- Tuesday, October 03, 2023
CONSERVATIVES opened their annual conference on Sunday (1), with the party's chairman conceding they were "the underdogs" heading into a general election expected next year amid widespread economic woes. The gathering in Manchester will be prime minister Rishi Sunak's first since he became Tory leader last October, and likely the…
Les Dennis and his dance partner Nancy Xu have become the first couple to be eliminated from BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing 2023 on Sunday night. When last week’s and this week’s scores and votes were combined, Les and Nancy were placed in the dance-off against presenter Nikita Kanda and…
TORIES started its annual conference Sunday (1), bidding to kickstart a resurgence before a general election expected next year that it is currently on track to lose. The four-day gathering in Manchester, northwest England, will be prime minister Rishi Sunak's first since he became Tory leader last October, and likely…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak has expressed his admiration for the country's 'fantastic multicultural democracy', directly contrasting the recent comments made by home secretary Suella Braverman, who claimed that multiculturalism had failed. Braverman faced criticism from fellow Tory MPs after she asserted during a speech to a right-wing US thinktank that…
Radio host and TV presenter Nikita Kanda is one among the 15 celebrity contestants who are leaving no stone unturned to become ruler of the ballroom on the latest edition of Strictly Come Dancing. During Wednesday’s episode, Kanda opened up about her upcoming Week 2 performance to Beyoncé’s song “Single…
The hotly anticipated 2023 edition of Strictly Come Dancing returned to screens on Saturday with a bang and saw 15 celebrities perform for the first time in their couples. Everyone performed to their full potential, but it was well-known journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy who left judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood,…
There is growing concern among the Conservative party regarding Rishi Sunak's recent policy surge amid ongoing political challenges. Many within the party wonder if the sudden flurry of initiatives constitutes a coherent strategy or is a sign of panic. As world leaders convened at the UN climate summit in New…
CANADIAN prime minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation on Tuesday (19) that the Indian government was behind the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada led to an escalating war-of-words and diplomats being ejected from both countries. India described as “absurd” Trudeau’s claims that “credible allegations” linked Indian agents to the June…
Actress Anya Chalotra, who shot to fame with her role in the successful Netflix fantasy series The Witcher, has signed on to headline an exciting project. She is set to play one of the leads in the new musical Cold War, which will open at the Almeida this autumn. Joining…
FROM tapping out rhythms as a baby to pursuing a professional career as a composer, sound artist, producer, performer, and educator, Jason Singh has had a lifelong connection to music. By using drums, percussion, voice, nature, electronics, DJ culture and technology across all art forms, he has used his obsession…
Suella Braverman ceased the yearly inspections of immigration detention facilities like Brook House last year, shortly after government ministers were directly alerted about the lack of protection for vulnerable individuals, including torture victims, the immigration watchdog has revealed. The disclosure was made by David Neal, the independent chief inspector of…
Rishi Sunak is set to announce the delay of certain government policies aimed at achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 in an upcoming speech this week, citing the need for a more "proportionate" response to climate change. In a highly unusual late-night statement after reports that he was planning to row…
An Antiques Roadshow guest wiped away tears when he learned that the war medal, his father received during World War II holds an astonishing value of £250,000. The man, whose father, Sikh soldier Naik Gian Singh, was honoured for his actions in Burma (now Myanmar) during the Second World War,…
SMALL SHOP owners across the UK are voicing growing concerns over an alarming increase in shoplifting incidents, with many citing a lack of police response and a rising sense of impunity among criminals as the root causes of the issue, reported the BBC. Benedict Selvaratnam, a convenience store owner in…
In the southern Indian state of Karnataka, police arrested a 78-year-old man, Ganapati Vitthal Wagore, who had been accused of stealing two buffaloes and a calf back in 1965 when he was 20 years old, the BBC reported. At the time, he was initially arrested for the alleged theft alongside…
THE G20 Summit in New Delhi has positioned India as a key player in the global arena, edging closer to becoming the 'leader of the Global South,' according to analysts. The two-day summit, which concluded on Sunday (10), showcased India's leadership as it championed initiatives aimed at countering the ascendancy…
A judge in Pakistan has issued a ruling to transfer five children who were taken to Pakistan with a fugitive couple wanted over the death of a 10-year-old girl in Britain to a government-run childcare facility, reported the BBC. The children were discovered at Sara's grandfather's residence, where he wished…
After nearly six decades in operation, a family-owned business specialising in traditional Asian dresses is set to close its doors as the owner, Kishor Chauhan, plans to retire. Milans, originally established in Leicester's Highfields area in 1964 to cater to the needs of newcomers from India and Pakistan, later relocated…
PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak said he had spoken with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi about the continued detention of a British Sikh human rights campaigner in the south Asian country. Jagtar Singh Johal was arrested in the northern state of Punjab when he was shopping with his wife in November…
Former British soldier suspected of terrorism offenses, who had escaped from prison earlier in the week, was arrested in London on Saturday (9), police said. The absconder, 21-year-old Daniel Abed Khalife, had fled from Wandsworth prison in London on Wednesday (6) morning. He managed to slip out of the prison…
Over the past year, India has been buzzing with anticipation as the country prepares to host the G20 summit, an event that is being touted as one of the most high-profile in recent memory. With a budget exceeding $100 million, India has spared no expense in organising this prestigious gathering.…
BRITISH police said they had issued an urgent appeal to find a former soldier suspected of terrorism offences who went on the run after escaping from a London prison on Wednesday (6). Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, who was being held in prison while he awaited trial, is believed to have…
AFTER many years in journalism, Suchandrika Chakrabarti found her true calling with comedy in January 2020. Since then, she has beautifully balanced stand-up comedy with writing for popular shows like Radio 4’s The News Quiz and BBC One’s Have I Got News For You. She took her live debut I…
IN TERMS of ability, longevity, versatility, body of work and global impact, Asha Bhosle is regarded by most as India’s greatest singer of all time. Born on September 8, 1933, the most recorded artist in history changed the face of commercial music in India and entertained countless people across different…
THE death of the 10-year-old Woking girl Sara Sharif was an “accident”, her grandfather claimed. Sara was found dead in her family home in the early hours of August 10 and a post-mortem examination could not establish how she died. But it revealed she had suffered “multiple and extensive injuries”…
Actor Sacha Dhawan, who is known for Doctor Who and The Great, Wolf, has been roped in to play the title role in a new BBC detective series Virdee. The six-part series is the screen adaptation of pharmacist A.A. Dhand’s bestselling Harry Virdee crime novels that follow an enigmatic detective.…
Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who is best known as the lead anchor of Channel 4 News, has revealed what led him to finally sign up to compete on the popular dance reality show Strictly Come Dancing. Produced by BBC Studios, the popular show will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this…
A social media influencer and her mother were sentenced to jail last Friday (1), after being convicted of the "callous and cold-blooded" murder of two men, whose car was forced off a dual carriageway in a high-speed chase and caught fire. Leicester crown court judge Timothy Spencer KC sentenced Mahek…
Stephanie Williams, the mother of a 12-year-old daughter named Sunnah Khan, who tragically drowned off Bournemouth beach, shared how the devastating loss has profoundly affected her family. Sunnah is believed to have been caught in a rip current near the town's main pier, leading to her unfortunate demise, the BBC…
THE government on Thursday (31) named Claire Coutinho as secretary of state for energy security and net zero, replacing Grant Shapps who was named defence secretary. Coutinho, who is the first member of parliament elected in 2019 to be promoted to the cabinet, was previously a junior minister in the…
India has conveyed a strong protest to China regarding an unveiled map that asserts ownership over Indian territory. The map, made public by China's ministry of natural resources on Monday (28), shows the disputed Aksai Chin plateau and the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of China's territory, the…
BRITISH Asian stand-up Ahir Shah won the best show award at the 2023 Edinburgh Comedy Awards for his show Ends. Shah, who was previously nominated for the top comedy prize at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2017 and 2018, dedicated the prize to his wife-tobe, and to his late director…
THE air traffic control glitch which caused thousands of flight cancellations and delays into and out of Britain on Monday (28) has been fixed and there will be no repeat of the issue, said the head of the country's air traffic control provider, NATS. Thousands of passengers are stranded abroad…
TRANSPORT secretary Mark Harper said it would take days to resolve the widespread disruption to flights into and out of the country after air traffic control systems were hit by a technical problem. Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed on Monday (28) - one of the UK's busiest travel…
Authorities in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have taken the step of closing a private school following an incident where a teacher instructed her students to slap a Muslim classmate. Neha Public School in Khubbapur village was subjected to closure by officials who cited its failure to meet the…
British Asian stand-up Ahir Shah has won the Best Show award at the 2023 Edinburgh Comedy Awards for his show Ends. Shah, who had previously been nominated for the top comedy prize at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2017 and 2018, dedicated the prize to his wife-to-be, and to his…
The annual Vogue 25 list has been a platform to honour remarkable women who are driving British society forward since its establishment in 2018. According to British Vogue, this year's lineup is not only incredibly impressive but also features pioneering individuals achieving success on their own terms, including some renowned…
SARA SHARIF, found murdered in a Woking home earlier this month, had been seen with “cuts and bruises” to her face at her Byfleet school during spring, media reports said.Surrey Police who discovered the 10-year-old girl’s body in the early hours of August 10, believe her father Urfan Sharif, his…
PRAFUL PATEL, who has died in Mumbai, aged 84, made a startling claim about the Ugandan Asian crisis in his last interview with Eastern Eye. He revealed that the British government was aware that Idi Amin was planning to expel Uganda’s entire Asian population before the African dictator made his…
ENGLAND’S performance in the just concluded football women’s World Cup final will help create a “really rich pipeline” of future talent, an influential Asian leader said, as others predicted a positive legacy despite the Lionesses’ defeat last Sunday (20). Spain beat European champions England 1-0 in the final match in…
NEW figures have revealed that Slough in Berkshire is among the worst offenders for having the largest budget shortfall of any local authority in the country, writes James Moules. Data from the BBC’s Shared Data Unit compared local authority areas as the collective black hole in council finances has ballooned…
THE search is on to locate the father of a 10-year-old girl who was found dead in a house in Woking, Surrey, reported the BBC. Surrey Police on Friday (18) confirmed that they want to speak to Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfan’s brother,…
The decision to review the sentence of a speeding driver who caused the death of a pregnant woman has been welcomed by the family. Frankie Jules-Hough, aged 38, lost her life when Adil Iqbal crashed into her car at a speed of 123mph while recording himself driving. Jules-Hough was in…
Actress Nina Wadia, who has several successful titles to her credit including the very popular EastEnders and Goodness Gracious Me, will play Fairy Sugarsnap in York Theatre Royal’s family pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk from 8 December 2023 to 7 January 2024. Tickets are already on sale, and start from…
THE cause of death of a 10-year-old Woking girl is “still to be established” as the outcome of a post-mortem examination remained inclusive.Police said further tests were required to establish how she died. The girl is not formally identified, although she is locally named Sara, daughter of taxi driver Urfan…
PREPARATIONS are in full swing for the installation of a new public artwork in Belgrave, Leicester, to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of Ugandan Asians to the city, a statement said. Midlands-based Ugandan Asian artist of Gujarati origin, Anuradha Patel, was selected to create the sculpture, which will…
THOSE who pursue romantic love across boundaries of caste, religion or class in India are even today “just asking to be murdered”, says the historian Joya Chatterji, emeritus professor of South Asian History at Cambridge University. She has given several examples of love leading to murder in her new book,…
A CITY which has one of the country’s largest and youngest south Asian communities has become a hotspot for Hollywood producers and music chiefs. Bradford in Yorkshire, famous for its textile mills and the setting for Riz Ahmed film Four Lions, was named the UK’s City of Culture in 2025…
AUTHOR Zanib Mian said she wanted to give readers “a window into the lives of everyday Muslims” with her new children’s book, Meet the Maliks – Twin Detectives. Aimed at primary school children, the story revolves around twins Maysa and Musa Malik who set out to solve the mystery of…
THE government’s recent anti-lawyer rhetoric is not new. It has used this in the past, unfairly describing lawyers as “lefty” and “activist.” This loose language is damaging to the vast majority of lawyers who work hard to uphold the rule of law and act in the best interests of their…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak on Tuesday (15) said that he was 'frustrated' over reports of a criminal winning funding to house migrants in Milton Keynes. The BBC on Monday (14) reported that the owner of Harben House Hotel in Newport Pagnell was convicted of offences linked to the operation of houses of…
AN international manhunt has continued over the murder of a 10-year-old Woking girl, locally identified as Sara. The daughter of Pakistan-origin taxi driver Urfan Sharif was found dead in her family house in Horsell in the early hours of Thursday (10) after police officers received a “call for concern”. The…
Aiming to enhance early cancer detection, NHS authorities are set to eliminate approximately two-thirds of their cancer waiting time targets. The intention is to streamline the existing nine targets down to three, with the support of renowned cancer experts and the objective of modernising outdated standards, the BBC reported. However,…
Just days after he was announced as the eighth contestant of the much-anticipated Strictly Come Dancing, Adam Thomas has revealed that he has been diagnosed with a long-term health condition. The Waterloo actor, who has already begun his training as he joins Les Dennis, Bobby Brazier, Angela Rippon, and many…
Ministers are confronting renewed demands to address the escalating boat crossings in the Channel, prompted by the tragic sinking of the vessel off the French coast on Saturday (12) that resulted in the loss of six migrant lives. The Labour Party has accused the government of being outmaneuvered by people…
The government said the strike launched by hospital doctors in England on Friday (11) to demand a 35-per cent pay increase served "only to harm patients". The four-day stoppage comes with health chiefs estimating that the repeated industrial action had cost the health service £1 billion. The British Medical Association…
SCOTTISH comedian and celebrity chef Hardeep Singh Kohli has been arrested and charged with “non-recent” sexual offences. Police Scotland said in a statement that the 54-year-old man, “arrested and charged in connection with allegations of non-recent sexual offences,” was released on an undertaking to appear in court at a later…
WHEN author Shelina Janmohamed couldn’t find any relevant books on the British empire for her two young daughters, she decided to write her own book, titled Story of Now – Let’s Talk About the British Empire. Her two daughters, aged nine and five at the time, were keen to learn…
CHANNEL 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been announced as a celebrity contestant for Strictly Come Dancing’s 21st series. Produced by BBC Studios, the popular show will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn. The news was revealed on Strictly presenter Claudia Winkleman’s show on BBC Radio 2 last…
BBC journalist and presenter, Samira Ahmed, has revealed that she was motivated to file a sex discrimination lawsuit against the corporation due to Madonna's influence. She won a landmark judgment against the BBC in 2020 after arguing that she was underpaid in comparison to Jeremy Vine. Ahmed said that witnessing…
Radio host and TV presenter Nikita Kanda and actor and TV presenter Adam Thomas have been confirmed as celebrity participants in the much-anticipated 21st season of Strictly Come Dancing. The critically acclaimed entertainment show, created by BBC Studios, is scheduled to return in the autumn on both BBC One and…
Former EastEnders star Nina Wadia has revealed that she was asked for a selfie while she was in labour. The actress, who impressed critics and audiences with her performance as Zainab Masood on the BBC soap EastEnders for six years, has said that she was shocked to be stopped by…
THE Apprentice star Lord Sugar has parted ways with two entrepreneurs, including the reality show winner Harpreet Kaur, in quick succession.While Kaur bought back shares in her desserts firm Oh So Yum! from Lord Sugar, it is also revealed that his investment in young entrepreneur Amani Zubair’s online jewellery business…
Strictly Come Dancing has announced Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy as the fourth celebrity contestant for its much-awaited 21st series. Produced by BBC Studios, the popular dance show will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn. The news was revealed on Strictly presenter Claudia Winkleman’s show on…
A social media influencer, Mahek Bukhari, 24, and her mother, Ansreen Bukhari, 46, from Tunstall in Stoke-on-Trent have been found guilty of the murder of two men, Saqib Hussain and Hashim Ijazuddin, both 21, who died when their car was deliberately rammed off the road near Leicester in February 2022.…
A group of 20 injured Indian crew members successfully returned to India after being rescued from a significant fire outbreak on a cargo vessel transporting approximately 3,800 cars off the coast of the Netherlands. One crew member was tragically killed in the incident, and the sailor’s mortal remains are currently…
A video of a comment made by Sudha Murty, a well-known author, philanthropist, and educator, regarding her food habits has sparked a debate about vegetarianism on social media, the BBC reported. Murty 72, made a remark about her food habits on a popular food show called "Khaane Mein Kya Hai?"…
LATA MANGESHKAR, the “Nightingale of India”, died in February last year, aged 92, but her songs definitely live on. This became apparent when a 31-yearold singer from Mumbai, Palak Muchhal, and her brother, Palash Muchhal, three years younger, sang many of her golden oldies at a proms concert at the…
THE CNN show of Indian American author and political commentator Fareed Zakaria and a programme by BBC’S south Asia and Afghanistan correspondent Yogita Limaye is among those nominated for the 44th Annual News and Documentary Emmy awards. Zakaria’s show Fareed Zakaria GPS got the nod in the outstanding news discussion…
MOHAMMAD Kamal Syed has been appointed interim chief executive of NatWest's private banking arm Coutts to succeed Peter Flavel who resigned over the Nigel Farage scandal."Mo has extensive wealth management experience and is the ideal person to lead Coutts through this difficult time…," NatWest's interim CEO Paul Thwaite said on…
WHO were the first Asian faces that you remember featuring regularly on television? Beyond the specialist Asian community programmes on a Sunday morning, there were pretty slim pickings across the ‘eighties. The Eastenders portrayal of everyday East London life would depict one Asian family at a time in Albert Square,…
In a court hearing, it was revealed that a 21-year-old man named Jaswant Singh Chail, who was armed with a crossbow and who had entered the grounds of Windsor Castle on Christmas Day with the intention of "killing" the late Queen had also planned to kill guards at the castle. However,…
The Metropolitan Police has rebailed a 46-year-old woman who was arrested in connection with a car crash at a Wimbledon school on July 6, the BBC reported. The crash resulted in the tragic deaths of two eight-year-old girls, Selena Lau, and Nuria Sajjad after a Land Rover Defender crashed into…
In a tragic incident on a train travelling from Jaipur to Mumbai, a constable with India's Railway Protection Force (RPF) has been arrested for shooting dead four people the BBC reported. The accused, identified as Chetan Kumar Choudhary, first targeted Tikaram Meena, an assistant sub-inspector with the RPF, and then…
BUSINESSWOMAN and anti-Brexit campaigner, Gina Miller, has said that access to banking for new parties needed in ‘functioning democracy’. Her comments came after Monzo informed Miller that a bank account for her political party, True and Fair party, would be closed in September. The bank initially refused to tell the…
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) on Friday announced its nominees for the 44th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards. CNN led the nominees with 47 nods, while Vice News followed with 30. ABC and PBS tied with 26 nominations each, CBS earned 20 nods, while NBC…
THE UK government is planning to house migrants in tents to help deal with any surge in small boats crossing the Channel in the coming months, British media reported Friday (28). Tents able to house up to 2,000 migrants have been purchased by the Home Office, which plans to erect…
First minister Humza Yousaf of Scotland has unveiled a plan for citizenship and passports in the event of an independent Scotland. The proposal, titled "Citizenship in an independent Scotland," outlines the rights and entitlements of citizens, migrants, and British nationals following the country's potential departure from the union. The prospectus…
England is expected to witness a surge in the number of people living with major health conditions, which will rise nine times faster than the healthy working-age population, according to projections by the Health Foundation. The analysis reveals that by 2040 nearly one in five people will have health conditions…
Sometimes Americans forget that what they consider "normal” is not usual outside their borders. This doesn't mean American habits are wrong; we're just saying that they attract attention from the rest of the world. We tell you about the most surprising practices they consider normal and that surprise the rest…
THERE is a scene in the second half of Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors when Rabia Yahya is trying to get out of the burning building. She wears a hijab, is pregnant and has three little children with her as thick black smoke is coming up the stairwell and…
The chief executive of NatWest Bank Alison Rose, announced her resignation on Wednesday (26), acknowledging a "serious error of judgment" in speaking to a reporter regarding the banking matters of Nigel Farage, a prominent advocate for Brexit. Farage, known for his leadership of the Brexit Party and UKIP, raised concerns…
An Indian man named Abraham A, a former paramilitary soldier from Kerala made a remarkable discovery in 2020. While taking a bath, he noticed a peculiar “red thread in the bucket.” To his surprise, the thread was moving, prompting him to investigate further. He placed the mysterious creature, later identified…
LABOUR’S failure to take former prime minister Boris Johnson’s old parliamentary seat in the by-election last week shows the party still has a long way to go to win power, leader Sir Keir Starmer said last Saturday (22). The party won in Selby and Ainsty, a once-safe Conservative parliamentary seat…
INDIA’S Tata Group confirmed it will build an electric vehicle battery plant in Britain to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories, delivering a major boost for a UK car industry in need of domestic battery production to help secure its future. The announcement marks Britain’s biggest move in the car…
The burning of a Qu’ran outside the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen by a group known as "Danish Patriots" on Monday (24) has sparked severe condemnation from Iraq and multiple other Muslim-majority nations. The far-right group had also live-streamed a similar act on Facebook on Friday (21), further fuelling tensions. Protesters…
BBC newsreader and presenter Fiona Bruce has paid tribute to her colleague and friend, George Alagiah, who passed away on Monday (24), aged 67. "He is the man who set the gold standard for how to do this job with integrity, with humour and kindness. I’ll miss his friendship so…
Actor Sacha Dhawan has impressed audiences with an array of characters in his acting career, and now he is set to woo them with yet another powerful role in the much-anticipated BBC show Wolf, bankrolled via Hartswood Films, the production company behind Sherlock and Inside Man. Wolf features him in…
EARLIER this year, George called me. “Barnie, I need a favour,” he began, “I’m involved with a migration charity, and we’re telling the story of how migrants have helped Britain. “We want an exhibition in Leicester, use my name, I’ll turn up and do what I need to do, can…
THE BBC’s Sri Lanka-born journalist and presenter George Alagiah died on Monday (24), aged 67, the broadcaster announced. His career with the corporation spanned more than three decades, during which he had won several awards. Alagiah was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014 and went through “challenging treatment”. However, he…
Sadiq Khan has vowed to press ahead with his expansion of the Ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) on August 29, despite Labour losing a crucial by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, an area affected by the plan. The mayor said he was “disappointed” by the result – which has been widely…
THE government on Saturday (22) announced a significant package of new measures to boost the health and wellbeing of women and girls, a statement said. To mark the first anniversary of Women’s Health Strategy, a raft of actions are also being taken to support women and their families who are…
A new photograph of Prince George, second in line to the throne, was released in celebration of his 10th birthday today (22). The picture depicts him seated on a set of steps at Windsor, wearing a smile. This year, the photograph was taken by Millie Pilkington, marking a change in…
In the Uxbridge by-election, the Conservative Party narrowly retained Boris Johnson's former constituency, defeating Labour by a mere 495 votes. The expansion of London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez), proposed by Labour mayor Sadiq Khan, was cited as a contributing factor to the Tory victory, The BBC reported. The Ulez…
Prime Video and British company BBC Studios on Thursday announced that BBC Player and BBC Kids will be available as a value-added channel on the streamer's platform. Prime Video subscribers will be able to access a curated line-up of popular British content spanning original British dramas, comedy, documentaries, factual shows,…
A new drug called donanemab has emerged as a potential breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer's, following a global trial that confirms its ability to slow cognitive decline, the BBC reported. This antibody medicine targets a specific protein that accumulates in the brains of those with Alzheimer's during the early…
THE hotel porter who raped X Factor star, Lucy Spraggan, was deported to India in 2017 after serving four years behind bars, the MailOnline has revealed. The singer-songwriter was raped by Soby John after a night celebrating fellow contestant Rylan Clark's 25th birthday at the Mayfair nightclub Mahiki in 2012.…
THE annual celebration of South Asian Heritage Month explores the shared cultures and histories of the UK and South Asia, with a range of activities from film screenings and concerts to workshops, discussions and events bringing diverse communities together. To mark the important month, being held in 2023 from Tuesday…
AN internal BBC investigation following allegations that a star news anchor paid a young person for sex pictures could take months, the corporation's director general Tim Davie has said. Answering questions from a parliamentary committee, Davie said it has been a "difficult affair" and the British broadcaster has "tried to…
WRITER Rabiah Hussain said the idea of her second production, Word-Play, came from listening to the controversial rhetoric of some politicians and seeing the “trickle down effect” it had on society. Word-Play is centred on a loose-cannon prime minister whose Islamophobic comments go viral and cause uproar in the country.…
Eastern Eye can reveal that the Indian High Commission has written to a UK university urging it to investigate claims of racism and discrimination made by students from its country. It follows complaints from more than 80 learners from India at Leicester’s De Montfort University (DMU). The High Commission sent…
A review conducted by the NHS Race and Health Observatory has raised concerns about the focus on skin colour in routine health checks for newborns. The Apgar score, traditionally used to assess a baby's health immediately after birth, includes checking whether the baby is "pink all over," but the report…
Following the tragic deaths of students Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber in Nottingham last month, their families have taken steps to establish foundations in their memory to ensure a lasting legacy. The two 19-year-olds were fatally stabbed on June 13. Both families have initiated online appeals to support causes that…
Mohammed Miah, a former police community support officer (PCSO), was sentenced to 14 months in prison at Leicester Crown Court for sending a threatening letter containing a sexual threat to a woman. The letter was hand-delivered to the woman's address on April 9, 2022, while Miah, 27, of Clover Way,…
It has been almost 10 months since the COVID-19 pandemic started, and millions of people around the world have been living in quarantine over the same period. This new lifestyle has changed a lot of things, and how we work is one of them: suddenly, many of us started working…
Author Salman Rushdie has for the first time revealed his personal experiences in relation to the knife attack on him in New York, which resulted in the loss of vision in one eye. Rushdie has shared that he has been having "crazy dreams" about the incident and has sought assistance…
THE most ambitious attempt yet to establish professional cricket in the US started on Wednesday (12) when wickets will be pitched for the start of the inaugural season of Major League Cricket. With backing from four franchises in the Indian Premier League, including the league's most successful teams the Mumbai…
ONE of Britain's leading television news anchors, Huw Edwards, was identified by his wife as the BBC presenter facing allegations he paid a young person thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos, the broadcaster reported. Edwards announced the death of Queen Elizabeth to the nation in September and has led…
ONE of the key public purposes of the BBC is ‘to reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities’ of the United Kingdom. The broadcaster’s operating licence from Ofcom goes further – ‘the BBC should accurately and authentically represent and portray the lives of the people of the United Kingdom today…
ACTING must put more people of colour in creative boardrooms to stop unconscious bias, colonialism and complacency which exist in the profession. That is the call from one of the industry’s biggest south Asian stars. Meera Syal told the Raminklal Pioneers Project, a partnership of the Asian Media Group [the…
Opera North is seeking applications from music creators of colour for its next Resonance residency programme. Resonance was launched in 2017 to offer funding, space, time, and technical support to professional musicians and composers in any genre who are based in the North of England and the Midlands, as part…
Oxford City Council has granted approval for the plans to convert the changing rooms of a derelict sports pavilion into Oxford's first Hindu temple. The project, known as the Oxford Hindu Temple Project, will transform the football changing rooms located at Court Place Farm in Marston, the BBC reported. The…
THE chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, John Robins, has called for a change in the law, allowing police forces to engage in positive discrimination to increase the number of ethnic minority officers, reported The Telegraph. Robins has become the first in England and Wales to address this issue. He…
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture in the world, is round the corner. The official dates for Fringe 2023 are Friday, August 4 to Monday, August 28. As you gear up for the festival, here are some must-see comedy shows by British-Asians and…
IN a largest ever crackdown on organised crime, police confiscated cannabis plants worth around £130 million and arrested nearly 1,000 people across the country, the BBC reported. As many as 182,422 plants worth around £115m-£130m were seized in raids across England and Wales in June. According to the report, officers…
A 44-foot-long Japanese-style handscroll painted by the renowned Indian blind artist, Benodebehari Mukherjee, has resurfaced after almost a century and is on public display in the Indian city, of Kolkata, his birthplace, the BBC reported. Mukherjee, born in 1904, was blind in one eye and lost his vision completely at…
Comedian, broadcaster, and chef Hardeep Singh Kohli might find himself in hot water once again after more women have come forward to accuse him of sexual harassment. A Labour Party official and the chief executive of an addiction charity have accused him of further predatory behaviour. Laura McConnell alleged Kohli…
I LEARNT about the really hot Naga chillis, which have their origins in Bangladesh, at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival from Joy Michaud of Sea Spring Seeds in Dorchester. Chillis apparently have their hotness measured by the Scoville scale, abbreviated to SHU. By this measure of heat…
INDIAN Police on Wednesday (5) arrested a man accused of urinating on a tribal youth in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district, an official said. On Tuesday (4), an official from the state chief minister’s Office said a case was registered against the accused, identified as Pravesh Shukla, under Indian Penal Code…
A group of Conservative MPs called on prime minister Rishi Sunak on Monday (3) to do more to cut immigration, saying he risked further eroding the trust of voters who lent the party their vote in 2019 if he failed to take action. The group of MPs, many elected for…
PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak has acknowledged having experienced racism while growing up in Southampton. Reacting to last week’s damning report that claimed discrimination in English cricket, he said racism “stings” and “hurts”. Sunak, son of an Indian-origin couple who migrated to the UK from east Africa, told the BBC: "Of…
The globally acclaimed singer, composer and actor Shankar Mahadevan has been awarded an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University (BCU) in recognition of his outstanding services to music and the arts. Mahadevan, who has been described as one of the greatest ever Bollywood vocalists, was given the award at a…
Netflix, the largest streaming platform in the world, is expanding its horizons by launching its very own restaurant called Netflix Bites. Yes, you read that absolutely right! The restaurant, which opened on Friday, June 30 in Los Angeles, features chefs including Curtis Stone, Rodney Scott, and British-Bangladeshi Nadiya Hussain. Hussain…
WARM tributes have been paid to Avtar Singh Lit, who challenged the broadcasting rules of his day when he set up Sunrise Radio in 1989 and was unfairly labelled a “pirate” by the authorities. His death on Tuesday (27) in his 70s was announced by the station which described him…
THE National Health Service (NHS) in England will get more than 300,000 staff under a new plan announced by the government on Friday (30) to deal with a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses. The publicly funded NHS, which marks its 75th birthday on Wednesday (5), is facing an estimated…
AUSTRALIA's Steve Smith showed again why he is one of the finest batters of his generation before England fought back on day two of the second Ashes test at Lord's on Thursday (29). Resuming on 85 runs, Smith wasted no time in racking up his 12th Ashes century, making him…
South Korea has implemented a new law that brings the nation's age-counting methods in line with international standards, resulting in South Koreans becoming younger by one or two years. The law addresses two traditional age-counting systems that had been in practice. The first system considered individuals one-year-old at birth, including…
THE Post Office said it is open to revisiting the compensation claims of Horizon accounting scandal victims, “if there is any error” in the scheme.The promise follows the claims that the payouts offered by the company are inadequate considering the trauma the victims have gone through.Hundreds of sub-postmasters had been…
WITH huge concerts headlined by superb singers like The Nooran Sisters, Gurdas Maan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Ali Azmat and Atif Aslam already staged, it has been an action packed year for live music in the UK. There are a lot more concerts on the way in the remaining six months of…
BRITISH Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son Suleman who both perished in the submersible Tatan in the Atlantic Ocean had long cherished a dream of viewing the wreck of the Titanic.Christine - Dawood’s wife and Suleman’s mother - said she had previously planned to go with her husband…
The British media revealed fresh evidence on Monday (26) regarding China's spy balloon programme, disclosing instances of balloon flights over Japan and Taiwan. This development comes several months after US-China relations were strained following the shooting down of a similar airship off the US coast. The BBC collaborated with Synthetaic,…
EID has become such a hectic time for barbers that some are charging people £100 to beat the queue for a haircut, it has emerged. Salons across the UK were set to be open overnight ahead of the Islamic festival which falls on Wednesday (28). And, with thousands of people…
Kabir Garg, a 33-year-old junior doctor from Lewisham, south-east London, has been sentenced to six years in jail for his role in operating a chat site on the dark web dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse images. Garg, who worked as a psychiatrist for the South London and Maudsley NHS…
LABOUR will appoint an external advisor to encourage women, ethnic minorities and those from a working-class background to stand for office at all levels and parties, The Guardian reported. The diversity tsar will collaborate with deputy Labour leader, Angela Rayner, in the Cabinet Office to devise a comprehensive action plan…
THE Scottish National Party (SNP) will fight the next UK general election with independence "front and centre" of its campaign, first minister Humza Yousaf said on Saturday (24). At a party conference in Dundee, Yousaf vowed he would seek fresh negotiations with the government about independence if the SNP wins…
THE mother of a woman pushed to death by her controlling husband in Edinburgh said her daughter’s last words expressing fear of death continued to haunt her.Fawziyah Javed, 31, an employment lawyer from Leeds, died after falling off a rocky cliff at Arthur’s Seat in the Scottish capital on September…
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in the US for a three-day visit. While he has visited the US several times as PM before, this is his first state visit to the United States of America and will include a state dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden and…
BRITISH home secretary, Suella Braverman, said the Home Office was unlikely to achieve prime minister Rishi Sunak’s objective of resolving a backlog of 92,000 asylum claims by the end of the year. But she added there should be a significant improvement in the speed at which claims are processed. Braverman…
THE London mayor Sadiq Khan has floated the idea of having fewer flights into Heathrow as he pushes clean air initiatives across the capital. The airport, which falls within the boundaries of Hillingdon borough, is a major employer in the area. It is thought to support around 114,000 jobs, while…
Wednesday star Emma Myers will feature opposite newcomer Zain Iqbal in A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, BBC's upcoming series adaptation of author Holly Jackson's novel trilogy. The series, backed by BBC and Moonage Pictures, is being developed by writer Poppy Cogan, the British broadcaster said in a statement. Dracula star…
NOBODY would today tell the story of post-war migration to Britain without reference to the Windrush. The scale of attention to this week’s 75th anniversary of the boat’s arrival, at Tilbury Dock in 1948, speaks of its importance as a historic moment. It has become a symbolic ‘origins story’ of…
When prime minister Rishi Sunak met US president Joe Biden on June 8, one of the overriding themes of their talks was how the world’s leading governments should guard against risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI). Ultimately, Sunak wants an international organisation established, based in London, to effectively be an…
BRITISH MPs vote on Monday (19) on a damning report that found former prime minister Boris Johnson deliberately lied to parliament about lockdown-breaking parties, in what the government hopes will be the final chapter in the damaging "Partygate" scandal. The parliamentary vote is being held on Johnson's 59th birthday as…
HOME SECRETARY Suella Braverman has said that the Home Office is unlikely to achieve prime minister Rishi Sunak's objective of resolving a backlog of 92,000 asylum claims by the end of the year. She added that there should be a significant improvement in the speed at which claims are processed.…
Tata Steel UK chairman, Henrik Adam, has urged the UK government to provide subsidies to decarbonise the Port Talbot steelworks of the company. He said that European competitors were receiving huge amounts from governments to transition to greener operations. According to reports, ministers offered Tata £300 million for decarbonisation. Port…
Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf said on Monday (12) he will not suspend the party membership of his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon, following her arrest as part of a police probe into the ruling party's finances. Sturgeon, who was on Sunday (11) arrested in connection with the investigation and then released without…
Two human rights groups have invited policy makers, journalists and analysts to a screening in Washington of a BBC documentary on Narendra Modi that questioned the Indian prime minister's leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots, ahead of his state visit to the White House. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International…
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf has said his Scottish National Party (SNP) would be willing to do a deal with the Labour Party if a British national election expected next year resulted in a hung parliament. The top ask on the SNP's list would be a second Scottish independence referendum,…
THREE people, including two students, were found dead and a van tried to mow down three others in Nottingham, central England, on Tuesday (13), in incidents the authorities believe are linked. Nottingham's centre was cordoned off, with a heavy police presence, including armed officers following the events that left residents…
OLD rifts resurfaced in Tory party on Saturday (10) following former prime minister Boris Johnson's abrupt resignation from parliament, while the opposition Labour party sensed opportunity ahead of a general election next year. Johnson quit late on Friday (9) in protest against an investigation by lawmakers into his conduct as…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to convey to President Joe Biden the importance of elevating Britain's economic ties with the US to a level on par with their defense and security cooperation. With the UK's departure from the European Union, there is a desire to strengthen alignment with Washington…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday (07) that Britain will be hosting the world's first summit on artificial intelligence later this year. The summit aims to facilitate the establishment of a unified approach among nations to mitigate the potentially catastrophic risks associated with the technology, while also harnessing its…
Manpreet Bambra stars in the new ITVX comedy series Count Abdulla, which revolves around a young Muslim doctor whose life is turned upside down after he is bitten by a vampire. The versatile actress plays a key role in the sitcom available from next Thursday (15). It adds to an…
Author Sathnam Sanghera’s new book on the British empire is aimed at younger readers and explains how the empire once made the country the most powerful on earth and how it still affects our lives in many ways. Stolen History: The Truth about the British Empire is set to be…
A fearless approach has enabled funny girl Aditi Mittal to make a fantastic impact. The Indian stand-up comedian has had specials on Netflix and Amazon, along with performing internationally. She returns to the UK this week with her spirited new show Unalive at Soho Theatre in London from next Monday…
The grieving mother of a 12-year-old girl who died in Bournemouth Beach last Wednesday (31) has pleaded with authorities to provide some clarity on the circumstances surrounding her death. Sunnah Khan from Buckinghamshire, and Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton were rescued from the sea on Wednesday (31) but both of…
IMMIGRATION can help reduce Britain's high inflation rate, the deputy head of the International Monetary Fund has told the BBC as the UK restricts the net amount of legal migrants. UK inflation is cooling slower than expected, in part owing to sectors including hospitality and farming paying higher wages to…
THE BBC has “informally” admitted to having under-reported its income in India and paid less tax than its actual obligation, media reports said on Tuesday (6). Tax authorities had surveyed the corporation’s offices in New Delhi and Mumbai in February, weeks after the broadcaster aired a documentary on Prime Minister…
A major NHS trial has shown promising results for a blood test that can detect over 50 types of cancer, researchers from Oxford University said. According to media reports, the test accurately identified two-thirds of cancers among 5,000 individuals who had visited their GP with suspected symptoms in England or…
Allegations of racism have emerged within an initiative aimed at combating racism in policing in England and Wales, with some ethnic minority staff involved raising concerns, according to a report. Former members of staff at the Police Race Action Plan told the BBC that their perspectives were ignored. The Action…
THE British government said on Tuesday (30) it would close a loophole that lets retailers give free samples of vapes to children in a clampdown on e-cigarettes, whose colourful designs and fruity flavours make them stand out on grocery store shelves. "I am deeply concerned about the sharp rise in…
The former residence of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, an influential suffragette Indian princess, has been commemorated with the unveiling of a blue plaque in south-west London, the BBC reported. Princess Sophia, a prominent member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) led by Emmeline Pankhurst, held a significant role…
Investigators probing alleged ‘false accounting’ in Post Office were asked to categorise suspects according to their racial backgrounds, a media report said. Hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly subjected to investigation for ‘fraud’ based on information from the Horizon computer system which was later found to be faulty. More than 700…
The animated short film American Sikh, which chronicles the life of a ‘Sikh Captain America’ in the aftermath of 9/11, will world premiere at the OSCAR-qualifying Tribeca Film Festival this June. The film was created in partnership with Singh Vishavjit as the producer and Los Angeles-based director Ryan Westra. It…
Game of Thrones actress Indira Varma has signed on to star in the new series of Doctor Who. The series features Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor and Millie Gibson as the new companion Ruby Sunday. Not much is known about Varma’s character at the moment but is reported that she…
A host of comedians gathered at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre on May 5 to present London’s hottest new comedy show to a packed audience. The inaugural comedy show featured the headline act from critically acclaimed comedian and star of Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, and Netflix’s feature film Matilda, Sindhu Vee.…
Tata Motors, the Indian owner of carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, is set to select Britain over Spain to for a giant battery plant employing up to 9,000 people, the BBC reported Wednesday (24). The broadcaster, citing sources familiar with the matter, added that the boss of Tata Motors was expected…
NHS doctors and nurses, who are not getting the salary rises they think they deserve – and I am, like most of the public, sympathetic to their cause – are threatening to quit Britain for the sunny beach life of Australia where their wages will apparently double overnight. There are…
An Indian court issued a summons to British broadcaster BBC on Monday (22) in a defamation case over its documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi that questioned his leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots, according to reports in local media. The defamation suit states the documentary "India: the Modi question"…
Major Tory donor and Indian rice magnate, Karan Chanana, is being investigated over allegations of fraud and money laundering, reported The Guardian. He faces probe in India over claims that tens of millions of pounds of bank loans were unlawfully diverted into shell entities. However, the tycoon has not responded…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has said his government is weighing “a range of options” to reduce legal migration into the UK, which is “too high”. "The numbers are too high, and we want to bring them down,” told the BBC but refused to “speculate” on the new border control plans…
American singer Nick Jonas has acknowledged that a lot of people in India call him 'Jiju' post his marriage to Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra. Nick, 30, recently made an appearance on a BBC chat show, where the host asked him about being called 'jiju', the Hindi term for brother-in-law. "A…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he is “committed” to reducing legal migration into the UK although he did not set any target for his government. The annual net migration into Britain was 226,000 in 2019 which Sunak’s predecessor Boris Johnson pledged to reduce. But the figure is expected to…
Ever since streaming platforms emerged in India and became a large part of Indian audiences’ lives, several British TV shows have received a Bollywood makeover. Right from The Night Manager to Criminal Justice, Hindi adaptations of British shows have received the same amount of love from Indian audiences as they…
Britain's departure from the European Union has not been a failure, prime minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said on Tuesday (16), rebuffing criticism from prominent eurosceptic politicians about how Brexit had been implemented. Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who helped force a Brexit referendum in 2016 and successfully campaigned to leave…
American singer-songwriter Nick Jonas recently made headlines when he collaborated with Indian artiste King for the rendition of the popular Bollywood song, “Maan Meri Jaan,” which was originally featured in the 2005 Hindi film, King’s Song. Jonas spoke to BBC Asian Network Breakfast host Nikita Kanda after the release of…
Popular actor Adeel Akhtar has added one more prestigious award to his string of accolades. The 42-year-old on Sunday won Best Supporting Actor at the Bafta TV Awards 2023. This is not the first time Akhtar has taken home a Bafta trophy. In 2017, he became the first non-white male…
Sussex Police have said they will “re-examine” the case of the schoolboy Vishal Mehrotra who was found dead months after his mysterious disappearance from London more than 40 years ago. Vishal, aged 8 at the time, disappeared as he walked home from shops in Putney after watching the royal wedding…
BBC presenter Nihal Arthanayake was racially abused, twice, following an encounter outside a pub in Altrincham, Greater Manchester last month. Arthanayake, who hosts an afternoon talk show on BBC Radio Five Live, visited Stretford police station in Manchester to provide a statement recounting how he was subjected to racial slurs,…
The Conservatives suffered big losses last Friday (5) in the local election results, undermining prime minister Rishi Sunak’s attempts to revive the party’s fortunes - while Labour said it was on course to win the next national election, expected in 2024. The Tories’ worst fears were confirmed as results came…
Actress Harvey Virdi, known for her role as Dr Misbah Maalik on Hollyoaks, said she relished the chance to write about “strong Asian women” in the play Happy Birthday Sunita, despite her packed schedule. Having first played at The Rifco in 2014, Happy Birthday Sunita has been revived at the same…
The second season of the fantasy comedy series Good Omens will arrive on Prime Video on July 28. The British series is originally based on Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's international bestselling novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. The new season, consisting of six…
The coronation concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday (7) featured the Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor, the Punjabi poet Daljit Nagra and several Asian women in bright pink outfits from the Bradford-based SongGeet choir. The “wonderful Sonam Kapoor”, described as “one of Hindi cinema’s biggest stars”, introduced a virtual choir from…
The world waits for the new James Bond as actor Daniel Craig concluded his Bond journey with the movie No Time to Die in 2021. Actor Tom Hanks has given his input for the new James Bond and it is none other than Idris Elba. According to Deadline, Hanks said…
The Conservatives suffered high-profile losses as results poured in Friday (6) in what is seen as prime Minister Rishi Sunak's first major electoral test since he took office last year. Local council elections held across swathes of England on Thursday (4) with Britons experiencing the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. …
The owner of an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise has predicted that Test cricket may soon become once-a-year events like the Wimbledon tournament. Lead owner of Rajasthan Royals, Manoj Badale, told the BBC’s Tailenders Podcast that the amount of Test cricket scheduled will be reduced in the future, as fans…
Actor Patrick Baladi, who is best known for playing Neil Godwin in the BBC sitcom The Office, Michael Jackson in the Sky 1 drama Stella and Stephen Holmes in the ITV thriller Marcella, has joined Parminder Nagra on the cast of the second season of her hit crime drama, DI…
King Charles has been urged by prominent community and business leaders to use his reign to tackle inequalities within British society. More than 2,200 people will attend the coronation at Westminster Abbey on Saturday (6), among them international representatives from 203 countries as well as community and charity workers. The…
Indian actress Sonam Kapoor will share the stage with Lionel Richie and Katy Perry at the coronation concert, where she will deliver an exclusive spoken word piece. Kapoor, who lives in London with her husband, will introduce Steve Winwood and the Commonwealth virtual choir on May 7 at Windsor Castle,…
Muslim dating app Muzz has lost its appeal against a court ruling which mandated the British startup to change its name over “trademark infringement”.American internet and technology company Match Group had sued Muzz - previously known as muzmatch.com - accusing it of using the word “match” in its metadata to…
Well-known Pakistani actor Fawad Khan is a popular name in India. He has been a part of some commercially and critically successful Bollywood films in the past, including Khoobsurat, Kapoor & Sons, and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Khan, who can be currently seen in his latest outing Money Back Guarantee…
Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise is likely to attend King Charles III's coronation concert. According to Variety, the stars whose presence are to be confirmed at the coronation concert on the grounds of Windsor Castle, the day after the historic ceremony, are Top Gun actor Tom Cruise, Pussycat Dolls frontwoman Nicole…
The upcoming Firsts Rare Book Fair in London is set to showcase a rare first-edition book on cricket, previously owned by renowned cricket commentator and collector, John Arlott. “Cricket. A Collection of All the Grand Matches of Cricket played in England within Twenty Years, viz. from 1771 to 1791" by…
Ahead of BAFTA Television Awards 2023, it has been announced that Meera Syal will be presented with the Bafta Fellowship at the annual ceremony next month. The 61-year-old comedian, actor and novelist will be recognised with the honour - the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA upon an individual in recognition…
Republic, the largest anti-monarchist group in the UK that advocates for an elected head of state, proposed on Monday (24) that India could take a leading role in the Commonwealth to demonstrate that the organisation is not inextricably linked with the British royal family. Graham Smith, CEO of Republic, pointed…
SINCE July 2020, Eastern Eye has proudly gone to battle for south Asian and black judges. Over the course of more than a dozen articles, we have exposed institutional, systemic and structural racism, bullying and misogyny. Other mainstream newspapers have followed in our footsteps. Unlike some nationals, we don’t think…
Relatives of several Indians stuck in Sudan following the fighting between the Army and paramilitary forces have appealed to the government to evacuate them from the African country as soon as possible. Around 3,000 Indians are estimated to be stranded in Sudan. They include around 100 people from the Hakki-Pikki…
One of the victims of Rotherham child sex abuse said that she had no idea about how to describe her story to her son. Sammy Woodhouse, 37, became pregnant at the age of 15 after being raped by abuser Arshid Hussain, who was 25 at the time. "I didn't know…
As the UK government prepares to make significant changes to the gambling legislation, young online gamblers under the age of 25 may soon face strict limits on the amount they can bet. Ministers are said to be considering caps on online slot game bets, ranging from £2 to £15, with…
NURSES in Britain are prepared to strike until Christmas if they cannot reach a deal with the government on pay, the leader of the country's main nursing union said on Sunday (16). Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) would strike at the end of April and the beginning…
Mayor Sadiq Khan announces Trafalgar Square as the venue for London's Vaisakhi celebrations on April 22. The festival is the largest in the Sikh calendar and marks the birth of Khalsa. The event, which will run from noon to 6 pm, will showcase Sikh and Punjabi traditions, culture, and heritage,…
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, prayer, and reflection observed by millions of Muslims around the world. It is a time for spiritual growth and self-discipline and is one of the five pillars of Islam. Ramadan is a month-long observance in Islam whereby Muslims fast from dawn until sunset.…
The BBC is giving aspiring actors unique insight into the world of professional television drama, with expert tuition and money-can’t-buy access. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be seen by some of the UK’s leading casting directors and talent agents. The very best candidate will get the chance of representation…
BRITISH Sri Lankan broadcaster and author Nihal Arthanayake has spoken of his desire to spend more time in the country of his origin where he sees people “who look like me” and connects “instantly”. The BBC Radio 5 Live presenter also revealed why it was “unsettling to be a minority”…
India's financial crime-fighting agency has opened an investigation into alleged violations of foreign exchange rules by the BBC, a source said on Thursday (13), months after tax officials searched the broadcaster's Mumbai and Delhi offices. The tax raids in February had come close on the heels of the release of…
A new BBC Studios nine-part podcast series explores the disappearance of eight-year-old Vishal Mehrotra, who was taken from the streets of London on the day of the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana. The investigation tracks down a convicted paedophile who had been on the run from British police for…
TRIBUTES have been paid to an Asian entrepreneur whose snack products are enjoyed by millions of consumers. Dineshbhai Patel, 81, was the founder of Cofresh, whose sweet and savoury ethnic foods are stocked in supermarkets across Britain. He passed away peacefully at home, family sources said. Dineshbhai launched Cofresh in…
This year, Asda Tickled Pink has teamed up with Asda's 'Together for Ramadan' campaign to raise awareness about the importance of regular breast, pec, or chest checks for customers and colleagues who are observing Ramadan and celebrating Eid. As part of this partnership, customers who want to make charitable donations…
Junior doctors in Britain began a four-day strike on Tuesday (11) over pay that is likely to cause unprecedented disruption to the health service, prompting the government to warn of a risk to patient safety. Tens of thousands of junior doctors — qualified physicians who make up nearly half of…
The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama apologised on Monday after a video which showed him asking a boy to suck his tongue triggered a backlash on social media. The video, which has gone viral, shows the Dalai Lama, 87, planting a kiss on the boy's lips as he leaned…
Twitter has labelled the BBC as a "government-funded media" on the microblogging site, as part of the microblogging site's new policies under owner Elon Musk, drawing sharp reaction from the British public broadcaster which on Monday objected to the move. The taxpayer-funded licence fee supported UK media corporation said it…
BRITAIN'S business lobby CBI lurched into deeper crisis on Thursday (6), as member companies and the government distanced themselves following more allegations of sexual misconduct by senior staff. The Guardian newspaper had reported on Monday (3) that "more than a dozen" women claim to be victims of sexual misconduct by…
THE home secretary is pandering to right-wing racists and putting south Asian lives in danger, MPs and experts have told Eastern Eye. It follows Suella Braverman’s comments over the weekend (2) that “vulnerable white girls living in troubled circumstances have been abused, drugged, raped, and exploited”. She highlighted cases in…
Relatives of an Indian family whose bodies were found in a river marsh near the US-Canada border last week said that they are 'still in shock', reported BBC Gujarati. The Indians who died were identified as Pravin Chaudhary, 50, his wife Diksha, 45, their son Meet, 20, and their daughter…
According to the top regulator in the US, the manufacturer of eye drops based in India, which has been linked to three deaths and severe infections, had breached multiple safety regulations. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an inspection of Global Pharma's facility in Chennai, India, and released a…
The West Midlands Police promised to encourage more diversity in its ranks as the force launched an overhaul of neighbourhood policing on Monday (3). Chief constable Craig Guildford told the BBC that under the new policing model the force has pledged to give local commanders better resources to make officers…
Britain's home secretary Suella Braverman said she was convinced Rwanda was a safe country to resettle migrants who had arrived in Britain illegally but she declined to set any deadline for the first deportations to the country. The UK government is hoping to send thousands of migrants more than 4,000…
Indian startups are experiencing funding winter after a phase of copious easy money but billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla finds a lot of positives in the situation.The co-founder of Sun Microsystems said the tightening liquidity has led to the separation of wheat from the chaff in the startup sector and…
East London-based food wholesaler Wanis International Foods has been honoured by the Business Champions Awards for its community and charity work. They won the Business Community Award, presented by BBC news legend Huw Edwards. Trading for nearly six decades, Wanis has been recognised for their strong record of charitable and…
Questions have been raised about a potential conflict of interest for Rishi Sunak, as his wife's childcare firm, Koru Kids, is set to benefit from significant budget changes. Akshata Murty, the prime minister's wife, is a shareholder in the company, which is expected to receive funding from a pilot scheme…
Former England striker and BBC host Gary Lineker has won his £4.9 million legal battle with British tax authorities. Lineker, who turned host of the BBC's flagship Match of the Day television programme, was told he should have been classed as an employee of both the BBC and BT Sport…
I (FELICITY) am apparently descended from a lineage of Sikhs, whose legendary kingdom once spanned Punjab, Peshawar and Kashmir. In the 19th century, its 12-year-old maharaja was coerced into surrendering the empire’s most treasured possession to Viscount Henry Hardinge, signifying a British victory over the Lahore Darbar. It is in…
A review of one of England's largest NHS trusts has revealed a toxic work environment and repeated instances of bullying. The Bewick report was commissioned after BBC Newsnight reported that staff at University Hospitals Birmingham felt a culture of fear had compromised patient care. Among the report's criticisms was the…
A teenage entrepreneur won a deal at BBC Dragons’ Den despite being too young to be grilled by the investors at the business reality show. Shay Sharma, 15, who created the board game Football Billionaire with his father’s help, impressed the investors at the March 9 episode and walked away…
Charity supporter and hotelier Vinu Bhattessa has received the OBE from King Charles III at Windsor Castle last month. He was awarded the OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for 2022. A longstanding trustee of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in the UK, Bhattessa OBE has been serving BAPS for almost…
ACCLAIMED British author Mirza Waheed has followed up his first two books The Collaborator, and The Book of Gold Leaves with his newly published novel Tell Her Everything. He tells a compelling story of a remorseful father getting ready to confess something to his estranged daughter and recalling the long…
On Wednesday (22) James Cleverly, the UK foreign minister, announced that the security at the Indian High Commission in London will be reviewed in response to the "unacceptable acts of violence" that were committed against the mission's staff. Reports have emerged that protesters, holding "Khalistan" banners, removed the Indian flag…
BAFTA has announced the nominees for its TV Awards, scheduled to be held on May 14 at the Royal Festival Hall. The event will be hosted by comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett. The BBC/AMC co-production This is Going to Hurt, based on the book of the same name by…
A petition has been submitted to prime minister Rishi Sunak by a group of international students, many of whom are from India, in which they urge him to address the 'unjust' cancellation of their visas due to an English test scandal. The scandal was first revealed in 2014 when a…
In a case that ignited more racial tensions than had been seen for decades (in that particular region of the UK), Eleanor Williams, 22, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and jailed on March 14 for eight-and-a-half years. Preston Crown Court found that she had falsely claimed…
An independent review published on Tuesday (21) has said that the Metropolitan Police in London is institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic and unable to police itself. The report also suggested that the force has failed to hold itself accountable for its actions. The release of this review puts pressure on…
Home secretary Suella Braverman came under fire Monday(20) for laughing uproariously in front of a future migrant camp and asking for tips on interior design during a trip to Rwanda. She was also criticised for taking only right-leaning media outlets on the weekend trip, refusing access to the BBC's London…
A man who pretended to be a senior official from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office has been arrested by the police, The BBC reported on Friday (17). Kiran Patel was apprehended by security officials during his visit to the Kashmir valley on March (02) and was charged with cheating, impersonation,…
Indian actor Aditya Roy Kapur, who played the titular role in the recently-released Disney+ Hotstar series The Night Manager, received a video call from Tom Hiddleston, who essayed the role in the British original. A special screening of The Night Manager was organised for the British star in the UK.…
The broadcasting of a documentary by the BBC has sparked controversy as it contained a suggestion for women to give their consent for being drugged before engaging in sex. Sonalee Rashatwar, who identifies as "The Fat Sex Therapist," made the remarks during the airing of a new series investigating the…
“I NEVER wonder to see men wicked. I often wonder to see them not ashamed.” Had Jonathan Swift been alive today, he might well have had our home secretary in mind. Last week she showed no shame as her inaccurate assertion that “100 million people could qualify to come here”…
Britain will unveil a cost-of-living budget on Wednesday (15) as the government seeks to keep a grip on public spending in the face of a fresh wave of strikes over pay. Chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt will deliver his tax and spending plan to parliament, as teachers, junior doctors,…
SNP leadership hopeful Humza Yousaf said he would go all out to press for Scotland's independence if he succeeds Nicola Sturgeon as the first minister of the country.The Scottish health secretary, who is among three aspirants left in the fray for his party’s leadership, said he would use "any means…
The UK government made its first major commitment to support UN security council reforms and India’s permanent membership in the council as part of a refreshed defence and foreign policy review tabled in Parliament on Monday (13). As part of the 'Integrated review refresh 2023: responding to a more contested…
THERE has been a new Sunday morning routine in our house this year. Since my ten- year-old daughter got into football by watching Euro 2020 and the Lionesses triumph in the women’s Euros, the alarm goes off at 7.30am so we can get up to watch the early morning repeat…
AN IMPACTFUL appearance on the recently concluded reality TV show Bigg Boss 16 combined with winning performances in drama serials has given rapidly rising TV star Priyanka Chahar Choudhary great momentum. The multi-talented actress has seen her fan base skyrocket and is now looking forward to taking on more challenging…
TIM DAVIE, the BBC's director general, has said he will not resign after the public broadcaster's sport service was decimated on Saturday (11) by a backlash over Gary Lineker's removal as Match of the Day host. "Everyone wants to resolve the situation calmly," Davie said in an interview with the…
As soon as you have decided to improve your smile by using Invisalign, you need to select the right Invisalign provider according to your requirements. You should go a little deep with your research and should not satisfy yourself with the first name that Google shows you. Let us discuss…
2021 Grand National winner Minella Times has retired, which means he will not feature in this year’s race. The Irish horse was given an entry at Aintree earlier in the season where his connections were hoping their hero could become just the 10th in history to win the race more than…
Carpets need to be cleaned when there is continuous foot traffic over them. You may be missing the new look when the carpets were first installed. For removing the surface dirt, vacuuming is necessary. When the grime and the dirt are installed deep into the fibers of the carpets, they…
AFTER seven years away starring in TV shows Black Mirror, Silent Witness and The Nevers, actress Kiran Sonia Sawar returns to the stage to take a leading role in the play Brilliant Jerks. From the writer of the acclaimed HBO/BBC series Industry, Joseph Charlton, Brilliant Jerks is centred on the…
PRIME minister Rishi Sunak, Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham and pathbreaking lawyer Ayesha Vardag were among the winners at the annual GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards, held at the Park Plaza hotel on Tuesday (7). Sunak took home the coveted GG2 Hammer Award for smashing through the ultimate glass ceiling by…
INDIA'S opposition Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has alleged the structures of the country’s democracy are under "brutal attack" and there is a full-scale assault on its institutions. Gandhi, who is in London as part of a UK tour, told reporters on Saturday (4) that there are conversations ongoing within the…
A YOUNG Asian woman, 20, was allegedly murdered by her uncle and “dumped like rubbish” after she refused a forced marriage, a court heard. Somaiya Begum’s body was found wrapped in a rug on land near Fitzwilliam Street, Bradford. Bradford Crown Court heard that Mohammed Taroos Khan, 53, allegedly killed…
A journalist has accused the Scottish National Party (SNP) of imposing curbs on the media by restricting access to reporters to its leadership hustings. Daily Record political editor Paul Hutcheon said barring journalists from attending would give the impression that the SNP is less transparent than the Conservatives, the BBC…
Referring to the extradition of fugitive economic offenders Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Wednesday (01) said that the British Judicial system is independent of the government and it is them to decide. Without mentioning the names of fugitive economic offenders, Cleverly, who is currently…
A man accused of murdering a woman on a remote Queensland beach in 2018 has been extradited to Australia from India, according to reports. Rajwinder Singh, 38, the suspected killer of Toyah Cordingley, 24, arrived at Melbourne Airport on Wednesday (1) from Delhi accompanied by detectives, the BBC reported. Last…
Foreign secretary James Cleverly on Wednesday (1) met his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi where he has reached to attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting. The duo spoke on a range of issues, including the commencement of the Young Professionals Scheme (YPS). They also spoke over the India-UK…
THE mortality rates for different ethnic communities continued to decline between January and November 2022, when Omicron was the dominant Covid variant, the new Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has revealed. During the period, mortality rates decreased for males and females from the Bangladeshi, black Caribbean, Pakistani and Other…
Streamer Disney+ Hotstar and BBC Studios on Tuesday announced a Telugu-language adaptation of the popular British sitcom Dead Pixels. The Indian adaptation will feature actors Niharika Konidela, Harsha Chemudu, Sai Ronak, Akshay Lagusani, and Bhavana Sagi in lead roles, a press release stated. The six-part series will be directed by…
Hollywood star Tom Hiddleston is set to reprise his role as protagonist Jonathan Pine in the second season of John le Carre adaptation The Night Manager, which is in the work. According to Deadline, Season 2 will film later this year in London and South America under the codename 'Steelworks'.…
SNP leadership candidate Humza Yousaf has said that he missed the final vote on Scotland's equal marriage legislation in 2014 due to an 'unavoidable' engagement about a death row prisoner in Pakistan. Alex Neil, who was in charge of the legislation eight years ago, alleged that Yousaf skipped the final…
THE BBC is not driven by an “agenda” but by purpose and will not be put off reporting impartially and without fear or favour, the UK-headquartered media organisation’s chief has said days after the income tax department survey operation at its New Delhi and Mumbai offices. In an email to…
BRITAIN is mulling over restrictions on the number of dependants international students can bring to the county as the government grapples to bring down the net immigration levels, a media report said.Ministers are considering barring students from bringing families unless they are studying at a higher level, such as a…
THE BBC has defended a documentary about Londoner Shamima Begum, who left Britain to join Daesh (Islamic State group), saying the series was a piece of important investigative journalism. A 10-part series, entitled The Shamima Begum Story, features interviews with Begum, who explains her decision to join Daesh, as well…
LONDON-BORN actor Shazad Latif stressed the importance of representation in mainstream cinema as he took on his first leading role on the big screen in this week’s new release What’s Love Got to Do with It? Latif said the film, which is centred around the British Pakistani community, is of…
BRITAIN has strongly defended the BBC and its editorial freedom in Parliament after a survey by Indian tax authorities on the media corporation's New Delhi and Mumbai offices last week. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) junior minister responded to an urgent question raised in the House of Commons…
MasterChef India, a competitive cooking reality show where aspiring chefs and food lovers from across the country showcase their culinary skills, has courted controversy after its judges allowed a vegetarian contestant to use paneer (cottage cheese) in the place of fish for a cooking challenge. The move saw the judges…
THE role of the police and their handling of the case came under questioning after charred bodies of two men were found inside a burnt vehicle in Bhiwani district of the northern Indian state of Haryana last week. The victims were identified as cousins Junaid, 35, and Nasir, 27. A…
Novelist Salman Rushdie led condemnations on Monday (20) of Roald Dahl's children's books being re-edited for a modern audience, calling it "absurd censorship" by "bowdlerising sensitivity police". Publishers Puffin have made hundreds of reported changes to characters and language in Dahl's stories, including making the diminutive Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and…
UKRAINE’S president Zelensky dominated the week in Westminster, finding the perfect pitch for his country’s case to resonate with his hosts. Giving Churchill’s ‘V for Victory’ sign and theatrically using a pilot’s helmet to deliver his “give us wings for freedom” message saw his appeal for British planes generate an…
A Punjabi chef’s new cookbook that creates a culinary roadmap of food from the Indian subcontinent in the UK was released in London on Thursday (16), as a chronicle of recipes that are an ode to the unique twists on South Asian cuisine in the form of dishes like Chicken…
The Income Tax department's 'survey' at the BBC office here continued for the third straight day on Thursday (16) as officials gathered financial data from select staffers and made copies of electronic and paper data of the news organisation. The operation that began at the BBC offices in Delhi and…
The Supreme Court is allegedly being used as a "tool" by anti-India forces, RSS-linked weekly Panchjanya has said while criticising the apex court for issuing notice to the Centre over pleas challenging its order to block social media links to the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After efforts…
The Night Manager creator and director Sandeep Modi says it was a huge responsibility to adapt the upcoming series for the Indian audience as the British version was already a success. Best known as the co-director of Disney+ Hotstar show Aarya (an adaptation from the Dutch series Penoza), Modi, who…
With the Cheltenham Festival now just around the corner, some horses will be preparing to have their first experience of the famous meeting, others will be returning for more, and some will be lining up in an attempt to defend a title that they took home twelve months ago. Winning a…
India is looking into the BBC's tax structure, the British news organisation said in an internal memo on Wednesday (15), as officials searched its premises in New Delhi and Mumbai for a second day, weeks after India banned a BBC documentary as propaganda. A senior Indian government official said the…
The investigation into Conservative MP Nus Ghani’s claims of religious bias in the government is back on track after being stalled during the political turmoil last year.Prime minister Rishi Sunak's ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus will now carry on the inquiry, the BBC reported.Ghani who was made transport minister in…
The UK is “closely monitoring” the situation following the Income Tax surveys at the BBC offices in India, British government sources said. The Income Tax department conducted survey operations at the BBC’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai on Tuesday with the officials describing the action as part of an investigation…
The much-awaited Netflix docuseries The Romantics, which is a tribute to the legacy of Yash Chopra, YRF, and its cultural impact on India and Indians for the past 50 years, released yesterday to huge acclaim. In the docuseries, the global megastar Shah Rukh Khan talks about how he perfected his…
Global media watchdogs and human rights bodies on Tuesday criticised the Indian government's income tax survey operations at the BBC's offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, saying the action "smacks of intimidation" and was a "blatant affront" to freedom of expression. The Income Tax officials described the action as part…
Any media organisation functioning in India will have to follow the rules and regulations of the country, the BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said on Tuesday, amid the ongoing 'survey' operations on BBC offices by the IT department. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Bhatia said, "Income Tax department lawfully…
Indian tax officers searched the BBC's bureaus in New Delhi and Mumbai on Tuesday, the British broadcaster said, weeks after the government came down hard against a BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. The documentary focused on the Hindu nationalist politician's leadership…
Eight Afghan journalists who worked for the BBC and other British media organisations partially won a legal challenge on Monday against the British government's refusal to relocate them from Afghanistan. The journalists’ lawyers told London's High Court in December that the eight, who are not in Britain, all worked "alongside…
A broken heart is a medical issue that is commonly caused by stressful events and intense feelings. It may also arise from severe physical health problems or medical procedures. Although this syndrome is typically a short-lived condition, some individuals may still experience discomfort even after their heart has recovered. One…
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking to impose a complete ban on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in India in wake of a controversial documentary regarding the 2002 Gujarat riots, terming it "entirely misconceived" and "absolutely meritless". A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and M M Sundresh…
Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday (7) spoke to his British counterpart James Cleverly focusing on various aspects of bilateral ties and India's G-20 presidency. The phone conversation came ahead of the British foreign secretary's likely visit to India to attend a meeting of the G-20 foreign ministers…
He is known to be one of the most prominent Sikh voices in Britain. But there is also another story which makes Jasvir Singh's story unique. He is a gay -- a fact which he decided to keep private till now as it created problems for him in his own…
The annual dance show of Sampad, a leading cultural organisation in the UK helping to establishing south Asian arts across the country -- Asian Spring -- will take place on February 26. It will be a special occasion this year as Sampad's community dance showcase will be entering its 25th…
ACCLAIMED musician Nitin Sawhney won the top award at Eastern Eye’s annual Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTAs), which recognise the achievements of Britain’s south Asian community in the arts, creative and media industries. Sawhney, whose latest album, Immigrants, examines the complexities of identities in modern Britain, was presented The…
As the final episode of Happy Valley airs on Sunday, actor Amit Shah, who plays the character of troubled pharmacist Faisal Bhatti on the series, has revealed that he knows the ending of the critically acclaimed and hard-hitting BBC One crime drama. The 41-year-old actor recently appeared on ITV’s Lorraine…
An investigation has been launched after a contestant in The Apprentice complained of racial abuse by a co-star, media reports said.Shazia Hussain was left “distressed” by the incident allegedly involving her fellow contestant Mark Moseley, a pest control businessman, the Daily Mail reported.The incident, believed to be caught on camera,…
More could have been done to protect an Indian-origin couple murdered by their son by taking note of early warning signs about his violent behaviour and poor mental health, according to a new report this week into the fatal attack in Oldbury in 2020. Anmol Chana was sentenced to life…
The UK government has defended the BBC as a media outlet “independent in its output“ in the wake of widespread Indian diaspora protests against the controversial documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing reporters at Downing Street on Wednesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson echoed a statement issued by…
Rajya Sabha MP, the upper house of Indian parliament, and senior Supreme Court advocate Mahesh Jethmalani on Thursday lashed out at "BBC apologists" for seeking proof of the Chinese tech giant Huawei's payments to the British Broadcasting Corporation, and alleged that the UK-based broadcaster has 18 other Chinese clients. https://twitter.com/JethmalaniM/status/1620974901128761344?s=20&t=V56PfN6BxJtgGvPYWH1dFA…
Created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland, EastEnders is one of the most popular British television soap operas, which has been entertaining the audience on BBC One since February 1985. Several actors have been a part of the ensemble cast of the show over the years, with most of them…
A UK government-sponsored report on Tuesday sounded the alarm over children viewing violent pornography, warning that as a result they may expect sex to include acts such as strangulation. The report from Children's Commissioner Rachel de Souza found 10 percent of children had seen pornography by the age of nine…
Russia has accused the BBC of "waging an information war" on different fronts - not only against Moscow, but also against other global centres of power pursuing an independent policy, days after the British broadcaster released a controversial series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova…
Approximately half the global population, including nearly all of East, and Southeast Asia, relies solely on rice as a primary food source. In some homes, rice is consumed in more than one meal daily. This low-cost, high-calorie grain is a staple in many diets, making it accessible and vital to…
The Kremlin on Monday dismissed as a "lie" accusations from former British prime minister Boris Johnson that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally threatened him with a missile attack. "What Mr Johnson said is not true. More precisely it's a lie," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "Moreover, this is either…
Hundreds representing different Indian diaspora organisations gathered outside the BBC headquarters in central London on Sunday to protest against what they branded as “fake news” behind the broadcaster’s controversial series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The “Chalo BBC” protests were coordinated across BBC studios in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and…
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday (28) reprimanded foreign newspapers for reserving adjectives like "Hindu nationalist" for the Indian government. "If you read foreign newspapers, they use words like Hindu Nationalist Government. In America or Europe, they won't say Christian Nationalist... these adjectives are reserved for us. They don't…
Sampad is a highly respected cultural organisation that has been at the forefront of promoting South Asian arts in mainstream culture in Birmingham and the United Kingdom since 1990. Through various initiatives such as production, promotion, performances, advocacy, education, and outreach activities, Sampad supports and nurtures British Asian arts and…
Describing India banning the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a matter of press freedom, the US State Department said that it is high time to highlight the importance of democratic principles like freedom of expression and make it a point around the world as well as in…
Britain will offer grants to help its two largest steelmakers replace dirty blast furnaces with less carbon-intensive technology, media reported. The BBC reported that grants worth £600 million ($744m) will "likely" be unveiled this week for Chinese-owned British Steel and Indian-owned Tata Steel UK, to help slash damaging emissions, cut…
Congress leader Anil K Antony, the son of former Defence Minister A K Anthony on Wednesday (25) announced his resignation from the party, a day after he criticised the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "This is my personal decision and I do think this is the best course…
Indian students said they would show again a BBC documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the government has dismissed as propaganda after a Tuesday campus screening was disrupted by a power cut and intimidation by rivals. The Students' Federation of India (SFI) plans to show the documentary, "India: The…
The House of Lords member Dolar Amarshi Popat on Tuesday wrote a letter to the Director General of BBC Broadcasting House Tim Davie asking him to stop the screening of the second part of the documentary series to avoid exasperating the already tense situation between British Hindus and Muslims in…
A top Indian university has warned its students' union of strict disciplinary action if it goes ahead with a planned screening of a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, saying it might disturb the peace and harmony of the campus. Modi's government has dismissed the documentary, which…
The US is not familiar with the BBC documentary, but it is familiar with the shared “democratic values” that connect Washington and New Delhi, a US State Department spokesperson has said. The two-part BBC series, titled "India: The Modi Question" claimed it investigated certain aspects relating to the 2002 Gujarat…
Actor Shiv Jalota, who rose to fame with the successful BBC show EastEnders, is mourning the passing away of a close family member. He took to his Instagram handle on Monday and announced that he had lost his grandmother. The 29-year-old actor shared a photo of his grandmother and another…
Tata Steel said on Monday that it is studying the British government’s support package plans for the steel industry and will consider it carefully before arriving at strategic decisions on the future of its UK business. It comes amid British media reports that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to sign…
Rishi Sunak on Monday ordered an independent investigation into the tax affairs of scandal-hit Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi amid mounting pressure from the Opposition. After days of headlines over the Iraqi-born minister without portfolio in his Cabinet’s alleged penalty settlement with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) department, Sunak…
Three persons have been charged with murder and robbery in connection to the murder of Khalfan Seif in Huddersfield on January 14. Seif, 33, was brutally stabbed at his residence in Springdale Avenue around 11 pm. He was rushed to hospital but could not be saved. The three accused, all…
The hit show The Apprentice returned to screens on January 19 with the remaining 15 candidates hoping to impress Lord Sugar with their business acumen and taking one step closer to bagging his investment. Meanwhile, candidate Shazia Hussain, a technology recruiter from London, has said that she felt bullied by…
A new online petition has demanded an independent probe into a "serious breach" by the BBC in its duties as a public broadcaster in the UK over the controversial documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ‘Call for an Independent Investigation into the BBC over Modi documentary’ on Change.Org, which…
Junior doctor Vaishnavi Kumar who took her own life in June last year blamed Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), where she worked, for her extreme step, according to her suicide note.“I am sorry mum, I can blame the whole thing on the QEH,” she said in the note revealed by…
India has blocked the airing of a BBC documentary which questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying that even sharing of any clips via social media is barred.Directions to block the clips from being shared have been issued using emergency powers available to the government…
In a strong rebuttal to the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than 300 eminent Indians including retired judges, retired bureaucrats, and retired armed forces veterans signed a statement slamming the British national broadcaster for showing "unrelenting prejudice" toward India and its leader. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) aired…
A senior doctor in the Lucy Letby trial has rejected the claim that the insertion of a chest drain contributed to a baby's cardiac arrest. The lead paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Dr Ravi Jayaram, was said to have inserted a lung drain in the wrong part of…
Lord Rami Ranger, a prominent member of the House of Lords of the UK Parliament, has lodged a protest with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) over its documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I am appalled by the documentary produced by the BBC implicating the Hon. Prime Minister of…
The BBC on Friday (20) defended its controversial series on prime minister Narendra Modi as a “rigorously researched” documentary that sought to highlight important issues, a day after the Indian government condemned the programme as a “propaganda piece” lacking objectivity. “The documentary was rigorously researched according to the highest editorial…
Popular actress and activist Jameela Jamil has called out the backlash that Jacinda Ardern has been receiving after announcing her resignation as the prime minister of New Zealand. The Good Place actress posted a screenshot of an article by BBC news titled, Jacinda Ardern resigns: Can women really have it…
The Church of England will refuse to allow same-sex couples to get married in its churches under proposals set out on Wednesday (18) in which the centuries-old institution said it would stick to its teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman. The proposals were developed by bishops,…
Defending Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the British Parliament, Rishi Sunak distanced himself from the BBC documentary series, saying he "doesn't agree with the characterization" of his Indian counterpart. Sunak made these remarks on the controversial documentary that was raised in the Parliament by Pakistan-origin MP Imran Hussain. "The UK…
Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, renowned Indian classical Sarod players and brothers, presented an enthralling performance at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences on Wednesday (11) as part of the hotel's Rendezvous event series. The occasion was graced by members of Taj's own private members club, Taj,…
Hundreds of officers in London are likely be sacked for sexual and domestic abuse offences, Britain's most senior policeman said on Tuesday as he sought to regain public trust after an officer admitted being a serial rapist. London's Metropolitan Police, which has been rocked by scandals in recent years, was…
Iran has executed British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported on Saturday (14), after sentencing the former Iranian deputy defence minister to death on charges of spying for Britain. Here are some details about Akbari and his case: He served as deputy defence minister when Ali Shamkhani…
BBC ASIAN NETWORK listeners will know about the winning personality of popular radio presenter Noreen Khan. The radio and TV host has taken that infectious energy onto the live circuit as a stand-up comedian and entertained audiences around the UK. Her biggest triumph has been spearheading the path-breaking Ladies Of…
Pakistan on Thursday (12) rejected the reports in British media that a uranium-tainted cargo package that landed at London's Heathrow Airport last month originated from Karachi, saying the news is "not factual". The BBC reported on Wednesday that British counterterrorism police were investigating after border officers seized cargo contaminated with…
The Church of England knew it was investing in the transatlantic slave trade during the 18th century, the head of its investment arm said on Wednesday, after it committed 100 million pounds ($121 million) to address the "shameful" wrongs of links to slavery. The Church Commissioners, who manage the church's…
Shamima Begum, who left the UK to join Daesh (Islamic State group) in Syria, has said that she understands the public anger towards her and admitted that she joined a terror group. She told the BBC podcast The Shamima Begum Story that public now see her 'as a danger, as…
The ‘hijabi receptionist’ of The Apprentice has drawn the attention of social media users as the latest series of the BBC’s iconic reality show has kicked off.Khadeejah Khan is the new right-hand woman of the show host and ‘boss’ Alan Michael Sugar. The Pakistani woman shared a video of herself…
Journalist Joseph Nathan went for food at a Kathmandu casino one night in 2003 but ended up with the scoop of his life: French serial killer Google topmost was there playing baccarat. His resulting article in the Himalayan Times led to the arrest of Sobhraj and his incarceration - which…
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday called for "bold and radical" action to reform the crisis-hit state healthcare system as he held emergency talks with health leaders. After years of underfinancing, the NHS state-funded health service is struggling to meet the demand for emergency medical care during a particularly…
Britain's strictest head teacher, Katharine Birbalsingh, has quit as the UK government’s social mobility head saying that her outspoken views meant she was 'doing more harm than good'. She said that her presence as chair of the Social Mobility Commission (SMC) undermined its impartiality, The Guardian reported. The New Zealand-born…
Varada Sethu, a British actress of Indian Origin, has shown her acting skills in both shows and films. The 20-year-old is best known for playing DS Mishal Ali in the BBC apocalyptic TV Series Hard Sun and has also appeared in the heist thriller Now You See Me 2 (2016).…
A British Asian BBC presenter has said that Asian families avoid visiting countryside in UK due to the impression that these areas are 'white and middle class' and are not 'minority friendly'. BBC Radio 5 Live host Nihal Arthanayke pointed out that social media trolls have created such an image…
A woman who alleged that a group of Asian men had raped and trafficked her was found guilty of perverting the course of justice. Eleanor Williams, 22, used a hammer to hurt herself before notifying police that an Asian gang in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, had sexually assaulted her since childhood, reported…
A hospital in South Yorkshire accidentally texted patients mass "aggressive lung cancer" messages instead of extending them their intended "Merry Christmas" greetings, CBS News reported. The text messages were sent to the patients at Askern Medical Center in South Yorkshire, Doncaster on December 23. Patients were also asked to fill…
A headteacher, indefinitely prohibited from teaching, said the children at the school she ran were “happy”.In 2019, Nadia Ali and her father Arshad were convicted of running the Ambassadors Home School on Mitcham Lane in London illegally.Last year, Ali was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment suspended for 12 months, 120…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is said to be considering imposing some travel restrictions on China amid soaring Covid-19 infections in the country and a clampdown by other countries such as India and the US, according to UK media reports on Friday (30). Officially ministers have said that adopting tighter…
The Office for National Statistics recently published figures which showed for the first time that fewer than half of people in England and Wales describe themselves as Christian. The usual extremists used this as a way to try to divide our communities however the New Year Honours have highlighted again…
A Bradford taxi driver who attempted to incite a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.Naveed Ansari, 46, who sent an image of his genitals to the girl, planned to collect the girl from her school for having sex. As police officers found viagra…
British journalist and television presenter Ranvir Singh has said her colleagues’ refusal to call out discrimination at the workplace during the early years of her career motivated her to become who she is today.Singh, who appears in ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme, said when people around ignored her, she made…
Archie Panjabi, known for Life on Mars, The Good Wife, and Departure, has been roped in to play a pivotal part in Hulu’s series adaptation of Rebecca Godfrey’s popular novel Under the Bridge. The Emmy-winner joins Vritika Gupta, Javon Walton, Aiyana Goodfellow, Riley Keough, Izzy G, Chloe Guidry, and Ezra…
Charles Sobhraj, the French serial killer released from a Nepalese prison last week, seeks to sue Netflix and the BBC which co-produced a crime serial that chronicled his life. The Serpent, an eight-part series that was aired on BBC One in early 2021, shows how he terrorised Asia in the…
A RETIRED judge has asked the Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, to investigate TV celebrity, Jeremy Clarkson, for hate crime. It follows the former BBC Top Gear presenter’s column in The Sun in which he said he hated the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Clarkson wrote, “At night, I'm…
AN ACTION-PACKED year for Asian music in the UK had everything from new talent, stunning songs and awesome albums to unforgettable live performances from big-name international stars. The musical melting pot of genres, languages and diverse artists illustrated everything that is great about Britain, and why the past 12 months…
Britain's health minister Steve Barclay on Wednesday said people should use their common sense as the healthcare system will be under pressure as ambulance workers strike on Wednesday. "I think just use their common sense the system will be under very significant pressure," he told BBC News. "I think people…
Birmingham Edgbaston’s MP Preet Gill has urged the health secretary to hold a public inquiry into the alleged “toxic culture” at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) that has had an “alarming impact” on staff and patient care. In a letter to Steve Barclay, Gill said she was “inundated” by messages from…
Teenage sensation Rehan Ahmed said taking five wickets on his test debut was a "dream come true" after his heroics left England on the brink of victory in the third test against Pakistan and a record clean sweep. Ahmed dismissed Pakistan captain Babar Azam and key player Mohammad Rizwan among…
British crime drama television series Unforgotten, which initially hit the airwaves on ITV on 8 October 2015, has been entertaining the audience season after season. Recently actress Sinéad Keenan joined actor Sanjeev Bhaskar on the cast for the forthcoming S5 of the show following the tragic S4 finale and the…
EastEnders fans’ joy knew no bounds when they recently spotted Masood Ahmed actor Nitin Ganatra in one of Netflix’s trending shows Wednesday. The coming-of-age supernatural mystery comedy horror television series, which is based upon the character Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family, stars Jenna Ortega as the titular character, with…
Economist Jeevun Sandher has been chosen as the Labour candidate for the Loughborough parliamentary constituency for the next general election due in 2024. “It is the greatest responsibility of my life,” he said after his selection by a voice vote of local Labour functionaries at Charnwood College this week. Conservatives…
Eight Afghan journalists who worked for the BBC and other British media organisations are challenging the British government's refusal to relocate them, arguing that they are at high risk of being killed by Afghanistan's Taliban rulers. The journalists "worked alongside and in support of the British government's mission" in Afghanistan…
A former GP who abused his trusted position has been convicted of sexually assaulting his patients after persuading them to undergo unjustified invasive examinations.Manish Shah, whose appointments would often be fully booked, is found guilty of 25 sexual assaults against four women at his Romford clinic in east London.He is…
BRITISH ASIAN performer Parle Patel said he is “ecstatic” after making his panto debut in Cinderella at the Beck Theatre. Patel, 32, who has played the lead role of Mrs. Kapoor in Mrs Kapoor's Daughter's Wedding in 25 sell-out shows throughout the UK, said portraying Prince Charming’s sidekick Dandini was…
As the weather gets colder, more of us naturally take to gather indoors, especially as the festive celebrations get underway. However, the reality is that with Covid-19 and flu around, the most vulnerable amongst us, including those with long-term health conditions, are still at risk of getting seriously ill from…
"Harry Potter" author J. K. Rowling on Monday launched an organisation for women who have been victims of sexual violence. Beira's Place is billed as a free support and advocacy service run by women for women in Edinburgh and the surrounding area who have experienced abuse. Rowling, who lives in…
Ask anyone who is dieting and they will tell you that a cheat meal every now and then is necessary to satisfy certain food cravings. It not only brings about a sense of happiness but also helps as a motivating factor to continue eating healthy. Some experts believe a cheat…
Preet Kaur Gill MP has sought an independent inquiry into the allegations of historic toxicity and bullying at University Hospitals Birmingham.She said reviews already announced by the NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) would not go far enough.The MP Birmingham Edgbaston MP and shadow cabinet minister for international…
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which has been viewed by over 100 million people worldwide and has been an unprecedented global success as the top Original series for Prime Video in every region in its first season, has announced an additional eight new recurring cast members…
An Indian environmentalist who won a special award from then prime minister Boris Johnson has started a 30 city clean-up tour across UK. Vivek Gurav and his volunteers have picked up 5,000kg of rubbish, including 3,000kg of plastic while out running in Bristol in the past year. Gurav began plogging…
Priyanka Chopra, who has proved her mettle both in Bollywood and Hollywood, has added one more feather to her cap. She has emerged as one of the only four Indians to make it to the list of BBC’s ‘100 Women’ this year. During an interview for the same, Chopra opened…
THE BBC should be ashamed that it has radio and television stations where newsrooms are entirely white and not representing the communities they serve. That is the feeling of current staff and former employees who have spoken to Eastern Eye. They said they warned the BBC that it would not…
Britain’s universities have tied up with consultancy organisations which recruit Indian students with an offer that they can bring their families to the UK, a media report said. The universities pay commissions to the agents who market “graduate visas” and help potential Indian students get visas for their dependents, according…
An eminent solicitor with Pakistani ancestry has said Lady Susan Hussey enquired him about his heritage at a Buckingham event where Ngozi Fulani, the UK-born founder of a charity, was repeatedly quizzed about her origins. Lady Hussey, who had served the late Queen Elizabeth for six decades as a lady-in-waiting,…
The godmother of Britain’s Prince William on Wednesday (30) resigned from her honorary duties at Buckingham Palace following controversial remarks made to a black British charity worker at an event that were perceived as racist. Lady Susan Hussey, 83, who had been an aide to the late Queen Elizabeth II…
Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy has called for diversity among top executives in media houses and suggested it was time for a black or Asian person to run a British television channel. He said Jewish people had been well-represented at the top levels but it was not the case…
X-Men star James McAvoy has revealed that during a two-week run of the West End play “Cyrano de Bergerac” in his hometown Glasglow earlier this year, his female co-stars were “racially abused” on a daily basis. The Scottish actor was left ‘scunnered’ after most of the women of colour dealt…
Civic leaders, MPs, experts and senior doctors have warned that the UK is sitting on a “ticking time bomb of disparities” among south Asian and black communities. They told Eastern Eye that the 2021 census figures, released on Tuesday (29 November) should raise concerns among government. They urged ministers to…
A jury at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday (28) heard that a driver who killed a pregnant mum and her father returned to the scene to retrieve drugs from his car. Nitesh Bissendary, 30, from Manston, is on trial at the court for allegedly killing Yoram Hirshfeld, 81, and Noga…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday that the so-called "golden era" of relations with China was over, saying Beijing's systemic challenge to Britain's interests and values was growing more acute. In his first major foreign policy speech, Sunak said Britain's approach to China needed to evolve and Beijing…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reiterated the UK’s commitment to a free trade agreement (FTA) with India as part of the country’s wider focus on enhancing ties with the Indo-Pacific region and standing up to competitors with “robust pragmatism”. Delivering his first major foreign policy speech since taking charge…
Media reports inform that under the current legislation for England, Wales, and Scotland, there is a 24-week time limit for having an abortion, however, the law allows up until birth if "there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental…
Restrictions on the number of foreign students arriving in the UK could push its universities towards collapse, the government’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said as official figures showed a surge in net immigration. According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released on Thursday, net migration into the UK went…
British actor Navin Chowdhry, who has starred in dozens of successful films and TV shows in his long acting career, currently plays an important character in the hugely popular BBC drama EastEnders. The actor essays Nish Panesar in the BBC soap and has seen a meteoric rise in his popularity…
AN award-winning chef has raised over £7,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support as she completed a trek to the top of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in August. Lorna Nanda Gangotra of Lorna’s Indian Kitchen at Addlestone in Surrey has described he experience of reaching Uhuru summit, the roof of Africa, truly ‘lifechanging’.…
BAFTA Breakthrough recently unveiled its creatives for the year 2022. This Is Going To Hurt star Ambika Mod is among the 33 talents across film, TV, and game who have been selected for the 2022 edition of Bafta Breakthrough. Mod, who was also chosen as a 2022 Screen Star of…
The UK's international reputation has taken "a bit of a knock" this year, Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday, as he vowed to restore economic stability. In an interview with the BBC in Bali on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Sunak said tax rises and spending cuts in Thursday's Autumn…
THERE should be more meaningful roles – not just for south Asian actors but also for people with disabilities – so that we get to see true reflection of our society on screen, feels actress Rakhee Thakrar, adding that things are now moving in right direction, yet it needs to…
Actor Jaz Singh Deol has bid adieu to his character Kheerat Panesar in the popular British soap opera EastEnders. The actor made his final appearance in EastEnders on Thursday, November 10, when his character was seen being ushered away by police in a storyline linked to the death of Ranveer…
A specially designed waterproof prayer book filled with “tactical” hymns and prayers has been launched in London for British Sikhs to carry with them on duty and to the battlefield. The Nitnem Gutka Sahib, as the collection is known, is made of durable material with a camouflage design and was…
In his debut novel The People We Know, London-based author Farrokh Suntook has told a compelling story of a Sikh woman who finds her life transformed after a shocking discovery about her Parsi husband and a chance encounter with an English couple. Building on the author’s love for literature, the…
The trial related to the murder of teenage student Aya Hachem involving two accused men has collapsed as the jury has been discharged after less than a day's deliberation. According to a report by LancsLive, the jury was told following an application that it had been discharged on Wednesday (9)…
The chief executive of retailer Next has said that the current immigration policy of the UK is crippling economic growth as he urged the government to let more foreign workers into the UK. Strong Brexit-backer Lord Wolfson said that the country needs a 'different approach' to migration to address the…
Accents associated with England’s industrial cities and ethnic minorities including Indians are ranked the lowest in the prestige hierarchy, new research has revealed. People from lower socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to be mocked or singled out because of the way they speak, the study by academics from the Accent…
British Asian actor Prasanna Puwanarajah who portrays disgraced journalist Martin Bashir in Netflix series The Crown has said that Bashir’s ethnicity was a key factor in his deception, adding that that ‘a wariness of outsiders’ in the corporation was a major element in the scandal. "Bashir’s ambitious actions are part…
A head teacher from ethnic minority background has revealed that she was called racist names by children while working in Wales, according to reports. Reena Patel, who works at Kitchener Primary in Cardiff, now wants to make her school anti-racist by providing to white teachers, reported the BBC. Notably, nine…
The family of Nadia Sharif, 17 who took her own life at West Lane Hospital in 2019 amidst a slew of mental health failures has called for changes so that patients at the hospital are not treated like "locked-up animals". An investigation into the deaths of Nadia, and two other…
In a appalling allegation of racism, the founder of a Muslim hikers' group has said that it faced "shocking" online abuse since making an appearance on Countryfile. Haroon Mota from Coventry participated in an outdoor arts event that was filmed on Scafell Pike in September for the BBC special shown…
As soon as we wake up, a shower in the morning is what most of us do to feel fresh. However, a hygiene expert states that bathing daily is not necessary and 'really not important – in fact, it does not need to be done ever. According to Professor Sally…
Hindus in the UK are “smart, rich and very well behaved” with just 0.4 per cent found in the country’s prisons in 2021, the lowest of any religious cohort, according to a media report, days after Rishi Sunak became Britain’s first Hindu Prime Minister. England and Wales are now home…
A statue of a Sikh soldier was unveiled in the UK’s Leicester city on Sunday to honour Sikhs who fought for Britain in conflicts around the world. The bronze figure on a granite plinth went on display in Victoria Park on Sunday, the BBC reported. The Sikh Troops War Memorial…
Rishi Sunak’s decision to skip the upcoming Climate Summit in Egypt and the government preventing King Charles III from attending it has been criticised by many across the world who have accused the new UK Prime Minister of washing his hands of Britain’s commitment to tackle the climate crisis. COP27…
An attacker on Sunday threw firebombs at an immigration office used to process asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats and was later found dead. The attack came as the government seeks to curb record arrivals. Kent Police said that on Sunday morning "two or three incendiary devices" were…
Noted comedian and television host Trevor Noah has defended himself following a row over his comments on the appointment of Britain’s new premier, saying he never said “the entire UK is racist” and was only responding to those who do not want Rishi Sunak in that role. Sunak, Britain’s first…
A convicted drug dealer who boasted of flash cars and guns while on the run in Pakistan has absconded from an open prison in Derbyshire. The 36-year-old convict named Adnan Raja Khan could not be traced during the lunchtime roll call at HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire on Thursday (28), the…
BIRTHDAY SPECIAL CELEBRATING THE VERSATILE ACTING ICON’S DIVERSE ROLES ACROSS GENRES AND LANGUAGES Talented Bollywood star Tabu is seen as one of the finest actresses of this generation and has a brilliant body of work to back it up. The versatile performer has shown off her impressive range in a…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday (27) came under fresh pressure on the re-appointment of Indian-origin Suella Braverman as home secretary after two Conservative MPs questioned his decision, days after she quit over data breaches Braverman, 42, resigned from the Cabinet of former prime minister Liz Truss last week,…
Newly-appointed British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his family will be returning to live in a smaller flat above No 10 Downing Street as they were “very happy there,” his spokesperson has said. No 10 Downing Street has been the residence of British prime ministers since 1735, says the government’s…
CELEBRITY baker Nadiya Hussain has revealed that her skin was intentionally lightened for photoshoots but she could not prevent it because of the “fear of rocking the boat”. The winner of the 2015 edition of the BBC’s The Great British Bake Off show suggested she would not allow make-up artists…
The Liberal Democrats have called for a Cabinet Office probe into Indian-origin Suella Braverman's re-appointment as the UK Home Secretary by Rishi Sunak, days after being forced to resign for breaching the ministerial code, a media report said on Wednesday. Braverman, 42, whose scathing resignation letter precipitated Liz Truss' exit…
The BBC has described British prime minister Rishi Sunak as ‘t**t’ and ‘c***’ in a 'word cloud' to show public opinion about the leader, according to reports. The word cloud was created by polling research company Savanta ComRes after Britons were asked how they felt about Sunak becoming the prime…
I’m a patriot, I’m proud to be British, but I’m also realistic, writes Barnie Choudhury. It pains me to have to justify myself. Yet I feel I must. Why? Because I am a brown man, who was not born in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. I am an immigrant,…
Rishi Sunak is already a marmite prime minister, writes Barnie Choudhury. Feted by his MP colleagues but rejected by the Conservative grass roots just six weeks ago (September 5). They accuse Sunak of causing Johnson’s downfall, rather than accept that it was the fault of his once next-door Downing Street…
In a momentous day, Britain’s first south Asian prime minister, who became the Conservative Party leader on Diwali day [24], has vowed to unite the country and his riven party. Speaking on the steps of Number 10, Rishi Sunak, a practising Hindu, told the country that he would be a…
Britain’s celebrity baker Nadiya Hussain has revealed her skin was intentionally lightened for photoshoots but she could resist it because of the “fear of rocking the boat”. The winner of the 2015 edition of the BBC’s The Great British Bake Off competition suggested she would not allow make-up artists to…
I was absolutely delighted to see Rishi Sunak become our first British Asian prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party this week. Not only is Rishi an extraordinarily talented and thoroughly decent man, but he is the embodiment of a seismic and hugely positive shift in attitudes in both…
According to new scientific findings, getting less than just five hours of sleep each night could set your body up for disease. This is because when we sleep, our body goes through an intensive repair process and when sleep is cut short, this restorative process is disrupted. Based on the…
Conservative rivals Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak held face-to-face talks late Saturday (22), reports said, as the feuding pair who once headed Britain's government were poised to battle for the leadership of their fractured ruling party. Former prime minister Johnson, who returned from a Caribbean holiday earlier in the day…
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday (23) launched 36 satellites of London-based firm, OneWeb, in its heaviest rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota. Prime minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO on the successful launch of these satellites. He said that the latest initiative exemplified Atmanirbharta (self-reliance)…
British actor, comedian and television presenter Sanjeev Bhaskar, who is best known for his work in the BBC Two sketch comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and as the star of the sitcom The Kumars at No. 42, has said he feels comedy can be a “powerful” way to explore social…
The fourth member of a family from from Riverside, Cardiff, has died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Bangladesh. Husnara Begum, 45, died in hospital in Dhaka recently, nearly three months after the incident, reported the BBC. Her husband, Rafiqul Islam, 51, a taxi driver, died along with son, Mahiqul,…
BRITAIN’S first hijab wearing police officer is hoping she can inspire more people from the south Asian community to join a “very diverse” force. Khadeejah Mansur joined the Leicestershire Police force in October 2020 because she wanted to “represent our diverse communities, especially here in Leicester”. “The message I want…
People from ethnic minority backgrounds should be recruited more to Northern Ireland police service, the president of the National Black Police Association (NBPA) has said. Andy George, who was the first member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to reach the top post at NBPA, has said that…
The organisers of the Booker prize have funded this year's winner Shehan Karunatilaka's flight to the UK to pick up the coveted prize, according to a media report. The Booker Prize Foundation extended financial support to the Sri Lankan writer to travel to Britain for the ceremony, The Times reported.…
A five-year national inquiry into decades of child sex abuse in Britain will deliver its conclusions on Thursday, after hearing that politicians, church leaders and others in authority had failed to act or turned a blind eye. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), one of the largest and…
Just days after firing Kwasi Kwarteng as the chancellor of the exchequer, British prime minister Liz Truss has suspended one of her key advisers pending an investigation. Jason Stein, a special adviser to the prime minister, is set to face a formal investigation by the Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics…
The UK government said on Tuesday (18) that it is taking decisive steps to stop Chinese recruitment schemes attempting to headhunt serving and former British military pilots to train the People’s Liberation Army personnel in China. According to reports, around 30 former UK military pilots are thought to have gone…
Prime Minister Liz Truss has apologised for threatening Britain's economic stability after she was forced to scrap her vast tax-cutting plans and embark on a programme of "eye-watering" public spending cuts instead. Truss watched silently in parliament on Monday as her new finance minister Jeremy Hunt tore up the radical…
A man appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday (14) on charges of stabbing two police officers in central London in September. The officers were carrying out their routine duties when the man attacked them. The incident happened in Leicester Square on September 16. The 24-year-old accused, Mohammed Rahman of…
The renowned reader of BBC News at Six, George Alagiah has declared that he will be taking time off from presenting after scans discovered that his bowel cancer has spread further. The 66-year-old newsreader was first diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer back in 2014. He later revealed that the…
The Metropolitan Police on Friday (14) made a fresh appeal for information regarding the tragic death of Ricky Reel in Kingston in 1997 as his family alleged that 'race played a role' in his death. According to the family, racism played a key role in the tragedy as he 20-year-old's…
In a bid to counter the challenge of racism, teachers in Wales are being trained in anti-racism after students have spoken in detail about the uncomfortable experience they faced -- in terms of racist bullying and feeling isolated at their places of study. The government of Wales on Wednesday (12)…
TikTok star and social media influencer Mahek Bukhari is set to go on a trial for murder next week along with her mother Ansreen Bukhari and six other people in connection to the deaths of two young men, reportedly cousin brothers, in a deadly car crash on the A46 in…
The free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with India are no longer working towards a Diwali deadline, UK Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has confirmed. During a visit to a Scotch whisky distillery on Thursday, the Cabinet minister in charge of the FTA negotiations at the Department for International Trade (DIT) said…
'Game of Thrones' star Indira Varma has been cast as Empress Natalya in 'Dune: The Sisterhood'. According to Variety, Empress Natalya is a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino. Varma is most known for her role as Ellaria Sand in 'Game of Thrones'…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss faced growing pressure on Thursday from lawmakers in her own party to rethink tax-cut plans that sent markets into turmoil, with one ally saying it would be a "disastrously bad idea" to oust her a month into the job. Truss's economic package, announced last month,…
The Metropolitan Police has formed a specialist team to investigate domestic and sexual abuse allegations against police personnel, reports said. It was reported that the new Domestic and Sexual Offences Unit, nicknamed the Daso team, has received 625 complaints so far. The unit resembles the fictional unit, AC-12, in BBC…
The multi-award-winning production company, RABBLE Theatre has announced the cast of its new radio play The Newcomers. The theatre group, which is commemorating 50 years since the arrival of 1,600 Ugandan Asians to Greenham Common, Berkshire, this month, has joined forces with BBC Radio Berkshire to co-produce the radio play.…
According to reports, Tom Cruise is in the process of inking a deal with Universal Films Entertainment Group (UFEG) for a high-profile film mounted on a lavish scale. If the deal materialises, the star with shoot his next film on the International Space Station. Yes, you read that absolutely right!…
Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter actor, Florence, and the Machine frontwoman Florence Welch, and model Cara Delevingne have been struggling with dyspraxia, a condition that impacts coordination skills, the Mirror reports. Though the causes of dyspraxia are not known, according to the NHS premature babies have a higher risk of developing…
The Metropolitan police commissioner has promised that he 'will be ruthless in rooting out' racists from the force following the emergence of a WhatsApp group chat scandal involving serving and retired officers, according to reports. Former Met officer Rob Lewis, who created the group, was suspended this week for posting…
More than two-thirds of hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales in the year to March 2022 were racist.Government data showed 109,843 out of the total 155,841 hate crimes recorded during the period were racist. There was a 26 per cent year-on-year spike in overall hate crimes and…
A former Metropolitan Police officer has been suspended for posting 'vile and deplorable' racist and derogatory comments on a WhatsApp group, which included former Met officers, media reports said. Rob Lewis, who has been working on contract with Border Force, has allegedly created the group. According to the BBC, his…
Prime minister, Liz Truss, and chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, have “risked” the Conservative Party’s election chances because of their “incompetent handling” of the mini budget, Asian parliamentarians have told Eastern Eye. In a so-called mini budget on September 23, Kwarteng abolished the 45p higher tax rate. However, on Monday (3) the…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss has refused to rule out cutting benefit payments by less than soaring inflation to help fund her tax-cutting growth plan in what is likely to spark the next political rebellion over her economic plans. Truss and her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng are racing to set…
British home secretary Suella Braverman may ensure suspects anonymity before they are charged in a radical change to the existing criminal justice system, according to reports. The minister told a Young Conservatives event on Monday (3) that the government is considering such a proposal due to concern over the identification…
A British newspaper has pledged to 'redouble efforts' against racism after it used picture of a wrong person in chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng story. The Mirror newspaper has also apologised for the 'terrible error' which happened on October 1, the first day of Black History Month. “This morning a picture in…
New UK Prime Minister Liz Truss's early missteps have prompted turmoil in her personal poll ratings, as well as financial markets, with a survey Friday finding half of Britons think she should resign. Less than four weeks into the top job, and a week after the disastrous unveiling of a…
London mayor Sadiq Khan said Rupa Huq MP’s recent comment on the chancellor of exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng was “racist” and “wrong”. But he asserted that the lawmaker was not “not racist”. Huq earlier this week described Kwarteng as “superficially black” and said the way he spoke did not give an…
Actor Charithra Chandran, who starred in season two of 'Bridgerton,' has been cast as the lead in the Olivia Hetreed drama 'Song of the Sun God.' According to Deadline, the six-part series, which is based on Shankari Chandran's novel and is being produced by The Cry indie Synchronicity Films and…
THE live British Asian comedy scene going from strength to strength is perfectly illustrated by the number of stand-up shows, top talents, and fast emerging newcomers like Tej Dhutia. The funny comic introduced herself with a fabulous appearance on the televised BBC Asian Network show and is fast making a…
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss on Thursday defended her tax cuts policy, despite it triggering market turmoil and forcing a Bank of England intervention to prevent "material risk" to the economy. "We had to take urgent action to get our economy growing, get Britain moving, and also deal with inflation,"…
BBC presenter Amol Rajan has slammed the BBC for being ‘too posh’, having ‘accent bias’ and not recruiting presenters with ‘working-class’ voices. Rajan recently commissioned research which showed 70 per cent of newsreaders across the four main UK broadcasters, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky, speak with Received Pronunciation (RP),…
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has termed the comments by Rupa Huq MP about chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng being 'superficially' black as 'racist'. He also welcomed the party's 'swift action' to suspend Haq following the controversy. Haq was suspended from the party on Tuesday (27). “What she said, in my…
A shoulder surgeon has put hundreds of patients at risk at an NHS Trust in West Midlands due to faulty operations over a decade, media reports said. More than 600 complaints were received against Mian Munawar Shah who has been practicing at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. Following a series of…
Unfounded rumours on social media - about an attempted kidnap of a teenage girl and attacks on a mosque - fuelled trouble in Leicester earlier this month, a media report said. Tensions flared up between Hindu and Muslim groups leading to disorder on September 17 and further protests the next…
Bosses and workers hold diagonally opposite views on the productivity of remote working, according to a major survey from the technology giant Microsoft. The study shows that 87 per cent of workers surveyed feel they are as productive or more working from home than in office, while 80 per cent…
Britain has intercepted more than 1100 migrants illegally crossing the English Channel, taking the total number of people making such journeys to the UK well past 31,000 so far this year. According to the Ministry of Defence, 1,150 people travelling in 21 small boats were detected on Thursday. The figure…
UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has met with local police officers and Hindu and Muslim community leaders in Leicester and assured them that thugs behind recent violent clashes would face the full force of the law. During a visit to the eastern England city on Thursday, the Indian-origin Cabinet minister…
An independent review will be conducted into the recent unrest in Leicester, the city's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has said. The exercise aims at finding out the reasons for the disorder last weekend and what can be done to prevent confrontations in the future. However, no appointment has yet been…
The Church of England has prohibited the late Desmond Tutu's daughter from leading her godfather's funeral as 'she is married to a woman', media reports said. Mpho Tutu van Furth is an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Washington DC. She was invited to preside over the funeral of Martin…
A second man has been sentenced in connection with Leicester violence which saw the arrest of 47 people since August 28. Leicester Magistrates' Court handed down a suspended one-year jail term to Adam Yusuf, 20, after he pleaded guilty to possessing a knife at a march on Sunday. While Yusuf…
IF this was the end of an era - the Elizabethan age - what an ending it was. The scale of global attention for the Queen’s funeral renewed the sense that nobody does tradition quite like the British. It was broadcast magnificently too. Sweeping shots of Westminster Abbey combined with…
Fifteen people have been arrested in East Leicester in response to public disorder “fanned by distorted social media” over the weekend. Policing operations continued on Monday although there were no further reports of disorder. The arrests came after Sunday’s protest which followed large-scale disorder the previous day amid tensions involving…
Police is calling for calm after clashes between fans following an India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match at the end of last month spilled over into "serious disorder" on Saturday and the early hours of Sunday in the city of Leicester in eastern England. Reports circulating on social media claimed the…
Queen Elizabeth's state funeral on Monday (19) will be shown by around 125 cinemas across Britain, while parks, squares and cathedrals will also set up viewing screens for the huge ceremonial event, the government said on Saturday (17). The funeral service at Westminster Abbey and related processions across London will…
The Chinese delegation visiting London to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday (19) will not be allowed to view her coffin at the lying-in-state vigil inside parliament, the BBC reported on Friday (16). Some parliamentarians had raised concerns about inviting representatives from China after several British lawmakers were sanctioned by…
Researchers suggest that the key to controlling your appetite could be a big breakfast. They have discovered that eating a smaller dinner and a big breakfast could help you lose weight by making you feel less hungry. A study from the University of Aberdeen found that people burned the same…
Senior leaders of UK's ruling party have raised concerns about inviting Chinese leaders to the Queen's funeral on Monday (19) over genocide of Uyghur minority. A group of MPs and peers, including former Tory leader leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, have urged the government to withdraw the invitation to the…
BBC presenter Nihal Arthanayake likened Mr and Mrs Solanki’s generation to a mountain range. “We all stand on top of them and their achievements,” he said, adding, “These people were powers in our community. “They came here before there was a race relations act. “We talk about discrimination, systemic racism,…
Labour leader Keir Starmer has urged anti-monarchy protesters not to disrupt mourners from expressing their thanks to Queen Elizabeth II in the run-up to her funeral slated for next week. While defending the “British tradition” of the right to protest and disagree, he said it should be exercised “in the…
SENIOR SOUTH ASIAN and Black leaders have urged King Charles to make sure their communities continue to have a strong influence on Britain’s future. While he was a prince, the new monarch was outspoken on issues which concerned him. They included highlighting the dangers of climate change, the benefits of…
Britain has not invited representatives from Russia, Belarus and Myanmar to attend Queen Elizabeth's state funeral due to be held next Monday, a Whitehall source said on Tuesday (13). Britain, along with its Western allies, has sought to isolate Russia and its ally Belarus on the world stage with economic…
The family of Chris Kaba, who was killed in a police firing in south London last week, has accused the watchdog IOPC of being slow in its investigation into the incident. Kaba’s cousin Jefferson Bosela, said the family was informed of the 24-year-old rapper’s death 11 hours after his death…
Rights groups have deplored the arrests of anti-monarchy protesters in the UK during events following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Two young people have been arrested in Scotland since Sunday over breach of peace and public order while a man was rounded up in England for similar reasons. The…
First is always special. Cambridgeshire-born Indian-origin actor Himesh Patel who made it to the shortlist of nominees for the Emmy Awards for the first time ever was all smiles before heading to the ceremony on Tuesday. For his Emmys look, Patel sported a patterned suit jacket with a black shirt…
It might surprise a lot of MCU fans but Marvel Studios once considered bringing Jesus Christ into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, you read that absolutely right. However, the studio had no intention of getting religious or pushing forward a major religious experience for the audience, but it did plan…
Football pundit Trevor Sinclair has has been taken off air by TalkSport after the former English footballer tweeted that the Queen allowed racism to thrive in England within hours of Buckingham Palace confirming the Monarch's death, media reports said. Sinclair tweeted: "Racism was outlawed in England in the 60’s &…
Britain's royal family rushed to be with Queen Elizabeth after doctors said they were concerned about the health of the 96-year-old monarch on Thursday and said she should remain under medical supervision. The queen, Britain's longest-reigning sovereign and the world's oldest monarch, has been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has…
Iran has handed down capital punishment to two female gay rights activists for “promoting homosexuality” on social media. Zahra Sedighi Hamedani and Elham Chubdar were convicted of "spreading corruption on earth" - a charge the Hengaw Kurdish rights organisation said was often imposed on people deemed to have broken the…
A veteran political commentator and former BBC journalist has apologised for a “unacceptable” racist remark on the diverse cabinet of new prime minister Liz Truss. Iain Macwhirter’s “coconut cabinet” jibe on the appointment of people of colour to the three great offices of the government, sparked outrage on social media…
History-making Muslim model Halima Aden was seen posing for a selfie with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry while attending the One Young World Summit in Manchester this evening. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were present to deliver the keynote address at the event at Bridgewater Hall. The royal couple…
It's good news for millions of households in UK. The new British prime minister Liz Truss is planning to freeze household energy bills at the current level for 18 months, media reports said. Queen Elizabeth appointed Truss as new leader on Tuesday (6). She is tasked with steering the country…
An orthopaedic surgeon has been awarded compensation over his unfair dismissal from England’s health and adult social care regulator. Shyam Kumar had raised patient safety concerns during his part-time job in the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as a special adviser on hospital inspections. The Manchester Employment Tribunal ruled his disengagement…
The popular HBO series "Game of Thrones" actor Jack Gleeson, who played the annoying young King Joffrey, wed his long-term fiancee last weekend in a "very simple" ceremony at a small church in his native Ireland, according to the priest who officiated the wedding. "Very simple, prayerful and dignified marriage…
Spain is a popular filming location for Bollywood movies, but have you ever considered a trip to Spain to experience the local culture and visit some of the settings of Bollywood classics yourself? Spain has featured as the backdrop to numerous Indian films, leading to an increase in Indian tourists…
The boss of an Indian personal care solutions firm has been criticised for suggesting that young people should work for 18 hours a day.Shantanu Deshpande, the CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, claimed in a LinkedIn post that young professionals were under the wrong impression that work-life balance was necessary. According…
Since menstruation is still a taboo topic in many parts of India, as part of an experiment to normalise menstrual discussion within the country, the organizers of the #feelthepain movement took menstruation simulators to malls and colleges in Ernakulam district (in Kerala) to let men experience period cramps. The campaign's…
The tragic death of a pregnant Indian woman in Portugal while being shifted between crisis-hit hospitals has led to the resignation of the country's health minister Marta Temido while authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. The 34-year-old Indian woman reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest during an ambulance transfer…
MUSIC LEGEND KS BHAMRAH ON HIS MAGICAL JOURNEY AND MEANINGFUL NEW SONG Brilliantly talented bhangra legend KS Bhamrah is one of the greatest heroes of British Asian music. The legendary singer-songwriter has entertained audiences around the world as a respected solo artist and lead singer of iconic band Apna Sangeet.…
In her “Life in Looks” video for British Vogue Magazine, Kate Moss opened up about the time her ex-boyfriend Johnny Depp gifted her a diamond necklace pulled straight out of his bum crack. Sharing the incident, the British supermodel said, “That diamond necklace Johnny gave me. They were the first…
According to new research, children in Wales are among the least fit, compared with children around the world. With colleagues from 60 countries, Wales' youngsters were given an F by researchers, for fitness, the BBC reports. This is the fourth Active Healthy Kids Wales report card and the conclusions were…
Britain's environment minister on Saturday defended government plans to tackle sewage releases into rivers and sea after opposition parties and environmentalists slammed the measures as insufficient and costly for consumers. Recent discharges of sewage into popular river and sea bathing areas have prompted widespread horror among the public, as well…
British actor Ashvin Luximon, who was best known for his role in long-running BBC soap 'EastEnders' passed away, the family of the actor has just revealed. According to Deadline, the actor's family shared that he died from an aneurysm on July 23 this year. The family paid tribute to their…
A Silicon Valley start-up has been converting Indian-accented voices using Artificial intelligence to make them sound American, according to media reports. The start-up Sanas has told the BBC that its technology could overcome accent-based prejudice and reduce racist abuse faced by staff. But, the firm has been accused of ‘bias…
British rock artist Nix Dadry has been influenced by an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, grunge, funk, and alternative pop. Originally from the Midlands, he has performed live in cities, including London, New York City, Montreal, and Istanbul. The singer, songwriter, and musician’s recently released EP The World Goes…
Afghanistan’s famous newsreader, who was forced out of her job by the gun-wielding Taliban, has implored the British government to help women in her home country who are robbed of their freedom.Now in London - more than 7,500 km away from the television studios in Kabul where she passionately worked…
Owners of an Indian restaurant in UK were pleasantly surprised when they saw bookings surged during this week. The Light of India in Ellesmere Port has received overnight popularity after Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds described the food there as the ‘best Indian food in Europe', media reports said. Reynolds, who owns…
Britain's Princess Diana was killed in a car crash 25 years ago, prompting mourning across the world. Here are some facts about Diana's life: * Diana Spencer was born on July 1, 1961, into an aristocratic family, the third of four children of the then Viscount and Viscountess Althorp. *…
Searing summer temperatures in the UK have not just parched the earth and dried up rivers, lakes and reservoirs but are also seeing trees shed their leaves early. Instead of green, many gardens, parks and woods are now a sea of orange, yellow, red and brown, with thick carpets of…
England test captain Ben Stokes set an example and showed great leadership by opening up about his struggles with mental health, former skipper Joe Root said on Tuesday. Stokes kept the dialogue on mental health going as the all-rounder revealed he was still on anxiety medication after returning from a…
The Cabinet Office, dominated by people with “posh” London accents, is accused of being institutionally racist with perpetrators going unpunished, according to an internal review. The leaked report, which revealed that 10 per cent of the 10,000-strong staff experienced bullying and harassment, comes amid calls for a zero-tolerance approach to…
A charity in Scotland is investigating an incident in which an Alba party member posted a video of the BBC Scotland editor James Cook being abused as a 'traitor' outside the Tory leadership hustings, according to a report. Farah Hamid, 53, published a film of Cook facing an angry crowd…
England test captain Ben Stokes on Tuesday said he had feared he might not play again after taking an extended break from cricket last year to focus on his wellbeing. Stokes decided to prioritise his mental health after suffering from a series of panic attacks following the death of his…
The three young children of Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate are to start at a new school next month, his office announced on Monday, as the family prepare to move to a new home on his grandmother Queen Elizabeth's Windsor Castle estate. Princes George and Louis, aged 9…
EARLIER this year, talking about her love of books, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, revealed that Vikram Seth is her favourite author. She said of her trips to India: “I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of these wonderful old manuscripts and these illustrated books, you know, these ancient,…
British Indian chef Manjula Patel, 85, one of its oldest chefs and restaurateurs in the UK, opened her restaurant in Brighton when she was 80 with the help of her sons. Manju’s – Indian Restaurant, a Gujarati restaurant in north Laines, Brighton, has been delighting locals and tourists since 2017.…
Kolkata-born journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan will host the BBC’s quiz programme University Challenge from the autumn of 2023. He will succeed Jeremy Paxman who has been its quizmaster since the show was revived by the corporation in 1994. Rajan, a cricket enthusiast, was appointed as the BBC’s media editor…
Pollution warnings were issued for nearly 40 beaches in England and Wales on Wednesday (17) as water companies discharged untreated sewage into rivers and the sea, media reports said. Downpour on Tuesday and Wednesday led to mass sewage dumps into the sea around the south coast of England. The Environment Agency warned…
British Indian journalist Amol Rajan is the frontrunner to succeed Jeremy Paxman as University Challenge host, The Telegraph reported. Rajan has been the BBC's Media Editor since December 2016 and a presenter on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 since 2021. Paxman, 72, who is leaving the quiz show…
Afghan refugees have rejected the plan to relocate them to Scotland and Wales citing cold weather and limited English language skills as reasons, according to a report. Currently, they are housed in hotels and the UK is spending about £1 million a day for 9,500 Afghans who fled the country in…
