and and countries. of Thefruit reversal vegetables between of the Dutchvaries decision shouldcounsend for to example, atries clearwith, message everyonesome that nations notunited including potatoes we will be and defend any or fruitattack juice.on all fronts.” unjust

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The Hajj Exhibition Opens At British Museum The British Museum in London has opened the first ever major exhibition on the pilgrimage, to give non-Muslims a glimpse of the heart of this world religion.

“This exhibition is for everybody, Muslims and non-Muslims, everyone who wants to know more about this extraordinary phenomenon, which is one of the great religious manifestations of the world,” said Neil MacGregor, the director of

the museum. “Hajj is the only part of the practice of Islam that non-Muslims can’t see,” he said.

“It seems very important to try to explore that experience and to understand what it means to Muslims now, what it has meant through the centuries and to understand how that habit of pilgrimage has changed the world.”

It has taken three years and deals with museums around the world to bring together the exhibition.

The show uses priceless artefacts, video footage, personal audio recordings and photographs to explore the history, journeys and experiences of millions of pilgrims who travel from around the world to reach the holy city of Mecca every year.

The Hajj exhibition is the third by the British Museum in a series of sacred spiritual journeys that included “Treasures of Heaven” and “Book of the Dead”, and is

intended to improve understanding of the pilgrimage and Islam itself. However the exhibition, organised in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh, skirts over some of the modern problems the hajj faces. “Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam” opened at the British Museum on January 26, and runs until April 15.

MUSHARRAF Delays Return To Pakistan

Former president Pervez Musharraf, who was to return to Pakistan by the end of January, has postponed his arrival in view of the “emerging political developments”, his spokesperson said last month. He said Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) said that the retired general has postponed his return on the advice of several senior party leaders. Musharraf had been living in exile in Britain and the UAE since he resigned from his post in August 2008, fearing an impeachment by parliament. He had announced that he will return to Pakistan between Jan 27 and 30 to lead his party in the next general elections to be held in

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2013.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that Musharraf will be arrested on his return as courts have issued arrest warrants for him.

Musharraf seized power in 1999 after he dismissed the elected government of Nawaz Sharif hours after he was sacked as the army chief. An anti-terrorism court has issued arrest warrants in connection with the 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. In October last year, a court issued a warrant for his arrest over the killing of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti in a military operation in August 2006.

Musharraf has denied all charges.

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John Chosen From 250,000 for is Place at the Olympics

Only six years ago John Rwothomach (17) followed his parents over to the UK from Uganda , and now the stage is set for the biggest show of his life as he is one of the lucky ones to be picked from over 250,000 applicants for volunteer places at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. When John moved over from Uganda he had difficulty understanding the pronunciation of the English spoken here, but his confidence grew gradually and after shining in sports leadership with his school he was selected to join the Sheffield Academy of Young Leaders (SAYLS) at age 15.

He has volunteered at many of

the elite sporting events hosted here in Sheffield in the lead up to the Olympic and Paralympic games, from the English Open International Table Tennis Championships to the European Volleyball Championships.

These events have given him vital experience which has seen him go on to successfully apply for a place at the Olympics.

John says: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s still not hit me! Volunteering has done so much to improve my confidence and my communication skills, as well as practical skills working at events. I know I’ll be volunteering at Olympic volleyball, and it’s such a great feeling!”

The next large sporting event looking for local people to volunteer is the British Universities and Colleges Sport Championships on the 14-18 March. This Olympic style multi sport event takes place in several venues across Sheffield , with the best university sports people competing, many of who will be looking to compete in their sport internationally in the future.

People inspired by John’s story who would like the chance to gain new skills, knowledge and meet new people through volunteering, then contact Susie Roach at Sheffield City Council on Susie.roach@sheffield.gov. uk

Tea ‘May Cut Heart Disease Rates’ Heart disease rates could be reduced by 10% if everyone took to drinking large amounts of tea, a study has suggested. Researchers found that consuming the equivalent of around eight cups of black tea a day led to a significant lowering of blood pressure. They estimated that in the general population this would result in a 10% reduction in high blood pressure prevalence and a 7% to 10% reduction in the risk of heart disease.

A group of 95 men and women aged 35 to 75 were given three cups of powdered black tea solids each day for six months, or a flavour-matched non-tea

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“placebo” drink. Each tea drink contained 429 milligrams of polyphenols, plant chemicals that are said to have health benefits. A regular cup of black leaf tea contains up to 150mg of polyphenols, so the total dose consumed by the volunteers was equivalent to 8.58 cups of tea a day. Participants had normal to high blood pressure readings at the start of the study. After six months, their blood pressure levels had reduced by between two and three millimetres of mercury.

This demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge that long-term regular consumption

of black tea can result in significantly lower BPs (blood pressures) in individuals with normal to high-normal range BPs. It is important to understand that a cuppa won’t cancel out a poor diet or lifestyle. There is evidence that antioxidant properties in tea could provide heart health benefits, but more research is required to better understand how tea may reduce blood pressure.

The Benefits of Living in a Digital Society We are fortunate to be living in a time when all people have the ability, and the capability to access any knowledge they desire.

This digital society that we live in affords us opportunities that our ancestor only dreamed of having.

We should not take this privilege for granted.

In the not so distant past of the 1950s, people who wanted to research an idea, a product, or anything else, had to go to a library where they could look up information in books. Not all people had the same access to the books, and the information they contained. In America if your skin was black, you could not use the same library that a person with white skin used. If a black skinned person was allowed access to a library, it more than likely was stocked with outdated books that a library that was designed to be used by white

skinned people had discarded.

In the digital society we live in today, the color of your skin does not determine the access you have to information. Technology has brought to us the powerful tools like the internet where we can find information on almost every subject.

Our digital society did not just appear it evolved over time, just as the acceptance of people of different races evolved over time.

The acceptance of people with different skin colors, different accents, and different points of view is not through evolving into the fair and equal status it will one day have. Just as the digital society of today is nothing compared to the one our great grandchildren will live in.

Access to the internet has allowed us to research the things we are planning to purchase, and the places we are planning to visit.

With this ability we have become informed consumers, who know what they want from a product, and they are aware of what each manufacturer promises to deliver.

We are capable of comparing prices on things like insurance, appliances, entertainment, clothing, and all other things. We also now have the ability to purchase items online without ever leaving our homes. We have been freed from the restrictions of store hours, and regional sales. A person in America can purchase a product from a person in Germany, without leaving home.

Because of the digital society we live in our children can learn about anything they are interested in. When they ask you what the dinosaurs ate, you can look it up, and tell them the answer. Because of this people will be smarter in the future, and technology will only improve.

London 2012 ‘Disease Spread Risk’

Mass gatherings, such as the London 2012 Olympics, can be a hotbed of diseases from across the world, public health experts have warned. They say it can have consequences for the host nation and for people when they return to their own countries.

The theory is that so many people, packed closely together, increases the risk of diseases spreading. There are risks from diseases already in the host country and from the home countries of the visitors. Religious or mu-

sic festivals and major sporting events as mass gatherings which could have a public health risk, such as an influenza outbreak during World Youth Day in 2008 in Australia. Increased air travel and the spread of diseases could have “potentially serious implications to health, security, and economic activity worldwide”.

Conventional concepts of disease and crowd control do not adequately address the complexity of mass gatherings. Mass gatherings have been associated

with death and destruction - catastrophic stampedes, collapse of venues, crowd violence and damage to political and commercial infrastructure.” Prof Brian McCloskey, who is in charge of the Health Protection Agency’s preparations for London 2012, told the BBC: “The history of the Olympic Games suggests infection doesn’t happen often. “The issue for us is to make sure the right system is in place to respond.”

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PROPERTY CORNER

by: Mohammed Mahroof BSc (Hons) MRICS Consultant: Mark Jenkinson & Son WINTER BLUES FOR PROPERTY FACT OR MYTH? January, with people returning after the holidays, cold and stormy days with little sunshine, affects how we view the world. Like the weather there is a cloud over the economy which clearly has an effect on the property market.

At this time of year it is the most entrepreneurial of developers, property speculators and general investors that are active in the market place. Generally this is the time of year when many people, having had time to think about their future business aspirations over the holidays, start to become active in the market place.

Setting up in business, in my opinion, is a rising thought in peoples’ minds, especially as employment security starts to diminish. This has an impact on demand and enquiries for office accommodation and general business properties

may start to rise. There seems to be a clear demand for commercial properties which have flexible tenure, with all inclusive rents, where people are not tied down to long leases. What this does is give people an opportunity to bring bring their ideas into reality and if for any reason it does not work, they are free to walk away, comfortable in the fact that they are tied to a long lease. The positive from a landlord’s point of view is that if the business is a success, the tenant may expand into other units and improve the returns on investment.

Another sector of the market which traditionally becomes active is the residential market.

The rented sector in particular I believe has begun the year quite strongly. As demand rises, rents follow which means that investors are keen to enter the market and, generally speaking, this means demand for good quality houses with rental potential rises.

Investors begin to source stock which means the auction rooms

becomes a popular place at this time of year. Housing generally is becoming a very hot topic in the country. There is an opinion that the lack of new affordable housing coming onto the market creates an opportunity for a forward thinking investor. I will talk about this in another article in depth.

I believe the beginning of the New Year should be seen as a positive time. Once you think beyond the weather there are many opportunities in the property market. The market is created by forward thinking people who are inspired by challenge and inevitably become future business leaders, whether this in property or another market. As ever people reading this will always have their own thoughts as to whether the glass if half full or half empty.

As ever, if you want to contact me please call me on 0114 2760151/0787 901 5095 or through ILM.

Council Earmark Up To £11.4 Million For Ailing Park Hill Project

Sheffield City Council has allocated up to £11.4 million for unfinished regeneration projects, including the controversial scheme to create predominantly

new private flats at Park Hill.

The spending was recently approved at a Cabinet meeting.

Opposition Lib Dem councillors claim that despite previously

promising not to spend local taxpayers’ money on the project, the Labour-controlled Cabinet is allowing up to £11.4 million from the council to be allocated to the project over the next five years.

They say Labour councillors have already allocated £2.5 million of local public money for costs related to the Park Hill scheme.

Originally the entire cost of the project was being met by the private developer and Government grants. Cllr Alison Brelsford, Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet member for Housing, said: “Labour’s latest move opens the door for millions more to be allocated from the Town Hall’s coffers to the Park Hill project, despite the fact this £11.4 million would be better spent on protecting vital front line services.

Nearly 1,000 British Cops Have Criminal Records At least 944 serving police officers in Britain as well as community support officers have criminal records, according to official figures. The offences include causing death by careless driving, robbery, burglary, supplying drugs, domestic violence, forgery and diverting the course of justice, The Sun reported.

Those with criminal records include a chief inspector at the Scotland Yard or Metropolitan Police as well as two detective chief inspectors. The London department has the highest figure with 356 police officers and 41 support officers. Second on the list was Kent Police with 49 officers. Community support officers

are members of support staff employed, directed and managed by the police. They work to complement and support regular police officers, providing a visible and accessible uniformed presence to improve the quality of life in the community and offer greater public reassurance.

Migrants Do Not Affect Jobless Levels Immigration to Britain has had little or no impact on the overall levels of unemployment, even during the recent recession. A report by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research comes in advance of the results of an official inquiry by the government’s migration advisory committee on the impact of migration from outside Europe on the economy and public services in

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Britain. The NIESR report, says it found no link between migrant inflows and the overall level of those claiming jobseeker’s allowance. “In addition, we tested for whether the impact of migration on claimant unemployment varies according to the state of the economic cycle. We found no evidence of a greater negative impact during periods of low growth or the recent recession.” The find-

ings confirm existing research which has generally found little or no impact on average of immigration on unemployment in Britain, with at most “a generally modest impact on the less skilled”.

The NIESR report concedes that it is not known whether a fall in the number of low-skilled jobs in Britain is being masked by a balancing increase in the number of more highly skilled jobs.

Exclusive: How Pakistan Helps The U.S. Drone Campaign

The death of a senior al Qaeda leader in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan’s tribal badlands, the first strike in almost two months, signaled that the U.S.-Pakistan intelligence partnership is still in operation despite political tensions. The Jan 10 strike -- and its follow-up two days later -- were joint operations, a Pakistani security source based in the tribal areas. They made use of Pakistani “spotters” on the ground and demonstrated a level of coordination that both sides have sought to downplay since tensions erupted in January 2011 with the killing of two Pakistanis by a CIA contractor in Lahore.

“Our working relationship is a bit different from our political relationship,” the source told Reuters, requesting anonymity. “It’s more productive.” U.S. and Pakistani sources told Reuters that the target of the Jan 10 attack was Aslam Awan, a Pakistani national from Abbottabad, the town where Osama bin Laden was killed last May by a U.S. commando team.

They said he was targeted in a strike by a U.S.-operated drone directed at what news reports said was a compound near the town of Miranshah in the border province of North Waziristan. That strike broke an undeclared eight-week hiatus in attacks by the armed, unmanned drones that patrol the tribal areas and are a key weapon in U.S. President Barack Obama’s counter-terrorism strategy.

The sources described Awan, also known by the nom-de-guerre Abdullah Khorasani, as a significant figure in the remaining core leadership of al Qaeda, which U.S. officials say has been sharply reduced by the drone campaign.

Most of the drone attacks are conducted as part of a clandestine CIA operation. The Pakistani source, who helped target Awan, could not confirm that he was killed, but the U.S. official said he was. European officials said Awan had spent time in London and had ties to British extremists before returning to Pakistan.

The source, who says he runs a network of spotters primarily in North and South Waziristan, described for the first time how U.S.-Pakistani cooperation on strikes works, with his Pakistani

agents keeping close tabs on suspected militants and building a pattern of their movements and associations. “We run a network of human intelligence sources,” he said. “Separately, we monitor their cell and satellite phones.

“Thirdly, we run joint monitoring operations with our U.S. and UK friends,” he added, noting that cooperation with British intelligence was also extensive.

Pakistani and U.S. intelligence officers, using their own sources, hash out a joint “priority of targets lists” in regular face-to-face meetings, he said. “Al Qaeda is our top priority,” he said. He declined to say where the meetings take place.

Once a target is identified and “marked,” his network coordinates with drone operators on the U.S. side. He said the United States bases drones outside Kabul, likely at Bagram airfield about 25 miles north of the capital. From spotting to firing a missile “hardly takes about two to three hours,” he said. It was impossible to verify the source’s claims and American experts, who decline to discuss the drone program, say the Pakistanis’ cooperation has been less helpful in the past.

U.S. officials have complained that when information on drone strikes was shared with the Pakistanis beforehand, the targets were often tipped off, allowing them to escape. Drone strikes have been a sore point with the public and Pakistani politicians, who describe them as violations of sovereignty that produce unacceptable civilian casualties. The last strike before January had been on Nov 16, 10 days before 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed in what NATO says was an inadvertent cross-border attack on a Pakistani border post. That incident sent U.S.-Pakistan relations into the deepest crisis since Islamabad joined the U.S.-led war on militancy following the Sept 11, 2001 attacks. On Thursday, Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar said ties were “on hold” while Pakistan completes a review of the alliance.

The United States sees Pakistan as critical to its efforts to wind down the war in Afghanistan,

where U.S.-led NATO forces are battling a Taliban insurgency.

Some U.S. and Pakistani officials say that both sides are trying to improve ties. As part of this process, a U.S. official said, it is possible that some permanent changes could be made in the drone program which could slow the pace of attacks. The security source said very few innocent people had been killed in the strikes. When a militant takes shelter in a house or compound which is then bombed, “the ones who are harboring him, they are equally responsible,” he said. “When they stay at a host house, they (the hosts) obviously have sympathies for these guys.”

He denied that Pakistan helped target civilians. “If ... others say innocents have been targeted, it’s not true,” he said. “We never target civilians or innocents.”

The New America Foundation policy institute says that of 283 reported strikes from 2004 to Nov 16, 2011, between 1,717 and 2,680 people were killed. Between 293 and 471 were thought to be civilians -- approximately 17 percent of those killed. The Brookings Institution, however, says civilian deaths are high, reporting in 2009 that “for every militant killed, 10 or more civilians also died.” Pakistan’s interior minister, Rehman Malik, also said in April 2011 that “the majority of victims are innocent civilians.”

Still, despite its public stance, Pakistan has quietly supported the drone program since Obama ramped up air strikes when he took office in 2009 and even asked for more flights. According to a U.S. State Department cable published by anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks, Pakistan’s chief of army staff General Ashfaq Kayani in February 2008 asked Admiral William J. Fallon, then-commander of U.S. Central Command, for increased surveillance and round-the-clock drone coverage over North and South Waziristan.

The security source said Pakistan’s powerful spy agency, the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence, also was supportive of the strikes, albeit privately.

Chris Allbritton

Majority Of Britains Feels Happy Most Of The Time London: At any given time over the last decade, more than 80 percent of UK people declared themselves content with the life they lead. Two-thirds of people agree they have felt “happy” most of the time in the last month meanwhile, the government continues to measure our national happiness level in new ways and will insist that real happiness springs only from the right lifestyle choices.

At any given time over the last decade, more than 80 per cent of British people declared themselves content with the life they lead. In fact, two thirds agreed that they have felt “happy” most of the time in the last month. In 2011, the Future Foundation’s own research found that around

90% of young British teenagers declared themselves to be “quite” or “very” happy.

As the Coalition Government releases more findings from its own happiness survey during the course of 2012, politicians and consumers alike will be driven to be more interested in measuring how happy we are than how wealthy our economy is. In times of restricted growth and damaged household incomes, the Future Foundation sees it as inevitable that we will all be invited to define national success not so much by our macro-economic performance but by our psychological balance.

When discussing happiness, many policy-makers are im-

plicitly referencing those who are living lives which do not meet certain desirable standards.

With spending on the NHS now stretching beyond £100 billion per annum the race to bring down healthcare bills by prevailing on citizens to lead healthier, happier lives is well and truly on.

As 2012 has begun, around 35 percent of the UK is seriously over-weight (cf <10 percent in the early 1980s). In Scotland, 12 litres of alcohol per person are regularly drunk each year; in England it is <10. In 2011, the NHS reported that in England there were, for the first time, more than one million hospital admissions directly related to alcohol abuse.

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Pakistan is Beautiful and It’s Mine

By Shehrbano Taseer

2011 was a bleak year for Pakistan — even by its own harrowing standards.

My father, Governor SalmaanTaseer, was assassinated by his own fanatical security guard in January for his stand on Pakistan’s cruel blasphemy laws, and minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian in the federal cabinet, was gunned down in March allegedly by the Punjabi Taliban for holding a similar view. In April, five of the six men accused of gang raping village woman Mukhtar Mai on the orders of a village council of elders were set free by the Supreme Court. Since the sexual assault on her in 2001, Mai has braved death threats to have her victimisers punished. She has appealed the verdict, but the court, it is widely believed, is

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unlikely to reverse the acquittal.

In May, Pakistanis around the world hung their heads in shame as Osama bin Laden was found and killed in sleepy, sedate Abbottabad, a stone’s throw from our premier military academy where Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani spoke just weeks earlier declaring that the “terrorists’ back” had been broken.Then the tortured body of journalist Saleem Shahzad was discovered and suspicion fell on the country’s intelligence services. Pakistan had yet to recover from the devastation wrought by the 2010 floods when the August monsoons inundated KhyberPakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and especially Sindh affecting tens of million of people. My older brother, Shahbaz, was kidnapped on August 26. It’s January 2012 now and he is still missing.

These are just some of the highlights from a ruefully eventful year. All of these events played out against the cacophonous discord that we have become accustomed to: target killings, routine disappearances in Kashmir and Balochistan, suicide bombings, riots decrying the overall economic condition of the country, protests mourning the loss of Pakistan’s sovereignty, the unsettling hum of rote learning at poisonous madrassas.

But there’s nothing that’s bad about Pakistan that can’t be fixed

by what’s good about it. The narrative of lost hope is a tired one.

After the Arab Spring, the first question I was asked by journalists and interviewers was “When will it be Pakistan’s turn?”. General Zia tried hard to convince us that we’re Arabs, but we clearly are not. Watching Muammar Qaddafi’s bloodied and bullet-riddled body paraded up and down streets as protesters cheered, and seeing desperate dictators inflict violence on their own people, I realised that in many ways Pakistan is far ahead. Our transition from a dictatorship to a democracy was relatively smooth — no bloodshed, no political prisoners, no violence. And in 2010 — long before the Arab Spring — Pakistan’s nascent democracy returned the powers usurped by dictators back to parliament with the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, passed unanimously in parliament. As a people, we are more critical, more engaged.

We believe in peaceful evolution of existing structures, not revolution. A record number of people have registered to vote in the upcoming elections and the deadline isn’t even up yet.

We’ve snatched our democracy back and we’re not letting it go.

It’s an exciting time to be a Pakistani. Our resilience, our determination — it pulsates untouched through the streets. It is oft difficult for women to brave.

And in a conservative country like Pakistan, one has to work twice as hard to be considered half as good as a man. But Pakistani women artists, entrepreneurs, politicians, authors

and professionals have always rejected the corseted roles men have sought to cast them in.

From MPs like Sherry Rehman (now ambassador to the US) and Marvi Memon (who resigned from parliament recently) to lawyers like Asma Jahangir and filmmakers like Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, to the thousands of other selfless unsung heroes, Pakistani women are dynamic and unafraid — and this fact is one of the saving graces of our benighted country.

Although the Hudood laws continue to cripple the status of women in Pakistan today, 2011 has seen some important legislation by the PPP government. The Women’s Protection Act, the criminal law amendment against “honour” killings, the law providing women protection against harassment at the workplace, the acid crime prevention laws that mandate life imprisonment for perpetrators, and the Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Bill which prohibits forced marriages, are all powerful strides forward. Today, nearly 30 per cent of doctors and 22 per cent of parliamentarians — including the National Assembly speaker — are women.

For the first time, we are seeing human rights activists, journalists, and parliamentarians taking on the intelligence agencies, openly criticising their double games. There’s been a burst of new TV channels, newspapers and magazines. Pakistan’s press is much, much freer and our voices are louder than they were ten years ago.

Interestingly enough, politics is

not the only way to make a difference anymore. The private sector and NGOs are filling gaps ably. Compassionate Pakistanis, people with middle-class income who donate to charity above their means, make it possible for philanthropic giving to come to a whopping $2 billion a year.

There’s also been an entrepreneurial boom in Pakistan. Young, savvy businessmen looking to shake things up have become millionaires overnight setting up jobs websites, health care, housing schemes, branchless banking, and car dealerships, prompting Forbes to ask “if they’re prescient or nuts”. There’s forward movement on our relationship with India. We’re rolling out Fashion Weeks, rap artists like Adil Omar are collaborating with Snoop Dogg, Meesha Shafi is acting alongside Kate Hudson in Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and a number of renowned Pakistani scholars, architects, musicians, artists, producers are showcasing their expertise all over the world. We’ve come alive.

Pakistan is not the jihadist caricature it is oft made out to be.

This is the majority of Pakistanis. Don’t mistake its lower pitch for silence. We are just less noisy, going about doing our business without feeling the need for propagandist validation by making headlines.

People can call Pakistan dangerous but I don’t care. It’s beautiful and it’s mine.

The writer is a reporter for Newsweek Pakistan. She tweets at @shehrbanotaseer

News in Brief BBC Local Radio Cuts NOT so Drastic The BBC Trust is to reverse around half of the planned £15m cut to the budgets of BBC local radio stations, regional news and 5 live. BBC local radio is so highly regarded because listeners value the localness of the content.

People in Sheffield enjoy listening to radio content about Sheffield, made and delivered with local accents, knowledge and experience.

Of course cuts are still going to have to be made, but in particular let’s hope that this will mean BBC Radio Sheffield can continue to provide away football match commentary for our teams, and ensure that language programmes for ethnic minority communities can continue to be broadcast.

Universities Secure for Now

Government has axed plans to give for-profit private companies a greater role in UK higher education. The Government’s proposed legislation would have opened the door for private companies, including hedge funds and big American education companies, to set up new universities and access taxpayer funding.

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A JOURNEY NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN

Abdool Kadir trustee of registered charity Families Relief talks to us about his recent humanitarian trip to Gaza.

What’s the current humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza?

The sheer devastation and poverty that our brother and sisters are going through on a day to day basis is unbelievable. No amount of reading, attending conferences, documentary viewing or word of mouth could have prepared me for the reality of the situation in Gaza; you just can’t imagine it unless you see it for yourself.

Over 75% of Gazans are reliant on aid and food handouts, over 90% of the water from the Gaza aquifer is unfit for human consumption and the Ministry of Health is supplied only 20% of Gaza's medicinal needs, this is the factual reality of life in Gaza.

What did you witness during your visit in Gaza?

With our full time office in Gaza and the generosity of several donors across the world I was able to witness first-hand the humanitarian impact that our work has accomplished in Gaza. We the help of the donors, I was able to visit the schools were our water filtration systems were installed providing safe clean water for the school children. I watched as our water tank vehicles went from house to house delivering families with clean drinkable water, I personally delivered food parcels to several families living in the rubble where their home once stood. I visited the hospitals in Beit Hanoun and Gaza City whom we have supported over the past decades. But yet it is still not enough, as I witnessed for myself whilst visiting the hospital a dozen of casualties were rushed in with severe injuries the doctors were quick to respond but could only do as much as they could as one 5 year old child passed away with severe blood loss whilst within the same hour a previously admitted seven month old baby died from renal failure as he required specialised treatment that was unavailable in the

hospital.

How long has Families Relief been working in Gaza?

Gaza has been at the heart of Families Relief since 1994 until today when we are one of the most recognised charities delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. With our full time office in Gaza, we are able to work directly with the impoverished people on a day-to-day basis providing vital assistance such as food parcels, clean water and medical aid. Our staff have first-hand experience of working under extreme and volatile conditions in Gaza, with extreme poverty and no sustainable livelihoods; thousands of Gazans face extreme shortages of basic necessities and medication. Families Relief has implement various projects in Gaza including our water and food aid programmes, medical assistance, school support services, children breakfast schemes and our home water tank initiative.

What has Families Relief achieved in Gaza since it opened its office in 1994?

Families Reliefs office in Gaza has achieved various accomplishments, over the past years we have been there during the bombardments providing essential aid to thousands injured during the 1990s and 2009 with our staff risking their lives to distribute essential medical aid and food parcels. We have provided thousands of families with food parcels, hundreds of homes with home water tanks, dozens of school with water filtration systems, and hospitals with key equipment and medical supplies.

How do you to access those most in need in Gaza?

With 1.1 million of Gaza’s 1.6 million residents relying on food aid, it is proving a real challenge for Families Relief to meet such demands of the population. But we continue to provide families with food parcel on a monthly basis carefully accessing each family’s situation and their individual needs. For example during my trip I visited a family who had children that were allergic to milk and as a result the children were stunted in growth and very frail after further investigations we found hundreds of families in the same situation. Praise be to Allah

SWT we managed to source this specialised nutrition milk supplement and provided it to the families along with a food parcel.

How does the ongoing conflict on the ground affect humanitarian operations?

Families Relief has worked through all the major conflicts in Gaza and with our office in Gaza we are able to work directly with the people on a day to day basis.

The commitment of our staff is second to none with them risking their lives to provide much essential aid through the donations received.

What is next for Families Relief?

Having visited our projects in Gaza, it was clear that one project stood out beyond the rest, as here in the UK we are so privileged to have fully equipped hospitals and pharmacies but in Gaza this is far from reality. Health services have been significantly reduced with damage to more than 21 clinics, leaving only 10 primary health care centres functioning as emergency clinics and even less dealing with ongoing treatment.

Families Relief has launched a special £365K medical project to provide the Beit Hanoun district of Gaza with a brand new hospital wing to take care of the many casualties they received on a day to day basis and essential medical supplies to take care of the patients needing ongoing care such as patients dealing with kidney and cancer disease, heart and fertility problems, as well as the handicapped and the newborn. In additional we aim to continue our existing projects to reach more families and individuals.

We simply rely on Almighty Allah and on the donations of our donors to enable us to continue our humanitarian aid effort. Yet there is so much more needed to be done to help sustain our aid projects. I personally ask for the help and support of the readers to help us make this project a reality in Gaza and ultimately help save the lives of the hundreds of casualties that the hospital receives on a weekly basis.

Business Rates By: Amar Saleem

Business Development Manager Sheffield Chamber of Commerce E-mail: amar.saleem@scci.org.uk Councils in England will be allowed to keep the business rates they collect rather than paying them into Treasury coffers, under new government plans. Under the current system councils have no financial incentive to boost growth and prosperity in their areas. But I believe the changes would be fair and poorer areas would not get less money than they do under the current system.

Currently business rates are charged on most non-domestic premises, including warehouses, shops, offices and factories. They are calculated and collected by local authorities, and at present are put into a central pool before being redistributed to all councils in the form of a grant. The grant is then used by local councils to help fund public services like the police and fire brigade.

The government hopes the change will make councils less dependent on Whitehall funding. According to last year’s spending review, total central government contribu-

tions to local government will fall by 26% in real terms over four years. The tax system is currently “over-centralised” with just 5% of the tax take being raised locally.

With this localisation of the retention of business rates it’s fair to say that with hindsight centralising rates back in 1988 in the Local Government Finance Act was a mistake. It set back meaningful localism by a generation. Councils now generate less than half of their income but if they had the power to retain business rates, that could rise to 80% or more. At the moment councils have no financial incentive to promote economic growth and prosperity in their area, they are not rewarded for success.

By localising the retention of

business rates you are given a dramatic new incentive to work with business and with others, in order to boost economic prosperity in our areas. Poorer areas, particularly in the north, fear that the localisation of business rates could leave them much worse off because they lack a large economic base.

But it seems any new system would be fair. From the start, no authority will receive less funding when the new arrangements are introduced than they would have done previously. The new system will start on a level playing field. How far they progress from there is entirely up to a council.

Councils will also have the power to borrow against business rate income to fund local development. It would seem that localising business rates would be the biggest kick-start to our economies that the government could give, it would allow communities to benefit directly from their own economic activity and development.

Families Relief Northern Office Sorby House Spital Hill Sheffield S4 7LG T: 0114 213 2401 M: 07791 389596

Student who Obtained 0% on an Exam He Could have got 100% on original thinking!

Technically he has answered all the questions correctly.....

Q1. In which battle did Napoleon die? * his last battle Q2. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? * at the bottom of the page Q3. River Ravi flows in which state? * liquid Q4. What is the main reason for divorce? * marriage Q5. What is the main reason for

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failure? * exams Q6. What can you never eat for breakfast? * Lunch & dinner Q7. What looks like half an apple? * The other half Q8. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become? * It will simply become wet Q9. How can a man go eight days without sleeping? * No problem, he sleeps at night.

Q10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand? * You will never find an elephant that has only one hand..

Q11. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in other hand, what would you have? * Very large hands Q12. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it? * No time at all, the wall is already built.

Q13. How can u drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it? *Any way you want, concrete floors are very hard to crack.

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The Importance of a Good Vocabulary When you are in school the teachers and instructors work hard to teach you a good vocabulary. It is important in life to know how to use the words and to know different words that mean the same thing. Having a strong vocabulary will enable you to understand other people better and will improve your ability to communicate with others.

For almost every word that we choose to use in the English language there are other words that have the same meaning. These words can often times make the things we are saying sound more poetic when we speak. Sometimes these other words are better understood by some people than they are by other people. Sometimes the using of a different word to say the same thing makes the person appear more intelligent and like they have a better education.

Our vocabulary skills reflect on the education we received and they reflect on our intelligence.

In a job interview two candidates who have equally impressive credentials may be judged on their vocabulary skills. The candidate that is more articulate will be the one that the company chooses to hire because this person will be considered to be a bigger benefit to the appearance of the company.

Every one of us uses slang words and slang terms when we are around our family members and our close friends.

Some groups of people even give new meanings to words. Only the people in the group will understand what is being said when the word is used inappropriately.

This way of communicating with friends is fine but we also need to be able to communicate with people outside of our circle of friends.

We need to be able to make peo-

ple from all walks of life understand what we have to say and we need to understand what they are saying to us.

If you are buying life insurance and you do not understand the terms that the insurance agent is using you can be confused about which policy to purchase.

Different groups of professionals also have what appears to be their own language that they speak.

If you have a large vocabulary to rely on it is likely that you can determine what the other person is talking about simply by how the word is being used in a sentence.

The only sure way to increase your vocabulary is to ask questions. When someone uses a word or a phrase you are unfamiliar with do not hesitate to ask them what the word or phrase meant.

There is no shame in not knowing something there is shame in not trying to learn.

Move of some Orthopaedic Surgery to RHH Sheffield Teaching Hospitals are hoping to cut the number of non urgent operations which have to be cancelled during the busy winter period by carrying out some operations at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital instead of the Northern General Hospital.

More than 140,000 operations and surgical procedures were carried out last year at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals but approximately 800 operations regrettably had to be cancelled at short notice predominantly either because the pa-

tient was either not fit to undergo surgery or an emergency patient took priority in terms of needing theatre time, a bed or particular staff expertise. There has been a 6% increase in the number of emergency patients being admitted to Sheffield Hospitals over the last 5 years and last year the increase was closer to 11%. This is set against the backdrop of also carrying out more operations/ procedures each year. In 2008/9, 132,000 operations were carried out. In 2009/10 we carried out

137,000, and last year the number rose to over 141,000.

There has been a 6% increase in the number of emergency patients being admitted to Sheffield Hospitals over the last 5 years and last year the increase was closer to 11%. This is set against the backdrop of carrying out more operations every year. In 2008/9 132,000 surgical procedures were carried out, compared to last year when the number rose by more than 9,000 to 141,000.

The British Asian Wilderness We all know who they are? every family has some? And you ‘l come across them quite frequently. So why do Asians and especially Pakistani’s tolerate their criminals? You know how this goes, you will be at a wedding or in a kebab shop and inevitable you will meet people you know and start chatting. “I saw Saj the other day, what’s he up to now”? And the dirt will start rolling out. He’s living it up after that scam he pulled “or “Dirty money bruv, he’s dealing init”. A variation of this conversation has probably been had by most Asians over the years, with a relaxed acceptance of the relatively blatant criminality in their midst. The dealers and fraudsters and other low lives, who have scant regard for the law of the land, their religion or community, can in plain sight perpetrate criminality, the ramifications of which will be felt and paid for by all, whether its community stigmatisation or taxes to house the ever greater Asian prison population. Why should these people function with ease and immunity within the community? The reasons are quite clear, because most people in

the community will either know or have someone in the family who is a part of the problem So essentially we are against criminality, unless it’s one of our own of course, then we are essentially unaware and probably benefitting. This inter communal tribalism, which is so symptomatic of especially the Pakistani diaspora, that it propels criminals and thugs to the standards of acceptable occupations and condemns impressionable younger generations to the glorification of the lives of gangsters. What acceptable reasoning could there be for the sons of the early immigrants, now third generation in, with the benefits of wealth, through business and general prosperity afforded to them by this country, still exiting the educational system with zero qualifications.

Essentially uneducated, yet street wise, baptised by a culture which promotes the pleasures of wealth, they seek to ascertain that wealth through any means possible. If and when any given community or culture seeks to condone and respect the practise of having material wealth, regardless of the method

of achieving it, then indeed the moral compass is off course.

Would the immigrant forefathers have ever visualised a large and prosperous community, with full religious and human rights, essentially behind them in their educational achievements. Whilst they left their families and journeyed to better themselves and escape poverty, the current generations would bask in hedonism and worship at the altar of wealth.

The community has to break this toxic and lethal mix of a lack of education and literacy and money. Like oil and water the two should not be mixed and the rotting underbelly of the community will indeed bring its stench to the surface. The decent law abiding majority of the community who seek to achieve and benefit the wider society, will always be the victims of the criminals in their ranks. They need to organise and let their voice be heard, step up and confront the problems, with a realisation and remedies.

By: Jaan M Khan (jmkglory@yahoo.com)

Haqqani to Travels back to the US Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani has flown out of the country after restrictions on his travel were eased by the Supreme Court. According to sources, Haqqani left Doha on a private jet, from where he later traveled to the US. Haqqani is was scheduled to meet with top officials in the US. Sources also told DawnNews that the former ambassador met with the Deputy Chief of the US Mission in Islamabad Jonathan Pratt at the Prime Minister’s House where the memo case and other issues were discussed.

Earlier Haqqani’s counsel Asma

Jehangir had requested the apex Subsequently, the court percourt to ease travel restrictions mitted Haqqani to travel. “He is allowed to proceed out of country,” Chief Justice Iftikhar said in his order, after Jehangir guaranteed her client would appear before judges at four days’ notice if required.

“I am glad that the Supreme Court has restored my right to travel, which had been rescinded without any charges being filed against me. I will join my family in the US after discussions with the leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party,” Haqqani told reporters. placed on her client, who, she argued, had family abroad.

‘Fewer and Better’ Immigrants Plan

Britain will give priority to the “brightest and the best” immigrants under new plans to cut the number of foreigners settling in the UK, the Immigration Minister has said.

Damian Green outlined the principles behind the Government’s new “selective” immigration policy that will give preferential treatment to inves-

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tors, entrepreneurs and worldclass artists, dancers, musicians and academics.

Under the planned reforms “fewer but better” immigrants will be allowed to settle in the UK, with those who lack the skills to “help drive economic growth” or contribute to UK culture facing greater scrutiny.

Mr Green told The Sunday

Times: “What we need is a system that...goes out to seek those people who are either going to create jobs or wealth or add to the high-level artistic and cultural aspirations we have.

“Getting the number down is the absolute key but what I am aiming at is fewer and better.” The Conservative MP said those wishing to live in Britain will have to show “genuine serious usefulness to British society” and prove they are not totally dependent on benefits.

He added: “We want permanently to make Britain the most attractive country in the world for the brightest and the best. The era of mass immigration is over.”

According to Mr Green, the UK turned down 385,000 visas last year, detected 27,000 forged documents and is currently stopping 1,000 people getting on a UK-bound plane each month.

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Legal Corner

Q & A : Property & Commercial Mohammed Nazir Solicitor

Head of Property/Immigration, Wosskow Brown

1. What is a retention on a mort- ies to get the work done yourself gage offer and how does it work? or you could request that the vendor gets the works done before A retention is the amount which you complete. Please be aware will be retained, by the Mortgage that if your surveyor advises you company, until certain repairs at not to buy the property then this the property have been carried means the property has many out. Once the required work has problems and it is safer to take been done at the property then the professional advice and not the mortgage lender will send a purchase. valuer to inspect the property and once satisfied they will release 4. What does it mean if the local the retained amount of money to search reveals that the road is not adopted and maintainable at the you. publics expense?

2. Could you please advise when the Stamp Duty Land Tax If the road is not adopted or main(SDLT) first time buyers exemp- tainable at the public’s expense then it means that you have to tion will end. contribute to the maintenance of The first time buyers relief will the road yourself. This means for end on 25th March 2012. If pur- example that if there was a pot chases are completed after this hole in the road all of the people date the first time buyers relief who live on the road will have to will not be available and eve- get the works carried out to recryone buying a property over tify it and split the cost of the bill. £125,000.00 will have to pay It is important that you always check the local search properly SDLT. otherwise there could be further 3. What are my options if prob- expense that you haven’t budglems with the property are high- eted for. lighted in my survey report?

5. I am buying a repossessed If there are any problems high- property from a bank and the lighted in a surveyors report, you estate agents have said that comhave several options available to pletion has to be within 28 days, you. You could ask the vendor what steps should I take? for a reduction in price so that you can use the remaining mon- If you are buying a repossessed

property, you have to proceed quickly. The first thing is to get your mortgage offer in place and get the survey done as soon as possible. You need to make your solicitor aware that the property is a repossession and advise of the day that you have to complete by. With a repossession, the property is kept on the market right up to exchange of Contracts, meaning that anyone can put in a higher offer right up until the end and the repossessor may accept it. This is why it is so important to get things moving as soon as possible.

Disclaimer Please note, these answers are for general information only and they do not amount as specialist advice. If you want to seek advice, please contact your solicitor.

Routine Aspirin ‘May Cause Harm’ Healthy people who take aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke could be doing more harm than good, warn researchers. An analysis of more than 100,000 patients, concluded the risk of internal bleeding was too high. The UK-led study said only people with a history of heart problems or stroke should take the tablets.

Experts said any decision should be made with a doctor.

Aspirin helps people who have had a heart attack or stroke. It prevents blood clots from forming by preventing cells, known as platelets, from sticking together. By reducing the number of clots formed, the tablets reduce the risk of another heart attack or stroke. There have also been suggestions that the drug can prevent some cancers, however, the drug is known to increase the chance of internal bleeding, including bleeds on the brain.

The discussion has been whether at-risk or even healthy people should also take aspirin. Official guidelines were issued in 2005 by the Joint British Societies, which includes the British Cardiac Soci-

ety, British Hypertension Society and The Stroke Association. It recommended 75 mg of aspirin a day for high risk patients over the age of 50. The Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin said in 2008 that preventative aspirin should be abandoned unless there was already evidence of cardiovascular disease.

Good or bad?

Researchers analysed data from nine trials, from a total of 102,621 patients. They said that while there was a 20% reduction in non-fatal heart attacks in people taking aspirin, there was no reduction in deaths from heart attack, stroke or cancer. Meanwhile the risk of potentially life threatening internal bleeding increased by 30%.

Researchers say “If you treat 73 people for about six years you will get one of these non-trivial

bleeds. If you treat about 160 people for the same period of time, you’re preventing one heart attack that probably wouldn’t have been fatal anyway. It suggests that the net benefit for aspirin is not there, it certainly doesn’t prolong life. If you think about it the net benefit, actually there is net harm”.

The study followed patients for an average of six years. An analysis suggested that regularly taking aspirin reduced the risk of a series of cancers, when patients were followed for much longer.

British Heart Foundation, said: “Aspirin can help reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke among those with known heart disease, and this group of people should continue to take aspirin as prescribed by their doctor. “Our advice is that people who don’t have symptomatic or diagnosed heart disease shouldn’t take aspirin because the risk of internal bleeding may outweigh the benefits. “If you’re taking prescribed aspirin and have any concerns, don’t simply stop taking it. Always talk to your doctor first.”

DISCLAIMER ILM (The Knowledge) Newspaper does not represent any political, religious or any other group. It is purely for providing general information, entertainment and knowledge to its readers. ILM News does not take any responsibility of any views expressed by authors.

Decline In University Applications University applications have declined; Paul Blomfield, Member of Parliament for Sheffield Central, says that this could be the start of a very worrying trend.

UCAS applications have declined by nearly 9% but there are varying rates of decline hidden within the main figure. A breakdown of the UK figures show a 4% fall in applications in Northern Ireland and 1.9% in Wales.

The figures published by the UCAS admissions service show that by the 15 January deadline

there were 462,507 applications for courses beginning in September. This represented a 8.7% drop in applications from students in the UK - but an increase in overseas applications meant that the overall figure was 7.4% lower than at the same point last year. Mr Blomfield is concerned that the biggest drop is of applicants from low income families where there isn’t a tradition of studying at university. The Government’s decision to treble fees to £9000 and increase the burden

of debt that students now have to take on is a major disadvantage for people from low-income backgrounds.

Paul Blomfield said; “This will not only reduce the life chances of those who now cannot afford university, but undermine the development of the skills our economy needs. Britain cannot afford to have fewer graduates each year than our global competitors.”

The disease Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be familiar to most people, but only a few are knowledgeable about its causes. Nevertheless, it is also essential to at least try to understand the medical explanations behind irregular behaviours so that proper cure and prevention can be administered.

Unfortunately, most people’s notions about ADHD are entangled with various myths and misconceptions that consequently produce a stigma against patients with this psychological deficit.

For that reason, children struggling from this attention and hyperactivity problem have been tagged as troublemakers and spoiled brats, while adult patients are deemed sluggish and not smart. Most people assume that ADHD is not even a medically accepted disorder or that it does not exist at all. So instead of having a concrete support system from their respective commu-

nities, individuals with ADHD tend to be detached or isolated.

That scenario is not helpful at all since feeling ostracized and misjudged can worsen their condition. Hence, the best way to deal with the issue is to first fix some of the incorrect perceptions that people have against this behavioural disorder. For example, some believe that ADHD is just a way for drug companies and psychologists to make more money.

However; the truth is that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exists and has been upsetting thousands of children worldwide. If not sorted out immediately, this can be a lifelong burden that individuals and their families have to withstand.

Thankfully, there are several residential treatment centers today that can help treat not only the ADHD per se, but also the emotional wounds that other members of society have induced on the patients themselves.

Apart from offering shelter, these establishments also have a fully equipped residential treatment facility that can give the treatment needs of teens with ADHD. This demystifies yet another belief which claims that children who have ADHD are over-diagnosed and over-medicated. Some people think that the illness has become an excuse for all misbehaving youths; however, professional psychologists can confirm that they have valid methods of diagnosing and treating ADHD. Another myth is that the indications of ADHD including lack of motivation, alcoholism, lazy learning habits, and sensitivity to food are all deliberate and controllable. This mistaken belief usually leads to harsh parenting. To stop this from occurring, parents should seek professional help to support essential medical and emotional help their children need.

Breaking the Myths Surrounding ADHD

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14

In 1900, an American civil engineer called John Elfreth Watkins made a number of predictions about what the world would be like in 2000. How did he do?

As is customary at the start of a new year, the media have been full of predictions about what may happen in the months ahead.

But a much longer forecast made in 1900 by a relatively unknown engineer has been recirculating in the past few days.

In December of that year, John Elfreth Watkins wrote an article in an American women’s magazine, entitled What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years. He began the article with the words: “These prophecies will seem strange, almost impossible”.

10 predictions that Watkins got right...

1. Digital colour photography Watkins did not, of course, use the word “digital” or spell out precisely how digital cameras and computers would work, but he accurately predicted how people would come to use new photographic technology.

“Photographs will be telegraphed from any distance. If there be a battle in China a hundred years hence, snapshots of its most striking events will be published in the newspapers an hour later.... photographs will reproduce all of nature’s colours.”

This showed major foresight.

People thought photography itself was a miracle, and colour photography was very experimental and his idea was far beyond what anyone was saying at the time.

2. The rising height of Americans “Americans will be taller by from one to two inches.”

Watkins had unerring accuracy here; the average American man in 1900 was about 66-67ins (1.681.70m) tall and by 2000, the average was 69ins (1.75m).Today, it’s 69.5ins (1.76m) for men and 64ins (1.63m) for women.

3. Mobile phones “Wireless telephone and telegraph circuits will span the world. A husband in the middle of the Atlantic will be able to converse with his wife sitting in her boudoir in Chicago. We will be able to telephone to China quite as readily as we now talk from New York to Brooklyn.”

International phone calls were unheard of in Watkins’ day. It was another 15 years before the first call was made, by Alexander Bell, even from one coast of the US to the other. The idea of wireless telephony was truly revolutionary.

4. Pre-prepared meals “Ready-cooked meals will be bought from establishment similar to our bakeries of today.”

The proliferation of ready meals in supermarkets and takeaway

Ten 100-Year Predictions that Came True

shops in High Streets suggests that Watkins was right, although he envisaged the meals would be delivered on plates which would be returned to the cooking establishments to be washed.

5. Slowing population growth “There will probably be from 350,000,000 to 500,000,000 people in America [the US].”

The figure is too high, but at least Watkins was guessing in the right direction. If the US population had grown by the same rate it did between 1800 and 1900, it would have exceeded 1 billion in 2000.

“Instead, it grew just 360%, reaching 280m at the start of the new century.”

6. Hothouse vegetables Winter will be turned into summer and night into day by the farmer, said Watkins, with electric wires under the soil and large gardens under glass.

“Vegetables will be bathed in powerful electric light, serving, like sunlight, to hasten their growth. Electric currents applied to the soil will make valuable plants to grow larger and faster, and will kill troublesome weeds.

Police Issue Warning and Advise 4X4 Motorists Police in Sheffield are advising owners of 4x4 vehicles to consider the security of their vehicles and are urging owners to report any suspicious activity, following a recent number of thefts of Land Rovers across the city. There has been a three-fold rise in Land Rover thefts in the city.

South Yorkshire Police said 45 Land Rovers were stolen between July and December 2011, compared with 16 in the same period in 2010.

Detective Chief Inspector Zaf Ali said: “We believe these types of thefts are happening, because there is a ready market for cheap vehicle parts and 4x4 vehicles are often being stolen to order and stripped for spare parts, which are then being distributed across the UK and potentially overseas.

We are working hard to tackle this issue, with vehicle manufacturers and retailers and carrying out regular patrols in key areas across the city. However, we do need the public to help us to tackle this issue by being vigilant, following crime prevention advice and reporting any suspicious activity to

the police.”

Crime Reduction Officers offer the following crime prevention advice, to help reduce the chances of vehicles being stolen: • Use a ‘Sold Secure’ or ‘Thatcham’ approved full Disklok or pedal guard and use it every time you leave the vehicle especially overnight. Such devices can considerably slow down a thief who

wants to make a quick get away, potentially putting them off completely.

• Consider security marking the parts of your vehicle. This can be done in several ways including DNA based property marking, laser engraving or stencil etching.

To obtain further crime prevention advice please visit www.securedbydesign.com

• The Retaina Group have a full range of anti-theft property marking stencils and a secure registration database that can be interrogated by the police to trace stolen parts back to the original owner.

For more information go to www. retainagroup.com/our-system. html • A tracking device should be considered as stolen vehicles are often parked up out of sight just to see if police are tracking them.

We do recover many vehicles this way. Remember thieves do not like to be caught.

• Factory fitted alarms and immobilisers can often be upgraded.

I would advise owners to ensure vehicle doors and windows are secured and alarms activated when leaving the vehicle, even for a short time.

Police would encourage motorists to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or to pass on information about vehicle crime call South Yorkshire Police on 101, the non-emergency number or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Rays of coloured light will hasten the growth of many plants. Electricity applied to garden seeds will make them sprout and develop unusually early.”

Large gardens under glass were already a reality, but he was correct to predict the use of electricity. Although coloured lights and electric currents did not take off, they were probably experimented with.

7. Television “Man will see around the world.

Persons and things of all kinds will be brought within focus of cameras connected electrically with screens at opposite ends of circuits, thousands of miles at a span.”

Watkins foresaw cameras and screens linked by electric circuits, a vision practically realised in the 20th Century by live international television and latterly by webcams.

8. Tanks “Huge forts on wheels will dash across open spaces at the speed of express trains of today.”

Leonardo da Vinci had talked about this, but Watkins was tak-

ing it further. There weren’t many people that far-sighted.

9. Bigger fruit “Strawberries as large as apples will be eaten by our great-greatgrandchildren.”

Lots of larger varieties of fruit have been developed in the past century, but Watkins was overoptimistic with regard to strawberries.

10. The Acela Express “Trains will run two miles a minute normally. Express trains one hundred and fifty miles per hour.”

Exactly 100 years after writing those words, to the very month, Amtrak’s flagship high-speed rail line, the Acela Express, opened between Boston and Washington, DC. It reaches top speeds of 150mph, although the average speed is considerably less than that. High-speed rail in other parts of the world, even in 2000, was considerably faster. ...and four he didn’t 1. No more C, X or Q “There will be no C, X or Q in our everyday alphabet. They will be abandoned because unnecessary.”

This was obviously wrong, but also remarkable in the way that it hints at the possible effects of mass communication on communication itself.

2. Everybody will walk 10 miles a day

This presents a rather generous view of future humanity but doesn’t seem to consider the popularity and convenience of the very transportation breakthroughs [moving sidewalks, express trains, coaches] forecast elsewhere in the article.

3. No more cars in large cities “All hurry traffic will be below or above ground when brought within city limits.”

However, many cities do have pedestrian zones in their historic centres. And he correctly forecast elevated roads and subways.

4. No mosquitoes or flies “Mosquitoes, house-flies and roaches will have been exterminated.”

Watkins was getting ahead of himself here. Indeed the bed bug is making a huge comeback in the US and some other countries.

Maybe the end of the mosquito and the house fly is something to look forward to in 2100?

And some other Watkins forecasts •Central heating and air conditioning •Cheap cars •Average life expectancy to rise to 50 •Free university education •Refrigerated transport of food

8/10 Britons Faking Incapacity Eight out of ten Britons tested for new incapacity benefits were found to be fit for work, official statistics have revealed.

The department for work and pensions decided that 57 percent of claimants were no longer eligible for the hand-outs.

A further 21 percent could carry out some sort of work with the right support, the Daily Mail

reported. Just one-fifth of the claimants -- 22 percent -- were found unable to do any form of employment.

Around 1.5 million people, who have been claiming Incapacity Benefit, are being reassessed for its replacement- the Employment Support Allowance (ESA)- to verify whether they are able to carry out work.

The latest figures show the numbers claiming ESA and Incapacity Benefit have dropped to their lowest level since 1996 following the introduction of the tests.

There are still 2.6 million people claiming the benefits, nearly a million of whom have been availing these for over a decade, the report said.

Pakistani Girl Student Makes World Record in O-Level Exams A brilliant Pakistan girl student Sumbul Syed has made world record after taking nine as and getting top position in English literature globally.

Sumbul Syed is a resident of Karachi and she has obtained 9 As out of eleven papers while secured first position world over in O-Level’s exams of English literature.

The proud of Pakistan student Sumbul said while commenting on her achievement that she never thought it before that not only in Pakistan but she will get top position in entire world.

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15

The Big Question:

Was Margaret Thatcher A Great Leader?

Few prime ministers have split opinion like Margaret Thatcher.

She enjoyed two landslide victories, is one of the longest-serving leaders the country has seen and was, of course, Britain's first woman prime minister. Love it or loathe it, she left a legacy. For some that is the deep and painful scar of job losses and pit closures, for others it is policy that transformed the country, bringing home ownership to thousands and free market principles to the economy. For a good decade, Thatcherism became a dirty word but in more recent years she has enjoyed a resurgence. Even the Labour leader has admitted she got a good deal of things right.

Now she has been given the Hollywood treatment by Meryl Streep in her performance as the Iron Lady, for which she won a Golden Globe.

In July an Ipsos Mori Poll, saw Baroness Thatcher named as the most competent prime minister of the past 30 years.

The big question is: Was Margaret Thatcher a great leader?

Yes - she was a woman who led from the front. You don't have to agree with her politics to consider Margaret Thatcher a great leader.

Quite possibly one of the greatest this country has had. It is because what marks a great leader, from those other not-so-great leaders, is the sheer weight of personality.

Thatcher had that, in spades. Here was a woman who led from the front. A woman who was not for turning, unlike some of our more recent political leaders who perform a policy flip-flop at the sniff of a negative headline. An intelligent woman with a chemistry degree who trained as a barrister, and managed to bring up twins.

She crafted an image for herself that made her a force to be

reckoned with. She worked on her screen image and slowed her speech, speaking at 100 words per minute - the minimum shorthand speed a journalist needs to qualify. She let it be known that she could survive on very little sleep. Let's face it when the Russians give someone the moniker the Iron Lady that's some formidable leader.

Her achievements were remarkable. A veritable checklist of legacy-leaving landmarks. The first woman prime minister, she enjoyed three successive election victories, giving her 11 and a half years in office - longer than any other in 20th century.

She was a good war leader. She revitalised the economy and the public has never really lost faith in her free market principles. She created one million homeowners by selling off council houses and re-established Britain as a world power, forging stronger links with the US. Her legacy is great. Her politics are named after her - something that tends to mark out the truly great politicians, economists and sociologists. It is little wonder

UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Education leaders are expected to give the green light to develop the city’s brand new University Technical College in the heart of the city. If approved, the Porter Brook site on Sidney Street will become the new home for the multi-million pound specialist facility, subject to approval by the Government. It will be one of only 18 University Technical Colleges (UTCs) nationally to offer highly technical subjects to teenagers.

Sheffield City Council Leader Cllr Julie Dore said: “It is vitally important that young people have the option to participate in good vocational education on their doorstep. “The University Technical College will be a boost to the city’s economy and social well being and will also mean local businesses can literally grow their own future employees. It will not only provide world class expertise right here in Sheffield , but it will also bring in much needed jobs to the area. “This is the boost Sheffield’s economy

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desperately needs and hopefully the city will be reaping the benefits in just a few years time.”

The plan is for the Sheffield UTC to be based in the heart of the Cultural Industry Quarter (CIQ), just a stone’s throw from Sheffield train station. It will be within walking distance of The Sheffield College and Sheffield Hallam University as well as many potential future employers.

It is hoped this in turn will act as a catalyst for further regeneration in the area.

The UTC is due to open to students in September 2013. It will place a strong focus on training young people in modern technical and vocational skills linked to local advanced engineering and manufacturing, and creative and new media. Student places are anticipated to total 600. The Council will not be expected to make any financial commitment to the UTC other than the gift of the land, which was formerly owned by Yorkshire Forward.

that she became the first living British Prime Minister to be honoured with a statue in the Houses of Parliament.

But for me what makes her a great leader is that, just 50 years after women won the right to vote, we had a woman making decisions that men were not brave enough to make without so much as batting an eyelid. A woman who could turn to the American president and say: "This is no time to go wobbly."

No - she was a devisive leader who hardly brought us all together. Hollywood may have tried to airbrush the reality of Margaret Thatcher's time in power with its Meryl Streep biopic but there is no escaping the fact that she was a divisive figure in this country and hardly a leader that brought us all together. From the start, she caused rifts in the Conservative Party, not only by her gender but also for her determinism, always believing her policies were the right and only path to take. If you take the Poll Tax as an example, it was one of the most-hated government policies of the late 20th Century, despised by minis-

ters who were forced to back it, the local authorities who had to implement it and the public who had to pay it. Everyone knows it was a bad idea but Thatcher stuck with it.

This decision resulted in one of the most violent periods of civil unrest for centuries as people took to the street in protest. But she stuck to her guns, ignoring the advice of her political advisers and pushing ahead with the plans.

It was only when she was forced from power by her own party, that the Poll Tax was abandoned by her successor John Major.

This sheer bloody mindedness is a perfect example of her inability to listen to her 'troops' - surely one of the signs of a strong leader. Her apparent lack of consideration for the people left in the wake of her decisions - the miners, their families, those working into the manufacturing sector that she slowly destroyed shows a lack of compassion essential for great, even good, leadership.

The stances she took against her then Chancellor, Nigel Lawson, and her Foreign Secretary, Geoffrey Howe, over Europe and the European Exchange Rate Mechanism caused divisions in the Conservative Party that are still alive today. The legacy of her leadership was the fact that the Tories were unelectable for more than a decade. Thatcherism was a dirty word and it is only now, under David Cameron's tenure, that the Conservative Party has adopted it once again.

A truly great leader leaves office on their own terms. They are not forced out by underlings. They know when to go and that moment of stubborness is the final reason why Margaret Thatcher will never be truly great.

United Kingdom To Unite The World This 2012 Everyone is excited in Great Britain as its largest city, London, will be the host city for the coming Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. Representing the United Kingdom and the British flag, London is the only city to date to be the venue of the prestigious gathering of the world’s best athletes for the third time. It hosted for the years 1908 and 1948.

The Olympic Games has come a long way from its conception in Olympia, Greece. Before, during the ancient times of 8th century BC to 5th century AD, the games were combat sports and racing using chariots. Now, the games have evolved to fit the ever-changing needs of the world community.

From the four-year gap of each Olympiad to the next, the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics are played every 2 years.

Each season has a set of games appropriate for the climate. For instance, ice and snow sports like

Does Money Buy Happiness?

Is there an answer to this, one of life’s great mysteries? Those of us who don’t have much money will probably announce that happiness is not about money at all.

That’s because we don’t know any better, having never had the means to try to buy that elusive thing called happiness. So we rely on simpler things to bring a smile to our face and in our heart – a sunset, the laughter of a child, a hug, chocolate.

Those who have a lot of money may also vehemently deny that money has anything to do with happiness; to say anything else will make them sound shallow and materialistic and who wants to be saddled with that? It really isn’t politically correct to admit that money can buy happiness, so we come up with glib alternatives depending on how much of the green stuff we have.

But first, let’s try and understand the meaning of happiness. According to the dictionary happiness is the state of being happy.

That means we have to discover the meaning of ‘happy’, and decide what makes us that way.

Depending on where you look for the definition, to be happy is to show pleasure or joy or delight or contentment. You get the general picture.

So what makes a person happy?

There are quite possibly as many answers to that as there are people. Some of us find joy in simple things that cost nothing or next to nothing, at least in terms of money. A song or a book, a lovingly cooked meal, a relationship that is going well, perhaps the smell of the earth after the first rains.

These things fill us with us with an uplifting kind of emotion that we call happiness. There’s a feeling of contentment and for many of us that is enough. Glad to be in the moment, we don’t need to be happier than that.

But for all the people who simply accept happiness like that, there are others that question it – or the lack of it. They want to qualify and quantify the concept; they want tangible proof of the happiness quotient in their lives.

And when they think it’s missing or inadequate, they go about seeking it in ways ranging from meditation to past life regression. Money may or may not be needed to buy happiness in this case. Some are lucky to find that elusive something within themselves; others will keep paying through their noses till they find the right guru or therapy to show them the way.

Then there are those who equate happiness with possessions. The more things they have, the happier they think they will be. Another house, a few more cars, rooms full of jewellery and clothes, a corporate takeover. That takes money…a lot of it, and they are quite honest about it. Spending money in the unabashed pursuit of happiness makes perfect sense to these people; after all why make money if it doesn’t make you happy?

This group of people is often subject to the scorn of cynics who refuse to accept that something as crass as money can buy something as lofty as happiness. Money, they intone sanctimoniously, buys only a lifestyle; it cannot buy peace of mind. “What does it bring except ulcers and family feuds,” they sniff fastidiously.

True happiness, according to them, is something far removed from the satisfaction that comes from owning things. They might even quote an obscure philosopher or two to make their point.

Sour grapes? It is quite likely that the outspoken cynic has a horrendous mortgage and a high maintenance wife and that he hasn’t been happy in a very long time. But will he admit it? No, because that would mean subscribing to the fact that money can in fact buy happiness.

Have I reached a sensible conclusion at the end of my rambling?

Nowhere near it. I don’t think anyone can presume to judge what makes another person happy and what it costs to make him so.

Each to his own transaction with happiness. e-writer

figure-skating, ice-hockey and bobsledding are featured in the Winter Olympic Games, while gymnastics, boxing and cycling are some of the events in the Summer Olympics. The Paralympics, on the other hand, is especially dedicated for athletes with disabilities.

With these upcoming events, careful planning is being made -- from getting sponsorships, to requesting for volunteers, to designating the sites where the games will be played. Such thorough preparation is just proper because, surely, Great Britain will be the world’s center of attention, and in one magical moment, the world will be united as one. As we look at the British flag and the Olympic flag -- both in their own right symbols of unity -- may we be reminded of the reasons why these sports are played: not for the games or medals, but for the camaraderie and friendship they bring among nations.

16

Woman fined by Police for Driving in Burka ported or by the position of nontransparent objects on the windows.'

She was also told she was in breach of the country's controversial burka ban imposed last April, which outlawed anyone hiding their face in public, including in streets, shops, restaurants and cars on public roads.

A Spokesman said: 'The officer who stopped her said she was driving hesitantly and clearly could not see properly.

'Looking out through a narrow slit in the fabric is as dangerous as driving while eating a sandwich, smoking or with an icedup windscreen.'

France was the first country in Europe to outlaw Muslim headgear that hides the face.

Similar laws have since be'The officer who stopped her said ing passed in Belgium and the she was driving hesitantly and Netherlands. French president Nicolas Sarkozy has described clearly could not see properly' A Muslim woman has been fined the burka as a 'sign of debasefor driving while wearing a burka because the garment 'reduced her field of vision'.

Police who stopped the woman in France compared wearing a veil over the face behind the wheel to driving with ice on the windscreen, eating a sandwich or smoking a cigarette.

The woman was handed a £28 on-the-spot fine under article 412-6 of the highway code, which states: 'Field of vision must not be restricted by either passengers, objects being transWoman fined by police for driving in burka told it was 'as bad as eating sandwich behind the wheel'

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ment'. His immigration minister Eric Besson called it 'a walking coffin'.

Militant Muslim woman Hind Ahmas, 32 - dubbed France's first 'burka martyr' - is currently facing two years in prison for wearing the veil after refusing to pay a £35 fine for the offence.

She is appealing the fine on the grounds that the new law is unconstitutional and preparing to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. Senior police chiefs have branded the ban 'unenforceable' and said officers were too busy fighting serious crime to go 'burka-chasing'.

Leaders of Al Qaeda's North African network have vowed to seek revenge on France for enforcing the law. They wrote on an Islamic extremist website: 'We will seek dreadful revenge on France by all means at our disposal, for the honour of our daughters and sisters.'

Arfa Karim Randhawa

It’s always a wonderful day when we get to report on young girls and their achievements in science and technology, especially when those achievements are groundbreaking. However, this is the very sad news that a young girl who did achieve something groundbreaking in science and technology has passed away before she could reach her full potential. Arfa Karim Randhawa, who became the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional at age nine in 2005, passed away at 16. The Pakistan native made a big impression on Bill Gates when she earned the certification, and she will be a great inspiration to other girls who learn about her story.

Although her record has since been broken (8-year-old Marko Calasan now holds that title, and he was preceded by a 9-year-old girl from India), Randhawa was a stand-out back in 2005 when her uncanny ability to program Windows applications won her a trip to Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. She met with Gates himself after turning 10, asking him why there weren’t more women working for him.

Remember, she was 10 when she met Bill Gates. (At the time, 75 percent of Microsoft’s workforce were men.)

In an interview back then she said; “If you want to do something big in your life, you must

remember that shyness is only the mind,” she said. “If you think shy, you act shy. If you think confident you act confident. Therefore never let shyness conquer your mind.”

Radhawa, who lived with epilepsy, suffered a catastrophic seizure and cardiac arrest last month and had been in a coma ever since.

Her family had hoped that she might receive treatment in the United States, and Gates even offered support upon hearing of her condition. She remained in intensive care at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) after suffering an epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest. After battling for her life for 26 days, one of Pakistan’s brightest brains passed away on January 14.

While her passing is extremely

sad, let’s take a moment to acknowledge how important and exciting Arfa’s story is. Before she hit double digits, she was a programming geek, a prodigy, and her life philosophy was all about overcoming shyness and being yourself. If you know a little girl who thinks her passions are too geeky to be girly, tell her about Arfa.

Amjad Karim Randhawa, Arfa’s father, told the media that he wanted to highlight the cause of her daughter to the whole world and expressed his determination that the family would work for the youth of the nation through the Arfa Karim Foundation.

The Arfa Karim Foundation will support intelligent young people who do not have full access to educational opportunities.

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By Dr M. Tariq Pakistan is a State of four lands Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. It is a Nation of four Nationalities viz.

Punjabis, Sindhis, Pukhtoon’s, and Balochis. Population of Pakistan nationality-wise comprises as; Punjabis (44.15%) 78.7 million, Pukhtoon’s (15.42%) 27.2 million, Sindhis (14.1%) 24.8 million, Saraikis (10.53%) 14.8 million, Muhajir’s (7.57%) 13.3 million, Balochis (3.57%) 6.3 million and Others (4.66%) 11.1 million.

Even though in Pakistan, 97% Punjabis, Pukhtoon’s, Sindhis, Balochis and Muhajir’s are Muslim, but in matter of fact, excluding Punjab, in all the parts of Pakistan, politics is ethnic and somewhat anti Punjabi and Punjab. At present Punjabis are under abomination, loathing and hate in Karachi by Muhajir’s, in Sindh by Sindhis, in Baluchistan

by Balochis and in Pakhtoonkhwa

by Pukhtoon’s.

In Punjab, political trends follow perceptions of clans and community emotions. In the result Punjab and Punjabis are in process of disintegration into Pothohari, Hindko, Jhangochi / Rachnavi/ Changvi or Chenavari, Shahpuri, Dhani, Saraiki/‫‏‬Multani, Malwi, Doabi, Pwadhi and Dogri dialect clans and degenerating into Aheers, Arains, Awans, Dogars, Gakhars, Gujjars, Jats, Kambohs, Khokhars, Mughals, Rajputs, Sheikhs, Syeds etc communities.

In united India all the Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Christian Punjabis were a nation because of common land, language, culture, traditions, race, etc. The religion was a personal subject whereas; clans and communities were the institutions for social interaction and charity work.

Punjab was a secular region and Punjabi was a respectable and honorable language, culture and nation in India, but in 19th century due to politics of congress dominated by Hindi speaking leaders.

Hindu Punjabis started preferring Hindi language, culture and traditions instead of Punjabi. Later on, Muslim Punjabis did the same due to influence of Muslim League, dominated by Urdu speaking Muslim leaders.

Because of preferring the Hindi language, culture and traditions

by Hindu Punjabis and Urdu language, culture and traditions by Muslim Punjabis, “A Great Nation Got Divided by the Clans of Same Nation” and started receiving the reward of hate and regret by every honorable nation, even from Hindi

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and Urdu speaking persons. This is the punishment for Punjabis for not respecting their mother land, language, culture and traditions.

Atmosphere of Punjab and mind set of Punjabis are still following the path of national breakdown , disintegration and degeneration by avoiding the rules of nature, principals of sociology and procedures of politics for the grooming of great nations. Accordingly common land, language, culture and traditions are counted as the basic binding forces for assembling the clans and communities to outward appearance of a nation.

Yet Punjabis don’t have the respect, regard and honor for their mother land language, culture and traditions. Therefore, the basic and vital binding force for Punjab and Punjabis, i.e.; Punjabi language is not the official and educational language of Punjab because of that, Punjab and Punjabis are on way of breakdown into Majhi, Saraiki, Jangli, Shahpuri, Dhani, Pothohari, Hindko etc dialects leading towards the disintegration into Siraiki v/s Derewali v/s Thalochi v/s Multani v/s Riasuti v/s Jangli v/s Mianwali v/s Hindkowan v/s Kashmiri v/s Pothari v/s Majhi, Malwi, Doabi, Pwadhi etc clans and conflict along with degeneration into Aheers v/s Arains v/s Awans v/s Dogars v/s Gakhars v/s Gujjars v/s Jats v/s Kambohs v/s Khokhars v/s Mughals v/s Rajputs v/s Sheikhs v/s Syeds etc communities and clashes.

In matter of fact, the dialects spoken in different regions of Punjab have a common vocabulary and a shared heritage. All Punjabi clans and communities are part and parasol of “Great Punjab”. “The Land of Five Rivers” with the back ground of five thousand years of historical heritage, land, language, culture, traditions and civilization called as; “Indus Valley Civilization”. Therefore, in Non-Punjabi Nations all dialects, clans and communities of Punjab are identified, recognized and treated as Punjabis.

It is in best interest of Punjab and Punjabis to adopt the “Punjabi Culture and Traditions” along with “Punjabi Language” at official and educational level for assimilation of different clans of Punjabis and to unite the Punjab for their future affluence, prosperity, wealth and most important for respect, regard and honor of Punjab and Punjabis.

Is it not logical that; if a nation doesn’t have the respect, regard and honor for their own land, language, culture and traditions then that nation will not face the process

MAJOR PUNJABI DIALECTS fers from punjabi. Hindko dialect is spoken in north west pakistani punjab and north-west frontier province mainly this dialect is spoken in districts of peshawar, attock, nowshehra, mansehra, balakot, abbottabad and murree and the lower half of neelum district and muzaffarabad.

4. Jhangochi /rachnavi/changvi or chenavari punjabi Jhangochi dialect is spoken in pakistani punjab. Jhangochi or rachnavi is the oldest and most idiosyncratic dialect of the punjabi.

It is spoken throughout a widespread area, starting from khanewal and jhang at both ends of ravi 1. Majhi punjabi The majhi dialect is the prestige di- and chenab to gujranwala district. alect of punjabi’s and spoken in the It then runs down to bahawalnagar heart of punjab where most of the and chishtian areas, on the banks punjabi population lives. The majhi of river sutlej. This entire area has dialect, the dialect of the historical almost the same traditions, customs region of majha, spans the lahore, and culture.The jhangochi dialect sheikhupura, kasur, okara, gujran- of punjabi has several aspects that wala, wazirabad, sialkot, narowal, set it apart from other punjabi varigujrat and to some extant in jhe- ants. This area has a great culture lum district of pakistani punjab and and heritage, especially literary amritsar, tarn taran sahib, and gur- heritage, as it is credited with the daspur districts of the indian state creation of the famous epic romance stories of heer ranjha and of punjab. mirza sahiba.It is spoken in the bar 2. Pothowari punjabi This pothowari dialect is spoken in areas of punjab, i.e., areas whose north area of pakistani punjab. It names are often suffixed with ‘bar’, extends in the north from muzaf- for example sandal bar, kirana bar, farabad to as far south as jhelum, neeli bar, ganji bar and also from gujar khan, rawalpindi, murree khanewal to jhang includes faisalhills (north of rawalpindi), and abad and chiniot.

Shahpuri punjabi east to bhimber. Poonchi is east 5. of rawalakot. Potwari is in the The shahpuri dialect has been plains around rawalpindi.Alter- spoken by the people of the town nate names: potwari, pothohari, shahpur. This language has been potohari, chibhali, dhundi-kairali. spoken by the people of district Dialects: pahari (dhundi-kairali), sargodha including dera chanpeer pothwari (potwari), chibhali, shah, khushab, mianwali, attock, punchhi (poonchi), jhelumi, mir- chakwal, mandi bahauddin and puri.Pahari means ‘hill language’ jhang. Parts of faisalabad, dera isreferring to a string of divergent mail khan, dera ghazi khan and badialects, some of which may be hawalnagar districts.

Dhani punjabi separate languages. Pahari is a dia- 6. lect chain with panjabi and hindko. The people of pothohar speak potCloseness to western pahari is un- hohari dialect. However, the people known. Lexical similarity 76% to of chakwal or the dhanni area in 83% among varieties called ‘pa- particular do not speak pothohari hari’, ‘potwari’, and some called and are ethnologically not regarded ‘hindko’ in mansehra, muzaffara- as potoharis. They speak a distinctive chakwali or dhanni dialect of bad, and jammun. punjabi, which is closer to shahpu3. Hindko punjabi Classified under lahnda languages ri, a dialect spoken in the shahpurby many linguists; perhaps dif- salt range area and also has a slight of breakdown, disintegration and degeneration?

Is it not logical that; if a nation doesn’t have the respect, regard and honor for their own land, language, culture and traditions then how some other nation may hope the same from that nation? In the past, same misshape was experienced by Bengalis and at present the interaction and relationship is complex with Sindhis, Pukhtoon’s and Balochis…. The Nations… have great respect, regard and honor for their own land, language, culture and traditions.

element of saraiki and pothohari.

7.

Multani/ saraiki punjabi Multani or saraiki is a mixture of jhangochi of punjabi and sindhi. Saraiki is the new name. For centuries, multani was in use. It is now considered a separate language instead of merely a dialect of punjabi.Historically, the speakers of dialects now recognized as belonging to saraiki did not hold the belief that they constituted a cohesive language community or a distinct ethnicity. This consciousness developed among local elites in the years after the founding of pakistan in 1947 in response to the social and political upheaval caused by the mass immigration of urdu speaking refugee muslims from india.

Saraiki has various sub-dialects such as derewali, thalochi, multani and riasuti. It is mostly spoken in southern and western districts of punjab, which comprises dera ghazi khan, muzaffargarh, bhakkar, layyah, mianwali, western parts of khushab districts, multan, lodhran, southern and western parts of khanewal, bahawalpur, southern parts of bahawalnagar and rahim yar khan.More than saraiki waseb, saraiki is native language in the districts of chakwal, hafizabad, mandi bahuddin, faisalabad, okara and toba teksingh are also saraiki.It is widely spoken and understood as a second language in northern and western sind down to the suburbs of karachi and in kachhi plain of baluchistan.In sindh saraiki is widely spoken in kashmore, jacobabad, shikarpur, tando allahyar, sobho khan mastoi, kamal khan mastoi and ghotki.In balochistan saraiki is widely spoken in barkhan, naseerabad, jafarabad and jhal magsi.In khyber pakhtunkhwa saraiki is native language in the districts of dera ismail khan.In india saraiki is spoken in sirsa, fatehabad, hisar, bhiwani, panipat districts of haryana, some area of delhi and ganganagar district, hanumangarh and bikaner districts of rajasthan.

8.

Malwi punjabi

Malwi dialect is spoken in the eastern part of indian punjab.

Main areas are ludhiana, moga, sangrur, barnala, faridkot, patiala, fatehgarh sahib, mansa, muktsar, ambala, bathinda, ganganagar, malerkotla, ropar, and ferozepur.

Malwa is the southern and central part of present day indian punjab.

It also includes the punjabi speaking northern areas of haryana, viz.

Ambala, hissar, sirsa, kurukshetra etc. Not to be confused with the malvi language, this shares its name.

9.

Doabi punjabi Doabi dialect is spoken in indian punjab. The word “do aabi” means “the land between two rivers” and this dialect is spoken between the rivers of beas and sutlej. It includes jalandhar, nawanshahr, kapurthala and hoshiarpur districts.

10.

Pwadhi punjabi Powadh or puadh or powadha is a region of punjab and parts of haryana between the satluj and ghaggar rivers. The part lying south, south-east and east of rupnagar adjacent to ambala district (haryana) is powadhi.The powadh extends from that part of the rupnagar district which lies near satluj up to the ghaggar river in the east, which separates the states of punjab and haryana. Parts of fatehgarh sahib district, and parts of patiala districts like rajpura are also part of powadh.The pwadhi dialect is spoken over a large area in present punjab as well as haryana. In punjab, kharar, kurali, ropar, nurpurbedi, morinda, pail, rajpura, and samrala are the areas where the puadhi language is spoken and the area itself is claimed as including from pinjore, kalka to bangar area in hisar district which includes even nabha and patiala in it.

11.

Dogri punjabi Although dogri is generally considered a separate language having its own vocabulary, some sources consider it a dialect of punjabi. It is spoken by about 3.5 million peoples in the jammu region of india.

The President of IRAN Ahmad Niejad

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Amir Khan Celebrates His Engagement With A £150K Bash

Boxing champion Amir Khan celebrated his engagement to American student, Faryal Makhdoom, with a £150,000 bash at the Rebook Stadium in his hometown of Bolton.

Amir presented his fiancée with a stunning three diamond ring, believed to have cost £100,000, during the special ceremony, with the New York born beauty presenting her husband-to-be with an equally impressive platinum band.

25-year-old Amir announced his plans to marry 20-year-old Faryal earlier last month, with the couple officially marking their engagement with a lavish celebration over the weekend. 1,000 guests joined

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the couple to celebrate their happy news.

Faryal flew over from New York especially for the engagement party, with her family also travelling with her.

The student will spend the next week with her fiancé in Bolton as he plans to show Faryal around what will become her new home as the couple have decided to start married life in the north of England.

The newly engaged couple were given a BMW 750 Li as an engagement present from the bride-to-be’s parents who have reportedly taken to the lightweight boxer in a big way, with student Faryal say-

ing her family already treat Amir like a son.

For Amir and his new fiancée Faryal, their romance got off to quite a rocky start as the bride-to-be revealed she had difficulty understanding Amir’s strong northern accent and vocabulary, with the boxer using unfamiliar words such as “daft” and “innit”, when they first started dating.

However the pair managed to overcome early stumbling blocks and are now looking forward to their wedding which is likely to take place at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton, the same venue which hosted their engagement party.

'Naked Body Scanners' Used by Manchester Airport Despite Radiation Warnings Despite radiation concerns raised over ‘naked’ airport body scanners that screened millions of passengers at Heathrow, Manchester airport have confirmed that they will continue to use the scanners.

Regulations on the X-ray body scanners were changed after David Brennar, head of the centre for radiological research at Columbia University in New York said that the concentrated amount of radiation used by the scanners could increase the risk of cancer, albeit very slightly.

He added: "If all 800 million people who use airports every year were screened with X-rays then the very small individual risk multiplied by the large number of screened people might imply a potential public health or societal risk.”

The EU Commission has now

advised that European airports should switch to regular security body scanners until more thorough research has been done. Results of the study are expected in March 2012.

Using 16 of the £80,000 "backscatter" scanners on a daily basis Manchester airport defended their decision.

Passengers are not allowed to board a flight unless they are screened.

A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: "Extensive tests by the UK Health Protection Agency and the US health authorities have already confirmed that back scatter body scanners pose a negligible risk to human health."

"It is irresponsible to suggest that because Europe has yet to complete its own health study, our passengers should be concerned.”

"While its study is under way, an extension of the trial of back scatter body scanners at Manchester Airport has been approved by the European Commission until November 2012.”

The X-ray scanners emit low levels of radiation to capture a ‘naked’ image of a traveller. They were brought in after the ‘underwear bomb plot’ in 2009.

Heathrow trialled the machines initially, but the scanners were relocated after complaints about invasion of privacy.

The Health Protection Authority was keen to stress that the low health risk attached to the scanners.

“The radiation dose from an examination of two or three scans is less than that received from two minutes flying at cruising altitude.”

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Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham with the Crown Prince of State of Qatar HH Prince Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani also Sir Gerald Kaufman MP Mr Geri Muller Swiss Member of Parliament Lord Andrew Phillips Ms Pauline McNeill Baroness Jennifer Tonge Lord Norman Warner Ms Alexandra Thein MEP Dr Arafat Shoukri

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