The Indian Panorama

Tag: London

  • Indian Film Maker Twinkle Khanna meets Malala for Pad Man promotion at Oxford University

    Indian Film Maker Twinkle Khanna meets Malala for Pad Man promotion at Oxford University

    LONDON (TIP): Indian actor Twinkle Khanna met Malala Yousafzai at Oxford University while promoting her husband Akshay Kumar’s upcoming movie ‘Pad Man’. The two ladies posed with other students and faculty members of the prestigious university while holding sanitary pads.

    During media interactions, the Pakistani women’s activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner praised the movie theme which revolves around menstrual awareness and women hygiene. Malala said that Pad Man has an inspiring message. She said, “I’m really excited to see the film Pad Man… because the message behind the film is truly inspiring.”

    Twinkle also spoke to the Oxford students in her speech. She complained that Indian school girls in villages have to sit with a rag cloth or a rolled-up sock or even wadded up newspaper between their legs. “Pads are still seen as a luxury item. It is odd that pads are taxed at 12 percent in India but brooms are tax free,” she resented.

    Pad Man is Twinkle’s maiden production. It stars Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte. Pad Man will now release on February 9, 2018.

    Release Date: February 9

    Director: R Balki

    Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte

    Producer: Twinkle Khanna

    Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K9ujx8vO_A

    Official Site: https://www.facebook.com/PadManTheFilm/

    SYNOPSIS:

    Pad Man is a fictionalized account of Padmashri Arunachalam Muruganatham, the man who revolutionized the manufacture of the low cost sanitary napkin in India. Lakshmi is a newly married, humble welder from a rural village in the heart of India. Lakshmi’s incredible journey starts when he is shocked to discover that his wife uses an unhygienic cloth during her periods. Unable to afford a branded pad, he decides to make a sanitary pad himself. After several attempts, his irate wife refuses to be a part of his experiments. Lakshmi’s love and concern for his wife, his determination to make the pad, leads him into situations that cause so much shock and embarrassment that it compels his wife to leave him and his village to banish him.

    Lakshmi doesn’t give up. His simplicity of thought, his resilience, his focus and his complete disregard for convention finally leads him to his destiny. A machine that can make a pad! The revolution that follows…from spreading menstrual hygiene, to empowering women, to starting mini cooperatives, to a vision of making India a 100% Pad using country, to accolades, to international glory and to a final resolution of his personal life, makes the rest of the feature “PAD MAN”. His journey to make India a 100% pad using country goes on…even today.

  • Indian Origin Woman Accused of Child Murder Faces Extradition to India

    Indian Origin Woman Accused of Child Murder Faces Extradition to India

    LONDON (TIP):  A London-based Indian origin woman faces extradition to India for her involvement in the murder of a 12-year-old orphan from Gujarat.

    Arti Dhir was arrested last year after an Interpol alert over the murder of the 12-year-old boy in February 2017.

    The 52-year-old appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London today for a hearing on her bail application, which remains pending as her family members put together nearly 50,000 pounds as security.

    “This should be sorted out in a week,” Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot told Dhir, who remains in custody until the security is deposited with the court.

    An investigation by the Gujarat police has claimed that Dhir and two other accused – Nitish Mund and Kanwaljit Raizada – had hatched a plot to adopt 12-year-old and then insure him for around Rs.1.3 crores before staging his kidnapping and murder in India to split the life insurance payout three ways.

    Dhir, who worked at Heathrow Airport, allegedly met Mund and Raizada while they were students in London and had plotted the murder by hiring contract killers since 2015.

    The 12-year-old and his brother-in-law, Harsukh Patel, were stabbed to death on a road outside Rajkot in February 2017.

    Interpol issued a “red notice” for Dhir in April last year and she was arrested by Scotland Yard in June 2017.

    Dhir’s extradition hearing is scheduled at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for April 30.

     

  • Indian Origin Steel Tycoon to Bid for French Assets to Secure 1,600 Jobs

    Indian Origin Steel Tycoon to Bid for French Assets to Secure 1,600 Jobs

    LONDON (TIP):  UK-based Indian origin steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty House Group is set to make an “unconditional and comprehensive offer” for the assets of two flagship French steel businesses.

    The offer, to be made in court next week, is aimed at securing the jobs of close to 1,600 employees at six operations across France, as well as many supplier jobs.

    Liberty plans to invest more than USD 366 millions over five years to stabilize and grow the business, including capital investment of USD 122 million to upgrade the sites and expand output.

    “The market synergies between Asco Industries and our existing specialty steels business are compelling and we know that, by working together and complementing each other in the market, both businesses will grow and prosper,” Mr Gupta said.

    He said the move will lead to Liberty, part of a wider GFG Alliance, implementing its GreenSteel and GreenAluminium strategies in France.

    “The pro-business policies of the [French President] Macron government make France an exciting and attractive place for industrial investors such as us and we want to be part of the energetic new environment that is emerging,” he noted.

    Under the proposal confirmed on the January 19th, Liberty has committed to protect the jobs of over 1,500 permanent employees and around 60 apprentices and pursue a wide-ranging development plan which complements its existing specialty steels business.

    The company will apply its GreenSteel sustainable production strategy to the French operations utilizing recycled metal in the manufacture of technically advanced and engineering products.

    “We firmly believe that, working together with the Ascometal and Ascoval teams, we can realize our strategy in France and build a globally-recognized manufacturer of specialty steels,” said Chief Executive of Liberty Steel UK Jon Bolton.

    Liberty’s latest announcement follows a recent statement that the company has made a binding offer to acquire the 570-worker Aluminium Dunkerque – Europe’s largest aluminium smelter – from Rio Tinto as part of a 2-billion-euro investment that will create thousands of new jobs at the site and in the wider economy.

    In common with the Asco strategy, Liberty’s plans for Aluminium Dunkerque are linked in part to projected growth in the international automotive market.

    Liberty Specialty Steels’ offer to acquire the Asco Industries and Ascoval businesses will be formally presented to the court on January 24, with a decision expected soon afterwards.

    Liberty Speciality Steels, part of the Liberty House Group, is a member of the GFG Alliance, a London-headquartered international group of businesses founded and owned by the Gupta family, with a revenue of over 10 billion dollars and 12,000 staff.

  • Indian Origin MP is First Female Muslim Minister to Address British Parliament

    Indian Origin MP is First Female Muslim Minister to Address British Parliament

    LONDON (TIP):  Nus Ghani, an Indian origin parliamentarian in the UK, today became the first female Muslim minister to speak from the British Parliament dispatch box.

    Ms Ghani, born in Birmingham to parents who migrated from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was cheered by her colleagues as she addressed the House of Commons as a junior minister in the Department for Transport.

    “Made my debut as @transportgovuk Minister and made a bit of history as the first female Muslim Minister to speak from the House of Commons dispatch box,” she tweeted soon after her first Commons outing in her new role.

    Dispatch box is the designated place where ministers stand and speak from in the Commons.

    The 45-year-old was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport by British Prime Minister Theresa May as part of her New Year reshuffle last week.

    The Conservative Party MP from Wealden was also given the assistant government whip in the reshuffle to oversee party discipline.

    “The roles are both exciting and challenging opportunities… Transport is a subject on which I have campaigned passionately since being elected as the MP for Wealden. Alongside my ministerial duties, I will continue to be a strong voice for Wealden and deliver for my constituents,” Ghani had said in a statement.

    The minister in charge of her department, transport secretary Chris Grayling, said Ms Ghani’s promotion proved the Tories “were a party of opportunity”.

    “We’re the party to provide…the first Muslim woman minister to speak from the government dispatch box – the member for Wealden. I congratulate her – I’m very proud to sit alongside her,” he said.

    Ms Ghani worked for charities such as Age UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer as well as the BBC World Service before first standing as a Conservative Party candidate in Birmingham in the 2010 general election.

    In 2015, she became the first Conservative party Muslim female candidate to be elected to Parliament.

    After the June 2017 snap election, she made history after she repeated her oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II in Urdu when she was sworn into Parliament.

    “My motivation is simple. My parents are incredibly proud that I have been elected to serve as MP and I wanted to honor my mother by speaking in a language she understands and my mother tongue,” she had said at the time.

    Soon after, she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the UK Home Office.

    Her rapid rise in Theresa May’s government is seen as part of the British Prime Minister’s declared aim of moving away from an all-white middle-aged male Cabinet.

     

     

     

     

  • Indian Origin is Britain’s First Woman Sikh Lawmaker to be Appointed as Shadow Minister

    Indian Origin is Britain’s First Woman Sikh Lawmaker to be Appointed as Shadow Minister

    The Shadow Cabinet is the team of senior parliamentarians chosen by the Leader of the Opposition to mirror the Cabinet in Government

    LONDON (TIP):  Preet Kaur Gill, Britain’s first woman Sikh Member of Parliament (MP) has been promoted to the Shadow Cabinet by the Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

    The Shadow Cabinet is the team of senior parliamentarians chosen by the Leader of the Opposition to mirror the Cabinet in Government.

    Each member is appointed to lead on a specific policy area for their party and to question and challenge their counterpart in the Cabinet. In this way, the Opposition seeks to present itself as an alternative government-in-waiting.

    Ms. Gill, 44, won her Birmingham Edgbaston seat for the Labour party in the June 8 snap polls last year.

    In July, she was elected to the Home Affairs Select Committee in the British Parliament.

    She was promoted to the post of shadow minister for international development in Mr Corbyn’s New Year reshuffle of what he brands as a “government-in-waiting”.

    “We had no Sikh MPs prior to this election. So, Sikhs had no representation and we had no female Sikh representation. Parliament must reflect the people it serves,” Ms. Gill had said at the time of her election.

    Since then, she has a busy tenure, being elected to the influential Home Affairs Select Committee – the cross-party parliamentary panel that examines the workings of the UK Home Office. Ms. Gill is also the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs.

    Her appointment was announced alongside that of Clive Lewis as shadow treasury minister. Mr. Lewis had resigned as the shadow business minister in February last year over wanting a vote against the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill and was one of 52 rebel MPs to defy Labour party orders to back the bill in a Parliament vote.

    He was also accused in a sexual harassment scandal but cleared of wrongdoing by the party late last year.

    Others who moved up to the frontbenches of the Opposition include Jack Dromey as the shadow minister for pensions and Karen Lee as shadow minister for fire.

    “Pleased to make appointments to strengthen Labour’s frontbench which is a government-in-waiting. I look forward to working with them holding the Tories to account, developing our policies to transform our country and preparing to form a government for the many, not the few,” Mr Corbyn said in a statement.

    British Prime Minister Theresa May had announced a reshuffle of her top team earlier this year, leading to the appointment of three new Indian-origin MPs — Rishi Sunak, Suella Fernandes and Shailesh Vara — to junior ministerial posts.

  • Indian Origin British Sculptor Anish Kapoor Awards $1 Million ‘Jewish Nobel’ Prize to Refugees

    Indian Origin British Sculptor Anish Kapoor Awards $1 Million ‘Jewish Nobel’ Prize to Refugees

    Anish Kapoor dubbed the Jewish Nobel – last year, for his commitment to Jewish values

    LONDON (TIP):  British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor donated $1 million to five charities working with refugees worldwide on Jan 17, in a bid to alleviate a record-breaking global displacement crisis.

    Kapoor, who was born to an Indian father and Iraqi Jewish mother, won the Genesis Prize – dubbed the Jewish Nobel – last year, for his commitment to Jewish values.

    “Like many Jews, I do not have to go far back in my family history to find people who were refugees,” he said in a statement.

    “Directing Genesis Prize funds to this cause is a way of helping people who, like my forebears not too long before them, are fleeing persecution.”

    The United Nations (U.N.) says the world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record, with more than 65 million people forced to flee their homes, surpassing numbers after the Second World War more than 70 years ago.

    U.N. efforts to agree a voluntary pact on safe, orderly and regular migration suffered a setback in December when the United States quit the negotiations.

    “In recent months, awareness of the plight faced by tens of millions of refugees and displaced persons worldwide has fallen significantly while the refugee crisis continues unabated,” said Kapoor, a longtime social activist.

    Kapoor, who lived in Israel briefly before settling in Britain in the 1970s, won the Turner Prize in 1991 and created a Holocaust memorial for London’s Liberal Jewish Synagogue.

    Winners of the Genesis Prize, which is granted by the Israeli government, award $1 million to charities of their choice, with the aim of inspiring the next generation of Jews.

    One of Kapoor’s grantees is the International Rescue Committee, which is working with refugees in Uganda – home to more than 1 million people who have fled war in South Sudan – and with stateless Rohingya in Myanmar.

    He is also providing food for refugees in Greece and France and medical care for Syrian refugees.

    Previous winners include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the actor Michael Douglas. The 2018 winner, the Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, plans to focus her award funds on promoting women’s equality.

    (Source: NDTV)

     

  • Key ally of British prime minister resigns amid porn scandal

    Key ally of British prime minister resigns amid porn scandal

    LONDON (TIP): Key ally of British Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to resign on Dec 20 after an investigation concluded he made misleading statements about pornographic images found on a Parliament computer in his office in 2008.

    Damian Green, who was ousted as first secretary of state, maintains he did not use pornography on his office computers, but he agreed he had not been forthcoming in statements made about the matter in November. A report by May’s Cabinet secretary concluded Green had made misleading statements regarding his knowledge about the indecent images found by police. “I accept that I should have been clear in my press statements that police lawyers talked to my lawyers in 2008 about the pornography on the computers, and that the police raised it with me in a subsequent phone call in 2013,” Green said in his resignation letter, which was made public Wednesday night.

    May said she asked Green for his resignation after the investigation concluded he had not been open about the matter.

    “I have also carefully considered the report’s conclusions in relation to two statements you made on 4 and 11 November which you now accept were inaccurate and misleading,” the prime minister wrote in a letter requesting Green to step aside.  She said he had fallen short of the standards expected of him. “It is therefore with deep regret, and enduring gratitude for the contribution you have made over many years, that I asked you to resign from the Government and have accepted your resignation,” May wrote. Green was a vital political ally who acted as a de facto deputy prime minister and supported May in her difficult Brexit negotiations. His removal will cost her an important supporter as she tries to balance competing visions of Brexit within her Cabinet.

    Green had claimed earlier he was the victim of a smear campaign. The pornography was found on his office computer during a police investigation of government leaks.

    The Cabinet investigation did not yield a conclusion about sexual misconduct allegations writer Kate Maltby made against Green. Maltby said Green had “fleetingly” touched her knee during a meeting in a pub and later sent a suggestive text after a picture of her wearing a corset appeared in a newspaper.

    The cabinet secretary investigation said it was “not possible to reach a definitive conclusion” on whether Green’s behavior with Maltby was appropriate wily, but added that her account was “plausible.”

    Green is among a number of British politicians who have stepped down or been forced out in recent weeks as a wave of allegations of sexual harassment has surfaced. (AP)

  • Indian Origin British MP Virendra Sharma calls for an apology and recognition of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

    Indian Origin British MP Virendra Sharma calls for an apology and recognition of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

    Nirpal Shergill in London

    LONDON (TIP):   Virendra Sharma MP tabled a Parliamentary Early Day Motion (EDM) earlier this week calling for the British Prime Minister to apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919. The EDM went further and calls for this shameful piece of history to be taught n British schools, especially in the centenary year.

    Virendra Sharma MP stated: “This was an important moment in the history of Britain in India. Many suggest it was the beginning of the end, a moment that finally emboldened the Independence Movement. It must be commemorated, and the British Government should make clear its repudiation of such a barbaric act.”

    The massacre left maybe, a 1,000 peaceful protesters dead and began a period of cruel repression in the region. At the time Winston Churchill proclaimed the massacre “monstrous” and the British Government condemned Colonel Dyer for his actions, but no apology has since been forthcoming. Prime Minister, David Cameron visited the site of the massacre in 2013 but stopped short of issuing an apology.

    Virendra Sharma ‘s EDM states: “That this House recognises the importance of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919 for its importance as a turning point in the history of the Raj and British Empire in India; notes that the centenary of this event is approaching and that it is appropriate to commemorate it; further recognises that former Prime Minister, David Cameron, referred to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre as a deeply shameful act; further notes that this event does not represent modern British values; urges the Government to ensure that British children are taught about this shameful period and that modern British values welcome the right to peaceful protest; and further urges the Government formally to apologise in the House and inaugurate a memorial day to commemorate this event.

     

  • Gifts to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II go on display

    Gifts to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II go on display

    LONDON (TIP): Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is putting gifts received from world leaders on display at Buckingham Palace, with the eclectic collection including presents from the likes of Nelson Mandela and John F. Kennedy.

    A remarkable array of over 200 gifts will go on display from Saturday, providing an intriguing reminder of the globetrotting lifestyle and international encounters of the 91-year-old sovereign.

    “One of the most universal aspects of the Queen’s meetings with other heads of state, both at home and abroad, is the exchange of gifts,” said Sally Goodsir, assistant curator of the new “Royal Gifts” exhibition.

    Since her accession to the throne in 1952, Elizabeth has travelled more than 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometres) around the world and taken part in 89 state visits abroad.

    At the same time, she has welcomed more than 100 leaders to Britain for formal state visits.

    “The exchange is a gesture of goodwill and these gifts are representative of traditional skills or of cultural significance and speak of a nation of culture’s history and traditions,” explains Goodsir.

    Although hugely diverse, these symbols of friendship have often involved an exchange of signed photographs.

    These include one from US President John F. Kennedy in 1961, who along with his wife Jackie was invited to dine at Buckingham Palace while on an unofficial visit to London.

    The gifts on display also include a handwritten note of Kennedy’s “high esteem” for his royal host. Thirty-five years later, the queen met with another great figure of the 20th century when she welcomed Nelson Mandela for a state visit. The then South African president offered the monarch a silk scarf depicting bushmen hunting a herd of eland in his country’s Eastern Cape region.

    Next to the scarf stands a surprising portrait of Elizabeth, created by weaving dyed banana leaves together, which was given by Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame in 2006.

    Below the majestic chandeliers of Buckingham Palace’s ballroom gifts from Asia are on display, including a lacquer box with the image of a heron worked in silver on the lid.

    It was a present from Japan’s Emperor Showa to Elizabeth for her coronation in 1953. (AP)

  • Water thrown at Muslim women in fake acid attack hate crime outside mosque

    Water thrown at Muslim women in fake acid attack hate crime outside mosque

    SOUTHAMPTON (TIP): Water was thrown over two women standing outside a mosque in an apparent fake acid attack which police are treating as racially aggravated assault.

    The women, who were wearing traditional head coverings, were attacked as they waited outside the Bashir Ahmed Masjid in Southampton on Tuesday. A CCTV footage showed a black car slowing down next to them before speeding away. The pair reacted in horror before realising they are unhurt.

    The mosque, in the southern city’s Portswood district, has been forced to issue a safety warning to worshippers. Police described the women as “understandably shaken”, while on Facebook the mosque shared their fears that a subsequent attack could involve acid. It follows a string of acid attacks, including five committed inside 90 minutes in London last week.

    A message, the mosque said, came from one of the women read, “Sisters just to warn you to be careful when u are out and about, you all know about the recent acid attacks in London.

    “Today my friend and I were standing outside Bashir Masjid in Portswood, waiting to be picked up when a group of men in a black car drove past us and threw water at us. We are both OK because it was only water, but if they get away with doing stuff like this then it could embolden them to next time use bleach or acid.”

    The footage suggested the assault took place at about 2pm. A Hampshire Constabulary spokeswoman said, “We received a report yesterday regarding a racially aggravated assault in Portswood Road, Southampton.”

    “A woman reported that she stood outside a mosque in Portswood Road, with her friend, when they had water thrown over them by someone in a passing car.”

    “Our investigations are continuing today and we are in contact with the victims who were understandably shaken by this incident. The vehicle is described as a black estate car.”

    Recent acid attacks have led to calls for tougher controls on corrosive substances, while Home Secretary Amber Rudd has suggested acid attack convictions could soon carry life sentences. A Home Office review will examine the law enforcement and criminal justice response, existing laws, access to harmful products and the support available for victims.

    Anyone with information about the Southampton assault should call Hampshire Constabulary on 101, and quote reference 44170276157. (PTI)

  • VENUS ECLIPSES HOME FAVOURITE KONTA, TO MEET MUGURUZA IN FINAL

    VENUS ECLIPSES HOME FAVOURITE KONTA, TO MEET MUGURUZA IN FINAL

    LONDON (TIP): Five-time champion Venus Williams rolled back the years to reach her first Wimbledon final since 2009 with a clinically executed 6-4 6-2 victory over British hope Johanna Konta on July 13 (Thursday).

    Konta was looking to become the first woman on home soil to reach the Wimbledon final since Virginia Wade in 1977, but she was picked off at crucial times by the 37- year-old Williams, who will face Garbine Muguruza in Saturday’s final.

    Williams, who claimed the last of her Wimbledon titles nine years ago, was too strong for her opponent from the baseline and was able to produce booming serves whenever the Briton threatened.

    After initially going toe-to-toe with the seven-time Grand Slam winner, Konta was unable to put Williams under sustained pressure and ended the contest a clear second best, losing eight of the final 10 games.

    Konta saved two match points before Williams finally ended her resistance, smashing a forehand that flew past the Briton and left the American to twirl in celebration on Centre Court. “I’ve played a lot of finals here. One more win will be amazing. It won’t be a given but I’ll give it my all,” Williams said. “The crowd were very nice to me. The crowd were so fair, I know they love Jo.”

  • FEDERER STANDS TALL AS RIVALS SHOW FRAILTY

    FEDERER STANDS TALL AS RIVALS SHOW FRAILTY

    LONDON (TIP): Roger Federer insists he is only slightly surprised to find himself tantalisingly within touching distance of a record eighth Wimbledon title despite his 36th birthday fast approaching.

    The Swiss star reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the 12th time on July 12 (Wednesday) with a 6-4 6-2 7-6(4) win over Milos Raonic. It was his 100th match at the All England Club and the 50th Grand Slam quarterfinal of his career.

    At 35, Federer is the second oldest man to reach the semifinals after Ken Rosewall who finished runner-up in 1974 at the age of 39. With ‘Big Four’ rivals Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic suffering injury-hit exits on Wednesday and Rafael Nadal having lost in the fourth round, Federer is favourite to reclaim the Wimbledon title and break the tie for seven he has shared with Pete Sampras since 2012.

    “The plan was always to hopefully be strong later on in my career,” said Federer, who will face Tomas Berdych in Friday’s semifinals. “I don’t see myself playing better than a few years ago. I always hope to improve every year. I’m just very happy that I’m still doing so well.

    Am I surprised? Maybe a little bit.” The contrast between Federer and Murray and Djokovic on Wednesday was impossible to ignore.

    Defending champion and world No. 1 Murray lost in five sets to Sam Querrey, hobbled by a long-standing right hip injury. Djokovic, the three-time winner, quit after two games of the second set of his quarterfinal against Berdych with a right elbow injury. Like Murray’s hip, the elbow problem plaguing Djokovic has been a constant menace for many seasons.

    Federer has already trimmed back his schedule, skipping the 2016 and 2017 French Opens which were won by Djokovic and Nadal. After losing to Raonic in the Wimbledon semifinals last year, Federer shut down his season to rest a knee injury which had already required surgery earlier in 2016.

    He came back in January this year, won the Australian Open for his 18th Slam, added the Indian Wells-Miami Masters double before hibernating again through the clay court season.

    “Once you hit 30, you’ve got to look back and think of how much tennis have I played, how much rest did I give my body over the years, how much training have I done, did I do enough, did I overdo it or not enough,” he explained.

    “It’s always calibrating the whole thing. For me it worked out. Sometimes the body and the mind do need a rest.”

    Djokovic ponders long break 

    There is a possibility that they will propose surgery, but I don’t think that is good. To go be cut in surgery or to poison myself with pills… none of the solutions is good A logical conclusion is that a kind of a rest and a longer break is a logical solution. Maybe a longer rest is necessary, not only because of the injury but for my mind as well. During my entire career I have followed a school schedule, I have never been reprimanded, maybe I will skip the next semester The specialists that I’ve talked with, they haven’t been really too clear, mentioning also surgery, mentioning different options…

    Obviously it’s adding up more and more. The more I play, the worse it gets. Yeah, I guess the break is something that I will have to consider

    Paying price for rivalry with Murray?

    We both had a very long, very tough year, a lot of matches, a lot of emotions, a lot of things in play. Our bodies have taken a lot physically. So, I mean, as an athlete, one way or another, at a certain stage of your career, you’re going to experience these kind of things. Injuries are part of this sport, unfortunately.

    Professional tennis getting very physical

    It’s not easy to play on the highest level throughout the entire season, then be able to do that over and over again every season, and then stay healthy.

  • Britain’s first pregnant man gives birth to girl

    Britain’s first pregnant man gives birth to girl

    LONDON (TIP): A 21-year-old man has become the first in Britain to give birth after he put his sex transition on hold to get pregnant by a sperm donor.

    Hayden Cross, who made headlines around the world earlier this year when he announced he was pregnant by a sperm donor, has given birth to a girl.

    Cross told The Sun that daughter Trinity-Leigh is his “angel”. Cross gave birth by caesarean. The girl was born on June 16 at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

    He had been living legally as a man for three years and was already part-way through hormone treatment to transform from a woman to a man.

    But the full transition was paused after the UK’s state funded National Health Service (NHS) refused to carry out a 4,000-pounds process to freeze his eggs — which he hoped would enable him to have children in the future.

    The former supermarket worker instead found a sperm donor via Facebook and became successfully pregnant. “She’s perfect in every way… she is so good. I’m so lucky,” Cross was quoted as saying.

    Following the birth, Cross now plans to return to complete his gender realignment as soon as possible. The proud father was born a girl named Paige, 21 years ago. Cross, from Gloucester, had said earlier, “I faced the prospect of not becoming the man I’m supposed to be, physically, or a dad. So I didn’t feel like I had any choice but to have a baby now then get back to transitioning.”

    “In September I got pregnant by a sperm donation. I found the donor on the internet. I looked on Facebook for a group and found one — it’s been shut down now. I didn’t have to pay,” Cross had said.

    Cross, who used to work for Asda and in a clothes shop, aims to find a job once the baby is aged one. (AP)

  • UK sets out Brexit bill to end EU membership

    UK sets out Brexit bill to end EU membership

    LONDON (TIP): The British government on July 13 published a draft law that would formally put an end to Britain’s membership of the European Union, as a top official warned the country was unprepared for Brexit in less than two years’ time.

    The new bill will repeal the 1972 law in which Britain became an EU member and convert an estimated 12,000 existing EU regulations into British law, ending the supremacy of EU law in Britain.

    “This bill means that we will be able to exit the European Union with maximum certainty, continuity and control,” Brexit secretary David Davis said in a statement.

    But Prime Minister Theresa May is braced for a battle over the bill, which also gives ministers powers to amend the EU laws as they are transferred without full parliamentary scrutiny.

    These so-called “Henry VIII” powers will be limited for two years, but opposition parties have warned they will not allow the government to use the bill to push through policy changes. May’s Conservative Party lost its majority in the June 8 election, leaving it dependent on the small Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party to win votes in parliament.

    The prime minister, who on Thursday marks one year since taking office after last year’s referendum to leave the EU, remains vulnerable and questions remain over how long she can stay. As the bill was published, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was in Brussels to offer his own Brexit vision to EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

    May’s government began the two-year withdrawal process on March 29, setting Britain on an uncharted journey. Extricating Britain from four decades of membership of the bloc is no small task: the new European Union (Withdrawal) Bill is one of eight Brexit bills the government will introduce.

    But Labour’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer warned his party would not support the legislation as it stood. “We have very serious issues with the government’s approach, and unless the government addresses those issues, we will not be supporting the bill,” he told The Guardian.

    As well as concerns about the expansion of executive power, Labour fears an erosion of basic and workers’ rights and plans to submit amendments when the bill is debated in the autumn. “This will be hell,” added Tim Farron, leader of the pro-European Liberal Democrats.

    With the help of the 10 DUP lawmakers, May’s government has a majority of just 13 in the 650-member parliament.

    Formal Brexit negotiations with the EU began last month and the two sides have already clashed over the future rights of European citizens living in Britain. Ahead of the next round of talks starting next week, Britain on Thursday published three new papers setting out its position on nuclear cooperation, the European Court of Justice and privileges afforded to EU employees in Britain.

    Barnier had warned Wednesday that the EU was waiting for more information from Britain. “We need to know on which points we agree and on which points we disagree, so that we can negotiate in earnest,” he said.

    “We cannot remain idle as the clock is ticking.”

    Britain confirmed it would leave European Atomic Energy Community but said it wanted to continue working closely with Euratom to help ensure a smooth exit.

    “The UK and the Euratom community have a strong mutual interest in ensuring close co-operation,” the position paper said.

    London and Brussels disagree on whether the European Court of Justice will continue to have jurisdiction in Britain after Brexit.

    Labour said Corbyn’s meeting with Barnier marked its growing importance in the Brexit process — although Barnier insisted he would only negotiate with the government.

    The Frenchman was also due to meet Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones for private talks. (AFP)

  • UK’s longest serving police dog dies after 11 years in service

    UK’s longest serving police dog dies after 11 years in service

    LONDON (TIP): Brewster, the longest serving police dog in the UK whose “incredible nose” detected drugs, cash and weapons across the country, has died after a brief illness following 11 years of service.

    The 13-year-old, 91 in dog years, brown and white English Springer Spaniel, served with the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Dog Unit with his handler Police Constable Dave Pert.

    But just months after formally hanging up his lead, the police pooch has passed away following a short illness, the Daily Express reported.

    “We are so grateful that Brewster came into our lives. He was truly a legendary dog, renowned across the three counties for his incredible nose,” Pert said while paying tributes to his long-term companion.

    “Indeed, officers were still requesting his services long after he retired. He was a brilliant asset to the unit and I am glad he had time with us to enjoy his retirement,” he said. Pert said he loved coming with them in the caravan and particularly enjoyed people watching.

    “Thankfully his illness was brief, but we will miss him terribly as he was a huge part of our lives,” he said. Brewster was gifted to the police after his previous owners from North Yorkshire realized he had too much energy for them.

    Within three weeks of earning his stripes, the naturally inquisitive canine was fully trained and licensed as a drugs, cash and weapons detection dog. (AP)

  • London inferno toll now 30, set to rise even further

    London inferno toll now 30, set to rise even further

    LONDON (TIP): The death toll from the London fire stands at 30, and is still climbing. Some victims may never be identified, officials said. The Metropolitan Police said on Friday that at least 30 people were known to have died in the Grenfell Tower blaze, including one person who died in hospital. The bodies of 12 people have been recovered. The other deceased remain inside the building.

    The BBC estimates about 76 people are missing based on social media and missing posters, which could include some of the 30 confirmed dead. London Police commander Stuart Cundy said that the conditions inside Grenfell Tower mean that the search operation to recover the victims was extremely challenging. “The sad reality is that this work will stretch into many weeks,” he said.

    A total of 24 people remain in hospital, with 12 in critical care. They have all been identified and their families informed. The majority of residents in the flat were Muslims and came from Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Eritrea. Somalia, Sudan, Syrian, Afghanistan and Pakistan. A Bangladeshi family of five, who lived on the 16th floor, is among those missing.

    Al Manar, a mosque in North Kensington where Grenfell Tower is located, has cancelled i’tikaaf (retreat in a mosque during Ramzan) so that victims can stay there. “We have cancelled the spiritual retreat so that we can offer bedding to people,” said Tabassum Awan, who is volunteering at the mosque. “It’s chaos – we have had restaurants phoning up all the time offering to deliver hot food here. One rang up and offered to deliver 1,000 hot meals,” she said.

    One Moroccan woman in the mosque, Habiba, said she was looking for a 16-year-old Moroccan school girl Nur Huda El Wahabi who is missing, who is best friends with her son Abdul.

    By Thursday night the fire in the 24- storey building was totally extinguished. What was left was a light grey ash coloured shell – towering in a ghostly fashion above the nearby pubs and houses. (PTI)