The Indian Panorama

Tag: London

  • UK opens second ballot for Young Professionals Scheme visas for Indians

    UK opens second ballot for Young Professionals Scheme visas for Indians

    Ballot, which closes on July 27, offers eligible young Indians the opportunity to live, work or study in UK for up to two years

    LONDON (TIP): The British government on Tuesday opened its second ballot under the UK-India Young Professional Scheme for Indians aged between 18 and 30 years with graduate-level qualifications for visas to the UK. The ballot, which closes on July 27, offers eligible young Indians the opportunity to live, work or study in the UK for up to two years. “The second ballot of the Young Professionals Scheme is now OPEN,” the British High Commission in New Delhi tweeted. “If you are an Indian national between 18-30 years of age with a graduate or postgraduate qualification, consider applying for the India Young Professionals Scheme visa. Ballot closes at 1.30 pm on July 27,” it said. There are a total of 3,000 places available under the scheme for the year 2023 and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) said that most places were given in the first ballot which took place in February. The remaining places will be chosen at random from this month’s ballot.

    While it’s free to enter the ballot, applicants are told they must only enter if they plan to apply for the visa, which costs 259 pound, and are able to meet the financial, educational and other requirements.

    Additional costs involved include a 940 pound healthcare surcharge and proof that the applicant has 2,530 pounds in personal savings.

    Under the reciprocal arrangement signed off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart, Rishi Sunak, at the G20 summit in Indonesia last November, British nationals would also be offered similar visas to live and work in India. The launch of the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme was dubbed a “significant moment” for the bilateral relationship and the UK’s wider commitment to forging stronger links with the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen both Indian and British economies.

    It was also seen as an effort to propel the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, which completed 11 rounds of talks this month. “I know first-hand the incredible value of the deep cultural and historic ties we have with India. I am pleased that even more of India’s brightest young people will now have the opportunity to experience all that life in the UK has to offer – and vice-versa – making our economies and societies richer,” said Sunak, as he green-lit the scheme in November 2022.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party loses 2 key seats ahead of crucial UK elections

    Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party loses 2 key seats ahead of crucial UK elections

    LONDON (TIP): Prime Minister of U.K. Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party suffered significant losses in two of three parliamentary byelections on Thursday, July 20, in what is being seen by some as a strong indicator of their prospects in next year’s general election.

    The Tories lost to Labour by a sizeable margin in the northern England constituency of Selby and Ainsy, and to the Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) in the Conservative stronghold of Somerton and Frome. They managed to retain former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s seat in the west London area of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, but with a reduced majority.

    Labour secured a record win in Selby, with twenty-five-year-old Keir Mather ousting them after winning by a margin of over 4,100 votes or 46% of the vote share (versus the Conservatives’ 34.3%). The newly minted youngest MP, who is a former parliamentary researcher and public relations adviser, ran a campaign focused on the cost of living crisis facing the country.

    In the Somerton area in England’s South West, the Lib Dems’ Sarah Dyke won a majority of over 11,000, taking a Conservative seat — a 29% swing away from the Tories. Local councillor Seve Tuckwell won a recount in Uxbridge by a 495-vote majority. Former Prime Minister Johnson had held the Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat for eight years before resigning last month, after a parliamentary committee found that he lied to Parliament and was about to suspend him. Following his resignation, his colleague Nigel Adams, representing Selby, also resigned.

    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended his party’s performance and pushed back against the idea that his party was heading for a defeat next year. His party is trailing labour in opinion polls, with the country reeling from high levels of inflation, dissatisfaction over public sector pay, rising interest and mortgage rates, problems with public services, specifically in the National Health Service (NHS).

    “Westminster’s been acting like the next election is a done deal. The Labour Party has been acting like it’s a done deal. The people of Uxbridge just told all of them that it’s not,” he said on Friday, as he visited the constituency. Mr. Tuckwell attributed his victory in part to London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to increase the size of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (an area covering parts of London that require automobiles to pay a congestion charge). The area is set to expand to cover all of London from August 29. Members of Mr. Khan’s own Labour party have suggested he rethink his decision but the mayor has stuck to his plans.

    ““Even if we include the Uxbridge result, together with Selby and Somerton, on average, the Conservative vote was down by 21 points in those three constituencies,” political scientist John Curtice told BBC Radio 4.

    “The message on Thursday, July 20, is that basically the Conservatives are indeed as deep [down] an electoral hole as the opinion polls have been suggesting.”

  • UK court finds five guilty of murdering Indian-origin man

    UK court finds five guilty of murdering Indian-origin man

    LONDON (TIP): Three men and two women members of a gang have been found guilty of the honeytrap murder of an Indian-origin man in the east of England. Vishal Gohel, 44, was discovered unresponsive inside a flat in Hertfordshire in January and pronounced dead at the scene. The court was told that Gohel had been led to believe he would be having a sexual liaison but the gang had intentions to rob him, resulting in the crime.

  • 5 Indian students make it to Global Student Prize 2023 shortlist

    5 Indian students make it to Global Student Prize 2023 shortlist

    The top 10 finalists of this year’s Global Student Prize are expected to be announced by next month

    LONDON (TIP): Five students studying in India have made it to the top 50 shortlist for the USD 100,000 Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2023, selected from 3,851 applications from across 122 countries.
    The annual award goes to one exceptional student who has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and on society beyond. In the running from India this year will be: Namya Joshi, a 16-year-old student at Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana, Punjab; Vinisha Umashankar, a 16-year-old student at SKP Vanitha International School, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu; Gladson Vaghela, a 25-year-old medical student at Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society Medical College, Gandhinagar, Gujarat; Padmaksh Khandelwal, a 17-year-old computer science student at Sir Padampat Singhania School, Kota, Rajasthan; and Ravinder Bishnoi, a 20-year-old information technology student at Chandigarh Engineering College, Landran, Mohali, Punjab.

    “Chegg not only celebrates your achievements but also the endless possibilities that exist when young minds are driven by a passion for change,” said Heather Hatlo Porter, Head of Chegg.org and Chief Communications Officer of Chegg. “The top 50 Global Student Prize finalists deserve the opportunity to have their stories told and have their voices heard. Their dreams, wisdom, and inventive spirit will illuminate a more hopeful future for everyone,” she said. Joshi, acclaimed as the “Top Tech Savvy Student in India” and a global teacher at the age of 16, got hooked on Minecraft, realizing that it can also be used as an education tool. She went on to create a virtual library of lessons in Minecraft, now numbering around 500 which are available on her YouTube channel and website.

    Umashankar is an artist, TEDx speaker, innovator, and environmentalist whose favorite subjects in school are math and science. Her innovation journey of inventing the award-winning “Solar Ironing Cart” and a power-saving “Smart Ceiling Fan” began when she was 12 years old, and she has since participated in many science and innovation competitions, winning international, national, and state awards.

    Vaghela is a medical student advocate for healthcare equity and accessibility for all, participating in healthcare outreach programs in underserved communities. He has helped produce a global mental healthcare service providers’ database for more than 150 countries worldwide and has also been serving as a Youth Advisor to YuWaah (Generation Unlimited) at UNICEF India.

    Khandelwal works on student suicide prevention and also as an anti-poaching activist who launched the current homeschooling model of the Mogya Education Program for children through the support of NGO Tiger Watch.

    Bishnoi used his cyber cafe visits to learn about robotics, electronics, design, and other engineering areas and over the past decade has created many devices, developed robots, exoskeletons, portable water and air filters to help needy people. The Varkey Foundation partnered with Chegg.org to launch the annual Global Student Prize in 2021 as a sister award to its annual USD 1 million Global Teacher Prize.

    The intention was to create a new platform that shines a light on the efforts of extraordinary students everywhere. The prize is open to all students who are at least 16 years old and enrolled in an academic institution or training and skills program. Part-time students as well as students enrolled in online courses are also eligible for the prize.

    “As time runs out to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is more important than ever to prioritize education so we can face the future with confidence,” said Sunny Varkey, the Kerala-born founder of the Varkey Foundation. The top 10 finalists of this year’s Global Student Prize are expected to be announced by next month. The winner, who will be announced later in the year, will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Student Prize Academy, made up of prominent individuals.

  • UK government offers millions of public sector workers pay raises in push to end strikes

    UK government offers millions of public sector workers pay raises in push to end strikes

    LONDON (TIP): The British government offered millions of public sector workers pay raises on July 13 in a bid to end an array of strikes, including a five-day walkout from doctors in Britain’s publicly funded health service.
    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that the government was accepting the recommendations from pay review bodies, which will see a 7% rise for police, 6.5% for teachers and 6% for the striking junior doctors, who are at the early stages of their careers in the National Health Service.
    Sunak said the offers, which are not being funded by extra borrowing, are “final” and that there would be no more pay discussions.

    “We will not negotiate again on this year’s settlements and no amount of strikes will change our decision,” he said.
    The prime minister said the leaders of the teaching unions have agreed to recommend that instructors stop their strike. The question is how other unions will respond to what is in effect an ultimatum.
    Junior doctors on the frontline of Thursday’s walkout will face a decision on their first day of what is being described as the longest-ever strike in the National Health Service. They are asking for a 35% pay bump.
    The British Medical Association, the doctors’ union, has asked for a big leap in pay to bring junior doctors’ pay back to 2008 levels once inflation is taken into account. The workload of England’s 75,000 or so junior doctors also has swelled as patient waiting lists for treatment are at record highs following the coronavirus pandemic.
    “Today marks the start of the longest single walkout by doctors in the NHS’s history, but this is still not a record that needs to go into the history books,” said BMA leaders Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi.
    Britain, like other countries, is grappling with high inflation for the first time in years. Price rises were first stoked by supply chain issues resulting from the pandemic and then by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent energy and food prices soaring. Though inflation has come down slightly from its peak — to 8.7% — it remains far above the 2% level the Bank of England is tasked to target.
    The doctors’ strike will cause huge disruption for the already embattled NHS, with operations and consultations postponed or even cancelled.
    The doctors taking the strike action say they know the impact of their walkout on the health service but insist that they have been left with no alternative.
    “This isn’t a celebration, this is years of declining pay, declining conditions, frustration, and this is what has culminated as a result,” Alex Gibbs, a striking 31-year-old doctor said outside University College Hospital in north London. (AP)

  • Indian-origin UK Royal Mail bullied employee awarded 2.3 million pounds

    Indian-origin UK Royal Mail bullied employee awarded 2.3 million pounds

    LONDON (TIP): In what is believed to be one of the largest compensation settlements for the UK’s Royal Mail, an Indian-origin employee has been awarded more than 2.3 million pounds after her bullying claim was upheld.

    Kam Jhuti had claimed before an employment tribunal dating back nearly eight years that she had been intimidated and harassed by her boss after she raised concerns that a colleague had secured their bonus illegitimately.

    The tribunal went on to find that there had been a “catastrophic” impact on her over her boss’ treatment of her, ‘The Daily Telegraph’ reports.

    “The tribunal makes a total award of GBP 2,365,614.13, payable by the respondent to the claimant,” reads an official remedy decision added to the long-running case this week.

    “Subject to the paragraph below, payment of the award is stayed pending the outcome of the respondent’s (Royal Mail) appeal against the tribunal’s original judgment on remedies which was sent to the parties on October 3, 2022. Both parties have the liberty to apply to lift this stay,” it reads.

    “Of that total award, the respondent (Royal Mail) will, however, make payment of the sum of 2,50,000 pounds gross to the claimant; the stay does not, therefore, apply in relation to this sum. The parties agreed that the respondent will pay this sum to the claimant within 14 days of the date of this hearing,” it adds.

    Earlier, the tribunal had concluded that the postal service had been “high-handed, malicious, insulting and oppressive” in how it had conducted the case.

    A 2019 Supreme Court hearing was told that Jhuti started work as a 50,000 pounds per year media specialist at the Royal Mail’s MarketReach unit based in London in September 2013.

    However, the following month, while shadowing a colleague, she began to suspect they were not following watchdog Ofcom’s guidance and also breaching the company’s policy in relation to bonuses known as Tailor-Made Incentives (TMIs), which she said helped the colleague to hit performance targets and directly securing a bonus for herself and “in effect defrauding the company”, the newspaper reports.

    Later that month, a TMI expert in the business confirmed Jhuti’s previous allegations had been correct by acknowledging that media specialists were offering TMIs “inappropriately”.

    As the process unfolded, Jhuti began suffering from stress and went on to express concern over her boss’s conduct.

    She was granted a new line manager but was told she was not making the expected progress and in March 2014 was signed off with work-related stress, anxiety and depression, and never returned to work.

    After taking Royal Mail to an initial employment tribunal in 2015, Jhuti’s claims of unfair dismissal proceeded after the Supreme Court ruled in her favor.

    As an appeal is pending in the case, the Royal Mail is expected to only make a payment of 250,000 pounds from the total compensation amount at this stage.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Sabalenka, Alcaraz fight back as Tsistipas outlasts Murray

    Sabalenka, Alcaraz fight back as Tsistipas outlasts Murray

    LONDON (TIP)- Second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus recovered from a poor first set to beat Varvara Gracheva 2-6 7-5 6-2 today and reach the third round at Wimbledon.
    The 2021 semifinalist at the All England Club is only behind world No. 1 Iga Swiatek (40) for match wins on the Tour this year with 35. However, her status as one of the favourites to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish was severely tested.
    The Australian Open champion struggled badly in the opening set, with Gracheva, representing France for the first time since switching nationality from Russia last month, moving around with ease in the sunshine on Court One.
    “It was just crazy, it was super tough and I couldn’t find my rhythm. I was just telling myself to keep fighting, keep trying and just do your best and probably you’re going to win this one,” Sabalenka said in an on-court interview.
    Top seed Carlos Alcaraz produced an entertaining mixture of power hitting, fearsome returning and delicate drop shots to beat France’s Alexandre Muller 6-4 7-6(2) 6-3 and reach the third round.
    But he made 41 unforced errors and did not have it all his own way against an obstinate opponent, who clearly enjoyed his first outing on the big stage and went toe-to-toe with the Spaniard for much of the match.
    The 26-year-old Muller, ranked 84th, has spent most of his professional career on the second-tier challenger circuit. He came up with some delightful shots of his own, particularly on the backhand but, in the end the smiling top seed’s all-round game was just too strong for him. Source: Reuters

  • Apple set to launch its credit card in India: Report

    Apple set to launch its credit card in India: Report

    London/Hong Kong (TIP)– Technology giant Apple is gearing up to launch its own credit card in India. The iPhone maker’s chief executive officer (CEO) Tim Cook recently met HDFC Bank CEO and managing director Sashidhar Jagdishan during his recent trip to India in April, Moneycontrol reported. As per report, Apple is having talks with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch ‘Apple Pay’ in the country. It is unclear whether the discussions pertained to the credit car being powered by the Rupay platform or for the unified payments interface (UPI). Rupay credit card can be linked to UPI too.
    In India, only banks can launch credit cards while UPI is for customers to make seamless and fast payments by scanning QR codes through mobile phones. According to the Moneycontrol report, Apple has held talks with the Reserve Bank of India over the modalities of the card. The RBI reportedly asked the company to follow regular procedure for co-branded credit cards.
    As per reports, Apple is set to launch its co-branded credit card with HDFC Bank in India. The discussions are in the early stages. At present, the tech behemoth currently operates a premium credit card in the United States, made of titanium and launched in partnership with Mastercard and Goldman Sachs. For the past couple of years, Apple has been focusing on India. According to report, the iPhone maker’s sales in India touched around Rs 50,000 crore in the financial year 2022-23. Recently, Tim Cook during his visit to India had launched two exclusive stores in Mumbai and Delhi. Apple has been shifting a significant portion of iPhone production to India. It has a four per cent share of overall smartphone market in India, which amounts to two crore users.
    As mentioned earlier, only banks can issue credit cards to the customers. In India, Apple cannot introduce a card with its logo and customer’s name on the front. In the US, the brand names of Goldman Sachs and Mastercard appear on the Apple card. But the tech giant cannot take these liberties in India.
    Talking about rewards, the Apple card is integrated with Apple Pay and the reward will be deposited into the Apple wallet. This card does not have any annual fees. In the United States, the company let its card users buy the products in installment without interest.

  • Accused of attack on Indian High Commission, Amritpal’s supporter Avtar Singh Khanda dies in UK

    Accused of attack on Indian High Commission, Amritpal’s supporter Avtar Singh Khanda dies in UK

    LONDON (TIP): Avtar Singh Khanda, a close associate of arrested Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh and self-styled chief of the banned Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), died of blood cancer at a hospital in Birmingham, the UK, this morning. He was linked to anti-India activities, including the attack on the Tricolor at the High Commission of India in London.

    According to reports, the Sikh Federation (UK), which is considered to be one of the largest Sikh organizations based in the country, has confirmed that Khanda was terminally ill with blood cancer and had been on a life-support system for the last few days. Khanda’s health conditions started worsening late last night soon after the NIA released a list of 45 suspects, including him, who were wanted in the March 19 anti-India protest at the Indian High Commission in London, sources in the agency said. Indian investigating agencies have long been accusing Khanda of radicalizing the youth in Punjab and in countries like the UK, Canada, the US, Germany, Australia against India. Born in Moga district of Punjab, Khanda, a bomb expert, allegedly helped Amritpal evade arrest for 37 days, said the sources.

  • British-Indian Priti Patel, Kulveer Ranger in Boris Johnson’s honors list

    British-Indian Priti Patel, Kulveer Ranger in Boris Johnson’s honors list

    LONDON (TIP): British Indians Priti Patel and Kulveer Singh Ranger have been rewarded in former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s honors list, which came hours before he stepped down as an MP.

    The honors list, a tradition granted to outgoing prime ministers, included 38 honors and seven peerages, and was approved by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak nine months after Johnson stepped down as premier. Former home secretary Priti Patel was named Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire, while Ranger, former director of transport, was elevated to the Lords.

    Patel, 51, served as Home Secretary under Boris Johnson beginning July 2019, and tendered her resignation from the post in September 2022, just before the appointment of Liz Truss as prime minister.

    A day after Johnson’s resignation last week, Patel praised the leader calling him as the UK’s “most electorally successful prime minister since Margaret Thatcher”.

    “Boris Johnson has served our country and his constituency with distinction. He led the world in supporting Ukraine, got Brexit done, and was our most electorally successful prime minister since Margaret Thatcher. Boris is a political titan whose legacy will stand the test of time,” Patel tweeted. Ranger was chosen as the Director for Transport Policy after Johnson won the mayoral election in May 2008. “It is with great pride I can confirm that I have been elevated to the House of Lords. This recognition is not just mine but I share with my family and friends, the Sikh community, and many industry colleagues and Conservative friends — all of whom I’ve had the pleasure to be supported by and stand shoulder to shoulder with over the last 25 years,” Ranger wrote in a tweet, thanking Johnson.

    “I am proud of what we achieved but now look forward to continuing to champion and improve the things that I am passionate about in the years ahead,” Ranger wrote. In 2011, Ranger became the Director for Environment and Digital London and his work resulted in a record fall in bike thefts, according to a media report.

    Born to Sikh immigrant parents in Hammersmith in West London, Ranger is also a special adviser to the UK government on digital strategy.

     

  • Indian-origin woman banned from teaching in UK for 2 years for committing fraud

    Indian-origin woman banned from teaching in UK for 2 years for committing fraud

    LONDON (TIP): An Indian-origin woman has been banned from teaching by the UK’s Department of Education for a minimum of two years for concealing charges of fraud against her from a school where she joined in 2018. Dipti Patel moved to Bolton from London when she became the head of physical education at Manchester Academy in Moss Side in 2018, the media reported. Patel said one of the reasons for the move was an armed burglary at her home, and the family made an insurance claim for tens of thousands of pounds after the incident.
    But an investigation found that it was a contrived burglary, and that the insurance claim was fraudulent.
    Patel was charged with an offence under the Fraud Act, but it was only when she was convicted that she told the school about the case.
    She also lied on an application for leave, saying it was to take a child to an appointment when it was to attend St Albans Crown Court, the report said.
    She was then referred to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) by the Manchester Academy.
    “Teachers must have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach and maintain high standards in their own attendance and punctuality,” an independent panel that looked into Patel’s conduct, said in its report.
    “The panel finds that the conduct of Mrs. Patel fell significantly short of the standards.” On May 12, the panel recommended a ban from the profession for a minimum of two years, which was accepted by the Department for Education.
    According to the prohibition order, Patel cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

  • British Sikh entrepreneur Navjot Sawhney among winners of UK’s Icon Awards

    British Sikh entrepreneur Navjot Sawhney among winners of UK’s Icon Awards

    LONDON (TIP): British Sikh entrepreneur Navjot Sawhney, founder of the Washing Machine Project providing low-income communities with accessible and sustainable washing solutions, is among 14 winners of the annual 21st Century Icon Awards in London. Sawhney won the Sustainability Rising Star Award for the Washing Machine Project and received the trophy at a ceremony on Friday from Ibukun Adebayo, Group Director, Sustainable Finance and Investment Strategy, London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).
    His eco-friendly hand-cranked Washing Machine Project benefits families without access to an electric machine in underdeveloped countries and refugee camps.
    “Since its creation in 2021, they have positively impacted the lives of over 30,000 people,” read the citation for the project, which has won several awards, including the British Prime Minister’s Points of Light award in the past.
    CA Bhavani Devi, the first Indian woman fencer to qualify and compete at the Olympic Games, was awarded the Competitive Sports Award, and Indian-origin entrepreneurs Ashok Duppati and Dheeraj Siripurapu bagged the Relentlessly Resolute Award for their efforts behind several market beating businesses over the last 20 years.
    “We are absolutely delighted to celebrate and recognize these outstanding global icons,” said Tarun Ghulati and Preeti Rana of Squared Watermelon Limited, co-founders of the awards, now in their seventh year.
    “We created these awards to showcase the young leaders who, through their tenacity, grit and hard work, have become the beacons of change, inspiring others and are on the front seat of innovation,” they said.
    Around 200 business leaders, celebrities, and sports and community champions gathered for the awards ceremony last week, for which the 14 winners were whittled down from 45 finalists and around 600 submissions from around the world. The judging panel was made up of a diverse range of experts, including former Lord Mayor of London Vincent Keaveny and peers from the House of Lords.
    Among other winners on the evening included the Specialist Professional Award for tech firm Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S and the Savvy Luxury Award for Dr Tara Lalvani, founder of beauty brand Beautifect.
    The 21st Century Icon Awards were launched in 2017 by Squared Watermelon Ltd as a means to celebrate success and draw attention to the work of exceptional entrepreneurs, philanthropists, tech professionals, and sports and media personalities on a global stage.

  • One of the world’s rarest cricket books to be offered for sale in UK

    One of the world’s rarest cricket books to be offered for sale in UK

    A first edition of one of the world’s rarest books on cricket from the library of eminent cricket commentator and collector John Arlott is eyeing a world record when it goes on sale at the Firsts Rare Book Fair in London next month, priced at GBP 225,000. “Cricket. A Collection of All the Grand Matches of Cricket played in England within Twenty Years, viz. from 1771 to 1791” by William Epps was printed in 1799 and only a handful of copies are known to have ever existed. The writer was working at the very dawn of the collection of cricket statistics and the book is therefore valued as a precious account of the history of the sport.
    “Epps’ volume has long been recognized as virtually unobtainable. Only a handful of copies are known, apparently, just four have previously come up at auction,” said Pom Harrington of rare bookseller Peter Harrington, which is offering the book for sale at the book fair event at London’s Saatchi Gallery between May 18 and 21.

  • Dr. Sampat Shivangi Participates in British Parliament Event to honor Diaspora

    Dr. Sampat Shivangi Participates in British Parliament Event to honor Diaspora

    MISSISSIPPI / LONDON (TIP): Indian-American physician and community activist, Dr. Sampat Shivangi of Mississippi, participated in an event at the Parliament of the United Kingdom held at the House of Lords in British Parliament on March 7-8, 2023, to honor the Indian diaspora. The event was attended by Indians from European countries, United States, and diaspora elsewhere, Dr. Shivangi said.
    House of Lords member Swaraj Paul was instrumental in organizing the event along with Lord Karan Bilimoria, and Lord Rami Ranger a business tycoon. “It was such a wonderful experience and opportunity to meet these British Indian billionaires who have made their strides in UK,” Dr. Shivangi said in his note about the visit.
    Dr. Shivangi was also invited to the home of Lord Paul, who is in his 90s and “still very active and much involved in Indian diplomacy and Indian diaspora,” Shivangi said, adding, “He mentioned to me that London Zoo will be named after his family in recognition of his services to Britain.” Lord Paul also scheduled a visit to the House of Lords March 8, for Dr. Shivangi.
    A conservative lifelong member of the Republican Party, Dr. Shivangi is the founding member of the Republican Indian Council and the Republican Indian National Council. Dr. Shivangi is the National President of Indian American Forum for Political Education, one of the oldest Indian American Associations. Over the past three decades, he has lobbied for several Bills in the US Congress on behalf of India through his enormous contacts with US Senators and Congressmen.
    A close friend to the Bush family, he was instrumental in lobbying for the first Diwali celebration in the White House and for President George W. Bush to make his trip to India. He had accompanied President Bill Clinton during his historic visit to India.
    Dr. Shivangi is a champion of women’s health and mental health whose work has been recognized nationwide. Dr. Shivangi has worked enthusiastically in promoting India Civil Nuclear Treaty and recently the US India Defense Treaty that was passed in US Congress and signed by President Obama.
    Dr. Shivangi is a member of the U.S. National Advisory Council for Substance Abuse and Mental Health SAMHSA, Center for National Mental Health Services, in Washington, D.C.

  • Indian-origin entrepreneur Manish Tiwari conferred Freedom of the City of London Honor

    Indian-origin entrepreneur Manish Tiwari conferred Freedom of the City of London Honor

    LONDON (TIP): A British-Indian entrepreneur and founder of an ethnic minority-focused marketing agency has been conferred the Freedom of the City of London honor for his contributions to the financial hub of the UK capital. Manish Tiwari, founder of Here and Now 365, read the “Declaration of a Freeman” and signed the Freeman’s Declaration Book recently, when he was presented with the Copy of the Freedom—a parchment document inscribed by a calligrapher, along with a copy of the “Rules for the Conduct of Life” which date from the mid-eighteenth century. The honor is steeped in history and traditionally the recognition gave a “Freeman” the right to trade in the Square Mile or financial heart of London.

    “On the strength of its multi-cultural legacy, the City of London continues to grow and prosper. It remains at the forefront of global finance by leveraging its past and embracing change and I am honored to be a part of this legacy,” said Tiwari. As one of the oldest surviving traditional ceremonies of the British capital still in existence today, the tradition of conferring the title is believed to have started in 1237. The title of Freeman is more symbolic today and comes with certain corresponding duties associated with the Lord Mayor’s office.

    A previous Indian recipient of the honor is Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, and other prominent recipients include South African leader Nelson Mandela and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

    Tiwari became the latest to join the ranks at a solemn admission ceremony at the Chamberlain’s Court in the iconic Guildhall in London earlier this month.

  • Shreya Ghosal to celebrate her twenty years in Bollywood with an international music tour

    Shreya Ghosal to celebrate her twenty years in Bollywood with an international music tour

    The renowned Bollywood singer Shreya Ghoshal known for her melodious and soulful voice and robust on-stage energy will headline a series of concerts across the world in different countries. As the world is working its way back towards normalcy after the pandemic, the music industry is also trying to bring back happiness and certain excitement by resuming music tours and concerts. Bringing the euphoria back to the stage in the festive season, this year Shreya Ghoshal along with her band and crew, already performed at world-class venues in UAE (twice), London, Birmingham, Kochi, Kolkata, Thiruvalla, New Delhi, Bangalore, Indore and now are scheduled to perform in a 5-city Australia-New Zealand tour from 7th to 16th October 2022 and in Ireland on 29th October 2022 and The Netherlands on 30th October 2022 as well. And then she is all set to perform in the USA from 4th to 19th in the month of November 2022.

    This is going to be the ultimate musical tour to celebrate twenty years of iconic singer Shreya Ghoshal which will bring back timeless tunes and memories from her singing journey to the music lovers. This special concert tour is organized by one of the biggest event organizers ‘Intense Entertainment’ owned by Manish Sood and Deepa Shahani Sood, both Indian-born-US citizens now, who hosted more than 85 shows with every Bollywood renowned singer. This high-profile international large-scale live-music concert will be a seven-city tour across the US in the month of November 2022 and has been going to other parts of countries this whole year. The tour starts on the 4th Nov in New Jersey, followed by Dallas, Texas on the 5th Nov, Washington, DC on 11th Nov, Oakland, Bay Area on 12th Nov, Los Angeles on 13th Nov, Orlando, Florida on 18th Nov, and New York on the 19th November 2022. They promise to be the nights of coming together and enjoying their favorite singer’s enthralling performances for the Indian diaspora and Bollywood music lovers in the US.

    On being asked about the tour, Shreya Ghoshal excitedly said, “This US tour is very special for me as I am completing twenty years in Bollywood, and what a beautiful way to celebrate my journey with my fans. Coincidentally this is my first tour in the US after the unfortunate pandemic disruption. I am humbled to be a part of the concert and to be able to continue entertaining my fans. I always had an amazing experience performing for the warm crowd of the US and I am quite excited to perform there after three long years.”

    The fans in the US can expect a scintillating and energetic performance from the popular Bollywood songstress. With a beautiful versatile vocal range, Shreya will enthrall fans not only with her popular Bollywood hits but also with her famous love ballads, regional songs in different Indian languages, folk songs originating from different parts of India exhibiting the culture, raag-based songs as well as classical songs.

    Talking about the event, Mr. Manish Sood said, “There is a certain excitement about attending a live concert and we can’t be happier bringing back the symphonic singer Shreya who has given us glorious music. The idea behind Shreya Ghoshal’s US Tour is to celebrate her journey as well as it will be a tribute to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar Ji. We are ready to make new memories and cherish old ones on this tour.”

    This concert is a celebration of brilliant music and memories and will definitely be a great way to connect with music lovers across the world. With Shreya Ghoshal, an array of global musicians will also join her on stage. Kinjal Chattopadhyay is the male singer who is performing with Shreya along with musicians Abhishek Pradeep Kumar Dasgupta and Jobin Joshua David as guitarists, keyboardist Abhishek Babaji Mestry and Vatan Dhuriya, flautist Rajeev Prasanna, Bass Guitarist Sanglap Sengupta, drummer Jairaj Shrikant, octopad and percussionist Ganesh Bhau Thorat and Umakant Parab as an Indian rhythm instruments player such as tabla, dholak, dholki. This tour will not be a regular musical concert but will also be a unique cultural act.

    The concert tickets are now available through the event company’s website IntenseDMV.com.

  • London replaces Amsterdam as Europe’s trading hub, first time after Brexit

    London replaces Amsterdam as Europe’s trading hub, first time after Brexit

    London moved back ahead of Amsterdam as Europe’s largest share trading center in June, reclaiming the top spot for the first time this year after Brexit pushed much of the city’s volumes to the continent.

    An average 8.92 billion euros ($10.6 billion) of shares a day were traded on various London venues in June, compared with 8.8 billion euros for various Dutch venues, according to data from Cboe Europe.

    This compares with about 9.4 billion euros average daily trading value for Amsterdam in May and around 8.7 billion euros in London. Paris, the third largest venue, saw its daily trading decline from almost 6.1 billion euros in May to 5.8 billion euros in June.

    While London’s return to the top spot is a welcome boost for the stock trading sector buffeted by Brexit, the city’s lead over Amsterdam is a fraction of what it was before the end of the transition period. In December, London’s share trading volumes stood at 14.3 billion euros compared to 2.2 billion euros for Amsterdam, according to Cboe data.

    Britain lost its rights to access the European Union’s single market on Dec. 31 and the bloc has not permitted investors inside its borders to trade shares in companies such as Airbus SE and BNP Paribas SA from the UK The EU could eventually reopen access by recognizing the UK markets as equivalent to its own, though there is little sign of movement in this process.

    London has gained some volumes this year from Swiss equity trading, which resumed after the UK dropped out of an EU-wide ban that has been in place since 2019.

    “The return of Swiss share trading has helped overturn what has been just a temporary phase,” said Alberto Tocchio, a portfolio manager at Kairos Partners. “London will soon regain the status of European and global trading hub and it could easily benefit from being away from the restrictive EU rules.”    Source: Bloomberg

  • ‘We’re not racist’, says Prince William after Meghan and Harry interview

    ‘We’re not racist’, says Prince William after Meghan and Harry interview

    London (TIP): Prince William said on Thursday that Britain’s royals were not racist after Meghan, wife of his younger brother Harry, said one unnamed member of the family had asked how dark their son Archie’s skin might be. Meghan, 39, made the allegation during an explosive tell-all interview that she and Harry, 36, gave to Oprah Winfrey and which was aired on Sunday, plunging the British monarchy into its biggest crisis since the 1997 death of Princess Diana, William and Harry’s mother. On a visit to a school in east London, William said he had not talked to Harry since the interview was broadcast just over three days ago. “I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I will do,” William, 38, said. Asked by a reporter if the royal family was racist, William said: “We’re very much not a racist family.” In the two-hour show, nearly three years after their star-studded wedding in Windsor Castle, Meghan said the royals had ignored her pleas for help while she felt suicidal, while Harry said his father, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, had let him down and that he had felt trapped. On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace issued a statement on behalf of 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth, the princes’ grandmother, in which she said the family were saddened by how challenging the couple had found the last few years. But it was the couple’s accusation that one of the royals had made a racist comment which has dominated coverage and has the potential to cause lasting damage to the 1,000-year-old monarchy.

    WHO SAID IT?

    Meghan, whose mother is Black and father is white, said while she was pregnant with Archie there were “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.” Neither she nor Harry said who had made the remark, although Winfrey later clarified that Harry had said it was not the queen or her 99-year-old husband Philip, who has been in hospital for three weeks while the crisis unfolds.

    “That conversation, I’m never going to share,” Harry said during the interview. “But at the time, it was awkward. I was a bit shocked.” In the statement from the queen, the palace said issues of race were concerning and would be treated very seriously, but pointedly stated “some recollections may vary”.

    The Palace has said that it was a family matter that should be dealt with privately. During the interview, Harry also laid bare how distant he had become from the other members of his family, saying his father had stopped taking his calls at one point, and that there was “space” in his relationship with William.

    “Much will continue to be said about that … as I said before, you know, I love William to bits, he’s my brother, we’ve been through hell together, and we have a shared experience,” he said. “But we’re on different paths.”

    The interview, watched by 12.4 million viewers in Britain and 17.1 million in the United States, has proved divisive among the British public. Some believe it showed how outdated and intolerant the institution was, while others decried it as a self-serving assault that neither Elizabeth nor her family deserved. — Reuters

  • Britain’s cats and dogs face pet-food pouch shortage

    Britain’s cats and dogs face pet-food pouch shortage

    London (TIP) : Britain’s growing ranks of cats and dogs could be left staring at empty bowls after Sainsbury’s, the nation’s second biggest supermarket group, warned of a shortage of pet food pouches. In emails to cat and dog-owning customers Sainsbury’s apologised but cautioned the issue could be long term. “Due to a national shortage of dog and cat food pouches, we’re sorry if you’re not able to find your usual product at Sainsbury’s,” it said. “We’re working hard to resolve this. We think the issue will be ongoing through the year, but we hope to get them back onto shelves as quickly as possible.” Dog and cat ownership has soared during the COVID-19 pandemic as Britons have sought four-legged companions during multiple lockdowns. That has fuelled significant growth in pet food sales. “We are seeing an increased demand for pet food pouches and are working hard to maintain stock levels,” said a spokeswoman for Sainsbury’s. She said the group continued to offer a range of canned and dry alternatives. Tesco, Britain’s biggest supermarket group, said it had experienced particularly strong demand for branded cat food pouches. It is working closely with suppliers to meet customer demand. No. 4 player Morrisons said it was also working closely with suppliers who were investing in increasing their capacity. It cautioned it may not have full availability for several months. “That being said, we do have enough stock to support all our customers and their new pets and so there is no need for people to buy more than they need,” it added. —Reuters

  • CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION TO BECOME FIRST UK AUTHORITY TO RUNFULLY ELECTRIC REFUSE TRUCK FLEET

    CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION TO BECOME FIRST UK AUTHORITY TO RUNFULLY ELECTRIC REFUSE TRUCK FLEET

    Nirpal Singh Shergill

    LONDON (TIP):  The City of London Corporation will become the first UK governingbody to run a full fleet of Electric Refuse Collection Vehicles (ERCVs) following recentsuccessful trials of the new technology. The first of the fleet of five new environmentally friendly trucks have arrived, March 4, at Guildhall– the City Corporation’s HQ. The vehicles will form the UK’s first zero emissionrecycling and waste collection fleet and will collect residents’ waste and recycling in the Square Mile. They will be operated by Veolia, who deliver the City Corporation’s tech-driven recycling andwaste collections, street cleansing and ancillary services operations. The new 18-tonne and 26-tonne trucks will be powered by lithium-ion batteries,rather than diesel, and will help with the continued reduction of air pollution in the City. Designed for urban environments with short routes, the vehicles can complete a full shift on onecharge and will start their first rounds this month. This operational first will be achieved using newinnovative technologies for both the charging infrastructure and the vehicles, which will collectan estimated 20,000 tons of residents’ waste and recycling in the Square Mile over the next six years.

    The pollution-busting trucks are part of the City Corporation’s plan to ensure at least 90% of theSquare Mile meets World Health Organization guidelines for nitrogen dioxide by 2025.

    Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Environment Committee,Keith Bottomley, said: “These new vehicles will help to further drive down air pollution

    in the City and improve the environment. Our fleet vehicles emitted about 400 tonsof CO2e in 2018/19, so this change of fleet is of great significance.

    “We hope this move will encourage local authorities across the country to follow suit in the urgentneed to deal with toxic air.

    “This pioneering fleet complements the work we’re doing to help businesses consolidate vehicledeliveries and use more hybrid models. “Air pollution is the largest environmental risk to publichealth with up to 36,000 people dying prematurely every year in the UK.

    “We will continue to take steps to ensure that we are reducing emissions from our entire vehicle fleet,for the benefit of all.”

     

    Pascal Hauret, Managing Director, Municipal for Veolia UK, said:“At Veolia we work closely with our customers to deliver greener fleet solutions that also offervalue for money.

    “This new electric solution opens new possibilities for cleaner air in cities, with the potential ofrecharging the vehicles using electricity generated from the waste they carry via Energy RecoveryFacilities. “It marks a major step forward towards carbon net zero targets and highlights how localauthorities can drive sustainability and address their environmental challenges.”

    The City Corporation is taking a number of bold and ambitious actions to fight back against toxic airin London. It is piloting the UK’s first 24/7 zero emission street at Beech Street and will turn otherparts of the Square Mile into zero-emissions zones by 2022. New diesel vehicles have been bannedfrom its fleet, where there is a clean market alternative, and it is leading a London-wide crackdown ondrivers who leave their engines idling when parked.

    The City Corporation’s CityAir app provides over 35,000 Londoners with low pollution travel routes andit has introduced an Emissions Reduction Bill which would give the capital’s local authorities tough newpowers to tackle air pollution caused by boilers, construction machinery and diesel generators. And thegoverning body has recently launched an ambitious Climate Action Strategy, which will makethe Square Mile net zero carbon-emission by 2040, 10 years earlier than government goals. As part ofthe plans, the City Corporation, has committed to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its ownoperations by 2027 and 2040 across its investments and supply chain.

    The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile, dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK.

     

     

  • Runaway schoolgirl who joined IS cannot return to Britain, top court says

    Runaway schoolgirl who joined IS cannot return to Britain, top court says

    London (TIP): A British-born woman who went to Syria as a schoolgirl to join Islamic State should not be allowed to return to Britain to challenge the government taking away her citizenship because she poses a security risk, the UK’s Supreme Court ruled on Friday. Shamima Begum left London in 2015 when she was 15 and went to Syria via Turkey with two school friends where she married an IS fighter.

    Begum, 21, who is being held in a detention camp in Syria, was stripped of her British citizenship in 2019 on national security grounds, but the Court of Appeal ruled last year she could only have a fair appeal against that decision if she were allowed back to Britain.

    The country’s top court unanimously overturned that decision, meaning that although she can still pursue her appeal against the citizenship decision, she cannot do that in Britain.

    “The right to a fair hearing does not trump all other considerations, such as the safety of the public,” said Robert Reed, the President of the Supreme Court.

    “If a vital public interest makes it impossible for a case to be fairly heard, then the courts cannot ordinarily hear it.”

    Begum’s case has been the subject of a heated debate in Britain, pitting those who say she forsook her right to citizenship by travelling to join IS against those who argue she should not be left stateless but rather face trial in Britain.

    After travelling to Syria, she lived in Raqqa, the capital of the self-declared caliphate, where she remained for four years until she was discovered in a detention camp.

    She has had three children since leaving Britain, but all the infants have since died, and she is now in the Roj camp, run by Syrian Kurdish authorities, where the UN rights experts said this month conditions were “sub-human”.

    Reed said Begum’s appeal should be stayed until she was in a position to play an effective part in it without endangering the public.

    “That is not a perfect solution, as it is not known how long it may be before that is possible. But there is no perfect solution to a dilemma of the present kind,” he said.

    Human rights groups said Britain had a duty to bring back Begum and those like her, and prosecute them, rather than making it someone else’s problem. “Abandoning them in a legal black hole – in Guantanamo-like conditions – is out of step with British values and the interests of justice and security,” said Maya Foa, director of campaign group Reprieve. — Reuters

  • Britain plans reopening of economy within 5 months

    London (TIP): PM Boris Johnson is planning a staged exit from lockdown that would see the UK’s battered economy returning to work over the next five months after leaping ahead of most of the world on vaccinating its people.

    Johnson, who will set the path out of lockdown on February 22, said the staged exit plan would be cautious but irreversible. Schools are likely to reopen on March 8. Office workers will be told to continue working from home for some time. The hospitality sector may reopen in April. The Daily Mail newspaper said leisure businesses may not return to ‘broadly normal’ until July. — Reuters

  • Indian – Origin Rashmi Samant resigns as Oxford Student Union President-elect amidst row over her past remarks

    Indian – Origin Rashmi Samant resigns as Oxford Student Union President-elect amidst row over her past remarks

    Nirpal Singh Shergill

    LONDON (TIP)(TIP): Rashmi Samant, who made Oxford University history as the first Indian woman to be elected President of the Oxford Student Union (SU), has resigned from the post just days later amid controversy surrounding some of her past remarks and references. Some of Samant’s old social media posts had emerged, which were branded as “racist” and “insensitive”.

    These included a holocaust reference on a post during a visit to the Berlin Holocaust Memorial in Germany in 2017 and an Instagram caption on a picture of herself in Malaysia that read “Ching Chang”, which upset Chinese students.

    The 22-year-old also attracted criticism for a campaign post caption that separated women and trans women, with the Oxford LGBTQ+ campaign calling for her resignation.

    In an open letter published in the student newspaper ‘Cherwell’ earlier this week, Samant said: “Though the recent developments might make it hard for you to believe the sincerity of my apologies, it deeply pained me to note that I have lost the trust that the student community reposed in me with their votes and belief in my manifesto owing to my mistakes.

    “Regrettably, I alienated people within our wonderful student community to the extent that they deem me unfit to be the leader they rightfully deserve,” she said.

    “I sincerely apologize to every student who has been hurt by my actions or words and seek a chance to gain your trust in me again,” she added.

    However, the row continued to escalate and she found her position as President-elect untenable and stepped down.

    “In light of the recent events surrounding my election to the Presidency of the Oxford SU, I believe it is best for me to step down from the role. It has been an honor to be your President-elect,” she said in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday, later published in ‘The Oxford Student’.

    A by-election will now need to be held to elect a new president, with nominations re-opened, which means the fresh election will not be limited to just the previously unsuccessful candidates.

    The current 2020-21 officers of the Student Union said they “sincerely apologize for the hurt and discomfort caused by the actions of the President-elect”.

    “Oxford SU has a no-tolerance policy towards discrimination. Racism, trans phobia, and anti-Semitism have no place in our organization,” their statement read.

    Samant, from Udupi in Karnataka, has since left for India to be with her family amid deep regret and many of her social media accounts have since been deleted.

    Last week, the graduate student reading for an MSc in energy systems at Linacre College at Oxford University, scored a landslide win in the Oxford Student Union election.

    The Manipal Institute of Technology student’s Indian roots were referenced in her manifesto as she highlighted the need for greater “decolonization and inclusivity” on campus in the Oxford Student Union leadership election for the 2021-22 term.

  • UK PM Johnson has no plans for summer holiday, says his spokesman

    London (TIP): British Prime Minster Boris Johnson has no holiday plans for over the summer, his spokesman said on Thursday, after ministers were criticised for giving conflicting advice as to whether people should book breaks at home or abroad. Asked whether Johnson had any holiday plans, his spokesman said: “No.” “I am sure the prime minister, along with everybody else, is keen to have a break over the summer, but …. he hasn’t got one planned,” he added. — Reuters

  • Indian-origin British politician Dhesi expresses concern over arrest of activist Nodeep Kaur

    Indian-origin British politician Dhesi expresses concern over arrest of activist Nodeep Kaur

    Nirpal Singh Shergill in London

    LONDON (TIP): British Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi on Wednesday, February 10, expressed concern over the arrest of labor rights activist Nodeep Kaur over the farmers’ agitation, saying the abuse of peaceful protest activists, especially women, is an affront to democracy and civilized society.

    “Alarmed to learn of sexual assault and torture allegations in police custody of Punjabi trade unionist Nodeep Kaur, who after four weeks hasn’t even been granted bail,” Dhesi tweeted. He added, “Abuse of peaceful farmers protest activists, especially women, is an affront to democracy and civilized society.” Earlier, Punjab-origin politician Dhesi had sent a letter, signed by over 100 MPs and Lords, to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the ongoing farmers’ protests, asking him to raise this matter with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi when they next liaise. On Monday, the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes asked the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to ensure relief for Nodeep Kaur. The Commission also sought a report by February 23. It said it has taken suo motu notice of the issue since the woman is a resident of the state. Nodeep Kaur, 23, was arrested on January 12 during the farmers’ protest at Kundli in Haryana. Nodeep’s case came to the fore as US Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris claimed in a tweet that she was “tortured and sexually assaulted” in police custody.

    However, the police said she was facing serious criminal cases.