A groundbreaking exhibition that commemorated the arrival of thousands of Ugandan Asians in Leicester back in 1972 has been awarded joint best 'Temporary or Touring Exhibition' at the prestigious Museums + Heritage Awards in London, sharing the honour with English Heritage, a press release said.
At the highly anticipated award ceremony, often referred to as the 'Oscars of the museum world,' the winners were revealed on May 10.
Titled "Rebuilding Lives - 50 Years of Ugandan Asians in Leicester," the exhibition served as the centerpiece of a comprehensive programme of events that marked the significant anniversary of those who fled the oppressive regime of the notorious dictator, Idi Amin.
It also paid tribute to the remarkable contributions made by the Asian community to Leicester's vibrant culture and thriving economy over the past five decades.
Produced by Navrang, an arts organisation based in Leicester, in collaboration with the city council and largely carried out by a dedicated group of volunteers, Rebuilding Lives stood out as the first South Asian exhibition of its kind to be shortlisted for the prestigious awards.
According to the press release, the judges were effusive in their praise for the exhibition, recognising its innovation and impact.
Additionally, the success of Rebuilding Lives extended beyond critical acclaim, captivating the hearts of visitors as well.
Furthermore, throughout its nine-month tenure at the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, the exhibition drew in a staggering 167,000 visitors, proving to be a resounding success in terms of public engagement.
Ranjan Saujani, acting chair of Navrang, said, “We were honoured to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award, but to win is absolutely amazing! It’s a great way to acknowledge the hard work the team have put in to creating, developing and delivering a truly special exhibition. It’s the perfect way to end the project!”
Nisha Popat of Navrang described winning the award as a remarkable achievement, considering the tough competition and the difference in budgets. She expressed their initial disbelief at winning and regarded the award as the perfect culmination. The exhibition's growth, its profound impact on the communities involved, and its recognition by the museum and heritage sector filled them with pride.
While Nishil Saujani from Navrang expressed deep gratitude to all those who contributed to the exhibition and allowed them to share their stories.
He extended thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Leicester City Council, the Navrang team, and their dedicated volunteers for their invaluable support.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby too expressed his pride in the recognition of Rebuilding Lives - 50 Years of Ugandan Asians in Leicester with the prestigious award. He emphasised his determination to commemorate this landmark anniversary in the development of modern Leicester with a remarkable exhibition in the city's flagship museum. He expressed his absolute delight that Navrang successfully met the challenge and created something truly special.
He said, “As well as commemorating the resilience and resourcefulness of thousands of people who were displaced and forced to start all over again, the exhibition celebrated the huge contribution that Leicester’s Ugandan Asian population has made to the city’s identity and culture over the last 50 years.”
Demonstrators gather in support of Khalistan during a Sikh rally outside the Consulate General of India, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 25, 2023.
AT LEAST two Khalistani extremist groups have received financial support from within Canada, according to a new Canadian government report on terror financing.
The report, titled 2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks in Canada, named Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation as the groups receiving such support.
This comes two months after a report by Ottawa’s intelligence agency said politically motivated violent extremism in Canada since the mid-1980s has taken shape through Khalistani extremists seeking to use violence to create an independent nation state called Khalistan in India’s Punjab.
The new report defined Politically Motivated Violent Extremism (PMVE) as encouraging “the use of violence to establish new political systems, or new structures and norms within existing systems.”
“While PMVE may include religious elements, actors are more focused on political self-determination or representation, rather than racial or ethnic supremacy,” it added.
The report noted that several terrorist entities listed under Canada’s Criminal Code fall under the PMVE category, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Babbar Khalsa International, and the International Sikh Youth Federation. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies have observed these groups receiving financial support originating from Canada, it said.
In 2022, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada’s (FINTRAC) Operational Alert on Terrorist Activity Financing identified Hezbollah as the second most frequently noted international terrorist group receiving Canadian funds.
The 2025 Assessment also outlined PMVE financing methods. It said Hamas and Hezbollah are well-resourced groups that use a variety of methods, including abuse of money services businesses and banking sectors, use of cryptocurrencies, state financing, exploitation of charitable and non-profit organisations (NPOs), and criminal activity.
“Khalistani extremist groups supporting violent means to establish an independent state within Punjab, India, are suspected of raising funds in a number of countries, including Canada. These groups previously had an extensive fundraising network in Canada but now appear to consist of smaller pockets of individuals with allegiance to the cause but seemingly no particular affiliation to a specific group,” the report said.
The report highlighted misuse of non-profit and charitable activities as a concern.
“The misuse of the charitable and NPO sectors has been observed as a prominent financing method used by Hamas and Hezbollah. Khalistani violent extremist groups have also been known to use networks to solicit donations from diaspora communities to raise and move funds, including through NPOs,” it said.
It clarified that revenue from NPO abuse represents a relatively small share of terrorist groups’ operational budgets overall.
The report added that drug trafficking is the largest money laundering threat in Canada, followed by fraud, commercial trade fraud, trade-based money laundering, and tax crimes.
“These threats are each estimated to involve billions of dollars in illicit proceeds annually in Canada,” it said.
The report follows the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s 2024 assessment, released on June 18, which stated that ongoing involvement in violent activities by Canada-based Khalistani extremists continues to pose a national security threat.
“Since the mid-1980s, the PMVE threat in Canada has manifested primarily through Canada-based Khalistani extremists seeking to use and support violent means to create an independent nation state called Khalistan, largely within Punjab, India,” the CSIS report said.
That report aligned with New Delhi’s position that pro-Khalistani groups in Canada have been carrying out anti-India activities with impunity.
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Education secretary Bridget Phillipson leaves following a cabinet meeting at Downing Street on September 9, 2025.
EDUCATION SECRETARY Bridget Phillipson has announced her candidacy for Labour’s deputy leader, becoming the most senior figure to enter the contest so far.
Clapham and Brixton Hill MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy is the only other declared candidate in the race to replace Angela Rayner.
Lucy Powell, who was removed as leader of the House of Commons last week, is expected to announce her bid.
Foreign affairs committee chair Emily Thornberry has said she is considering running, while former transport secretary Louise Haigh and Tooting MP Rosena Allin-Khan have ruled themselves out.
Candidates must secure nominations from at least 80 Labour MPs by Thursday evening. They also need support from either 5 per cent of local parties or three Labour-affiliated groups, including two unions. Those who qualify will face a ballot of party members, with the winner to be announced on 25 October.
Some Labour members have criticised the short nomination period. Ribeiro-Addy said: "It is absolutely unfair, and I don't think it's what the membership want." She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the party needed to reflect on "what's gone wrong," citing concerns over Gaza, winter fuel allowances and welfare cuts.
Announcing her candidacy, Phillipson said: "Because make no mistake: We are in a fight. We all know the dangers Reform poses our country."
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he had not yet decided whom to support. David Lammy will remain deputy prime minister regardless of the outcome.
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Passengers walk back to the reopened terminal after emergency services responded to what they called a 'possible hazardous materials incident' at Terminal 4 of Heathrow Airport.
HEATHROW Airport has reopened Terminal 4 after it was evacuated on Monday evening following what authorities described as a "possible hazardous materials incident."
The airport said the terminal was declared safe and apologised for the disruption. In a post on X, Heathrow said it was "doing everything we can" to make sure flights depart as planned.
The London Fire Brigade confirmed it had stood down its response.
Terminal 4, which handles both European and long-haul flights, was closed temporarily as specialist fire crews carried out an assessment.
The London Ambulance Service said paramedics treated 21 patients and one person was taken to hospital. The nature of the incident has not been disclosed.
The Metropolitan Police said specialist officers were at the scene and conducted a search of the area. The force said no trace of any "adverse substance" was found.
Video clips shared online, which could not be verified, showed passengers waiting outside the terminal. Heathrow’s departures board showed flights continuing to take off.
In March, Heathrow was shut for nearly a day after a fire at a nearby electrical substation cut power, disrupting flights worldwide and leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Demonstrators weild stones and sticks as they clash with riot police personnel during a protest outside the parliament in Kathmandu on September 8, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigns amid violent anti-corruption protests
At least 19 killed and more than 100 injured as police clash with demonstrators
Social media ban lifted after protests turned deadly across Nepal
UN and Amnesty call for probe, two cabinet ministers also resign
NEPAL prime minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, his aide said, as anti-corruption demonstrators defied an indefinite curfew and clashed with police, a day after 19 people died in violent protests triggered by a social media ban.
“The PM has quit,” Oli’s aide Prakash Silwal told Reuters, a move that plunges the country into fresh political uncertainty.
Oli’s government lifted the social media ban after protests turned violent, killing 19 and injuring more than 100 after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators trying to storm parliament on Monday.
The unrest is the worst in decades in the Himalayan country that is wedged between India and China and has struggled with political instability and economic uncertainty since protests led to the abolition of its monarchy in 2008.
Deadly crackdown
The protests began in Kathmandu, with mostly young people demanding the government lift restrictions and address corruption. Demonstrators clashed with police near parliament on Monday, where officers used tear gas, batons, rubber bullets and water cannons.
Seventeen people were killed in the capital and two more in Sunsari district, according to police and local media. Kathmandu police spokesman Shekhar Khanal said about 400 people were injured, including more than 100 officers.
Amnesty International said live ammunition had been used. The United Nations called for a swift and transparent investigation.
One eyewitness described the situation inside a hospital where dozens of the injured were treated. “Tear gas entered the hospital area as well, making it difficult for doctors to work,” said Ranjana Nepal, information officer at the Civil Hospital.
A 23-year-old student, Yujan Rajbhandari, said: “Nearly 20 people were murdered by the state — that shows the scale of police brutality. The government have to take responsibility for the lives that were lost.”
Curfew and continued unrest
Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in Kathmandu and other districts on Tuesday. Despite this, groups of protesters defied restrictions, setting fire to tyres, throwing stones at security forces and targeting government buildings and the homes of some politicians. Local media reported that some ministers were evacuated by military helicopters.
The country’s aviation authority said Kathmandu’s international airport was partially closed on Tuesday due to the unrest.
Protesters also held condolence meetings in memory of those killed. “We are still standing here for our future ... We want this country corruption-free so that everyone can easily access education, hospitals, medical facilities ... and for a bright future,” protester Robin Sreshtha told Reuters TV.
Government response
Oli, 73, expressed sorrow over the deaths in a letter following an emergency cabinet meeting. “The government was not in favour of stopping the use of social media and will ensure an environment for its use,” he wrote, while ordering an investigation into the violence before announcing his resignation.
The government announced relief payments for families of those killed, free treatment for the injured, and formed a panel to submit a report within 15 days on the causes of the protests and measures to prevent such incidents.
Two cabinet ministers also resigned on moral grounds.
Anger over corruption
Organisers described the demonstrations as being led by Gen Z, frustrated with corruption and lack of opportunities. Protesters said they were angered by videos on TikTok — which was not blocked — showing the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and foreign vacations while ordinary Nepalis struggle.
“The protest was intended, first and foremost, against the rampant corruption in government,” one demonstrator wrote in an email to Reuters, signing off as “A concerned Nepali citizen.”
Local newspaper Kathmandu Post wrote: “This isn’t just about social media — it’s about trust, corruption, and a generation that refuses to stay silent. For them, digital freedom is personal freedom. Cutting off access feels like silencing an entire generation.”
International reactions
India, Nepal’s neighbour, said it was “closely monitoring” developments. “As a close friend and neighbour, we hope that all concerned will exercise restraint and address any issues through peaceful means and dialogue,” India’s foreign ministry said.
Embassies of Australia, Finland, France, Japan, South Korea, UK, Norway, Germany and the US in Nepal also issued a joint statement expressing sadness over the deaths and urging restraint, protection of rights and avoidance of further escalation.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Vijay Mallya, accused of loan defaults of over about £756 million, has been living in the UK and is contesting extradition. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA’s efforts to secure the extradition of high-profile economic offenders from the United Kingdom, including Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, have moved forward with a recent visit by a team from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to Tihar Jail in Delhi, an official said on Sunday (September 7).
The CPS delegation visited the prison last week to review jail conditions as required by UK courts before deciding on extradition requests, the official said.
India has been seeking the return of several fugitives wanted in cases ranging from bank fraud to arms smuggling.
Authorities have assured UK courts that individuals extradited to India will not be subjected to unsafe or inhumane conditions in custody.
According to the official, the CPS team toured the high-security section of Tihar and interacted with some inmates.
Jail authorities informed the delegation that if necessary, a separate unit could be set up within the prison to house high-profile accused, ensuring their safety and meeting international standards.
UK courts have previously rejected extradition requests from India citing concerns over prison conditions. New Delhi has since given assurances that the rights of the accused will be protected, with no scope for unlawful interrogation or mistreatment.
Mallya, accused of loan defaults of over about £756 million, has been living in the UK and is contesting extradition.
Nirav Modi, the main accused in about £1.15 billion Punjab National Bank fraud case, was declared a fugitive offender in 2019 and arrested in the UK the same year. His extradition has been approved by a London court, though appeals are still pending.