- Thursday, April 25, 2024
Labour has announced its intention to nationalise the country's rail network within five years without compensating private operators, as part of its strategy to address issues within the railway system. Since the privatisation of Britain's train services in the 1990s, several operators have been brought back under public ownership due…
AHEAD of world malaria day on Thursday (25), the health security agency has urged travelers to take precautions to minimise the risk of the disease as cases have been confirmed in individuals who recently returned from overseas. Data from the UK health security agency (UKHSA) showed an increase in malaria…
Seaside saunas were once just a distant dream, until 2018. Nowadays, strolling along a beach in one of the UK's main resorts might lead one to encounter a converted horse box offering head and steam as a refuge from gloomy skies and chilly winds. "Once you get down in the…
INDIA's unemployment rate is likely to decline by as much as 97 basis points by 2028 as the country’s economy hits the $5 trillion mark, fuelling a rise in employment, a new report said. Unemployment rate — the percentage of people in the labour force who are without jobs —…
When it comes to investments, tech and property are usually the go-to options. Yet entertainment, particularly sports, are big earners which can generate large sums of revenue each year. Inevitably, this means investment in sport can be particularly lucrative. Below, we discuss some of the options and companies available when…
For more than 5000 years, Stonehenge has intrigued historians, archaeologists, and visitors alike. This ancient monument and burial site in southern England is known for its enigmatic stone circle, but its true purpose has remained a mystery. A very recent research suggests a possible connection between Stonehenge and the Moon,…
THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday (16) raised India’s growth projection to 6.8 per cent from its January forecast of 6.5 per cent citing bullish domestic demand conditions and a rising working-age population. With this, India continues to be the fastest growing economy of the world, ahead of China’s…
DELHI airport has been named among the world's top 10 busiest airports for 2023, according to the Airports Council International (ACI) World. The Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital is ranked tenth while Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport tops the list, followed by Dubai and Dallas airports. Among the…
Young people today are facing a mental health crisis. Across the globe, reports paint a concerning picture of a significant rise in mental health issues among adolescents. While the reasons are complex and multifaceted, social media and smartphones frequently take the brunt of the blame. However, a closer look reveals…
A PASSION for highlighting the recipes and food traditions of Bangladesh has led Dina Begum towards becoming an author of two widely acclaimed cookbooks. The British culinary expert has followed up Brick Lane Cookbook with the recently published Made in Bangladesh, which has also received a great response. The new…
ACTOR Darasing Khurana said the death of his close friend, fellow actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020, led him to become a mental health campaigner. Khurana, 32, has been named the Commonwealth Year of Youth Champion, with his role focusing on mental health initiatives. He founded the Pause. Breathe.Talk…
Pakistan is gearing up to seek a fresh financial boost from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), emphasising on climate finance. According to a report by The News International, the government aims to secure a medium-term Extended Fund Facility (EFF) during the upcoming Annual Spring Meetings of Bretton Woods Institutions next…
New Zealand announced immediate changes to its employment visa program on Sunday in response to near-record migration levels last year, which it deemed "unsustainable." The adjustments include introducing an English language requirement for low-skilled jobs and implementing a minimum skills and work experience threshold for most employer work visas. Additionally,…
Kindness and culture shape all of our lives in ways so profound that we scarcely realise how they impact on our actions, attitudes and overall wellbeing, which is particularly poignant this April, as it’s Stress Awareness Month. Their influence stretches far beyond our own lives, as they are intrinsically intertwined…
Experts have warned that a bird flu pandemic could be far deadlier than Covid-19, with the potential to kill up to half of those infected. The H5N1 strain of bird flu is causing concern, as it has been found in various mammals, including humans, raising fears of a global epidemic.…
WITNESSING "infinite demand" in the strong Indian aviation market, British carrier Virgin Atlantic said it will start an additional daily flight connecting Mumbai and London from October. The airline added that it will look to expand its codeshare partnership with IndiGo. Currently, Virgin Atlantic operates two daily flights to London…
Thousands are lured to Cambodia with promises of data entry jobs, only to find themselves trapped in a nightmarish world of forced labour. These "cyber slaves" are forced to run online scams that target people worldwide. These victims are held captive in high-security complexes, guarded by armed men. Their passports…
THE government’s decision to impose visa restrictions on international students to cut immigration figures is “anti-universities” and “economic illiteracy”, according to a peer and university chancellor. From January, the Home Office stopped postgraduate students from bringing their families with them when studying in the UK. When he announced the restriction,…
The Akshaya Patra Foundation's historic milestone of serving four billion meals was celebrated at the United Nations headquarters on Tuesday (2). Founded in 2000, this Indian non-profit runs 72 kitchens, and feeds 2.1 million children every day in 24,000 schools. The Permanent Mission of India to the UN hosted a…
In a historic milestone, the Bangladesh Hindu Association (UK) marked a momentous occasion by celebrating the Holi Festival and Gour Purnima at the prestigious House of Commons for the very first time. The event, which took place on Thursday, March 21, 2024, was graciously hosted by Sir Stephen Timms MP…
The star pop singer, Taylor Swift, who has not just won the hearts of 2000s but 90s and 80s kids, has been declared a billionaire by Forbes. Her wealth, attributed to her music career, global tours, and multiple releases has solely contributed to her billionaire status. She once started with…
House prices in the United Kingdom (UK) surged in March, marking the fastest annual increase since December 2022, according to a survey released on Tuesday. Nationwide Building Society, the UK's second-largest mortgage lender, reported that house prices were up by 1.6 per cent compared to the previous year, reaching an…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak has revealed his desire to call a general election when people "feel that things are improving," reiterating his intention to hold the polls in the latter half of the year, reported The Times. During a regional radio appearance on Tuesday (2), Sunak chuckled when faced with…
CANCER screening services must be more culturally competent and sensitive to the needs of south Asians - especially women, a leading doctor has told Eastern Eye. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the first person of colour to lead the doctors’ union, the British Medical Association (BMA), said south Asian women were less…
Online casinos have become one of the best choices for digital entertainment in recent years. Their popularity has even spiked earlier in the decade due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, the numbers still remain higher than in ages past - like the days of the dot-com bubble. Of course, things have…
In recent developments concerning the health of members of the UK royal family, ancient predictions by the renowned 15th-century prophet Nostradamus have resurfaced, sparking intrigue and speculation about the monarchy's future. Nostradamus, known for his eerily accurate forecasts, had previously predicted significant historical events, including the death of Queen Elizabeth…
THE Bestway Group has reported a five per cent increase in revenues to £4.74 billion for the year ended June 2023, a statement said. The group, founded by Sir Anwar Pervez, OBE H Pk, reported a pre-tax profit of £420.9 million during the period, Lord Zameer Choudrey CBE, group chief…
After Canada and the UK, Australia will enforce tougher visa rules for foreign students as official data showed migration hit another record high, which is likely to further exacerbate an already tight rental market. From Saturday, English language requirements for student and graduate visas will be increased, while the government…
LEO VARADKAR said on Wednesday (20) he would step down as Ireland's prime minister and the leader of the governing Fine Gael party, in a surprise move, for "personal and political" reasons. Varadkar's departure as head of the three-party coalition does not automatically trigger a general election. He said he…
Filmmaker SS Rajamouli, who attended a special screening of his blockbuster film RRR in Japan, says he is grateful for the love the audience continues to shower on the movie even after almost two years of its release. According to Japanese film distribution outlet Twin Company, the RRR screenings were…
LONDON's population has reached a new peak driven by a surge in migration, reversing the trend of people leaving the city during the Covid-19 pandemic, The Telegraph reported. According to recent research from the Centre for Cities think tank, the capital's population has likely surpassed its pre-pandemic level of 10.1…
VAUGHAN GETHING won the Welsh Labour party leadership contest on Saturday (16), marking a historic moment as he is set to become the first black leader of the country's semi-autonomous government. Gething, 50, will succeed Mark Drakeford, 69, who announced in December that he was stepping down. The new leader…
John Lewis Partnership chief executive Nish Kankiwala wants the next government in the UK to provide a stable environment for economic growth and restore consumers confidence. Kankiwala felt the political and economic turbulence of recent years has damaged consumer confidence and families have been struggling with rising inflation. He said…
A London woman who started an initiative to design light installations to celebrate Ramadan has received prime minister Rishi Sunak’s daily Points of Light award this week. Aisha Desai received the award on Tuesday (12) for her Ramadan Lights UK initiative, which was inspired by her childhood joy of seeing…
ANY Asian doctor, nurse, or indeed anyone who has worked for the National Health Service (NHS) should go and see Nye at the National Theatre. The play tells of the battles that the Welsh Labour politician, Aneurin (“Nye”) Bevan, had with Winston Churchill and the Tories, some people in his…
Britain's economy returned to growth in January after entering a shallow recession in the second half of 2023, offering some relief to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of an election expected this year, official data showed. Gross domestic product grew by 0.2 per cent month-on-month - boosted by a rebound…
While political parties are promising to boost the UK's economic growth, the high level of the economic inactivity rate in the country remains a cause for concern, BBC reports. The number of people not employed or actively looking for work has remained high in recent years, ever since it first…
In an exploration of history, art, and societal reflections, artist Keith Piper embarks on a thought-provoking journey with his commissioned response to the contentious Rex Whistler mural at Tate Britain. This almost 100-year-old artwork, titled The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats, has been secluded from the public eye since…
Pulse oximeters record higher readings in people with certain skin tones, or AI-enabled medical devices may have a bias against some population groups - these are some of the findings of an independent review of medical devices. The government has announced measures to tackle such biases in the design and…
Renowned Indian writer Amitav Ghosh has been awarded the Erasmus Prize 2024 for his impactful writings addressing the planetary crisis and climate change. The prestigious award, presented annually by the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation in the Netherlands, recognizes exceptional contributions in the fields of humanities, social sciences, or arts globally. Ghosh,…
SEVERAL states in India nowadays take the initiative to hold investors’ meets in a bid to lure investment in a competitive federal system. Irrespective of the ruling party, the states have made it a policy to hold such summits, particularly keeping in mind the areas where they can capitalise on. …
HAVE you ever stopped to consider the immense power of trust? Not just in others, but in yourself? It’s the foundation on which we build our lives, a force that shapes our experiences and opens countless possibilities. Imagine waking up each morning feeling sceptical about everything. Every interaction, every opportunity…
The nominations for Critics' Choice Awards (CCA) 2024 were announced on Wednesday with 12th Fail, Kaathal - The Core, and Joram among the eight contenders for the top prize of the best picture. The sixth edition of the awards will honour the best of talent in feature films, short films,…
INDIA’S economy grew 8.4 per cent in the December quarter, official data showed last Thursday (29), with a surging manufacturing sector helping defy more modest analyst forecasts. Thursday’s results were significantly higher than the seven per cent projected by India’s central bank and other, lower estimates by analysts. “Double-digit growth…
YOUNG Asian girls can be fun, sassy, adventurous and intelligent and should be celebrated, journalist and author Babita Sharma said, ahead of her new children’s book being published next week. Priya Mistry and the Paw Prints Puzzle tells the story of a young girl who loves to solve mysteries, such…
Pakistani actress Sarah Khan, who has a huge fan following in India courtesy her shows Hum Tum, Khirkiyan, and Sabaat, says her dream since the time she began acting has been to star opposite Bollywood star Salman Khan. Sarah, 31, who currently features in Zindagi show Abdullahpur Ka Devdas, a…
Imagine you are travelling to work and see some artists preparing their musical instruments to play for you, the song which you will hum all day at work seems interesting. One such event took place in London's underground network. In the heart of London's Southwark train station, amid the hustle…
Multiculturalism in the United Kingdom continues to play such a positive and important role throughout British society – from business and entrepreneurship to politics and culture. Our country’s Prime Minister is the first British Asian prime minister, whilst others are shaping the business landscape by infusing their unique perspectives, innovation…
CHANCELLOR Jeremy Hunt sought to dampen speculation about big pre-election tax cuts in this week's budget, saying there had been a worsening in the economic outlook, but he hinted at some help for voters. The forecasts that underpin the budget "have gone against us," Hunt told the Sunday Telegraph in…
The Red Fort, Qutub Minar, and Humayun's Tomb were the most popular historical sites among domestic tourists visiting India, according to a recent Delhi Economic Survey. These three historical landmarks in Delhi attracted the highest number of domestic visitors (Indians) as of February 2023. Red Fort received the most visitors…
BRITAIN on Thursday (29) launched a drive to boost childhood vaccination rates, health authorities said, seeking an "urgent reversal" to a fall in uptake as the country faces a worsening measles outbreak. Routine childhood immunisations in Britain for diseases including measles, mumps and rubella, diphtheria and polio, have been falling…
LEGENDARY concert organiser Jay Visvadeva has been delighting live music fans across generations in the UK since the 1970s, bringing together the biggest artists. His SAMA arts organisation continues to produce exciting concerts, including the South Asian Sounds festival at Southbank Centre in London from next Thursday (7) to next…
It was as if time had stopped, says violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan as he recalls walking up to the Grammy stage with his Shakti band members to receive the golden gramophone for ‘Best Global Music Album’. Shakti won the Grammy for "This Moment", the band's first studio album in over 45…
FOREIGN criminals who commit lower-level offenses in the UK will face deportation rather than prosecution, as outlined by justice secretary Alex Chalk. The move aims to alleviate prison overcrowding and prioritise the safety of British citizens, reported The Telegraph. Chalk explained that foreign offenders, including shoplifters, thieves, and drug dealers,…
As Donald Trump appears poised to receive a third presidential nomination from the Republican Party, according to media reports, a straw poll conducted at a significant conservative activists' gathering indicated that Indian-origin biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem were tied as the leading candidates to become…
A 25-year-old British Indian doctor, who combined his passion for music with his medical career by forming a band with fellow healthcare professionals, has kicked off his first nationwide tour in the UK with the launch show in London recently proving a sell-out. Gulzar (Gulz) Singh Dhanoya started the indie-rock…
INDIAN edtech firm Byju's said Wednesday (21) a court had given it temporary protection in its fight against a group of shareholders trying to sack the company's billionaire founder. Byju's, which is controlled by CEO Byju Raveendran, was once one of India's most valuable start-ups as demand for its online…
THEATRE veteran Lillete Dubey’s new play is an ode to the human spirit and resilience – with a touch of humour and lots of love, as she puts it, exploring the dynamics of relationships during the Covid-19 lockdown. After receiving rave reviews and standing ovations across India as well as…
HEALTH experts have urged West Midlands residents to get the measles vaccine as cases in the region are spreading in “disproportionately high rates”. Figures published earlier this month showed 329 of 465 (71 per cent) cases across England from October to February were in the region. The sharp rise over…
CHILA BURMAN, often lauded as the “Punjabi lass from Liverpool”, has been shortlisted along with six other artists for the much sought-after space on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. Two winners will be announced next month and their works installed in 2026 and 2028, respectively. The Fourth Plinth, which…
HSBC on Wednesday posted soaring annual profits, largely thanks to ballooning interest rates, but its shares tanked after the banking giant revealed a massive impairment linked to property-sector woes in China. Net profit surged 56 per cent last year to $22.4 billion, the London-headquartered group said in a statement. Pre-tax…
More than 33 million individuals, comprising three-quarters of the adult population in England, have already registered with the NHS App. Enhanced with new features and functionalities, the App simplifies health management, and a fresh campaign by NHS England aims to boost its usage among more people. With options such as…
"Jasso, joyaso" (meaning "evil, be gone") chants reverberated through a cedar forest in northern Japan's Iwate region. This age-old tradition, where men clad in loincloths jostle in a 1000-year-old celebration known as the Somin-sai festival, also known as the 'naked man' festival, was celebrated for the last time because of…
ENGLAND’S health service will move about 40,000 pending child consultations for ADHD, autism and other conditions from its main waiting list, a person with direct knowledge of the change said, trimming the politically sensitive list ahead of an expected election. Prime minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to reduce wait times…
BRITISH retail sales jumped by the most in almost three years in January as consumers recovered their appetite for spending, suggesting the economy could emerge quickly from its recession in the second half of last year. Sales volumes increased by 3.4 per cent from December and January’s jump was the…
A physician responsible for managing several coronavirus admissions has been suspended for secretly attending to private patients during NHS hours at the peak of the pandemic. Dr Enson Thomas, 58, a consultant for nearly 21 years, from Bromham, near Bedford, was appointed as the Covid-19 Lead by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS…
The most recent TB annual report from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), published on Thursday (15), indicates a rise in tuberculosis (TB) cases in England. While the figures for 2022 were stable, with 4,380 reported incidents nearly mirroring the 2021 count of 4,411, provisional data for 2023 paints a…
Kavita Chaudhary, best known for playing an IPS officer in Udaan, a progressive show about women empowerment, which ran on Doordarshan between 1989 and 1991, died at a hospital in Amritsar, Punjab. She suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday night. She was 67. The actress, who was also popular as…
While the UK government has been tightening immigration norms, the number of international students applying to undergraduate courses in British universities has gone up for the second consecutive year, according to media reports. The latest data shows 115,730 students from outside the UK applied to start in September, up from…
DESCRIBING India as its biggest partner in South Asia, the Biden administration has said it is working with New Delhi to deploy a multi-billion-dollar climate infrastructure and a new fund that will include a $500 million investment contribution from its development finance institution. “With India, which of course is our…
The economy entered a recession in the latter half of 2023, presenting a challenging environment in the lead-up to the anticipated election this year for prime minister Rishi Sunak, who has committed to boosting growth. Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.3% in the three months to December, having shrunk…
INSPIRED by the sheer beauty of a lotus in the desert, the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi seamlessly blends ancient architectural principles with modern technology. Crafted from pink sandstone and white marble, the mandir diverges from conventional building materials such as iron, steel or reinforced concrete. Guided by…
Actor Sikandar Kher, who is currently seen in the third and final season of Disney+ Hotstar’s Aarya, is looking forward to his Hollywood debut with Dev Patel’s much-anticipated film Monkey Man. In a recent interview, Kher opened up about how he landed the film and said that he first auditioned…
KING CHARLES’S cancer diagnosis has shocked the whole country, but will be felt especially keenly by the British Asian community, for whom he has cared as long as anyone can remember. He said as much when his private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, attended the Hinduja Diwali party in October 2022…
A GLORIOUS run on the hit TV serial, Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin, propelled Ayesha Singh to greatness with a girl powerinfused character. The young actress made such an amazing impact that she helped turn the romantic drama into a huge ratings winner with audiences of all ages. She also…
FATIMA MUNSHI, 18, is a first year supply chain apprentice at BAE Systems in Samlesbury working on military aircraft programmes. “My role supports the development of Tempest, the UK’s next-generation fighter aircraft, at our cutting-edge research and development centre – FalconWorks,” explained Fatima. “I began working on Tempest in my…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak acknowledged that his government had fallen short in reducing the significant backlog of patients awaiting hospital treatment within the health service, conceding a failure to fulfill one of his key promises ahead of an upcoming election. Sunak set out five major policy pledges at the start…
Discover insightful strategies for forex trading in 2024. Explore how geopolitical shifts, technology, and economic trends impact forex risk management and platform choices. Welcome to the world of forex and CFD trading online. This digital arena has evolved dramatically since the late 1990s with the advent of sophisticated trading platforms.…
Faaiza Bashir, a 22-year-old student from Barking, has shared her journey of battling cancer at 18 to mark World Cancer Day on February 4. Her collaboration with the Teenage Cancer Trust aims to spotlight the critical signs of cancer in adolescents and young adults, particularly in the south Asian communities…
LABOUR will cap corporation tax at 25 per cent if it wins the next election and will look to cut that rate if needed, the party's finance policy chief Rachel Reeves told business leaders on Thursday (1). Businesses have long complained about a lack of visibility on everything from tax…
THE IMF announced on Tuesday (30) it has raised its 2024 global growth forecast to 3.1 per cent, citing unexpected resilience in major advanced and emerging market economies around the world, including the United States and China. The updated figure, released in the latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, is…
FINDING an NHS dentist is becoming increasingly difficult in the UK, forcing those who can pay to the private sector and those who cannot to avoid treatment altogether – or take matters into their own hands. Increasing numbers of dentists are turning their backs on the NHS in favour of…
BOLLYWOOD queen Shreya Ghoshal excels in captivating live audiences, evident in the sold-out tours she has performed worldwide. The superb singer with a bank of brilliant songs returns to the UK in February for big arena shows in London (9) and Manchester (11). Ahead of the tour, Eastern Eye asked…
THE number of students of Asian origin who achieved a first-class degree in the UK has fallen for the first time, new figures show. The percentage getting top honours was 27.5 per cent in 2021-2022 compared to 33.3 per cent the previous year, with experts highlighting the devastating impact the…
MANY British Asian families are badly affected as poverty has increased in the UK to around pre-pandemic levels, a new report said. The UK poverty 2024 report by Joseph Rowntree Foundation published last Tuesday (23) said Asian households also have higher rates of child poverty, very deep poverty and persistent…
New research published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal has revealed an increase in non-Covid-related deaths among individuals with diabetes, attributed to disruptions caused by the pandemic. The global review of studies comparing pre-pandemic and during-pandemic data found that the complication of sight loss in people with diabetes also…
ONLINE retailer Boohoo has named former Betfair and Zoopla finance boss Stephen Morana as its new chief financial officer. Morana, who was a non-executive director of the group between 2014 and 2017, will assume the role on Feb. 19, the company said on Tuesday (23). The Manchester-based business, which owns…
THE UK’s public health protection agency last Friday (19) sounded a “national call to action” for more measles jabs for children because of falling vaccination rates and fears that a current outbreak could spread. Jenny Harries, head of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), warned that measles was spreading among…
THE Labour party said it would aim to save £10 billion by cutting waste and reforming the health service if in power, saying these measures could free up cash to spend on frontline care. The NHS emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic in crisis, crippled by long waiting lists, ambulance delays…
THE minister of state at the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), Lord Tariq Ahmad, has spoken to Eastern Eye about his recent trip to India, during which he tried to negotiate deals on such issues as climate change, pharmaceuticals, cyber and education with the prosperous states of Tamil Nadu…
FLORIDA governor Ron DeSantis, once the leading Republican rival to Donald Trump, ended his election campaign and threw his support behind the former president. DeSantis's withdrawal, after months of weakening support, leaves only low-polling Nikki Haley standing between Trump and nomination as the Republican party's candidate for the US presidential…
The rising number of UK employees needing time away from work due to mental health concerns has sparked alarm, with a charity warning that the nation could be heading towards widespread burnout, The Guardian reported. Mental Health UK's chief, Brian Dow, has highlighted the role of global issues like climate…
According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released on Wednesday (17) over 86.8 per cent of adolescents aged 14-18 in rural India are enrolled in educational institutions, but a quarter of them struggle to read fluently at a Class-2 level in their regional languages. The report also said…
A Turkish doctor, Dr Ogün Erşen, who specialises in weight loss "holidays" abroad, advised an undercover BBC reporter to gain weight to qualify for gastric sleeve surgery. Despite the reporter having a BMI within the healthy range of 24.4, Dr Erşen instructed her to "eat some snacks" to increase her…
INFORMATION technology firms TCS and Infosys, both signalled weak revenue growth in quarterly results last Thursday (11) as a slowdown in client spending deepened a seasonally weak time for the sector. Both companies, the second and fifth-biggest in India by market cap, respectively, earn more than 80 per cent of…
THE rise in popularity of self-help books has been illustrated by bestsellers such as New York to NEW YOU. Author Manoj Gupta has followed up that popular debut book for corporate leaders and entrepreneurs with The Consciouspreneur. His latest book is a more universal self-actualisation manual to help readers live…
LOW vaccination rates against the latest versions of Covid-19 and influenza are putting pressure on healthcare systems this winter, leading public health officials have said. In several European countries, the United States and other parts of the world, there have been reports of rising hospitalisations linked to respiratory infections in…
Official data released on Tuesday (16) indicated that UK unemployment remained stable, while wage growth retreated in the three months to the end of November. These findings help alleviate concerns about inflation. The unemployment rate came in at 4.2 per cent, unchanged from the three months to the end of October,…
THE World Bank is working to slash how long it takes to get financing projects off the ground as part of a push to speed up and scale up the 79-year-old development lender, its president said last Wednesday (3). It currently takes 27 months, on average, before “the first dollar…
PEOPLE from an ethnic minority background in Dudley, a market town in the West Midlands, were almost twice as likely to get Covid-19 during the pandemic according to a new report. The study, by the borough’s acting director of public health, also found living in deprived areas made residents more…
THE chairman of Natwest was criticised for being out of touch last Friday (5) after he said it was not “that difficult” to be able to afford to buy a house in Britain. According to Office for National Statistics data, full-time employees in England could expect to spend around 8.3…
BRITISH Asians have a higher rate of catching the life-threatening condition sepsis compared to other population groups, a study found. The illness, which kills around 48,000 people every year in the UK, occurs when the body overreacts to an infection and starts attacking its own tissues and organs. Leading doctors…
THE recent finale of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) Season 15 led to speculation, even among some in the media, that Amitabh Bachchan might be retiring from hosting the iconic quiz show. However, his emotional sign-off marked the end of another successful series, and it’s expected he’ll return for season 16…
WHETHER it was in cinemas, streaming sites or at festivals around the world, audiences were offered an interesting variety of films from diverse genres and languages. From artistic gems and groundbreaking narratives to huge blockbusters, they entertained film fans from different backgrounds. Eastern Eye revisited 2023 to reveal 21 entertaining…
AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD British Indian schoolgirl made history after being named the “super talented” best female player at a European chess event. Bodhana Sivanandan, from Harrow in London, won the European Blitz chess championship in Zagreb, Croatia, last month. During the event, she went head-tohead with some of the best players…
In the last 12 months, new analysis from NHS England indicates that almost three million individuals underwent urgent cancer checks. This number represents a surge of over a quarter compared to pre-pandemic levels. The government emphasises the critical nature of early disease detection in enhancing survival rates. However, cancer charities…
MEIYANG Chang’s remarkable ascent has led him from a career in dentistry to becoming a popular singer, TV host and actor in India. This included making a mark on Indian Idol, winning the reality TV show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4 and becoming runner-up on the equally challenging series Fear Factor:…
Tories have expressed strong disapproval and concern over allegations that Rishi Sunak offered Dominic Cummings a secret deal to assist him in winning the election. One Tory MP said that Boris Johnson's former chief aide should have no role in the political sphere, following these claims. Within WhatsApp groups, other…
AT LEAST 14 Eurostar trains were cancelled on Saturday (30) after flooding in tunnels in southern England, stranding thousands of passengers just ahead of New Year's Eve. The tunnels near Ebbsfleet International station in Kent were inundated as the Met Office issued weather warnings for rain, snow and ice across…
The year that marked the triumphant return of the alpha male to the big screen and ageing star Shah Rukh Khan fronting Bollywood’s march back to the box office after Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki with Sunny Deol and Karan Johar walking alongside, reviving their careers and the fortunes of the…
Former chancellor and home secretary Sajid Javid described his knighthood as a “tremendous honour” after he was recognised for his achievements in the New Year’s Honours List announced last Friday (29). Javid, who represents Bromsgrove, served under three different prime ministers in six different Cabinet posts, including as culture secretary,…
A British Indian doctor with the NHS decided to get musical during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, but what started as a one-man bedroom project has been gaining popularity with booked out shows. Gulzar (Gulz) Singh Dhanoya, 25, started the indie-rock band named Gulz during his university days as a medical…
India will emerge as the largest economic superpower by the end of the century, with gross domestic product (GDP) 90 per cent larger than China’s and 30 per cent larger than the US, a new report has revealed. The World Economic League Table report by London-based Centre for Economics and…
AN eight-year-old British Indian schoolgirl has made history after being named the “super talented” best female player at a European chess championship. Bodhana Sivanandan, from Harrow in north-west London, won the European blitz chess Championship in Zagreb, Croatia, over the weekend. During the event, she went head-to-head with some of…
The Delhi Police on Wednesday tracked down four suspects who were involved in uploading Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna’s deepfake video online. However, the hunt for the creators of the wildly circulated video and the main conspirator behind it is still on. Mandanna, who is a popular name in India’s southern…
THE King's charity, formerly the Prince's Foundation, is under scrutiny as it is compelled to return £110,000 to the Indian government. The funds were earmarked for an NHS alternative medicine clinic championed by Charles, which never materialised. The proposed clinic, aimed at integrating Indian traditional medicine into the UK's healthcare…
In India, one in five girls and approximately one in six boys are married, as per a study published in 'The Lancet Global Health' journal. The research highlights stagnation in the progress aimed at completely eradicating the practice of child marriage in recent years. Between 2016 and 2021, the practice…
International students should pay their tuition fees upfront to curb potential misuse of the visa system, former universities minister Lord Johnson of Marylebone has proposed. This suggestion arises as statistics reveal a one in four drop-out rate among students from India and Bangladesh. Lord Johnson emphasised the need for overseas…
INDIA has emerged as a star performer and is projected to contribute more than 16 per cent of the global growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday (18). In its annual Article IV released on Monday in consultation with India, the IMF said the country, with its “prudent”…
BRITAIN'S economy shrank in October, official data showed on Wednesday (13), raising the risk of a recession and testing the Bank of England's resolve to stick to its tough line against cutting to interest rates from their 15-year high. Gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.3 per cent from September,…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak on Monday said he was "deeply sorry" for those who lost family during the Covid pandemic as he was quizzed about his actions as finance minister during the global health emergency. Sunak is expected to face questions at the public inquiry into the UK's handling of…
The Oxford West and Abingdon Conservatives have chosen Dr Vinay Raniga, an award-winning dental surgeon, as their parliamentary candidate, The Oxford Mail reported. Throughout the Covid pandemic, Dr Raniga was redeployed from the oral and maxillofacial surgery department at Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, to the frontline ICU. Recognised for his…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak faces questions Monday over whether his "Eat Out to Help Out" scheme to help the struggling hospitality sector during the pandemic spurred the spread of Covid-19. Sunak, who was finance minister at the time, is due to give evidence to the public inquiry into the UK…
After the massive success of KGF: Chapter 1 and KGF: Chapter 2 actor Yash is set to return to the big screen. On Friday, Yash announced the title of his next film with a special teaser video. Taking to X, Yash shared a post which he captioned, "'What you seek…
In his testimony to Britain's Covid inquiry on Thursday (7), former prime minister Boris Johnson dismissed any suggestion that he aimed to allow the virus to "let rip" as "rubbish" and "completely wrong." Johnson, who was the prime minister between 2019 and 2022, faced a second day of questioning on…
A worldwide education study released on Tuesday (5), 2023, revealed that pupils in England have significantly improved in mathematics, climbing to 11th place from 17th in 2018 and 27th in 2009, marking a substantial advancement in international rankings. Conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Programme…
FORMER prime minister Boris Johnson will make a much-anticipated appearance before an inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday (6) with his personal reputation and that of the Tory government at stake. The inquiry has already heard damaging testimony about Johnson's handling of the crisis, including claims…
THE government continues to fail south Asian women, girls and boys who are suffering domestic abuse, and it has not learnt lessons from the pandemic, campaigners have told Eastern Eye. They said they remain concerned that should there be another pandemic, south Asians and minority groups would be in unnecessary…
The Oxford University Press (OUP) announced "Rizz" as the Word of the Year 2023 on Monday (4), signifying its resonance with the mood, ethos, and preoccupations of the past year. The word rizz which implies romantic appeal is a colloquial noun defined as “style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to…
At the Covid inquiry, Matt Hancock asserted that tens of thousands of lives might have been spared had the UK implemented a lockdown three weeks earlier. He described Boris Johnson’s Downing Street operation as affected by a "culture of fear." Hancock detailed instances of his staff encountering mistreatment from Dominic…
An alarming increase in premature births was attributed to Covid-19, but researchers, analysing birth records in California, US, have found that vaccines played a crucial role in restoring the premature birth rate to pre-pandemic levels. Maternal Covid-19 infection increased the probability of preterm delivery, which is birth occurring before 37…
During the Covid inquiry, it was revealed that in a meeting held in July 2021, Rishi Sunak advocated fervently for the lifting of all lockdown restrictions. Boris Johnson, during the same meeting, reportedly referred to individuals as "malingering" and "workshy," as detailed in a diary entry by the then chief…
While giving evidence to the Covid Inquiry on Thursday (30) former health secretary Matt Hancock said his “single greatest regret” concerning the pandemic was not “overruling” advice from scientists who allegedly said that Covid could not be transmitted asymptomatically. The former health secretary revealed that advisers had informed him during…
MAYOR Sadiq Khan has declared the 'severe weather emergency protocol' for London as the possibility of snowfall looms over the city later this week. He is also implementing measures aimed at protecting rough sleepers amidst freezing temperatures. Khan explained that the procedure involves activating emergency shelters throughout the city to…
ONE of the largest charitable trusts in Britain has dismissed its entire board as part of an effort to enhance diversity and prioritise “social justice and anti-racism” in its mission, the Telegraph reported. The Tudor Trust, with a £288 million endowment, has been led by a family-dominated board for decades.…
THE value of suspected fraud flagged by lenders across emergency state-backed loans granted to struggling businesses in the Covid-19 pandemic has increased by seven per cent to £1.8 billion, government figures showed on Tuesday (28). Banks handed out a total of £77 bn of state-backed funds to support companies hit…
SAUDI ARABIA's sovereign wealth fund is to buy ten per cent of London's Heathrow airport from Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial, whose departure from the hub after almost two decades leaves Qatar as its biggest shareholder. Ferrovial late Tuesday (28) said it was offloading its 25 per cent stake for nearly…
AN URGENT “education recovery” programme is needed to help pupils from south Asian backgrounds catch up at school due to the impact of the pandemic, experts have urged. They have sought extra funding and resources in order to close the gap after new government figures showed a sharp drop in…
SEEING his father listen to top tunes and sing around the house first connected Abby V to music. That interest turned into a passion after being exposed to its deeper aspects and led the terrific talent towards a singing career. After gaining popularity on social media, he teamed up with…
With the current pandemic limiting our mobility, online shopping has become the go-to solution for those who want to shop without leaving their homes. However, shopping online has never been easy, especially when you have to visit different websites just to look for the products you need. This is where…
ONE of the largest charitable trusts in Britain has decided to dismiss its entire board as part of a comprehensive effort to enhance diversity and prioritise "social justice and anti-racism" in its mission, The Telegraph reported. The Tudor Trust, with a substantial £288 million endowment, has been led by a…
CONSERVATIVE politicians sounded like they were already in opposition during the ferocious blue-on-blue attacks on the government over record levels of net migration announced last week. There were many calls for immediate action to slash the numbers. Yet none of those declaring that it was of existential political importance to…
RAJESH AGRAWAL, the deputy mayor of London for business, is stepping down from the role to focus on Leicester East, where he is the Labour candidate for the next general election. The 46-year-old India-born entrepreneur-politician announced his departure on social media on Monday (27) after serving two terms in mayor…
A new strain of swine flu has been detected in a person in the UK for the first time and close contacts are being monitored to determine its potential to spread among humans, health authorities reported on Monday (27). The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the virus strain found…
LONDON’S mayor Sadiq Khan has accused the government of keeping him “in the dark” about its early response to the coronavirus pandemic and claimed many “lives could have been saved” had he been in the loop then. He told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on Monday (27) that Downing Street ignored…
Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who served as the equalities minister during the pandemic, addressed the impact of the coronavirus on various communities during her testimony at the Covid inquiry on Monday (27). She highlighted ongoing challenges the government faces in combatting misinformation, emphasising the harm caused by conspiracy theories, Sky…
Covid-19 may have adversely affected the bone tissues of young patients, impacting bone mineral density in the forearm and total bone mineral content, new research suggests. Assessing people during the pandemic and before, researchers at Comenius University, Slovakia, found that the disease caused a significant bone mineral density decrease in…
The WHO said on Thursday (23), that the Chinese health authorities have not identified any unusual or new pathogens, and they have provided the requested data regarding a surge in respiratory illnesses and documented pneumonia clusters in children. The WHO had asked China for more information on Wednesday after groups…
The RSPCA is preparing for a ‘winter crisis,’ due to escalating rates of animal abandonments, revealing a surge in incidents across several regions in England. Figures from Surrey alone show a concerning 27.4% increase in animal abandonments compared to 2020. Among the recent cases, a bearded dragon and two tortoises…
AN INSPIRATIONAL businessman whose company has donated over a billion pounds to charitable causes was crowned the Business of the Year at the 25th anniversary of the prestigious Asian Business Awards, held at the Park Plaza hotel on Wednesday (22). Nirmal Sethia is an internationally renowned entrepreneur whose business empire…
Are you a fan of card games? Do you find solace in the rhythmic shuffling of cards and the strategic planning of your next move? If so, then you're in for a treat. Solitaire, the timeless classic, isn't just one game. It's a broad spectrum of engaging and challenging variations,…
ASIAN entrepreneurs in the UK have increased their wealth by a staggering £6.8 billion in the past year, despite worldwide economic challenges, analysis by the Asian Rich List 2024 has found. Published by Eastern Eye, the list profiles the 101 richest Asian people in Britain. It was released on Wednesday…
IT’S TRUE that Ameesha Patel set foot in Bollywood with blockbuster hit Kaho Na Pyaar Hai in 2000, but it was her damsel-in-distress character of Sakeena Ali in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) that took her to an entirely new level of fame. After a massive gap of 22 years,…
CHANCELLOR of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced on Wednesday (22) a bigger-than-expected cut in social security contributions and made incentives for business investment permanent in a bid to speed up the country's sluggish economy. Hunt, who is seeking to boost the fortunes of prime ninister Rishi Sunak's struggling Conservative Party…
England's chief medical officer, professor Sir Chris Whitty, shared with the Covid inquiry that the initial lockdown in March 2020 was enforced "a bit too late," acknowledging the government faced limited options during that period. He highlighted public health concerns such as loneliness, depression, and the risk of exacerbating poverty,…
The World Health Organisation said on Tuesday (21) that Covid-19 virus variant continues to pose a threat as it steadily spreads across the globe. "This virus, SARS-CoV-2, is circulating in every country right now and it still poses a threat," WHO expert Maria Van Kerkhove said. "We have to remain…
Individuals facing mobility and mental health challenges will encounter a new policy requiring them to work from home or risk losing their benefits, a government minister said on Tuesday (21), underlining the concept of fulfilling "their duty." This initiative, to be unveiled during Wednesday's (22) autumn statement, forms part of…
Jeremy Hunt will announce tax cuts for businesses on Wednesday (22) - and possibly some for voters too - as the chancellor of the exchequer tries to speed up Britain's sluggish economy and help his struggling party before an election expected next year. Buoyed by a fall in inflation, Hunt…
Researchers at Bangor University have discovered that individuals who strictly adhered to Covid lockdown measures during the pandemic are currently experiencing more pronounced mental health challenges. The study has revealed that those who initially followed the restrictions most closely when the pandemic began are now more prone to suffering from…
Rishi Sunak pledged on Monday (20) his readiness to "responsibly" reduce taxes after achieving his goal of halving inflation by year-end. However, he tempered expectations for the upcoming Autumn Statement budget scheduled this week, indicating that the government would not execute “everything at once.” Amid mounting pressure from sections of…
PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak was quoted as saying the government should "just let people die" during the Covid-19 pandemic rather than impose a second national lockdown, the inquiry into how Britain handled the crisis heard on Monday (20). Patrick Vallance, who was the government's chief scientific adviser during Covid, made…
Actress Madhuri Dixit has been honoured with the 'Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema' award at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. She said that this kind of recognition and awards motivate and encourage artists to do better in their work. She said, "I am very…
The official inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic is anticipated to disclose compelling evidence this week, regarding the tensions and disputes among the then prime minister Boris Johnson, his ministers, and the country's top scientific advisors. Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's former chief scientific adviser, is set to provide evidence during…
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, on Sunday (19) said that tax cuts raising inflation would not be implemented. This statement comes shortly before his scheduled unveiling of a major budget update, widely anticipated to contain tax reductions. The Sunday Times reported that Hunt was considering cutting income tax…
Netflix obtained the world rights to Oscar nominee Dev Patel’s directorial debut, Monkey Man, in March 2021. Fans have been waiting for the premiere of the film since then, but the streaming media giant is yet to announce the official date. The latest we hear is that Netflix could showcase…
CHANCELLOR Jeremy Hunt has announced incentives and sanctions aimed at tackling the country's soaring levels of inactivity among working-age people, an increasingly acute economic problem. The "Back to Work" plan, billed as a way to help people "stay healthy, get off benefits and move into work", will form part of…
A 22-year-old self-confessed Canadian white nationalist, who intentionally drove his truck into a Muslim family in 2021, was convicted of first-degree murder on Thursday (16). The killings shocked Canada, a country that encourages mass immigration and takes pride in its multiculturalism. The jury took around six hours to convict Nathaniel…
BRITAIN's Sikh population, whose ancestors first migrated from the Punjab more than a century ago, have long been admired as a model of integration and for maintaining a strong identity. Lauded in their country of origin and beyond for their valour, industriousness and charity, Sikhs took those values to Britain,…
DAVID CAMERON has replaced James Cleverly as Britain’s foreign secretary, but just how the job is done at the coal face is explained by Andrew Fleming, who took over last week as the new British deputy high commissioner in Kolkata. Just before leaving for India, Fleming sat in the Page…
PROMINENT British Asian GP, Dr Nikki Kanani, has announced that she will step down from her current role at NHS England next month after serving six years. She worked as the medical director for primary care overseeing the establishment of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and the formulation of a fresh…
LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan celebrated Diwali at Neasden Temple with thousands of others from the local community. Khan inaugurated the fireworks display on Sunday (12) evening, which brought a fusion of light and sound into the night skies, a statement said. Inspired by the selfless service and charity of His…
Communications regulator Ofcom has imposed a £5.6 million fine on Royal Mail for significant and unexplained deviations from its first- and second-class delivery targets. The regulator highlighted that this failure caused considerable harm to customers, The Guardian reported. In the 2022-23 financial year, Royal Mail delivered only 74% of first-class…
During the Covid inquiry, Priti Patel, the former home secretary said that the £10,000 fines for violating Covid laws on large gatherings were excessively high. She said that the penalty, introduced before the August bank holiday in 2020, was not proportionate. Patel, along with her officials at the Home Office,…
NOTHING has been done to protect south Asian and black medical staff or patients, despite their disproportionate number of deaths during Covid, doctors have told Eastern Eye. They have warned that if a pandemic were to happen tomorrow, more people of colour would die unnecessarily. Medical experts have previously told…
“SEE, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken” (Isaiah 28:16). What compels humans to see god in stone and to build majestic stone abodes for the divine? If marble stones could speak, they would…
BESTSELLING author Amish Tripathi has concluded his tenure as Director of the Nehru Centre and Minister for Culture and Education at the High Commission of India in London. Over the course of four years, he actively coordinated numerous India-focused cultural events in the capital. The 49-year-old diplomat oversaw the Nehru…
The Post Office has decided to end Royal Mail's 360-year-old monopoly on delivering parcels from its branches due to concerns about service quality. Deals have been signed with competitors Evri and DPD in response to customer dissatisfaction with Royal Mail's service. Starting later this month, customers will have the option…
Thousands of women facing a higher risk of breast cancer are set to receive aid through a risk-reducing drug, now approved for use by the NHS. The state-funded health service made the announcement on Tuesday (7), marking a significant step in preventing the disease. Anastrozole, a long-standing breast cancer treatment…
Bestselling author Amish Tripathi has concluded his tenure as Director of the Nehru Centre and Minister for Culture and Education at the High Commission of India in London. Over the course of four years, he actively coordinated numerous India-focused cultural events in the capital. The 49-year-old diplomat oversaw the Nehru…
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday said he hopes audiences come to theatres to watch his Christmas release Dunki as the return of the community viewing experience is important for Hindi cinema. The actor, who turned 58 today, was interacting with fans at the meet-and-greet which is held annually on his…
FORMER prime minister Boris Johnson asked the government's top scientific advisors early in the pandemic if a "special hairdryer" could be used against Covid, it emerged this week. As the virus began to spread worldwide in March 2020, Johnson shared with officials a YouTube video of the dryer being used…
FORMER prime minister Boris Johnson's ex-senior adviser on Tuesday (31) criticised his handling of the Covid pandemic, as an inquiry heard he believed claims that the virus was "nature's way of dealing with old people". Dominic Cummings, his former-top aide, painted a troubling picture of Johnson's attitude and response to…
The Covid pandemic was the "wrong crisis" for the skill set of the scandal-ridden former prime minister, Boris Johnson, one of his most senior ex-advisers told the UK Covid inquiry on Tuesday (31). Lee Cain, Downing Street's ex-communications chief, said he became "exhausted" by Johnson's indecision and oscillation in dealing…
THE global diamond sector is scrambling to get ahead of an upcoming G7 ban on Russian gems, with consumers and producers battling to manage ever more complex supply chains against a backdrop of sluggish demand. Direct sales of Russian gems have already been crushed by US sanctions on Russia's state…
ETHNIC minorities in the UK are significantly under-pensioned compared to white British people, according to new research. Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) found that at £52,333, the average minority ethnic person’s pension pot was less than half the size of the average white British person’s £114,941. Insufficient disposable income…
Those people who were bedridden for at least seven days during a Covid-19 infection experienced severe physical symptoms of the disease persisting for up to two years after diagnosis, new research in The Lancet Regional Health-Europe journal has found. A team of researchers from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, discovered that these…
A record number of teenagers from the UK's most economically challenged regions have sought admission to most exclusive university programmes in the country, according to latest data. These students have applied to Oxford and Cambridge, and for degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science. For the first time in history,…
A first anniversary in office is normally a moment for a leader to celebrate, but Rishi Sunak hits the milestone this week with a mountain to climb to retain power in a general election expected next year. Two by-election losses to the main opposition Labour on Thursday (19) underscored how…
A doctor, who faced allegations of falsely entering an intensive care unit (ICU) during the Covid-19 pandemic to visit a critically ill relative, has been allowed to retain his job, according to reports. The decision came after trainee GP Ashbal Chaudhary claimed that he was unaware he was violating lockdown…
Leicester artist Subhash Viman Gorania, who is also a choreographer and dancer recently unveiled his debut exhibition, 'Marvel at My World', at the Watermans Arts Centre in London. The art exhibition which is open from October 13 to November 8, showcases Gorania’s profound connection to dance and the movement of…
GROWTH in British workers’ regular pay – which is being watched closely by the Bank of England – slowed from a previous record high and job vacancies also declined, official figures showed on Tuesday (17), in a sign that the labour market is losing momentum. British average earnings, excluding bonuses,…
WHETHER it was his first music class as a six-year-old, debut Carnatic music concert at 12, collaborating with world-class artists, releasing music and receiving wide acclaim, Aditya Prakash has had a career filled with memorable moments. The first great high was touring with music legend Ravi Shankar as a teenager.…
PG WODEHOUSE’S step-great-grandson, Hal Cazalet, is going to India at the end of October for a month with a oneman show, Play on Words. Wodehouse’s brand of humour has special appeal for Indians. The show is meant to be “an evening of music, laughter, romance and glamour” to highlight Wodehouse’s…
Pakistani actor Ahad Raza Mir, who is known for his work in several successful Pakistani shows including Yeh Dil Mera and Hum Tum, is now experimenting with live theatre in Toronto. The actor is presently in the news for his take on William Shakespeare’s classic novel Hamlet. He plays the…
INDIAN and several other ethnic groups improved their position relative to white British pupils in England since the pandemic in terms of attainment. According to the Education Policy Institute’s latest annual report, pupils of Indian ethnicity were 8.8 months ahead of their white British classmates by the end of primary…
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has shared a screenshot of an email in which he has received a request from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Library for the script of The Vaccine War. Vivek took to X to share the picture and wrote, "I am proud that the script…
BRITISH Indians are among the happiest people in the country, who feel they have worthwhile lives, according to government research. They scored 7.67 in their average happiness score which was the second highest after the Asian Other category - compared to 7.64 for those of Bangladeshi origin, 7.57 for people…
A TEENAGE Indian entrepreneur created ripples at a Miami Tech Week event where she disclosed that a firm she founded more than a year ago secured funding of $450,000.Pranjali Awasthi, 16, established Delv.AI in January 2022 to help academics quickly find specific information across internet resources. The startup, backed by…
THE shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, said pharmacists were key to the modernisation of the NHS as he paid tribute to the sector at the annual Pharmacy Business Awards last Wednesday (4). Independent community pharmacists were in the spotlight at the event, which recognises the contribution of the sector in…
FIVE Indian states will elect new legislatures next month, an independent election panel said on Monday (9), beginning a process of regional polls ahead of national elections due next year. The elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram are expected to give an indication of voter mood, especially…
LABOUR leader Keir Starmer said on Sunday (8) his party's "single defining mission" if elected to govern would be to spur economic growth, expressing confidence he could partner with business to achieve that "very quickly". At the beginning of his opposition party's annual conference in Liverpool, probably the last before…
National Award-winning filmmaker Rima Das has been nominated in the best director category for her film Tora's Husband at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) 2023 alongside Past Lives filmmaker Celine Song. Filmmakers Darkhan Tulegenov (Brothers) and Liang Ming (Carefree Days) are also nominated in the segment. Das, known for…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak portrayed himself as a tough decision maker and an agent of change on Wednesday (4), seeking to break with the scandals and chaos of his Tory predecessors and show the party he can help it win an upcoming election. In a speech lasting more than an…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak has scrapped the HS2 high-speed rail line from the West Midlands to Manchester during his Conservative Party conference speech on Wednesday (4). The cancellation includes everything beyond the London-Birmingham route, with the £36 billion saved set to be reinvested in transport initiatives across the North, Midlands,…
AA DHAND is making history as the first British Asian crime writer whose work is being adapted for a six-part BBC TV series. His tales are set in the dark, mean streets of Bradford and his main protagonist is a Sikh police officer, Detective Chief Inspector Hardeep Virdee. He doesn’t…
DIVERSE work across multiple platforms has established Raj Ghatak as one of the best British Asian actors. The versatile performer, with a chameleonlike ability to transform himself, is currently in the cast of The Father and the Assassin, which has returned for another successful run at the National Theatre in…
BOOHOO Group reported a 17 per cent decline in its revenue at £729.1 million for the six months to August as the fast fashion retailer warned that sales will fall by more than expected this year. Its gross profit dived 16 per cent to £389.2m from £463.5m during the corresponding…
LAYOFFS, working from home and misguided tips on how to get ahead are hindering moves by financial firms on inclusion and diversity, British industry executives said last Wednesday (27). The Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England last week set out proposals for the mandatory reporting of data on…
WE SHOULD not forget that Covid took a terrible toll on the Asian community during the pandemic – and now, ominously, a new variant, BA.2.86, is making the rounds. “Honestly, we don’t know too much about it,” said my local pharmacist. Should masks again be mandatory on the London Underground…
INDIA’s economy is projected to grow at 6.3 per cent in current financial year aided by investment and domestic demand, according to a World Bank report released on Tuesday (3). South Asia is expected to grow 5.8 per cent this year, higher than any other region with developing countries, but…
Investing in infrastructure to develop the tourism potential of Uttarakhand is a priority for the north Indian state, its chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, has said. In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, Dhami revealed the state government’s plans to work with the hospitality sector to enhance the appeal of…
DISILLUSIONED retailers have told Eastern Eye they have stopped reporting crime after a lack of action by the police. Violence and abuse against those working in retail, including racial and sexual attacks, physical assault and threats with weapons have almost doubled from pre-pandemic levels to over 850 per day, according…
FAST-FASHION brand Boohoo is believed to have evinced an interest in stepping up its investment in Pakistan. Caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar met Boohoo Group chairman Mahmud Kamani last week and asked the British entrepreneur to augment his firm’s presence in the south Asian country, according to a Radio Pakistan…
PRIME minister Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty has decided to wind down her startup investment fund Catamaran Ventures UK. “Directors have decided to liquidate the company,” Catamaran said in a filing to the Companies House on Wednesday (27), without giving any details. The move comes after it emerged that the…
Almost a year into his role as prime minister, Rishi Sunak faces a shrinking timeframe to achieve an increasingly challenging endeavour: securing the Conservatives' continuation in power during the upcoming election. He will conclude the party's annual conference with a keynote address next Wednesday, aiming to galvanise the ruling Tories…
A THIRD of people hospitalised with Covid-19 have “abnormalities” in multiple organs months after getting infected, a UK study said last Saturday (23), potentially shedding light on the elusive condition of long Covid. Millions worldwide are estimated to suffer from long Covid, in which a range of symptoms such as…
LONDON's Drummond Street, known for its immigrant-owned businesses, is facing a severe economic challenge due to the HS2 high-speed rail project. Originally intended to improve connections between London, Birmingham, and Manchester, HS2's delayed and over-budget construction near Euston station has disrupted the once-thriving area, reported the Times. For many local…
Narendra Modi has extended an invitation to US President Joe Biden to serve as the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26 next year, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday (20). The invitation was extended to Biden during their bilateral meeting on September 8…
"Devout and divine" is how Australian chef Gary Mehigan describes his latest trip to India which took him to different parts of the country and introduced him to the inseparable connection between food and festivals. The culinary expert says he has been travelling to India regularly since 2010, but the…
I See Her, a powerful short film highlighting the plight of women at risk of abuse is officially selected for a BAFTA qualifying film festival award and is causing excitement following a series of Oscar-winning collaborators. This film was created to raise awareness of the shocking rise of abuse in…
THE government said on Thursday (14) it would invest £200 million of extra funding in the NHS to help boost its resilience during the busy winter months. Prime minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting NHS patient waiting lists one of his five top priorities ahead of a national election expected…
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced the relaunch of Zee One, a Bollywood-centric channel uniquely tailored for German viewers through a strategic partnership with Samsung TV Plus. India's media conglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises launched Zee One in 2016 and offered movies across all genres such as romance, comedy, and…
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…
Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri on Tuesday claimed his directorial The Vaccine War will "expose the usual suspects" who tried to sabotage the development of an indigenous vaccine during the Covid-19 pandemic for their political agenda. The film, according to the director, is India's "first-ever bio-science" movie. It is based on…
A PROMINENT race equality leader has criticised the government’s continued denial of institutional racism, saying it has created credibility issues. Dr Halima Begum pointed out that shortly after the government released its contentious report on race, which claimed to find no evidence of institutional racism, several national incidents contradicted this…
FRENCH president Emmanuel Macron said on Monday (11) that Bangladesh had committed to ordering 10 aircraft from Airbus, marking the south Asian country's first deal with the European planemaker in a shift from its Boeing dominated fleet. French officials said the deal for the A350 widebody airplanes, which is still…
Filmmaker Ayan Mukerji on Saturday marked the first anniversary of his 2022 blockbuster Brahmastra, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. Titled Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, the movie was the beginning of a big-budget fantasy adventure franchise and Mukerji has already announced two follow-ups that will be released in 2026 and…
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri on Saturday released the first poster of his next feature directorial venture The Vaccine War. The film stars Anupam Kher, Nana Patekar, Sapthami Gowda, and Pallavi Joshi in the lead roles. Agnihotri, known for directing films such as The Kashmir Files and Hate Story, shared the poster…
His Holiness Swami Swaroopananda, the esteemed global head of Chinmaya Mission, will lead a series of talks titled "Beyond Moods" from September 9-14 in London at the Sattavis Patidar Centre, Wembley. These enlightening sessions will delve deep into Chapter 14 of the Bhagavad Gita, a revered scripture that explores the…
A new survey published last week by NHS England has revealed a lack of confidence among south Asians in recognising the symptoms of a heart attack, with nearly half (44%) in the community saying they were not confident that they could recognise the signs. Furthermore, almost half (48%) claimed they…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak emphasised the significance of India's diversity and its remarkable achievements, asserting that it is the opportune moment for the nation to assume the G20 presidency. He praised prime minister Narendra Modi's leadership over the past year and highlighted that India's leadership in the G20 comes at…
British house prices have experienced their most rapid decline since 2009 over the past year, mortgage lender Halifax said on Thursday (7). The decline has been attributed to the growing influence of elevated interest rates. In August 2023, Halifax said that house prices were 4.6% lower compared to August 2022,…
LONDON’S Barbican Theatre will soon reverberate to the sounds of “operatic telling” and dramatic, ancient Indian dances as it is set to host a fresh two-part adaptation of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata, on October 1. Canada-based Why Not Theatre has adapted this ancient work into a “more accessible form…
NOBODY knows whether Nigel Farage will try to play a prominent role in the next General Election. The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader is currently taking a break from electoral politics, to build his profile as a broadcaster both in Britain and America. Yet Farage has found an unusual…
Migrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan are among those seeking protection in Europe, official figures released on Tuesday (5) showed. Syrians and Afghans account for nearly a quarter of asylum applications received so far this year, followed by those from Venezuela, Turkey, and Colombia. Between January and the end of June…
In a new report, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has alleged that mining and oil conglomerate Vedanta conducted a "covert" lobbying effort to undermine significant environmental regulations during the Covid pandemic. Furthermore, the organisation, funded by George Soros, has accused the Indian government of approving these changes…
LABOUR MP Shabana Mahmood said she was honoured to be appointed shadow secretary of state for justice after party leader Sir Keir Starmer carried out a reshuffle on Monday (4). Days after prime minister Rishi Sunak’s mini reshuffle last week, Sir Keir named Birmingham Ladywood MP Mahmood to the shadow…
The 67th BFI London Film Festival commences on Wednesday, October 4 with Emerald Fennell’s new thriller Saltburn at the Royal Festival Hall. From there, the prestigious film festival will continue its post-pandemic revival with 11 days and nights of galas, screenings, and events. BFI London Film Festival recently announced its…
A prominent race equality leader has criticised the government's continued denial of institutional racism, stating that it has created a credibility issues, reported The Guardian. Dr Halima Begum pointed out that shortly after the government released its contentious report on race, which claimed to find no evidence of institutional racism,…
MINING and oil giant Vedanta ran a "covert" lobbying campaign to weaken key environmental regulations during the Covid pandemic, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) alleged in a new report. The George Soros-funded organisation in a new report said the Indian government approved the changes without public consultation…
Singaporean citizens participated in the nation's first contested presidential election on Friday (1), in over a decade. This three-way race features former minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who aspires to become the next Singaporean-born Indian-origin head of the state. Eligible voters started casting their ballots at 8 a.m. when polling stations opened.…
A new pilot project supported by the NHS Race and Health Observatory was announced today (31) to increase the number of Black, Asian, and ethnic minority patients taking part in potentially life-enhancing breast cancer clinical trials. The project is in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, Roche Products Ltd, and two…
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…
SHATTERING glass ceilings, breaking boundaries and deliv - ering path-breaking performances have defined the dance journey of Aditi Mangaldas. Instead of dwelling on past achievements or being satisfied with her incredible body of work, the forward-thinking Indian Kathak maestro is continuing to have a fearless approach. That is why her…
A REMARKABLE new book tells the untold story of India’s first female doctors. Lady Doctors by Kavitha Rao combines history with accounts of six incredible pioneers, who battled extreme sexism, caste prejudice and misogyny to realise a seemingly impossible dream, in an unforgiving man’s world. The stories of doctors,…
THE Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recognises that it has become difficult for young people to own their own homes – which is why it is holding a show devoted to indoor plants. Those with access to outdoor gardens during the pandemic lockdowns were lucky, but others who own or rent…
The number of house purchases in Britain for the current year is projected by property website Zoopla to decline by 21%, reaching its lowest point since 2012. This drop is attributed to the impact of increasing borrowing costs, Zoopla forecast on Wednesday (30). Zoopla forecast there would be 1.0 million…
GATE Theatre’s Brassic FM, which opens next Monday (4), will showcase an “unfiltered and unique” take on the working class, as seen through the lens of a pirate radio station. Co-created by poet Zia Ahmed and artistic director Stef O’Driscoll, Brassic FM is described as a love letter to working…
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…
MORE than 640,000 students received their GCSE results today, while an additional 390,000 pupils got their vocational qualifications. The distribution of top grades (grade 7 and above) and standard passes (grade 4) remains consistent with the figures from 2019, reflecting the return to normal grading standards, the Department for Education…
BRITAIN recorded a smaller than-expected budget deficit in July, official data showed on Tuesday (22), giving chancellor Jeremy Hunt a bit of hope that he can cut taxes later this year, before an election expected in 2024. Some economists warned, however, that an economic slowdown or a recession in the…
THE cost of living crisis crippling more people than ever before has turned Anushka Rathod into an important content creator. In the past three years, the former investment banker has gained more than 1.3 million followers on social media with finance-based content, which gives marvellous money saving tips in an…
KRISHNENDU MAJUMDAR has called a wrap after three years as chair of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta), to be succeeded by his deputy, Sara Putt. Majumdar was the first nonwhite person to occupy the post since Bafta was set up 76 years ago on April 16,…
WITH global warming causing chaos, the climate emergency has become a hot topic with everyone from protestors and people affected to world leaders. Indian environmentalist, adventurer, and social entrepreneur Aakash Ranison is one of those leading the fight by promoting sustainable living, climate change awareness, and environmental conservation. By raising…
A STAND-OUT show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe is The Department of Britishness. The latest offering from acclaimed Indian stand-up comedian Anuvab Pal is a laughter-filled look at embracing Britishness and continues his strong run of live UK performances. It also adds to an impressive body of work that has…
Bollywood star Sunny Deol spoke of his joy over the successful box-office run of his latest release, Gadar 2, as he introduced a special screening of the film in London. Organised by the Indian High Commission in London and its cultural wing, the Nehru Centre, the packed screening at Vue…
RACISM has no place in the National Health Service, the health secretary has told Eastern Eye. His comments come after doctors’ leaders made clear that medics of colour were more likely to face complaints and disciplinary hearings than their white colleagues. Two years ago (August 2021) this newspaper revealed that…
The pandemic years will have exacerbated existing inequalities in health in Leicester, but the size of this impact still remains to be seen, the city’s director of public health has said, writes Hannah Richardson. Leicester was among the hardest hit by the Covid pandemic and strict lockdown rules as the…
JAGUAR LAND ROVER said it will expand its workforce as part of its plan to invest £15 billion to ramp up productions and foray into the electric vehicle market.The Tata Motors-owned luxury carmaker announced 300 new technicians and test engineers will be recruited across its three facilities in the West…
INDIA replaced Romania as the most common birth country for non-UK-born mothers in England and Wales in 2022, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed. There were 17,745 live births to women born in India, a 16.3 per cent increase from 15,260 in 2021, the data…
Covid-19 pushed Malayalam industry to make bigger films, says Dulquer Salmaan Superstar Dulquer Salmaan on Thursday said the coronavirus pandemic and the streaming boom has pushed the Malayalam industry to make big scale spectacle films. The actor, who stars as an alcoholic gangster in the upcoming period drama King of…
STUDENTS across the country have been celebrating their A level results announced earlier this morning, with many getting into universities of their choice or taking up apprenticeships or starting work. UCAS said 79 per cent of students secured their first choice, two percentage points down from 2022, when exams were…
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar on Thursday thanked viewers for giving the exhibition sector “the greatest week in Indian film history” following the positive response to his film OMG 2 and Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2, both of which were released on August 11. According to the Producers Guild of India (PGI)…
The first summit on traditional medicine was initiated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday (17) with the objective to gather evidence and data that would facilitate the secure utilisation of such treatments. Traditional medicines are a "first port of call for millions of people worldwide", the UN health…
In celebration of India's 77th Independence Day, Times Square came alive with the vibrant colours of the Indian tricolour and an atmosphere of enthusiasm. The occasion also witnessed the unveiling of a significant symbol, a 1,800-kilogram 'Chakra' sculpture, modelled after the renowned Konark wheel. The unveiling of the Konark wheel…
WHEN Life Of Pi was first published in 2001, it became a literary phenomenon, selling millions of copies in many different languages and winning multiple awards, including the prestigious Man Booker Prize. The global success of Canadian author Yann Martel’s novel immediately led towards thoughts of a live adaptation. Aside…
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…
NHS and Care Volunteers Responders urgently call upon compassionate individuals to volunteer their time in collecting and delivering food shopping and prescriptions to vulnerable people in their local communities. Accessing essential items has become a significant challenge for many vulnerable individuals, making everyday activities like grocery shopping difficult or impossible.…
Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji has been entertaining the audience for more than two decades now. She has some of the biggest blockbusters of Hindi cinema to her credit. The talented actress was most recently seen in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, which received an overwhelming response from critics and audiences alike.…
INDIAN lawmakers have passed a data protection law that will dictate how tech companies process users' data amid criticism that it will likely lead to increased surveillance by the government. The law will allow companies to transfer some users' data abroad while giving the government power to seek information from…
BRITAIN'S economy eked out unexpected growth in the second quarter, laying the ground for more interest rate hikes from the Bank of England (BoE), but it remained the only big advanced economy yet to regain its pre-Covid level. Official data on Friday (11) showed the economy grew 0.2 per cent…
HOSPITAL doctors in England on Friday (11) launched a new walkout in a dispute with the government over pay in the latest strike action to hit the NHS.The four-day strike by junior doctors comes amid record patient waiting times due to a large pandemic backlog and strikes across the economy…
Ahead of the release of the film Jailer, legendary actor Rajinikanth went for a spiritual trip to the Himalayas. Rajinikanth was spotted at Chennai Airport before leaving for his trip. Rajinikanth revealed on various occasions that he used to visit the Himalayas often. But the superstar was unable to visit…
THE horror stories of ethnic violence emerging from the northeastern Indian state of Manipur have greatly distressed the British artist, Marcus Hodge, because the place had appeared like a peaceful paradise to him when he was there in November last year painting polo ponies. Hodge was in Imphal, the state…
A SLOWDOWN in in global consumption and a rise in energy costs following the outbreak of war in Ukraine have compounded problems for Pakistan’s industrial manufacturing sector. The textile sector, which accounts for about 60 per cent of Pakistan’s exports, has been hit by the critical state of the country’s…
‘THE United States versus Donald Trump’. The title of the 45-page indictment of the former President could be a TV mini-series title, though the third season plot of this Trump melodrama often seems stranger than fiction would dare. Trump is now set to spend a fair chunk of his Presidential…
INDIAN cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar pitched for a nutrient-rich diet and quality education for Sri Lankan children. During his school visits in the island nation as UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassador, he also teamed up with people impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the country's worst economic crisis since its independence. Addressing…
Helmed by leading filmmaker Karan Johar, the much-talked-about Bollywood film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani has set the cash registers jingling at the worldwide box office. Bankrolled by Dharma Productions, the film has pocketed a whopping $10 million globally and still counting. The Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt-led film…
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…
SOCIAL media platform Twitter is seeking to quash an Indian court ruling that it was not compliant with federal government orders to remove content, arguing it could embolden New Delhi to block more content and broaden the scope for censorship. Twitter in July 2022 sought to overturn government orders to…
RISING consumer spending is expected to drive card payments in India to Rs 60.2 trillion ($728.2 billion) in 2027, about a threefold jump from Rs 21.7 trillion ($262.1 bn) in 2022, according to GlobalData.The analytics company predicted that the value of card payments, which registered a 26.2 per cent rise…
PAKISTAN'S headline inflation eased for the second month in a row in July, government data released on Tuesday (1) showed, but a fuel price hike announced overnight could see a fresh rise in August. Year-on-year inflation was 28.3 per cent compared with 29.4 per cent in June, the Bureau of…
SOCIAL media platform Twitter has sought to quash an Indian court decision that found it non-compliant with content removal orders, arguing the ruling could embolden the government to block more content. Twitter, rebranded now as X, sought in July 2022 to overturn some government orders to remove content from its…
GROWING UP, Dominique DeLeon spent many hot summers in a built-up neighbourhood in the city of Birmingham, in central England, where she lived through deprivation and had little access to nature or green spaces to help her cool down. Though she has moved to a different part of town, ever…
Smoking is not just a habit, it's an experience. From the taste to the sensation, smoking cigarettes has been a pastime for many people for a long time. Yet, the process of buying tobacco items has often been cumbersome and time-consuming. Thankfully, online cigarettes shopping has made things easy for…
BOLLYWOOD firm Eros is under investigation in London and India, and its bonds are trading at an artificially low rate on the London Stock Exchange, according to reports. Hundreds of bondholders have formed an action group against the London-based Lulla family-owned company to fight for their rights, reported This is…
GLOBAL semiconductor majors have committed investments in India as prime minister Narendra Modi offered 50 per cent financial assistance for chip makers setting up plants in the country. It comes after Modi’s ambitions to promote semiconductor manufacturing suffered a setback last month when Taiwanese tech major Foxconn pulled out of…
“IT ALL started with an invite to go and watch the Middlesex over 50s cricket team,” said the former England, Middlesex and Surrey cricketer, Mark Ramprakash. He spoke to Eastern Eye over Zoom and is looking fit and relaxed and unbelievably younger than his 53 years. “I went along and…
The Primetime Emmy awards are likely to be postponed due to the ongoing dual strikes called by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA in the US. According to Variety, vendors had been told the awards would no longer be happening on September 18 as planned. The Television Academy and cable network Fox,…
INDIA'S Tata Motors on Tuesday (25) reported its third-straight quarter of profits, on the back of a strong showing by its British luxury subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover. The Mumbai-headquartered automaker posted a net profit of Rs 32.03 billion (£303 million) for the three months to June 30, after recording a…
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…
A NATIONAL exhibition celebrating the role of migrants in the NHS opened in Leicester in June and will tour the country later in the year. The Migration Museum’s Heart of the Nation aims to highlight the contribution of those who moved to the UK to work in the NHS, which…
Actress Kiara Advani made a bold appearance in a Barbie-inspired outfit from designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock on the first day of the India Couture Week (ICW). The designers on Tuesday unveiled their collection "Renaissance Reverie", featuring bridal wear for men and women, inspired by their love for art…
BLACK and minority ethnic (BAME) groups relied more on social networks and community support than formal services during the Covid-19 pandemic due to a lack of trust and a fear of racist responses, new research has found. The study, which formed part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s UK…
PRIME minister Rishi Sunak is set to make a commitment to constructing 1 million homes before the upcoming national election. This plan aims to address the pressing issue of inadequate housing stock, which has resulted in the disillusionment of a significant portion of younger voters. Many of these young voters…
Most women diagnosed with ovarian cancer face the most advanced stage of the disease, and the survival rate for those diagnosed with the condition is less than a third, lasting five years. As the third most common type of gynecological cancer, ovarian cancer accounted for over 200,000 documented deaths globally…
The ruling Conservatives on Friday (21) held the former seat of ex-prime minister Boris Johnson but saw hefty majorities in two other seats blown away as scandals and high inflation took their toll. Rishi Sunak was expected to become the first prime minister to lose three parliamentary seats on one…
The British Medical Association (BMA) consultants committee chairman, Dr Vishal Sharma, has suggested that a pay rise of approximately 12% for NHS consultants could potentially end the ongoing strikes. Dr Sharma said that any offer above inflation would be sufficient to present to BMA members. The comments were made in…
PRIME minister Rishi Sunak faces voters in very different parliamentary seats on Thursday (20) and risks losing all three contests in what would be the worst one-day mid-term result for any British governing party in more than half a century. The votes are one of few remaining opportunities to gauge…
ENGLISH hospitals were braced on Thursday (20) for the latest doctors' strike to hit the state-run health service, with managers warning it will leave "routine care virtually at a standstill". The two-day strike by consultants comes amid record patient waiting times due to a vast pandemic backlog and multiple strikes…
THE proportion of British Asian and other ethnic minority candidates applying for UK universities has increased this year while interest from white Britons has declined. There were 52,460 applicants of British Asian background, up four per cent over the previous year and the number of white Britons applying for degree…
G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs opened talks on Monday (17) on debt restructuring deals, multilateral bank reform and finance to tackle climate change. Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, chair and host of the summit in Gandhinagar, began by telling finance leaders of "the responsibility we have... to steer…
In today's world, safety and protection have become the utmost priority, especially when it comes to healthcare workers. The demand for high-quality gloves has increased, and the industry has evolved over the years. Nitrile gloves have gained immense popularity among healthcare professionals due to their advanced features like puncture resistance,…
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…
Politicians, researchers and pharmacy leaders called on the government to make community pharmacy a "fundamental" part of clinical services at an event at the House of Commons on Wednesday (13). At the launch of a research publication carried out by the University of Bath in conjunction with Sigma Pharmaceuticals, community…
THE UK economy shrank slightly in May, hit partly by an extra public holiday for the coronation of King Charles III, official data showed Thursday (13). Gross domestic product decreased by 0.1 per cent in May, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. That beat expectations for a…
DOCTORS in England on Thursday (13) staged the biggest walkout in the history of the UK's state-funded National Health Service, prompting fears for patient safety. The unprecedented five-day stoppage over pay and staff retention is the latest in eight months of industrial action across the NHS, which is already reeling…
MORE champions are needed to talk about dementia and raise awareness among south Asian communities in the UK, Alzheimer’s Society ambassador, Dr Karan Jutlla, has said. A survey in May to mark Dementia Action Week showed that one in three people (33 per cent) who noticed symptoms of dementia in…
CHARITIES supporting Asian domestic abuse survivors are in a funding crisis with a lack of space in refuges and a shortage of trained frontline workers, experts have cautioned. They said further services are at risk of shrinking or closing due to a dearth of financial support. Research by the Refuge…
A unique event commemorating India's 76th year of independence took place at the UK Parliament complex, receiving cross-party support and the endorsement of the India (Trade and Investment) All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). The event was organised by the 1928 Institute, a British Indian think tank, and featured a special…
RIFCO Theatre’s creative director Pravesh Kumar said his family’s expulsion from Uganda, in 1973, prompted a digital series on south Asians fleeing the dictatorship of Idi Amin. Titled GenerAsians – The Ugandan Expulsion, the production charts the story of seven families who left Uganda 50 years ago under tumultuous circumstances,…
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…
PAKISTAN'S desperately low foreign exchange reserves were boosted on Tuesday (11) with a $2 billion deposit from Saudi Arabia, ahead of a key IMF meeting this month to approve a new deal. The economy has been stricken by a balance-of-payments crisis as it attempts to service crippling external debt, while…
A KEY measure of British wages matched its highest growth rate on record but there were also some signs that the inflationary heat in the labour market is subsiding, offering the prospect of some relief ahead for the Bank of England. The 7.3 per cent increase in basic earnings in…
THE NHS is the closest thing that the English people have to a religion, former Chancellor Nigel Lawson once complained. Did last week’s Westminster Abbey service to mark the National Health Service’s 75th birthday not rather prove his point? “We gather in thanksgiving for both the grace of God and…
Ethnic minorities in the UK have experienced disparities in end-of-life care, particularly during the Covid pandemic. Research indicates that existing policies have disproportionately affected individuals from ethnically diverse groups, leading to unfavourable outcomes, Care Home Professional reported. Contributing to these disparities is a lack of understanding among healthcare providers about…
RECORD tax raid from the HMRC on ultra-wealthy non-dom taxpayers has increased fears of wealth creators leaving the country due to rising costs, reported The Telegraph. According to official data, non-doms and deemed domiciled individuals paid a staggering £12.4 billion in taxes during the financial year ending in 2022. Despite…
Headlined by Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden, Citadel was one of the most expensive series ever produced by Amazon Prime Video. The show had been in the news ever since Chopra was signed on to play the female lead. The show was launched with much fanfare on April 28, 2023.…
RACISM within the NHS costs the health service an estimated £2.3 billion a year, the former head of the British Medical Association (BMA) has told Eastern Eye, as he warned such discrimination also led to patient safety being compromised. A recent BMA survey said racism is “widespread” within the medical workforce.…
The revenue generated by fantasy gaming platforms during Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches experienced a 24% increase compared to the previous year, reaching over 28 billion rupees ($342 million), a report by the Redseer consultancy said. The report also highlighted that more than 61 million users actively participated in…
A recent study has discovered that long Covid may be attributed to an immune inflammatory reaction, not directed against covid-19 itself, but rather triggered by a common, harmless, dormant "bystander" virus found in the body. This reaction leads to a cytokine storm, resulting in the persistence of long Covid symptoms.…
THE UK Health Security Agency was set up with financial controls that were so weak parliament cannot establish whether it used funds in the way intended, a critical report by lawmakers said on Wednesday (5). The UKHSA, which was established in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic to take over responsibility…
Britain celebrates 75 years of its National Health Service (NHS) on Wednesday (05), with royals, politicians, staff, and patients who all express pride in its past and a firm determination that it will endure in the future, despite the challenges it currently faces. Launched on July 5, 1948, by a…
The Chase star Paul Sinha has hit out at the media for “ghoulish headlines” after speaking about his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s. For those not in the know, the 53-year-old quiz show host was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disorder in May 2019. On Monday, he told Daily Star, “Parkinson’s…
The defending men's champion, Novak Djokovic, and the top-seeded woman, Iga Swiatek, initiated their Wimbledon campaigns with impressive performances on Monday (03). Despite a temporary pause in play on the outside courts due to rain, the anticipated climate protests failed to materialise. At 36 years old, Djokovic, who has suffered…
Five passengers aboard the ill-fated Titan submersible likely experienced their final moments in total darkness, during their expedition to the Titanic wreckage, it has been revealed. The submersible embarked on its final voyage at 8 am on June 18. However, contact with the mothership was lost at 9:45 am, approximately…
PAKISTAN'S headline inflation eased for the first time in seven months in June, figures released Monday (3) showed, a bright spot for a beleaguered government that must call an election this year. Year-on-year inflation was 29.4 per cent last month, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data showed, compared with a record…
A recent study examining the emotional impact of Covid-19-related concerns on daydreaming and nighttime dreaming revealed that individuals experienced more negative emotions during daydreaming on days when they had higher levels of Covid-19-related worries. Interestingly, the research also discovered a correlation between individuals who generally exhibited greater worry about Covid-19…
The globally acclaimed yoga instructor, Sadhguru, has a staggering online following of over 10 million devoted followers. With an optimistic outlook, he envisions an unlimited potential for the growth of his followers in the years to come. "I think in 25 years you will have probably 60 to 70 percent…
Call it Beyflation. Or maybe Swiftflation. The cost of certain goods is retreating in some places, but that doesn't include live music. Concert tickets have surged in price, to the point where economists are noticing. Fans are shelling out a fortune for tickets to see the world's biggest music acts,…
AN INDIAN court on Friday fined Twitter $61,000 after dismissing its plea challenging orders to remove tweets and accounts critical of prime minister Narendra Modi's government. The world's biggest democracy petitions Twitter for content removals more than almost any other country, and the platform regularly takes down or blocks content…
WHAT does it mean to be English? This is the question that Dear England, a new play at London’s National Theatre, sets out to explore. It has been written by James Graham and directed by Rupert Goold – with the actor Joseph Fiennes playing the lead role of the England…
SENIOR doctors in English hospitals are to stage industrial action for only the third time, forcing the cancellation of routine operations for patients, their union announced on Tuesday (27). Consultant doctors will strike on July 20 and 21 to press the government for better pay - just after a five-day…
FORMER health secretary Matt Hancock on Tuesday (27) apologised for the country's lack of preparedness for the Covid pandemic, telling an official inquiry that long-term and global "doctrinal" failures were to blame. "The central failing that hampered the UK's response, common with the rest of the Western world, was the…
The Migration Museum is set to launch "Heart of the Nation: Migration and the Making of the NHS," a national touring exhibition commemorating the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS). The exhibition will debut at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery on June 30, 2023. It aims to highlight the…
LABOUR MP for Brent North, Barry Gardiner, collected a prestigious honour bestowed on him by the Indian government at a ceremony in London last Friday (23). Gardiner, who founded the Labour Friends of India more than two decades ago, was presented the Padma Shri, a civilian award, at India House…
A recently released report, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), highlights that the UK's performance on crucial health metrics is a matter of "serious concern" and falls behind comparable countries. The report, conducted by the King's Fund charity, examined the health systems of 19 similar nations.…
A WEST BROMWICH crime group which abused government-backed Covid loans to run a drugs empire during pandemic lockdowns has been jailed. The 10-member gang, led by Kamaljit Singh Chahal and his nephew Bhipon Chahal, used a ‘Thank You NHS’ van to transport heroin and cocaine across the West Midlands to…
Health officials have issued a warning about a heart disease emergency in England, calling for prioritisation of NHS heart care due to the occurrence of nearly 100,000 excess deaths since March 2020. Disturbing figures from official government data indicate that more than 500 individuals are losing their lives unnecessarily each…
India has made significant progress in terms of gender parity, climbing eight places to rank 127 out of 146 countries, according to the World Economic Forum's annual Gender Gap Report for 2023. In the previous edition of the report in 2022, India was ranked at 135. The country has shown…
THE Indian chief executive of a global luxury brand has encouraged young women who are pursuing careers in business to 'dream big'. Leena Nair, 54, the CEO of Chanel, emphasised that social conditioning often ingrains the belief that women are incapable of achieving great things. While taking at The Times’s…
Every country worldwide is expected to experience an increase in diabetes rates over the next three decades unless appropriate action is taken, a recent global study led by researchers at the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington revealed. According to the study, the current number…
SPORTSWEAR group Frasers has bought a five per cent stake in fashion retailer Boohoo for £22 million, seeking “potential synergies” between the two businesses.Frasers announced the deal on Tuesday (20), a day after it disclosed an 8.9 per cent stake in electricals retailer Currys.In a filing to the London Stock…
RECORD plane orders by India's top two carriers show the country's untapped potential for air travel and its rise as an aviation superpower, but recent airline failures and rows over regulations suggest progress may not be smooth. Indian budget airline IndiGo announced at the Paris Airshow on Monday (19) the…
RUFUS NORRIS has announced he will be stepping down in spring 2025 as artistic director and chief executive of the National, “arguably the most influential theatre in the world”. The search for his successor has started with no reason to think that an Asian, possibly an Asian woman, won’t apply…
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…
RISING food prices during the cost of living crisis have had a bigger impact on south Asian families and businesses, according to experts. They have highlighted that the inflation of products – including rice, cooking oil and spices – has disproportionately affected Asian households. The Runnymede Trust think-tank said the…
There's a popular saying in the fandom of BTS, the South Korean music sensation celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut: "You don't find BTS, they find you when you need them most." Indian fans of the group who turned into an ARMY, a term used for the South Korean…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak and home secretary Suella Braverman were among prominent Asian Conservatives who did not take part in the vote on Monday (19) on a report that concluded Boris Johnson deliberately lied about rule-breaking parties during the pandemic. MPs voted 354 to seven to endorse the Privileges Committee's…
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…
Thousands of protesters marched through London, advocating for the decriminalisation of abortion on Saturday (17). The demonstration was sparked by the recent case of Carla Foster, who received a 28-month prison sentence for having a late abortion. The marchers chanted "Free Carla Foster" while displaying signs proclaiming "abortion is healthcare"…
FORMER British prime minister Boris Johnson, who quit parliament last week over a finding that he misled lawmakers about Covid lockdown parties, was accused of a new breach for taking a newspaper columnist job without waiting for required ethics vetting. Nine months after he left the premiership, Johnson's ethics record…
ENGLAND’S world cup winning cricketer Adil Rashid is among the British Asian names recognised in King Charles’s inaugural Birthday Honours List announced today. With doctors, politicians, educators, authors, community leaders and philanthropists among the 11 per cent of recipients coming from an ethnic minority background, the list showcases the immense…
THE BANK OF ENGLAND looks set to raise interest rates by a quarter point to a 15-year high of 4.75 per cent on June 22, its 13th straight rate rise as it fights unexpectedly sticky inflation that risks making it a global outlier. Investors this week bet the Bank of…
The city of Nottingham in central England is in mourning on Thursday (15) as it prepares for a second vigil in memory of three people killed in a brutal stabbing spree, including British Indian teenage medical student Grace O’Malley Kumar. The University of Nottingham on Wednesday (14) held a campus…
HOW do you solve a problem like Boris? Rishi Sunak will hope to have fewer political headaches once the former prime minister leaves parliament, but will know we will all be hearing much more from Johnson. His statement resigning as an MP was one of his more Trumpian moments -…
With the next UK general election looming over the horizon, upwardly-mobile British Indians will be a critical voter constituency in various parts of the country. In recent times, there has been a fraying of relations between the wider British Indian population and the Labour Party. In the 2015 general election,…
Hospital doctors in England have embarked on a new 72-hour strike over pay, commencing on Wednesday (14). This action has raised concerns among health officials, who anticipate significant disruptions to patient care and healthcare services. The strike, led by junior doctors below the consultant level, commenced at 7:00 am (0600…
RETAILERS and the film industry helped Britain's economy inch higher in April, despite contractions in manufacturing and construction, according to data on Wednesday (14) that pointed to slow growth rather than recession. Britain's economy grew by 0.2 per cent month-on-month in April, the Office for National Statistics said, matching the…
A single-dose vaccine for chikungunya demonstrates safety and induces a robust immune response against the viral disease, according to the first phase 3 trial of the preventive published in The Lancet journal. The VLA1553 vaccine, developed by French biotech company Valneva, was evaluated in this trial. However, due to the…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak standing up to Boris Johnson could be the making of him as a leader, an Asian parliamentarian told Eastern Eye. Sunak on Monday (12) revealed that his predecessor had asked him to “do something that I wasn't prepared to do,” in relation to the latter’s resignation…
Besides being BAFTA Breakthrough India alumni, what is common among director Arati Kadav, and music composers Alokananda Dasgupta and Karthikeya Murthy? It's music maestro AR Rahman. At a media roundtable with BAFTA and Netflix representatives on Tuesday, Kadav, Dasgupta and Murthy said through the BAFTA Breakthrough India programme, the trio…
UK UNEMPLOYMENT eased in the three months to the end of April but wage rises continue to lag inflation, official data showed Tuesday (13). The unemployment rate decreased to 3.8 per cent from 3.9 per cent in the three months to the end of March, the Office for National Statistics…
There has been no improvement in the data tracking biases against women over the past decade, indicating that societal prejudices remain “deeply imbedded” despite initiatives like MeToo, a UN report said Monday (12). The report, conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), analysed seven biases and found that nearly…
BRITISH wage growth soared and employment also jumped in the three months to April, raising expectations that the Bank of England will raise interest rates again, perhaps several times, to contain unrelenting inflationary pressures. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday (13) indicated the labour market was…
The inquiry into the UK government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic is set to begin on Tuesday (13), but it has already been marred by controversy even prior to the first witness testimony. Heather Hallett, the retired senior judge appointed as the inquiry chair, has requested the unredacted WhatsApp messages…
Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was innocent following her arrest and subsequent detention for over seven hours on Sunday (11). The arrest took place as part of a police investigation into the allocation of funds for her pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP). The investigation centres around the…
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…
Former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, made a sudden decision to resign as a member of parliament on Friday (09). His departure came as a strong and passionate protest against the lawmakers who were conducting an investigation into his conduct, reigniting deep divisions within the ruling Conservative Party just before the…
Mark Zuckerberg, the chief of Meta has said that while the Apple Vision Pro product may be impressive, it does not align with his vision of the future, according to US media reports. Zuckerberg expressed his perspective on Apple's mixed reality gear during an employee meeting. These remarks were made…
EU NATIONS have reached agreement on a long-stalled revision of the bloc's rules to share the hosting of asylum seekers and migrants more equitably. Sweden, which holds the bloc's rotating presidency, announced the breakthrough on Thursday (8) after a fraught day of negotiations between EU interior ministers in Luxembourg. The…
Actor Manoj Bajpayee, whose Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai is trending on ZEE5 Global, believes there is a need to make more movies for the theatrical format. The 54-year-old Padma Shri recipient told PTI over phone from Mumbai on Thursday that while people can enjoy a film on a streaming…
NBFCs have been playing a crucial role in the Indian financial ecosystem for several decades now. They are known for their specialized services such as asset financing, investment banking, wealth management, and other financial services that are not provided by banks. What is an NBFC and NBFC Full Form? NBFC…
SIR IVAN MENEZES, alcoholic drinks giant Diageo’s long-serving Indian-origin chief executive, has passed after surgery on a stomach ulcer. He was 63. His death came on Monday (5) with his family at his side, the maker of Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka said in a statement, crediting him for…
England saw a record number of gonorrhoea cases and the highest level of syphilis in decades last year as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) spiked, the UK Health Security Agency said on Tuesday. There were 82,592 gonorrhoea diagnoses in 2022, a yearly increase of 50 percent and the largest annual number…
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…
Pakistan has leased its iconic Roosevelt Hotel in New York to the New York City administration for three years, the cash-strapped government has announced, in a deal that will enable the country to earn up to $220 million (£177m). The Roosevelt Hotel, named after former US president Theodore Roosevelt, has…
India's GDP grew by 7.2 per cent in the year to March, official figures showed last Wednesday (31), boosted by services and consumption, putting it among the world’s fastest-expanding major economies. The country is the world’s fifth-largest economy, and recently surpassed China to become the most populous country. Its growth…
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 World Bank’s newly-appointed president Ajay Banga has met US vice president Kamala Harris during which they talked about developing and implementing an action plan to raise the level of ambition in mobilising private investment. It was the first official US engagement with the World Bank since Banga took office…
THE World Bank's new president Ajay Banga has asked the lender's 16,000 staff to "double down" on development and climate efforts as he seeks to accelerate the bank's evolution to tackle the most pressing global problems. On his first day in the job, the former Mastercard CEO told staff in…
The UK government declared its intention on Thursday (01) to launch a legal challenge concerning the disclosure of documents to a public inquiry investigating its management of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Cabinet Office revealed that it would pursue a judicial review of the directive issued by inquiry chair Judge Heather…
SCOTTISH first minister Humza Yousaf was accused of 'incompetence' after latest figures revealed a 39 per cent increase in the number of patients dying on waiting lists, reported The Times. Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, said that the fundamental basis of our National Health Service (NHS) was founded on the…
Kiln Theatre today announces that Indhu Rubasingham will step down as Artistic Director of the company, leaving early 2024, having led the company for over a decade. Indhu Rubasingham said today, “I never had an inkling of the journey ahead when I was first was appointed. I immediately felt the…
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has submitted his pandemic-era notebooks and messages to the government and has encouraged officials to transfer them to an independent Covid-19 inquiry, his spokesperson said on Wednesday (31). A stalemate has arisen between the inquiry and the Cabinet Office, the governmental body responsible for…
Helmed by Mira Nair, Monsoon Wedding, set on the eve of a big fat Indian wedding, continues to impress audiences even after more than two decades of hitting cinemas. Made on a shoestring budget, the film remains one of the highest-grossing international films at American box office. Almost two decades…
German consumer electronic brand Blaupunkt is planning to export LED TV to markets such as Australia and South America, making India a hub for production, said its managing director Andrzej Cebrat. The company, which operates in India through its brand licensee Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd (SPPL), is also working on…
The Centre for Mental Health found an innovative way to attract Asian communities to London’s famous Chelsea Flower Show (CFS). The national charity’s trustee Poppy Jaman and two other women wore sarees to “visibly make CFS a place that Asian women should go to”, considering that they often don’t see…
I was born in South London, but like millions of British people, my family’s story embodies the “living bridge” that connects the UK and India. My father moved to Glasgow with only £5 to his name. He worked hard, initially on the railways, studied hard to become an accountant and…
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)-Eastern Eye “Garden of Unity”, designed by Manoj Malde, appears to have been one of the big hits of the Chelsea Flower Show this year. Located prominently on Main Avenue and close to the Great Pavilion, Malde’s vivid colours attracted even King Charles and Queen Camilla.…
Concentrating on quality over quantity has given Vivian Dsena an impressive body of work on Indian television and that’s why there is always excitement when he agrees to be part of any project. Recently, the acclaimed actor added to his list of wonderful work by joining the cast of hit…
On a hot summer afternoon, 23-year old Nizamudin Abdul Rahim Khan is playing cricket on a muddy, unpaved road in the Rafiq Nagar slum in India’s financial capital, Mumbai. Here, there is scant evidence of India’s fast-growing economy. Bordering what was once Asia largest garbage dumping ground, Rafiq Nagar and…
A collective of industry leaders and experts on Tuesday (30) cautioned that global leaders must strive to mitigate "the risk of extinction" posed by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Dozens of specialists, including Sam Altman, whose company OpenAI developed the ChatGPT bot, endorsed a concise statement emphasising the significance of addressing…
British ministers have been granted an extension to provide unredacted messages from ex-prime minister Boris Johnson to a public inquiry investigating the management of the Covid-19 crisis. Initiated in 2021, the inquiry was tasked with examining the nation's readiness, as well as the response to public health and economic challenges,…
A group of long-term visa holders in the US, commonly known as ‘documented dreamers’, are seeking an end to their uncertain future. Members of the group, a significantly large number of whom are Indian-Americans, have visited lawmakers seeking support for the recently introduced ‘America’s Children Act’. The ‘dreamers’ are basically…
The initiative, Adopt a Grandparent, dedicated to combating loneliness among elderly care home residents, is thrilled to announce its partnership with Barclays Digital Eagles, a press release said. Together, they are launching a specialised training programme for volunteers and creating a tailored digital space for seniors and care workers to…
Boris Johnson has been referred to police over further potential breaches of lockdown rules during the Covid-19 pandemic, a charge the former prime minister's office portrayed as "yet another politically motivated stitch up". The Cabinet Office, which is responsible for overseeing the operation of government, said it had made a…
NET MIGRATION to Britain reached a record high of 606,000 last year, data showed on Thursday, drawing fresh promises from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to reduce arrivals, but underscoring the difficulty of doing so at a time of acute labour shortages. The increase was driven by people from outside the…
Ministers are looking at the future of community pharmacy in England in a “bigger way” and have a vision to go “beyond the Scotland model”, the CEO of the Pharmaceutical Service Negotiating Committee has said. Community pharmacy in England has long campaigned for a Scotland-style “Pharmacy First” service which allows…
London is known to be a hub of property investments, with its ever-growing population and diverse economy. As a result, the competition among property investors in London has become fiercer than ever. So how can you make your property stand out from the rest? In this blog post, we'll discuss…
BRITAIN on Tuesday (23) announced a package of measures aimed at international students, including a ban on some family members, as ministers come under growing pressure to cut immigration. After a drop during the pandemic, net migration has been steadily on the rise and is reportedly expected to hit a…
The King and Queen, accompanied by members of the Royal Family, attended the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, held at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on Tuesday (23). Their majesties were greeted by Keith Weed, president of the Royal Horticultural Society, the official site of the British Royal Family said. They embarked…
London Mayor Sadiq Khan met prominent Hindu spiritual leader, His Holiness (HH) Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj, who is currently visiting the UK to inspire faith, service, and global harmony, at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in north London on Sunday (21). During their meeting, the mayor thanked HH Pujya Mahant…
LONDON-based advisory firm, India Business Group, has partnered with Sheffield city council and regional stakeholders to leverage emerging business opportunities in the UK and India, a statement said. The partners hosted a special roundtable meeting with business, community and civic leaders to identify opportunities and connections for local and Indian…
Popular British Asian theatre play Happy Birthday Sunita has returned with a brand-new cast for another UK tour. The Rifco production, written by Harvey Virdi, is a comedy about a dysfunctional family, whose future is changed forever at an explosive surprise 40th birthday party. Bhawna Bhawsar has taken on the…
A new exhibition in London will explore the untold history of the Indo-Caribbean community, its curator has said, as she hoped the display would become a starting point for people to learn and research further. As a part of its 20th anniversary, the Museum of London Docklands will this weekend…
Sundaram Tagore, one of America’s most important art dealers, last week opened a new gallery in London to add to the ones he already owns in New York and Singapore. The “Sundaram Tagore Gallery” in Cromwell Place in South Kensington attracted hundreds of art lovers and collectors at its formal…
The UK government on Tuesday (16) promised to award 45,000 visas for seasonal workers in the agricultural sector next year despite calls from within the ruling Conservative party to cut immigration. After a drop during the pandemic, net migration has been steadily on the rise and is expected to hit…
Home secretary Suella Braverman has said Britons should not feel guilty about their history and asserted that the country has “no future without reverence for its past”. British people should take pride in “who we are” instead of living in a “special state of sin or collective guilt,” she said…
One in three people who notice symptoms of dementia in themselves or a loved one wait for more than a month before seeking medical attention, an Alzheimer's Society survey to mark Dementia Action Week has revealed. A campaign - ‘It’s not called getting old, it’s called getting ill’ – aims…
A trade union representing senior doctors in England said its members had begun voting on Monday (15) on whether to take industrial action after the government failed to put forward a "satisfactory" offer on pay. The British Medical Association (BMA) is urging consultant doctors to vote in favour of strike…
Researchers at the Developing Brain Institute at Children's National Hospital in the US have discovered that the heightened stress experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the structure, texture, and other characteristics of the placenta. The placenta, a vital organ that forms during pregnancy to provide…
THE number of Indian-owned companies operating in the UK has reached an all-time high of 954 this year, according to the 'India Meets Britain Tracker 2023. The analysis, released on Thursday (11), revealed that the combined turnover of these companies has more than doubled since 2014, growing from £19 billion…
A retrospective on screen icon Amitabh Bachchan, Anurag Kashyap's detective drama Kennedy, and Joram starring Manoj Bajpayee are some of the Indian films that are heading to the 70th Sydney Film Festival. In total the festival, which will be held in Sydney from June 7 to June 18, will play 90…
Rishi Sunak was accused by Boris Johnson loyalists of stabbing the then prime minister in the back when he resigned from the cabinet – but dramatic new evidence suggests the chancellor was acting in self-defence and was also morally in the right when he quit government. What exactly happened between…
India is among 10 countries that combined account for 60 per cent of global maternal deaths, stillbirths, and newborn deaths, a United Nations report released on Tuesday (9) said. Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia are regions where the largest number of deaths are recorded, the survey said. Global…
The Indian government has changed the rules for obtaining the Indian visa. The aim is to support the tourism industry in the country. Tourists will be able to spend more time in India and discover new attractions, like for instance the filming locations of some of the most famous Bollywood…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who worked in his mother's pharmacy as a young boy growing up in Southampton, was back in his hometown on Tuesday (9) to unveil plans for an expanded role for pharmacists with the aim of reducing wait times for patients wanting to see a GP. Sunak,…
Local customers are the stepping-stones for expanding the business and attaining a broader reach by implementing local SEO. Since search engines got the better of yellow pages and other directories, it has become mandatory for small businesses to embrace search engine optimization (SEO), which holds the key to success. Regardless…
When you bring a pet into your home, it can be a super exciting experience. You may feel euphoric. However, bringing up a little puppy is not a joke and involves tremendous dedication and effort. Proper puppy training is the way to go. Your puppy will be blessed with a…
Dozens of pilots, many from crisis-hit Go First, gathered at a Tata group hotel near Delhi to attend walk-in interviews with Air India, a subsidiary of the conglomerate. The recent announcement from Go First that they had declared bankruptcy due to a surge in demand for air travel after the…
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…
For the hundreds of guests at the event, Saturday (6) will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a day that they are unlikely to forget. More than 850 people have received a special invitation to King Charles’ coronation at Westminster Abbey in London. Over 450 recipients of the British Empire Medal…
Thousands of Britons are travelling to remote locations in India and Sri Lanka for a “digital detox”, research found. Sinharaja Rainforest in southwest Sri Lanka and the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand. which is popular with hikers, have been named as among the most popular hotspots for people aiming to…
A decision to exclude the discussion of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution from the textbooks used by millions of ninth and tenth-grade students in India has sparked protests among scientists, according to reports. Over 4000 researchers and others have signed an open letter urging officials to reinstate the material which…
She may be a talented actress, broadcaster and one half of an acclaimed sketch comedy duo, but Emily Lloyd Saini is arguably at her best when she delivers dynamite solo stand-up sets loaded with explosive jokes. This ability to light up the stage with her incendiary brand of comedy has…
Cash-strapped Indian airline Go First filed for bankruptcy proceedings on Tuesday (2), blaming "faulty" Pratt & Whitney engines for the grounding of about half its fleet. The move marks the first major airline collapse in India since Jet Airways filed for bankruptcy in 2019, and underscores the fierce competition in…
Television and movie writers declared that they will launch a strike for the first time in 15 years, as Hollywood girded for a walkout with potentially widespread ramifications in a fight over fair pay in the streaming era. The Writers Guild of America said that its 11,500 unionised screenwriters will…
A prominent Indian spiritual leader is on a five-week visit to the UK to promote “global harmony.” His Holiness Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj, who heads the spiritual organisation BAPS (Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha), will participate in various programmes during his trip which began on Tuesday (2). Pujya Mahant…
Nurses in England walked out again on Monday (1), with some critical services due to be hit for the first time. The industrial action is the latest stoppage in an increasingly bitter dispute with the government over pay and conditions. The 28-hour strike, which started at 8:00 pm on Sunday…
Namashi Chakraborty is the latest star kid on the block, who begins his silver screen journey with Rajkumar Santoshi’s comic-caper Bad Boy. The youngest son of well-established Hindi film actors Mithun Chakraborty and Yogeeta Bali, Namashi does not want to box himself into one particular genre and aims to explore…
Rishi Sunak faces his first big electoral test as the Prime Minister next week in local polls where the opposition Labour Party hopes to capitalise on a year of chaos for the governing Conservatives, ahead of a national election expected next year. Sunak has tried to restore the credibility of…
The UK and India on Wednesday (26) signed an agreement to cooperate in science and innovation. The UK science minister George Freeman and Indian minister for science and technology, Jitendra Singh, met prior to the signing of the agreement. The UK Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology said that the…
Many want to achieve nirvana in this lifetime, and their idea of it will differ according to what their specific desires are. For some, it is trying to achieve the popular trend of getting “the glass skin.” This is when your skin is at its healthiest, appearing without pores, luminous,…
A statue of the Buddha has been discovered in Egypt's ancient seaport of Berenice on the Red Sea, shedding light on trade ties with India under the Roman empire. A Polish-US mission discovered the statue "dating back to the Roman era while digging at the ancient temple in Berenice", an…
Terming the popularity of south cinema in the Hindi belt “a return gift”, filmmaker Mani Ratnam says it’s fantastic that films are now recognised as Indian and not as works from the “north, or south or a Hindi film”. Ratnam, who mostly works in Tamil but has also done movies…
President Joe Biden said on Tuesday (25) he will seek a second White House term in 2024, a decision that will test whether Americans are ready to give the 80-year-old Democrat, already the oldest US president ever, another four years in office. Biden made his announcement in a slickly produced…
It was 13 years ago that Shivali Bhammer won acclaim for taking devotional music across a new frontier with her debut album The Bhajan Project. By combining commercial music with bhajans rooted in centuries-old tradition, he successfully connected cross-generational listeners to spiritual sounds in a contemporary way and inspired others…
Books like Preventable: How a Pandemic Changed the World & How to Stop the Next One become essential reading because they are so timely. The best-seller from Devi Sridhar, now available in paperback, highlights past pandemics and traces the Covid-19 outbreak, from its detection in Wuhan, China, to its devastating…
UNICEF estimates on Wednesday (19) show that South Asia has the highest number of child brides globally, with 290 million child brides accounting for 45% of the total, due to increased financial pressures and school closures resulting from COVID-19. The children's Agency of the United Nations has called for more…
Former business secretary Sir Alok Sharma has denied having bullied officials during his stint in the government.Bloomberg reported that four officials had accused the former UN Climate Change Conference president of being “difficult, unpredictable and could quickly lose his temper”.According to the news agency report, Sharma would often use “profanity”…
Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab on Friday (21) announced his resignation following allegations of bullying that were confirmed in a report. This has come as a surprise for Tories, creating a new political setback. Raab's resignation creates a challenge for prime minister Rishi Sunak, who now has to deal with…
India is projected to become the world's most populous country by the end of June, surpassing China, according to the UN Population Fund's State of World Population report released on Wednesday (19). This significant change will result in India having a population of 1.4286 billion, which is about three million…
India and Russia on Tuesday (18) agreed to address trade deficit and market access issues, the Indian foreign ministry said, as New Delhi seeks to narrow trade imbalance after a more than four-fold rise in imports from Russia since the war in Ukraine. The two nations are discussing a free…
Western luxury fashion brands are increasingly eyeing the affluent Middle Eastern market by launching exclusive collections for Ramadan, featuring flowing kaftans, fluid separates, and glamorous maxi dresses. Cosmopolitan Middle East magazine recently declared that with these collections, "You're about to be the best-dressed person at every iftar and suhoor that…
Apple opened its first retail store in India on Tuesday (18), underscoring the US tech titan's increasing focus on the South Asian nation as a key sales market and alternative manufacturing hub to China. Apple CEO Tim Cook personally opened the doors to welcome customers as staff cheered. Hundreds of…
Wockhardt UK managing director Ravindra Limaye and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan UK’s executive director Mattur Nandakumara have been chosen for honorary British awards given to foreign nationals. Limaye gets the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honour for his contribution to health, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nandakumara has been selected…
Indian software giant Infosys reported a lower-than-expected profit rise for the March quarter on Thursday (13) and flagged softer revenue guidance on the back of global economic and financial uncertainty. Infosys, India's second-largest information technology firm, benefitted from an IT boom that made India the back office to the world…
Major Hindi movies are usually not released during Ramadan because most Muslims won’t be going to cinemas. That lack of movies available means that audience numbers from other faiths decline during the same time. Audiences flocking back to cinemas on Eid combined with more screens being made available globally has…
Indian software giant TCS reported a weaker-than-expected increase in first-quarter profits, as global banking turmoil and economic uncertainty weighed on its US market. Tata Consultancy Services, India's second most valuable company by market capitalisation, has benefited from an IT boom that has seen the country become a back office to…
Researchers at the University of São Paulo are working on developing prediction models for anxiety and depression using Twitter and artificial intelligence (AI). The models aim to detect signs of these mental illnesses before clinical diagnosis. The researchers' preliminary findings suggest that a person's social media friends and followers could…
Shares in Britain's De La Rue, the world's largest banknote printer, fell on Wednesday (12) after the company issued a profit warning, as more people abandon cash in favour of card and contactless payments. De La Rue's stock dropped over one-third when the company announced that banknote demand was at…
A group of researchers, led by Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US, have discovered that humans generate antibodies targeting identical viral regions multiple times, despite being capable of producing a diverse range of antibodies. They believe that this finding may shed light on the numerous reinfection patterns observed during…
More than a third of Britons with ethnic and religious minority backgrounds have experienced racial abuse, a comprehensive new study revealed, despite the UK society looking inclusive with an Indian-origin prime minister.“Britain is not close to being a racially just society,” the research by St Andrews University, Manchester University and…
Labour has attacked prime minister Rishi Sunak, suggesting he has no qualms about his family benefitting from a “loophole” in the UK’s taxation. A digital poster of the opposition party, posted on social media on Tuesday (11) with a photo of the prime minister reads: “Do you think it’s right…
Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana is heading to the US for an eight-city tour in July. The actor, also a singer known for "Paani Da Rang", "Nazm Nazm", and "Haareya", said he is proud to represent Hindi music in North America. “Music has enabled me to connect with countless people and…
Indian government asked states to identify emergency hotspots and ramp up-testing for Covid-19, after the country recorded its highest daily case count since September, a Reuters tally showed on Friday (7). There were 6,050 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the federal health ministry said on Friday,…
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…
Apple Inc on Wednesday (5) revealed the look of its first retail store in India, as several people tried to catch a glimpse outside the store's black and yellow artwork patterned after Mumbai's iconic taxis. The store is still in barricades and is likely to open this month, a person…
An Eid formal dinner scheduled on April 23 has sparked accusations that Magdalen College is "cancelling" St George's Day festivities, The Telegraph reported. Prior to the pandemic, the college held an annual banquet in honour of England's legendary patron saint, where dons, fellows, and students feasted together amidst the college's…
England has rolled out a spring campaign to vaccinate its most vulnerable population against Covid-19 as infections have increased to their highest level this year.Some five million people, including those aged 75 and more as well as anyone having a weakened immune system, are eligible for the jab, the NHS…
Strolling around New York streets with a cup of coffee in his hand, visiting the iconic Central Park and just soaking up life on the go, The White Tiger star Adarsh Gourav says shooting for the sci-fi series Extrapolations in the US was a dream trip. The actor, who became…
Deepak Chopra, the physician and "guy from Oprah", recently visited London to introduce the premiere of the documentary Never Forget Tibet: The Dalai Lama’s Untold Story, lending his star power to the cause of Tibet. He also recently released his 93rd book, "Living in the Light", which delves into the…
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…
Official data released on Friday (31) indicated that the UK's economy expanded in the fourth quarter of the previous year. This growth was supported by increased business activity at travel agencies and state assistance to manage rising energy bills, which helped the country to avoid slipping into a recession. The…
Gujarat Titans will commence the defence of their Indian Premier League (IPL) title against four-times champions Chennai Super Kings on Friday (31). The tournament will return to its original home-and-away format after a four-year hiatus. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition and the second half of the 2021…
It has been confirmed that ITV has cancelled its high-profile medical drama series Maternal after just one season. The show, which ran in January and February of this year, revolved around the lives of three medics as they returned to work at a hospital following their maternity leave. The six-part…
BRITISH qawwali maestro Chand Ali Khan regularly entertains audiences with amazing live shows. He leads a group of incredibly talented performers and is part of a new generation, keeping centuries old tradition alive. The talented singer, currently on another UK tour, revealed his top 10 inspirations to Eastern Eye. Nusrat…
A union has declared that a day of extensive strike action by civil servants and public workers will occur in late April, following a month of sector-wide walkouts, which will impact the UK significantly. Millions of individuals in the country are currently experiencing a cost-of-living crisis due to persistently high…
Air India chief Campbell Wilson has defended paying Kremlin millions as overflight charges to keep flying over Russia, the Telegraph reported. He added that the airline was open to flying over Russia to UK and US destinations as it was 'economical'. Prior to the pandemic, Russia generated £1.3 billion from…
Streaming your favorite movies, documentaries, TV shows, and live events have become an essential part of our everyday entertainment. Due to the restrictions of the pandemic, we have resorted to various streaming platforms for our daily dose of entertainment. stream east is a popular online streaming website for watching movies, TV…
Sir Ivan Menezes, who on Tuesday (28) announced his retirement as Diageo CEO, has been credited for transforming the company into the world’s leading producer of premium drinks.Under his leadership, it accounted for 10 per cent (£2 billion) of the UK’s total food and drinks exports. It has sales in…
A recent study published on Tuesday (28) revealed that China has allocated approximately £194.97 billion equivalent to about $240 billion in financial assistance to 22 developing nations from 2008 to 2021. The amount has notably increased in recent years due to more countries experiencing difficulties in repaying loans related to…
DIAGEO’S India-born CEO Sir Ivan Menezes will retire later this year, having led the spirit maker’s growth for 10 years. Menezes, 63, will depart from the London-based company on June 30 and he will be succeeded by Debra Crew who is currently its chief operating officer, Diageo said in a…
Pakistan-origin politician Humza Yousaf has been elected to be Scotland's next leader. The 37-year-old practising Muslim will succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the governing Scottish National Party (SNP). The Scottish government’s first and only Muslim cabinet minister will be sworn in as Scotland's leader on Wednesday (29) if he…
A Singaporean Indian restaurateur has predicted that Indian restaurants around the world will increasingly offer dishes made with millet flour due to its health benefits and appeal to busy urbanites. The UN has declared 2023 as "The Millet Year," and the restaurateur, who has 40 years of experience in the…
During his lifetime, Mahatma Gandhi spent 21 years living in South Africa, a period that stands out in his long and eventful journey. Before emerging as an icon of Indian independence and becoming one of the towering figures of the 21st century, Gandhi resided in Britain's southern African colony from…
Ishwar Sharma, a 12-year-old yoga prodigy from Sevenoaks, Kent, has emerged victorious in the 5th Yoga World Cup & Festival held in Canada, securing three gold medals. The competition, organised by the Yoga Ministry of Canada, attracts the world's most talented and skilled yoga practitioners, showcasing their incredible abilities. Ishwar,…
THE ‘SaveOurPharmacies’ roundtable was held on Tuesday (21) to discuss severe challenges faced by the community pharmacies in England witnessed the support of 15 MPs. Janet Morrison, Chief Executive, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC); Andrew Lane, independent pharmacy owner and Chairman, National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Ian Strachan, independent pharmacy…
Dia Mirza won the title of Miss Asia Pacific International in 2000 after being crowned Femina Miss India Asia Pacific 2000. She launched her film career in 2001 with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein and has since starred in several notable films including Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) Honeymoon Travels…
Food delivery platform, Just Eat Takeaway announced plans to cut over 1,700 jobs in the UK, mostly courier jobs, as it cuts costs in the aftermath of massive yearly losses. The UK company "is reorganizing and simplifying its delivery operation as part of the ongoing goal of improving efficiency," according…
Indian-American actor, screenwriter, and producer Mindy Kaling, among others, was presented with the 2021 National Humanities Medal by United States President Joe Biden at a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, 21 March. The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists, arts patrons, and groups…
Priyanka Chopra is presently busy promoting her much-anticipated Prime Video series Citadel, created by the famous Russo Brothers. The first season stars Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden as agents Nadia Singh and Mason Kane, respectively. PeeCee is going all out to promote the series. During a promotion tour at the…
The number of voting members of the Scottish National Party (SNP) has shrunk dramatically from its pre-pandemic peak.It now has 72,186 members eligible to vote in the ongoing leadership contest, compared with 125,000 in 2019 when the membership size topped out - clocking a decline of about 42 per cent…
The Chancellor’s Spring Budget this week was a welcome breath of fresh air: sensible and measured policies to help steady the ship after years of choppy economic waters. Mr Hunt’s overarching message was that this was a budget to help deliver growth. To that end, he outlined a series of…
WITH their heroic work done during the Covid-19 pandemic and underfunding that has led to strikes, the National Health Service (NHS) has been at the forefront of people’s minds. More people than ever before have been appreciative of the amazing work done by the NHS and that is why heart-warming…
Britain's economy is set to avoid a recession in 2023, chancellor of exchequer Jeremy Hunt said on Wednesday (15) as he began a budget speech that was expected to include measures to speed up economic growth. Britain's economy had previously been seen contracting by 1.4 per cent this year under…
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,…
Indo-British crossover film Barun Rai And The House On The Cliff, starring Indian actors Priyanshu Chatterjee and Nyra Banerjee and directed by Sam Bhattacharjee, has been novelised by renowned International author Joe Hetherington. The book launched recently all across the world. Barun Rai’s character played by Priyanshu was an instant hit amongst…
A survey has revealed that more than 30 per cent of NHS staff often thought about leaving, and 17 per cent wanted to quit as soon as they find another job, a media report said. The health service’s 2022 survey said that the number of 'unsatisfied' employees at NHS reached…
FED UP with a government he says doesn't care, Poh Wang plans to go on strike with tens of thousands of other British junior doctors next week, saying he is overworked, underpaid and burdened with a student loan he cannot imagine paying off. The 28-year-old says he and his colleagues…
BOEING CO said on Friday (10) it would set up a facility in India to convert 737 passenger planes into dedicated freighters to tap into regional and global demand for the service. The investment, which adds to the US manufacturer's expansion into India on top of a record plane order…
BANK OF ENGLAND Monetary Policy Committee member Dr Swati Dhingra has said that managing the impact of inflation on families and firms, and attempting to cool inflationary pressures without deepening any resulting economic downturn, are immediate policy priorities. However, she warned that it is not ‘going to be easy’. Speaking…
KARAN KUNDRRA has come a very long way since making his acting debut in 2009 drama serial Kitani Mohabbat Hai. That winning performance as Arjun Punj kick-started a cool career that has seen him balance movies with becoming one of India’s biggest TV stars. He is currently part of recently…
REPUBLICAN presidential candidate Nikki Haley has blamed both the parties, Democrats and Republicans for America’s massive debt and vowed to deploy veto power as president to bring the country’s fiscal house back in order. “We must be honest: Both Democrats and Republicans are responsible for America’s spending crisis. They have…
Gina Raimondo, the US Secretary of Commerce who is on an official visit to India, attended the Holi celebration at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's residence on Wednesday (08). Speaking to ANI, Raimondo expressed her delight in participating in the Holi celebration with the people and said, "It's an honour for…
THIS National Careers Week, the 'We Are the NHS' campaign is highlighting the inspiring stories of senior South Asian staff and the exciting and varied nursing roles available across the NHS. When Asha Day’s younger siblings were born prematurely, she knew she had to step up to help her mother.…
According to an official statement from the UN, the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has stated that progress towards gender equality is diminishing rapidly and estimates that it will require 300 years to close the gap. While addressing the UN session of the Commission on the Status of Women on Monday (06),…
BRITISH finance minister Jeremy Hunt looks set to keep his grip on the public finances in next week's budget, refraining from big tax cuts or spending increases until the next election comes closer into view. Tory lawmakers want Hunt to halt April's sharp jump in the corporate tax rate to…
REPUBLICAN presidential aspirant Nikki Haley has hit out at two former US presidents from her party - George W Bush and Donald Trump - for adding $10 trillion to America's national debt. She also slammed president Joe Biden, a Democrat, for his record-breaking spending, which she said would add $20…
