- Saturday, July 27, 2024
WHAT'S in a name? More to the point, what is the significance of a nickname in multicultural Britain? The England right-arm off-break bowler, Shoaib Bashir, is referred to by his admiring teammates as Bash. Eastern Eye readers need not worry. The use of a nickname in this context is a…
Dr Mehreen Datoo, a British infectious disease specialist, has been instrumental in the development of a new malaria vaccine following her own near-fatal encounter with the disease during her medical studies. "I collapsed getting off a bus in Uganda, and the next thing I knew I was in hospital being…
Scientists have developed the first bioengineered bone marrow model that can support human stem cells crucial for bone marrow transplants and in vitro studies. The research, published in Nature Communications and led by the University of Glasgow, replicates key aspects of the human bone marrow microenvironment to support rare long-term…
A SCULPTOR has made a bronze bust of Rishi Sunak just as he did with the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi three years ago. “I have the Rishi bust at home in London – I haven’t had a chance to offer it to him,” Nadey Hakim told Eastern Eye. The…
AS A founding partner of Summix, a company dedicated to creating sustainable communities across the UK and Ireland since 2006, I welcome chancellor Rachel Reeves’ recent announcements on planning regulations and house building. These reforms align closely with our mission to provide solutions to the housing crisis and could significantly…
Disney’s Aladdin is launching its first ever ‘Music Play Day’ on 20 August, during the highly anticipated run of the show at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre (14 August – 1 September 2024). This innovative programme is looking for up to 70 young musicians aged between 12-18 from the Yorkshire area who…
IN Glasgow, voters at July 4 general election are poised to desert the Scottish National Party and re-establish Labour in its former fiefdom, setting back Scotland's bruised independence movement. Out shopping on Dumbarton Road in the Partick area of Scotland's biggest city, 26-year-old trainee lawyer Suzie Green said she and…
THIS year’s Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy (RA) has showcased a number of works by British Asian artists but Eastern Eye first spoke to Andrea Tarsia, the RA’s director of exhibitions. “The RA is for everyone,” he said. “It really is. I know that we have rather intimidating buildings.…
Lee Docherty, a 38-year-old crime gang leader, caused a fatal crash on the M8 near Bishopton, Renfrewshire, Scotland, killing three friends and injuring four others. The accident occurred in the early hours of September 19, 2021, when Docherty fell asleep while driving a hired Audi Q7 at 127 mph (204.39…
AN Asian man who claims he falsely admitted to stealing funds from his mother's Post Office to prevent her imprisonment is now awaiting a decision on whether his conviction will be overturned. Ravinder Naga admitted to taking £35,000 after auditors identified a deficit at the Belville Street Post Office in…
Electioneering is off to a flying start in Scotland after prime minister Rishi Sunak decided to go ahead with a snap general election on July 4. Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer reached Glasgow on Friday (24) and pledged to make Scotland "central to the mission" of a Labour government,…
Anas Sarwar has promised to halt the influx of new laws affecting landowners if he becomes first minister, aiming to reset the relationship between landowners and the Scottish Government. Speaking at the Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) annual conference, the Scottish Labour leader criticised the SNP's approach of continually introducing…
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has defended the party's decision to select candidates residing in England for upcoming elections in Scotland. Sarwar said that while these candidates are based in London and Kent, their affinity for Scotland is what matters most, reported The Times. The candidates in question include Melanie…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak on Monday (7) helped prepare meals in a community kitchen along with volunteers as visited the charity Go Dharmic in London. Sunak helped make vegan kichari, a nutritious and affordable meal that is part of Go Dharmic’s “feed everyone” initiative. The prime minister spoke to Go…
JASLEEN KAUR, a Glasgow-born Asian-origin artist is among the four shortlisted for Britain's prestigious Turner Prize. Her works reflect her life growing up in the Sikh community in Scotland. The 37-year-old has been nominated for her solo exhibition entitled ‘Alter Altar' at Tramway contemporary arts venue in Glasgow. Jasleen uses…
A former civil servant alleged that the head of the civil service and other senior officials allowed "unrelenting and systemic" racism to thrive within the Cabinet Office, court documents have revealed. Rowaa Ahmar, formerly a senior Treasury official with Egyptian and French heritage, filed a lawsuit against Cabinet Secretary Simon…
SCOTTISH Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has said that the country should do its own version of the Cass review on gender services, reported The Times. Sarwar encouraged the Scottish government to detail its reaction to the report concerning the care of children experiencing gender confusion in England. According to him,…
STUDENTS from Asian backgrounds are “much more likely” to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help them with their studies than white or black people at university, according to new research. The survey found that the majority of undergraduates used AI in their assignments, but the proportion among those of south…
SONU NIGAM, one of the greatest Indian singers of all time, is renowned for his wonderful voice, huge catalogue of hit songs, numerous accolades, and millions of fans globally. He is also an exceptional live performer who delivers sold-out arena shows around the world. Nigam returns for another UK tour,…
THE world needs books from India because they reflect the spiritual values of Indian culture and civilisation. “Books are important for mental health,” said Yuvraj Malik, director of the National Book Trust (NBT) of India, which took a pavilion for the first time at the 2024 London Book Fair.…
THE government’s controversial Safety of Rwanda Bill returns to the House of Commons this week, where MPs will debate amendments proposed by the Lords. Facing the conundrum of what to do with the Bill – which overrules the UK Supreme Court to deem Rwanda a safe place to which asylum seekers…
Scotland's Conservatives have accused first minister Humza Yousaf of lacking transparency in his register of interests entry, where there is no mention of his parent's property empire, according to media reports. The latest list was published during the week with ministers required to set out potential conflicts of interest between…
Scottish comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli has appeared in court accused of sex offences, according to media reports. The 55-year-old Glasgow resident is accused of three charges of indecent assault, one charge of sexual assault and two charges of breach of the peace. Kohli has appeared on TV shows including Celebrity…
The Award-winning British Indian musician Nitin Sawhney, who had to withdraw from Australia’s premier world music festival WOMADelaide due to a medical emergency, has revealed that he ‘had a heart attack’ a few days ago. Known for musical scores in over 70 films, including for a screen adaptation of Salman…
THE new Rochdale MP has said that the upcoming election would be about Muslims and the taking away of civil liberties in this country. After sworn into the Commons as the new lawmaker for Rochdale on Monday (4), George Galloway highlighted prime minister Rishi Sunak's focus on "Muslims and Gaza"…
THEATRE veteran Lillete Dubey’s new play is an ode to the human spirit and resilience – with a touch of humour and lots of love, as she puts it, exploring the dynamics of relationships during the Covid-19 lockdown. After receiving rave reviews and standing ovations across India as well as…
WHO really invented butter chicken? The competing claims of two rival restaurants in Delhi – Moti Mahal and Daryaganj – have now gone global. The dispute has ended up in the courts with the owners of Moti Mahal also demanding £200,000 in damages. Foreign correspondents based in the Indian capital…
BBC Asian Network has announced the launch of the first-ever official British Asian Chart Show, coming to the station on Thursdays (9pm-10pm) from 18 April. Hosted by the station’s Jasmine Takhar, the weekly show will celebrate the best of British Asian music, with a one-hour rundown of the top 20…
KING CHARLES’S cancer diagnosis has shocked the whole country, but will be felt especially keenly by the British Asian community, for whom he has cared as long as anyone can remember. He said as much when his private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, attended the Hinduja Diwali party in October 2022…
DESPITE being centuries old, qawwali music remains massively popular with live audiences around the world. One of its top British exponents, Chand Ali Khan Qawwal and Party, is set to embark on another UK tour in February. The Midlands-based group has already sold out some shows, and their Dillagi tour…
A Turkish doctor, Dr Ogün Erşen, who specialises in weight loss "holidays" abroad, advised an undercover BBC reporter to gain weight to qualify for gastric sleeve surgery. Despite the reporter having a BMI within the healthy range of 24.4, Dr Erşen instructed her to "eat some snacks" to increase her…
During his first major speech on Monday (8), Anas Sarwar, Scotland's Labour leader urged independence backers to switch allegiance from the Scottish National Party (SNP) in a bid to unseat the Tories from Downing Street. Simultaneously, during his speech, first minister Humza Yousaf emphasised to undecided voters that the current…
THE General Election is unlikely to be held until close to the end of this year, with the Prime Minister saying his ‘working assumption’ is the election in the second half of 2024. Despite Labour’s large poll lead, the results will depend on the campaigns to come. One thing we…
Michael Grandage on Tuesday announces the recipients of the seventh annual MGCfutures Bursaries awarded across a range of theatrical disciplines including directing, writing, producing, designing, performance-makers, and for the first time a puppet maker and a theatrical shoemaker. A registered charity, MGCfutures offers both financial and ongoing mentoring support to recipients who come…
INDIA's environment minister, Bhupender Yadav, on Saturday (9) demanded "equity and justice" in UN climate negotiations, holding that rich countries should be leading global climate action. The comments underlined India's long-held position that, as a developing country, it should not be a forced to cut its energy-related emissions - even…
THE financial regulator has fined three money transfer companies after they admitted to fixing prices charged to consumers in Glasgow. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined Dollar East (International Travel & Money Transfer), Hafiz Bros Travel & Money Transfer, and LCC Trans-Sending (including its parent company, Small World Financial Services…
ONE of the largest charitable trusts in Britain has dismissed its entire board as part of an effort to enhance diversity and prioritise “social justice and anti-racism” in its mission, the Telegraph reported. The Tudor Trust, with a £288 million endowment, has been led by a family-dominated board for decades.…
SAUDI ARABIA's sovereign wealth fund is to buy ten per cent of London's Heathrow airport from Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial, whose departure from the hub after almost two decades leaves Qatar as its biggest shareholder. Ferrovial late Tuesday (28) said it was offloading its 25 per cent stake for nearly…
ONE of the largest charitable trusts in Britain has decided to dismiss its entire board as part of a comprehensive effort to enhance diversity and prioritise "social justice and anti-racism" in its mission, The Telegraph reported. The Tudor Trust, with a substantial £288 million endowment, has been led by a…
ONLY a few years ago schools were proud of their every child matters policy. It was all the rage. But then, all of a sudden, without rhyme or reason, it vanished into thin air. For some educationalists, the recent Hamas/Israel conflict is a clear-cut singularity of rhyme. It’s the reason…
ZARA ALEENA's aunt is advocating for legal reform following her niece's killer succeeding in his appeal to decrease the minimum term of his life sentence. Farah Naz said that the court order conveys a signal to women that 'their pain will not be considered'. Jordan McSweeney, the man who stalked…
Scotland's first minister, Humza Yousaf, has finally established contact with his family in Gaza after a period of communication blackout. His in-laws have been stranded in the region since the attacks by Hamas in Israel. He said they managed to get in touch after two days without communication, reporting a…
LEADING lawyers are split on whether Britain should have an extradition treaty with Pakistan so suspects can be questioned by police quicker. The two countries do not currently have any formal agreement, but there have been cases of people being brought back to the UK to be quizzed. Last year,…
ANAS SARWAR said the Scotland Office in London would promote Scottish interests more effectively if a Labour government is formed after the next general election in the UK. The Scottish Labour leader said the office responsible for Scottish affairs would be “draped in a Saltire" in the event of Labour…
TENS of thousands of people rallied on Saturday (14) in London and other UK cities at pro-Palestinian demonstrations, amid police warnings that anyone showing support for the militant group Hamas could face arrest. Protesters marching through the heart of the British capital were shadowed by a heavy police presence of…
THE UK and Ireland will co-host Euro 2028, while Italy and Turkey will be joint hosts of the 2032 tournament, UEFA announced. Both bids ran unopposed but still needed official approval from European football's governing body, which they received at a meeting in Switzerland. Turkey last week withdrew from the…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak has said he hopes to see a de-escalation of the India-Canada diplomatic row in a call with his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau. According to a Downing Street statement, Sunak spoke to Trudeau on Friday (6) evening during which he was updated on the situation relating to…
SCOTLAND’S first minister Humza Yousaf has appeared on the front cover of Time magazine which described him as one of the 10 “trailblazers shaping the future”. The recognition came on the eve of his Scottish National Party’s bigger-than-expected defeat in a parliamentary seat on the outskirts of Glasgow. Yousaf, born…
LABOUR hailed a "seismic" victory in an election for a UK parliamentary seat in Scotland, beating the Scottish National Party (SNP) in a sign of its recovery in the country before a national election expected next year. Labour is leading prime minister Rishi Sunak's Tories in the opinion polls, but…
THE Metropolitan Police has arrested a man on suspicion of “violent disorder” in connection with an attack on the Indian High Commission in London in March this year. The Met said the man, who was arrested during a protest outside India House on Monday (2), was held in connection with…
A British government minister expressed concern that a visit by a senior Indian diplomat to a Sikh temple in Glasgow had been disrupted by protesters the day before. "The safety and security of foreign diplomats is of utmost importance and our places of worship in the UK must be open…
BRITAIN's first official supervised drug consumption room was approved on Wednesday (27), seeking to reduce infectious diseases and overdoses in Scotland which suffers from the highest level of drug-related deaths in Europe. Following similar projects in Europe, Canada and Australia, Glasgow city council, which runs the largest city in Scotland,…
COP26 president Sir Alok Sharma has joined a growing list of Conservative MPs who have decided not to stand at the next general election. Having represented Reading West since 2010, he said it was not an easy decision to stand down as an MP. More than 40 Tory MPs, including…
An Antiques Roadshow guest wiped away tears when he learned that the war medal, his father received during World War II holds an astonishing value of £250,000. The man, whose father, Sikh soldier Naik Gian Singh, was honoured for his actions in Burma (now Myanmar) during the Second World War,…
The High Commission of India in London in association with the London School of Trends and International Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD), presented a unique showcase titled "Celebrating LiFE Lifestyle for Environment at London Fashion Week" on "INDIA DAY" – Saturday (16). This event was part of London Fashion Week,…
THE Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has alleged that first minister Humza Yousaf has prioritised independence over the economy, as reported by The Telegraph. Scottish GDP declined by 0.3 per cent in the second quarter from April to June. Yousaf assumed the top post on March 28. While addressing a…
Nurse Lucy Letby's conviction on Friday for murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others makes her one of the UK's worst medical serial killers. Here are details of previous notorious cases: Harold Shipman [caption id="attachment_247733" align="alignleft" width="213"] Harold Shipman (Photo: Getty Images)[/caption] One of Britain's most prolific serial…
SCOTTISH comedian and celebrity chef Hardeep Singh Kohli has been arrested and charged with “non-recent” sexual offences. Police Scotland said in a statement that the 54-year-old man, “arrested and charged in connection with allegations of non-recent sexual offences,” was released on an undertaking to appear in court at a later…
GREEN finance is growing fast in Bangladesh, official data shows, with the central bank and private banks boosting efforts to encourage companies from brick-makers to textile mills to invest in technology and solutions that tackle climate change. Considered one of the most climatevulnerable countries – due to impacts like worsening…
SCOTTISH Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, and shadow minister for international development, Preet Kaur Gill, on Monday (17) visited Glasgow Central Mosque and Gurdwara Singh Sabha, a statement. They met local diaspora communities to hear about their experience of sending remittance payments to friends and family abroad as part of the…
BLACKBURN’S billionaire Issa brothers are believed to be eyeing investment in the new age fuel supply system to support the de-carbonisation efforts of the UK’s haulage industry. Mohsin and Zuber Issa are planning to set up a chain of hydrogen fuel stations in what will be the first such network…
In a historic ceremony held in Edinburgh, Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla were presented with the crown jewels of Scotland on Wednesday (05). The event, commemorating the Coronation of the new monarch, featured blessings from leaders representing various faiths, including a Hindu priest. This multi-faith format was similar…
FASHION retailer Quiz has issued a warning over 'tough' trading conditions and projected a 'gloomy' outlook for the months ahead. The Glasgow-based firm reported a rise in annual profit but a slide in demand for its fashions more recently, The Times reported. It reported a pre-tax profit of £2.3 million…
SOUTH ASIAN cuisine is going more green during the cost of living crisis, with restaurants turning away from charcoal and gas ovens. More eateries are using large combination electric cookers, rather than a tandoor oven, which can cook chicken, lamb and naan together, according to owners. The industry has largely…
WITH huge concerts headlined by superb singers like The Nooran Sisters, Gurdas Maan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Ali Azmat and Atif Aslam already staged, it has been an action packed year for live music in the UK. There are a lot more concerts on the way in the remaining six months of…
BRITISH Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son Suleman who both perished in the submersible Tatan in the Atlantic Ocean had long cherished a dream of viewing the wreck of the Titanic.Christine - Dawood’s wife and Suleman’s mother - said she had previously planned to go with her husband…
BRITISH PAKISTANI teenager Suleman Dawood, who was killed on the Titan sub, was 'terrified' of the expedition but wanted to go with his dad, Shahzada Dawood, because it was Father’s Day, the family said. Suleman, 19, and Shahzada, 48, were among five people who perished on the submersible when it…
PRIME minister Narendra Modi gave Joe Biden a special sandalwood box with a carved silver idol of Lord Ganesha as he met the US president on the first day of his state visit in Washington DC yesterday (21). Sourced from Mysuru in the south Indian state of Karnataka, the box…
ENGLAND’S world cup winning cricketer Adil Rashid is among the British Asian names recognised in King Charles’s inaugural Birthday Honours List announced today. With doctors, politicians, educators, authors, community leaders and philanthropists among the 11 per cent of recipients coming from an ethnic minority background, the list showcases the immense…
Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was innocent following her arrest and subsequent detention for over seven hours on Sunday (11). The arrest took place as part of a police investigation into the allocation of funds for her pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP). The investigation centres around the…
Britain's National Trust has indicated its openness to restitute colonial artefacts, raising hopes that Robert Clive’s treasures could be returned to India. The Clive Museum at Powis Castle in Wales managed by the heritage conservation charity houses the UK’s largest private collection of south and east Asian artefacts amassed during…
I was born in South London, but like millions of British people, my family’s story embodies the “living bridge” that connects the UK and India. My father moved to Glasgow with only £5 to his name. He worked hard, initially on the railways, studied hard to become an accountant and…
The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called the Scottish National Party (SNP) 'dysfunctional' after the party paused its selection process for a key by-election, reported The Times. During his visit to Glasgow Girls FC, Sarwar said that the SNP was too focused on its internal issues to address the…
India is planning a repatriation campaign for artefacts dating back to the colonial era, including the controversial Kohinoor diamond, a British media report has said. The Daily Telegraph newspaper claims the issue is among the priorities of the Indian government of prime minister Narendra Modi, with it likely to spill…
Whether it is solo headline tours, ensemble shows featuring top names or something a little different, there are great stand-up comedy shows on the UK live scene. With that in mind, here is a quick list of some fabulously funny tours and shows you can look forward to, in no…
Crowns are more than just a fashion statement or a piece of art. They are symbols of majesty, authority, and sovereignty, often containing rare jewels, precious metals, and luxurious velvet in deep, rich colours. In today's world, it is rare for monarchs to wear crowns, but images of crowns continue…
The upcoming coronation of King Charles III will involve numerous historical roles, many of which have been adapted to suit the present day. Buckingham Palace stated that those chosen for these roles were selected to acknowledge, thank, and represent the nation for their notable contributions. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin…
Jock Zonfrillo, judge on MasterChef Australia, celebrity chef, and author, has died. He was 46. In a statement shared on his official Instagram account, Zonfrillo's family said the Scottish restaurateur died in Melbourne on Sunday. “With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without…
A breakthrough study by Diabetes UK, called the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT), has found that going on an 800-calorie-a-day “soup and shake” diet for three months can permanently reverse type 2 diabetes. After adhering to the daily diet for three months and successfully maintaining their weight loss, patients were…
Former business secretary Sir Alok Sharma has denied having bullied officials during his stint in the government.Bloomberg reported that four officials had accused the former UN Climate Change Conference president of being “difficult, unpredictable and could quickly lose his temper”.According to the news agency report, Sharma would often use “profanity”…
Wockhardt UK managing director Ravindra Limaye and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan UK’s executive director Mattur Nandakumara have been chosen for honorary British awards given to foreign nationals. Limaye gets the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honour for his contribution to health, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nandakumara has been selected…
An Indian-origin mastermind of a fake designer clothing scam has been convicted of tax fraud in the UK. Socks manufacturer Arif Patel, 55, was accused of trying to steal around £97 million through VAT repayment claims on false exports of textiles and mobile phones with the help of a criminal…
SCOTLAND’S first minister Humza Yousaf has denied there was any political reason over the timing of the arrest of his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon’s husband. Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), was arrested and released on Wedensday (5) as part of an investigation into the…
Polite Society, the kung fu-inspired comedy-drama, in cinemas now, revolves around an aspiring stunt woman who decides to commit a wedding heist and finds herself up against a formidable fighting foe. To mark its release, Eastern Eye put together a list of the top 10 British Asian movies, in chronological…
Humza Yousaf set new records last month. He became the only Muslim leader of a major UK political party and the first person with an ethnic minority background to lead Scotland’s government. But his journey to political success started during his school days when he inculcated a solid work culture…
Humza Yousaf has been elected as the first Muslim leader of Scotland after a tough party contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon. At 37, he is also the youngest leader of the SNP but now faces the challenging task of uniting the Scottish National Party (SNP) around their independence bid. Yousaf's…
“IT is hard for me to find the words”. Humza Yousaf’s emotional response to the news that he has been elected as the Scottish National Party (SNP)’s new leader captures his role as a history-maker. Yousaf’s victory in a bruising leadership contest heralds an unpredictable new era, where the future…
Pakistan-origin politician Humza Yousaf has been elected to be Scotland's next leader. The 37-year-old practising Muslim will succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the governing Scottish National Party (SNP). The Scottish government’s first and only Muslim cabinet minister will be sworn in as Scotland's leader on Wednesday (29) if he…
KTC (Edibles) Limited, the UK’s leading supplier of edible oils to foodservice, wholesalers, and food manufacturers, has acquired Cardowan Creameries Limited. Established in 1930 as an independent family business based in Scotland, Cardowan is a specialist margarine manufacturer, supplying over 20,000 metric tonnes annually to manufacturers and wholesalers across the…
Jackky Bhagnani is currently fulfilling his duties as the producer for Pooja Entertainment's upcoming film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, which is presently being shot in Glasgow. Spearheading the entire production house and its upcoming ventures smoothly and in full command, Bhagnani is flourishing in the role of a producer. Taking…
AN IMPACTFUL appearance on the recently concluded reality TV show Bigg Boss 16 combined with winning performances in drama serials has given rapidly rising TV star Priyanka Chahar Choudhary great momentum. The multi-talented actress has seen her fan base skyrocket and is now looking forward to taking on more challenging…
LAST year I had written extensively about how some Bollywood stars seem to be rushing to do as many movies as possible before producers find out their time at the top is over. This has resulted in Hindi cinema being dragged down to the kind of depths that it has…
SCOTTISH health secretary Humza Yousaf said on Saturday he would run in the leadership contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scottish National Party (SNP) leader and first minister.Yousaf becomes the first to publicly announce his intention to stand in the race after Sturgeon's surprise resignation earlier in the week saying…
Hundreds of youngsters on Thursday (16) put forward ideas and solutions to some of London's biggest challenges in a special 'Voice of Young Londoners' report for Sadiq Khan, the capital's mayor. More than 250 young participants gathered at the iconic London Stadium along with the mayor for the 'London Hope…
Two SNP MPs who have south Asian connections are among the possible contenders to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as the first minister of Scotland.Sturgeon announced her resignation dramatically Wednesday after more than eight eventful years in office, setting off the race for a new leader to deliver on her party's faltering…
Vinesh Kotecha, owner of much-loved 50s American Diner which has now been shut, has been slapped with a fine of £1,000 after he was caught driving a Lamborghini Aventador at 113 miles per hour (mph) while heading to a supercar rally. Caernarfon Magistrates' Court in Wales heard that Kotecha, who…
Mother of Airdrie boy who died just four months after a devastating brain tumour diagnosis said that losing him was 'devastating'. Nadia Majid, mother of Rayhan Majid who died in April 2018, has joined forces with her family and friends as the 17-strong team take part in Brain Tumour Research's…
Zara Mohammed has been re-elected unopposed as secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain for a further two years.Mohammed Kozbar, a master’s graduate in charity management, will be her deputy for the 2023-2025 term.In 2021, Zara became the first female leader of the MCB, a Muslim umbrella organisation which…
Hundreds representing different Indian diaspora organisations gathered outside the BBC headquarters in central London on Sunday to protest against what they branded as “fake news” behind the broadcaster’s controversial series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The “Chalo BBC” protests were coordinated across BBC studios in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and…
Sikh engineer Navjot Sawhney, who created hand-cranked washing machine to support families worldwide and Glasgow charity founder Khalid Raza, who recycles wheelchairs for the disabled, have won the UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's Points of Light Award. Sawhney set up the Washing Machine Project four years ago which can be…
IN HER quest to carve a space for Asians in UK’s art world, photographic artist Arpita Shah hopes to elicit and celebrate the country’s multicultural history, with a focus on south Asian female identity. Commissioned by Birmingham-based arts organisation GRAIN Projects and funded by Arts Council England and Birmingham City…
Cricket Scotland’s chief executive officer Gordon Arthur has denied his comments on barriers ethnic minorities faced in cricket had racist connotations. He told the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee of Scottish Parliament that he had the cricket administrator’s new chairman Anjan Luthra in mind when he made the remark.In…
IS RANVEER SINGH a talented movie star or an over-rated actor who has got lucky? I have always thought it was the latter, but many disagree and believe he is a big screen idol with bags of talent. Now that he has had three epic failures in a row, it…
A Scottish woman who was awarded £19,000 by an employment tribunal is unlikely to receive payout as the firm was put into liquidation and the boss returned to Pakistan, the MailOnline reported. Aishah Zaman, 35, experienced 'humiliating and offensive' behaviour from her former employer, Shahzad Younas, as he branded her…
A Cambridge professor who is a leading global figure in the economics of the natural environment, Professor Sir Partha Sarathi Dasgupta; COP-26 president Alok Sharma and drinks company Diageo’s CEO Ivan Menezes are among prominent Asians who have been recognised in the New Year Honour’s List published late last Friday…
Plans to set up a memorial to the British Indian Army in Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow have been given a go-ahead. The plans for the structure, which will be erected near Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, were submitted on behalf of Colourful Heritage, which records first-hand accounts from first-generation members…
More than a million US power customers were in the dark Friday as a "bomb cyclone" winter storm walloped the country, closing highways, grounding flights and causing misery for Christmas travellers. Heavy snow, howling winds and air so frigid it instantly turned boiling water into ice took hold of much…
A chef from Glasgow, who claims to have invented the curry dish chicken tikka masala, has died at the age of 77, a family member told AFP on Wednesday. Ahmed Aslam Ali, who invented the dish by improvising a sauce made from a tin of tomato soup at his restaurant…
The post-pandemic travel demand spike resulting in long delays for travellers seeking Indian visas has considerably eased in time for the busy Christmas travel period, visa facilitation service VFS Global said here this week. The restoration of the electronic visa (e-visa) facility for UK travellers earlier this month is expected…
A doctor convicted of sexually assaulting dozens of women patients over decades could have his medical licence scrapped. Krishna Singh, 72, targeted 48 women through kissing, groping, inappropriate examinations, and sleazy remarks during appointments during his 35-year career. His targets mainly included a rape victim, teenage kids and pregnant women.…
A Glasgow driver who killed a pensioner in a car crash eight years ago won an appeal on Monday (19) to get his licence back early to help expand his restaurant business. Sandeep Singh, 36, was travelling at almost 50mph in a 30mph zone when his car hit Billy Dunlop,…
Professional writers’ earnings have been constantly declining over the years with those with black and Asian backgrounds experiencing steeper losses, new research has found. According to the study conducted by the UK Copyright & Creative Economy Research Centre (CREATe) based at Glasgow University, the annual median income of writers has…
Tory politician and the president of the Cop26 climate summit, Alok Sharma, has attacked plans to open the Cumbria coal mine in north west England, bordering Scotland. He opined that the project is a ‘backward step’ and would hit UK's 'hard-earned' international reputation. Sharma added that the project is unnecessary…
A drug conspirator and firearms supplier from Salford who moved thousands of pounds of dirty money across the world has been jailed for 18 years. Sidaquet Sadiq who used the encrypted communications network EncroChat to trade in cocaine and heroin was also involved in the purchase and supply of firearms…
The fast-growing British Asian comedy scene continues to add exciting new voices such as Preet Singh to the stand-up circuit. The naturally gifted funny man has been making audiences laugh with his unique brand of humour and recently joined other comedians on The Indians Are Coming show, currently touring the…
LIVE PERFORMANCE MALKIT SINGH When: Friday December 2 Where: Arleston Hall, Arleston Lane, Derby DE24 3DH What: Bhangra legend Malkit Singh headlines a dinner and dance with his full live band. There will also be musical performances from Panjabi MC and HMC. www.eventbrite.com ANIRUDH When: Friday December 2 Where: OVO…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has shared memories of his time doing shifts at an Indian food restaurant in Southampton in his student days as the “best training” he had for the top job. In a video message to the annual Curry Awards in London celebrating South Asian cuisine across…
X-Men star James McAvoy has revealed that during a two-week run of the West End play “Cyrano de Bergerac” in his hometown Glasglow earlier this year, his female co-stars were “racially abused” on a daily basis. The Scottish actor was left ‘scunnered’ after most of the women of colour dealt…
Former cabinet minister Alok Sharma has joined a growing number of Conservative MPs calling for an end to the moratorium on onshore wind farms in England.Sharma, who led the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow last year, has backed an amendment to the Levelling UP bill to reverse the ban…
A eight-year-old Glasgow school student has become the youngest in UK to complete Abacus mental maths programme, one of the most advanced mental arithmetic programmes in the country. Chess prodigy and Glasgow’s St Patrick’s Primary School pupil Advik Mittal, 8, has been selected to represented Scotland in the under 12…
LIVE PERFORMANCE BOLLYWOOD VOICE OF LEGENDS EXTRAVAGANZA When: Friday November 25 Where: Tyne Theatre & Opera House, 109-113 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4AG What: British singer Navin Kundra headlines a high energy production with a full live band, where he performs everything from all-time Bollywood classics to western…
The British Asian stand-up scene has never been more vibrant than now, and this has given rise to great homegrown comedy stars such as Raj Poojara. The fantastically talented funny man is part of The Indians Are Coming tour, which has been entertaining audiences around the country since October. He…
Depression and anxiety affect one in five adults in the UK. Doctors often prescribe exercise as a treatment for those suffering from depression. Now, a study has suggested that a third of people at risk of mental health issues can avoid it with regular exercise. A study involving more than…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will on Monday use a speech at the United Nations climate summit in Egypt to tell world leaders to deliver on their promises to tackle global warming. Sunak, who became prime minister late last month, had initially said he would be too busy coming up…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday praised King Charles for his far-sighted leadership on tackling climate change as the monarch hosted a reception for politicians and business leaders ahead of the U.N. COP27 summit. Charles, 73, who has long campaigned on environmental issues, will not himself be attending the…
A new Indian visa centre has been set up in central London to boost capacity for processing applications alongside other measures, such as a doorstep service and document verification facility, to address high travel demand from the UK. Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami inaugurated the new India…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday (2) that he will attend the COP27 climate summit in Egypt next week, reversing his previous decision to skip the meeting in Sharm El Sheikh to focus on domestic issues and the economic crisis in the UK. Sunak took to Twitter to…
Glasgow councillor Fyeza Ikhlaq has revealed that she experienced hate crime following 7/7 bombings in London in 2005. While debating a motion to tackle hate crime in the Scottish city, Ikhlaq said that she had her hijab ripped from her head on Argyle Street and was spat on after the…
Rishi Sunak’s decision to skip the upcoming Climate Summit in Egypt and the government preventing King Charles III from attending it has been criticised by many across the world who have accused the new UK Prime Minister of washing his hands of Britain’s commitment to tackle the climate crisis. COP27…
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday defended his heavily criticised decision not to attend next month's COP27 climate change summit, saying he had to focus on "pressing" economic problems. In an interview with Sky News a day after Downing Street announced he was skipping the summit, the prime minister…
A Scottish woman who experienced 'humiliating and offensive' behaviour from her former employer has won a £19,000 payout as an employment tribunal ruled in her favour, according to reports. Aishah Zaman, 35, told the tribunal that her boss Shahzad Younas, 45, who was also a political activist in Pakistan, called…
The alleged killer Zara Aleena will stand trial in December for murder, attempted rape and robbery, a High Court judge ruled on Wednesday (19). Jordan McSweeney, 29, reportedly attacked Aleena, 35, when she was walking home after a night out in Ilford, east London, on June 26. He is also…
LIVE PERFORMANCE THE BOLLYWOOD BRASS BAND When: Saturday October 22 Where: Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, London SE3 9RQ What: The legendary Bollywood brass band continue their UK tour to celebrate 30 years of performing film songs in a unique way. Check the website for further dates. www.bollywoodbrassband.co.uk BOTOWN: THE…
British actor Rupert Grint is the newest cast member from The 'Harry Potter' movie franchise who has shared a heartfelt tribute for his late co-star Robbie Coltrane who recently passed away at the age of 72. According to Variety, taking to Instagram Grint shared an image of Robbie, who played…
British actor Daniel Radcliffe and JK Rowling, the author of the 'Harry Potter' books on which the films are based, have shared statements following the death of Robbie Coltrane at 72, who famously played the role of Rubeus Hagrid in the franchise. Coltrane and Radcliffe starred together in all eight…
Actor Robbie Coltrane, best known for playing Hogwarts gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid in 'Harry Potter' films, is no more. As per Deadline, Robbie died in hospital near his home in Larbert, Scotland. The award-winning actor had been suffering from ill health for the past two years. He was 72. Robbie was…
Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami took to Twitter on Wednesday (12) to explain steps being taken to ramp up capacity and address the difficulty in getting an Indian visa by travellers from Britain. There has been a mounting backlog for Indian visas in recent months, as applicants…
LIVE PERFORMANCE DARBAR FESTIVAL 2022 When: Until Sunday October 16 Where: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS What: The annual classical Indian music festival featuring the finest live performers. This year’s line-up includes Shubha Mudgal, Sabir Khan, Ramana Balachandran, Satyajit Talwalkar, Wahane Sisters, Pandit Uday Bhawalkar, Eeshar Singh, Yashwant…
LIVE PERFORMANCE MUSIC OF INDIA: ROOPA PANESAR When: Sunday October 9 Where: Curve Theatre, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB What: The British sitar maestro, accompanied by tabla master Yashwant Vaishnav, presents an evening of the very best of Indian classical music. www.curveonline.co.uk DARBAR FESTIVAL 2022 When: Thursday October 13-Sunday…
LIVE PERFORMANCE Lincolnshire India Day When: Saturday September 24 Where: The Engine Shed, Lincoln, LN67TS What: Free event by the Indian Cultural Organisation of Lincolnshire, which will present a day of live classical, Bollywood, and Bhangra performances, along with offering delicious Indian food. There will be free and exciting workshops…
Two Champions League matches involving Scottish teams made headlines on Wednesday over incidents surrounding the late Queen Elizabeth II and the British monarchy. Celtic fans raised offensive banners just before the Glasgow team’s clash with the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk began at the Polish Army Stadium in Warsaw. The first…
Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and the nation's figurehead for seven decades, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday. Here is some reaction to the news: U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES "As the United Kingdom's longest-lived and longest-reigning Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II was widely admired for her…
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar slammed the UK’s “zombie government” for its failure to reign in household energy bills, saying the “inaction” by Westminster angered him. He also reminded the devolved administration of Scotland of its “moral duty” to help people whose savings were squeezed by the high cost of…
LIVE PERFORMANCE MUMBAI MASALA When: Until Sunday August 28 Where: Proud City, 1 Mark Lane, Opposite Fenchurch Street Station, London EC3R 7AH What: Spicy new immersive Bollywood musical experience, featuring hip shaking dances, heart-breaking romance, hilarious comedy, and delectable cuisine. www.proudcabaret.com DILJIT DOSANJH When: Friday August 26 and Sunday August…
A charity in Scotland is investigating an incident in which an Alba party member posted a video of the BBC Scotland editor James Cook being abused as a 'traitor' outside the Tory leadership hustings, according to a report. Farah Hamid, 53, published a film of Cook facing an angry crowd…
A Glasgow-based museum has signed a historic agreement with the Indian government to repatriate seven artefacts including a 14th-century Indo-Persian sword, a first such move by the UK museums service. The transfer of ownership took place in the presence of the Indian High Commission officials on Friday, according to the…
LIVE PERFORMANCE MUMBAI MASALA When: Until Sunday August 28 Where: Proud City, 1 Mark Lane, Opposite Fenchurch Street Station, London EC3R 7AH What: Spicy new immersive Bollywood musical experience, featuring hip shaking dances, heart breaking romance, hilarious comedy, and delectable cuisine. www.proudcabaret.com DILJIT DOSANJH When: Saturday August 20; Friday August…
Asian-owned beauty retailer Escentual.com has launched the #SunPoverty campaign, donating 30,000 sunscreens to children on free school meals this summer to prevent skin cancer. The non-profit initiative wants to ensure all families have access to broad-spectrum SPF50+ sunscreen by donating thousands of sunscreens to schools and food banks across the…
The Independence Day of Pakistan was marked by a flag-hoisting ceremony at the Pakistan High Commission London on Sunday (14) as the South Asian nation turned 75. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, was also felicitated at the event. Moazzam Ahmad Khan, Pakistani High commissioner to the UK, hoisted the…
The Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh cancelled comedian Jerry Sadowitz's show as the content was 'extreme in its racism, sexism, homophobia and misogyny'. Sadowitz hit back saying that he was 'cheapened and simplified' by the decision, media reports said. Many authors and comedians including JK Rowling have slammed the decision to…
LIVE PERFORMANCE MUMBAI MASALA When: Until Sunday August 28 Where: Proud City, 1 Mark Lane, Opposite Fenchurch Street Station, London EC3R 7AH What: Spicy new immersive Bollywood musical experience, featuring hip shaking dances, heart breaking romance, hilarious comedy, and delectable cuisine. www.proudcabaret.com DILJIT DOSANJH When: Friday August 12 Where: The…
A LEGAL case between Conservative peer Michelle Mone and Indian-origin financial consultant Richard Lynton-Jones over a “racist slur” has ended with the baroness paying £50,000 to settle his claim. “Both parties have settled their differences on a no fault or damages basis… and the matter is now concluded,” the peer’s…
LIVE PERFORMANCE MUMBAI MASALA When: Until Sunday August 28 Where: Proud City, 1 Mark Lane, Opposite Fenchurch Street Station, London EC3R 7AH What: Spicy new immersive Bollywood musical experience, featuring hip shaking dances, heart breaking romance, hilarious comedy, and delectable cuisine. www.proudcabaret.com DILJIT DOSANJH When: Friday August 12 Where: The…
Eleven people have appeared in the High Court in Glasgow for operating a child sex ring involving witchcraft, satanic séances and animal sacrifice, according to media reports. Iain Owens, 43, Elaine Lannery, 38, Lesley Williams, 40, Paul Brannan, 40, Marianne Gallagher, 37, Scott Forbes, 49, Barry Watson, 46, Mark Carr,…
LIVE PERFORMANCE MUMBAI MASALA When: Until Sunday August 28 Where: Proud City, 1 Mark Lane, Opposite Fenchurch Street Station, London EC3R 7AH What: Spicy new immersive Bollywood musical experience, featuring hip shaking dances, heart breaking romance, hilarious comedy, and delectable cuisine. www.proudcabaret.com RIZWAN-MUAZZAM QAWWAL When: Saturday July 30 Where: St…
A Glasgow paediatrician has been struck off the medical register for misdiagnosing children with cancer to scare parents into paying for expensive private treatment, media reports said. Mina Chowdhury, 45, who owned Meras clinic in Glasgow, was found guilty of misconduct by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Services, upon referral from…
TORY leadership battle is heating up and Rishi Sunak remains a strong contestant in the race for the top job in the country. Sunak, 42, is just one step away to become the first prime minister of Indian origin in the UK. According to a report in the MailOnline, his…
A medical tribunal has ordered to restore the licence of a doctor, who was struck off for leaving a busy A&E ward to take a nap, according to reports. It ordered to suspend her for six months instead. Dr Raisah Sawati, 33, from Glasgow, Scotland, was removed from service by…
LIVE PERFORMANCE MUMBAI MASALA When: Until Sunday August 28 Where: Proud City, 1 Mark Lane, Opposite Fenchurch Street Station, London EC3R 7AH What: Spicy new immersive Bollywood musical experience, featuring hip shaking dances, heart breaking romance, hilarious comedy, and delectable cuisine. www.proudcabaret.com AN EVENING WITH PARRY & REKHA When: Friday…
Britain’s climate minister Alok Sharma said Conservative leadership hopefuls should be mindful of the environment “emergency” and show their commitment to meeting the decarbonisation target.He said the extreme heat the UK is experiencing should alert the candidates to the enormity of the situation and they come up with a programme…
British rail workers and station staff will strike this month in disputes over pay and conditions, two unions said, announcing the latest in a growing catalogue of industrial unrest as workers demand wage rises to cope with soaring inflation. The 24-hour walkout by members of the RMT and TSSA will…
Ahead of the 2022 Wimbledon championship, bettingexpert.com has analysed 145 years worth of data to find out which city has produced the most Wimbledon winners since the tournament’s inception in 1877. The places of birth of all the winners in singles, doubles and mixed tournaments were collected and according to…
A type of poliovirus derived from vaccines has been detected in London sewage samples, the WHO and British health officials said Wednesday (22), adding that more analysis was underway. No human cases of polio have been found in Britain, where the crippling disease was fully eradicated two decades ago. The…
Rajinder Kalia, a cult leader facing the accusation of raping his four women devotees, has failed in his attempt to get the case dismissed.Kalia, 65, is believed to have groomed worshippers as young as four at the Baba Balak Nath temple in Bell Green, Coventry. He allegedly influenced his devotees…
NETWORK Rail has urged passengers to plan ahead and travel only if necessary as there was 'no real hope' of avoiding the biggest railway strike in 30 years next week, according to a report. Network Rail confirmed that large parts of Great Britain will have no passenger services on strike days.…
British lawmaker Patrick Grady was on Tuesday found to have breached parliament's sexual misconduct policy by an independent panel which recommended he be suspended for two days for "unwanted physical touching" of a junior staff member.The upheld complaint related to an incident in a pub in 2016 where Grady, a…
A new study has revealed that NHS nurses from minority ethnic backgrounds were overlooked for promotion due to structural racism, according to a report. It added that white nurses are twice as likely as black and Asian colleagues to be promoted in the NHS, the Guardian reported. A survey of almost…
CHEERS greeted Prince Harry and his wife Meghan outside St Paul's Cathedral on Friday (3) as they made their first public appearance in Britain for two years. But opinions were split among the throng of fans waiting at the London landmark to catch a glimpse of the royals, reflecting a…
Scotland captain Andy Robertson rued his side's limp display in Wednesday's World Cup playoff against Ukraine and apologised to fans after the defeat in Glasgow ended their hopes of a first appearance at the global soccer showpiece in 24 years. Goals from Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk fired…
A team of researchers led by a British Indian engineer in the UK has created an electronic skin capable of feeling 'pain' and according to them, it could help create a new generation of smart robots with human-like sensitivity. Professor Ravinder Dahiya, from the University of Glasgow's James Watt School…
Author Sir Salman Rushdie and cricketer Moeen Ali are among a number of British Asians honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List published on Wednesday (1). With doctors, politicians, educators, authors, community leaders and philanthropists among the 13.3 per cent of recipients coming from an ethnic minority background, this list showcases…
Louis Bloomsfield inspects the kegs of beer at his brewery in north London, eagerly awaiting June, when he will get an extra day off every week.The 36-year-old brewer plans to use the time to get involved in charity work, start a long-overdue course in particle physics, and spend more time…
A doctor from North Lanarkshire has been jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing patients over four decades, the BBC reported. Dr Krishna Singh 72, kissed, groped, gave inappropriate examinations and made sleazy comments to 47 patients, the report added. Singh, who was awarded an MBE in 2013, denied abusing…
THE chief constable of Police Scotland has said that the force should become "anti-racist", according to a report. Iain Livingstone's statement on racism and policing in Scotland was heard during opening statements at the public inquiry in Edinburgh into the death of Sheku Bayoh. Bayoh, 31, died in police custody…
BORIS JOHNSON will become the first British prime minister to visit Gujarat when he lands in Ahmedabad this week for a two-day visit to India for “in-depth” talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.Johnson's visit will begin on Thursday (21) with a trip to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, which is Modi's…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson is expected to arrive in India next week with a wide-ranging schedule in New Delhi, according to Indian government sources.The visit, which is yet to be formally announced by Downing Street, follows the successful completion of four out of 26 chapters in the ongoing India-UK…
AN Indian-origin doctor practising in Scotland was on Thursday (14) found guilty of sex offences against 48 female patients over 35 years.Krishna Singh, 72, a general practitioner (GP), was accused of kissing, groping, giving inappropriate examinations and making sleazy comments, charges that he had denied during a trial at the…
GLASGOW will send seven ‘stolen’ artefacts back to India as city councillors have backed a proposal in this regard, according to a report. Officials from the High Commission of India lodged a request in January for the return of six artefacts “stolen” from Hindu temples and shrines in the 19th…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson is planning to visit India by April end with a focus on strengthening bilateral ties, according to official sources. The visit, which is expected around April 22, is long overdue after Johnson was forced to cancel planned visits to India twice last year due to…
INDIA and Australia inked an interim free trade deal on Saturday (2) that cuts tariffs on billions of dollars of commerce as the two Quad partners bolster their economic ties. Both signatories are members of the Quad alliance with the US and Japan, which is seen as a counterweight to…
Banned, Pakistani film, Javed Iqbal: The Untold Story Of A Serial Killer, will receive its World Premiere as the Opening Gala at the 24th, UK Asian Film Festival – the world’s longest-running South Asian film festival outside India. The ‘Dare To Dream’ theme of this year’s festival commemorates 75 years…
THE British Kabaddi League has been launched in Wolverhampton to mark the prominent role of the Midlands in British Kabaddi, a statement said. Eight teams including, Birmingham Bulls, Wolverhampton Wolfpack, Walsall Hunters and Leicester Warriors, alongside London Lions, Edinburgh Eagles, Glasgow Unicorns and Manchester Raiders will participate in the league…
LIVE PERFORMANCE MID-DAY MANTRA SPRING SERIES FINALE: SWATI NATEKAR When: Saturday March 26 Where: Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony Hall, 8 Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA What: Acclaimed singer Swati Natekar will present a special collection of songs celebrating Holi, ranging from semiclassical to film songs. She will…
LIVE PERFORMANCE KATTAM KATTI When: Tuesday March 22 – Wednesday March 23 Where: Cambridge Junction, Clifton Way, Cambridge CB1 7GX What: The Pagrav Dance Company presents a contemporary Kathak production that taps into the competitive chaos, creativity, and colour of Uttarayan, the world-famous international kite festival of Gujarat. www.junction.co.uk NITIN…
INDIA’s abstention on the UN Security Council Resolution over Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is a significant yet surprising decision. Given that India has moved so much closer to the US by joining the Quad, is actively negotiating the EU India Trade Treaty and that Indian stock markets are receiving lot…
THE rate of exclusions among primary school pupils in Birmingham was twice the national rate and twice the rate of core cities. There were 53 primary aged children excluded in the 2019/20 academic year – double the number Birmingham would have it was consistent with comparable cities. The permanent exclusion…
LONDON needs a police service it can respect and trust. And the police officers serving London’s communities need the leadership that can foster that trust and respect. I want to say upfront that the police officers I meet day-to-day are often amazing; both in my local borough of Brent, and…
BRITAIN’S annual inflation has hit the highest level since 1992, data showed on Wednesday (16), adding pressure to the cost of living and on the Bank of England to keep raising rates.The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) edged up to 5.5 per cent in January from 5.4 per cent in December,…
AN ARTIST and activist has highlighted how the lack of clean water and toilets limits the potential of women of colour for WaterAid. Poulomi Basu’s photo series, Sisters of the Moon, depicts the impact of sanitation on women and girls across south Asia. She has created a fictional, “dystopian world”…
A councillor has exposed shocking racism at Sheffield Council and said a number of serious incidents were ignored. Councillor Kaltum Rivers, representative for Broomhill and Sharrow Vale ward, said she has been shocked by the “blatant racism” at the authority which she said has been the hardest problem she has…
INDIA is among the top five easiest places to start a new business, a global consortium of over 500 researchers said on Thursday (10) in its latest report.The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2021/2022 report, unveiled at the Dubai Expo, puts India on top amongst low-income economies on different entrepreneurial framework…
SENIOR cabinet members from Boris Johnson’s team, including the prime minister, are expected to travel to India this year as both countries step up their bilateral engagements, India’s high commissioner to the UK has revealed. In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, Gaitri Issar Kumar also said New Delhi was…
Lockdown sparks rise in demand for ethnic-inspired British treats SOUTH ASIAN cafes which have opened since the lockdown have seen a boom in trade. Owners said the trend is down to more people working away from offices during the pandemic, and people reuniting with relatives and friends after restrictions were…
THE Indian diaspora acts as a living bridge connecting the country and the world, India’s junior minister for external affairs V Muraleedharan on Sunday (9) said on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) or Non-Resident Indian Day. The day is observed to mark the contribution made by the overseas…
By Nylah Salam Human rights campaigner and counter-terrorism commissioner Sara Khan, paediatric cardiology professor Shakeel Ahmed Qureshi, Leicester academic professor Kamlesh Khunti and actor Nitin Ganatra are among several British Asians who have been recognised in the New Year Honour’s List published tonight (31). Khan has been recognised with a…
BRITISH minister who chaired the Cop26 climate summit has said that tackling the climate crisis must be a whole government effort or risk becoming “just a bunch of meaningless promises”, reported The Guardian. Alok Sharma has added that all of his colleagues must bear joint responsibility for the UK’s net-zero…
THE world’s first airport fully powered by solar energy has boosted its capacity to produce solar power in the past three years and has now also ventured into hydropower, its managing director said. The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) in Kerala won the Champion of Earth Prize by the UN…
CURRENTLY, an unprecedented, politically driven commitment towards the transformation of the India-UK relationship is taking place. This began with the virtual summit between the two prime ministers Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi on May 4, 2021. The new UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, visited New Delhi and Mumbai in late…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday (14) described the UK and India as "natural partners" who are working together on many "fantastic projects". He said the partnership between the two countries will transform people's lives and promote the principles of freedom, openness and peace. In his special address to…
Former world No 1 Saina Nehwal will miss the World Championships for the first time in her international career due to multiple injuries that derailed her season. The London Olympics bronze-medallist, who has won a silver and bronze besides eight quarterfinal finishes in the World Championships over the years, is…
ALL adults in Britain will now be eligible for a third Covid jab, the government said, as concern mounted about the spread of the new Omicron variant. The move, backed by a scientific advisory body and health secretary Sajid Javid, comes as ministers scramble to react swiftly to the new…
INDIA’S National Mission for Clean Ganga (NCMG) and the country’s high commission in London have unveiled a new India-UK collaboration effort as part of the Namami Gange river rejuvenation agenda with the launch of four new chapters in Britain. The Ganga Connect exhibition, which was touring the UK earlier this…
COUNCIL bosses have been trying to hire more school staff from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities to reflect Glasgow’s population better. A meeting heard there has been success in recruiting more diverse workers and efforts are being made to improve their chances of promotion. Most higher earning roles…
LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan has said that Labour's wealth tax proposal would hit those who are 'equity rich but cash poor' and cause a 'flight' of rich people out of the UK, according to a report in the MailOnline. In September, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that he would launch a…
AS WORLD leaders met for COP26 in Glasgow, we were reminded of the sobering fact that we are currently in a climate emergency. There is a climate breakdown and globally we must do more – we need real action if we are to slow and correct climate breakdown. Climate activism…
THE Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) will unveil two key initiatives during National Tree Week this month – a community led project to plant 10,000 trees in Bradford, and the launch of a QGC “Champion Cities” initiative. On 27 November at Newhall Park in Bradford, the QGC will come together with…
I ATTENDED COP26 as the shadow business minister to meet businesses and representatives of other nations to discuss where we are making progress and what more needs to change. COP26 has been an important and historic event in Glasgow to “keep 1.5 alive” – the Paris Agreement ambition of limiting…
VERSATILE London-based author Mona Dash has tackled diverse themes in her books A Roll of the Dice: a story of loss, love and genetics, Let Us Look Elsewhere, A Certain Way, Untamed Heart and Dawn-drops. When Eastern Eye asked her to select 10 books she loves, she said: “It is…
EXPERTS have come in support of India after several nations criticised the south Asian country for using the term "phase down" instead of "phase out" of coal at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. They said India’s stand should not be seen as a diversion from its commitment to global…
CHINA and India will need to explain to developing nations why they pushed to water down language on efforts to phase out coal at the COP26 conference, the event's president Alok Sharma said on Sunday (14). UN climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, ended on Saturday (13) with a deal that…
TWO teenage brothers from India urged world leaders to act against climate change after winning a prestigious global children's award on Saturday (13) for tackling pollution from household waste in New Delhi. Vihaan and Nav Agarwal, aged 17 and 14, received the 2021 KidsRights International Children's Peace Prize for developing…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson on Saturday (13) called the deal struck at the UN COP26 climate change summit "a big step forward" but warned there was "a huge amount more to do". "There is still a huge amount more to do in the coming years," Johnson said after the…
THE India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) signed a memorandum of understanding at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Friday (12). They agreed to collaborate and support countries in the implementation of ambitious national climate action in line with global efforts.…
COP26 climate talks were closing in on a global deal aimed at limiting devastating global warming, with UK organisers hoping for a final agreement to the marathon negotiations on Saturday (13). Delegates from nearly 200 nations are tasked with keeping alive the 2015 Paris goal of limiting temperature rises to…
Why turning climate change promises into practical policies will be challenging FINANCE DAY at COP is always the point when the rhetoric of the leaders’ speeches hits the ground with a thump. During two days of high-level sessions, a succession of presidents and prime ministers were keen to explain to…
THE United Kingdom, host of the UN climate change summit in Glasgow, on Wednesday (10) released a draft political decision, which will be negotiated over the next few days, urging countries to strengthen their national climate plans by the end of 2022. The first draft of the "COP cover decision"…
INDIA is among 27 countries to sign up to a sustainable agriculture action agenda as the first week of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow concluded, with the country committing to make farming more sustainable and less polluting. Participating countries said they would invest in the science needed for sustainable…
INDIA on Sunday (7) told the UN climate summit in Glasgow that its solar energy capacity was about 45 gigawatts and reiterated that although the country represents 17 per cent of the global population, its historical cumulative emissions are only four per cent of the total. Making a statement on…
INDIA on Monday (8) warned that the lack of a “serious approach” to climate finance will jeopardise planned mitigation and adaptation programmes as well as countries’ net zero pledges. Climate finance cannot continue at the levels decided in 2009, India said last week, adding that it expected climate finance of…
US has partnered with the UK and India-led Green Grids Initiative of a global energy grid launched by prime minister Narendra Modi at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. At a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Green Grids Initiative – ‘One Sun One World One Grid' (GGI-OSOWOG) earlier…
COMPANIES like Amazon and Apple as well as Mahindra Group and Dalmia Cement (Bharat) from India have joined as founding members of the 'first movers coalition' to work towards driving demand for zero-carbon technologies, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has said. The Coalition has been launched at the COP26 Summit…
Sri Lanka's president has effectively banned trade union action against a controversial energy deal with a US firm in an attempt to scupper dissent within his coalition government. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) last month agreed to sell a 40 per cent stake in its thermal power plant outside Colombo…
THE morning after Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, residents of New Delhi woke up under a blanket of toxic smog and breathed in the most dangerously polluted air of the year so far, after revellers, as usual, defied a fireworks ban. New Delhi has the worst air quality of…
THE demand for weather prediction will increase from various sectors in the future and artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a key role in this transition, the head of India’s premier weather agency has said. Dr M Mohapatra is the director-general of meteorology at the India Meteorological Department (IMD).…
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday (1) interacted with members of the diaspora in Scotland who gathered in Glasgow to honour him and also unveil a bust of him. Modi, who arrived in the Scottish city last Sunday (31) night to cheers from a group of diaspora delegates, met…
AN INDIAN schoolgirl, whose solar-powered ironing cart project was a finalist of Prince William's inaugural Earthshot Prize, addressed the World Leaders' Summit of the COP26 conference in Glasgow with a clarion call for them to act and save the planet. Vinisha Umashankar, 15, from Tamil Nadu, was part of the…
CLIMATE finance to fund technology innovations will be key to India delivering its goal of ‘net zero’ emissions by 2070, academics, policy experts, business leaders and politicians have said. They were speaking as they welcomed Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s announcement at the COP26 summit in Glasgow this week. India…
BRITAIN and India introduced a plan on Tuesday (2) to improve connections between the world's electricity power grids to accelerate the transition to greener energy. Linking the grids would allow parts of the world with excess renewable power to send it to areas with deficits. For instance, countries where the…
EMPHASISING that everything is created from the sun, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (2) called for ‘One sun, one world, one grid' to improve the viability of solar power. He also announced that India's space agency ISRO will soon provide the world with a calculator that can measure…
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi along with 40 world leaders on Tuesday (2) backed UK's 'Glasgow Breakthroughs' international plan to deliver clean and affordable technology everywhere by 2030. India has joined the US, European Union, China, among others representing more than 70 per cent of the world's economy and every…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson has welcomed Narendra Modi's climate commitments to achieve net zero carbon emissions and for half of India's energy to come from renewables by 2030. Delivering India's national statement at the World Leaders' Summit in Glasgow on Monday (1), prime minister Modi for the first time…
BANGLADESH prime minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon major emitting countries to fulfil their obligations to support vulnerable nations in their efforts to cope with the effects of climate change. Addressing the Commonwealth and Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) leaders at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow on Monday (1), Hasina urged…
ENVIRONMENT experts have said that India's pledge at COP 26 to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070 is "real climate action". They added that the country is doing more than most countries, including China, to reduce emissions. According to experts, India has put the ball in the court of…
INDIA's economy will become carbon neutral by 2070, the country's prime minister announced at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. "By 2070, India will achieve the target of net-zero emissions," Narendra Modi told more than 120 leaders at the critical talks on Monday (1). India is the last of the…
THE all-party parliamentary group for Nepal and UK-Nepal trade and investment forum organised an event on Sunday (31) in London to welcome Nepal prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is on an official visit to the UK. Deuba leads the Nepali delegation to the UN climate summit (COP26) in Glasgow. …
SOUMIK DATTA’S animation film, Songs of the Earth, which he has written and directed, and for which he has also composed the music, is due to premiere at the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow and the Royal Albert Hall in London, with a preview for delegates at 10 Downing…
INDIA prime minister will be presenting the formal position on India's climate action agenda and lay out the best practices and achievements in the sector at the COP26 summit in Glasgow on Monday (1). During the high-profile segment of the World Leaders' Summit, Narendra Modi is scheduled to deliver a…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson on Sunday (31) urged world leaders attending the UN climate change conference in Glasgow to commit to cutting carbon emissions, warning efforts to halt runaway global warming will fail if they do not. "If Glasgow fails, then the whole thing fails," he told a news…
Prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK comes at a time when India-UK bilateral relations are on a positive trajectory and potentially at the threshold of a new era, India’s High Commissioner to the UK Gaitri Issar Kumar has said. Modi will attend the World Leaders’ Summit (WLS) of…
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi was set to arrive in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday (31) for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). He will also hold bilateral talks with his British counterpart Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the climate summit. Modi will reach the UK from Italy where he…
TEENAGE climate activist Greta Thunberg attended a small protest in London on Friday (29) against global banks' role in the fossil fuel industry, ahead of travelling to the upcoming COP26 summit in Scotland. The 18-year-old environmental icon joined a few dozen young protesters demanding banks stop financing polluting projects, such…
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he had a "very warm meeting" with Pope Francis and discussed a wide range of issues and also invited him to visit India at an early date. Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to meet Francis since he became Pope…
HUMANS live on hope. We begin another march towards the hope of clinching a deal that would save the planet and impending catastrophe of all living beings getting extinct. We are in the midst of a real crisis. Temperatures have already increased by 1.1℃ over the pre-industrial revolution levels. Almost…
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi will meet Pope Francis in Rome for the first time this weekend when he visits for the G20 summit, officials said Thursday, in what could be a thorny encounter. Activists say that religious minorities in Hindu-majority India have faced increased levels of discrimination and violence…
INDIA on Wednesday (27) rejected calls to announce a net zero carbon emissions target and said it was more important for the world to lay out a pathway to reduce such emissions and avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures. India, the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China…
Britain's pandemic-hit economy is set to extend its solid recovery into next year despite strong inflationary pressures, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday (27). Confirming plans for multi-billion-pound funding projects, Sunak said in a budget speech that the government was reducing state debt that soared during the pandemic. And after…
The UK government, after triggering an outcry by cutting its foreign aid budget, vowed to restore the funding in the coming years ahead of a UN climate summit where help for poorer countries will be pivotal. Presenting his budget for the next fiscal year, chancellor Rishi Sunak said the aid…
VIRENDRA SHARMA and other Asian-origin MPs in Britain have spoken about the threat facing them following the murder last week of Sir David Amess, the Conservative member for Southend West, who was stabbed 17 times in a frenzied attack. British politicians have to decide whether their traditional approach of freely…
UK foreign minister Elizabeth Truss has said that her country and India believe in freedom and democracy and can make the world safer and prosperous. She was speaking in Mumbai at a reception held on the HMS Defender where industrialists from the UK and India met. "Countries like the UK…
Return of outdoor dining and food festivals 'lifeline' for industry RESTAURANT bosses and foodies have described the relaxing of outdoor dining rules and the return of festivals as a “lifeline” for the industry as they noted the financial impact of diners not turning up after making reservations. In parts of…
AN Indian American health expert has warned that the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Glasgow could potentially risk a spike in coronavirus cases. Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health at Edinburgh University and member of the Scottish government’s Covid-19 advisory group, said the event where…
PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi will attend the UN climate summit in Glasgow, the environment minister said on Thursday (21), in a boost for efforts to agree steeper emissions cuts in the fight on global warming. India is the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and Modi's participation in…
AN Asian hillwalking group which encourages people from ethnic minority backgrounds to explore nature has been featured in a new BBC documentary. Boots & Beards is the focus of an episode in the Our Lives series, which aired earlier this month on BBC One. Founded by Glasgow-based cousins Naveed Baksh…
BRITAIN will be among the first countries to apply corporate sustainability disclosure standards from a new global board to be unveiled soon, a government minister has said. The London-based IFRS Foundation is set to unveil a new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) in the run up to next month's COP26…
INDIA prime minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson on Monday (11) discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and agreed on the need to develop a common international perspective on issues regarding extremism and terrorism as well. Following a telephonic conversation between Modi and Johnson, the UK government,…
Two-day cultural diaspora event in Cambridge celebrates community's legacy in the UK HOW do we measure or track our long British Bengali legacy? This actually started a long time ago and holds many illustrious names in its trajectory. We have grown up with stories of famous Bengalis who travelled and…
British prime minister Boris Johnson rallied his Conservative party faithful on Wednesday (6), vowing a far-reaching overhaul to wean the UK economy off cheap foreign labour after Brexit. Shrugging off panic buying at petrol stations, bare supermarket shelves and retailers' warnings of a bleak Christmas to come, the Tory leader…
WHEN it comes to gardening, Guy Barter, from the Royal Horticultural Society, seems to know everything about everything. He is, after all, the RHS’s chief horticulturist, but found time to chat to Eastern Eye during this year’s hectic Chelsea Flower Show (September 21-26), the first time it has been held…
US president Joe Biden on Friday (17) urged the world to bring its "highest" ambition to a UN summit on climate change in November, warning that the planet faces a tightening deadline. "We have to bring to Glasgow our highest ambitions. Those who have not yet done so, time is…
A GREEN hydrogen-powered underwater transportation submarine system being developed by a company led by an Indian-origin CEO has been named among the winners of the UK government's Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. Dhruv Boruah's Oceanways won backing from the £23-million government-funded research and development (R&D) drive with its concept of a…
BRITAIN'S senior climate change official Alok Sharma arrived in Tianjin on Sunday (5) to meet representatives from government and business ahead of the next round of global climate talks scheduled to take place in Glasgow in November. Sharma, a government minister and president of the COP 26 climate talks, said…
A young doctor has been taken off duty on account of misconduct and dishonesty, with complaints of missing from work repeatedly including napping when patients waited for follow-up care. Dr Raisah Sawati, 33, was reported to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in 2017 after being found asleep on a bench…
ACTRESS TALKS ABOUT HER TERRIFIC TRANSFORMATION IN BIG BUDGET THRILLER THE cinematic transformation everyone has been talking about is that of Lara Dutta in recently released film BellBottom. The actress made a welcome return to the big screen as late Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi and was unrecognisable in the…
FATIMA MANJI DISCUSSES HER NEW HISTORICAL BOOK CHANNEL 4 news presenter Fatima Manji has written fascinating new book Hidden Heritage: Rediscovering Britain's Lost Love for the Orient. The award-winning broadcaster explores British history and identity through the art, objects and architecture that found their way from the Orient to the…
THE president of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) concluded his three-day visit to India on Wednesday (19). Alok Sharma said he has requested the Indian government to aim at reducing emissions and added a finance plan will be put in place for the developing countries…
EARLIER this month, Rishi Sunak received some bad news when the conservative Home website, edited by Paul Goodman, made the chancellor favourite to take over from prime minister Boris Johnson. Goodman does concede that by the time the next Conservative leadership election comes along, there might be a very different list…
In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Gaitri Issar Kumar, reveals the change in dynamics of British-Indian ties and plans to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. You came to Britain came in the midst of the pandemic; how did you settle in…
INDIA marks its 75th Independence Day at a moment when the whole world is yearning for a sustainable route out of the Covid pandemic. The country has risen to the current challenges through the resilience and sacrifice of its people – the very traits which secured its freedom as an…
THE COP26 climate summit talks in Glasgow in November are the last chance for the world to get a grip on climate change, Alok Sharma, the British minister in charge of the conference, has said. Sharma also defended his recent travels, after he was criticised for being exempt from Covid-19…
BRITAIN prime minister Boris Johnson described the UN report on climate change as "sobering" and said coal needs to be consigned to history in order to control climate change. The call to end the use of coal is contrary to the UK's plans for a new coking coal mine in…
BRITAIN'S climate chief has warned that the world is running out of time to stop a climate change catastrophe. Alok Sharma, who will be leading COP26, the climate summit hosted by the UK this year - said the effects are already there with floods, wildfires and heatwaves. "We can't afford…
THE president of the UK's upcoming climate change conference is taking flak for having travelled to more than 30 countries in seven months. The Daily Mail reports that Alok Sharma travelled to seven of the countries in the red list, and by using exemption available for ministers he did not…
SCOTTISH COMEDIAN DISCUSSES HER NEW ONE-WOMAN PLAY THE Edinburgh Festival Fringe returns from August 6-30 with another actionpacked line-up of shows and great multicultural talent from diverse disciplines. The largest arts festival in the world will also give many performers a chance to get back in front of an audience after…
DRUG-related deaths in England and Wales have risen to their highest level in more than 25 years, say recent government figures released on Tuesday (3), which also stated that cocaine-related deaths among women have spiked by more than 800 per cent. Men and teenage boys accounted for more than two-thirds…
SEVEN men have been found guilty of murdering a teenager who was mistakenly shot dead during a feud between two tyre firm owners, reports said on Tuesday (3), adding that the men will be sentenced on Thursday (5). As per Lancashire police, seven men have been convicted of murdering…
AN international ranking of higher education centres across the world has placed London as the best city in the world to be a university student, reported the Guardian. Current students studying in London rated the British capital very highly for ‘outstanding cultural, economic, and educational opportunities', it added. The city…
A Scottish study has revealed that people advised to shield in the first wave of the pandemic were five times more likely to die from Covid-19 than those considered at low risk from the disease, the Guardian reported. The study, led by the University of Glasgow, has found that shielding…
THE UK's president of vital UN climate talks has expressed his 'disappointment' after ministers from more than 50 countries closed a two-day meeting in London without full agreement on phasing out coal, reported The Guardian. Alok Sharma has said that countries around the world must agree to end the use…
TRIBUTES are pouring in for the woman, her son and a family friend, who died in Loch Lomond on Saturday (24). Waris Ali, who lost his family and a good friend, revealed how he tried in vain to save his drowning wife. Edina Olahova, 29, and Rana Haris Ali,…
BRITAIN on Sunday (25) began a two-day meeting with climate and environment ministers from 51 countries for "critical" climate talks ahead of November's COP26 summit set to happen in Glasgow. With fewer than 100 days to go until the critical UN climate change conference, UK minister Alok Sharma, President…
LAST week’s horrifying floods in Germany make Alok Sharma, president of COP26, just about the most important man in Britain – possibly even in the world. It’s his job to bring competing nations together as mankind confronts climate change at the conference due to be held in Glasgow from November…
US envoy John Kerry on Tuesday (20) said that the world cannot wait for the Covid-19 pandemic to end before dealing with climate change. He stressed how "pivotal" this year's UN climate conference was to press ahead with action. Addressing an audience at London's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kerry said nations must…
JAMAICA plans to ask Britain for compensation for the Atlantic slave trade in the former British colony, a senior government official said, under a petition that could seek billions of pounds in reparations. Jamaica was a centre of the slave trade, with the Spanish, then the British, forcibly transporting Africans…
BANGLADESH has been spending about $2 billion (£1.4bn) every year since 2010 on its efforts to mitigate climate change, finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said on Wednesday (7). The government has also made an allocation of about $2.9bn (£2.1bn) in the current budget, he said, while addressing a virtual press…
MUSLIMS feel Islamophobia is on the rise in Scotland and it is more serious in Glasgow than in the rest of the country, according to a survey. An inquiry by the Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia reveals that the abuse of Muslims is a “regular issue” in Scottish society. It…
THE BBC’S popular quiz show The Weakest Link will make a comeback with award-winning comedian Romesh Ranganathan replacing Anne Robinson as its host. Ranganathan will present 12 episodes of the celebrity version of the show, each running 45 minutes during prime time on BBC One. Set for filming in Glasgow,…
THE three weeks virtual talks of UN subsidiary bodies have failed to clear the decks ahead of the major COP26 gathering in Glasgow in November, reported the BBC. Technical glitches and multiple time zones scuppered attempts to find common ground, and little progress has been made on key issues, it…
THE health secretary of Scotland has been urged to reveal the full details of a deal between the health watchdog and the government. Humza Yousaf is facing the demand after it was revealed the watchdog's duties include shielding ministers from criticism, reported The Times. In a letter to Yousaf, Jackie…
UNIVERSITY students in England have proposed an offer to accept higher interest rates on their loans in exchange for an immediate £2,700 discount on their tuition fees. This is an offer being made my students to compensate for the disruption to their education caused by the coronavirus pandemic. A group…
THE minister in charge of preparing for UN COP26 climate change summit is under fire after his extent of international travel was revealed. Alok Sharma, the former business secretary has been criticised by MPs for flying several times in the last few months for meetings, which could have been done…
THE HOME Office is going ahead with the deportation of the two overstaying Indian migrants despite them being released from a police van in Glasgow during a highly-publicized protest last week. The Home Office sources have recently said that the protest has only delayed the inevitable removal of the two…
THE justice secretary has said that parliament may have to take action if clubs are failing to deal behaviour of fans, also suggesting for the need of an independent regulator. Following the violence from Rangers fans in Glasgow city centre, Humza Yousaf said strict liability for football clubs is “on…
ACTOR ADIL HUSSAIN REFLECTS ON HIS MEANINGFUL JOURNEY by ASJAD NAZIR VERSATILE Indian actor Adil Hussain regularly finds himself in fabulous films that have superb storylines, cleverly crafted characters and memorable messages. His impressive range has enabled him to work in different languages and film industries around the world. Such is…
By Amit Roy LAST week I pointed out the potential for an Indian Windrush scandal because of a new immigration agreement that was signed between the UK and Indian governments. “The agreement will enhance and accelerate the processes to return Indian nationals with no legal right to stay in…
DESPITE concerns over the spread of a more infectious Covid-19 variant, most of the UK took a step towards normality on Monday (17) with lockdown restrictions being eased. Across England, Wales and most of Scotland, full indoor hospitality in pubs, restaurants and cafes returned, and cinemas, theatres and sports venues…
THE UK government has defended an immigration raid that inflamed tensions in Glasgow's Muslim community at the start of Eid al-Fitr on Friday (14). The government clarified that there was no connection to the Islamic festival. Thursday's deportation raid targeted a property housing two illegal immigrants from India, who were…
A leadership hopeful for one of Britain’s biggest unions has been reportedly suspended by Labour after suggesting Priti Patel was ‘disgusting’ and should be deported. It has been learnt that Howard Beckett has apologised for his comment and said it was "never meant to be literal". Beckett, a Unite leadership…
WORLD LEADERS must agree to make coal a thing of the past at November's summit or there will be a climate catastrophe due to global warming, Britain's climate tsar has said. Britain, which is hosting the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, known as COP26, has said leaders should go…
AROUND 200 protesters in a largely Muslim part of Scotland's biggest city demonstrated as immigration officials raided a property on Thursday (13), the start of the festival of Eid al-Fitr. The raid occurred in the Glasgow constituency of Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who said she was "deeply concerned by…
The 2021 Scottish Parliament election has witnessed the victory of some ethnic minorities, elected as the Member of Scottish Parliament. Read about them below: FOYSOL CHOUDHURY: First Bangladeshi origin to mark presence in Scottish Parliament Scottish Labour’s Foysol Choudhury becomes the first ethnic minority MSP in the Lothians. He is a…
UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab and Indian external affairs minister Dr Jaishankar held a virtual two hour meeting on Thursday (6) focussing on implementing the '2030 roadmap' of the India-UK enhanced trade partnership (ETP) to pave the way for a free trade agreement (FTA). Both the ministers also discussed Indo-Pacific…
by LAUREN CODLING SCOTTISH Labour leader Anas Sarwar has revealed that racist abuse targeting him has increased since he was elected head of his party, but said he no longer pays attention to it. In an exclusive interview on Monday (26) with Eastern Eye, the Asian politician also said that…
ONE of the youngest music stars to have emerged during lockdown is a 13-year-old Scottish DJ named Beats By Jay. Real name Jay Singh, the talented teenager, who was born and raised in Glasgow, has been delighting online audiences with his dynamite DJing skills on explosive musical sets. “I was…
A NEW survey has revealed that people from ethnic minority backgrounds are hesitant to attend live sporting events because of fear over racial and physical abuse. As many as 41 per cent of ethnically diverse fans, who responded to the survey, shared this opinion and 42 per cent of respondents…
A NEW study has revealed that two new diabetes drugs are likely to be more effective in people with an Asian background than in people with a White background. The study, published on Friday (12) in Diabetes Care and led by the University of Glasgow, found the diabetes drug classes…
By Amit Roy THE Scottish economist and moral philosopher, Adam Smith, author of the classic The Wealth of Nations, is a particular hero of mine. Indeed, on a visit to Edinburgh in 2014, I made a special point of paying homage to his imposing 10ft bronze statue which stands on…
Scottish Labour named Anas Sarwar as their new leader on Saturday, ahead of an election for the country's devolved parliament in May. Sarwar, a Glasgow member of the Scottish parliament (MSP), succeeds Richard Leonard who resigned in January. Labour's fortunes have flagged in Scotland with the Scottish National Party (SNP)…
MORE than 100 public figures have signed an open letter to the BBC criticising Radio 4 Woman’s Hour 'strikingly hostile' interview with Zara Mohammed, the first woman to head the Muslim Council of Britain. The letter, organised by the writers Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Mariam Khan, and signed by Tory peer Sayeeda…
A NEW report has revealed that half of black, Asian and minority ethnic students (BAME) have experienced racism at the University of Glasgow 'more than twice' since beginning their studies. Following the report, the university’s vice-chancellor, Prof Sir Anton Muscatelli, apologised 'unreservedly' to staff and students who have experienced racism…
BRITISH MP and the president-designate of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) Alok Sharma on Tuesday(16) met Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to discuss the India-UK collaboration on climate change. The COP26 will be hosted by the UK in November 2021 in Glasgow. "Pleased to meet…
UK prime minister Boris Johnson will host a virtual meeting of the leaders of the group of seven countries on Friday(19) ahead of the G7 summit in June. The virtual meeting will be part of the UK's G7 presidency this year and the first gathering of G7 leaders since April…
By Anas Sarwar MSP Scottish Labour leadership candidate GROWING up, I saw both the ugly and the inspiring side of politics. I was born in Glasgow – it is a city where diverse communities are made to feel incredibly welcome and where I am proud to bring up my…
THE Muslim Council of Britain on Sunday(31) elected Zara Mohammed,29, from Glasgow as its first female secretary general. Mohammed, a masters graduate in human rights law and a training and development consultant, takes over the post from Harun Khan. “My vision is to continue to build a truly inclusive, diverse…
UK prime minister Boris Johnson has invited his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for the G7 summit as he confirmed details on Sunday (17for the high-level meeting to be presided over by Britain in the coastal region of Cornwall between June 11 and 13. Johnson had extended an invitation to Modi…
BRITAIN has appointed business minister Alok Sharma as the full-time president of the United Nations COP26 climate conference to be held in Glasgow this November. The government said the event would be the largest summit the UK has ever hosted, bringing together representatives from nearly 200 countries. "The biggest challenge…
UK business minister Alok Sharma offered to resign from his ministerial position in order to take on a full-time role preparing for the country's chairmanship of UN COP26 climate change summit, The Times reported on Saturday(2). Alok Sharma, who is also president of this year's climate summit, has told prime…
EU leaders signed their post-Brexit trade deal with Britain and dispatched it to London on an RAF jet Wednesday(30), setting their seal on a drawn-out divorce just hours before the UK brings its half-century European experiment to an end. EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, the heads…
By: Mohnish Singh Sonam Kapoor, who was last seen in Abhishek Sharma’s The Zoya Factor (2019), has started shooting for her next film, titled Blind. The Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019) actress has taken up any new project after a gap of almost two years. Kapoor, who…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson will travel to India in January, his first bilateral visit since taking office, to try to strengthen trade and investment ties and work together on tackling climate change, his office said on Tuesday(15). He also accepted his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's invitation to be the…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson pledged to end direct government support for overseas fossil fuel projects at a UN summit on Saturday(12), aiming to spur similar moves by other countries to help tackle climate change. Britain, which co-hosted the virtual summit ahead of climate negotiations in Glasgow next year, has…
By Michael Kenwood, Local Democracy Reporting Service BANGOR in North Down has been chosen as the Northern Ireland base for an international project looking at plastic pollution in the sea. The project is a joint enterprise between the UK and Indian governments, with each chosen location in the four parts…
CLIMATE EXPERTS and MPs have sought political and diplomatic support for business secretary Alok Sharma as he 'struggles to devote enough time' to COP26, the UK's biggest summit ever. Richard Black, director of the energy & climate Intelligence Unit, told the BBC that though Sharma has an 'understanding of the…
THE UK prime minister Boris Johnson has said that the year 2021 will be an important one for UK-India ties. He made this comment while discussing global and bilateral issues, including collaboration on Covid-19 vaccine, climate change, and trade and investment flows with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Friday(27).…
BRITAIN could ease stringent Covid-19 rules to allow families to gather for Christmas as signs indicate that coronavirus cases are starting to flatten as a result of current lockdowns, health secretary Matt Hancock said on Friday(20). The UK has the worst official Covid-19 death toll in Europe and prime minister…
SCOTTISH author Douglas Stuart won the Booker Prize for fiction with his first novel 'Shuggie Bain', beating five other shortlisted authors including Indian-origin Avni Doshi. Judges observed that Stuart's tale of love and alcoholism set in Glasgow in 1980s was destined to be a classic. The 44-year-old Stuart, who wins…
The UK has invited India prime minister Narendra Modi to the Climate Ambition Summit scheduled next month, according to a British government statement on Thursday (5). The December 12 Climate Ambition Summit will provide a platform for leaders who are ready to come forward with announcements of new, more ambitious…
Businessmen, frontline healthcare staff as well as charity workers and volunteers are among Asians in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours’ List, whose publication in June was delayed in order to recognise “unsung heroes” of the coronavirus pandemic. Billionaire brothers Zuber Vali Issa and Mohsin Issa, who last week acquired Asda…
FOUR of Britain's distinctive red postboxes have been painted black and gold and adorned with images by or of illustrious Black Britons, in a novel way of celebrating Black History Month. The Royal Mail said it had selected one postbox in each of the four constituent parts of the UK…
Akshay Kumar started the shooting of his movie Bell Bottom in Scotland last month. The actor was accompanied by actresses Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, and Lara Dutta. Well, the team of the film has now wrapped a schedule and Akshay took to Instagram to inform his fans about it. He…
By Pramod Thomas INDIA has formed a partnership with Britain for the joint development of the water sector. A collaboration agreement in this regard has been signed recently by Dr Vinod Tare, founding head of centre for Ganga river basin management and studies (cGanga) and and Lila Thompson, chief executive of…
By S Neeraj Krishna HISTORIAN Willian Dalrymple has urged the UK to acknowledge the “really terrible things that happened in our past” and set up a “museum of colonialism”. He said the monuments of “war criminals” from Britain’s colonial past should be taken down and displayed at a public venue,…
Dubai-based author Avni Doshi is among the six authors shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize for her debut novel Burnt Sugar. The shortlist was unveiled virtually in London on Tuesday after judges re-evaluated the 13 longlisted novels published in the UK or Ireland between October 2019 and September 2020 to…
SCIENTISTS have warned of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and another complete nation-wide lockdown in the UK unless stricter measures are adhered to amid a rising number of infections. The UK reported 3,330 confirmed new cases, according to government data published on Sunday (13), compared with 3,497 a…
THE coronavirus has upended everyday life in the six months since the crisis was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). While our understanding of the new respiratory disease has steadily increased since it was first detected in China last year, what lies ahead over the next half-year…
Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar turned a year older and had a working birthday on Wednesday. The Good Newwz (2019) star is currently shooting for his upcoming espionage thriller Bellbottom in Scotland. On the occasion of his 53rd birthday, the makers gave a surprise to his fans by unveiling his new…
A 27-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the mass stabbings in Britain's second city Birmingham that left one person dead and two critically wounded, police said on Monday (7). The man was held on suspicion of murder and seven attempted murders that were carried out after midnight Saturday,…
POLICE on Sunday (6) declared a "major incident" after several people were stabbed in the centre of the country's second city, Birmingham. Officers said they were searching for a man in relation to a two-hour stabbing spree that left one man dead and seven people injured, two of them critically. Violence…
Akshay Kumar is the first superstar who has started shooting for a film in the current situation of the pandemic. The actor a few days ago flew down to Scotland along with the team of the film, Bell Bottom, and started shooting for it on 20th August 2020. And now,…
CHILDREN are less likely than adults to develop coronavirus complications, according to a new study that has found they made up "only a fraction of a percent of all Covid-19 admissions across the UK". However, the report noted that obesity, black ethnicity and being under one month old increased the…
Entrepreneur and TV presenter Amar Latif, 45, will become the first blind contestant to appear on BBC's Celebrity Masterchef when he debuts on Wednesday (15). He will prepare a portion of turbot served on a broccoli puree with pickled and roasted cauliflower in a high-end London restaurant in the show.…
PATIENTS with abnormally high blood sugar levels are more than twice as likely to die from Covid-19, researchers in China have said. Study results showed that patients in the highest fasting blood glucose group were 2.3 times more likely to die than those in the lowest It is the first…
By Nadeem Badshah THE NHS marks its 72nd birthday on Sunday (5), a welcome celebration after the most challenging year it has endured in its history due to the coronavirus crisis. For the estimated 118,000 doctors, nurses and staff from south Asia working on the frontline in the battle…
PRITI PATEL has condemned the “unacceptable thuggery” after some far-right protesters clashed with police in central London, as thousands defied appeals to avoid large gatherings on Saturday (13). Scenes from central London showed violent scuffles near the boarded-up statue of former prime minister Winston Churchill in Parliament Square as right-wing…
Indian weightlifter Sanjita Chanu said Wednesday she plans to seek damages from the sport's world body for jeopardising her Olympic dreams after she was cleared of two-year-old doping charges. The International Weightlifting Federation had revoked Chanu's provisional suspension in 2019 and on Tuesday cleared the Commonwealth Games double gold medallist…
By Amit Roy AN ACADEMIC who has been studying the two- and three-fold incidence of heart disease and diabetes, respectively, among Asians for 35 years, has some common-sense advice on how they can protect themselves during the coronavirus pandemic. Professor Raj Bhopal, 67, emeritus professor of public health at Edinburgh…
According to reports, Bhumi Pednekar and Konkona Sen Sharma’s much-awaited film Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare is set to skip a theatrical release and premiere directly on an OTT platform instead. Helmed by Alankrita Shrivastava, the upcoming film stars both actress as siblings and deals with a slew of…
Students are the future of a country because they are the ones who are going to be the earning members of society in the future. Governments of all the countries take special care of their students because they are going to be working hard in the future to build countries’…
By Barnie Choudhury “TRUST is a fickle friend, Hari Puttar. Journalism is as journalists do. Remember that,” as the south Asian JK Rowling would never have said. I jest, but there is a serious message to my rambling thoughts. For some reason, those words sprang to mind when I read…
UK universities have urged distressed Indian students -- whether still in Britain or in India -- to get in touch with their varsity support services if they need help or guidance during the pandemic lockdown. On Monday, the Indian government announced plans to begin phased repatriation of its citizens stranded…
SCHEME BENEFICIARY SWAPPED LAW CAREER FOR ‘CREATIVE’ LIFE OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS by AMIT ROY NOW more than ever is the time for lockdown literature, and Rashmi Sirdeshpande is urging budding British Asian authors to respond to Penguin’s WriteNow scheme aimed at discovering “under-represented writers across the UK” – just as…
Three of the UK's busy restaurant chains have begun limited reopening of some of their outlets for deliveries with staff wearing masks and gloves and stringent cleaning and social distancing measures in place amid the ongoing lockdown to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Burger King and KFC have opened a number…
The UK government on Friday issued another clarion call for people to stay at home over the Easter weekend period as another record of 980 daily fatalities took the country's death toll from coronavirus up to 8,958. UK health secretary Matt Hancock urged the British public to resist the urge…
THE UK's death toll rose by 938 to 7,097, marking the biggest daily spike so far—higher than Italy’s deadliest day with 919 fatalities. England's toll went up by 828 to 6,483, the health service said on Wednesday (8). It added that 46 of the 828 patients, aged between 35 and…
REPATRIATION flights for UK nationals stranded in India will start next week. The acting British High Commissioner in New Delhi, Jan Thompson, said: “Special charter flights from India to the UK organised by the British government will start next week. We are still in the process of finalising details with…
We won’t be wrong if we say that Bhumi Pednekar is one of the most successful actresses of this generation. In 2019 she starred in three hits and also made a mark with her performance in each and every film. The actress currently also has some interesting projects in her…
INDIAN Hospitality chain OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal had met US president Donald Trump during the latter's recently concluded visit to India. At the meeting, Trump reportedly told the OYO founder "good job" Agarwal is the world’s second-youngest self-made billionaire, according to Hurun Global Rich List 2020. At the age of…
MARKING the launch of COP26 private finance agenda at Guildhall, London, Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the summit intended to do what master mason John Croxton did while building the historical structure 600 years ago—to “leave a legacy which stands the test of time”. Sharma, who was a surprise pick…
PAKISTANI prodigy Rabia Shahzad has clinched a gold medal in Glasgow Open Classic Weightlifting Championship 2020. What makes Shahzad’s feat outstanding is that she is self-trained, and travelled from Karachi to Glasgow on her own, with no coach or aide. The BBA student at Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, took…
By Sunder Katwala Director of British Future THIS was expected to be a quiet reshuffle. So, the brutal Valentine’s Eve political power play which saw chancellor Sajid Javid crash out of government took Westminster by surprise. Javid had been the only Cabinet minister to receive a public commitment that…
Alok Sharma was on Thursday named the new UK minister in charge of the crunch UN climate talks to be hosted by Britain this November. Agra-born Sharma, promoted to the post of Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Cabinet reshuffle, will…
THE 2020 Leicester Comedy Festival has over 800 shows across 90 venues. Although this year’s festival has big named headline acts like Jo Brand, Milton Jones, Shappi Khorsandi, Paul Sinha, Josie Long and Griff Rhys Jones, the most interesting shows feature newcomers offering something different. One act to look out…
THE European Union, the US, China, India, Japan and Russia are the world's "big emitters" who must respect and meet their commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the UN chief has said, underlining that their failure to do so will undermine global climate action…
Scottish club Rangers FC on Wednesday (29) announced the signing of woman's national team forward Bala Devi, a first in Indian women's football. Subject to international clearance, the 29-year-old will join the club on an 18-month deal after a successful spell on trial at Rangers in November. This will make…
By Gareth Thomas Labour MP for Harrow West LABOUR’S next leader faces a herculean task after our worst result since 1935. If we choose the wrong leader, things could get even worse. The number of Labour MPs with very, very low majorities is striking. We need a street fighter…
Patients at a high risk of diabetes also have a greater risk of heart disease—but not because of increased sugar levels, according to a study published on Thursday. The research led by the University of Glasgow in the UK found that higher heart disease risk in such people was largely…
India prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (18) congratulated British counterpart Boris Johnson on his re-election in a phone call during which they resolved to continue working closely on issues such as trade, security and defence and climate change. Johnson won a big majority for his Conservative Party in last…
BRITAIN went to the polls on Thursday (12) to decide the future of Brexit in a snap pre-Christmas election aimed at ending years of political deadlock and bitter divisions over the country's European Union membership. A decisive victory for prime minister Boris Johnson would most likely end Britain's 46-year involvement…
A BRITISH fashion chain has asked the landlords to slash rents. In yet another blow to the high street, Quiz has warned that it will close many of its stores unless there was a reduction in rents. Tarak Ramzan, 66, who leads the chain, said that about half of its…
A SIKH candidate from the Labour party has accused his Conservative Party rival of "insulting" remarks that targeted his turban during a poll hustings in the West Midlands. Kuldip Sahota, contesting the Ludlow constituency in Shropshire, demanded a Tory party investigation after Conservative candidate Philip Dunne said he was…
THE UK India Business Council (UKIBC) has launched a campaign to highlight the importance of the socio-economic impact that the UK businesses make in India. This campaign is being delivered in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and will map the activities of businesses and universities against the…
Fast-rising Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen claimed his fourth title in three months, bagging the Scottish Open with a thrilling win over Brazil's Ygor Coelho in the men's singles summit clash in Glasgow. The top-seeded Indian overcame his Brazilian opponent 18-21, 21-18, 21-19 in a 56-minute final on Sunday night. The…
The 2021 version of naval exercise between India and the UK could be the most complex and sophisticated one yet, British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith said on Friday, highlighting deepening bilateral defence ties. He also said a liaison officer of the UK will be posted in Indian Navy''s information…
MORE efforts are needed to create an inclusive environment for the UK’s Gujarat community, it was argued during a parliamentary debate last week. Labour’s Gareth Thomas and Conservative MP Bob Blackman took part in a parliamentary debate in Westminster Hall last Wednesday (30) to celebrate the contribution of the British…
A documentary on Real Kashmir FC has bagged the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) Scotland Awards 2019 at a glittering ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland. The documentary narrates the journey of former Rangers ace David Robertson as the coach of Real Kashmir FC, which in its first…
INDIAN regulators have opened antitrust investigations into hotel-booking giant MakeMyTrip and SoftBank-backed startup OYO, officials said Wednesday (30). OYO has its presence in 25 major cities and towns in the UK, including London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Blackpool, and Torquay. The probes are the latest blow to Japan's SoftBank, a major…
A YOUTUBE pick-up artist who targeted young and vulnerable women has been jailed for two years, it was reported on Tuesday (22). Adnan Ahmed, from Maryhill in Glasgow, has been jailed for threatening behaviour towards women that left them “mentally scarred”. He called himself Addy A-game in covertly filmed videos.…
AN INDIA-UK joint research collaboration has yielded a robot that encourages kids to wash their hands at a remote primary school in southern India. The hand-shaped robot, dubbed ‘Pepe’, is the product of a collaboration between researchers from the University of Glasgow and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University in India. Pepe…
A YOUTUBER who filmed himself chatting up young women was found guilty of five charges at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday (25). Adnan Ahmed, a self-styled pick-up artist, was found guilty of targeting vulnerable girls. The 38-year-old secretly filmed himself approaching dozens of women in Glasgow and Eastern Europe. Ahmed…
TWO businessmen in the UK have been banned in a tax evasion case with effect from Friday (20). The restaurateurs caused the tax department to record a loss of over £4 million. Sukdev Gill, 55, and his business partner, Inderjit Singh, 47, have been banned from forming, promoting or managing…
SCOTLAND-BASED Rupa Mooker divides her time between a successful career in law and hosting her own radio show on Awaz FM. She mixes up playing hits with interviews, news and gossip on the popular Asian station. Eastern Eye got Rupa to select 10 songs she loves... Kinha Sohna by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali…
THE UK’s fast fashion online retailer Quiz is facing tough time amid gloomy outlook in high street. The company’s online sales were seen to be growing since the end of March. However, the number of buyers who visit its high street shops has come down. In its latest trading update,…
ASIAN and American companies invested heavily in the British technology sector during the first seven months of 2019. During the seven-month period, the sector attracted $6.7 billion (£5.5bn) from foreign investors, of which over half of the investments were from Asia and the US, the department of digital, culture, media…
INDIAN business, OYO Hotels & Homes, today (7) said that it has increased its presence in the UK to over 100 hotels across 25 major cities and towns, including London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Blackpool, and Torquay. The business founded by 25-year-old Indian entrepreneur Ritesh Agarwal, entered into the UK less…
by LAUREN CODLING AN INDIA-BASED British fashion designer has spoken of her desire to keep the art of traditional Indian craft alive, as she warned that it could soon be lost for future generations. Molly Russell is the designer behind Pink City Prints, a Jaipur-based clothing range which has an…
INDIAN hospitality firm OYO Hotels and Homes which has a notable presence in the UK has appointed Mandar Vaidya as the chief executive officer (CEO) for South-East Asia and the Middle East. The latest top-level appointment is effective from August 1, 2019, the company said on Wednesday (7). The latest…
AN ASIAN businessman has been appointed the president of His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the UK. Naushad Jivraj took over the role on July 11 and will serve a three-year term. Jivraj is the CEO of Queensway Group, a family business founded in the 1970s with interests…
BRITISH retail bank HSBC UK launched a scheme today (24) to help victims of modern slavery and human trafficking in Britain "rebuild their lives" by giving them access to bank accounts. The bank, part of the London-listed global finance group, said it had been working with law enforcement and charities…
Hundreds have signed an online petition addressed to UK home secretary Sajid Javid urging him to grant visitor visas to two blind musicians from India, who were due to perform in Scotland as part of a UK-India cultural exchange programme. Prem Bhagavan Nagaraju, 25, and Jyothi Kalaiselvi, 19, were scheduled…
It was a few days ago when Deepika Padukone confirmed that she is playing the role of Romi Dev in Kabir Khan’s ’83. The film is based on India’s victory at the World Cup in 1983 and Ranveer Singh will be seen playing the role of Kapil Dev in the…
Ranveer Singh is all set to play the role of Kapil Dev in Kabir Khan’s ’83 which is based on India’s victory at World Cup in 1983. Ranveer along with other actors in the film have been training to play the role of a cricketer and now, it has been…
TALKSPORT presenter Alan Brazil has breached Ofcom's broadcasting rules by blaming Asian immigrants for Glasgow's rat infestation, the watchdog said. Brazil, a former footballer, made the comments on his Sports Breakfast programme in December during a conversation with fellow host Mike Graham. He said "thing have changed" in Glasgow as…
Laurel and Hardy: Two funny men, one fat and American, and one slim and English. They made over 32 short-silent films as well as 40 short-sound films and 23 full feature-length films. I think I have seen them all. Slapstick humour that was not vulgar, racist or crude, but just…
by LAUREN CODLING TELEVISING shows with mental health themes can encourage “open and honest conversations” about the illness, an actress has said, as a series based on the memoirs of a woman with an extreme, little-known mental disorder airs this week. Pure is the story of Marnie, a young adult…
Hospitality giant, Hilton is focusing to boost its business in the UK further after announcing a £200m investment partnership with private equity firm Dominvs Group today (28) with an objective to build three new hotels in London and one in Bath. Among the latest acquisitions are two hotels on either…
by LAUREN CODLING TWO young Asian migrants have spoken of the impact of paying “soul-destroying” Home Office fees, as it was announced that the immigration health surcharge has doubled earlier this month. The new charge is just one of the compulsory fees that migrants pay on a regular basis. Many migrants…
Some of Britain's leading universities struggling with a funding crunch in the face of Brexit are expected to increasingly turn to recruiting more overseas students, who pay much higher fees than locals. China and India are expected to be at the forefront of this overseas student influx, with university chiefs…
Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is facing international criticism over her country's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, called Saturday for "a culture of peace" to end conflict between communities. The Nobel Peace prize winner did not mention the Rohingya crisis -- which has led the United Nations to…
Two Glasgow built pint sized satellites funded by the UK Space Agency were launched from India’s Sriharikota on Thursday (29) by the Indian space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The Scottish satellites will monitor weather and help combat global climate change. The two ‘first of a kind’ five-kilogram satellites…
Indian and the first woman amputee who reached the peak of the Mount Everest, Arunima Sinha has been made an honorary Doctor of UK’s University of Strathclyde on Tuesday (6). Arunima received the honour at a graduation ceremony in Glasgow for her inspirational achievements in mountaineering. Her honorary doctorate degree…
Solving knife crime in London will take a decade, Sadiq Khan admitted. The murder rate in London has risen to 118 this year, and the London Mayor said the involvement of primary children in knife crime meant his strategy to tackle it, modelled on Glasgow, was going to take “some time.”…
People applying for work or study visas, settlement or citizenship from within the UK will be able to make appointments to use new, modernised, and efficient service centres starting from Friday (2) onwards. The first centre will open in Manchester on November 9 and will be followed by new centres…
By Shabana Naz SITTING together after a lovely meal to welcome a new member into the family, I wasn’t sure how to react when she said in her very expressive voice: “Baji, your face is still the same”. Should I make a joke of it in order to turn down the heat beginning…
by ASJAD NAZIR RADIO PRESENTERS SELECT THEIR NUMBER ONE TRACK FROM INDIA’S SINGING SUPERSTAR. LEGENDARY singer Asha Bhosle has entertained audiences across decades and had her songs played on radios around the world countless times. The timeless star continues to entertain fans, and many of her songs will be played across the airwaves this week…
Prime minister Narendra Modi led the tributes on Monday (9) for female gymnast Dipa Karmakar who bagged India's first ever gold medal in a global gymnastic event in Turkey. Karmakar, who participated in her first international competition since narrowly missing an Olympic medal in 2016, won the women's vault at the…
by LAUREN CODLING ASIAN doctors have not only contributed to the NHS by working in the health service but helped “create” it, an influential doctor has said as the public healthcare system celebrates its 70th anniversary on Thursday (5). Professor Mayur Lakhani CBE, president of The Royal College of General…
by HOWARD ROBIN INVESTORS EYE HIGH RETURNS IN CITIES SUCH AS EDINBURGH AND MANCHESTER THE UK property market may be cooling off, but it is still offering hot opportunities for smart investors. According to the latest report from Halifax, prices dropped by 3.1 per cent, or an average of £7,140,…
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has worked with Amitabh Bachchan in scores of blockbusters including Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Veer Zaara (2004), Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006), and Bhoothnath (2008), is set to collaborate with the thespian once again. According to reports, SRK has come onboard to…
MINISTER PLEASED WITH ETHNIC MINORITY EMPLOYMENT HIGHS BUT VOWS MORE ACTION THE employment rate for ethnic minorities has reached a record high, with almost four million in work and unemployment at its lowest since records began. Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show BAME employment rate is 65.1 per…
by NADEEM BADSHAH CONCERNS THAT BME MEDICS ARE NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY BY WATCHDOG MEDICAL chiefs have been urged to stop “doing studies” on why ethnic minority doctors are more likely to appear before disciplinary tribunals than white colleagues, and take action instead. The British International Doctors Association (BIDA) said enough…
If you thought women tend to prefer a particular type of men when they were most fertile, then here's a study that proves there exists no such relationship between hormones and attractiveness. The findings, published in the journal Psychological Science, show that women's hormones do not decide who they preferred. This…
Double Olympic-medallist Sushil Kumar (74kg) and Rahul Aware claimed contrasting gold medals even as defending champion Babita Phogat (53kg) settled for a silver on the opening day of the 21st Commonwealth Games' wrestling competition today (12). Sushil took a minute and 20 seconds to defeat Johannes Botha of South Africa…
Indian sporting celebrity Dipika Pallikal is hoping to put cricket in the shade back home by successfully defending her Commonwealth Games squash title -- even if it upsets her cricketer husband. The 26-year-old star, who is married to Indian cricket star Dinesh Karthik, made history in Glasgow four years ago…
HE MAY lend his voice as a continuity announcer to Channel 4 and E4, and host for Brit Asia TV, but DJ Gully is at his best when he is mixing up the biggest hits. His list of impressive achievements includes DJing for Nike and regularly providing guest mixes for…
A British woman who married and gave birth under the Islamic State regime in Syria has become one of the first so-called jihadi brides to be arrested on her return to the UK, a media report has claimed. The 27-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested at…
Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, toured the UK in the 1990s to incite Muslims to become jihadis, according to a media report. A BBC investigation has said that Saeed, one of the world's most wanted terror suspects, who now…
The Ahmadiyya community in the UK is introducing airport-style security at its many mosques and centres across the country after receiving death threats from other Muslim groups. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK (AMC), which represents an estimated 30,000 Ahmadis, launched walk-through metal detectors, identity checks and bag searches to screen…
Saina Nehwal and H.S. Prannoy the newly-crowned national champions are looking to enhance their chances of qualifying for the Dubai Super Series Finals with a good performance at the $ 700,000 China Open Super series Premier starting in Fuzhou on Tuesday. Former World No.1 Saina upstaged Olympic silver-medallist P.V. Sindhu in…
by LAUREN CODLING SCOTTISH Labour leader candidate Anas Sarwar has said he opposes a second independence referendum as he wants to “strengthen Scotland’s place in the UK, not weaken it”. In a wide-ranging interview with Eastern Eye, Sarwar said: “We should be transforming and changing Scotland instead of focusing on…
SINGER SHAZ IA TOOK A MUSICAL TRIP TO PAKISTAN AND DUBAI BUT ENDED UP EXPERIENCING A WHOLE LOT MORE TALENTED singer Shaz IA recently went on what turned out to be a memorable trip to Pakistan and Dubai, which had songs, sightseeing, sickness, swollen feet, sumptuous food, some unexpected incidents…
The facilities provided to badminton players in India have improved drastically and if the players can believe in themselves that the country can dominate the sport for a long time like China and Japan, star badminton player Saina Nehwal has said. PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth also echoed her words and said that the future…
By Reena Kumar IT IS twenty years since Princess Diana’s death shocked the nation to its core and plunged it into a deep state of mourning. For her sons, life would never be the same again, but it also had a profound effect on the lives of ordinary people. This…
Though Kidambi Srikanth’s campaign came to a disappointing end in the men’s singles quarterfinals, PV Sindhu entered the women’s singles semi-finals to assure herself of at least another bronze at the BWF world badminton championships in Glasgow. After victory in the pre-quarters clash against Ngan Yi, the Hyderabadi shuttler dominated from the very beginning…
Twenty-nine-year-old Ali, a native of Jharkhand and a relative of a 2007 Glasgow airport attack suspect, was deported from Saudi Arabia in connection with the case. He is also accused of conspiring with other al-Qaeda members of organizing and making provocative speeches to recruit Indian youths and establishing a base for the…
by REENA KUMAR ATTACKS against Muslims have become more aggressive and fear of being assaulted is spreading among some in the community following the series of terrorist attacks in the UK, according to campaigners, as Islamophobic crimes rose by 13 per cent in London in the last year. Imaan Atta,…
by REENA KUMAR THIS year will be Hardeep Singh Kohli’s ninth stint at Edinburgh Festival Fringe where audiences will get the chance to hear him wax lyrical about Brexit, Trump, and Scottish Independence. As a child of immigrants who studied American politics and law at university, the Scottish Sikh says…
Voters have started flocking to the polls this morning for a snap election called by prime minister Theresa May ahead of Brexit after a campaign shadowed by terrorism. May called the election in April, when opinion poll ratings for her and her centre-right Conservative party were sky high, presenting herself as the…
Gurdwaras in London on Sunday (4) opened their doors for the victims stranded after the terror attack in the city by offering them shelter and food, according to media reports. Almost immediately after the attack was reported, Sikhs tweeted that their places of worship were opened for those caught up…
Criminal gangs are tricking East Europeans into sham Scottish marriages with Asian men - selling the women for sex, labour and passports – in an expose that campaigners say reveals the extent of human slavery worldwide. The cross-border story of how destitute women are lured from Romania and Slovakia with…
Shuttler Kidambi Srikanth is desperate to clinch the Indian Super Series title which will seal him a spot at the prestigious World Championship in Glasgow. For Srikanth, who reached a career-high rank of four in the world before slipping to 31 due to a foot injury, the April event is crucial…
A 32-year-old man from Bradford has admitted killing a Glasgow shopkeep-er in a religiously motivated attack. Tanveer Ahmed stabbed Asad Shah outside his shop in the Shawlands area on March 24. He later died in hospital. The 40-year-old, who was an Ahmadiyya Muslim, was attacked after publishing hundreds of videos…
A 32-year-old man from Bradford has admitted killing a Glasgow shopkeeper in a religiously motivated attack. Tanveer Ahmed stabbed Asad Shah outside his shop in the Shawlands area on March 24, he later died in hospital. The 40-year-old who was an Ahmadiyya Muslim was attacked after publishing hundreds of videos…
TWO Indian doctors scheduled to visit the UK on Gandhi fellowships have had their visa applications rejected by the British High Commission in India. Professor Narinder Kapur, who played a leading role in setting up 10 Gandhi fellowships to allow senior and junior Indian clinicians to attend important UK conferences,…
Indian police on Wednesday (15) said they had launched a murder investigation after a young Irish woman was found dead in the popular tourist state of Goa. The body of 28-year-old Danielle McLaughlin was discovered in a field on Tuesday and an autopsy is being conducted to ascertain whether she…
THERE will an interesting range of events including musical performances, visual arts, storytelling, debate and world food at The Art In The Park festival in Milton Keynes on July 9 and 10. The festival at Campbell Park returns for its seventh successive year and includes a performance by the Rajasthan…
LABOUR MP Seema Malhotra has spoken of her surprise at the voting pattern among Asian com- munities at the EU referendum vote last Thursday (23), writes Rithika Siddhartha and Reena Kumar. With the exception of London, large swathes of England, including west and east Midlands and Yorkshire and the north…
The Conservative party has begun the process of electing a new leader and presumptive prime minister, after David Cameron said he would resign following the country’s vote last week to leave the European Union. The five candidates who were nominated yesterday will now go forward to a vote of Conservative…
After ending India’s agonising wait for an Olympic medal at the Rio Games with a bronze medal, Indian woman wrestler Sakshi Malik said it was the result of 12 years of persistent hard work. Malik on Thursday (August 18) scripted history by becoming the first woman wrestler from India to…
Setbacks continued to haunt India in their quest to win a medal in the Rio Olympic Games, with shuttler PV Sindhu being the sole bright spot in yet another disappointing day on Thursday (August 11). Sindhu, a two-time world championship bronze medal winner, opened her women’s singles campaign on a…
A 32-year-old man has been locked up for life after he admitted killing Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah for “disrespecting” Islam. Sunni Muslim Tanveer Ahmed, from Bradford, stabbed Shah outside his store in Shawlands on March 24 after watching videos the victim had posted online about his beliefs. Ahmed was told…
The Olympic Games begin in Brazil on Friday (August 5), with India sending their largest team to Rio. Over 100 athletes will bid for glory over the next three-and-a-half weeks to try and surpass the record six medals they won at London 2012. These are some of the medal hopefuls…
A Scottish man has been sentenced to life in jail for the murder of a 32-year-old after being tried for the second time. Surjit Singh Chhokar was considered one of Scotland’s most high-profile murder victims because his killing set a precedent as one of the first cases to be retried…
A Scottish cathedral has been criticised for allowing the reading of a passage from the Quran which was aimed at promoting understanding between the two faiths. St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow during a Eucharist service last week marked the feast of the Epiphany by including a guest reader who…