Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
The Bengali community celebrated Durga puja with a parade on the Thames and participated in the annual Diwali event of the Mayor of London.
The Durga parade saw Golden Sunrise and an accompanying yacht carried the idol of Camden puja and Durga cutouts of Midlands Bengali Association, Birmingham and Bengali Sanskrit Club of Peterborough, along with cutouts of Bhowanipur 75 Palli and Bagbazar Sarbojanin pujas of Kolkata and a large flex of the landmark pandal of Sreebhumi Sporting Club, a statement said.
The boats were decorated with the traditional chhou masks and various puja artifacts from Kumartuli, which transformed the boats into mini tableau of Bengal.
The Heritage Bengal Global (HBG), a not-for-profit organisation made up of the Bengali diaspora, organised the Durga Puja parade to coincide with events in Kolkata as part of its initiative to create a worldwide forum to bring together Durga Pujas organised by Bengali expatriates from Norway to South Africa, New Zealand to Brazil covering all the continents across the globe with three dozen countries.
Over 200 people participated in the parade in London on the boat which sailed from Millbank Pier next to Westminster to London Eye and back. The Deputy High Commissioner of India in London, Sujit Ghosh along with representatives of Royal Army and Royal Airforce were present at the event along with other dignitaries.
HBG vice president Mahua Bej took the lead in celebrations with the members Rajiv Saha, Priyanka Burman Mitra, Abirbhab Bandopadhyay, Sourav Paul, Romita Ghosh, Tamalika Basu, Anuran Sarkar and Palash Mukherjee provided support.
Kumartuli artisan, Kaushik Ghosh, flew down from Kolkata to help with the decors of the boats and Debashis Ghosh from Kolkata helped in facilitating logistics and media coverage, the statement added.
At the annual Diwali celebration at Trafalgar Square, the HBG members participated in the cultural show entailed as ‘Adivasi’ or tribal cultural programme commemorating India’s first President from the tribal community, Droupadi Murmu. Priyanka Burman Mitra, Reshma Laskar, Tamalika Basu, Sharmista Pandit, Jessica Sidratul, Iqra Jannatul and Priyonti Chowdhury have participated.
During the event, Debasree Bandyopadhyay, Sreeparna Debsarkar, Prapti Debsarkar, Nirlipta Padhee, Shemanti presented a Durga themed dance performance.
“This year the back-to-back events of Durga Parade on Thames and Diwali at Trafalgar Square helped immensely in our endeavour to promote Durga puja and the traditional cultural heritage of Bengal, which should likely to put Kolkata on the global tourism map. We wanted to convert the UNESCO intangible tag of Durga Puja to something more tangible to realise its full potential," said HBG director Anirban Mukhopadhyay.
Dr Subarno Bose, founder of IIHM Kolkata and CEO of Aditya Group, Anirban Aditya, ETOS Chairman Tushar Das Ghose were present at the event and were major sponsors of the event along with Satyam Ray Chaudhuri of Sister Nivedita University and Suraji Nandi of Flora Spice.
HDFC UK, Colors of India, iLEAD and Aidias Consulting Group have also supported the event. The Kolkata based Pointers Business Forum, a business group of the ex-students of the South Point School was the Goodwill Partner.
AN INDIAN man in his forties was hospitalised following a violent and apparently racist attack in a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, prompting strong condemnation from both the Indian community and diplomats.
According to official statements, the incident occurred last Saturday (19) on Parkhill Road in Tallaght. The victim, who had arrived in Ireland only a few weeks prior, was severely assaulted by a group of young men in what local reports have described as "mindless, racist violence."
The Gardaí - Irish police - responded to the scene, and the man was taken to Tallaght University Hospital with multiple injuries to his head, face, arms and legs. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers not only beat the victim but also slammed his head against a lamppost and stripped him of his shoes, trousers, underwear, phone and money, leaving him bleeding on the roadside until local residents intervened.
Initial rumours circulated online, falsely accusing the victim of inappropriate behaviour near children; however, the Gardaí have dismissed these claims and are treating the incident as a potential hate crime. Authorities have confirmed that the accusations were baseless and amplified by far-right, anti-immigrant online accounts
The Indian ambassador to Ireland, Akhilesh Mishra, publicly expressed shock at both the brutal nature of the assault and the perceived insensitivity in some Irish media coverage.
On social media, he questioned: "How can an 'ALLEGED' assault cause such horrible injury and bleeding? Aghast at the insensitivity and obfuscation of RTE [Ireland’s national media outlet]… Hope the perpetrators are brought to justice." He also thanked the Gardaí and members of the Irish public for their support.
Local political figures have called for an increased Garda presence in Tallaght, citing recurring minor incidents in the area and stressing the important contributions made by Indian nationals living and working in Ireland. Fine Gael councillor Baby Pereppadan noted the victim remains in shock and has declined visitors, underscoring the trauma inflicted by the attack
Reacting to the assault, community groups have organised a Stand Against Racism protest for Friday (25) at the Treepark Road roundabout in Kilnamanagh, Tallaght. The demonstration, planned by United Against Racism and Dublin South West Together, is intended as a show of solidarity with migrants and a repudiation of far-right efforts to fuel racial hostility.
These groups stressed, "The people being attacked are our neighbours; their children are the children of our neighbours. … Who lives here belongs here! Let this be a turning point against racist attacks in our community, Tallaght!”
The investigation by Gardaí is ongoing, and no arrests have yet been reported. The incident has intensified calls within both Irish and Indian communities for action against racially motivated violence and for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
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Junior doctors hold placards as they stand on a picket line outside the Royal University Hospital during a national strike over pay and conditions, in Liverpool, January 3, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)
A PLANNED five-day strike by junior doctors in England will go ahead as scheduled this week after pay negotiations with the government failed, their union said on Tuesday.
The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents the doctors, said discussions with health aecretary Wes Streeting had not made progress on issues related to pay and working conditions.
Junior doctors had voted for strike action following the government’s decision to award them a 5.4 per cent pay rise. The BMA has said this is far below the 29 per cent increase needed to restore real-term pay to 2008 levels.
The strike is set to begin at 0600 GMT on Friday.
In a statement, the BMA said recent talks with Streeting and other government officials had not produced a breakthrough.
“What we have seen so far is a series of 'no’s – no to movement on pay, no to student loan forgiveness, no to any credible move forwards," said BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs Melissa Ryan and Ross Nieuwoudt.
"What we need to see are some ways forward, some kind of positive approach to get us out of this dispute."
Streeting said the industrial action would impact patient services and add pressure on the National Health Service.
"The BMA would have lost nothing by taking up the offer to postpone strike action to negotiate a package that would improve the working lives of resident doctors," he said in an emailed statement.
Ryan and Nieuwoudt said they were open to talks, but added: "We don’t accept we can’t talk about pay."
(With inputs from agencies)
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Starmer and Modi shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil, on November 18, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)
India and UK to sign free trade agreement in London on July 24
Tariff cuts on whisky, cars and textiles part of the deal
Trade deal aims to double bilateral trade to £89 billion by 2030
Social security pact finalised; investment treaty talks ongoing
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi embarked on a four-day visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives on Wednesday, July 23. The visit to the UK is at the invitation of prime minister Keir Starmer, while the state visit to the Maldives is at the invitation of president Mohamed Muizzu, the India's Ministry of External Affairs said.
“Leaving for UK, a country with which our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has achieved significant momentum in the last few years. I look forward to my talks with PM Keir Starmer and my meeting with His Majesty King Charles III,” Modi said in his departure statement on X.
The India-UK free trade agreement is set to be the key outcome of the visit to London. The deal will be formally signed on July 24 and will focus on expanding trade and defence ties.
Tariff cuts on whisky, cars, textiles
The trade agreement, concluded in May after three years of negotiations, includes tariff cuts on British whisky, cars, and selected food items. In return, Indian goods such as textiles and electric vehicles will receive duty-free access in the UK. The agreement will come into effect after ratification by the British Parliament and India’s federal cabinet, expected within a year.
"This is a significant agreement," India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri said on Tuesday, adding that legal vetting of the deal was nearly complete. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will accompany Modi for the signing ceremony.
According to Misri, bilateral trade between India and the UK reached £40.7 billion in 2023-24. The UK has become India’s sixth-largest investor with cumulative investments nearing £26.7 billion. About 1,000 Indian companies operate in the UK, employing 100,000 people and investing nearly £14.8 billion.
Under the terms of the agreement, tariffs on Scotch whisky will drop from 150 per cent to 75 per cent immediately, and fall further to 40 per cent over the next ten years, the British government said. On cars, India will cut duties from 100 per cent to 10 per cent under a quota system that will be gradually expanded.
India to gain access for EVs under quota system
Indian manufacturers are expected to gain access to the UK market for electric and hybrid vehicles under a similar quota system, officials from the commerce ministry said.
The ministry also said that 99 per cent of Indian exports to the UK, including garments and textiles, would benefit from zero duties. In return, the UK will see reductions on 90 per cent of its tariff lines.
"The UK is an important market for Indian exporters," said Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations. He said the agreement would boost sectors like textiles, footwear, marine and engineering products.
Cabinet clears FTA; Social security pact finalised
On Tuesday, sources said the Indian cabinet approved the free trade agreement, officially known as the comprehensive economic and trade agreement. The pact, which includes chapters on goods, services, innovation, government procurement and intellectual property rights, was finalised on May 6.
The trade deal is also aimed at eliminating duties on labour-intensive products such as leather, footwear and clothing. Imports of whisky and cars from Britain will become cheaper. The agreement targets doubling trade between the two countries to £89 billion by 2030.
Once signed, the agreement will need ratification from the British Parliament before it can take effect.
India and the UK have also concluded negotiations on a social security agreement called the Double Contribution Convention Agreement. It will help Indian professionals working in the UK avoid making double contributions to social security funds. Talks on a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) are still in progress.
Such agreements generally aim to remove or significantly reduce customs duties and ease norms to promote trade in services and bilateral investment.
India’s exports to the UK increased by 12.6 per cent to £10.7 billion in 2024-25, while imports rose by 2.3 per cent to £6.4 billion. Bilateral trade rose to £15.8 billion in 2023-24 from £15.1 billion in 2022-23.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Indian officials continue to remain hopeful of concluding a wider agreement by September or October, based on discussions between prime minister Narendra Modi and Trump in February. (Photo: iStock)
THE CHANCES of India and the United States reaching an interim trade agreement before the August 1 deadline have reduced, as negotiations remain stuck over tariff cuts on key agricultural and dairy products, two Indian government sources told Reuters.
US president Donald Trump had threatened a 26 per cent tariff on Indian imports in April but put it on hold to allow talks to continue. The pause ends on August 1. India, however, has not yet received a formal tariff letter, unlike more than 20 other countries.
India’s trade team, led by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, recently returned from Washington after the fifth round of discussions without any breakthrough.
“An interim deal before August 1 looks difficult, though virtual discussions are ongoing,” one of the Indian government sources said. The source added that a US delegation was expected to visit New Delhi soon to carry forward the talks.
According to Reuters, the negotiations have stalled because New Delhi is unwilling to open up its agriculture and dairy sectors, while Washington has not agreed to India’s request to reduce higher tariffs on steel, aluminium and automobiles.
Officials are now considering whether some of these unresolved issues can be taken up later, after a limited agreement is signed, the second government source said.
Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, said sectors like gems and jewellery could be affected if 26 per cent tariffs are imposed. “However, this could be temporary, as both countries aim to sign the deal over time,” he said.
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Monday that the Trump administration prioritised the quality of trade agreements over timelines. Asked whether the August 1 deadline could be extended for countries still in talks, he said it was for Trump to decide.
Indian officials continue to remain hopeful of concluding a wider agreement by September or October, based on discussions between prime minister Narendra Modi and Trump in February.
“Given that there have been five rounds of negotiations and another US delegation is expected, we remain optimistic about finalising a trade pact,” a third Indian government source said.
The Indian commerce ministry and the Office of the United States Trade Representative did not respond to emailed requests for comment.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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The aircraft had taken off from HMS Prince of Wales on 14 June but could not return to the carrier due to adverse weather conditions.
A BRITISH F-35B fighter jet that had been grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport for over a month flew out on Tuesday after completing maintenance.
The jet took off at 10.50 am and flew to Darwin in Australia, airport sources told PTI.
"A UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion on June 14, departed today from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. A UK engineering team, deployed since July 06, completed the repairs and safety checks, allowing the aircraft to resume active service," a British High Commission spokesperson said.
In a statement, the spokesperson added that the UK remained very grateful for the support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams throughout the repair and recovery process.
"We look forward to continuing to strengthen our defence partnership with India," the statement said.
The jet had been moved out of the hangar and positioned at the airport bay on Monday.
The F-35B Lightning fighter jet is part of the British Royal Navy’s advanced stealth fleet. Valued at over USD 110 million, it is considered one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world. It had remained parked at the airport since June 14 after developing a technical issue.
The aircraft had taken off from HMS Prince of Wales on 14 June but could not return to the carrier due to adverse weather conditions. Prioritising safety, it diverted to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and landed safely.
While on the ground, the aircraft developed an engineering issue, delaying its return to the Carrier Strike Group.
Engineers from HMS Prince of Wales assessed the aircraft and concluded that support from a UK-based engineering team was needed.
The UK accepted India’s offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility.
To avoid disrupting normal airport operations, the aircraft was moved only after the UK engineering teams arrived with the required specialist equipment.