- Friday, April 26, 2024
NOBEL laureate Malala Yousafzai on Thursday (25) condemned Israel and reaffirmed her support for Palestinians in Gaza, after a backlash in her native Pakistan over a Broadway musical she co-produced with former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Yousafzai, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, has been…
PAKISTAN'S business leaders in an interactive session with prime minister Shehbaz Sharif called for trade talks with India which they felt would greatly benefit their economy. Posing tough questions during an hour-long meeting at the Sindh CM House in Karachi on Wednesday, the business community appreciated the prime minister's determination…
Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani are set to make a film Operation Trident under their production banner Excel Entertainment. The announcement of the project was held at Nausena Bhawan in New Delhi, in presence of Admiral R Hari Kumar, Ritesh Sidhwani (Producer, Excel Entertainment), Kassim Jagmagia and Vishal Ramchandani (Co-Producers,…
IRANIAN President Ebrahim Raisi inaugurated a power and irrigation project in Sri Lanka on Wednesday but arrived in the country without his interior minister, who is wanted over a deadly bombing in Argentina thirty years ago. Raisi flew in after a state visit to Pakistan he made alongside Ahmad Vahidi,…
IRANIAN president Ebrahim Raisi held talks with Pakistani leader Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Monday (22), in what experts said was a “significant” visit aimed at mending ties after the neighbours traded deadly cross-border strikes earlier this year. Prime minister Sharif’s office said the pair had a “vibrant discussion” on…
NARGIS made a remarkable impact with winning performances in classic films. Her fearless approach introduced girl power into Indian cinema. The superstar actress helped take Bollywood global and was one half of an iconic lead pair with Raj Kapoor. After retiring from acting, the wife of legendary actor Sunil Dutt…
WITH overseas conflicts causing divisions between communities, Muslim leaders have urged people to remember Britain’s rich history of allowing the “freedom to practise faith and the appreciation of diversity”. At an event hosted by The Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL), panellist Taher Jiwanji, a civil engineer…
ASIA was the world’s most disaster-hit region from climate and weather hazards in 2023, the United Nations (UN) said on Tuesday (23), with floods and storms the chief cause of casualties and economic losses. Global temperatures hit record highs last year, and the UN’s weather and climate agency said Asia…
Russia has set a new schedule to deliver the remaining two regiments of S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems to India by next year, The delay was due to the conflict in Ukraine, sources told PTI on Tuesday. Under the existing USD 5.5 billion deal, Russia has already provided three units…
AS MANY AS 65,960 Indians officially became US citizens, making India the second-largest source country for new citizens in America after Mexico, according to the latest Congressional report. An estimated 46 million foreign-born persons resided in the US in 2022, approximately 14 per cent of the total US population of…
Khushwant Singh Literary Festival (KSLF) is set to return to London in its 6th edition and to Cambridge for the first time. The festival includes 15 sessions of discussions on books that matter and an evening of music. The theme of the festival is Heal the World. “The theme, Heal…
Brighton council has approved plans for an annual multi-faith event to commemorate the role of Indian soldiers in the two world wars at the town's India Gate memorial from this October. The India Gate was presented to the people of Brighton by the “princes and people of India” as a…
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence have joined forces to produce a new documentary film about the abuse of women in Afghanistan. Lawrence is co-producing a documentary titled Bread & Roses alongside Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. This documentary sheds light on the oppression faced by…
Bollywood veteran Mumtaz appears to be in Pakistan, sharing photos and videos from her time there on social media. Mumtaz, on Friday, took to her Instagram to post pictures from her visit to Pakistan, including snapshots with actor Fawad Khan. In the pictures, Mumtaz is seen wearing a black top…
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said it is ready to assist Pakistan, a country currently facing financial constraints, by supporting essential reforms to bolster and stabilise its economy. Speaking at the sidelines of the annual Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle…
Filmmaker Wes Anderson’s next film is going to get even more star-studded with the addition of talented actor Riz Ahmed to the cast. Currently in production in Berlin, this film has already garnered significant attention not only for its director but also for its ensemble cast that includes heavyweights like…
Social media platform X said Thursday it would work with Pakistan's government "to understand its concerns" after authorities insisted an ongoing two-month ban was based on security grounds. The platform, formerly known as Twitter, has been rarely accessible since February 17, when jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party called…
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder and jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has alleged that army chief General Asim Munir was directly responsible for the imprisonment of his wife Bushra Bibi, and the country is being ruled by law of the jungle. Bushra Bibi, 49, was convicted in a corruption case as…
The United Kingdom is set to host its inaugural Muslim Film Festival, a groundbreaking event poised to celebrate the diverse narratives and talents within the Muslim community. Scheduled to take place from May 30th to June 2nd at the prestigious Odeon West End in London, this festival promises to showcase…
SHE may have grown up in Canada, but Nitasha Syed was always proud of her Pakistani heritage. That deep connection to her roots, along with a desire to show the positive side of Pakistan at a time of negative media portrayals led her towards creating Shaam Ki Chai. The fascinating…
BRITAIN is as racist as it was in the 1970s, and some politicians of colour are making matters worse, anti-racism campaigners have told Eastern Eye. Their comments follow a landmark series on Channel 4, Defiance, which tells the story of how south Asian and black people fought right-wing extremists in…
SHIRIN WHEELER has talked to Eastern Eye about the book she has written about her father, Sir Charles Wheeler, who was once the BBC’s star foreign correspondent. He had served in Delhi, Berlin and Washington, before returning home to report on the multicultural Britain in which he always believed and…
HOW do Eastern Eye readers bring a touch of “back home” into their gardens in Southall or Wembley, or indeed, any other part of the UK? Near his home in the village of Brookmans Park in Hertfordshire, landscape designer Manoj Malde talked about his new book, Your Outdoor Garden: How…
CLASSIC Bollywood films Sangam (1964) and Aradhana (1969) had two things in common. They were the highest grossing films of the respective years, and both had heroes who played Indian Air Force (IAF) officers. The super hit movies were game changers that made a major impact for multiple reasons, but…
Pakistan would need two or three years to implement structural reforms prescribed by the IMF, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said, warning that the country would be looking for another bailout programme if it fails. The finance minister is currently in the US to attend the spring meetings of the…
A COMMON type 2 diabetes test may be inaccurate for tens of thousands of south Asians in the UK, a new study has shown, prompting calls for more research. A genetic variant almost exclusive to people with south Asian heritage affects the accuracy of the diabetes haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test,…
DESPITE economic challenges, Pakistan continued upgrading its nuclear capabilities, driven by its ongoing tensions with India, top US intelligence official told Congress. The remarks by Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse, director of the Defence Intelligence Agency came during a Congressional hearing on China on Monday (15). Kruse told lawmakers that Pakistan…
Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, an accused in the murder of Sarabjit Singh, the Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan, was attacked by unidentified gunmen in Lahore on Sunday. Though some media reports claimed that Tamba was killed in the attack, Pakistan daily Dawn quoting some officials said he was alive but…
Rachel Riley, the host of Countdown, has apologised after her controversial tweet regarding the Sydney mall stabbings, which led to calls for Channel 4 to dismiss her. Riley was accused of promoting Islamophobia when she incorrectly suggested the attack was a Palestinian uprising. The attack in Sydney, which resulted in…
Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has agreed to allow Indian authorities to meet with 17 Indian crew members of a cargo vessel that was seized by the Iranian military near the Strait of Hormuz. This development was communicated during a telephonic conversation with India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar on…
A 30-year-old Pakistani man was named on Sunday as the security guard killed in a weekend knife attack in a Sydney shopping mall, according to two local community groups. The Australian Pakistani National Association and Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said Faraz Tahir was killed by a knife-wielding man who also killed…
A historic Hindu temple near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been demolished, paving the way for the construction of a commercial complex in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The site had been dormant since 1947, when its original occupants migrated to India. The ‘Khyber Temple’ was situated in the border town of Landi…
As India heads towards another general election, prime minister Narendra Modi is confident of not just winning, but improving his party Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) tally in the Lok Sabha - the lower house of the parliament. While replying to Newsweek's written questions, followed up with a 90-minute conversation at…
MAJORITY of people in India prefer a "strong" leader and express satisfaction with the national government's performance, a recent study spanning 19 countries, including three major democracies, has revealed. The report titled ‘Perceptions of Democracy: A Survey about How People Assess Democracy around the World’ was released by the International…
A LEADING fertility doctor has urged more British Asians to sign-up as sperm and egg donors after a recent report found the birth rates after IVF (vitro fertilisation) were lower among black and Asian patients than their white counterparts. Research found that while the average IVF birth rate per embryo…
As Eid-ul-Fitr approaches, it's time to embrace the spirit of celebration, joy, and family gatherings. And what better way to enhance the festive atmosphere than with exquisite mehendi designs? Mehendi, also known as henna, has been a cherished tradition in Indian and Middle Eastern cultures for centuries, adding elegance and…
Pakistan is gearing up to seek a fresh financial boost from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), emphasising on climate finance. According to a report by The News International, the government aims to secure a medium-term Extended Fund Facility (EFF) during the upcoming Annual Spring Meetings of Bretton Woods Institutions next…
An Islamabad-bound PIA flight carrying Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and a high-level delegation returning from Saudi Arabia was diverted to Lahore to offload the VIPs, causing inconvenience to other passengers, according to a media report. Interestingly, the incident came close on the heels of…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning regarding the escalating death toll from viral hepatitis, revealing that the disease stands as the second leading infectious cause of death worldwide, claiming 1.3 million lives annually, which is almost the same as tuberculosis-related fatalities. According to the WHO 2024 Global…
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has said if anyone wants to see the future they should come to India. Speaking at an event, Garcetti was all praise for India and said that it was a “great privilege” to be the leader of the US mission in the country, reported…
Amid rising tensions over Pakistan's accusations against India, the United States has decided to stay out of it. The US has urged both countries to engage in dialogue instead of escalating the situation. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller responded to questions about Washington's position on a recent UK media…
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said dialogue was needed to resolve heightened friction between arch-rivals Pakistan and India during a meeting in Riyadh with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif was making his first overseas visit since winning power in elections in February. He met with bin Salman…
In Pakistan, the tradition of adorning intricately decorated bangles has become synonymous with the Islamic Eid-al-Fitr festivities. These exquisite accessories, crafted with meticulous care, are not just ornaments but essential elements of cultural expression and celebration. Each bangle undergoes a journey involving numerous artisans, from the sweltering confines of factories…
Shaharyar Khan, the former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and esteemed diplomat, passed away at the age of 89 on March 23. A pivotal figure in the restoration of cricket ties with India in the early 2000s, Khan, born in Bhopal, was also a cousin of former India captain Mansur Ali…
PAKISTAN has denounced "provocative remarks" made by Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh in which he said India would enter Pakistan to kill anyone who escapes over its border after trying to carry out militant attacks. Singh's comments on Friday (5) came after the Guardian newspaper published a report stating the…
Nimra Shahid (26) from Kingston-Upon-Thames, who was diagnosed with cancer six years ago, is sharing her experience to raise awareness of the long-term impact of cancer on young people. As April is Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month, she is working with the charity Teenage Cancer Trust to advise…
A 75-year-old man who was extradited from Pakistan was on Thursday (4) convicted of the murder of a police officer nearly 20 years ago. Piran Ditta Khan fled Britain after the shooting of police constable Sharon Beshenivsky who was killed as she tried to foil a robbery at a travel…
India's former prime minister and architect of India's economic reforms Dr Manmohan Singh has exited public life with his retirement from the Rajya Sabha. Soft-spoken, erudite, and modest, Singh (91) exited public life without any fanfare, somewhat akin to how this reluctant politician entered it 33 years ago. The man…
Thousands are lured to Cambodia with promises of data entry jobs, only to find themselves trapped in a nightmarish world of forced labour. These "cyber slaves" are forced to run online scams that target people worldwide. These victims are held captive in high-security complexes, guarded by armed men. Their passports…
Amnesty International has partnered with more than 20 human rights organisations campaigning against enforced disappearance in south Asia and created Footprints - a digital museum recording the stories of the victims. Enforced disappearance is a crime under international law, but is used by states across the world to silence dissent…
EASTER brings the usual debate about whether Britain is a Christian country. I saw one set of statistics from an Islamic organisation that says “more people in Britain attend mosques than the Church of England. It is for the first time that Muslims have overtaken Anglicans. According to figures, 930,000…
THE government’s decision to impose visa restrictions on international students to cut immigration figures is “anti-universities” and “economic illiteracy”, according to a peer and university chancellor. From January, the Home Office stopped postgraduate students from bringing their families with them when studying in the UK. When he announced the restriction,…
WHETHER it’s womenswear, menswear or wedding couture, Mohsin Naveed Ranjha has made a name for himself globally with his chic and stylish creations. The celebrated Pakistani fashion designer recently opened a standalone design studio in the heart of London, next to Regent’s Street. The London studio includes ready-to-wear, luxury capsule…
INDIAN economy is projected to grow at 7.5 per cent in 2024, the World Bank has said, revising its earlier projections for the same period by 1.2 per cent. Overall, growth in South Asia is expected to be strong at 6 per cent this year, driven mainly by robust growth…
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf has spoken out after being targetted with Islamophobic graffiti near his family home. He emphasised the necessity of a zero-tolerance approach to hatred. Yousaf said the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 will deal with the "rising tide of hatred," reported BBC. Scotland’s…
PAKISTAN is putting on the block a stake ranging from 51 per cent to 100 per cent of lossmaking national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the privatisation panel said on Tuesday (2), as part of reforms urged by the IMF. The disposal of the flag carrier represents a departure from…
PAKISTAN will set up an inquiry commission to investigate accusations by six High Court judges of interference and intimidation by the country’s powerful intelligence agencies in judicial decisions, the law minister said last Thursday (28). Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar made the announcement at a news conference in Islamabad, saying the…
REAPPOINTED captain Babar Azam vowed to transform Pakistan into the best team in the world after replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi as the Twenty20 helm on Sunday (31). Azam stepped down as skipper in all formats only in November after Pakistan crashed out of the 50-over World Cup in the first…
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has expressed hope that ties with India will improve after the general elections in the neighbouring country. Asif's comments came days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Singapore said that Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism almost at an "industry level" and the mood in India…
JAILED former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife had their 14-year prison sentences for graft suspended by a Pakistan high court on Monday (1), his party said. Khan has been tangled in more than 200 legal cases since he was ousted in April 2022, in what he said was…
“I want to create an India in the UK,” veteran producer Vashu Bhagnani's words efficiently sum up his dream of leaving a global footprint of the illustrious Indian cinema with his film studio in the UK. Touted as a "one-stop-shop", Bhagnani's Pooja Studios emerged as one of the most film-friendly…
MARKING the first official communication with a Pakistani premier in years, US president Joe Biden has dashed off a letter to prime minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing continuous support and highlighted that the ties between the two nations are critical for bilateral and regional peace and security. President Biden’s letter broke…
THE Indian Navy has freed an Iranian fishing vessel that was hijacked by pirates and rescued its crew of 23 Pakistani nationals, following "intense coercive tactical measures" as part of an anti-piracy operation at sea that lasted for more than 12 hours, officials said. Following Friday's (29) operation, specialist teams…
Pakistan has intensified security measures to protect Chinese engineers engaged in Beijing-backed projects in the nation's northwest following a deadly suicide bombing that claimed the lives of five workers, an official announced on Wednesday (27). China stands as one of Islamabad's closest regional allies, investing billions of dollars in various…
FAST bowler Mohammad Amir announced last Sunday (24) that he was coming out of retirement and making himself available for this year’s Twenty20 World Cup, following changes to Pakistan’s selection process which made him feel “needed”. Amir’s stop-start career was halted in 2010 after he, along with then-Pakistan Test captain…
ENGLAND World Cup winner Liam Plunkett says cricket superstars such as Virat Kohli and Babar Azam can help bolster the game in the United States when it hosts the T20 World Cup. The Twenty20 showpiece, which starts on June 1, is being jointly staged by the United States and the…
A prison officer named Sobia Parveen, a 31-year-old, talks about the observance of the holy month of Ramadan while she is posted in HMP Sudbury, a category D rehabilitation and resettlement prison near Ashbourne in Derbyshire that is home to around 600 prisoners. Parveen, with her experience, also motivates people…
AWARD-WINNING director Iqbal Khan decided to take on the new adaptation of the Partition-based play Silence as he wished to build on the legacy of his late friend, former Tara Arts artistic director Abdul Shayek. Shayek directed the original production at the Donmar Warehouse in 2022 and had developed this…
PAKISTAN’S communications authority has admitted in papers filed in the court that it was ordered by the interior ministry to shut down the social media platform X – now in its fifth week of outages. The newly-elected government has been evasive over the censorship of the micro-blogging site formerly known…
ADEEBA MALIK has been appointed as the first Asian female High Sheriff for West Yorkshire, according to a statement released on Tuesday (26). She took oath at Leeds High Court on Monday (25) in a formal ceremony presided by High Court Judge Sir Nicholas Hilliard, the statement added. Professor Malik’s…
THE Bestway Group has reported a five per cent increase in revenues to £4.74 billion for the year ended June 2023, a statement said. The group, founded by Sir Anwar Pervez, OBE H Pk, reported a pre-tax profit of £420.9 million during the period, Lord Zameer Choudrey CBE, group chief…
PAKISTAN foreign minister Ishaq Dar held telephonic talks with his British counterpart David Cameron on Monday (25) and stressed the need for early resumption of flights of Pakistan's national carrier to the United Kingdom. The UK and several other countries suspended Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flights in 2020 due to…
Militants attacked a Pakistan naval airbase in the turbulent southwest region killing at least one paramilitary soldier while security forces killed all five of the assailants in retaliatory fire, officials said on Tuesday. Monday's attack on the Turbat base was the second assault by ethnic Baloch militants on a military…
Pakistan is preparing to launch the second phase of repatriation of undocumented Afghans, amid tense relations between the two countries, a media report said on Monday. The Interior Ministry had issued directives to district authorities and police to expedite the mapping, and collecting data of the whereabouts of the Afghan…
Pakistan will “seriously” consider restoring trade ties with India that remained suspended since August 2019, Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar has said, indicating a potential shift in the country's diplomatic stance. Dar made these remarks during a press conference in London following his participation in the Nuclear Energy Summit in…
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has confirmed that cash-strapped Pakistan is seeking a 24th medium-term bailout package for a permanent push towards longstanding structural reforms. In its end-of-mission statement on Wednesday (20), the global lender said that Pakistan has “expressed interest in a successor medium-term Fund-supported programme to permanently resolve…
Bradford-born singer Zayn Malik is set to become the face of Bradford’s City of Culture year. The former One Direction star will be the city's ambassador and will attend some of the 1,000 events due to take place. Malik, 31, said, "Bradford is and always will be home to me.…
Heavily-armed Baloch insurgents on Wednesday stormed the Gwadar Port Authority complex in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, but security forces foiled the attack and killed eight militants while losing two soldiers. The attack happened on the same day when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asserted that his government would not tolerate any…
THERE was a sense of occasion at the Garrick Theatre in London last Sunday (17) when Charithra Chandran made her West End debut in a solo show, Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon. You had the feeling many young Asians had been drawn by the show’s lead, billed as “Bridgerton’s Charithra…
PAKISTAN’S central bank, on Monday (18), held its key interest rate at 22 per cent for a sixth straight policy meeting as inflation risks continued to loom. The decision was in line with the expectations of a majority of analysts, although most are also expecting rate cuts from the second…
PAKISTAN’S former prime minister, Imran Khan, has demanded high treason proceedings against officials whom he alleges stole his party’s mandate in the February general elections, enabling the rival Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to form a coalition government. Khan’s remarks came as he addressed…
EIGHT civilians were killed on Monday (18) in “reckless” airstrikes by Pakistan’s military in the border regions of Afghanistan, prompting Afghan forces to retaliate against Pakistani military outposts, Taliban officials said. Border tensions between the two countries have steadily escalated since the Taliban government seized power in 2021, with Islamabad…
Aseefa Bhutto, the youngest daughter of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and slain premier Benazir Bhutto, has filed her candidacy for the by-poll at a National Assembly seat in Sindh Province vacated by her father. Aseefa, 31, has been active in politics for some time but was kept away from…
PAKISTAN remained one of the world's three smoggiest countries in 2023, as Bangladesh and India replaced Chad and Iran, with particulate matter about 15 times the level recommended by the World Health Organization, data published on Tuesday (19) showed. Average concentrations of PM2.5 - small airborne particles that damage the…
Nitin Sawhney and Arooj Aftab are among the leading South Asian talents at this year’s Glastonbury Music Festival. The popular British festival returns to Somerset’s Worthy Farm from June 26-30. Nitin, an award-winning musician, producer, and composer, will be one of the performers for the West Holts Stage. Singer-songwriter, producer,…
VAUGHAN GETHING won the Welsh Labour party leadership contest on Saturday (16), marking a historic moment as he is set to become the first black leader of the country's semi-autonomous government. Gething, 50, will succeed Mark Drakeford, 69, who announced in December that he was stepping down. The new leader…
INDIA has slammed Pakistan after Islamabad's envoy at the United Nations made references to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the Citizenship Amendment Act at the general assembly. Pakistan's Ambassador Munir Akram raised these issues during the plenary meeting on Friday while introducing the resolution ‘Measures to combat Islamophobia', in…
A New Delhi-based innovator whose low-cost electric invention helps overcome power cuts, a mental health campaigner from Haryana and a student from Dubai who helps to empower girls across the developing world are the Indian winners of the Diana Legacy Awards this year. Uday Bhatia, founder of Uday Electric, Manasi…
The IMF has expressed its displeasure with Pakistan's claim that it had achieved all the targets even before the global lender could complete its review. A team from the International Monetary Fund has reached Islamabad to hold talks before releasing the much-needed final $1.1 billion tranche of a $3 billion…
INDIA this week implemented the contentious 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), sparking sporadic protests and a war of words between prime minister Narendra Modi's government and opposition groups weeks before national elections are held. Here is a look at the law, its implications and the concerns surrounding it. What is…
LEADING public and private sector organisations need to do more attract ethnic minorities to their boardrooms, Kalpesh Solanki, managing director at Asian Media Group (AMG), told attendees at the GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards. In December 2023, only 44 per cent of the UK’s top 50 largest private companies had…
BRITISH music hero Channi Singh has been entertaining audiences for nearly 50 years as a singer, songwriter and composer. The frontman of the iconic bhangra group, Alaap, has achieved many milestones in his career, including countless hit songs, game-changing albums and pathbreaking collaborations with legends such as Asha Bhosle. …
JAMMU AND KASHMIR has been transformed and integrated with the rest of India, prime minister Narendra Modi said last Thursday (7), crediting the change to his government’s decision to revoke its special status. Visiting the Kashmir Valley for the first time since 2019 – the year the status was revoked…
INDIA on Tuesday (12) rejected Chinese objections to prime minister Narendra Modi's weekend visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying the northeastern border state has always been "an integral and inalienable part of India". The Indian foreign ministry's comments came a day after Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Beijing was…
Sporadic protests have erupted in India against a citizenship law that has been criticised for discriminating against Muslims, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government implemented the legislation just days before a general election is announced. Protests broke out in the eastern state of Assam and the southern state of Tamil…
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the key members of his cabinet, tasking them with leading the country out of a crippling economic crisis fuelled by debt, spiralling inflation and a feeble rupee. Pakistan's 19 new ministers took their oath of office Monday, after an election marred by allegations of…
Bangladesh has freed the head of the largest Islamist party, officials said Tuesday, 15 months since counter-terrorism officers arrested him after he vowed to take part in anti-government protests. The release of Jamaat-e-Islami party chief Shafiqur Rahman comes as political tension eases following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's fourth consecutive election…
India's interior ministry said Monday it was enacting a citizenship law that critics say discriminates against Muslims, just weeks before the world's most populous country heads into a general election. While the law was passed in December 2019, its implementation was delayed after widespread protests and deadly violence erupted in…
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) chair Baroness Kishwer Falkner has said integration appears to be failing in Britain following a decade of increased migration, The Telegraph reports. The 68-year-old Baroness of Margravine expressed concern over the “complacency” among politicians regarding increased immigration. The former Liberal Democrat said in the…
Legendary late actor Dilip Kumar's ancestral home in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a national heritage, is almost on the verge of collapse after being severely damaged in the recent rains, an official has said. The torrential rains fully exposed tall claims of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Archive Department about the…
Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday took oath as Pakistan's 14th President, a day after the veteran politician was overwhelmingly elected as the next head of state. Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath to the 68-year-old Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the Presidential Palace. Zardari will replace Dr Arif…
India has climbed to the number one spot in Test cricket rankings following an emphatic 4-1 series victory against England. The Indian team moved past Australia who are now second in the table, according to the rankings released by the International Cricket Council late Saturday. India lost the opening Test…
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, companies are continually seeking innovative ways to foster customer loyalty and satisfaction. Embracing technology has become a cornerstone strategy for achieving these goals. From retail to entertainment industries, businesses are leveraging cutting-edge technology to transform the customer experience and enhance rewards programs. In this…
THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday it will support formulating a new economic programme for Pakistan if the country's new government seeks one, while encouraging the fair resolution of all electoral disputes. Cash-strapped Pakistan grappled with an uncertain February 8 election that delayed the formation of a coalition…
We are often fascinated when we spot a person of colour in British entertainment, be it cinema, series or any other source of entertainment. On this International Women's Day, we made a list of women who have brought colours to the British entertainment sector and have not only won the…
PAKISTAN's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday (6) that former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was hanged 44 year ago after being convicted of murder, didn't get a fair trial. Bhutto, the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) now run by his grandson and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto…
PAKISTAN’S former captain Inzamamul-Haq on Monday (4) criticised the country’s cricket board for removing Mohammad Hafeez as team director due to recent poor results, asserting that it was unfair to “target” ex-players in administrative roles when officials were refusing to shoulder any responsibility for the side’s performance. The Pakistan Cricket…
THE enduring power of Hanif Kureishi’s writing was showcased by the successful stage adaptation of his brilliantly written 1985 film, My Beautiful Launderette. Staged in 2019 at The Curve in Leicester, the play proved its continued relevance in contemporary times. A new version of the play returned to the same…
EASTERN EYE readers had better hurry if they want to catch Bhangra Nation: A New Musical at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre where it is on only until next Saturday (16). I went last week and I’m glad I did, as the evening turned out to be very enjoyable. The Rep…
INDIA’S basmati rice exports are likely to drop in 2024 after nearing a record high last year, as Pakistan is offering the grain at competitive prices amid a rebound in production, industry officials said. Pakistan and India are the leading exporters of the premium long-grain variety of rice, famous for…
THERE will be another global celebration of girl power on International Women’s Day. The annual day on March 8, aiming to empower women and girls will once again highlight everything from important social causes to human rights, equality and celebrating female heroes. Eastern Eye decided to mark the occasion by…
A senior judge who spared jail terms for three women protesters, accused of displaying pro-Hamas images during a pro-Palestinian march in London, will now be investigated over his alleged bias, The Times reports. Heba Alhayek (29), Pauline Ankunda (26), and Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo (27) were found guilty of a terror…
PRIME minister Rishi Sunak has retained the top spot on the 2024 GG2 Power List for the third year in a row, along with his wife Akshata Murty. The power couple were recognised for their growing influence in the UK, with Sunak in the top job and Murty playing an…
Eternals star Kumail Nanjiani has joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building season four at Hulu. Nanjiani will appear in a recurring role that is mostly being kept under wraps but his character will be integral to the investigation, according to Variety. The new season also features Eugene…
Pakistani actress Sarah Khan, who has a huge fan following in India courtesy her shows Hum Tum, Khirkiyan, and Sabaat, says her dream since the time she began acting has been to star opposite Bollywood star Salman Khan. Sarah, 31, who currently features in Zindagi show Abdullahpur Ka Devdas, a…
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday for his return to the premiership, a rare expression of goodwill between leaders of the two nuclear-armed rivals. Sharif was officially sworn in Monday as prime minister for a second time after a poll marred by claims of…
Hate preachers with extremist Islamist views from countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Indonesia will be blocked from entering Britain under new plans being drafted by the government, according to a UK media report on Sunday. ‘The Daily Telegraph' reports that the British government is concerned about a “shocking increase”…
More than 100 supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party have been arrested from different parts of Punjab province of Pakistan for staging rallies against alleged vote rigging, police said on Sunday (4). On the call of party founder Imran Khan, supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party…
Pakistan Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi on Monday withdrew his resolution from parliament seeking a ban on all social media platforms after strong opposition, according to media reports. The senator’s resolution to have Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube banned in Pakistan to protect the young generation from their “negative and…
PAKISTAN's newly formed parliament elected Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday (3) as prime minister for a second time, three weeks after uncertain national elections caused delays in the formation of a coalition government. "Shehbaz Sharif is declared to have been elected the prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," National…
In the heart of Greater Manchester, a hidden gem beckons the taste buds of locals and curious visitors alike – the legendary 'Rice and Three' cafes. Nestled in the Northern Quarter, these unassuming eateries offer a uniquely Mancunian twist to south Asian cuisine. In the 1980s, the concept of 'Rice…
Citing "strong evidence" of election rigging in Pakistan, a group of influential lawmakers, including Muslim legislators, belonging to the ruling Democratic Party has urged US President Joe Biden to withhold "recognition" of a new government in Islamabad until a transparent and credible investigation is conducted. The February 8 general election,…
Leading streaming platform Netflix on Thursday unveiled its upcoming slate for India that features over 22 projects, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut streaming show Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila, and Oscar-nominated documentary To Kill A Tiger. The slate, which was announced in Mumbai at a star-studded…
A new research warns that a 3-degree Celsius increase in global warming could plunge 90 per cent of the Himalayan Region into a prolonged drought. The study, led by researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK, emphasises the severe consequences of climate change, urging the need…
India has refuted Pakistan's allegations of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir in the UN Human Rights Council and countered it by highlighting Islamabad's poor track record in treating its minorities. At the 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council, India exercised its 'Right of Reply' to…
LEGENDARY concert organiser Jay Visvadeva has been delighting live music fans across generations in the UK since the 1970s, bringing together the biggest artists. His SAMA arts organisation continues to produce exciting concerts, including the South Asian Sounds festival at Southbank Centre in London from next Thursday (7) to next…
INDIAN agencies Wednesday (28) made their highest-ever narcotics bust from the sea as they seized 3,300 kg drugs, which sailed from an Iranian port, off the Gujarat coast and arrested five foreigners from a dhow. The cache could be worth anything between £124 to £191 million in the international market,…
A SELF-CONFESSED Canadian white nationalist who deliberately ran over and killed four members of a Muslim family with his pickup truck in 2021 was given a life sentence last Thursday (22) with no chance of parole for 25 years. Nathaniel Veltman, 23, had been found guilty of first-degree murder last…
BAS JAVID, who has been tasked with policing illegal immigration, has said his immigrant background enables him to bring compassion to the role. Javid was appointed director general for immigration enforcement at the Home Office in November last year. With a budget exceeding £779 million and a staff of more…
ORGANISERS of June’s ICC T20 Cricket World Cup games in the United States say that early ticket sales have shown there is a huge demand for the sport among cricket lovers in the country. The highly anticipated clash in New York between cricket rivals Pakistan and India was over-subscribed by…
Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, made history by becoming the first-ever woman chief minister of Pakistan's most populous Punjab province, a development described by her party as a "giant leap" for the country. The 50-year-old senior vice president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has issued a warning about the increasing toxicity in political culture, in light of reports that members of Parliament are encountering security threats due to their voting intentions in the House of Commons concerning the Israel-Gaza conflict. He issued a statement on Saturday (24) to condemn…
A young woman went viral for wearing a dress with Arabic script printed but for the wrong reasons. An angry mob charged at the woman who was spotted in Ichra Bazaar of Lahore city in Pakistan. A prompt action was taken by the police to save the woman as the…
A Chinese tech security firm was able to breach foreign governments, including India, infiltrate social media accounts, and hack personal computers, a massive data leak analysed by experts this week revealed. The trove of documents from I-Soon, a private company that competed for Chinese government contracts, shows that its hackers…
The rice preparations, Biryani and Pulao are two delicious dishes loved around the world, each with its special taste. Originating in the Indian subcontinent, these dishes have changed over the years, influenced by various cultures. Even though both are made with rice, the flavours, and their history make them unique…
BAS JAVID, who has been tasked with policing illegal immigration, has said his immigrant background enables him to bring compassion to the role. Javid was appointed director general for immigration enforcement at the Home Office in November last year. With a budget exceeding £779 million and a staff of more…
FORMER chancellor Sajid Javid was honoured with a knighthood by the Prince of Wales for his contribution to politics and public service on Wednesday (21). Javid described his knighthood as a “tremendous honour” after he was recognised for his achievements in the New Year’s Honours List announced in last December,…
A manager of an Indian restaurant and takeaway in eastern England has been handed a seven-year ban as a company director for employing three illegal workers from Bangladesh. Ikbal Hussain, 51, hired the workers at the Taste of Raj in the Stanstead Abbotts area of Hertfordshire before the restaurant was…
DOZENS of migrants reportedly landed by boat in a remote part of Western Australia, igniting a political row over the country’s zero-tolerance border protection regime. About three dozen foreign nationals were found by locals last Friday (16) as they walked in separate groups by the coast in northwestern Australia’s Dampier…
TWO Pakistan parties have reached a power-sharing agreement that will return Shehbaz Sharif to the premiership, leaving out politicians loyal to jailed former leader Imran Khan despite winning the most seats in this month's vote. The army-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said they had…
Pakistan's two major parties are set to meet on Monday to try and bridge differences over forming a minority coalition government after an inconclusive election, a top party official said, underscoring its political and economic instability. Analysts say the nuclear-armed nation of 241 million, which has been grappling with an…
SUPPORTERS of Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party have clashed with police in various cities across the country as they staged protests against alleged rigging in the general elections held on February 8. In Lahore, supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gathered outside the Lahore Press Club and the…
YASHASVI JAISWAL's unbeaten double century and five wickets by Ravindra Jadeja helped India crush England by a record 434 runs in the third Test Sunday (18) to lead the series 2-1. Chasing 557 for victory, England batting fell like a pack of cards to lose eight wickets in the final…
The most recent TB annual report from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), published on Thursday (15), indicates a rise in tuberculosis (TB) cases in England. While the figures for 2022 were stable, with 4,380 reported incidents nearly mirroring the 2021 count of 4,411, provisional data for 2023 paints a…
A second round of talks between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party is expected to take place on Friday on the power-sharing formula between them for the formation of a coalition government, according to a media report. The Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led PPP has promised to back PML-N in…
BRITISH Bangladeshis have told Eastern Eye of the “trauma” they face living in cramped housing, as data shows that more people from this community live in social housing compared to other south Asian communities. British Asians were overall least likely to live in social housing, but there were significant variations…
LADY SHREELA FLATHER, who has died, aged 89, came into her own when she entered the House of Lords in 1990, the first ethnic minority woman to be given a peerage. Her passing last week was announced by the Lord Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith, who said: “My Lords, I…
PAKISTAN’S general election last Thursday (8) produced a surprise result. In the 266 seats contested in the National Assembly, independent candidates linked to Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf have won 101 seats. They are comfortably ahead of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif), which took 75 seats, and the Pakistan People’s Party of…
A British Pakistani girl, studying for 28 A-levels, has credited her mother with instilling in her a 'deep passion' for learning and books. Mahnoor Cheema, 17, from Slough, with an IQ as high as Einstein’s, is currently undertaking 28 A-levels after completing 34 GCSEs. She is studying four A-levels at…
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…
The mastermind of an armed robbery that took place in Bradford in 2005 has been captured and extradited from Pakistan, according to media reports. A police officer was killed and another seriously injured when they responded to reports of a robbery at the Universal Express travel agency in Bradford, West…
Pakistan's two main political parties that joined forces to oust Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder Imran Khan as prime minister in 2022 have said they would form a new coalition to rule the country, after an election last week failed to produce a decisive winner. With the army-backed Pakistan Muslim…
Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday withdrew from the race for the prime minister, saying that his party would support Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's candidate for the premier's slot without being part of the government. The decision of Bilawal came hours after Pakistan's former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif…
THE UKRAINE war has forced India to focus its military spending more on fostering domestic industry - as Russia, its largest supplier - prioritised its domestic needs, a new report said on Tuesday (13). As a result of the conflict, New Delhi set aside a record 75 per cent of…
Pakistan's political stalemate after inconclusive elections last week showed no signs of ending on Tuesday as major parties struggle to cobble up alliances to pass the floor test. In the latest development, jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that independent members of parliament backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)…
A delegation of the IMF may visit cash-strapped Pakistan once a new federal government is formed, negotiations for which are ongoing between major political parties after the general elections threw a hung Parliament, a media report said on Monday. The International Monetary Fund's review mission might visit Islamabad by the…
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan has decided to walk out of two high-profile projects as she is expecting her second child this year, as per reports. Khan first got married in July 2007 to Ali Askari in a traditional Islamic wedding ceremony and the couple welcomed their son Azlan in 2009.…
In England, the NHS's dependence on international staff has hit a record high, with one out of every five workers hailing from outside the UK. This diverse workforce spans 214 nations, including countries as varied as India, Portugal, Ghana, and smaller states like Tonga, Liechtenstein, and the Solomon Islands. Analysis…
Pakistan's two largest political parties are wrangling over who will take the prime minister's job after inconclusive elections last week forced them to join forces to gain a majority in a parliament dominated by independents backed by Imran Khan. The squabbling is likely to deepen concerns about the stability of…
Pakistan's army chief told feuding politicians Saturday to show "maturity and unity" after an election failed to produce a clear winner, leaving the military's favoured party having to cobble together a coalition in order to rule. The country faces days of political horse-trading after a strong performance by independent candidates…
Supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan had the edge on Friday in Pakistan's election results from over 100 seats, after vote counts were hit by unusual delays that the government ascribed to a suspension of mobile phone services. A total of 265 seats were contested in Thursday's election…
THE British Asian community, which has long been supported by King Charles from the days he was a young Prince of Wales, is now rallying round the 75-year old monarch following his cancer diagnosis on Monday (5). Since the King is also head of the Commonwealth, just as Queen Elizabeth…
Mobile services in Pakistan have been suspended due to the "deteriorating security situation", the caretaker government said on Thursday (8) as the people were voting to elect a new administration, a day after twin terror attacks killed at least 30 people. The interior ministry said it has decided to “temporarily…
THE US State Department has approved the potential sale of 31 armed MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, related missiles and equipment to India for nearly $4 billion (£3.17bn), the Pentagon said last Thursday (1), years after the two countries started discussing a deal. India has long expressed interest in buying large, armed…
THE senior official accused of downplaying allegations of racism made by former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq called for a “line in the sand” to be drawn last Friday (2), after members approved his return as chairman of the financially stricken English county club. Colin Graves, Yorkshire’s chairman from 2012- 2015,…
Jailed former Pakistani premier Imran Khan urged his supporters on Wednesday to wait outside polling booths after casting their votes, as rival political parties held large rallies to mark the end of the election campaign period. Pakistan goes to the polls on Thursday (8) with the jailing of popular Khan,…
UGANDA’S president, Yoweri Museveni, has appealed to British Asians expelled by Idi Amin more than half a century ago to “build a living bridge between their newfound homes in the United Kingdom and the cherished homeland of their forefathers”. His emotional message was aimed at some 30,000 refugees – and…
THE late great singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan took qawwali to unimaginable heights before he prematurely passed away aged 48 in 1997. After his death, there was a void that had to be filled. His nephews, Rizwan and Muazzam, headed a qawwali group that should have been the natural…
THIS may seem a little ironic, but the Birmingham Rep’s new bhangra musical is an American import. Bhangra, a joyous harvest festival, first came to Britain from the Punjab with the first generation of Indian immigrants in the 1950s and 1960s, and developed British roots in and around Birmingham. And…
At least 12 people were killed and 25 wounded Wednesday (7) by a blast outside a poll candidate's office in southwestern Pakistan, officials said, on the eve of an election marred by violence and allegations of poll-rigging. The attack occurred near the office of an independent candidate in Pishin district,…
In an innovative approach to adult education, Greater Manchester has rolled out a unique initiative offering budgeting and numeracy classes in Urdu and Punjabi, directly addressing the needs of its diverse community. This initiative is a part of the Multiply programme, introduced by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) in…
A 13-year-old British schoolgirl narrowly escaped a forced marriage to her cousin in Pakistan after her mother's desperate plea for help reached authorities back home in the UK, reported MailOnline. The girl's father had arranged the marriage without her consent, leaving her and her mother stranded in Pakistan under the…
As Pakistan goes to the polls on Thursday, concerns are being raised over the safety of the new app promoted by the election commission. The Election Commission of Pakistan’s Election Management System (EMS) app is meant to swiftly transmit and tabulate election results, but some officials feel the software can…
A Lucknow court on Monday (5) sent an Indian embassy staffer arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI to judicial custody till February 7. The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday (4) said it arrested Satendra Siwal, a resident of Shahmahiuddinpur village in the…
Dozens of militants launched an hours-long gun attack on a police station in northern Pakistan early Monday (5), resulting in the deaths of at least 10 officers, a senior commander reported. The assault comes just days before Pakistan votes in a general election that has already seen dozens of attacks…
FORMER Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined last Saturday (3) by a court that ruled their 2018 marriage broke the law, his party said. It was the third ruling against Khan this week and comes ahead of…
A new political party named Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, believed to be a new face of the banned groups of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, will participate in the February 8 general elections, according to a media report. A BBC Urdu report said some of the candidates…
The Indian Navy announced on Friday (2) that it had successfully rescued 19 crew members from a fishing vessel that had been hijacked off the coast of Somalia. This rescue operation marks the third of its kind this week, following a series of attacks on shipping in the region. A…
AHEAD of elections next week, Pakistan's caretaker administration is making binding plans for a new government to sell loss-making Pakistan International Airlines, according to the minister in charge of the process and other officials. In the past, elected governments have shied away from undertaking unpopular reforms, including the sale of…
THE senior official accused of downplaying allegations of racism made by former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq is set to return for a second stint as chairman of the financially stricken English county club. Colin Graves, Yorkshire's chairman from 2012-2015 having first saved the club from commercial collapse in 2002, was…
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which is under the leadership of former Prime Minister Imran Khan has allocated 53 seats to women, the highest number of tickets given to female candidates by any major political party in Pakistan for the elections set to take place on February 8, the media reported…
Faaiza Bashir, a 22-year-old student from Barking, has shared her journey of battling cancer at 18 to mark World Cancer Day on February 4. Her collaboration with the Teenage Cancer Trust aims to spotlight the critical signs of cancer in adolescents and young adults, particularly in the south Asian communities…
Rising singing sensation Annural Khalid has been named Pakistan’s first female RADAR musician of 2024 by Spotify, marking a significant career milestone in her career. Khalid has been acknowledged as Artist of the Year for 2024 by the leading audio streaming platform, under its RADAR Pakistan program. RADAR Pakistan, a…
A pigeon, held for eight months in Indian police custody, was finally released after being cleared of suspicions that it was spying for China. The bird was caught at a port in the financial capital Mumbai with "messages written in a Chinese-like script" on its wings, the Times of India…
European police arrested 15 individuals in Cyprus linked to an illegal EU migration ring that facilitated sham marriages between Portuguese and Latvian women and men from India and Pakistan, Europol said. Two of the main ringleaders were arrested in Latvia and Portugal and 13 suspects were arrested in Cyprus, the…
The UK is at 71st position in the global corruption index out of 180 countries. India has slipped to the 93rd position, down from its 85th position last year. The position of UK is at historic low this year. The country also witnessed a significant decline among upper-middle and high-income…
A BOMB disposal squad will sanitise the Islamabad Sports Complex every morning and two escort vehicles will shadow the Indian Davis Cup team as part of security arrangements, usually accorded to a head of state, to ensure the visiting tennis players’ safety and security. The national Indian tennis team has…
BUTTER CHICKEN – one of India’s best-known dishes globally – is delicious and apparently also contentious, with two Indian restaurant chains doing battle in court over claims to its origins. The lawsuit – which has become a hot topic in India – was brought by the family behind Moti Mahal,…
In Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, heavily armed terrorists executed three coordinated attacks, including a strike on a high-security prison. The assaults resulted in the deaths of four law enforcement officers and two civilians. A subsequent gunbattle ensued, leading to the death of nine militants involved in the attacks. The attacks…
FORMER Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is popular in his constituency and ancestral homeland of Mianwali, but the political posters that line the streets do not bear his face and flags do not fly his colours. A relentless crackdown widely attributed to Pakistan’s powerful military has seen him and his…
PAKISTAN’S rice exports are likely to jump to a record high in the year ending in June as India’s decision to curb its own shipments forces buyers to purchase more from Islamabad. The record exports are helping to alleviate tight supplies following the restrictions imposed last year by India, the…
PAKISTAN’S central bank on Monday (29) held its key rate at 22 per cent for the fifth policy meeting in a row and increased its full-year inflation projections. The governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said the decision was warranted due to “elevated” inflation – which was 29.7…
THREE foreign-born residents of Japan have filed a lawsuit against the government over alleged racial profiling by police, a case that would be the first of its kind, their lawyers said Monday (30). The three men – one born in Pakistan, an African American, and a Pacific Islander – have…
Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan received a 14-year jail sentence on a graft charge on Wednesday (31), following a 10-year prison term issued the previous day, in verdicts that were handed down just a week before the country's national elections. Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were found guilty…
MANY British Asian families are badly affected as poverty has increased in the UK to around pre-pandemic levels, a new report said. The UK poverty 2024 report by Joseph Rowntree Foundation published last Tuesday (23) said Asian households also have higher rates of child poverty, very deep poverty and persistent…
The Indian Navy said on Tuesday (30) that it had successfully freed an Iranian fishing vessel that had been hijacked by Somali pirates. This intervention marks the second such instance within two days, following a recent surge in pirate attacks on shipping in the Indian Ocean. The warship INS Sumitra…
Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was handed a 10-year imprisonment sentence this Tuesday (30), a decision coming shortly before the country's forthcoming election, in which his party is notably hindered from competing effectively. Khan's sentence was handed down inside Adiala jail, where he has been confined for much of…
NOBODY expected this first India versus England Test match to turn into an all-time cricket classic. Having not set a 4am alarm on the first day, I woke to hear India already taking their sixth English wicket. That first batting collapse came just after lunch in Hyderabad, but well before…
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan found himself at the centre of a controversy after a video of him allegedly slapping a person went viral on social media on Saturday, following which the renowned Pakistani singer said it was an attempt to tarnish his image. In the purported video, Khan can be…
Pakistan police detained at least two dozen supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan Sunday as they tried to rally in the country's biggest city ahead of elections next month. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been severely hamstrung ahead of the February 8 poll, with rallies banned, its…
Iran's foreign minister visited Pakistan on Monday (29) for discussions, aiming to mitigate tensions following deadly cross-border air strikes that had put a strain on diplomatic relations between the two countries. Pakistan's foreign ministry shared pictures and video of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arriving in Islamabad late Sunday, saying he would hold…
A British Indian chess prodigy faced trial in a Spanish court on Monday (22) for a public disorder offense stemming from a Snapchat message sent in July 2022. University student Aditya Verma, 20, on his way to Menorca with friends, jokingly wrote, "On my way to blow up the plane…
AN EXCITING young generation of south Asian creative talent is continuing to add new elements to popular culture with a cool approach. While some have already made an impressive mark with a brilliant body of work, others are showing real potential to be future gamechangers. They are all making themselves…
CHINA has assured Islamabad of its support in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity even while welcoming on Tuesday (23) the restoration of diplomatic ties between Tehran and Islamabad after their recent air strikes against each other. As China’s foreign minister Sun Weidong visited Pakistan on a mediation mission, a…
According to police reports, a father killed his son in Pakistan, following a dispute over which political party flag to display during the lead-up to the general election. The argument broke out when the son, who recently returned from working in Qatar, hoisted the flag of former prime minister Imran…
Zayn Malik, who keeps a low profile when it comes to public appearances, recently made his first public appearance in years at the Paris Fashion Week. The last time he was photographed in public by photographers was way back in April of 2021 when he went to a food cart…
SANIA MIRZA's family on Sunday (21) confirmed that the Indian tennis icon and Shoaib Malik have separated, a day after Pakistani cricketer announced his second marriage with actor Sana Javed. Their split marks the end of a high-profile union that had generated huge interest among sports lovers from the two…
Amid continued rumours of separation from retired Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik announced on Saturday that he has tied the knot with Pakistani actress Sana Javed. Taking to his Instagram handle, the former Pakistan all-rounder shared several pictures of his nuptials with the divorced Pakistani…
The political party led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan alleged on Friday (19) that Pakistani intelligence agencies are engaging in the overt abduction and harassment of candidates supported by the party in the run-up to the general elections scheduled for February 8. A spokesperson of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf…
The makers of 10 Lives have unveiled the first look at the much-awaited animated feature whose voice cast features Simone Ashley, Zayn Malik, Mo Gilligan, and Sophie Okonedo. The film, bankrolled by UK-based GFM Animation, is set to debut at Sundance Film Festival 2024. It follows Beckett, a pampered cat,…
The prime minister of Pakistan is scheduled to convene an emergency security meeting on Friday (19), bringing together military and intelligence chiefs. This comes in the aftermath of deadly air strikes this week, exchanged between Pakistan and Iran, on militant targets. The rare military actions in the porous border region…
In Iran's southeast border region, a missile attack launched by Pakistan resulted in the death of at least three women and four children on Thursday (18), Iranian state media reported. "Pakistan attacked an Iranian border village with missiles," state television said, quoting Alireza Marhamati, deputy provincial governor of Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan…
THOUSANDS of trucks were stranded at the busiest frontier crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Monday (15), Afghan officials said, days after border points were closed to trade in the latest row over document rules for commercial vehicle drivers. Crossings between the two countries have been temporarily shut down in…
URGENT action is needed to help the large number of south Asian households living in hidden poverty, anti-poverty campaigners have urged. New research reveals that ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by severe hardship in areas not accounted for in government measures targeting antideprivation funding. The study by Queen’s University in…
THE frontrunner party for Pakistan’s delayed elections began campaigning on Monday (15), after a weekend court decision effectively pushed the opposition party of ex-prime minister Imran Khan out of the race. Pakistan’s vote next month has been marred by claims of pre-poll rigging, with analysts saying that the army establishment…
Pakistan said Wednesday (17), that Iran conducted an airs trike on its territory, resulting in the deaths of two children, following Tehran's attacks in Iraq and Syria targeting what it referred to as "anti-Iranian terrorist groups." Pakistan denounced the strike, near the nations' shared border late on Tuesday, as "completely…
INDIA said it had lodged a protest over a senior British diplomat's visit to Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, saying the trip last week had infringed on India's "sovereignty and territorial integrity". Kashmir is claimed in full, but controlled only in part, by nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, which have fought two wars and…
A recent report has revealed that girls were left vulnerable to paedophile grooming gangs for an extended period due to the failures of senior police and council leaders. Covering the years 2004 to 2013, the review specifically points out numerous failed investigations carried out by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) during…
The political party of Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan faced a setback on Saturday (13) when the country's top court ruled against allowing the retention of its cricket bat symbol for the polls next month. The South Asian nation of more than 240 million people votes on February…
Former One Direction member Zayn Malik, who turned a year older on January 12, gave an exciting surprise to his fans on his birthday. The singer has teamed up with the rising Pakistani group AUR to reimagine their 2023 hit single “Tu Hai Kahan.” Malik lends his voice to the…
Veteran lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar says he has to write Hindi dialogues in the Roman script for the new generation of actors today because "they can't read anything else". The 79-year-old poet was speaking at a session titled 'Hindi & Urdu: Siamese Twins', held on Thursday evening at the India International…
Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, whose party is considered a front-runner to win general elections in February, will kick off his campaign next week, aides said, days after the Supreme Court cleared him to run for a fourth term. The campaign for the Feb 8 poll, delayed since November,…
RIVALS India and Pakistan will play their Twenty20 World Cup group game in New York on June 9 while co-hosts United States will take on Canada in the opening match, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said last Friday (5). The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, which will be…
BRITISH Asian entrepreneurs have called for more action to improve diversity in the venture capital investment market after it was branded “unacceptable” and “woeful” by a powerful committee of MPs. The business leaders called for funds dedicated to ethnic minorities or female founders to make the system fairer. Venture capital…
Pakistani actor Fawad Khan is not only popular in his home country but also enjoys a massive fan following in India. He has played lead roles in a few notable Bollywood films, including Khoobsurat and Kapoor & Sons. The 42-year-old star recently appeared for an interview on a YouTube channel…
WOLVERHAMPTON will host the 2025 Kabaddi World Cup final, after being awarded £500,000 from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the government’s Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund to help with costs. Originating in India some 5,000 years ago, the contact sport sees teams broken down into raiders and blockers. Points…
A ROADSIDE bomb killed at least five police officers deployed to protect polio vaccination workers in northwestern Pakistan on Monday (8), officials said, in an attack that was claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group. The TTP said in a statement it had “successfully detonated a mine on a police”…
Ten members of a family, which included a two-year-old, were killed in a brutal late-night attack in Pakistan's northwest, police said on Wednesday (10). Two brothers, their wives, and six children aged 12 and under were killed along with a guest in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province…
BRITISH Asians have a higher rate of catching the life-threatening condition sepsis compared to other population groups, a study found. The illness, which kills around 48,000 people every year in the UK, occurs when the body overreacts to an infection and starts attacking its own tissues and organs. Leading doctors…
DAVID WARNER went out the way he began, with a rumbustious innings to guide Australia to an eightwicket victory and 3-0 Test series sweep over Pakistan in Sydney last Saturday (6). Playing in his 112th and final Test, Warner was dismissed for 57 – just 11 runs from finishing off…
The Agra Summit in 2001 collapsed primarily due to Pervez Musharraf's public airing of hawkish Kashmir views, his insufficient actions against terrorism, and his insistence on linking overall progress to developments in Kashmir, not solely due to LK Advani's firm stance. This is what Ambassador Ajay Bisaria, who served as…
Pakistan's supreme court ruled on Monday (8) that lifetime bans from office are unconstitutional, clearing the final obstacle in former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's path to running for re-election in polls in four weeks. Pakistan will vote in elections on February 8, with rights groups warning the ballot will lack…
RIVALS India and Pakistan will play their Twenty20 World Cup group game in New York on June 9 while co-hosts US will take on Canada in the opening match, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said. The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US…
BILLIONS of voters across south Asia, the UK and the US will go to polls in the next 12 months in what will be a test of democracy, analysits have told Eastern Eye. In the UK, prime minister Rishi Sunak has to call a general election by January 28, 2025,…
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has put forward its chairman and former foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, as its official prime ministerial candidate in the upcoming general elections on February 8, a media report said on Thursday (4). The PPP's Central Executive Committee (CEC) discussed in detail the party's campaign…
An unexpected turn of events at a wedding celebration in Sheffield, South Yorkshire led to tragic consequences when a Good Samaritan was killed and a teenage groom was stabbed amidst a wedding brawl, last week. Hasan Khan, 19, who was celebrating his marriage to Amani Jhangur, also 19 found himself…
WHETHER it was in cinemas, streaming sites or at festivals around the world, audiences were offered an interesting variety of films from diverse genres and languages. From artistic gems and groundbreaking narratives to huge blockbusters, they entertained film fans from different backgrounds. Eastern Eye revisited 2023 to reveal 21 entertaining…
WITH so many great-looking concerts, theatre productions, films, comebacks of popular stars and more already in the pipeline, 2024 looks set to be a thrilling and action-packed year. There will also be new talent, surprises, horizon-expanding moments, great music, free shows, and events celebrating the best in south Asian popular…
TALENTED authors from varied backgrounds contributed to a rich tapestry of reading material throughout the past year. This trend will continue in 2024, with everything from a treatise on tea to a much-awaited sequel, as well as a fantasy and a memoir recounting a renowned author’s experience of a deadly…
TURNING his star sports power to politics, Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan is all but guaranteed to become a ruling party lawmaker with general elections on Sunday (7) being boycotted by the opposition. Better known as the leading allrounder of his era, the 36-year-old skipper has been on a whirlwind…
CHARITIES have criticised the government for dropping plans to provide further help to modern slavery survivors. The Home Office said a “places of safety” scheme, first announced in 2017, was being axed due to a lack of funding. In addition, a pledge in 2021 offering tailored support for at least…
PAKISTAN’S huge deportation drive has forcibly repatriated scores of Afghans awaiting resettlement in the United States, an advocacy group and Afghan applicants said, adding that Pakistani authorities often ignored the US embassy’s letters of protection given to the repatriates. That complicates the efforts of such Afghans, as the US has…
THE Indian team is likely to get clearance to travel to Pakistan for the Davis Cup tie against their neighbours in February, the country’s national federation said last Saturday (30). The All India Tennis Association (AITA) had written to the sports ministry, asking for permission to send the national team…
Saveera Parkash, the first Hindu candidate vying for the general elections from the Buner constituency in the tumultuous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said she would facilitate diplomatic connections between Pakistan and India if she is elected. A doctor by profession, 25-year-old Saveera last week filed her nomination papers from the Pakistan…
Six barbers from Punjab province, Pakistan were shot and killed by unidentified militants who abducted them from the turbulent northwest region, police said. The incident took place in the Mir Ali area of the North Waziristan district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, ARY News reported on Tuesday (2).…
India and Pakistan on Monday (1) engaged in their annual practice of exchanging a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral agreement. This pact, initiated in 1992, prohibits either side from targeting the other's atomic facilities. The exchange of the list took place under the provisions of an agreement…
India urged Pakistan on Monday (1) to expedite the release and repatriation of 184 Indian fishermen whose prison sentences have been fulfilled. In addition, Islamabad has also been asked to provide immediate consular access to 12 civilian prisoners in Pakistan's custody, who are believed to be Indian, the Ministry of…
A rights watchdog in Pakistan expressed concerns on Tuesday (2) regarding the fairness of the upcoming elections, pointing to allegations of "systematic dismemberment" and "pre-poll rigging" targeting the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. Nomination papers for Khan and the majority of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party candidates…
DEMOCRACY is the theme of 2024. Around half of the world’s population has the chance to go to the polls. This weekend’s vote in Bangladesh, boycotted by the opposition to Shekih Hasina, is an inauspicious start. Pakistan in February holds its first elections since 2018. More than 600 million will…
Long-simmering rivalries on and off the pitch divided India and Pakistan once more at the World Cup 2023, but a cricket show run by Pakistani greats of the game has won fans across the border. The Pavilion, featuring cricketing heroes turned broadcasters including Wasim Akram, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Moin…
Faysal Quraishi, one of Pakistan's top actors and producers, has advocated for the release of Indian films in the country to revive the local cinema exhibition sector. Quraishi, who has starred in several hit serials and also produced many blockbuster series, said Pakistan needed to lift the ban on screening…
According to party officials, the jailed former Pakistan prime minister, Imran Khan, and the majority of his supporters, were rejected candidacy for the February 8, 2024, national elections as nominations for the ballot closed on Sunday (31). Khan has been in prison since August, facing trial over a slew of…
CAPTAIN Pat Cummins declared himself delighted at the end of a landmark year for Australian cricket as his 10-wicket haul in the second test win over Pakistan in Melbourne secured his entry into an elite band of bowlers. Cummins led his side on Friday (29) to a fourth consecutive home…
Pakistan has banned New Year's Eve celebrations to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, the government said late Thursday, urging people to instead "observe simplicity". In an evening televised address to the nation, prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said because of the situation in the Gaza Strip, the government had "completely…
PAKISTAN's current economic model is not working, a top World Bank official has said, underlining that the cash-strapped nation must change policies that have plagued development and benefited only a few. The remarks by World Bank country director Najy Benhassine came in a Policy Vision article, published in the latest…
INDIA may be forced to forfeit a Davis Cup play-off hosted by rival Pakistan, with the local tennis association saying Thursday (28) that the team was waiting on government approval to travel. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought several wars since winning independence from British rule in 1947, and sporting contests…
India's army has launched an investigation into the alleged deaths of three civilians taken into military custody after a deadly rebel attack on soldiers in Kashmir, police said Tuesday. The three men were among a group of eight detained by the army last week in Poonch, near the frontier that…
FORMER Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was granted bail on Friday (22) in a case alleging he leaked state secrets, lawyers said, but he remained jailed on other charges ahead of an election due in February. Meanwhile his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was barred from using the cricket bat symbol…
A PAKISTANI couple was sentenced to life in prison by an Italian court on Tuesday (19) for the 2021 murder of their daughter after she refused an arranged marriage. Saman Abbas, 18, was living in Novellara near Bologna when she disappeared in May 2021, having rejected the previous year her…
BOLLYWOOD celebrities unveiled various details about themselves this year, ranging from unique personal anecdotes to past experiences. Keeping our ears to the ground, we learned more about the lives of well-known stars than just their on-screen personas. Eastern Eye looks back on the events of the last 12 months to present…
WITH the party season being upon us, it is the perfect time to reflect on the power-packed dance anthems that were released in 2023. Eastern Eye requested DJ Shai Guy from one of the UK’s leading club night promoters, Bombay Funkadelic, to select the most upbeat songs from this year…
ASIANS represent a larger proportion of IVF patients in the UK at 15 per cent, the latest data from the fertility regulator has revealed. Black and Asian patients had lower birth rates from fertility treatment when compared to other ethnic groups, according to analysis from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology…
MPs and immigration experts have criticised ministers for “deliberately targeting” British Asian families in their quest to get immigration figures down. Home secretary, James Cleverly, announced last week (13) that from April 2024, the minimum salary threshold for UK nationals and permanent residents applying to bring family members to join…
THERE was the Bollywood star in skin-tight lycra, the Bangladeshi politician filmed in a bikini and the young Pakistani woman snapped with a man. None was real, but all three images were credible enough to unleash lust, vitriol – and even allegedly a murder – underlining the sophistication of generative…
THE boxer Adam Azim has been praised for drawing attention to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as experts warned about the stigma against the condition in the Asian community. Azim, 21, has spoken of being diagnosed with ADHD at a young age and his father taking him to a boxing…
AN ACTION-PACKED year saw everything from stunning live performances to delightful drama serials, marvellous music and fabulous films. There was also perfectly pitched comedy, new talent, path-breaking projects and plenty of entertainment. Eastern Eye celebrated the many creative moments of 2023 with the annual Eye Spy awards which include extra…
The India-Bangladesh link was honoured by the British Bengali diaspora in London with the special screening of a documentary chronicling the history of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. The event served as a commemoration of the enduring bonds of friendship between the two countries, dating back to the conflict. ‘Bay…
TENSIONS among nuclear powers, mainly in Asia, carry the risk of escalating into major conventional wars, a new survey cautioned. Significant Asian conflicts, such as in Kashmir and Afghanistan, have seen reduced violence since a ceasefire began in February 2021, said the Armed Conflict Survey 2023 by the London-based geopolitics…
Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday (17) said that the BNP and its allies cannot secure public support through arson attacks and killings, as the country prepares for the January 7 general elections. The opposition parties are calling for these elections to take place under an interim non-partisan government.…
PAKISTAN'S jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, used an audio clip generated by artificial intelligence (AI) to address supporters in the first event of its kind in the politics of the south Asian nation, though marred by internet disruptions. The audio, played over a photograph of Khan during an internet…
The provincial government of Lahore on Saturday (16), announced the use of artificial rain for the first time in Pakistan as a measure to tackle the perilous smog levels in the megacity. In the first experiment of its kind in the South Asian country, planes equipped with cloud seeding equipment…
THE father of a 10-year-old Woking girl whose death sparked an international manhunt pleaded not guilty to her murder in a UK court on Thursday (14), as did two other members of her family. Sara Sharif's body was discovered at her family home on August 10. A post-mortem examination found…
PAKISTAN'S Supreme Court on Wednesday (13) provisionally approved military court trials of over 100 supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan on charges of attacking army installations. A six-member panel of the top court overturned an October 23 order by a three-member Supreme Court panel that had declared military trials…
THE year 2022 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Ugandan Asian expulsion which saw the uprooting and resettlement of some 80,000 Ugandan Asians when Idi Amin Dada, the self-styled dictator of Uganda, declared on 4 August 1972 that he had had a dream in which he was enjoined by God…
Shah Rukh Khan has added to a year of stunning achievements by topping the Top 50 Asian Celebrities In The World list for 2023. The Bollywood superstar beat off strong competition from around the world in this year’s edition of the popular list, published annually by UK based Eastern Eye…
IN the packed paediatric emergency room of a Lahore public hospital, parents holding sick children lined up for treatment this month, part of a surge of young patients caused by the air pollution crisis in Pakistan’s second-most populous city. “We are disturbed and tense,” said Mohamad Qadeer, holding a nebulising…
THE Financial Times business book of the year for 2023 has gone to Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive by Amy Edmondson, a Harvard professor who has been called “the world’s most influential organisational psychologist”. The prize, worth £30,000, was announced last Tuesday…
A GROUND-BREAKING year in entertainment saw glass ceilings shattered, greater heights conquered, creative horizons expanded, and new paths carved globally. There was also ground-breaking work, international crossovers, and exciting new talent announcing their arrival. Top south Asian talent from diverse fields were at the forefront of the marvellous moves being…
WHETHER it has been top talents making a mark, path-breaking moments, superb songs, fabulous films, brilliant books, or audience-delighting entertainment, there has been a lot to celebrate in the past 12 months. Next week, there will be a roundup of these magnificent moments in Eastern Eye’s annual review of the…
AROUND a third of individuals from Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities broadly have no one earning any income through work, the latest figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) showed. Almost half of all women in both these ethnic groups are not economically active either – meaning they are…
PAKISTAN’S central bank kept its key rate unchanged at a record 22 per cent on Tuesday (12) as it waits for the effects of previous hikes to filter through the economy and further tame inflation. The State Bank of Pakistan’s monetary policy committee said an increase in gas prices last…
A POLICE watchdog said that forces up and down the country do not have a “full understanding of the nature of scale” of child exploitation, writes Danielle Andrews. A review of 27 cases of child sexual exploitation (CSE) was undertaken by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue…
I FELL in love with Benjamin Zephaniah and performance poetry both at the same time. It was as a young teenager that I first saw and heard him on the 1990’s British Asian television programme Network East. In his Jamaican-inflected Brummie accent, this dreadlocked Rastafarian took viewers on a tour…
HUNGARY plans to turn Hungarian Indian painter Amrita Sher-Gil’s Ganga Ram Mansions on The Mall in Lahore into a museum, a top diplomat of the country said. Sher-Gil was born in Hungary and was one of the most distinguished visual artists from the Indian subcontinent. At an event to mark…
GRADUATE ethnic minority voters are more likely to vote for the Conservative party, a new survey has found. Lead researcher James Kanagasooriam, from FocalData, said the voting intentions of ethnic minority graduates is in contrast to their white counterparts. They are more left-leaning and more likely to vote Labour, although…
A MAN jumped into the MPs' area of the lower house of India's parliament on Wednesday (13), in a major security breach on the 22nd anniversary of a deadly attack on the complex. TV channels showed a man wearing a black jacket jump from the visitors' area into the MPs'…
ISLAMIST militants rammed an explosive-laden truck into a police station in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday (12), killing at least 24 people, two security officials said, the latest devastating attack in recent months claimed by a Pakistani Taliban group. The bomb and gun attack occurred in the district of Dera Ismail…
Pakistan’s popular actress Mahira Khan has made a statement on social media expressing her deep sorrow and solidarity with the people of Palestine. Posting on X, she wrote, “Nothing feels good. And I understand life goes on, it has to. We resume work and worry about our child’s exams, our…
INDIA'S Supreme Court upheld on Monday (11) a 2019 decision by the government of prime minister Narendra Modi to revoke special status for the state of Jammu and Kashmir and set a deadline of September 30 next year for state polls to be held. India's only Muslim-majority region, Jammu and…
SEVERAL cricketers who played for English county side Essex were subject to racist abuse and discriminatory treatment, according to an independent report released on Friday (8). References to players' ethnic, racial and religious origins were "entirely normalised and tolerated behaviour" within the dressing-room culture between the mid-1990s and around 2013,…
Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan has lodged a challenge against his five-year disqualification in a Pakistani court on Thursday (7), ahead of the general elections due in February 2024. Khan, 71, has been in jail since August 5, when he was arrested after a conviction in the Toshakhana…
During her visit to a refuge, the Queen offered solace to a young victim of domestic violence who had been brought to the UK through a forced marriage. Camilla, 76, listened attentively to the woman in her early 20s, offering comfort by gently reaching out her hand as the woman…
A ZOO in Pakistan has been shut down after a man was mauled to death by tigers in an attack discovered during routine cleaning, officials said Thursday (7). The body was found on Wednesday (6) morning in Bahawalpur’s Sherbagh Zoo in the eastern province of Punjab after staff spotted one…
AN Islamabad court on Wednesday (6) rejected former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's request to withdraw a key appeal so he could move it to a different court in Lahore, his lawyer said. Khan appealed last year in the Islamabad High Court against the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) finding…
THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday (4) announced it had set up an independent cricket regulator after a damning report revealed racism, sexism, classism and elitism in the sport. The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) published its findings in June, revealing “widespread” discrimination in the…
DR HENRY KISSINGER, who died last Wednesday (29), aged 100, was an American diplomat of Jewish-German extraction who served as national security adviser and secretary of state to US presidents Richard Nixon and his successor, Gerald Ford. Kissinger’s long life was proof of the old adage, “You can fool all…
NOBEL Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai on Tuesday (5) likened restrictions the Taliban has placed on women in Afghanistan to the treatment of black people under apartheid in a lecture in South Africa organised by Nelson Mandela's foundation. Yousafzai survived being shot in the head when she was 15 in…
A STRONG literary year was filled with stunning stories written by skilled south Asian authors from around the world. They explored diverse themes, ideas, emotions, time periods, characters, and journeys in a marvellous melting pot of books that opened windows into new worlds. Eastern Eye decided to celebrate some of…
FORMER Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, currently in jail facing myriad charges, was replaced last Saturday (2) as head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party he founded, officials said. A video showing barrister Gohar Khan announcing his nomination was released by the PTI last week and he was named as…
TWO people have been arrested in Italy for spreading online terrorist propaganda linked to militant groups Palestine Islamic Jihad, Islamic State and al-Qaeda, police in the northern city of Brescia said Monday (4). The suspects are a Pakistani national and an Italian citizen of Pakistani origin, a statement said. They…
INDIA'S Shreyas Iyer scored a half-century and fast bowlers Mukesh Kumar and Arshdeep Singh took a combined five wickets as the home side beat Australia by six runs in the final Twenty20 International to deny the visitors a consolation win on Sunday (3). Australia, chasing 160 in Bangalore, looked on…
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…
HENRY KISSINGER, known for his disdain for India's leadership in the 1970s, has been advocating stronger US-India ties in the past decade under prime minister Narendra Modi. After Modi came to power in 2014, Kissinger, also the former US National Security Advisor, has been advocating strong ties with India. When…
Pakistani police have arrested four individuals, among them a man who killed his teenage daughter following instructions from family elders. This action was reportedly prompted by her appearance in a viral picture with a man on social media, police said on Wednesday (29). The police said the 18-year-old woman was…
THE British Asian business community clearly has done well, as the Eastern Eye Asian Rich List 2024 shows. The entry point to get onto the list 13 years ago was £25 million. Last year it was £120m, and this year the figure has gone up to £125m. Even allowing for…
JAILED former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan's party said on Wednesday (29) that he had named one of his lawyers as his temporary stand-in to contest the position of party head. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party released a video showing barrister Gohar Khan announcing his nomination. "I will fill in…
AN URGENT “education recovery” programme is needed to help pupils from south Asian backgrounds catch up at school due to the impact of the pandemic, experts have urged. They have sought extra funding and resources in order to close the gap after new government figures showed a sharp drop in…
An adviser to former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan revealed that he was subjected to an acid attack near his residence in the UK. Mirza Shahzad Akbar clarified that while the chemical did not affect his eyes, it caused injuries elsewhere on his body. Authorities are currently investigating the incident,…
CAPTAIN Pat Cummins said Tuesday (28) that cricketers were "not robots" with Australia's Twenty20 team struggling in India straight after their 50-over World Cup triumph. Seven of the Australia squad who won the World Cup remained in India for a five-match T20 series that started four days after the November…
Saturday night saw a galaxy of teenage debutantes descending Shangri-La Paris to be a part of the Le Bal des Débutantes, an annual occasion organised by Ophélie Renouard to celebrate honourable young women from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the US while raising money for charity. Aged between 17-21 years old,…
Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who served as the equalities minister during the pandemic, addressed the impact of the coronavirus on various communities during her testimony at the Covid inquiry on Monday (27). She highlighted ongoing challenges the government faces in combatting misinformation, emphasising the harm caused by conspiracy theories, Sky…
According to reports, Pakistani actress Mahira Khan is in final talks to headline a Malayalam-language film. Titled L2 Empuraan, the film stars legendary Malayalam actor Mohanlal in the lead role. If Khan manages to sign the film on the dotted line, she will not only make her Malayalam-language debut but…
An accountability court in Pakistan on Monday (27) ordered a 14-day judicial remand for Imran Khan in a corruption case, denying the anti-graft body's plea to extend the jailed former prime minister's physical remand. Judge Muhammad Bashir of the Islamabad Accountability Court presided over the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust…
British screenwriter and producer Jemima Khan is one proud mother as his son Kasim Khan has announced the launch of his own marketing platform. The young businessman, born to Jemima and well-known Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, has officially unveiled his venture, Mifu Marketing, along with the launch of the company’s…
AT LEAST 11 people were killed and 35 injured on Saturday (25) by a fire at a shopping mall in Pakistan's commercial capital of Karachi, officials said. More than 60 people were inside the mall when the fire broke out on the fourth floor of the six-storey building in the…
AFGHANISTAN'S embassy in India announced its "permanent closure" on Friday (24), more than two years after the Taliban returned to power in Kabul following the collapse of the Western-backed government. Most foreign nations - including India - do not officially recognise Afghanistan's Taliban government, but acknowledge them as the de…
PAKISTAN'S election commission on Thursday (23) ordered jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party to hold leadership polls to retain its voting symbol in next year's general election. Since being ousted in 2022, Khan has been tangled in a slew of legal cases he says are designed to stop him…
The U.N. refugee agency on Wednesday (22), urged Pakistan to cease the deportation of undocumented Afghan refugees amid the harsh winter season, as authorities persisted in searching residences and expelling Afghans who hadn't already left. Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid…
A Pakistani court on Thursday (23), issued an order for the authorities to present former prime minister Imran Khan for trial on November 28 regarding charges of leaking state secrets, his lawyer said. This appearance would mark his first public appearance since he was jailed in August. The former cricket…
LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan has stated that he will stand with the British Asian community in lobbying the government for more flexible immigration policies. He emphasised that immigrants are not invaders; instead, they are innovators and wealth creators. Speaking at the 25th anniversary of the Asian Business Awards in London…
Four Indian women, including Bollywood actress Dia Mirza, made it to the BBC 100 Women List 2023. BBC released the 11th edition of the list on November 21, 2023. In addition to Mirza, captain of India’s national women’s cricket team Harmanpreet Kaur, National Geographic photographer Arati Kumar-Rao, and Tibetan Buddhist…
NET migration to the UK hit a record high of 745,000 in 2022 but provisional estimates for the year ending June 2023 indicated a ‘slowing’ of the trend. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday (23) said net migration - the difference between the number of people leaving Britain…
INDIA played the tournament’s best cricket for nearly six weeks but it was the familiar sight of Australia celebrating with the trophy when the 13th edition of the ICC World Cup came to a close last Sunday (19). Just five months after beating India in the World Test Championship final…
IT’S TRUE that Ameesha Patel set foot in Bollywood with blockbuster hit Kaho Na Pyaar Hai in 2000, but it was her damsel-in-distress character of Sakeena Ali in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) that took her to an entirely new level of fame. After a massive gap of 22 years,…
BRITISH ASIANS are being encouraged to visit National Trust properties as the organisation is striving to improve diversity among its members, volunteers and staff, its director general Hilary McGrady told Eastern Eye in an exclusive interview. As Europe’s premier conservation charity, the trust safeguards more than 500 historic houses, castles,…
VIRAT KOHLI has long been on the cusp of batting greatness, and at 35, he is making a solid case to be considered the greatest 50-overs player of all time after a run-laden World Cup. A fairy-tale ending of lifting the World Cup on home soil wasn’t meant to be…
WHEN Kal Ho Naa Ho was released on November 28, 2003, it made an instant connection with audiences around the world and became the highest grossing Bollywood film of that year. The story of a terminally ill man teaching those around him to embrace life and sacrificing his own happiness…
UNDER a new skipper in Shan Masood, Pakistan on Monday (20) named a squad of new faces for the tour of Australia starting next month, seeking a fresh start after a disastrous World Cup campaign. Following the tournament where Pakistan lost five of their nine matches and finished fifth, the…
BRITAIN'S minimum wage will increase by 9.8 per cent to £11.44 an hour from April 2024, making it one of the highest as a share of average earnings of any advanced economy. Chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced the increase on the eve of delivering a mid-year budget update.…
WHETHER it is on stage, television, film or in a popular ASDA commercial, Muzz Khan has consistently shown off his impressive range as an actor and worked with many established names. The versatile British Asian, who is also an accomplished DJ, rcently joined the cast of West End show, The…
INDIA’S purchase policies “softened” the oil and gas markets by its decision to continue transactions with Russia, and New Dehi should be “thanked for managing global inflation” as a consequence, the country’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar said last week. His remarks came in response to a question of India…
FROM small taboo-busting independent films like Joyland to record-breaking blockbuster The Legend of Maula Jatt, Pakistani cinema has been on the rise in recent years. Forthcoming film Gunjal looks like adding to that momentum, with the Pakistan-set story based on real events of child labour activist Iqbal Masih, who was…
THE period war movie based on the book The Burning Chaffees by army veteran Balram Singh Mehta recently premiered on streaming site Amazon Prime. The story set during the battle of Garibpur during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war revolves around two brothers in the army with distinctively different personalities. While one is…
SOUTH Asian families have been warned about potential hefty inheritance tax bills over their property portfolios. Ahead of the chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement on Wednesday (22), experts highlighted a lack of awareness among some first-generation British Asians about the tax rules on real estate. The average property wealth of…
WHEN Uri: The Surgical Strike was released in 2019 it became a huge blockbuster success. In terms of budget versus return, the fictional account of India’s retaliation to Pakistan militants launching a deadly attack in 2016, became one of the highest profit-making movies of all time. Almost five years later,…
A recent study indicates a significant decline in the number of individuals within Bradford's Pakistani community marrying cousins over the past decade. Factors such as increased educational achievements, evolving family dynamics, and modifications in immigration regulations are believed to contribute to this decline, the BBC reported. Juwayriya Ahmed, a 52-year-old…
CRICKET-OBSESSED India was left grappling for answers on Monday (20) after the team's devastating defeat to Australia in the final of their home World Cup extended a drought in global tournaments. A much-fancied India team led by skipper Rohit Sharma went into Sunday's (19) final in front of nearly 100,000…
A 22-year-old self-confessed Canadian white nationalist, who intentionally drove his truck into a Muslim family in 2021, was convicted of first-degree murder on Thursday (16). The killings shocked Canada, a country that encourages mass immigration and takes pride in its multiculturalism. The jury took around six hours to convict Nathaniel…
A British Pakistani academic has been nominated as the new High Sheriff of West Yorkshire for 2024-25, a statement said on Thursday (16). Prof Adeeba Malik CBE DL was nominated on Monday (13) as part of the annual selection process overseen by the Lords of the Council in the King's…
THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan on the first review of a $3 billion bailout, where the country will receive $700 million after approval from IMF's executive board, the organisation said on Wednesday (15). Earlier, the Pakistani prime minister's office in a statement said…
The UK is facing increased pressure to contribute additional evidence against individuals linked to the protests outside the Indian High Commission in London in March. This urging coincides with a meeting between the new foreign secretary, David Cameron, and the Indian external affairs minister, S Jaishankar. Jaishankar is supporting the…
Fashion designer and actor Masaba Gupta on Wednesday slammed former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja for laughing at a racist comment directed towards her parents, West Indies batting great Vivian Richards, and veteran actress Neena Gupta, saying he had no grace. Masaba's reaction came after a two-month-old clip of Raja laughing…
WOULD you be able to tell Tara Sutaria, Disha Patani, Kiara Advani, Vaani Kapoor and Rakulpreet Singh apart if shown photographs of them? Even the most die-hard Bollywood fans would struggle with this conundrum or think of a truly memorable role they have played. You could perhaps recognise Sara Ali…
PAKISTAN captain Babar Azam was described as “depressed” and under pressure to save his job last Sunday (12), after the team crashed out of the Cricket World Cup, failing to make the semi-finals for a second successive tournament. A 93-run loss to England sealed Pakistan’s fate, ending the 1992 champions’…
THE third instalment of an action franchise, which has spawned a Bollywood spy universe with spinoff films Pathaan and War, returned to the big screen after two previously successful outings. Salman Khan reprises his role of Indian super spy Tiger, and Katrina Kaif once again plays his Pakistani secret agent…
THE number of non-white cabinet ministers has come down from five to four after prime minister Rishi Sunak reshuffled his core team on Monday (13). Suella Braverman was sacked as home secretary and former prime minister David Camaron was made foreign secretary as part of the exercise. While Sunak -…
American actress Angelina Jolie has expressed her deep concern and sadness over the mass expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Jolie slammed Pakistan for the unexpected decision to send back vulnerable Afghan families, confronting the hard reality of survival in today's Afghanistan. Jolie emphasized Pakistan's…
INDIA may be the outstanding team at the Cricket World Cup but New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has insisted both sides will "start from zero again" when they meet in Wednesday's (15) semi-final in Mumbai. Tournament hosts India head into the knockout match having won all nine of their…
SOUTH AFRICAN Morne Morkel has resigned as Pakistan's bowling coach, the country's cricket board (PCB) announced on Monday (13), two days after their failure to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in India. Pakistan finished fifth in the standings with eight points having won four matches and losing five,…
The new rendition of "Karar oi louho kopat" in Pippa is a sincere artistic interpretation and done after securing necessary adaptation rights, the film's team said on Monday, days after AR Rahman's version of the beloved Kazi Nazrul Islam poem attracted controversy for its alleged "distortion". The poet's grandson and…
Rock legend and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger is in India, soaking in the Diwali flavour and how! The rock-and-roll star posted a series of pictures on his official Instagram handle, taking in the sights and sounds of the Festival of Light on the streets of Kolkata. Along with the…
THE Chinese and Pakistani navies are holding weeklong drills in the Arabian Sea days after the Russian Pacific Fleet and Myanmar practised repelling attacks in their first maritime exercise, while India and the United States pledged security cooperation. At a naval base in Karachi on Saturday (11), the Chinese and…
A SEEMINGLY unstoppable India stand on the verge of their first World Cup final since the triumphant 2011 campaign on home soil but must face their bogey team in major events to get there, as they take on New Zealand in Wednesday's (15) semi-final in Mumbai. Rohit Sharma's side have…
INDIA coach Rahul Dravid described Shreyas Iyer as the backbone of their middle order after the batsman made an unbeaten 128 in Sunday's (12) World Cup victory over the Netherlands to ensure the hosts won all nine of their group stage games. Iyer followed up his scores of 82 against…
THREE Bangladeshi tourists died in India's Kashmir region when some of the houseboats stationed in the picturesque Dal lake caught fire on Saturday (11), a police official said. Police said a fire broke out in one houseboat in the early hours and quickly spread to other boats moored nearby. "Three…
RASSIE VAN DER DUSSEN hit an unbeaten 76 to lead South Africa to a comfortable five-wicket win over Afghanistan in their last World Cup group game on Friday (10) as their opponents were eliminated from the semi-final race. Chasing 245 for victory, Van der Dussen steered the Proteas home with…
NEW ZEALAND returned to winning ways at the World Cup following a four-match slump as they defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday (9) and all but secured their place in the semi-finals. Opening batsmen Devon Conway (45) and Rachin Ravindra (42) got fourth-placed…
ENGLAND captain Jos Buttler said the team have shown a desire to "put things right" in India after a dismal World Cup campaign and are determined to secure a spot in the 2025 Champions Trophy with a top-eight finish. The 2019 champions earned a 160-run win over the Netherlands in…
Actor Vicky Kaushal said on Tuesday he initially thought he was not good-looking enough for the role of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in filmmaker Meghna Gulzar's Sam Bahadur. At the film's trailer launch event held at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, Kaushal said Gulzar told him about her desire…
AFGHANISTAN have rebounded from defeat at the World Cup and can do so again, coach Jonathan Trott said after Tuesday's (7) three-wicket loss to Australia in Mumbai. Afghanistan had Australia reeling at 91-7 chasing 292 before Glenn Maxwell's unbeaten 201 snatched a remarkable victory that sealed a semi-final slot for…
ENGLAND snapped their five-match losing streak at the World Cup on Wednesday (8), as a century by Ben Stokes set the tone for a 160-run victory over the Netherlands that kept his team's Champions Trophy qualification hopes alive. The Netherlands got off to a sluggish start chasing 340 as England…
HEAVY pollution-fuelled smog forced authorities to close schools and markets this week in Pakistan's most populous province, including the eastern city of Lahore which has risen to one of the world's worst cities for hazardous air quality. "The government has decided to close down markets for four days from 9…
As thousands of Afghans flee Pakistan amid deportation warning, well-known Pakistani actress Mahira Khan has urged the government of Pakistani to keep supporting those who "are still in need of our kindness". Khan, who has been a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador since 2019, shared images with the UNHCR logo and branding,…
GLENN MAXWELL'S stunning 201 not out guided Australia into the semi-finals of the World Cup as the five-time champions snatched a sensational three-wicket victory from the jaws of defeat against Afghanistan in Mumbai on Tuesday (7). At 91-7, chasing 292, Australia were all set to join title-holders England, 1996 champions…
NINE Islamist militants attacked an air force training base in the central Pakistani area of Mianwali on Saturday (4) damaging three "non-operational" aircraft, the military said, adding that all assailants had been killed by security forces. Three militants were killed before they entered the base while the others had been…
AFGHANISTAN swept past the Netherlands by seven wickets on Friday (3) to boost their chances of reaching the World Cup semi-finals. Chasing 180 to win, Afghanistan reached their target with 111 balls to spare to clinch a fourth win at the tournament to add to victories over defending champions England,…
ENGLAND'S Ben Stokes on Friday (3) conceded that "nothing's worked" in a disastrous World Cup campaign. The defending champions have lost five of their six matches to lie at the bottom of the 10-team table and another defeat on Saturday (4) in Ahmedabad against arch-rivals Australia will end even their…
Earlier this week, Prime Video dropped an action-packed trailer of Pippa, a thrilling war film that has left viewers eagerly anticipating its release. The film takes its inspiration from the indomitable PT-76 amphibious war tank, endearingly named 'Pippa,' and follows the life journey of Captain Balram Mehta, portrayed brilliantly by…
A BOMB blast targeting a Pakistan police van in northwestern Pakistan on Friday (3) killed five civilians and wounded 21 people, officials said. The attack happened in Dera Ismail Khan, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border where militancy has spiked in recent months. "The bomb was…
PEOPLE in New Delhi woke up to a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday (3), and some schools were ordered to be shut for two days as the air quality index (AQI) entered the "severe" category in several parts of the Indian capital. A filthy smog forms over Delhi…
GENERAL elections in Pakistan will be held on February 11, the Election Commission informed the Supreme Court on Thursday (2), putting an end to months-long uncertainty over the polls. The Election Commission of Pakistan’s counsel, Sajeel Swati, said the process of drawing constituencies would be completed by January 29, paving…
QUINTON DE KOCK hit his fourth century of the World Cup while Rassie van der Dussen cracked his second as South Africa thrashed New Zealand by 190 runs on Wednesday (1) to take a step closer to the semi-finals. The Proteas' commanding 357-4 was built on De Kock's 114 and…
PAKISTANI authorities began rounding up undocumented foreigners, most of them Afghans, on Wednesday (1), ahead of a midnight deadline for them to leave or face expulsion. The removal of people to temporary holding centres began a day earlier than previously announced. The interior ministry said 140,322 people had already voluntarily…
PAKISTAN captain Babar Azam said on Tuesday (31) that he still clings onto hope that his team can squeeze into the World Cup semi-finals despite the odds stacked against them. "Yes. We are trying to win our next two matches and let's see where we stand," said Azam after a…
PAKISTAN’S chief of selectors, Inzamam-ul-Haq, resigned on Monday (30) over allegations of a conflict of interest linked to the team’s poor performance at the World Cup in India. Inzamam is reportedly accused of holding a position in a company that has contracted several Pakistan players for marketing and commercial promotions.…
BEAUTIFULLY described as a Bollywood-infused tribute to queer Muslim joy, The Queen Of My Dreams has had successful premieres at major movie festivals in Toronto and London recently, and great acclaim. The feature directorial debut of Fawzia Mirza tells the story of Canadian queer woman Azra, who reconnects with her…
AS A SPECIAL treat in time for Diwali, the Royal Horticultural Society has given Kalpesh and Shailesh Solanki, Eastern Eye’s group managing editor and executive editor respectively, an exclusive guided tour of its famed garden at Wisley in Surrey. The idea is to encourage more British Asians to discover the…
THE New York Times opinion writer, Thomas L Friedman, has reminded the Israeli government of former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh’s wise decision not to retaliate when confronted with the horror of the Mumbai massacre in November 2008. Friedman, who joined the paper in 1981, has won three Pulitzer Prizes.…
VERY few people in the Middle East will be familiar with Sir Keir Starmer, so whether or not the Labour leader calls for a ceasefire in Israel’s military action on Hamas in the Gaza strip is pretty much irrelevant. Even prime minister Rishi Sunak is not really a player. Starmer’s…
In the realm of Indian cinema, where stories are woven with passion, dreams, and drama, a select few films emerge as true blockbusters, transcending borders and boundaries. These movies not only leave an indelible mark on the hearts of audiences but also cross the coveted milestone of earning more than…
SHAHEEN SHAH AFRIDI grabbed three wickets while openers Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique cracked half-centuries as Pakistan stormed to a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh on Tuesday (31) to stay afloat in the race for a World Cup semi-final place. Shaheen's 3-23 helped Pakistan dismiss Bangladesh for just 204 in 45.1…
MORE than 10,000 Afghan migrants rushed to the border on Tuesday (31), the last day of a deadline for 1.7 million Afghans to leave Pakistan voluntarily or face arrest and deportation. The government has said it would begin arresting undocumented Afghans and taking them to new holding centres from Wednesday…
In the heart of Tashkent, a city known for its rich history, stands an Indian restaurant celebrating the legacy of legendary Bollywood actor Raj Kapoor and the love of the Uzbeks for him even 35 years after his death. Styled on the Bollywood theme, the 'Raaj Kapur' restaurant which is…
A spirited Afghanistan upset another former champion on Monday (30) when Hashmatullah Shahidi's men defeated 1996 winners Sri Lanka by seven wickets to continue their memorable campaign at the 50-overs World Cup. Their bowlers had laid the foundation of their third win in six matches when they bowled out Sri…
The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee (PASC) has selected its official submission for Oscar consideration. Directed by Zarrar Kahn and produced by Anam Abbas, the horror film In Flames is being nominated for the International Feature Oscar 2024. The film, which premiered at the Cannes Directors' Fortnight earlier this year, is…
FOREIGN doctors received lower pay and reduced benefits compared to their UK counterparts under a controversial scheme in English hospital trusts, an investigation has revealed. Doctors from outside the UK arrive at NHS trusts as ‘fellows’ under the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges’ medical training initiative (MTI) scheme, spending two-years…
AN illicit trade targeting individuals applying for UK visas from certain parts of South Asia has been growing in the past few years, an investigation revealed. Brokers in these regions are charging exorbitant prices, sometimes up to £800, for appointments that should be freely available, reported The Guardian. The thriving…
In Quetta, an undercover BBC journalist recently encountered a people smuggler named Azam, orchestrating illicit passages out of Pakistan. Azam explained his business model, asserting that individuals aged between 12 and 18 were also viable clients. For a sum of 2.5 million Pakistani rupees ($9000; £7,500), a young man could,…
BILLIONAIRE businessman Elon Musk called Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf a “blatant racist” after watching an edited clip of the Asian politician’s three-year-old speech. The Tesla and SpaceX owner’s comment sparked a storm on social media while Yousaf reacted to his claim by posting a GIF. Musk responded to a…
Aiden Markram played a pivotal role in the crucial match against Pakistan by scoring a significant half-century for South Africa. This victory marked South Africa's first World Cup win against Pakistan in 24 years. The tense one-wicket triumph not only boosted their confidence but also brought them closer to securing…
ZEE5 Global, the world's largest streaming platform for South Asian content, is celebrating the raging success of Gadar 2 as it became the biggest streaming blockbuster on the platform. It was watched in 180+ countries and trended across multiple countries including the US, UK, Australia, UAE, and Canada. The movie…
The popularity of Pakistani singer Atif Aslam is not restricted to just his home country. The singer, who has sung some unforgettable songs for Bollywood films also, is popular in several parts of the world. Atif Aslam is currently celebrating 20 years of his eventful music career and to mark…
PAKISTAN on Thursday (26) gave a last warning to all immigrants staying in the country illegally, including hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals, to leave voluntarily before a November 1 deadline. Interim interior minister Sarfraz Bugti told a news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan was determined to go ahead with…
LATE great maestro Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan connected qawwali music to contemporary audiences in a way no artist had done before and took it across new horizons. Like much of the pathbreaking work he did, this unique collaboration has done just that since it first premiered and returned to…
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,…
FAST rising music star Taha G has made a big impact in a short space of time with more than 25 single and album releases over the past three years. With a growing fanbase around the world, the Pakistani singer/songwriter is turning a childhood dream of music stardom into a…
FEARS are growing that disagreements between rich and poor nations over how to manage a new fund to tackle the “loss and damage” caused by changing weather could throw the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai into disarray. A “transitional committee” working out the details of the fund – which…
INDIA’S competence to stage the Olympics, which prime minister Narendra Modi wants to do, has been questioned by Simon Wilde, cricket correspondent of The Times, who has written a blistering article about the alleged mismanagement of the World Cup currently under way. Wilde took the Board of Control for Cricket…
FORMER captain and cricket pundit Nasser Hussain feels reliance on statistics rather than reading the conditions has led to England’s downfall in the ongoing World Cup, adding that the reigning champions don’t look like a side that can defend its title. England fell to a 229-run loss to South Africa…
PAKISTAN’S 1-0 victory over Cambodia in a World Cup qualifier this week hardly registered on football’s radar yet such was the significance for the national team that manager Stephen Constantine said he had never seen so many grown men cry. A 67th minute goal by Harun Hamid in the second…
FIREWORKS and celebratory gunfire raked Kabul’s skies as Afghans celebrated their stunning eight-wicket cricket World Cup defeat of Pakistan, a rare burst of public jubilation since the Taliban takeover. Hundreds of fans swarmed the streets of the capital late Monday (23), joining a morass of honking car traffic which wardens…
PAKISTAN and China have signed 20 deals during the maiden visit of interim prime minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar to enhance cooperation under the Beijing-backed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to a joint statement last Friday (20). Kakar visited China from last Monday (16) to Friday (20) and attended the Third…
AN International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission will visit Pakistan on November 2 to discuss the first review of the country's current $3 billion standby arrangement (SBA), the lender's resident representative said on Tuesday (24). The south Asian nation is trying to navigate a tricky path to economic recovery under the…
INDIA has said it will treat a reference by Pakistan to Kashmir during a security council meeting on the Israel-Gaza situation with the contempt it deserves and will not dignify it with a response. The remarks by India’s deputy permanent representative at the UN, Ambassador R Ravindra, came on Tuesday…
In an effort to bridge the information gap surrounding menopause experiences for ethnic minority women in the UK, Besins Healthcare has launched new multi-language resources, “Language of Menopause” aimed at fostering better conversations about menopause within diverse communities. Launched on World Menopause Day 2023, (18 October) these digital resources including…
Escatic Afghanistan cricketers celebrated their thrilling win over Pakistan in the ICC World Cup match by grooving to the popular Bollywood number 'Lungi Dance' which features actor Shah Rukh Khan. Afghanistan on Monday registered their second surprise victory in the World Cup and their first-ever win over Pakistan in the…
PAKISTAN'S top court has ruled that military trials of civilians are unconstitutional, a relief for dozens on trial for ransacking military installations during protests in May after the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. The government had said it would use military courts to try the suspects, sparking fears…
AFGHANISTAN put on a superb batting and bowling display to hand Pakistan a stunning eight-wicket defeat in the Cricket World Cup on Monday (23). Chasing a 283-run target, Afghanistan were lifted by Ibrahim Zadran (87), Rahmat Shah (77 not out) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) as they scored 286-2 in 49…
Indian cricketing hero and spin great Bishan Singh Bedi has died aged 77, sports minister Anurag Thakur said Monday, calling it a "huge loss" to the sport. "Former captain of the Indian cricket team, a bowler who was always remembered by the nation, Bishan Singh Bedi, is no more," Thakur,…
The Bombay High Court has ruled against a petition that aimed to ban Pakistani artists from working or performing in India and observed that in order to be a patriot, one does not need to be inimical to those from abroad, especially from the neighbouring country. The plea was filed…
A PAKISTANI court indicted former prime minister Imran Khan and his deputy in an Official Secrets Acts case on Monday (23), his party said, in another blow for the jailed former cricket star ahead of a general election expected in January. The charge is related to a classified cable sent…
THREE-TIME Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif ended four years of self-imposed exile on Saturday (21), launching his political comeback at a rally attended by thousands of rapturous supporters ahead of elections due next year. Fireworks marked his arrival at the event in a park in his power base of Lahore,…
A special court in Pakistan granted permission to the jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan on Wednesday (18) to have a phone conversation with his two sons. Sulaiman Khan and Qasim Khan reside in the UK with their mother Jemima, Imran Khan's ex-wife whom he divorced in 2004. Special Court…
The fourth edition of the Yellowstone International Film Festival (YIFF) is set to kick off on October 22 and will run through October 27 here, the organisers announced Wednesday. The gala, which aims to showcase independent cinema from around the world, will be held in a hybrid format. According to…
INDIA was ranked 111th out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index-2023, but the government rejected the measure as erroneous. The index, released last Thursday (12), also said India has the highest child wasting rate in the world at 18.7 per cent, reflecting acute undernutrition. India ranked 107th out…
HAVING been born into an ultra-religious family, Ejaz Rahi wasn’t supposed to pursue singing or make it a part of his long-term life plan. But music found him through great artists he admired and pushed him towards pursuing his singing passion from a young age. He went from performing cover…
A HIGHER proportion of British Asian children are classed as overweight compared to other groups, according to government data. Experts have expressed concerns over the disproportionate number of youngsters of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin who are having weight problems when they turn 10 or 11. Some 36.2 per cent…
LET’S allow ourselves a bit of artistic licence and imagine Queen Victoria has slipped into the Hammersmith Lyric to take a peek at Tanika Gupta’s play, The Empress, a retelling of the story of her relationship with Abdul Karim and her Indian subjects in general. “We are amused,” the Queen…
PAKISTAN'S powerful army on Tuesday extended its full support to the government's decision to deport all illegal foreigners, including Afghan refugees, from November 1. The caretaker government has set October 31 as the deadline for undocumented immigrants, including around 1.7 million Afghan refugees, to leave the country or risk imprisonment,…
A GROUP of former top US officials and US resettlement organisations on Tuesday (17) urged Pakistan to exempt from deportation to Afghanistan thousands of Afghan applicants for special US visas or refugee relocation to the United States. Pakistan has set a November 1 deadline for all illegal immigrants, including hundreds…
FORMER Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said he is “stronger and fitter than ever” since being jailed two months ago, according to a statement released by his family last Thursday (12). Khan was convicted of graft in August and jailed for three years, with the election commission subsequently banning him…
INDIA’S decision to maintain the current floor price for basmati rice exports will further hamper overseas sales of the premium variety and hit farm income, leaving growers saddled with large stocks of the new-season variety, farmers and millers said. India and Pakistan are the only growers of basmati rice. New…
YOUNG actors Kashif Ghole and Ibraheem Hussain dive straight into the deep end in their debut roles in the coming-of-age play, Brown Boys Swim. The pair play the lead roles of Mohsen and Kash, teenagers ready for university; but, before that, they’re desperate to get into the biggest pool party…
Pakistani actor Ahad Raza Mir, who is known for his work in several successful Pakistani shows including Yeh Dil Mera and Hum Tum, is now experimenting with live theatre in Toronto. The actor is presently in the news for his take on William Shakespeare’s classic novel Hamlet. He plays the…
NETHERLANDS defeated mighty South Africa by 38 runs at the Cricket World Cup on Tuesday (17) as the European outsiders humiliated the Proteas for the second time in a year. Chasing 246 to win from a rain-reduced 43 overs after Dutch captain Scott Edwards made a crucial 78 not out,…
PAKISTAN is looking to tame inflation with fuel price cuts and a price-control mechanism, caretaker prime minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar said on Monday (16). The South Asian country is embarking on a tricky path to economic recovery under a caretaker government after a $3 billion loan programme approved by…
INDIA aims to install the first part of an early warning system at some high-risk glacial lakes in the Himalayas next year, a senior official said on Monday (16), as the country responds to deadly floods this month that killed at least 60 people. There are 56 at-risk glacial lakes…
PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi has confirmed India would bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics and become just the fourth Asian nation to stage the Games. The country has held a session of the International Olympic Committee's executive board, which has already resolved to include cricket - India's most popular…
A PAKISTANI woman who suffered a ‘severe' burn to her lower back in 2015 continues to remain in her vegetative state while her West Yorkshire-based husband and in-laws are facing trial over the serious physical harm. Paramedics found Ambreen Fatima Sheikh unconscious at her family home in Huddersfield in August…
Captain Rohit Sharma's 86 and an inspired bowling display helped India hammer Pakistan by seven wickets in their high-profile World Cup clash at the 132,000-capacity Ahmedabad stadium on Saturday. India bowled out Pakistan for 191 after their rivals collapsed from 155-2. They overhauled the total with 117 balls to spare…
AS the bus crossed Usmanpura, a popular soft-drink brand’s electronic glow-sign board announced the temperature in an innovative manner — Ahmedabad city: 35 degrees. Motera: 37 degrees. By 11 am on Saturday (14), all roads led to the Narendra Modi Stadium for the World Cup’s most-awaited clash — India versus…
Ahead of the most awaited match of the ODI World Cup 2023 between India and Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, actor Anushka Sharma-the wife of Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, Singer Arijit Singh, cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik arrived in Ahmedabad to cheer India…
INDIA skipper Rohit Sharma on Saturday (14) won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in a blockbuster World Cup match expected to be attended by 120,000 fans. Opening batsman Shubman Gill returns to the team and takes the place of Ishan Kishan after recovering from dengue fever…
Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal on Friday said it was a "massive" responsibility to portray the character of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in Meghna Gulzar's Sam Bahadur. The biographical drama chronicles the life and times of Manekshaw, one of India’s greatest war heroes. "It is a massive responsibility firstly to wear…
A contentious debate has arisen in Pakistan over the nation's participation in the upcoming Miss Universe competition. Erica Robin, a 24-year-old Christian woman from Karachi, is set to represent Pakistan at the prestigious event, marking the country's first-ever contestant at the Miss Universe pageant. She is set to represent Pakistan…
CRICKET'S more than 100-year Olympic exile moved closer to ending after the sport was approved for inclusion at the 2028 Los Angeles Games by the International Olympic Committee's executive board on Friday (13). IOC president Thomas Bach, speaking after the second day of an executive board meeting in Mumbai, said…
This Sunday, October 14, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is set to host the much-anticipated match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. Apart from thousands of fans, a number of celebrities from various walks of life are also set to attend the…
BUOYED by a record run chase, Babar Azam's Pakistan are on the hunt for their first ever World Cup win over India in Saturday's (14) blockbuster match between cricket's biggest rivals in a 132,000-capacity arena patrolled by 11,000 police officers. India and Pakistan are bitter adversaries and only play against…
Cricket fans have been waiting for the hotly anticipated India- Pakistan cricket match with bated breath. And now, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has added more excitement to the much-awaited clash and fans will be greeted by a special performance by well-known Indian playback singer Arijit…
CRICKET fever has gripped Ahmedabad ahead of Saturday's (14) World Cup group stage clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan and a visit to the hospitals near the venue of the match in the western Indian city clearly shows the degree of excitement. Quite a few of the hospitals have seen…
INDIAN and several other ethnic groups improved their position relative to white British pupils in England since the pandemic in terms of attainment. According to the Education Policy Institute’s latest annual report, pupils of Indian ethnicity were 8.8 months ahead of their white British classmates by the end of primary…
MORE debris and suspected human remains have been recovered from a privately owned submersible which failed catastrophically in June while on a mission to the Titanic, the US Coast Guard said. All five people on board the recreational sub, named Titan and operated by US-based company OceanGate, were killed when…
PAKISTAN’S Supreme Court has upheld a controversial law seeking to curtail the powers of the chief justice but barred its retrospective application. The law upheld by the majority of judges, including the sitting chief justice, deprived the chief justice of forming benches for different cases as the new law provided…
Actor Akshay Kumar, who has often faced criticism over his Canadian citizenship, surprised everyone on India’s Independence Day this year by announcing that he has reclaimed Indian citizenship. Sharing his story about Canadian citizenship, he told ANI, "I became a Canadian because my films were not doing well at one…
POPULAR actor Sunny Deol has scored one of this year’s biggest Bollywood successes with Gadar 2. The Hindi cinema hardman also made it 40 years in Bollywood recently and will celebrate his 67th birthday on October 19. Eastern Eye decided to mark all the occasions by putting together a watchlist…
PAKISTAN and China have agreed to invite third parties to participate in the $60 billion (£48.86bn) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, a top Pakistani diplomat has said. The state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported that the country’s ambassador to China, Moinul Haque,…
BRITISH Indians are among the happiest people in the country, who feel they have worthwhile lives, according to government research. They scored 7.67 in their average happiness score which was the second highest after the Asian Other category - compared to 7.64 for those of Bangladeshi origin, 7.57 for people…
PAKISTAN's batting hero Mohammad Rizwan said his team was confident of achieving a World Cup record chase against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad, clinching Tuesday's (10) match by six wickets. Rizwan scored 131 not out and in the company of opener Abdullah Shafique (113) set the platform for chasing a daunting…
PAKISTAN will appoint an adviser to draft a plan to privatise its money-losing national airline, the caretaker government’s privatisation minister Fawad Hasan Fawad said on Tuesday (10). The outgoing coalition government said in August that Pakistan International Airline (PIA) will be privatised together with the outsourcing of operations at three…
BOOKER Prize-winning Indian novelist Arundhati Roy could be prosecuted for a 2010 speech about Kashmir after a top official signed off on the move, local media reported. Roy, 61, is one of India's most famous living authors, but her writing and activism, including her trenchant criticism of prime minister Narendra…
MINISTERS and the media are contributing to hate crime against British Muslims, according to politicians and community leaders. Last week (5) saw a nine per cent year-on-year increase in reported religious hate crime figures. Politicians, religious leaders and campaigning groups are urging them to stop demonising Muslims. Of the almost…
MOHAMMAD RIZWAN and Abdullah Shafique clubbed centuries as Pakistan chased down the highest target in World Cup history to beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in Hyderabad on Tuesday (10). The diminutive Rizwan overcame leg cramps to score a 121-ball 131 not out while Shafique hit a 103-ball 113 as…
Pakistan said last Friday (6) that it would repatriate all illegal immigrants including hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals in orderly phases rather than in one go. Pakistan's announcement last Tuesday (3) of a November 1 deadline for people to leave or face forcible expulsion has frayed already soured relations…
Adventurer Namira Salim became the first Pakistani to travel into space last Friday (6), riding aboard Virgin Galactic's fifth successful flight in five months, the US company announced. Salim, who previously travelled to both poles and has also parachuted over Mount Everest, was among the first customers to buy a…
Influencer and doctor Mehrub Moiz Awan recounts numerous instances of harassment she has faced since becoming the outspoken representative of Pakistan's queer community. A well-coordinated digital hate campaign, fuelled by the religious right, has endangered transgender individuals, jeopardising their legal rights and their lives. "It became quite vicious where there…
MINISTERS have been asked to remove barriers in the finance industry so that small and medium enterprises can access funds and grow to their full potential. In a submission to the Treasury Select Committee last month, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) made recommendations to support women and…
Cricket could feature in the Olympics for the first time since 1900 after organisers of the 2028 Los Angeles Games on Monday (9) recommended its inclusion. In a statement, LA28 listed the Twenty20 version of cricket as one of the proposed 'new' sports alongside baseball/softball, flag football - a non-contact…
Pakistani film In Flames won the Best Feature award at the International South Asian Film Festival Canada. In partnership with Zarrar Kahn and Mohammad Ali Hashmi, the official Instagram account of the film shared the news with fans. The caption on the post read, “We won Best Feature! Thank you…
A 74-YEAR-OLD man accused of being involved in the killing of police constable Sharon Beshenivsky 18 years ago has pleaded not guilty to her murder. Piran Ditta Khan, extradited from Pakistan, however, admitted to one charge of robbery on the day of the West Yorkshire Police officer’s murder but denied…
PAKISTAN'S Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel hit identical half-centuries in an otherwise underwhelming batting effort in their World Cup opener against the Netherlands on Friday (6), before the bowlers sealed a routine 81-run win for the 1992 champions. Faced with an achievable target of 287, the Dutch looked on course…
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…
Blockbuster Bollywood film Gadar 2 is now available on ZEE5 Global, the world's largest streaming platform for South Asian content. After a successful theatrical run in India and still counting, the film is set for another successful innings on the digital platform. Produced by Zee Studios and directed by Anil…
The man behind Maqbool, Omkara, and Haider says he's a little troubled by Shakespeare's imprint on his work and might wait another 10 years to get back to the bard. But the Vishal Bhardwaj-William Shakespeare connect might just be too strong for that. A scene in Bhardwaj's latest film Khufiya,…
Applause Entertainment and Zindagi, which had earlier announced their maiden series Farar with Joyland star Sarwat Gilani, have teamed up for a new project. Titled The Pink Shirt, the eight-episode series stars well-known Pakistani actors Sajal Aly and Wahaj Ali in lead roles. Directed by Kashif Nisar and written by…
AT LEAST 14 people were killed and 102 are missing after heavy rains caused a Himalayan glacial lake in northeast India to burst its banks, and rescuers were being hampered by washed out bridges and fast flowing rivers, said officials on Thursday (5). The Lhonak lake in Sikkim state burst…
INDIAN trailblazer Neeraj Chopra added Asian Games gold to his Olympic and world titles in javelin on Wednesday (4) as his nation celebrated its biggest medal haul at the continental showpiece in Hangzhou. India's first Olympic athletics champion threw 88.88 metres, more than 0.70m further than Budapest where the 25-year-old…
SRI LANKA president Ranil Wickremesinghe has ruled out having an international-aided independent probe into the 2019 Easter bombings that were carried out by a local Islamist extremist group. Nine suicide bombers from to the National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ), linked to Daesh (Islamic State group), were behind a series of blasts…
AN ACTION-PACKED year of live music has seen blockbuster concerts from huge international names and despite there only being three months left, there is still plenty to look forward to before 2023 ends. With that in mind, Eastern Eye prepared a preview of some great live music events to look…
EXPLOSIVE opener Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed seven sixes in a sublime maiden T20 century as India’s men opened their first Asian Games campaign with a 23-run defeat of gutsy Nepal on Tuesday (3). Pakistan also reached the semifinals, crushing Hong Kong by 68 runs, with experienced all-rounder Khushdil Shah taking 3-13.…
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan recently tied the knot with her long-time beau Salim Karim. On Tuesday, the actress shared the first picture from her dreamy wedding with her husband in which they look like a regal couple. Taking to Instagram, Mahira shared the picture and wrote, “Bismillah.” In the romantic…
PAKISTAN on Tuesday (3) ordered all illegal immigrants, including 1.73 million Afghan nationals, to leave the country or face expulsion after revealing that 14 of 24 suicide bombings in the country this year were carried out by Afghan nationals. It was not immediately clear how Pakistani authorities could ensure the…
ENGLAND hope to ride their formidable batting firepower to a second successive World Cup title but if India's crafty spinners and sprightly pace attack can fully exploit home conditions the country's cricket-mad fans could have something to celebrate. Since failing to make it out of the pool phase at the…
INDIA target a third World Cup when cricket's global showpiece gets underway on Thursday (5) with the country buoyed by a growing, international self-confidence and with a sport which unites and divides the sub-continent like no other on the verge of joining the Olympic elite. The epic tournament features 10…
Pakistani star Mahira Khan has tied the knot with businessman Salim Karim in an intimate ceremony in the resort town of Bhurban, Pakistan. Mahira's manager, Anushay Talha Khan, confirmed the news on her Instagram Stories with a video of the Raees star walking down the aisle. The short clip opens with…
INDIA's squash team celebrated a gold medal gained in dramatic circumstances on Saturday (30) when Abhay Singh came back from two match points down to win the deciding game and so beat rivals Pakistan in the Asian Games men's team final. After a topsy-turvy final that both sets of players…
A feature film based on the tragic story behind OceanGate's Titan submersible is being developed by Blackening producer E Brian Dobbins and MindRiot Entertainment. According to entertainment news outlet Deadline, Dobbins will serve as a co-producer on the fiction project, which will be penned by MindRiot's Justin MacGregor and Jonathan Keasey.…
SUICIDE bombings ripped through two mosques in Pakistan on Friday (29), killing at least 57 people, including seven children, as believers marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, police and health officials said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, from which the death toll could climb, with many…
1497, the nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting South Asian filmmakers, has announced Mira Nair, Geeta Malik, and Minhal Baig as mentors for its third Features Lab. The Lab’s first year was held virtually, while the second year was hybrid, held virtually and in-person. For its third year, 1497…
THE success rates of ethnic minority led businesses are lower compared to those of their white counterparts despite their enormous contribution to the economy, a new report has revealed. The report called for strong engagement between business leaders, the government and people from ethnic minority backgrounds to boost diversity in…
AT LEAST 52 people were killed and more than 50 injured on Friday (29) in a suicide attack on a religious gathering to mark the birthday of Prophet Mohammed in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, health officials and police said. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast, which comes amid…
DISILLUSIONED retailers have told Eastern Eye they have stopped reporting crime after a lack of action by the police. Violence and abuse against those working in retail, including racial and sexual attacks, physical assault and threats with weapons have almost doubled from pre-pandemic levels to over 850 per day, according…
FAST-FASHION brand Boohoo is believed to have evinced an interest in stepping up its investment in Pakistan. Caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar met Boohoo Group chairman Mahmud Kamani last week and asked the British entrepreneur to augment his firm’s presence in the south Asian country, according to a Radio Pakistan…
India-China relations have remained in an "abnormal state" since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, which external affairs minister S. Jaishankar has described as a "possibly longer than medium-term issue". He has also emphasised that none of Beijing's explanations for the buildup of its forces along the LAC are truly justifiable.…
AN INDEPENDENT regulator and investment in talent pathways for children from disadvantaged backgrounds are among the initiatives that will be implemented by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in its efforts to make cricket more inclusive, after a report found widespread discrimination across the sport. The ECB published its…
THE Indian government freed Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and influential separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, last Friday (22) after more than four years of house arrest. The 50-year-old was detained along with other political leaders and thousands of residents when the government cancelled the region’s constitutional semi-autonomy and imposed federal…
PAKISTAN is striving to get donors to release $10 billion (£8.22bn) in pledges to help it recover from devastating floods by launching rebuilding projects that hinge on the funding, care taker prime minister Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar said last Friday (22). Donors from around the world stepped up after Pakistan was hammered…
THE Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last Thursday (21) announced a general election for January, almost three months later than scheduled, removing political uncertainty over the timing to help salvage a falling economy. Elections were due to be held in November, but were delayed due to fresh demarcation of constituencies…
AMIR KHAN, the TV doctor, admits that he delved into parts of his own life in writing his first novel, How (Not) To Have An Arranged Marriage. Khan is a familiar figure to audiences, with regular appearances on Lorraine, This Morning and Good Morning Britain. He has also been in…
THE annual BFI London Film Festival celebrates cinema from around the world and like every year there is strong south Asian representation, from diverse backgrounds. Eastern Eye decided to get you ready for the marvellous movie feast, which runs from next Wednesday (4) until October15, with a preview of south…
ROHIT SHARMA's India face "humongous" expectations from fans in their cricket-crazy nation to end a world title drought by winning the World Cup at home. India's last major title was the 2013 Champions Trophy, which came after Mahendra Singh Dhoni lifted the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai. The 50-over marquee…
PAKISTAN captain Babar Azam does not think lack of familiarity with Indian conditions would hurt their bid for a second ODI World Cup title as they embarked on a rare tour of the neighbouring country on Tuesday (26). Bilateral cricket remains suspended between the two sides, thanks to their soured…
ASIAN visitors to the Royal Academy may be baffled, possibly even a little scandalised, by Marina Abramovic’s solo exhibition. Born in 1946 in then Yugoslavia, she is credited with bringing performance art into the mainstream. In a career lasting 55 years, she has pushed her own body to the extremes…
PAKISTAN has received its first shipment of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from Russia, Moscow's embassy in Islamabad said on Tuesday (26), marking Islamabad's second major Russian energy purchase. The shipment, which the embassy said was delivered with Iranian help, comes after Pakistan received its first-ever delivery of Russian crude under…
China has refused to further expand cooperation in the areas of energy, water management, and climate change under the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it emerged on Tuesday (26) signalling a strain in the 'ironclad' friendship between the allies. Cash-strapped Pakistan also gave up its opposition to setting up a…
PAKISTAN said on Monday (25) it was investigating two local distributors of Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche's Avastin cancer drug after 12 diabetic patients injected with the drug went blind. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) said the health authorities in Punjab, the most populous province, had launched the investigation…
PAKISTAN's first warm-up match ahead of the World Cup will be played behind closed doors in Hyderabad for security reasons, India's cricket board (BCCI) said. Babar Azam and his men will meet 2019 runners-up New Zealand on Friday (29) but fans will not be allowed inside the stadium in Hyderabad…
A SPECIAL court in Pakistan on Tuesday (26) extended the judicial remand of former prime minister Imran Khan for another 14 days in the Cipher case. Khan, also the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was arrested last month after a case was filed against him for allegedly violating…
Majority of television shows in Pakistan revolve around patriarchal tropes, but a new offering titled Razia, which has actress Mahira Khan playing the lead role, takes a different approach and goes against the prevalent narrative. Khan recently appeared on a talk show as a part of promotions and addressed how…
MIGRANTS from Bangladesh are more likely to report a religious affiliation than any other group living in England and Wales, according official figures. Analysis of the 2021 Census data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that 94.9 per cent migrants from the south Asian country reported a…
INDIA struck gold on their Asian Games cricket debut when they beat in-form Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the women's final in Hangzhou on Monday (25). "It's a gold medal for the whole of India," said batter Richa Ghosh. Batting first, India reached 116-7 in their 20 overs with…
