February 2018

Email your CV to info@theasianindependent.co.uk
• Journalist • Tele-Sales • Content • SEO • Admin
FEBRUARY 2018
UK historian
wants to return
1857 uprising
skull to Kanpur
US accuses Russian Prez Putin of
breaching Cold War-era treaties
Washington | The US on Friday accused
Russian President Vladimir Putin of breaching
Cold War-era treaties by developing a new generation
of “invincible” weapons and said
American military was
fully prepared to defend
the country.
“President Putin has
confirmed what the US
government has known for
a long time but that Russia
has denied prior to this,”
White House Press
Secretary Sarah Sanders
said.
She said Russia has
been developing destabilising weapons systems
for over a decade in direct violations of its treaty
obligations.
Her comments came hours after President
Putin announced that Russia has developed a
number of advanced weapons systems, including
LONDON: A London-based
historian who was sent a skull
out of the blue in 2014 and put
together the fascinating story of
Alum Bheg, a soldier blown to
pieces by the British during the
1857 uprising, is keen to send it
back to India for a respectful
burial. Kim A Wagner,
a senior lecturer in
British imperial history
at Queen Mary,
University of London,
was given the skull by
the family that took
over the Kent pub, The
Lord Clyde. It had
been at the pub for a
long time with a 170-word note
that identified it as that of Alum
Bheg, a havildar of the Bengal
Native Infantry. Wagner’s
research revealed that Bheg -
one of many unknown soldiers
who died during the 1857
uprising and its aftermath - was
blasted with a cannon in
Sialkot, when the unit was stationed
there. Most soldiers of
the unit were recruited from
Cawnpore, the erstwhile name
for Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Bheg’s skull was taken away as
a trophy by one Captain
Costello. Wagner’s research
tracing the skull’s journey was
published in November 2017 in
the book The Skull of Alum
Bheg: The Life and Death of a
Rebel of 1857. Wagner said:
“My main aim with writing the
book was to tell the world
about the existence of Alum
Bheg because nobody knows
about him and also ultimately
to repatriate him to India. But
that is quite a long and elaborate
legal process. The book is
an invitation to Indian authorities.
“He died in Sialkot in
today’s Pakistan, but he is most
probably from Kanpur. In any
case, there is not much interest
in the 1857 uprising in
Pakistan. He was a Muslim
and probably doesn’t fit the
Indian narrative, identified
more with Mangal Pandey,
but I am keen for it not to be
politicised.”
The Lord Clyde pub,
where the skull was found, is
named after Colin Campbell,
later the first Lord Clyde, a
British general who played a
leading role in suppressing the
1857 uprising. He was also
involved in the Second Anglo
Sikh War of 1848-49. Wagner
said he would like Bheg to be
“finally put to rest in a respectful
manner after he’s been kept
in various boxes and attics for
more than a century”.
a nuclear-powered cruise missile, which make all
US capabilities aimed at undermining the
Russian nuclear deterrent obsolete.
Sanders said US President Donald Trump
understands the threats
facing America and its
allies in this century and
is determined to protect
the homeland and preserve
peace through
strength. “US defense
capabilities are, and
will, remain second to
none,” she told
reporters.
“And now, because
of the new defence budget of USD 700 billion,
our military will be far stronger than ever. As
President’s Nuclear Posture Review made clear,
America is moving forward to modernise our
nuclear arsenal and ensure our capabilities are
unmatched,” Sanders said.
Snow storms shut Ireland, force Britain to call in Army
Dublin/London : Snow storms shut most of
Ireland on Friday and forced Britain to call in
the army to battle some of the worst weather
seen in nearly 30 years.
After a blast of Siberian weather dubbed
“the beast from the east”, southern Britain and
Ireland were battered by Storm Emma which
blocked roads, grounded planes and stopped
trains. At least 24,000 homes and businesses in
Ireland were left without power, the stock
exchange was shut, all schools were closed and
transport ground to a halt with all flights cancelled from Dublin airport. In Britain, a seven-year-old
girl was killed in Cornwall after a car crashed into a house in icy conditions, the BBC reported.
Dozens of passengers were stranded on trains overnight in southern England.
DEADLY BLIZZARDS LASH EUROPE, 48 DEAD IN A WEEK
Switzerland : Exceptional snow and wind forced airports to close Thursday in Scotland,
Switzerland and France and stranded several hundred drivers in their cars as a Siberian cold
snap stretched across Europe. Geneva’s airport closed after the Swiss city was hit with 13 centimetres
(about five inches) of snow over a three-hour period in the early morning. Schools are
shut and weather agencies predict the brutal cold will continue as the death toll from the freezing
snap rose to around 48 since last Friday, with icy conditions causing accidents and endangering
vulnerable rough sleepers.

2 FEBRUARY 2018
UNITED KINGDOM
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Celebrating Centuries of
Migrant Entrepreneurship – (By
Dr. Christopher A. Johnson)
ess in Britain was in the
form of a laundry that was
thought to have opened in
1877, in Holland Park, London.
Despite hostility by members
of the host community, many
Chinese became successful
business people, opening
restaurants and other commercial
firms to cater for their community
and the host population
as a whole. ‘Chinatowns’ are
prevalent in London,
Birmingham, Sheffield and
Liverpool in particular and are
renowned for their hive of ‘oriental-type’
cuisine activity
(Source: Chen, Anna: “The
Chinese in Britain: personal
tales of a journey to a new
land”, Post Magazine, 25
October 2014).
Bengalese Sake Deen
Mahomet founded the
‘Hindoostanee Coffee House’
in 1809 in west London. This
was considered to be the first
Indian/South Asian business in
Britain. His firm became a catalyst
for thousands of firms that
mushroomed across the British
Isles from that period (to present).
To date, Pakistanis are the
leading minority ethnic business
people with a market share
of 27.2%. ‘Balti houses’ also
called ‘curry’ units, are dotted
in London and the Home
Counties as well as Scotland
and Wales respectively. Of
course, like their ‘ethnic
Government launches Trusted Relationships Fund
The Home Office has launched a £13 million
fund to help foster relationships between frontline
professionals and young people at risk of
sexual exploitation.
The Home Office has today (25 February)
launched a £13 million fund to help youth
workers, police, nurses and other professionals
form close, protective relationships with children
and young people at risk of sexual
exploitation, county lines gang crime or relationship
abuse. The Trusted Relationships Fund
will invite local authorities to apply for funding
to run projects aimed at fostering relationships
between frontline staff and at-risk children.
Through the fund, local authorities are encouraged
to work with local partners to improve the
way professionals, including social workers,
youth workers, police and voluntary sector practitioners,
work together to support vulnerable
young people. Minister for Crime, Safeguarding
and Vulnerability, Victoria Atkins, said: This
government is working to keep all our children
and young people safe and protect them from
those who would exploit them or try to pull
them into a life of violence and crime. We all
know how valuable it can be for a child to have
an adult in their life who they can trust, who
they can confide in, who has their best interests
at heart and who is in a position to act when they
are in trouble. Through the Trusted
Relationships Fund we want to ensure that those
most at risk of abuse and exploitation, such as
child sexual exploitation or gang-related
exploitation have such a person in their lives.
cousins’, South Asians’ enterprise
performance is predicated
on a range of commercial,
industrial and social firm sectors
as well (‘The Anatomy of
British South Enterprise’, A
GEDS Publication 2016,
England).
Recent research has unfolded
the phenomenal rate of
migrant entrepreneurship in the
UK. The following performance
indices show that:-
There are 456,073 migrant
entrepreneurs in the UK.
They represent roughly 14%
of all economic activity.
The average age of non-UK
business people is 44.3 years
old.
Indian, Chinese, Pakistanis
and Nigerians are among the
top 10 entrepreneurs.
464,527 businesses in the
UK represent 155 countries
worldwide.
2,847 Indian entrepreneurs
are in Harrow; 2,768 Chinese
firms in Cardiff.
Minority businesses contribute
£25-£32 billion to the
UK economy.
(Source: DueDil, Centre for
Entrepreneurs 2015, London &
Diversity Magazine, June 9,
2016).
Documenting the contribution
of migrant entrepreneurship
can only bring about: a
great sense of history, a collective
sense of belonging, an
understanding of a sense of
industrial democracy, an enduring
sense of loyalty and a
durable sense of patriotism. Let
this year’s Commonwealth Day
be one in which we pay homage
to the enterprise labours of
Britain’s ‘legacy contributors’
to economic history – both past
and present.
PM welcomes Western
Balkans Heads of
Government to London
The Prime Minister welcomed
the Heads of
Government of six Western
Balkans countries to Downing
Street today for talks ahead of
the Western Balkans Summit in
London in July. At a reception
also attended by the Foreign
Secretary, Home Secretary,
Minister for Europe and the
Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster the Prime Minister
briefed the visiting leaders on
the UK’s objectives for the
upcoming Summit. She also
sought their views on achieving
our shared goals for the region.
Speaking at the reception the
Prime Minister said: Our relationship
endures because all of
us in this room share the same
vision for the future of the
Western Balkans. We want a
peaceful, prosperous and democratic
region – one anchored
to European values and systems
and contributing to
European security.
The countries of the Western
Balkans have tremendous
potential. And it’s the people
here in this room tonight who
have a crucial role in harnessing
that potential. By putting in
place the governance, rule of
law and institutions to support
prosperity and by building relations
between your countries
that shape a promising future
for all. The UK will support
you in that. Your challenges are
our challenges. European security,
serious and organised
crime, illegal migration, terrorism
and extremism; these are
all threats that go beyond borders.
So I want to deepen further
our security partnership to
address these shared threats.
At the Summit we will take
forward a bold agenda. One
that promotes economic stability
and fosters co-operation on
the security and political challenges
that the region continues
to face. We will continue the
good work begun by previous
Summits, taking forward initiatives
countering corruption,
serious and organised crime,
and other issues that deter
investment and economic
growth. I look forward to working
with you to shape a positive,
productive, prosperous
future for the Western Balkans,
for the UK and the whole of
Europe.
Heads of Government
from the region who attended
included:
Edi Rama, Prime Minister of
Albania
Denis Zvizdic, Chairman of
the Council of Ministers of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ramush Haradinaj, Prime
Minister of Kosovo
Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister
of Macedonia
Dusko Markovic, Prime
Minister of Montenegro
Ana Brnabic, Prime
Minister of Serbia
Team AI :
Devinder Chander
Editor-in-chief
Fred Shakir
Marketing & Creative Manager
Columnists
V.B. Rawat
Farzana Suri
Arun Kumar
Head Office
46 Summer Rd, Erdington
Birmingham, B23 6UR.
Tel : +44 7878 456 484
Email :
info@theasianindependent.co.uk
Advertisement
Enquiries
+44 7475 475 343
The Asian Independent is an
Intellectual Property of
Samaj Media Enterprise Ltd
Royal Navy and Royal Marines
join major French deployment
UK maritime forces are taking part
in a French naval deployment to the
Indian Ocean and Far East. Around 40
Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel
and two Wildcat helicopters have
joined the French naval task force,
Jeanne D’Arc, for a five-month mission.
The ship’s port calls will include
Jakarta, Bali, Darwin, Saigon and
Singapore. British personnel will take
part in amphibious exercises and
Defence Engagement. This builds on
the UK’s very successful participation
in last year’s Jeanne D’Arc mission.
The UK’s contribution to France’s
annual Jeanne D’Arc naval deployment
demonstrates a shared commitment
from both countries to enhance
their maritime cooperation in home
waters and around the world, in support
of global security and prosperity
and protection of freedom of navigation.
This priority was agreed at the
UK-France Summit in January 2018.
The deployment is part of the UK’s
wide-ranging programme of bilateral
defence cooperation with French
forces, which includes the development
of the Combined Joint
Expeditionary Force, a rapidly deployable
joint UK-French force that can
respond to crises.
British and French forces also operate
together as members of NATO,
with France agreeing to contribute
troops to the UK-led enhanced
Forward Presence battlegroup in
Estonia in 2019.
* The Asian Independent and people associated with it are not responsible for any claims made by the advertisers and do not endorse in any products or services advertised. Please visit www.theasianindependent.com/tc for more information.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
FEBRUARY 2018
3
UK aid supports Nursing Now
campaign to empower nurses in
the world’s poorest countries
International Development
Minister Harriett Baldwin today
announced DFID will support the
training of nurses and midwives in
developing countries, to improve the
quality of care, keep their own
patients healthy and save more lives.
International Development Minister
Harriett Baldwin today announced
DFID will support the training of
nurses and midwives in developing
countries, to improve the quality of
care, keep their own patients healthy
and save more lives. The support
comes as Nursing Now, a three-year
global campaign run in collaboration
with the International Council of
Nurses and the World Health
Organization, has been launched to
improve health globally by raising
the profile and status of nurses
worldwide.
Speaking at the launch of Nursing
Now at St. Thomas’ Hospital hosted
by their Patron, Her Royal Highness
the Duchess of Cambridge, in
London today, International
Development Minister Harriett
Baldwin said: “Nurses make up
nearly half of the world’s health
workforce and their knowledge,
skills and motivation play a crucial
role in keeping developing countries
healthy. “UK aid is supporting the
Nursing Now campaign by helping
nurses build better health systems in
the world’s poorest countries which
will improve the quality of care,
keep their own patients healthy and
save more lives. In Kenya for example,
UK aid has already helped train
more than 7,000 nurse midwives
with vital skills, which in turn has
helped to reduce deaths in childbirth
by 10%.” Ms. Baldwin announced
DFID will allocate £5million of the
Stronger Health Partnerships for
Stronger Health Systems programme
to train nurses, in support
the Nursing Now! campaign. These
partnerships between the UK and
developing countries will help to
develop the nursing and midwifery
workforce to achieve Universal
Health Coverage in the poorest
countries and access to essential
health services for all.
DFID has been a long-time supporter
of working with developing
countries to strengthen their health
systems. At the centre of every
health system are health workers and
building the capacity of nurses is an
important part of this. UK aid is
already helping tutors and lecturers
at Kenya’s Medical training institutions
to improve the quality of the
training programmes for their nurses,
so the next generation are better
equipped with the right skills. One
of the key learnings is the importance
of leadership skills so those on
the frontline feel supported to provide
better quality care programmes
for mothers and new-borns.
Russian Ambassador
called to Foreign
Office to discuss Syria
Minister of State
for Europe and the
Americas Sir Alan
Duncan met
R u s s i a n
Ambassador to the
UK, Alexander
Yakovenko, to
stress UK concern
at the current situation
in Syria.
Minister of State
for Europe and the
Americas Sir Alan
Duncan met
R u s s i a n
Ambassador to the
UK, Alexander
Yakovenko, at the
Foreign and
Commonwealth Office today
(27 February) to stress UK concern
at the current situation in
Syria, particularly the crisis in
Eastern Ghouta and the need
for a ceasefire as stipulated in
Resolution 2401 passed by the
UN Security Council last
weekend. Minister Duncan
welcomed the fact that all UN
Security Council members,
including Russia, had voted in
favour of a ceasefire and underlined
Russia’s obligations to
adhere to its commitments to
ensure that UNSCR 2401 was
implemented in full. Minister
Duncan reiterated the UK
Government’s deep concern
about reports of continued
attacks by pro-regime forces in
Eastern Ghouta, where an estimated
400,000 people have
been under siege since 2013,
including reports of chemical
weapons use.
Minister Duncan urged
Russia to use its influence to
ensure the Syrian regime
adhered to the ceasefire in
order to allow rapid, unimpeded
and sustained humanitarian
access and non-conditional
medical evacuations which are
urgently needed across Syria,
but particularly Eastern
Ghouta. Only one inter-agency
convoy has accessed Eastern
Ghouta since November, reaching
just 2.6% of people in need.
Humanitarian pauses of limited
duration are no substitute for a
sustained ceasefire. Minister
Duncan underlined that the violence
in Syria reinforces the
urgency of achieving a political
solution, as called for by the
UN Security Council, and
urged Russia to work with the
international community to
achieve this.

4 FEBRUARY 2018
UNITED KINGDOM
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Appointments to the Board and
Export Guarantees Advisory Council
UK Export Finance
announces the appointments of
Shalini Khemka to the Board,
and John Morrison and
Roseline Wanjiru to the Export
Guarantees Advisory Council.
Shalini Khemka is the
Founder, Chief Executive
Officer and Board Director of
E2Exchange (E2E), which
champions and connects entrepreneurs,
creates communities,
invests equity capital and
recruits non-executive directors
for SMEs. Shalini’s background
is in financial services,
with a specialism in banking. In
previous executive roles,
Shalini co-founded the world’s
first online ‘bank to bank’ trade
finance company, after which
she served as an Investment
Director at LDC, the private
equity arm of Lloyds Banking
Group.
Shalini also brings extensive
advisory experience to UK
Export Finance (UKEF), having
previously served on the
Advisory Board of the Centre
for Entrepreneurs and the
Development Board of the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Currently, she is a fellow of
Burton & South Derbyshire
College, and a member of both
the Mayor of London’s
Business Advisory
Board and the
Advisory Committee
of the Commonwealth
Entrepreneurs.
As a member of
UKEF’s Board,
Shalini will support
the Chief Executive
and Ministers in
developing UKEF’s
strategy and overseeing
its operations by
providing advice,
challenge and assurance.
New appointees to
the Export
Guarantees
Advisory Council
John Morrison is
the founding
Executive Director of The
Institute for Human Rights and
Business. He holds over two
decades of business and human
rights advisory experience,
including roles with the United
Nations, UK government’s
Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, General Electric and the
governments of Denmark,
Sweden, Finland, Norway and
Switzerland.
Dr Roseline Wanjiru is a
Senior Lecturer at Newcastle
Business School, with interdisciplinary
research interests in
economic development, trade
and industrial policy, foreign
direct investment and innovation
strategies. She brings over
20 years’ experience in the sector,
including time spent in the
University of Leeds, University
of Huddersfield and presently
in Northumbria University.
As members of the Export
Guarantees Advisory Council,
John and Roseline advise the
Secretary of State for
International Trade on UK
Export Finance operations,
including environmental, social
and human rights risks, as well
as sustainable lending, compliance
and transparency considerations.
Baroness Fairhead,
Minister of State for Trade
and Exports, said:
As an international economic
department, we want to make
sure that UK exporters benefit
from world-leading export
credit agency support. The
UKEF Board and Export
Guarantees
Advisory
Council play a
vital role in our
efforts to
achieve our
ambitions for
UK trade, and
will be further
strengthened
with these
appointments.
On joining
the Board,
S h a l i n i
K h e m k a
remarked:
I’m excited
to be joining the
Board of UK
Export Finance,
a truly worldleading
export credit agency.
Thanks to UKEF’s support,
companies across the UK are
realising their export potential
in the global marketplace. I
look forward to playing a role
in this success, supporting the
Government in realising its
ambitions for UK trade.
John Morrison, Executive
Director of the Institute for
Human Rights and Business,
said:
The work of the Export
Guarantees Advisory Council
ensures UK Export Finance
remains at the forefront of ethical
and sustainable business
practices. I’m very pleased to
be using my experience in business
and human rights to support
the government’s trade
objectives.
Dr Roseline Wanjiru, Senior
Lecturer and Programme
Leader for Business with
International Management and
Business with Economics,
Northumbria University, said:
The government has an
ambitious trade agenda, and the
Export Guarantees Advisory
Council plays a vital role providing
policy advice to ministers
as they look to realise this
agenda. I look forward to playing
a part in ensuring best practice
in trade finance support for
the UK’s exporters.
Louis Taylor, CEO of UK
Export Finance, said:
Shalini, Roseline and John
each bring over twenty years’
experience and a wealth of specialist
knowledge as leaders in
their respective fields. I’m
delighted to welcome them to
their new roles, and very much
look forward to working with
them as we continue to enhance
and expand our support for the
UK’s exporting community.
Speech by Ambassador to Mongolia at
the 55th Anniversary of UK-Mongolia
Diplomatic Relations Reception
Ambassador to Mongolia Catherine Arnold
launched the year long celebration of the 55th
anniversary of UK-Mongolia
Diplomatic Relations. Your
Excellency, Minister of
Defence, MPs, Ladies and
Gentlemen. Today, fifty-five
years ago, the UK and
Mongolia established diplomatic
relations. Much has
changed in our countries since
1963. But some things have
not changed. If fact, reading
through the documents on our
early relations many things
haven’t changed at all. They
have simply grown – possibly
unimaginably for those who
wrote them – from that early
dialogue. There were discussions
about increasing
Mongolian exports to the UK,
of bringing innovative UK equipment into
Mongolian industry. Discussions on student
exchanges. And, appropriately given where we
are tonight, and the phenomenal success of
Mongolian Opera singers in the last two BBC
Cardiff International Singer competitions – how
to link the Opera singers of our two countries.
Fifty-five years on the UK is Mongolia’s second
largest export market, British companies
have invested billions into Mongolia. And
British innovation and technology is strengthening
Mongolian business and industry across the
country. Examples of this, I would like to thank
tonight’s principal sponsors Transwest, representing
Joy Global’s UKmade
conveyors and
Komatsu, and Cummins.
Across Mongolia you can
find heavy machinery and
trucks, including Komatsu’s,
powered by formidable
Cummins engines made in
the UK. I am, also delighted
to be able to make two
announcements this evening.
Firstly, almost as I speak, the
Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom, Theresa May, is
informing the UK parliament
of the appointment of Julian
Knight MP as her Trade
Envoy to Mongolia.
Secondly, that UK Export
Finance, the world’s oldest
export credit agency, will increase support available
for UK trade with Mongolia to £200million.
And also the ability to support transactions
in Mongolian Tugrug, as part of its world-leading
local currency financing offer. This will
allow Mongolian buyers of UK goods and services
to access finance in your own currency.
Fifty-five years on the UK and Mongolia are
working closely together on some of the greatest
global challenges. Peace-keeping, human
rights, climate-change, sustainable development,
countering the illegal wildlife trade.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Appointment of UK
Prime Minister’s Trade
Envoy to Mongolia
&UK Export Finance
increases support
Julian Knight MP has been appointed by
Prime Minister Theresa May to act on behalf of
the British Government to support and increase
trade and economic co-operation between the
UK and Mongolia. UK-
Mongolia celebrated the
55th anniversary of establishment
of diplomatic relations
on 23 January 2018.
Her Majesty’s
Ambassador Catherine
Arnold launched the yearlong
celebration with an
official reception and she
announced the appointment
of UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to
Mongolia and UK Export Finance’s decision to
increase support. Julian Knight MP has been
appointed by Prime Minister Theresa May to act
on behalf of the British Government to support
and increase trade and economic co-operation
between the United Kingdom and Mongolia.
UK Export Finance, the world’s oldest export
credit agency, also announces an increase in support
available for UK trade with Mongolia to
£200million. UK Export Finance can now also
support transactions in Mongolian Tugrug, as
part of its world-leading local currency financing
offer. This will allow Mongolian buyers of
UK goods and services to access finance in their
own currency – or to ‘buy British, pay local’.
The British Ambassador to Mongolia, Catherine
Arnold, said: ‘These are two significant
announcements to support and grow the trade
and investment partnership between the UK and
Mongolia. On 23 January 1963 the UK became
the first Western country to establish diplomatic
relations with Mongolia. Our first diplomat
arrived a year later and we have had diplomatic
representation here in Ulaanbaatar ever since.
Our partnership has been sustained and unwavering
over the last 55 years. I am delighted to
launch our 55th anniversary year with these two
significant trade announcements. The UK
remains committed to working with Mongolia
both here and globally, to strengthen our
economies, increase sustainability, and nurture
democracy and human rights.’
UNITED KINGDOM
FEBRUARY 2018
PM welcomes guests
to No 10 to celebrate
St David’s Day
The Culinary Association of Wales also served up a selection of Welsh canapés, and a Welsh
choir from Côr y Boro and harpist Rhys Wardhaugh played traditional Welsh tunes
The Prime Minister hosted a St David’s Day
reception at No 10 to celebrate Wales’ national
day and recognise Wales as a great part of the
United Kingdom. Theresa May and Secretary of
State for Wales Alun Cairns welcomed people
from all parts of the UK including figures from
Welsh business, politics, sport, charities and the
media.
Guests included Welsh Red Arrows Pilot
Flight Lieutenant Mike Bowden; Welsh TV personality
Matt Johnson; former Welsh rugby
international Richard Parks; Baroness Tanni
Grey-Thompson; and London marathon runner
Matthew Rees, who was made famous last year
when he helped a struggling runner get across
the finish line.
A number of Welsh companies attended to
showcase their produce, including Penderyn
Distillery, who produce award-winning single
malt whiskies and spirits in Brecon Beacons,
South Wales; Cwm Farm Charcuterie, who were
awarded first place at the Great British Farm
Produce Awards and a gold star from the Great
Taste Awards for their laverbread sausage; and
Ridiculously Rich By Alana – a company created
by winner of BBC One’s The Apprentice,
Alana, who started to sell her luxury chocolate
to friends and family before attracting the interest
of shops in Aberystwyth. The Culinary
Association of Wales also served up a selection
of Welsh canapés, and a Welsh choir from Côr y
Boro and harpist Rhys Wardhaugh played traditional
Welsh tunes. Prime Minister Theresa May
said: It is always a privilege to celebrate Wales’
national day alongside Welsh people from every
walk of life and every part of the country.
Many of the companies who were represented
here today are exporting across Europe and
around the globe – showing just how much
Wales has to offer at home and to the world.
From sport, business, to entertainment and
music, the Welsh make their indelible mark in
every possible sphere of society. Thank you to
everyone who came here today, despite the bad
weather, to celebrate the very best of Welsh life
and for Wales making the UK the country it is.
The nations of the UK each have their own
unique characters, cultures and needs – but
5
when we come together as one, we are all the
better for it.
Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:
Today was an extremely important day for
the whole of Wales. Despite the snow, it was
wonderful to see so many people from all walks
of Welsh life coming together to celebrate,
underline and show our respect to our Welsh
language, history and culture.
I’d like to thank the Prime Minister for the
special emphasis and respect she shows to all
four nations of our precious Union, as well as all
the guests who made it to Number 10 even with
the adverse conditions today.
Alana Spencer, of Ridiculously Rich by
Alana, said: It was a real honour to come to
Downing Street today, and the day was made
even more special by the fact that it is to celebrate
Welsh food on St David’s day. I feel proud
to be a food producer based in Wales and it’s
lovely to be recognised alongside other incredible
food producers from Wales. Stephen Davies,
of Penderyn Distillery, said: We were thrilled to
showcase Penderyn Single Malt at Downing
Street on St David’s Day, which is the anniversary
of the launch of our Penderyn brand back in
2004. As we are currently targeting a range of
new export markets, events like this help give
focus to our business and brand in the eyes of
our export partners. Ruth Davies, of Cwm Farm
Charcuterie, said:
It was an absolute honour and privilege to be
here today and to meet the Prime Minister, and I
met some wonderful people who tried our produce.
To be given this opportunity as a small
producer was just what we needed!
Russia, India ink cooperation MoU
with Bangladesh on Rooppur N-plant
Moscow | Russia, India and
Bangladesh signed a trilateral
agreement on Thursday to
cooperate in the construction of
the Rooppur Nuclear Power
Plant in Bangladesh, work on
which started late last year,
according to an announcement
from Russian state-run atomic
energy corporation Rosatom.
Rosatom, the equipment supplier
and technical consultant
for the Kudankulam Nuclear
Power Project in Tamil Nadu,
said in a statement here that the
MoU for cooperation was
signed by Rosatom Deputy
Director General Nikolay
Spassky, Indian Ambassador to
Russia Pankaj Saran and
Bangladesh Ambassador here
S.M. Saiful Hoque. “The parties
will cooperate, in particular, in
the field of personnel training
and mentoring, exchange of
experience and provision of
consulting support,” Rosatom
said. “Indian companies can be
involved in construction and
installation works, the supply of
materials and equipment of a
non-critical category for the
project.” An inter-agency agreement
was signed last year
between the Global Centre for
Nuclear Energy Partnership
(GCNEP), Bangladesh Atomic
Energy Commission (BAEC)
and India’s Department of
Atomic Energy (DAE) for
cooperation on nuclear projects
in Bangladesh. As per this
agreement, the DAE through
GCNEP would provide training
services to BAEC personnel
involved in the Rooppur
Nuclear Power Project.
Rosatom started work in
December last year on the first
nuclear power plant in
Bangladesh at Rooppur which
will have two VVER 1200 type
reactors for a total capacity of
2,400 MW. Russia has offered
to supply to India the VVER-
1200 reactors that are powered
by advanced fuel for the second
nuclear power project to follow
Kudankulam, which envisages
the construction of six reactors
of the earlier generation VVER
type of 1,000 MW capacity
each.
The VVER-1200 has 20 per
cent more capacity than the
VVER-1000. The first two
units at Kudankulam have been
commissioned, with four other
units in various stages of implementation
or planning.
Secretary of State Appoints
Charity Commission Chair
Baroness Tina Stowell appointed as new Chair of Charity
Commission from 26 February 2018. Baroness Tina Stowell has
been appointed by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture,
Media and Sport as the new Chair of the Charity Commission, for
three years from 26 February 2018. Baroness Stowell will take
over from William Shawcross in the role. Matt Hancock,
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said:
Tina Stowell will be a brilliant chair of the Charity Commission
and I am delighted she is taking up this role. It is an important
time for the Commission, and the sector, and I know that she will
work tirelessly to protect and promote the great work that charities
do and ensure they uphold the highest standards of integrity.
I would also like to thank William Shawcross for his hard work
over the past six years. Baroness Stowell said: I am delighted to
join the Charity Commission, and look forward to leading a
strong board and a committed and expert staff through the challenges
ahead. I will place the public interest at the heart of everything
I do as Chair to build the public’s trust in charities and the
Commission as their regulator. To that end it is vital that we have
a constructive, business-like relationship with all our stakeholders
and I look forward to listening to a wide range of voices in the
days and weeks ahead. Baroness Stowell of Beeston was Leader
of the House of Lords and the Lord Privy Seal until July 2016.
Tina Stowell was made a peer in January 2011 and joined the
Government in September the same year. As a junior minister she
led the landmark Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act through the
House of Lords in 2013. She was promoted to Leader of the
House of Lords and the Lord Privy Seal in 2014 and re-appointed
to the same Cabinet post after the 2015 General Election.

6 FEBRUARY 2018
ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Solar power park with
2,000 MW capacity inaugurated
in Karnataka
Bengaluru | Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah on Thursday inaugurated
a solar power park with
a 2,000 megawatt capacity at
Pavagada in Karnataka’s
Tumakuru district, about 70 km
from here. “Karnataka has
emerged as the third-largest producer
of renewable energy in the
country. We have set a goal to
source at least 20 per cent of
power requirements from renewable
projects,” Siddaramaiah
said. In future, Karnataka aims
to be an energy-surplus state, he
said. Built on 13,000 acres
spread across five villages, the
park entailed an expenditure of
Rs 16,500 crore, an official
statement said. The solar park
generated 600 MW power as of
January 2018 while an additional
1,400 MW is expected to be
generated by December. Even as
the southern state claims that this
solar park is the largest,
Rajasthan’s Bhadla solar park
coming up in Jodhpur district
will have a capacity of 2,255
MW when fully operational.
“The solar park has farmers
from the Pavagada region as
partners and beneficiaries who
have leased out land for the
park,” said state Energy
Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
Nearly 2,300 farmers are part
of the project, with several giving
their land for Rs 21,000 per
acre per annum rent.
Tata Trusts, Telangana
sign MoU on cancer care
Hyderabad | The Telangana government and Tata Trusts on
Thursday signed an MoU to deliver high quality affordable cancer
care and develop academic and research capabilities in the state.
As part of the three-tier model, two apex super specialty hospitals
in Hyderabad — the MNJ Institute of Technology and the
Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences — will be upgraded to handle
complex cases on a referral basis. Medical colleges in
Adilabad, Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar and Warangal will be
strengthened so that they can offer diagnosis and treatment of cancer
cases. District hospitals in Karimnagar, Khammam and
Nalgonda will be developed to offer diagnostic and standardised
day care chemotherapy.
“Thereby, a state-wide cancer care network will get created to
take treatment closest to patients, through beefing up the existing
public health system and infrastructure,” said a statement from
Tata Trusts. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by
Telangana’s Health, Medical & Family Welfare Department
Principal Secretary Santhi Kumari and Tata Trusts Managing
Trustee R. Venkataramanan in the presence of Information
Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao, Health Minister C. Laxma
Reddy, and Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan N. Tata.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
ASIA
FEBRUARY 2018
7
‘Centre not doing anything
about fishermen imprisoned
in Pakistan, Lanka’
“The Congress will bring ordinary and poor fishermen to
the frontline of the political mainstream,” he said.
New Delhi, Congress
President Rahul Gandhi
on Wednesday attacked
said the goverment led by
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi is not doing anything
with regard to fishermen
jailed in Pakistan
and Sri Lanka.
Gandhi was addressing
the first National
Executive Committee
meeting of the All India
Fishermen Congress.
He said when the
Congress returns to
power at the Centre, an
independent Fisheries
Ministry will be set up under a Cabinet
Minister. Gandhi said the Congress would
fight for the rights of fishermen in India.
“The union government is denying the
rights of fishermen to live on their own
land. They are facing serious difficulties in
fishing due to arbitrary price
hike of kerosene and diesel,” the
Congress chief said.
“The central government is
not ready to interfere in the
issues of fishermen imprisoned
in Pakistan and Sri Lankan
jails,” he added. He said Modi,
who travels abroad frequently,
has not raised imporatant issues
concerning fishermen at international
fora. “Lots of fishermen
are imprisoned in foreign jails
due to inadvertently crossing the
international borders in the high
water. Modi is instead only taking
up issues of the corporates
and multi-millionaires,” Gandhi
added. “The Congress will bring ordinary
and poor fishermen to the frontline of the
political mainstream,” he said.
One AAP MLA joins probe, the
other seeks a week’s time
New Delhi | Of the two
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs
who were asked to join an ongoing
police investigation here
into a case related to the alleged
assault on Delhi Chief Secretary
Anshu Prakash, one MLA
joined the probe on Thursday
while the other sought a week’s
time. Additional Deputy
Commissioner of Police
Harendra Singh told IANS that
AAP MLAs Nitin Tyagi and
Rajesh Rishi were asked to join
the probe into the alleged
assault. “Rishi reached the Civil
Lines Police Station today
(Thursday) at around 5.30 p.m.
and left at 8 p.m. The other
MLA has sought one week
time,” Singh said.
Last week, Anshu Prakash
alleged that he was assaulted by
AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan
and Prakash Jarwal, in the presence
of Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal at his residence on
February 19 night, when the
Chief Secretary was called for a
meeting. Khan and Jarwal were
later arrested and are currently
in judicial custody.
Centre okayed
Economic fugitive
Bill to ‘divert
attention’: Congress
New Delhi | The Congress
on Friday took on the Centre
over the Fugitive Economic
Offenders Bill saying that the
former approved the Bill just
to “divert attention” of the
people.
“All this is being done just
to divert attention. We want to
know what they did earlier
and not what they will do in
the future,” Congress leader
Anand Sharma said.
“The country already has
many laws. The Enforcement
Directorate (ED) attaches the
properties of so many people
and makes cases,” he added.
On the Punjab National
Bank (PNB) fraud case,
Sharma said that “scamsters
have looted” and fled the
country. “The government
knew all this yet let them
(jeweller Nirav Modi and
Mehul Choksi) flee.
Complaints against Nirav
Modi and Choksi had been
coming since 2015 and were
presented to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi,” Sharma
added.
Sharma also called former
finance minister P.
Chidambaram’s son Karti
Chidambaram’s arrest in the
INX media case as an ‘act of
revenge.’ “Whatever is happening
with Karti
Chidambaram is happening
with the feeling of revenge.
They caught him, while Nirav
Modi and Mehul Choksi ran
away,” he said.
Unity govts with
two major parties
are always a
challenge - PM
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe on
Friday said that the recent
Local Government election
was a barometer and a very
strong message to the government
to be more active and that
the changes promised have not
taken place fast enough.
“Last local government election
was a barometer and a
very, very strong message to
the government that they
should be more active,” he said,
participating in a discussion
during the ‘Invest Sri Lanka’
Forum held in Singapore.
He stated that unfortunately
the country went into an election
at a time when there was a
rapid increase in cost of living
and there was a shortage of fertiliser.
“Not really the atmosphere
for elections, nevertheless
it’s a barometer that the
changes we promised have not
taken place fast enough.” He
noted that the government also
spent the first two years in stabilizing
the economy.
When asked as to how much
of a challenge the unity government
initiated by him has
proven to be in pushing reform,
he said that unity governments
with the two major parties are
always a challenge. “We do
have agreement on reforms in
many areas and the plus point is
the stability.”
“Because once the unity
governments are over, whoever
comes to power it’s very
unlikely that they are going to
change the system,” he said. In
his final message to the
investors gathered at the forum,
the PM said: “Come to Sri
Lanka. Look at the investment
opportunities. And even if you
don’t find something initially,
you’ll have a good holiday.”

8 FEBRUARY 2018
ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
India, Jordan ink defence
framework agreement
Rs 1,217-cr assets
of Choksi attached
Mumbai/New Delhi | The
Enforcement Directorate (ED)
today said it has attached 41
properties, valued at over Rs
Brahmaji Rao to understand
how the alleged fraud was
detected and other banking procedures.
Panvel and Villupuram in
Tamil Nadu. A 170-acre park in
Hyderabad’s Ranga Reddy district
valued at over Rs 500
ED said. The individuals and
companies, the agency order
said, who own these assets
include Mehul Choksi, Rohan
1,200 crore, in connection with The central probe agency crore has also been attached, it Parth, Gitanjali Exports
its money laundering probe in
the PNB scam against Gitanjali
issued a provisional order for
attachment of assets under the
said. Four flats in Borivali
(east) area of the Maharashtra
Corporation, Gitanjali Gems
Limited, Decent Securities and
Gems and its promoter Mehul Prevention of Money capital and nine others in Kheni Finance Pvt Ltd, N&J Finstock
Choksi. It also examined Laundering Act (PMLA). The Tower in Santacruz (east) have Pvt Ltd and Rohan Mercantile
PNB’s Managing Director and
CEO Sunil Mehta at its zonal
office in Mumbai today. The
ED had early this week examined
attached assets include 15 flats
and 17 office premises in
Mumbai, a mall in Kolkata, a
four-acre farmhouse in Alibaug
also been attached as part of the
action.
“The total value of the 41
assets attached today, which are
Pvt Ltd among others. The
agency last week had similarly
attached 21 immovable assets
worth Rs 523.72 crore of dia-
state-owned bank’s and 231 acres of land at loca-
controlled by Choksi, is estimond
jewellery businessman
Executive Director KV tions like Nashik, Nagpur, mated at Rs 1,217.2 crore,” the Nirav Modi and his group.
Kejriwal demands
CBI inquiry into
SSC exam ‘scam’
New Delhi | Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal on
Friday demanded a Central
Bureau of Investigation
inquiry into an alleged scam in
an examination conducted by
the Staff Selection
Commission (SSC) for government
jobs. “Thousands of
aspirants are demanding a CBI
inquiry into the SSC exam
scam. This issue is related to
their future. The central government
should immediately
accept the aspirants’ demand
and order a CBI inquiry,” the
Chief Minister tweeted.
Refused PNB
loan, Bihar youth
commits suicide
Patna | A youth allegedly
committed suicide in Bihar’s
Supaul district on Thursday
after he was refused a loan for
his plastic factory by Punjab
National Bank, police said.
Sanjay Mandal was said to
be depressed after his loan
application was rejected by
officials of the PNB branch at
Basbitti Road in Supaul.
District police official
Vidhassgar said police has
begun an investigation from
all angles.
Jayendra Saraswathi
interred in Mutt
Kancheepuram | Jayendra
Saraswathi, the 69th pontiff of
the Kanchi Mutt, was today
buried in the Brindhavanam
annexe on the premises of the
religious establishment here
with Vedic honours.
Amid chants, the body of the
82-year-old (in sitting posture)
was lowered into a large bamboo
basket placed inside the 7
ft x 7 ft burial pit in the annexe.
The pit was filled with herbs
like “Vasambu”, salt, sandalwood
and sand. Marking conclusion
of the ceremony that
lasted for over three hours
beginning 7.45 am, a grand
“aarti” was performed, with
Tamil Nadu Governor
Banwarilal Purohit also in
attendance. The ceremony
began with the performance of
“abishekam” on the body of
Jayendra Saraswathi that was
seated with folded hands in a
chair. The mutt hall reverberated
with hymns with emotional
devotees bidding farewell to
the revered saint. The body was
earlier brought from the main
hall in a chair to the
Brindhavanam annexe housing
the mausoleum of Sri
Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi,
his predecessor. The mortal
remains of the seer had been
kept for public homage in the
main hall of the Mutt premises
since yesterday morning.
Devotees were teary-eyed during
the burial ceremony when
the “Kailaya Vadhyam” was
played (a form of Tamil music
involving use of traditional
drums and trumpets).
New Delhi | India
and Jordan on
Thursday agreed to
deepen their security,
counter terror and
defence cooperation
in formal talks held
between Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi and Jordanian
King Abdullah . The
two sides signed a
defence framework
agreement to define
the scope of such
cooperation and make provisions
for its implementation in
areas like training; defence
industry; military studies;
cyber security; military medical
services, peace-keeping
and capacity building.
Interestingly, the King was
given a presentation about
India’s indigenous ALH-Dhruv
(Advanced Light Helicopters)
at the Palam Technical Airport
on Wednesday before he flew
to the NSG (National Security
Guard) training centre in
Manesar. T S Tirumurti,
Secretary Economic Relations
in MEA, though clarified there
is no procurement plans
expressed by Jordan as of now.
The King a qualified paratrooper
himself and a cobra
helicopter pilot, was trained at
the Royal Military Academy
Sandhurst in UK is known to
take personal interest in
defence areas. The two sides
also exchanged 11 other MoUs,
including long-term rock phosphate
and fertiliser supplies, a
twining arrangement between
the heritage sites of Agra and
Petra, and an understanding to
set up a Hindi chair at the
University of Jordan. “His
Majesty commended the role
India is playing in the region,
We are looking at closer security
cooperation keeping the
influence Jordan has in the
region,” added Tirumurti in
context of India’s stand on
Palestine and its West Asia outreach.
Prime Minister Modi in
his recent historic stand alone
visit to Palestine had had been
received by the King personally
at his residence in Amman
and transited to Ramallah in a
Jordanian chopper escorted by
the Israeli Air Force.
India has also agreed to supply
five million US$ worth of
medicines and vaccines to the
1.3 million Syrian refugees
housed in Jordan.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk ASIA FEBRUARY 2018 9
Students protest balloon-throwing,
police promises action
New Delhi, Menaced by balloonthrowing
ahead of Holi, girl students
from Delhi University (DU) held
demonstrations at several places on
Thursday and were joined by activists
and teachers in their demand for a
stricter attitude towards the revellers.
The girl students of Jesus and Mary
College and Lady Shri Ram college —
who held demonstrations at the police
headquarters and Amar Colony police
station, respectively — were joined by
many Delhi University teachers in their
protests, who decried the lack of supervision
and deterrent measures to check
such vulgar activities.
“We demand increased police
patrolling during Holi and marshals in
buses as were promised,” Maya John,
history teacher at JMC, told IANS outside
the police headquarters at ITO.
“I think residential societies should
also be directed to hold meetings to sensitise
their members as balloon throwing
is rampant in societies where Holi
meets are organised,” she said.
The protest by JMC students was
triggered by an incident in Sagarpur
area on Wednesday, when a girl travelling
in a bus was hit with a balloon,
allegedly filled with urine.
Some reports said semen was also
used, but this could not be verified.
Including the February 24 incident (the
first one to emerge), when a Lady Shri
Ram (LSR) student had posted a picture
Modi government harassing
Chidambaram’s family,
protecting corrupt: Congress
New Delhi, The Congress on
Thursday said the Narendra
Modi government was harassing
senior Congress leader P.
Chidambaram’s family but protecting
those who fled the country
after siphoning off Rs 39,000
crore of public money. The party
said the government was harassing
Congress leaders as it was
rattled and wanted to divert
attention from the unfolding
scams. A court here on Thursday
sent in CBI custody former
Finance Minister P.
Chidambaram’s son Karti till
March 6 in the INX Media
alleged bribery case.
“Chidambaram ji’s family is
being harassed to protect the
CBI
grills
Punjab
CM’s
son-inlaw
government from the unfolding
scams (bank fraud cases) as they
are getting rattled with each
passing day.
of her on social media with a story of
how she was hit with a semen-filled balloon,
three girls have complained of
“We had mentioned earlier
too that we have total faith in the
legal process and ultimately the
court will declare them innocent,”
said Congress spokesperson
Randeep Singh Surjewala.
“The question is — a person
is cooperating in the probe by
appearing before the CBI regularly
and you arrest him in an 11-
year-old case of Rs 10 lakh consultancy
fee. We have people
who have fled the country after
siphoning off Rs 39,000 crore.
“… the 3Ms — Mehul,
(Nirav) Modi and (Jatin) Mehta
— you are protecting them.
What kind of justice is this
(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi
ji? The country wants to know.”
New Delhi | The CBI today questioned Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder
Singh’s son-in-law Gurpal Singh who was booked by the agency in the Oriental Bank
of Commerce (OBC) loan fraud case of Rs 97.85 crore and a default of Rs 109.08
crore. He is also Deputy Managing Director of Simbhaoli Sugar Mill located in
Ghaziabad district. Mill’s CEO GSC Rao was also quizzed, sources said, adding that
agency sleuths have found some evidence against the accused. Gurpal Singh, Rao are
among several senior officials of the sugar mill and unknown bank officials who have
been booked on the basis of a complaint submitted by the OBC for allegedly causing
a loss of Rs 109.08 crore. The CBI had carried out searches at eight premises, including
residences of the directors, factory, corporate office and registered office of the
company in Delhi, Hapur and Noida. The CBI alleged that the OBC sanctioned a loan
of Rs 148.60 crore in 2011 to Simbhaoli Sugar Mill to finance sugarcane farmers who
supply sugar produce to the mill during the period from January 25, 2012 to March 13, 2012, which was
allegedly diverted by the mill for its own needs. The account turned non-performing asset (NPA) on
March 31, 2015, and was later declared as alleged fraud by the bank for an amount of Rs. 97.85 crore.
being hit with balloons, filled with
either urine or semen, and two of them
have approached police. Speaking to
IANS, a senior police official said they
have received one complaint so far (at
Amar Colony police station) and the
perpetrator was found to be a 21-yearold
woman, who had thrown the balloon
at the LSR sociology student on
Wednesday.
He said they were verifying if the
balloon was filled with any body fluid
and assured that appropriate force
would be mobilised to ensure protection
of women on Holi.
“We will deploy about 1,000 personnel
— including women personnel — to
prevent any untoward incident on Holi.
We will also place barricades at several
places to deal with hooligans in automobiles
also,” Delhi Commissioner of
Police (south-east) Chinmoy Biswal
told IANS.
The student who accompanied the
complainant said she was not sure
whether the balloon was filled with any
body fluid — semen or urine as reported
in the media — but it was “something
gooey and sticky”.
The Delhi Commission for Women
(DCW) Chairperson also wrote to the
Delhi Police Commissioner asking him
to “ensure safety and security of women
and girls in Delhi” and issued a notice to
the SHO Amar Colony “on the LSRsemen-flinging
case.”
Met predicts warmer than
normal pre-Monsoon period
New Delhi | The pre-monsoon
period this summer,
March to May, will be
warmer than normal and several
parts of North India will
experience temperatures at
least a degree hotter than
average temperatures during
the season, the India
Meteorological Department
(IMD) has said.
Not just this, after a particularly
rain-deficient winter
(minus 63 per cent),
meteorologists are also predicting
drier pre-monsoon days.
Side-effects of deficient winter
rains are already becoming
pronounced. According to the
governments latest data, water
level in reservoirs is down, again
by a per cent. The water storage
in 91 major reservoirs of the
country for the week ending on
March 1, 2018, was 57.684
BCM, 36 per cent of their
total storage capacity. It was
37 per cent for the week
ending February 22, 2018.
For the Northwest, it is
going to be particularly
tough. The IMD data indicate
that the maximum temperature
anomaly for Jammu
and Kashmir is 2.44 degrees
C, Himachal Pradesh 2.75,
Uttarakhand 2.66, Punjab
1.70, Haryana 1.78, west and
east Rajasthan 1.63 and west and
east Uttar Pradesh 1.60 and 1.33
degrees C, respectively.
Addison Aaron
A First Class Full Service
International Law Firm
Committed To Winning Matters.
Tel : 0121 213 4812
law@addisonaaron.com
w w w . a d d i s o n a a r o n . c o m

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Accountants
City Accountants
29 Foremans Road, Sparkhill,
B’ham B11 3AA
Tel. 0121 777 8000
www.city-accountants.co.uk
43B Formans Rd, B’ham, B11
3AA | Tel: 0121 777 8000
Barber Shop
JC Hairstyles
78 Gipsy Ln, Leicester LE4
6RE
Tel: 0116 266 9188
271 Tat Bank Rd, Oldbury,
Birmingham, B68 8NP
Tel : 0121 544 0068
Ladypool Rd, Birmingham,
B128JY
Bars & Pubs
5 Market Pl, Tipton, DY4 7EJ
Tel : 0121 557 6506
Bank
118 Soho Rd, B21 9DP
Tel : 0121 515 0400
182 Soho Rd, Birmingham,
B21 9LP, Tel : 0121 507 9940
173-175 Soho Rd, B’ham, B21
9SU | Tel : 0121 523 5973
290 Soho Rd, Birmingham,
B21 9LZ | Tel : 0121 554 9082
Builders
S &P Builders
Sukhi Mob. : 07737 060 121
Pamma Mob.: 07450 762 550
Bearwood Maintenance
Mob. 07811 392 786
Raj & Raj Building Work
B’ham | Mob. 07404 042 783
Birmingham Building
Construction
Osman Abyan
Managing Director
Mob; 07429 398 280
birminghambuildingconstruction@hotmail.com
Carpentry
Flora Carpentry
Sunny Mob. 07403 586 305
Mail: gurdipflora@hotmail.com
Carpets
UK Carpets
1188-1190 Warwick Rd, Acocks
Green, B’ham B27 6BT
Tel. 0121 707 6424
www.uk-carpets.com
Corner Shop
165 -167 Stratford Rd, B’ham,
B111RB | Tel : 0121 772 1322
523 Foleshill Rd, Coventry,
CV6 5AU | Tel : 024 7666 5277
Wallsal Rd, Wednesbury,
WS10 9SJ
44a Pinson Rd, Willhall,
WV132PR | Tel : 01902 606302
42 Church St, Bilston,
Wolverhampton,
WV14 0AH
Aaron’s Catering Services
Brewery Street, off High Street
Smethwick B67 7RA
Tel : 0121 555 8400
Mob : 07805 337 232
Mail: info@aaronsfoods.co.uk
Web: www. aaronsfood.com
Indian Sweets
& Catering
We Cater For All Occasions;
Weddings, Birthdays,
Engagements Parties or any
other Social Functions.
Big Discounts on
Bulk Orders
Quality Service and
Years of Experience
71 Great Bridge,
Tipton, DY4 7HF
Tel. 0121 238 2648
Mob: 07413 426 930
Mail: vivek_18hp@yahoo.com
Café & Restaurants
84 Oxhill Rd, Birmingham,
B21 9RH | Tel : 0121 554 5517
225 Holyhead Rd, Birmingham
B21 0AP | Tel : 0121 515 4110
20 High St, Smethwick, B’ham,
B66 1DX | Tel : 0121 558 8488
86 High St, Smethwick, B’ham,
B66 1AQ | Tel : 0121 558 8372
Tollgate Shopping Precinct,
Smethwick, Birmingham, B67
7RA | Tel : 0121 565 2122
Tollgate Shopping Centre,
Brewery St, Smethwick, B’ham,
B67 7RA | Tel : 0121 555 8400
285-287 High St, Smethwick,
Birmingham, B66 3NJ
Tel : 0121 565 2187
166 High St,
Harborne,Birmingham,
B179PN
314, High St,
Harborne, Birmingham,
B179PU
10, Rood End Road,
Oldbury, Birmingham,
B688SH
125 High St, West Bromwich,
Birmingham, B70 6NY
Tel : 0121 525 9458
142 High St, West
Bromwich, Birmingham,
B706NY
40 Old Walsall Rd, B’ham,
B42 1NP
205 Dyas Ave, Birmingham,
B42 1HN
572 Kingstanding Rd, B’ham,
B44 9SD | Tel : 0121 373 3549
563 Coventry Rd, Small Heath,
Birmingham, B10 0LP
Tel : Tel: 0121 572 6397
703 - 705 Stratford Road,
Sparkhill, B’ham, B11 4DN
Tel: 0121 778 5100
71 Great Bridge, Tipton, DY4
7HF | 0121 238 2648
48A Lower High St,
Wednesbury, WS10 7AL,
Tel : 0121 505 1211
200 Dudley Rd, Wolverhampton,
WV2 3DT | Tel : 01902 450939
Barcroft Rd, Wolverhampton,
WV2 3HF | Tel : 01902 451113
Cash & Carry /
Supermarkets /
Corner Shops
Radias Superstore
121-127 Melton Rd, City
Centre, Leicester LE4 6QS Tel:
0116 266 9409
A1 Cash and Carry
112 Green Lane Road,
Leicester, LE5 3TJ
Tel: 0116 212 2129
Shah's Pan House
523 Foleshill Rd, Coventry,
CV6 5AU
Tel: 02476 665 2777
Catering
Sukhdev's Catering
Unit 4, 5/7 South Road,
Hockley, Birmingham B18 5LT
Tel: 0121 314 1247
Mail: sukhdev@sukhdevfoods.com
www.sukdhevcaterings.co.uk
Double Glazing
Star Windows (GB) Ltd.
16 Rolfe St, Smethwick,
B’ham B66 2AA
Tel. 0121 555 8333
Electronics
86 Great Hampton St, B’ham,
B186EW
Fence
T & D Fencing
Unit 405, Smethwick Enterprise
Centre, St, Smethwick, B66 2AR
Tel. 0121-565 4533
www.TandDfencing.co.uk
Hardware Store
Queens Park Stores
Diy • Furniture • Beds • Bathrooms
224/230 Court Oak Road,
Harborne, Birmingham B32 2EG
Tel: 0121 – 4282164
www.queensparkstores.co.uk
27A W Bromwich St, Walsall,
WS1 4BP :| Tel : 01922 642329
CLASSIFIED
Health Care
Premium Community Care
86 Digbeth, B’ham B5 6DY
Tel. 0121 643 9808
Insurance
Crownsway Insurance
Brokers Ltd.
183 Holyhead Road,
Handsworth, Birmingham
Tel. 0121 554 3566/9788
www.crownsway.co.uk
Insurance Broker
46 Summer Rd, Birmingham,
B236UR
DJS House, 183 Holyhead
Road, Birmingham, B21 0BD
Tel : 0121 554 3566
Lettings & Sales
Ignite Properties
44A High Street, Leamington
Spa, CV31 1 LW
Tel.: 01926 930 251
www.ignite-properties.co.uk
Angel Estates Ltd
251-253 Rookery Rd,
Birmingham B21 9PU
Phone: 0121 448 0717
M & R Lettings & Sales
Wolverhampton
Tel. 01902 833 844
Sodhi & Co.
123 Evington Road, Leicester
Tel. 0116 255 3455
www.sodiandco.com
Library
Birmingham Rd, Birmingham
B43 6NW
193 High St, Harborne, B’ham,
B179QG
Kingstanding Road, B’ham,
B44 9ST | Tel : 0121 464 5193
Meat Shop
Soand Meat Shop
122 Green Lane Road, Leicester
Tel. 0116 276 0658
326 Ladypool Rd, Birmingha,
B128JY
Punjab Meat Center
16 Tollgate Shopping Precinct,
Smethwick, B’ham B67 7RA
Tel. 0121 448 7279
169 Rookery Rd, Birmingham,
B21 9QZ, Tel : 0121 554 1988
Tollgate Shopping Precinct,
Smethwick , B’ham, B67 7RA
Tel : 0121 558 4441
123 High St, West Bromwich,
Birmingham, B70 6NY
Tel : 0121 553 3555
37 High St, West Bromwich ,
Birmingham, B70 6PB
Tel : 0121 553 5231
600 -602 Coventry Rd, Small
Heath, Birmingham, B10 0US
Tel : 0121 773 0234
542 -544, Coventry Rd, Small
Heath, Birmingham, B10 0UN
Tel: 0121 771 0292
711/713 Stratford Road,
Sparkhill, Birmingham, B11
4DN | Tel: 0121 778 5553
Soand Meat Shop
122 Green Lane Road, Leicester
Tel. 0116 276 0658
Punjab Meat Center
16 Tollgate Shopping Precinct,
Smethwick, B’ham B67 7RA
Tel. 0121 448 7279
Stand Meat Shop
122 Green Lane Road,
Leicester, LE5 3TJ Tel: 0116
276 0658
New Asia Meat Centre
119 Caludon Rd, Coventry CV2
4LR Tel: 024 7644 7900
Gill Meat & Grocery
Unit 12, Tollgate Shopping Centre,
Smethwick, B’ham B67 7RA
Tel : 0121 558 4441
383 Mosley Rd, B’ham,
B129DD
Tat Bank Rd, Oldbury, B’ham
B68 8NR
212 Golden Hillock Rd, B’ham,
B112PN
Birmingham,
B10 0QP
Mortgage
Zakir Mortgage
128 A, Stoney Lane, B’ham
Tel. 0121 449 7091
Mob. 07890 615 016
Motoring
BR Car Care
383-387 Moseley Rd, B’ham
B12 9DD
Tel. 0121 440 0779
Mosque
Off License
Super Wines and Spirits
91-793 Stratford Rd,
Birmingham B11 4DG
Tel: 0121 778 5016
FEBRUARY 2018
10
4-6 Beauchamp Ave, B’ham,
B201DR
255 Lodge Rd, B’ham,
B18 5SJ
91-793 Stratford Rd, B’ham,
B11 4DG | Tel: 0121 778 5016
138 Clay Ln, Coventry,
CV2 4LT
Brax News, 156-160 W
Bromwich St, Walsall,
WS1 4DE
Darlaston, Wednesbury,
WS10 7TQ
Party Hall
Supreme Banqueting and
Conference
10, Roebuck Lane, West
Bromwich, B70 6QP.
Tel: 0121 553 3921
Radio
715-C Parkfield Road
Wolverhampton, WV4 6EE
Tel. 1902 681 655
TM
Sky Digital Channel 0205
24 hour Entertainment
On Sky, On-Line, On Mobiles
Studio : 01902 457875
Reception : 01902 450533
Safety Lockers
MINT Safety Deposit Centres
MacDonald Road, Leicester,
LE4 5HD | Tel. 0345 222 3456
School of Motoring
Bains School of Motoring
Mobile: 07973 281968
Tel: 0121 523 2848
Security Services
Your Security Services Ltd.
86 Digbeth, B’ham B5 6DY
Tel. 0121 448 0750
www.ysrl.co.uk
Singers, Stage and
TV artists
Babbu Chander
Wolverhampton
Mob. 07492 129 321, 07429 119 530
Sukhdev Jassi
Bedford | Mob. 07901 796 669
Pamma Lasadia
Wolverhampton
07448 886 166

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Solicitors Chaudhary’s Cash & Carry
Stratford Rd, Birmingham, B11
4BP | Tel: 0121 778 3800
Dadiyal Supermarket
118-120 Alum Rock Rd, B’ham,
B8 1NH
Desi Bazaar
560 Coventry Rd, Small
Heath, Birmingham, B18 0UN
Tel: 0121 773 9909
Braitch Solicitors
28 Chapel Ash,Wolverhampton
Mob. 07773 374 848
Tel. 01902 711 200
Indian Advocate & Top
Immigration Services
Wolverhampton
Tel.01902 457711
Mob. 078 2828 3992
Midland Immigration
Services Ltd.
255 Melton Road, Leicester
Tel. 0800 0304 998
VKM
48, Queen St, Wolverhampton
WV1 2BJ
Tel: 01902 311 1155
Super Market
Sabar General Stores
113, Holyhead Road,
Handsworth B21 0HH
Tel : 0121 551 6423
Wayco Supermarket
72A Soho Road, Handsworth,
BIRMINGHAM, B21 9BH
Tel : 0121 551 8711
Soho News
129 Soho Rd, BIRMINGHAM,
B21 9ST
Al Halal Supermarket
7 - 13 Alum Rock Rd, B’ham,
B8 1LL | Tel: 0121 327 0074
Al Halal Supermarket
360 Coventry Rd, Birmingham,
B10 0XE | Tel: 0121 753 4391
Al Halal Supermarket
753-770 Stratford Rd, B’ham,
B11 4DG | Tel: 0121 777 1510
Aujla Supermarket
116 High St, West Bromwich,
B‘ham, B706PB
Buy and Save
Rood End Rd, Oldbury, B’ham,
B688SH
Desi Mass Bazar
Ladypool Road, Birmingham,
B128TT
East & West Supermarket
721-725 Stratford Rd, B’ham,
B11 4DN | Tel: 0121 7773904
East & West Super market
132 - 136 Ladypool Rd, B’ham,
B128JA
Food World
121 Villa Rd, Birmingham,
B19 1NH | Tel: 0121 554 6532
Food World Super market
728 Stratford Rd, Birmingham
B11 4BP | Tel: 0121 777 8636
Gill Super market
330A Soho Rd, Birmingham,
B21 9NA | Tel : 0121 523 5272
Grocery Store
New Street, Smethwick, B’ham,
B66 4PH |
Hill Top Super market
125 Hill Top, West Bromwich,
Birmingham, B70 0RU
Tel : 0121 505 3529
Khan Super Market
618 - 620 Coventry Rd, Small
Heath, Birmingham, B10 0UT
Tel : Tel: 0121773 6843
Lifestyle Express Apna
Food & Wine
Albret Rd,
B’ham, B21 9QX
Lodge Supermarket
70 Lodge Rd, West Bromwich,
Birmingham, B70 8PA
Tel : 0121 553 4004
Londis Supermarket
23 Acfold Rd, Birmingham,
B20 1HD
Malhi's Supermarket
Bacchus Rd, Birmingham, B18
4RE
Money Saver Food Store
Ladypool Rd,
B’ham, B128TT
Pak Super Market
121-125 Lozells Rd, B’ham,
B19 2TR | Tel : 0121 554 2711
PAK Supermarket
Unit 1 Cape Hill Retail Centre,
Cape Hill, B’ham, B66 4PH
Tel : 0121 558 6786
Pak Super Market
42 Alum Rock Rd, B’ham, B8
1JA | Tel: 0121 328 7868
Punjab Food Store
94 High St, West Bromwich,
B’ham, B706NZ
If You See This...
List Your Business Here
Call : 07878 456 484
Punjab Supermarket
Birmingham :
B11 4DX
R S Superstore
58 Nineveh Rd, Birmingham,
B21 0TE | Tel : 0121 554 1687
S & B General Store
3 College Rd, B’ham B20 2HU
Tel : 0121 523 4371
Sabar General Store
113 Holyhead Rd, Birmingham
B21 0HH | Tel :
Sonali Supermarket
537, Coventry Rd, Small
Heath, Birmingham, B10 0LL
Tel: 0121 773 8236
Toor Supermarket
93 Rookery Rd, B’ham, B21
9QX | Tel : 0121 554 0796
Vegmart
147-149 Soho Rd, B’ham, B21
9ST | Tel :
Villa Supermarket
117 Villa Rd, B’ham, B19
1NH | Tel : 0121 554 2374
Wayco Supermarket Ltd
72A Soho Rd, B’ham, B21
9BH | Tel : 0121 551 8711
Heer Super Store
19-21 Clay Ln, Coventry, CV2
4LJ | Tel : 024 7645 6903
Warley Supermarket
75 Bridge St, Wednesbury,
WS10 0AH | 0121 505 5898
Banga Stores
59A Lea Rd, Wolverhampton,
WV3 0LW | 01902 338835
Samra Supermarket
418 Dudley Rd, Wolverhampton
WV2 3BP | 01902 458814
Sandhus Supermarket
15 Bargate Dr, Wolverhampton,
WV6 0QW | Tel: 01902 311556
Take Away & Cafe
Chick King
225 Holyhead Rd, B’ham
B21 0AP | Tel. 0121 515 4110
Jalandar Sweet Shop
86, High St, Smethwick,
B’ham B66 1AA
Apna Punjab Sweet Centre
65A, Purely Road, Leicester
LE4 6PB
Tel: 0116 266 6567
Taxi & Coach Hire
Brit Coaches
93 Dudley Rd, Halesowen
B63 3NS
Tel. 0121 769 2707
www.britcoaches.co.uk
Warley Cars
Tel. 0121 555 7654
Taxi & Bus Hire
86, Digbeth Rd, Birmingham, B5
6DY | Tel : Tel: 0121 643 1000
209, Bordsley Green, B’ham, B95SP
Tent Hire
Amrit Tent Hire
Mob; 07815 134 618
amrittenthire@yahoo.co.uk
Walsall DIY
West Bromwich St.
Walsall 01922 642 329
CLASSIFIED
Travel Agency
101 Soho Rd, Birmingham, B21
9SP |
Travel Agencies
Sky Way Travel
232 Soho Rd, B’ham B21 9LR
Tel. 0121 523 3050
Balu Travel
114 Soho Rd, B’ham B21 9DP
Tel. 0121 554 4013
Visa
√Ó≈‹ ÚΔ’ÒΔ Á∂ Í≈·’ª Ò¬Δ «ÚÙ∂Ù √»⁄È≈
£@.E@p
«√apple¯ Í≥‹≈‘ ÍÀ∫√
«Í¡≈apple∂ Í≈·’ ‹Δ˙,
¡≈Í ‹Δ ÁΔ ‹≈È’≈appleΔ
Ò¬Δ «¬‘ √»⁄È≈ «ÁÂΔ ‹ªÁΔ ˛
«’ “√Ó≈‹ ÚΔ’ÒΔ” ¡ıÏ≈apple ‘π‰
«√apple¯ Í≥‹≈‘ ÍÀ∫√ (£@.E@p)
«Úæ⁄ «ÓÒ∂◊ΔÕ Âπ√ƒ «‹√ ÚΔ
Áπ’≈È Â∂ ‘∂·≈ «Á÷≈«¬¡≈ «◊¡≈
√≈¬ΔÈ ÏØapple‚ «Ò«÷¡≈ ÍÛ∑Ø ¿π√
Áπ’≈È ÂØ∫ Âπ√ƒ “√Ó≈‹ ÚΔ’ÒΔ”
¡ıÏ≈apple ıappleΔÁ √’Á∂ ‘Ø ËøÈÚ≈ÁÕ
‘Øapple ‹≈‰’≈appleΔ Ò¬Δ √øÍapple’ ’appleØ
ÎØÈ ÈøÏapple : @GHGH DEF DHD
samajweekly@gmail.com
FEBRUARY 2018
Training & Development
11
Event Management & Wedding Planners
Travel & Accommodations
Enjoy Holidays in India & Across the Globe with ONTIME
Inbound & Outbound Tailor Made Tours
Ontime Luxurious Apartment
Rent-a-car Service Across India
Visa & Air Tickets | Travel Insurance
ONTIME HOSPITALITY SERVICE (Mumbai, India)
+91-22-26848985/66952866/26837175
+91-9833120569
info@ontimetravel.net, chetna@ontimetravel.net
www.ontimetravel.net | www.ontimeapartments.com
On kanshi TV
channel 864.
SATURDAY at
6 :00 pm
SUNDAY at
6 :00 pm
Ambedkarites News and Views
by
BUDDHIST INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Mob : 07411 251 804, 07847 307 059

12 FEBRUARY 2018
BUSINESS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
US starts countervailing
duty probe into import
of PTFE resin from India
Washington : The US has initiated a countervailing
duty investigation
against
import of a specialised
kind of
plastic—polytetrafluoroethylene
(PTFE) resin—
from India.
In the countervailing
investigation,
the US Department of Commerce will determine
whether Indian producers of PTFE resin are
receiving unfair government subsidies.
“The Department will act swiftly while ensuring
a full and fair assessment of the facts,” US
Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said.
“The Trump administration is committed to the
enforcement of America’s trade laws that ensure
US businesses and workers have a fair chance to
compete,” he said. Ross announced that exporters
of PTFE resin from India to the US received
countervailable subsidies of 3.90 per cent.
As a result, the Commerce Department will
instruct US Customs and Border Protection to
collect cash deposits from importers of PTFE
resin India based on these preliminary rates. In
2016, imports of PTFE resin from India were valued
at an estimated USD 14.3 million. In its
investigation at the complaint of Chemours
Company FC LLC, the Commerce Department
calculated a preliminary subsidy rate of 3.90 per
cent for the sole mandatory respondent, Gujarat
Fluorochemicals Limited.
This subsidy rate also applies to all other
Indian producers and exporters. The Commerce
Department is scheduled to announce its final
determination on May 15. Enforcement of US
trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration.
From January 20, 2017, through February
28 this year, the Commerce Department has initiated
102 antidumping and countervailing duty
investigations – a 96 per cent increase from same
period in 2016-2017.
US tariffs on
steel, aluminum
‘UNACCEPTABLE’
Washington, Following the US President Donald lower prices in the US market. US actions would face
Trump’s announcement that he would impose tariffs on
the importation of steel and aluminum products, Canada
on Thursday termed the decision
as “unacceptable”, vowing to
legal challenge by other World Trade Organization
members, and they would also invite other members to
invoke national security to protect
favoured industries, said
take “responsive measures”.
Ikenson. European Union
Trump said on Thursday that
he would impose 25 per cent of
tariff on steel imports and 10 per
cent for aluminum to protect the
US industry. However, experts
said it could hurt US producers
and face legal challenges from
trade partners.
“As a key NORAD (North
American Aerospace Defense
Command) and NATO ally, and
(EU)’s trade chief Cecilia
Malmstrom has said that EU
would seek retaliation measures
if the Trump administration’s
232 trade investigation
brings damage to European
steelmakers. It’s still unknown
whether Trump’s announcement
on Thursday refer to
blanket tariffs for all countries.
In April last year, Trump
as the number one customer of
ordered the Commerce
American steel, Canada would
view any trade restrictions on
Canadian steel and aluminum as
Department to study the impact
of steel and aluminum imports
on national security under seldom-used
absolutely unacceptable,”
section 232 of the
Xinhua quoted Canadian
1962 Trade Expansion Act.
Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland as saying. In a
meeting with business executives, Trump said: “We’ll
be signing it next week. And you’ll have protection for
a long time in a while.” News of the tariffs immediately
hit sentiment on the Wall Street, with the Dow slumping
over 500 points, more than two per cent, in late trading.
Daniel Ikenson, a senior fellow at the Cato
Institute, said that trade restrictions could hurt US producers
by exposing them to competitions from foreign
rivals with lower production costs capable of offering
Two weeks ago, the Commerce Department unveiled
its recommendations for Trump to restrict imports of
steel and aluminium products due to national security
concerns, which drew opposition from US lawmakers
and businesses. According to the recommendations, the
US could introduce at least 24 per cent tariff on all steel
imports from all countries and at least 7.7 per cent tariff
on all aluminium imports from all countries.
Trump’s announcement on Thursday was higher than
both recommendations.
US court grants stay
on debt collection
from Nirav Modiowned
Firestar
Washington : A US court
on Friday passed an interim
order that prevents creditors
from collecting debt from
Nirav Modi-owned Firestar
Diamond Inc. after it filed
for bankruptcy. Modi, who
is being investigated for illegal
transfer of nearly USD 2
billion from Punjab National
Bank, has a majority stake in
Firestar Diamond and its
other sister companies
through his other companies.
Firestar Diamond Inc
filed the Chapter 11 voluntary
petition in the New
York Southern Bankruptcy
Court on Monday. Entering
an order for relief, the US
bankruptcy court in the
Southern District of New
York said that the filing of
case imposed an automatic
stay against most collection
activities. “This means that
creditors generally may not
take action to collect debts
from the debtor or the
debtor’s property,” the bankruptcy
court said in its twopage
order. “For example,
while the stay is in effect,
creditors cannot sue, assert a
deficiency, repossess property,
or otherwise try to collect
from the debtor.
Creditors cannot demand
repayment from the debtor
by mail, phone, or otherwise,”
it said. A meeting of
the creditors has been convened
by the court in New
York on March 30.
PNB HOLDS GITANJALI
responsible for Rs 1.3K cr fraud;
appoints forensic auditor
Mumbai, The recently
announced escalation in the
Punjab National Bank (PNB)
fraud amount by Rs 1,300 crore
is attributable to Nirav Modi’s
uncle Mehul Choksi-owned
Gitanjali Gems, the bank said
in a clarification on Thursday.
In another clarification, the
bank said it had assigned forensic
audit to BDO India, the
Indian arm of US-based firm to
look into details of five companies
involving Modi. In a note
to the stock exchanges, PNB
said the latest fraud of Rs 1,300
crore was committed on March
2, 2017. With this, Gitanjali’s
amount of fraud goes up to Rs
6,186.72 crore in the total kitty
of Rs 12,600 crore. The rest of
the amount is attributed to the
Nirav Modi group. “Issuance of
FLC (Foreign Letters of Credit)
is a contingent liability and
may fall upon Bank in case of
non-payment by opener of
FLC. However we have adequate
assets/capital to meet any
liability which may be crystallised
on us as per law of
land,” the bank said.
The bank reiterated that the
fraud has already been reported
to regulatory authorities. “The
announcement made to the
Exchanges is about possibility
of increase in amount of fraud.”
Regarding bids for the
forensic audit, the bank said
that bid from BDO India LLP
was Ll and after negotiations
with them, the company had
been appointed as Forensic
Auditor for five group companies
of Nirav Modi on February
2, 2018. Headquartered in
Belgium, Binder Dijker Otte or
BDO is an international network
of public accounting, tax,
consulting and business advisory
firms which deals with professional
services under the
name of BDO. BDO has member
firms in 162 countries.
The bank also clarified
through a tweet on Thursday,
that the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) had done risk-based
supervision of the bank on an
annual basis. “There have been
reports in a section of media
that Reserve Bank of India has
not conducted any audit at
Punjab National Bank Brady
House, Mumbai branch since
2009. It may be clarified that
RBI does risk-based supervision
of the bank on annual
basis.” the bank said through its
twitter handle.
In another regulatory filing
on Thursday PNB Ungam
Venkata Prabhakar had
assumed the charge as
Executive Director of the bank
on March 1, 2018. It also added
Ram S. Sangapure has demitted
the office of Executive Director
on February 28, 2018 after
attaining the age of superannuation.
Shares of PNB closed Rs
101 per share on Thursday at
the BSE, down 0.35 per cent
from its previous close.
Aircel files for bankruptcy
under insolvency code
New Delhi, Aircel on Wednesday filed an application
under Section 10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code,
2016 for undertaking Corporate
Insolvency Resolution Process
(CIRP) for Aircel Cellular
Limited, Dishnet Wireless
Limited, and Aircel Limited, a
company statement said here.
“The Board of Directors of
the company acknowledged
that it has been facing troubled
times in a highly financially stressed (telecom) industry,
owing to intense competition following the disruptive entry of
a new player, legal and regulatory challenges, high level of
unsustainable debt and increased losses. This has caused significant
negative business and reputational impact on the
company,” the statement said. The company said in 2016, in
an effort to proactively undertake the first mobile industry
consolidation, the company embarked upon a merger of its
wireless business with another operator. However, on account
of various issues and hurdles faced, the merger did not succeed
and ultimately lapsed in September 2017. “The
Company would like to emphaside that CIRP is not a proceeding
for liquidation, rather is a process to find best possible
resolution for the current situation and that would be in the
best interest of everyone (vendors, distributors and employees)
to protect and preserve the value of the Company and
manage the operations,” the statement said.
“In these difficult times, the company seeks co-operation
from all its stakeholders including the vendor fraternity and
channel partners during the IBC process. The company
requests continued services from the suppliers and partners
for the ongoing business of the company,” it added. The company
said it would strive hard to provide uninterrupted service
connectivity to subscribers and appealed to them for their
support during the current difficult period.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
HEALTH
FEBRUARY 2018
13
Dads, take note. Your stress
may affect your child's brain
development in the future
According to the researchers, the stress
changes the father's sperm which can then
alter the brain development of the child.
Taking too much stress may affect the brain
development of your kids, a new study has
claimed. According to the researchers, the stress
changes the father's sperm which can then alter
the brain development of the child.
This new research provides a much better
understanding of the key role that fathers play in
the brain development of their kids, the
researchers said. Previously, the researchers
including Tracy Bale at the University of
Scientists find link between
chronic pain and diet change
Scientists have found that dietary change could be an effective lowcost
treatment for people with chronic pain.
Preliminary research from a small pilot study carried out in Meru, in
eastern Kenya, shows a link between chronic pain and consumption of
glutamate, a common flavour enhancer found in western and non-western
diets worldwide. The results, published in the journal Nutrition,
demonstrated that when participants cut monosodium glutamate from
their diets, their symptoms improved. "This preliminary research in
Kenya is consistent with what I am observing in my chronic pain
research here in the US," said Kathleen Holton from American
University. "We don't know what exposure is leading to this susceptibility
to dietary glutamate, but this pilot study suggests the need for a largescale
clinical trial, since dietary change could be an effective low-cost
treatment option for developing countries," Holton said. As researchers
study glutamate, they are gaining insights into how the chemical works
in the human brain and body. In the brain, glutamate is a common neurotransmitter.
It also can act as an excitotoxin, over-stimulating and damaging
or killing nerve cells. Glutamate is also a naturally occurring
chemical in some foods, like soy sauce and parmesan cheese, but is
more commonly found as a food additive. In the Kenya study, the goal
was to test whether a dietary intervention could perform as well as or
better than over-the-counter medication in relieving pain. With a sample
size of 30 participants, the researchers tested the effects of removing
MSG, increasing water intake, or a combination of both, relative to acetaminophen
(the main treatment option available in Meru).
The participants experienced chronic pain for at least three months or
more and in at least three quadrants of the body. Similar to what is seen
with widespread chronic pain patients in the US, most also suffered from
other neurological symptoms, including headaches or migraines, chronic
fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and sleep issues.
"This would be incredible if we could impact chronic pain simply by
making slight modifications to diet," said Daniel J Clauw from the
University of Michigan in the US.
Maryland School, found that adult male mice,
experiencing chronic periods of mild stress, have
offspring with a reduced response to stress;
changes in stress reactivity have been linked to
some neuropsychiatric disorders, including
depression and PTSD.
They isolated the mechanism of the reduced
response; they found that the father's sperm
showed changes in a genetic material known as
microRNA. MicroRNA are important because
The gut microbiome - a "garden" of
bacterial, viral and fungal genes - may
play a substantial role in development of
obesity and diabetes in humans, say scientists.
The findings, published in the
journal Mucosal Immunology, highlights
the potential to prevent obesity
and diabetes by manipulating levels and
ratios of gut bacteria, and modifying the
chemical and biological pathways for
metabolism-activating genes.
"This study adds to our understanding
of how bacteria may cause obesity,
and we found particular types of bacteria
in mice that were strongly linked to
metabolic syndrome," said David
Hackam, surgeon-in-chief at Johns
Hopkins Children's Center in the US.
"With this new knowledge we can
look for ways to control the responsible
bacteria or related genes and hopefully
prevent obesity in children and adults,"
said Hackam. Metabolic syndrome, a
cluster of conditions including obesity
around the waist, high blood sugar and
increased blood pressure, is a risk factor
for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
they play a key role in which genes become functional
proteins. Now, the researchers have unravelled
new details about these microRNA
changes. In the male reproductive tract, the caput
epididymis, the structure where sperm matures,
releases tiny vesicles packed with microRNA
that can fuse with sperm to change its cargo
delivered to the egg, they said. The caput epididymis
responded to the father's stress by altering
the content of these vesicles, the researchers
added. The result of the study, presented at
AAAS 2018 annual meeting in Austin, suggests
that even mild environmental challenges can
have a significant impact on the development
and potentially the health of future offspring.
The researchers also noted that by learning
more about links between a father's exposure to
stress and the risks of disease for his kid, we can
better understand, detect, and prevent these disorders.
Tweaking
gut bacteria
may cut
obesity,
DIABETES
RISK
"With this new knowledge we can look for ways to control the responsible bacteria or related
genes and hopefully prevent obesity in children and adults," said Hackam. Metabolic syndrome,
a cluster of conditions including obesity around the waist, high blood sugar and increased blood
pressure, is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
While no precise cause for metabolic
syndrome is known, previous studies of
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a protein
that receives chemical signals to activate
inflammation, have suggested that
TLR4 may be responsible in part for its
development. How and why TLR4 may
be responsible for metabolic syndrome,
however, has been unclear, said
Hackam. The researchers fed both
groups of mice "standard chow," or food
with 22 percent fat calories, for 21
weeks. Compared to normal mice, those
lacking TLR4 showed a series of symptoms
consistent with metabolic syndrome,
such as significant weight gain,
increased body and liver fat, and insulin
resistance. The researchers then fed
both groups of mice a high-fat diet composed
of 60 per cent fat calories for 21
weeks to find out whether diet would
affect the development of metabolic
syndrome. The genetically modified
mice gained significantly more in
weight and had greater body and liver
fat than the normal mice. To confirm the
role of TLR4 expression in the intestinal
epithelium, the researchers genetically
modified three more groups of mice:
one group expressed TLR4 only in the
intestinal epithelium, another group
lacked TLR4 in all body cells and the
third group lacked TLR4 only in white
blood cells. Compared with normal
mice, belly and small intestine fat was
higher in mice lacking TLR4 only in the
intestinal epithelium. This provides further
evidence that deleting TLR4 specifically
from the intestinal epithelium is
required for developing metabolic syndrome.
To investigate the role the bacterial
makeup of the gut had on the mice,
researchers administered antibiotics to
the normal and TLR4 intestinal epithelium-deficient
mice.
Antibiotics significantly reduced the
amount of bacteria in the intestinal tract
and prevented all symptoms of metabolic
syndrome in the mice that lacked
TLR4 in their intestinal epitheliums.
This demonstrates that bacterial levels
can be manipulated to prevent the
development of metabolic syndrome,
researchers said.

14 FEBRUARY 2018
HEALTH
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Beware,
cleaning
sprays are as
harmful for
lungs as smoking
20 cigarettes
A new study says that
using cleaning sprays can
cause a decline in lung
function comparable to
the damage seen in regular
smokers who smoked for
10 or 20 years.
Using cleaning
sprays can
cause a decline in
lung function comparable
to the damage seen in
regular smokers, a study warns.
Researchers at the University of
Bergen in Norway analysed data from 6,235 participants
in the European Community
Respiratory Health Survey. The participants,
whose average age was 34 when they enrolled,
were followed for more than 20 years.
"While the short-term effects of cleaning
chemicals on asthma are becoming increasingly
well-documented, we lack knowledge of the
a day
long-term
impact," said
Cecile Svanes, a
professor at
University of Bergen.
"We feared that such chemicals,
by steadily causing a little
damage to the airways day after day, year after
year, might accelerate the rate of lung function
decline that occurs with age," Svanes said. The
study found that the accelerated lung function
decline in the women working as cleaners was
"comparable to smoking somewhat less than 20
packs for those many years". That level of lung
impairment was surprising at first, said Oistein
Svanes, a doctoral student at University of
Bergen. "However, when you think of inhaling
small particles from cleaning agents that are
meant for cleaning the floor and not your lungs,
maybe it is not so surprising after all," he said.
The decline in lung function is attributable to the
irritation that most cleaning chemicals cause on
the mucous membranes lining the airways, which
over time results in persistent changes in the airways
and airway remodelling. The study did not
find that the ratio of FEV1 to FVC declined more
rapidly in women who cleaned than in those who
did not. The metric is used when diagnosing and
monitoring patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, or COPD. The study did find
that asthma was more prevalent in women who
cleaned at home (12.3%) or at work (13.7%)
compared to those who did not clean (9.6%).
The study also did not find that men who
cleaned, either at home or at work, experienced
greater decline in FEV1 or FVC than men who did
not. The researchers took into account factors that
might have biased the results, including smoking
history, body mass index and education. "The take
home message of this study is that in the long run,
cleaning chemicals very likely cause rather substantial
damage to your lungs," Oistein Svanes
said. "These chemicals are usually unnecessary;
microfibre cloths and water are more than enough
for most purposes," he said.
Can exposure to house dust early
in life reduce chance of asthma?
New findings show that a
special type of cells and
their frequency can help
predict asthma susceptibility.
It further shows that the
presence of house dust components
can stimulate the
immune system and decreases
asthma risk.
It has come to light that a special
type of cells and their frequency can
help predict asthma susceptibility.
According to a La Jolla Institute for
Allergy and Immunology research, a
special subset of T cells have been
identified, whose frequency serves as
early childhood immune signature that
predicts the risk of developing asthma
later on. "We found, what I would consider,
very strong biomarkers for those
children who are most likely to develop
asthma as they get older," said
senior author Mitchell
Kronenberg. A previous study
showed that fluctuation in female
hormones can cause asthma.
The team's findings indicated
that the presence of house dust
components that stimulate the
innate immune system decreases
asthma risk, increased microbial
exposure in the first years of life
is protective for asthma, going
consistently with the "hygiene
hypothesis". Kronenberg added,
"We are not advocating for dirt and we
don't know enough about the microbiome
to know which aspects are beneficial,
but as we learn more it is feasible
that one day the protective components
could even be taken in pill form."
Initiated in 2005, the study follows
560 families from four disadvantaged
urban areas that were at high risk for
asthma to uncover potential risk factors
that contribute to increased asthma
rate in children growing up in impoverished
neighbourhoods. Postdoctoral
researcher and co-first author Shilpi
Chandra and her colleagues were particularly
interested in MAIT cells
(short for mucosal-associated invariant
T cells) and their brethren, invariant
natural killer T (iNKT) cells.
Both cell types are an integral part of
the innate immune response, which
reacts almost immediately to foreign
invaders. "Children who, at the age of
one, had a higher frequency of socalled
MAIT cells appear to be less
likely to develop asthma by the age of
seven," Kronenberg added.
Unlike conventional T cells, which
belong to the adaptive arm of the
immune response and take a few days
before they are fully trained on a single,
specific protein fragment or peptide
antigen, MAIT and iNKT cells recognise
molecular components common to
many microbes. The team analysed the
frequency of different types of immune
cells in blood collected from 110
one-year-old study participants,
the presence of immune-stimulatory
components in the subjects'
house dust and asked whether any
of the factors correlated with an
increased of asthma at age seven.
"We found certain immune signatures
such as having more
MAITs that are protective," said
Chandra. "In humans, MAIT cells
are unique in that they are borne to
make gamma interferon, which
could help skew the immune system
toward an asthma-protective Th1
immune response." And while the
absolute numbers of iNKT cells had no
bearing on asthma risk, the iNKT cell
antigenic content in house dust from
subjects' houses did. Chandra concluded,
"iNKT activity reflects a home
environment with increased microbe
exposure and therefore protection from
asthma." The study is published in the
online edition of the Journal of
Immunology.
Wine may be good
for oral HEALTH
Sipping wine may be good for your oral health, say scientists who
found that certain compounds in the drink can fend of harmful bacteria
in the teeth and gums. Traditionally, some health benefits of polyphenols
have been attributed to the fact that these compounds are antioxidants,
meaning they likely protect the body from harm caused by free
radicals. However, recent work indicates polyphenols might also promote
health by actively interacting with bacteria in the gut. Plants and
fruits produce polyphenols to ward off infection by harmful bacteria
and other pathogens. Researchers including M Victoria Moreno-
Arribas from Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL) in Spain wanted
to know whether wine and grape polyphenols would also protect
teeth and gums, and how this could work on a molecular level.
The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry, checked out the effect of two red wine polyphenols, as well
as commercially available grape seed and red wine extracts, on bacteria
that stick to teeth and gums and cause dental plaque, cavities and
periodontal disease. Working with cells that model gum tissue, they
found that the two wine polyphenols in isolation - caffeic and p-
coumaric acids - were generally better than the total wine extracts at
cutting back on the bacteria's ability to stick to the cells. When combined
with the Streptococcus dentisani, which is believed to be an oral
probiotic, the polyphenols were even better at fending off the pathogenic
bacteria. The researchers also showed that metabolites formed
when digestion of the polyphenols begins in the mouth might be
responsible for some of these effects.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
SPORTS
It’s time we pushed for a third
World Cup : WI captain Holder
Barbados | The rigours of
having to go through a qualifying
tournament to even take
part in the 2019 cricket World
Cup notwithstanding, West
Indies captain Jason Holder
urged supporters to back the
team as they begin their campaign
to earn a place in the ICC
event. “All the guys are motivated
and we know what’s at
stake. I see it as an opportunity
for us to grab some momentum
heading into next year’s World
Cup, get some games under our
belt, finalise our combinations,
get things right and hopefully
turn things around in terms of
the ODI format,” Holder was
quoted as saying by espncricinfo
on Tuesday.
“It’s probably one of our
weaker formats and no doubt
that we’ve been inconsistent.
Obviously it’s something
we’ve addressed and moving
forward I think hopefully we
should see some good performances,”
he added.
“I think everybody understands
the importance of being
in a World Cup. We’ve obviously
won the World Cup on
two occasions and I think we’re
trying to formulate our plans in
terms of getting a third.
“We’ve done well in T20
cricket, we’ve done well in
women’s cricket, Under-19
cricket, so now I think it’s
about time we win another
World Cup in the ODI format.”
West Indies were once the
powerhouse of the sport, laying
their hands on the World Cup in
back-to-back editions of 1975
and 1979. The Windies have
been an automatic pick in each
of the past 11 editions. West
Indies made it to the quarterfinal
of the 2015 World Cup,
but since then they have won
only 8 out of 42 ODIs. Their
win-loss ratio of 0.2 is the
poorest of all the teams that
have played the format over the
past three years. “We have put
ourselves in this situation,” he
said. “We have got only ourselves
to blame. We are here for
a reason. Our form of late hasn’t
been the best. It is a matter
for us to put that behind and
make things right. It is something
new for us.
“We never had to qualify for
the World Cup. It will be a new
challenge. All these Associates
teams tend to play fearless
cricket, play quite aggressive
cricket, trying to take down the
bigger nations.” In the qualifying
tournament, 10 teams will
vie for two spots.
West Indies would would
fancy their chances owing to
the return of key players.
Chris Gayle has come off a
two-year ODI hiatus in 2017.
Marlon Samuels, who has a
history of saving his best for
World Cups, is also back in the
squad having missed their most
recent 50-over assignment in
New Zealand.
“I must commend a guy like
Chris, also a guy like Marlon,
who’ve come here with that
motivation to do well for West
Indies and give us a chance to
play another World Cup. As I
said, it’s an opportunity to finish
their careers well. It’s also
an opportunity for guys to
make a spark in their career and
start their careers in the World
Cup.” West Indies will be facing
teams that have done well
against them in the recent past.
In 2017, they lost to
Afghanistan. In 2016, with a
place in a tri-series final on the
line, they were beaten by
Zimbabwe. And Ireland
knocked them over with ease in
the last World Cup.
Nevertheless Holder was confident
his players will put their
best foot forward.
West Indies play their first
match against the UAE on
March 6.
FEBRUARY 2018
15
Javelin thrower Davinder
Kang flunks dope test,
stares at 4-year ban
New Delhi, Top Indian
javelin thrower Davinder
Singh Kang has been suspended
provisionally by the
world athletics governing
body after he returned positive
for an anabolic steroid in
an out-of-competition test
conducted in November last
year. The 29-year-old’s dope
sample was taken by the officials
of the Athletics
Integrity Unit (AIU),
the IAAF’s new
anti-doping body,
on November 10
last year in
Patiala. It was
found to contain
an anabolic steroid
and Kang now faces
the prospect of being
banned for four years. In that
case, his career could well be
over. The AIU officials tested
Kang at a time prescribed by
him under the “whereabouts”
clause of the WADA Code as
he is one of the five Indian
athletes placed in the IAAF
Registered Testing Pool.
Kang’s dope failure was
intimated to the Athletics
Federation of India by the
IAAF yesterday and his name
was immediately removed
from the starting line-up of
men’s javelin throw at the
Indian Grand Prix held at NIS
Patiala. He has been told by
the AFI to leave the national
camp at NIS Patiala.
This is the first time an
Indian athlete has returned
positive in a test conducted
by the AIU, which began
functioning in April last year.
The AIU was established as
an independent anti-doping
body for athletics in the wake
of the Russian doping scandal.
“The AIU people
came to Patiala on
November 10 and
took his sample
and that has
turned out to contain
an anabolic
steroid. The athlete
gave the timing window
of 10 am to 11 am
on that particular day in his
‘whereabouts’ information.
The dope result came a few
days back and he is now provisionally
suspended,” an
official of the AFI told PTI
from Patiala on condition of
anonymity. “The test was
conducted at the NDTL and if
he desires to test his B sample,
the deadline to do that
will be sometime in the first
week of next month. Even if
the test was conducted under
the aegis of IAAF, I feel
NADA’s Anti-Disciplinary
Panel will hear his case,” the
official added.
I-League : Indian Arrows
lose to Mohun Bagan
Vasco | Indian Arrows went
down to Mohun Bagan 0-2 in
their final engagement of the I-
League football encounter here
at the Tilak Maidan on
Tuesday. First-half goals from
Dipanda Dicka (26th) and
Akram Moghrabi (41th) were
enough for the Mariners to
keep their title hope alive
whose tally reaches to 27 with
two games left.
Meanwhile, Arrows who are
the youngest-ever team to compete
in the I-League history,
finished last in the league with
fifteen points from their 18 outings.
In their final game of the
season, coach Luis Norton de
Matos rang in five changes
from their defeat against
Aizawl FC as Jitendra Singh,
Amarjit Singh, Rahim Ali,
Rahul KP were introduced in
the starting XI. As for Mohun
Bagan, coach Sankarlal
Chakraborty made only one
change with Kinshuk Debnath
taken off to fit in Rana Gharami
in defence. Mohun Bagan
looked to have come with a
plan and Nikhil Kadam,
Dipanda Dicka and Azharuddin
Mallick all looked dangerous
up front. Kadam was spraying
balls all around and Dicka kept
Anwar Ali, Jitendra Singh and
the Arrows backline on their
toes. However, Arrows also
matched up to Bagan and had
their moments with Amarjit
Singh drawing a fine save from
Bagan custodian Shilton Paul.
Rahim Ali was operating up
front with bursts of energy and
tried a shot from distance that
lacked precision. Meanwhile,
Bagan showed their clinical
edge and Dicka demonstrated
why he is such a goal-scoring
predator. The forward drew
first blood in the 26th minute.
Arrows left space between their
defence and midfield and
Bagan exploited it. Dicka got in
behind Jitendra Singh who
failed to read a lob down the
middle from Cameron Watson.
Instinctively, Dicka controlled
it, positioned himself
and struck an overhead kick on
the volley. It was a goal of pure
skill as the Cameroonian
scored his 12th of the season.
Mohun Bagan enjoyed the
bulk of possession and looked
dangerous going forward and
doubled the lead in 15 minutes.
Sankarlal made a substitution
with Gurjinder Singh replacing
Ricky Lallawmawma in the
37th minute. Gurjinder made
an instant impact as he delivered
a pinpoint cross into the
six-yard box from the left wing.
It begged a touch and
Moghrabi, having perfectly slid
in, slammed the ball home as
the Kolkata giants led 2-0 at
half-time. Early in the second
half, Dicka had a chance to
double his tally. A cross from
Kadam found the forward who
couldn’t connect cleanly as
Arrows were let off.

16 FEBRUARY 2018
SPORTS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Will take a call on my
career after 2019, says
cricketer Yuvraj Singh
Monaco | Out of the national team
reckoning for a while now, India allrounder
Yuvraj Singh says he will
continue playing cricket till 2019
before taking a call on his retirement.
Yuvraj, who last played for India in
June 2017 in an ODI, said the
upcoming IPL held great significance
for him as a good performance
in the T20 event would help him
keep in the fray for a spot in the 2019
World Cup. “I am looking forward to
a good IPL. It’s a very important
tournament for me as it will only set
me to play cricket till 2019. I am
looking to play cricket till 2019,
whatever cricket I get to play and
take a call after that,” Yuvraj told PTI
in an exclusive interview on the sidelines
of the 18th Laureus World
Sports Awards here. A regular in the
Indian ODI team till the 2011 World
Cup triumph before his career was
jeopardised by a rare germ cell cancer,
Yuvraj’s only regret was that he
could not cement his place in the
Indian Test side.
“Definitely, in the first six to
seven years of my career when I was
at my best I did not get a lot of
opportunities because there were
such great players in the (Test) team
and when I got an opportunity I was
diagnosed with cancer. So that regret
will always be there but these things
are never in my control. I am just
looking forward to whatever cricket I
get to play,” the 36-year-old allrounder
said. Yuvraj, who is here as a
Laureus ambassador from India,
praised Virat Kohli and his men for
the character they showed to bounce
back in the limited overs series after
the close 1-2 loss in the Test rubber.
“I think it is a pretty great performance.
They showed a lot of character
after losing the Test series. It was a
hard-fought Test series, could have
gone either way. But it was a very
convincing win in the ODI series.
Kohli led from the front with some
big runs,” the left-handed batsman
said. “Spinners bowled very well,
especially Kuldeep (Yadav) and
(Yuzvendra) Chahal, and got South
Africa into trouble. And then they
stepped on the gas and won the T20
series 2-1. Going abroad, playing
three series, winning two, definitely
shows India’s dominance.” Kohli
might have set his sights on winning
the upcoming tours of England and
Australia but Yuvraj said India would
need consistent performances from
the players to achieve the goal. “It’s a
good start to believe that you can
dominate outside. If you can consistently
do that in England and
Australia, you definitely will have
the belief,” he said. “Now the team is
set to conquer the world. England
and Australia will be testing series
but if we can get some consistent
performances it will give a lot of
self-belief to the players,” he added.
Yuvraj himself has climbed up the
ladders of age group cricket to stand
where he is today and so he offered
some words of advice for the likes of
young Prthivi Shaw and Shubman
Gill, who have already fetched big
money from their respective franchises
in the last IPL auctions. he
said when asked about the Indian
Under-19 cricketers. “I think Prithvi,
Shubman, Abhishek Sharma are
great talents and hopefully in the
next coming years we will see them
play for India.
IPL: Ashwin named
KXIP captain
Mohali | India off-spinner Ravichandran
Ashwin was named the captain of the Kings
XI Punjab for the upcoming season of the
Indian Premier League (IPL). The 31-year-old
off-spinner was picked up for Rs. 7.60 crores
during the 2018 auction. He was a part of the
Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2016-2017 season
and represented Chennai Super Kings
from 2009 to 2015. “Ravichandran Ashwin
has officially succeeded the throne as the new
captain of Kings XI Punjab for the upcoming
Indian Premier League season. He will lead
the pride of Punjab into battle in the hopes of
getting them to their maiden title triumph,”
the Mohali franchise announced.
Ashwin promised fans that the franchise
will play a brand of cricket that both players
and fans can be proud about. “I feel honoured
to be trusted with the responsibility of leading
such a talented bunch of cricketers,” Ashwin
told kxip.in “I am confident of bringing out
the best out of team mates. This is indeed a
proud moment for me.” The Tamil Nadu
cricketer also said there is no added pressure
on him as he carries the experience of leading
his state earlier. “There is no additional pressure
on me as such. I first led my state side in
first class cricket when I was 21. I have done
it in the past and I am sure that I will enjoy the
challenge,” said the spinner. Ashwin will lead
a group of explosive batsmen like Chris
Gayle, Yuvraj Singh and Aaron Finch.
Neymar out ‘at
least six weeks’ and
to miss Real clash
Rio De Janeiro | Paris
Saint-Germain forward
Neymar faces “at least six
weeks” out with a fractured
bone in his foot and will miss
next week’s return leg of the
Champions League last-16 tie
against Real Madrid, his father
said. “PSG know that they will
not be able to count on Neymar
for the upcoming matches: his
treatment will last six to eight
weeks, whether there is an
operation or not,” Neymar senior
told ESPN Brasil.
The Brazilian star suffered
the injury, as well as a twisted
ankle, in an innocuous looking
incident towards the end of
Sunday’s 3-0 league victory
over bitter rivals Marseille.
PSG coach Unai Emery said
earlier on Tuesday that “no
decision” had been made
regarding an operation, denying
an earlier report in the
Brazilian press that the world’s
most expensive player would
go under the knife to repair the
cracked bone in his right foot.
Brazilian newspaper Globo
Esporte had claimed a decision
had been reached for Neymar
to undergo surgery, and that the
26-year-old would be sidelined
until May.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
ENTERTAINMENT
FEBRUARY 2018
17
Aamir to shoot
'Thugs of Hindostan'
climax in Rajasthanz
Aamir Khan's big release this year - "Thugs of
Hindostan" - is nearing completion as the superstar says
the last leg of shooting remains, which will be wrapped up
in Rajasthan by the end of next month.
Produced by Yash Raj Films, the Vijay Krishna
Acharya film brings together Aamir and megastar
Amitabh Bachchan for the first time on screen. "I am
going abroad for a few days. Once I am back, we will
resume shooting the climax in Rajasthan. The film will be
completed by March end," Aamir told reporters when
asked about the status of the film.
Last year, pictures of Aamir and Bachchan's looks had
leaked from the film set. Aamir had then said, "Ideally, the
pictures should not have been leaked" and he maintains
that the first look will only be put out with an official
poster. "My look is still (being) kept under wraps. Of
course, I am wearing the earrings and the nose ring, but
my hair is quite long in the film and that will be out with
the poster," he said.
"Thugs..." also star's Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana
Shaikh. The actor was speaking at the success bash of his
last production "Secret Superstar" here last night.
Commenting on the massive success of the film not only
in India, but also in China, Aamir said, "Some of my films
have released in China and I've realised their emotional
frequency is very similar to ours. Indian stories touch their
hearts. Because our cultures are similar, I feel when we
watch their films too we will like them."
Aniston did not expect
to be single again
Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston did not expect to be single
once again and she is "sad and disappointed" as her marriage with
Justin Theroux did not work out. According to a source close to
Aniston, the Friends star believes in love ultimately, she may not
date anyone again.
"As for her future, she isn't a fan of dating and she never was. She
always found dating awkward and unpleasant. She hates all the
media attention that she knows she will get now. But, she is a big
believer in falling in love and spending her life with a partner that
loves sharing hers," the source was quoted by People as saying.
Sources close to the pair detail how Aniston and Theroux's clashing
lifestyles drove them apart and how their powerful chemistry
first drew them together. Aniston, who preferred living in Los
Angeles (LA) tried adopting Theroux's New York City-based luxurious
lifestyle but it made her miserable. With such differences, it
became totally exhausting and frustrating for the pair.
"For many months they tried to make it work. They even had therapy.
And while it seemed Justin gave up many months ago, Aniston
only very recently started telling friends that they (relationship) were
over," the source continued. The 49-year-old actress is "doing good"
after her split with Theroux. "She has an amazing life that she loves
and is very grateful for. Jen would be the first one to say that she is
a lucky girl," the source added. Last Thursday, the pair announced
their separation, due to "differences". Aniston also reportedly issued
a statement where she denied using Brad Pitt, her ex-husband, as a
shoulder to lean on, following her split with Theroux. Also, there are
rumours that there was no evidence that Aniston and Theroux were
even legally married.
Aniston turned 49 years last week and Theroux was noticeably
absent from the Malibu celebration. Aniston and Theroux began dating
in May 2011 and became engaged in August 2012. They married
three years later, on August 5, 2015, at their home in Bel-Air in LA.
Fashion lovers, take note.
Here are 11 ways you can make
a statement with your footwear
A formal look can be transformed into
a fun look by just changing your shoes.
Read on for more style tips. The right pair
of shoes can transform your body language
and attitude tremendously. Pair up
Garfield or Mickey Mouse print shoes
with loose and ankle-length cargo pants or
opt for bold colours and attractive heels
that can be paired with an all white attire,
say experts. Saket Agarwal, founder at
Lazy Jojo, and Surabhi Agarwal, Head of
Merchandising at Crocs India, have listed
a few ways of amping up the style quotient
with footwear:
* Experiment with loafers or funky
sneakers as these days people prefer
comfort over style. You can pair your
sneakers with kurtis and saris as well to
make the look edgy.
* Pair up Garfield or Mickey Mouse
print shoes with loose and ankle-length
cargo pants and knotted shirt.
* Add a bit of dazzle with striking
metallic heels or colour rich pumps.
* Opt for big bold colours and attractive
heels that can be paired with an all
white simple and sophisticated attire.
* A formal look can be transformed
into a fun look by just changing your
shoes. Pastel shoes are your classic
shoes that go with any and every outfit
and are rightly termed as a universal
pairing.
* A boring, mundane jersey dress can
give a different look if you pair it with
shoes that have a subtle, but quirky
print.
* Formal attire is usually seen as
plain and dull, but you can brighten it up
by adding a pair of canvas shoes with an
attractive doodle print.
* Adding a clog to your shoe-drobe
can actually enhance your look.
* A statement dress can be paired up
with floral print shoes, just to add a
small element of peculiarity.
* Iridescent arrow-like prints, zigzags,
squares and many other shapes can
be worn with a number of attires.
* If you are travelling in a gang, or
having a major get-together, a fun thing
to do would be everyone wearing a pair
of shoes with the same print, basis the
theme of the party, like Halloween,
Christmas or Holi.

18 FEBRUARY 2018
ENTERTAINMENT
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
India bids tearful farewell to
Bollywood superstar Sridevi
Thousands of heartbroken fans and
Bollywood actors paid their last
respects to late superstar Sridevi
Kapoor Wednesday following her
shock death from accidental drowning
in a Dubai hotel bathtub aged just 54.
Huge crowds of mourners -- some
carrying roses, others holding photos
of the late actress -- lined Mumbai’s
streets to see their beloved idol
embark on her last journey.
At one point police had to use
batons to force back those unable to
get into the hall where her body was
laid out, wrapped in the Indian flag.
“It’s a shock to believe that she is no
more. We want to pay her one last visit
today and thank her for all her wonderful
performances,” 32-year-old
teacher Nandini Rao told AFP as she
queued at the condolence event.
After a public service, Sridevi’s
flower-bedecked funeral cortege made
its way slowly to a crematorium where
her family said their final goodbyes.
She was cremated with full state honours
at a private Hindu ceremony late
in the afternoon after her husband,
film producer Boney Kapoor, performed
the last rites.
Bollywood stars, including actresses
Aishwarya Rai and Kajol, were
among the mourners at the
Celebration Sports Club in the
Andheri West area of Mumbai -- the
home of the Hindi film industry.
Several tearful fans chanted prayers
as Sridevi’s body was brought the
short distance from her home to the
club at 9:00 am (0330 GMT). “I’m an
avid Sridevi fan. I loved her smiling
personality. She had such a commanding
presence in the Indian film industry.
Her death was so sudden and I feel
terrible,” said 45-year-old Kuldeep
Singh. Heavy security was in force
along the streets to control the crowds,
which included people who had travelled
hundreds of kilometres to be
there. Sridevi was considered one of
the most influential Bollywood
actresses of all time and her sudden
death at the weekend sparked an outpouring
of grief in India.
Tributes poured in from fans and
fellow actors as well as Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
- Life in the spotlight -
The star of hit films such as
Chandni and Mr India drowned in her
bathtub after losing consciousness late
Saturday in a hotel in Dubai, where
she was attending a wedding.
Police in the emirate said a postmortem
examination found that she
had drowned after losing consciousness.
On Tuesday they ruled out any
foul play and released the body to
Sridevi’s family. It arrived in Mumbai
on a private jet on Tuesday evening,
accompanied by her husband and her
stepson, actor Arjun Kapoor.
Sridevi, born Shree Amma Yanger
Ayappan in the southern state of Tamil
Nadu, appeared in around 300 films
and was awarded the Padma Shri,
India’s fourth highest civilian award,
for services to the movie industry. She
made her acting debut at the age of
four and her career spanned more than
four decades. Sridevi worked in
India’s regional Tamil, Telugu and
Malayalam-language films before
making her Bollywood debut in 1979.
She became a national sensation
with a string of blockbuster films
including Himmatwala and Tohfa.
Sridevi took a 15-year break from
the silver screen after marrying
Kapoor but returned in the 2012 hit
comedy-drama English Vinglish. Her
most recent film was last year’s Mom.
Sridevi was set to see Jhanvi, the
elder of her two daughters, make her
Bollywood debut in a movie scheduled
for release later this year.
PEOPLE IN PAKISTAN ARE
GOING TO MISS SRIDEVI :
ADNAN SIDDIQUI
Mumbai, Pakistani actor Adnan
Siddiqui, who essayed the role of
Sridevi’s onscreen husband in
“Mom”, says people in Pakistan are
going to miss her as much as the
people in India.
“I am in Dubai. I was invited for
Srideviji’s nephew’s wedding. She
was there smiling dancing looking as
beautiful and healthy as ever. Who
would believe that she wouldn’t be
here just four days later? I met her
husband Boney Kapoor saab last
(February 17),” Adnan said.
“I just couldn’t bear to see him
looking so devastated…I am really
saddened. I was honoured to have
worked with her in ‘Mom’,” he
added.The actor also said: “I am
truly saddened that she is no more
with us and we won’t see her again.
The people in Pakistan are going to
miss her as much as the people in
India. God give strength to her family.”
The actress died on Saturday
night at around 11 p.m. after suffering
cardiac arrest in Dubai.
Sridevi was in Dubai to attend the
marriage function of actress Sonam
Kapoor’s cousin Mohit Marwah,
along with husband Boney Kapoor
and younger daughter Khushi. Her
elder daughter Janhvi, who is due to
make her Bollywood debut, was in
Mumbai. Sridevi was last seen in
“Mom” in 2017.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
TECH
FEBRUARY 2018
19
India ranks 47th when it comes
JBL aftermarket
car audio speakers,
amplifiers
now in India
Bengaluru | Samsung Electronics Co.
and HARMAN International on Tuesday
introduced JBL “Club”, “GTO” and
“Standard” speakers to its JBL range of aftermarket
car audio speakers and amplifiers in
India.
The new car solutions can be customised
and fitted in almost all cars, starting from Rs
3,000 and up to Rs 20,000. “JBL is a frontrunner
in the car after market audio solutions
in India. We are excited to offer our consumers
a brand new line of speakers and
amplifiers that deliver superior sound by combining
the legendary JBL power and smart
design,” Sumit Chauhan, Vice President-
Lifestyle Audio Division, HARMAN India,
said in a statement. The company also introduced
JBL amplifiers for Rs 14,600 that feature
dedicated connections for several
advanced vehicle technologies, including
many driver assistance systems and HAR-
MAN “HALOsonic” system — a suite of
acoustic solutions that cancel noise.
to inclusive Internet : Facebook
New Delhi, Compromised by low
usage and poor quality, India is
ranked 47th out of 86 countries when
it comes to inclusive Internet and
connectivity for all, a Facebook
report said on Monday.
Facebook, which commissioned
the Economist Intelligence Unit
(EIU) to create a comprehensive
“Inclusive Internet Index,” found
India in the middle of Asian countries
(12th out of 23) when it comes to
connectivity. “India places at or near
the top of the lower-middle-income
bracket on most indicators, except for
availability, where it is 13th out of 23,
compromised by low usage and poor
quality despite relatively strong infrastructure,”
the report said. The EIU is
do people say that the Internet helped
them become more confident to
express themselves, but the majority
of respondents also say that the
Internet has helped them become
more independent and economically
empowered,” the index noted.
Emerging markets, especially in
Africa, experienced the fastest and
greatest progress over the last year.
According to Facebook, mobile
Internet services are increasingly
vital in many low-income countries.
“In some countries, fixed-line
Internet access is too expensive or
inaccessible – that’s why mobile
services are critical. The index
reveals that coverage of 4G networking
services grew significantly as networks
a British business within the
in low-income countries are
Economist Group, providing forecasting
and advisory services through countries,” said Molly Jackman, Facebook, in a blog post. “Global
being upgraded,” Facebook said.
In fact, the average 4G coverage
research and analysis. This year’s Public Policy Research Manager at connectivity has increased 8.3 per rate for low-income countries
index covered 91 per cent of the
world’s population and an expanded
data set of 86 countries, up from 75
countries in 2017. Across the indexed
countries, on average, men are 33.5
per cent more likely to have Internet
access than women. “The gap is even
larger in low-income countries,
which have an average gender access
gap of 80.2 per cent compared with
Facebook. The index assessed a
country’s Internet inclusion across
four categories: availability, affordability,
relevance and readiness.
“Bringing people online can offer
life-changing opportunities, but there
are still approximately 3.8 billion
people without Internet access. At
Facebook, we’re working to change
that,” added Robert Pepper, Head of
cent and more people are connected
than ever before. While this progress
is encouraging, we are still far from
achieving full Internet inclusivity,”
Pepper added.
According to the index, the
Internet is empowering, especially to
citizens in Asia, the Middle East and
Africa. Nearly 67 per cent of survey
respondents believe that access to the
increased year-over-year from 9.1 per
cent to 17.3 per cent.
The cost of accessing the Internet
is also falling. The cost of mobile
broadband data plans in lowerincome
countries decreased about
17.3 per cent from last year. “Overall,
however, people are still devoting too
much of their earnings on Internet
access relative to their income level,”
3.7 per cent among high-income Global Connectivity Policy at Internet is a human right. “Not only the index noted.

20 FEBRUARY 2018
TECH
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Google brings health ‘Symptom
Search’ feature to India
New Delhi, As more and more people seek
Google’s advice first when it comes to health
symptoms before visiting a doctor, Google
India on Tuesday rolled out its feature called
“Symptom Search” in India that lets users find
quality health information on their smartphones.
In collaboration with a team of doctors from
Apollo Hospitals, the tech giant will add tailormade
information about commonly-searched
symptoms in its Search.
When a user searches for symptoms like
“cough and pain”, the app will show a list of
related conditions (“common cold, acute bronchitis,
flu, pneumonia, chest infection”).
For individual symptoms like “headache,”
the app — currently available in English and
Hindi — will show digital cards, providing
users an overview description along with information
on self-treatment options and what
might warrant a doctor’s visit.
“This is a significant trend and we are happy
to have partnered on this initiative with Google.
At Apollo Hospitals, we have always made
optimal use of digital technology for the benefit
of patients,” Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing
Director, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited,
said in a statement.
“With the launch of the ‘Symptom Search
Project’, we aim to provide quality healthcare
information which can be accessed by a billion
Indians,” Reddy added.
Notably, the search results are intended for
informational purposes only and users should
always consult a doctor for medical advice and
treatment, Google cautioned.
Roughly one per cent of searches on the
search are symptom-related and with this,
Google aims to help users navigate and explore
health conditions related to various symptoms
and quickly get to the point where they can talk
to a health professional or do more in-depth
research on the web.
Airtel to deploy Nokia’s
predictive machine
learning solution
Indo Asian | This will help Airtel optimise network
utilisation and improve user experience.
Telecom services provider Bharti Airtel on
Wednesday announced it is collaborating with
Nokia to deploy the latter’s hybrid self organising
networks (SON) solution to improve its operational
efficiency and service quality. The solution uses
predictive Machine Learning (ML) and interworks
with analytics platforms, enabling the operator to
take proactive action to optimise network utilisation
and improve user experience.“Our collaboration
with Nokia in taking SON to the next level by
integrating it with other data sources and ML capabilities,
enables us to proactively address network
performance dips and outages even before a customer
experiences them,” Abhay Savargaonkar,
Director-Networks (India and South Asia), Bharti
Airtel, said in a statement. “We are confident that
our proven expertise will enable Airtel to manage
complex multi-technology networks by automatically
minimising the risk of human error,” said
Sanjay Malik, Head of India Market, Nokia.
PNB scam: CII for hi-tech control
systems, privatising PSBs
New Delhi, In the wake of an
alleged Rs 11,300 crore fraud on
state-run Punjab National Bank
(PNB), the Indian industry on
Sunday urged for better and hi-tech
control systems to check financial
frauds as also a gradual decrease in
government holding in public sector
banks (PSBs).
The government should strategically
divest its stake in PSBs to 33
per cent in a phased manner and
also adopt a twin strategy for tackling
financial frauds, including better
monitoring and supervision of
banks and adoption of best corporate
governance standards, the
Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) said in a release here.
“The government, regulators
and industry must act fast to
address systemic risks in the financial
sector,” CII President Shobana
Kamineni said in a statement.
“The three key solutions for the
banking sector are better management
and operational efficiencies,
use of technology such as
blockchain and big data analytics,
and lowering government shareholding
in public sector banks,” she
said. Noting that technology could
Washington, Is it incumbent on an
American company to turn over data
to law enforcement agencies when
demanded even if such data are stored
overseas? This issue is at the core of a
case involving Microsoft that the the
US Supreme Court is set to hear on
Tuesday. The case could have far
reaching implications with regard to
privacy concerns of international customers
of American technology companies
on the one hand and law
enforcement access to digital data on
the other. The litigation turns on a
be a major enabler for monitoring
transactions that are subject to
financial fraud and risks, the CII
said: “Some banks are already
deploying artificial intelligence,
big data and blockchain technologies
to better regulate their operations.”
“It is important to minimize
human interface in such transactions
to lower the risk of misdemeanours.”
The CII President said
such instances of collusion between
corrupt bank officials and scamsters
should not lead to a situation
of choking of credit to industry.
“It is time for the government to
consider consolidation of PSBs and
develop a few strong banks which
adhere to the best standards in governance,
accountability and transparency,”
she said. “A road map
could be announced for bringing
the government stake down to 33
per cent in three to four years, she
added. As per the charges filed in
diamond merchant Nirav Modi
case, bank Letters of Undertaking
and Foreign Letters of Credit were
used to raise and rollover the
money over several years before
the fraud came to light following
the PNB’s complaint.
1986 law, the Stored Communications
Act, passed long before American
companies began storing massive
amounts of data outside US borders,
The Washington Post reported on
Sunday. The case began in 2013 when
federal agents conducting a drug
investigation obtained a warrant for a
suspect’s emails.
But the emails that they sought
were stored in Dublin, Ireland, and
Microsoft argued that the warrant
could not reach beyond US borders.
Microsoft says it stores emails
WhatsApp working on a
new feature to help users
identify, block spam messages
The latest beta version of WhatsApp
for Android shows two new features
being tested. The first feature
will show “Forwarded
Message” in chats if a spam post
has been forwarded from another
group. The next feature
enables users to send stickers to
other chats. WhatsApp’s latest
feature will possibly help stop
mass-level spam circulation on
its platform which often leads to
the spread of fake news online.
“Forwarded Message” will
appear on top of every post that
spammers forward to groups en
masse. The feature has been
spotted by WABetaInfo that follows
WhatsApp Google Play Beta
Programme in the version 2.18.67.
“Today, WhatsApp has modified the
behaviour of the feature, that will show
on the bubble (when the feature will be
enabled in future), a “Forwarded
Message” string, if the message has
close to their owner in order to make
retrieval faster and, according to the
tech giant, the Government did not
been forwarded from another chat (or
from the same chat),” read the information
on the website. When a message is
forwarded a lot of times, you can notice
the label on the bubble.
A spammer sends spam messages to
multiple users, selecting them in his
contacts list, picking these data from
the Internet or from some registration
services. These messages may contain
unwanted advertising and fake news,
and they often invite you to forward the
message to your contacts.
At present,
WhatsApp does not
block the forwarding
of a message more
than 25 times. “The
spammers may start to
forward a new message
to bypass the new
move but this operation
will certainly
slow down and discourage
them,” said
the information.
Stickers on WhatsApp have been
spotted overtime. With more sightings,
it could be possible for this feature to
roll out anytime soon.
These two features are currently
under development. It’s not necessary
that WhatsApp will eventually roll out
the features for its users.
US top court to hear Microsoft case on data protection overseas
suggested that the concerned individual
resided in the US.
Microsoft has framed the case as
one of digital privacy.
E. Joshua Rosenkranz, who will
argue Microsoft’s case, called the
government’s position “a recipe for
global chaos,” the Post reported.
“If ever there were a step that is
sure to stoke international tension, it
is sidestepping the treaties that were
negotiated by countries precisely to
protect their sovereignty, and instead
unilaterally obtaining reams of personal
letters….If another country did
this to us, we would be outraged at the
most basic level,” Rosenkranz was
quoted as saying. Microsoft reportedly
has the backing of major US technology
giants including Google and IBM.
The case centres on the Stored
Communications Act’s (SCA) territorial
reach, and the government argues
that the SCA focuses on the emails’
“disclosure” and that Microsoft
employees could retrieve them “without
leaving their desks in the United
States,” the Post reported.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
WORLD
FEBRUARY 2018
21
Brexit will not divide Britain: May
London, British Prime Minister
Theresa May on Wednesday rejected
any plans that would mean a Brexit
border between Northern Ireland and
neighbouring Irish Republic.
Speaking to MPs in the House of
Commons during her weekly questions,
May said no British prime minister
could ever agree to a Brexit treaty
that would see borders dividing any
parts of Britain,
reports Xinhua.
Responding to
a question by the
Northern Ireland
Democratic
Unionist Party
(DUP) MP David
Simpson, May
confirmed she will
never agree to any
trade borders
between Northern
Ireland and the rest of Britain.
May said she stood by commitments
she has made previously on the
border issue. She said the draft legal
text the European Commission had
published would, if implemented,
threaten the constitutional integrity of
Britain by creating a customs and regulatory
border down the Irish Sea,
adding: “No UK prime minister could
ever agree to it.” “I will be making it
crystal clear to (European
Commission) President Jean-Claude
Juncker and others that we will never
do so,” May added. “We are committed
to ensuring that we see no hard
border between Northern Ireland and
Ireland, but the December text also
made clear that there should continue
to be trade between Northern Ireland
and the rest of the United Kingdom as
there is today,” she said.
Main opposition
leader
Labour’s Jeremy
Corbyn accused
May’s government
of being in
disarray over
Brexit. May
insisted there
was no disagreement
with
F o r e i g n
Secretary Boris
Johnson on the Irish border question.
“The foreign secretary and I are
absolutely committed to ensuring that
we deliver no hard border between
Northern Ireland and Ireland,” May
told Corbyn. She added: “That’s the
position of the British government. It’s
the position of the parties in Northern
Ireland, it’s the position of the Irish
government, and it was what we
agreed in the December agreement of
that joint report.”
Trump stuns lawmakers with
gun control embrace
Washington, US
President Donald Trump
stunned Republicans on
live television by embracing
gun control and urging
a group of lawmakers at
the White House to resurrect
gun safety legislation
that has been opposed by
the National Rifle
Association (NRA).
In a meeting on
Wednesday, the President
called for comprehensive
gun control legislation that
would expand background
checks to weapons purchased
at gun shows and on the
internet; keep guns from mentally ill
people; secure schools and restrict
gun sales for some young adults,
reports The New York Times.
Trump also suggested that law
enforcement authorities should have
the power to seize guns from mentally
ill people or others who could
present a danger without first going
to court. “I like taking the guns
early,” he said, adding, “Take the
guns first, go through due process
second.” The declarations prompted
a frantic series of calls from NRA
lobbyists to their allies on Capitol
Hill and a statement from the group
calling the ideas that Trump
expressed “bad policy”.
However,
Republican lawmakers
suggested that they
remained opposed to
gun control measures,
The New York Times
reported. “We’re not
ditching any constitutional
protections simply
because the last
person the president
talked to today doesn’t
like them,” Republican
Nebraska Senator Ben
Sasse, Republican, said
in a statement.
Democrats also said they were sceptical
that Trump would follow
through. “The White House can now
launch a lobbying campaign to get
universal background checks passed,
as the president promised in this
meeting, or they can sit and do nothing,”
said Democrat Connecticut
Senator Chris Murphy.
Elon Musk can put
humans on Mars by
2040 : Astronaut
London | Elon Musk’s prestigious SpaceX
project could accelerate time to help man walk
on Mars in just another 20
years or so by 2040, said
Tim Peake, a British astronaut,
the media reported.
Hailing that humanity is
about to enter a “very
exciting” era of space
exploration, Peake, the
first British astronaut to be
sent to the International
Space Station (ISS), said that private investment
could speed up the first flight to the Red Planet.
“Humans on Mars – I think will be the late
2030s,” Peake was quoted as telling
express.co.uk reported late on Monday.
“That’s what the government space agencies
and the International Space Exploration Group
are working towards.” “It could be that some of
(these people’s) programmes bring that date forward.
But, the late 2030s would be a realistic
time frame. “What could throw a big bowling
ball through all that is commercial space flight,”
Peake noted. Earlier in February, SpaceX successfully
launched its world’s most powerful
rocket Falcon Heavy, into space. “We have seen
the ambitions of people like Elon Musk, there are
several other companies that also have ambitions
to send people to Mars,” Peake said. “I think that
we will end up working very closely with these
companies in public-private partnerships when
we eventually go to Mars,” he added. In addition,
Peake said that the Deep Space Gateway — a
space station project led by the ISS partners,
including NASA, European Space Agency and
Roscosmos (of Russia) — that aims to launch
manned missions to Mars will be vital for furthering
space exploration. “The Deep Space
Gateway paves the way for both lunar landings
and, because of the orbit it will be in, for a Mars
transportation system,” Peake said.
N.Korea helping Syrian
chemical war : Report
Washington | North Korea has been sending
equipment to Syria that could be used in
chemical weapons manufacturing, the US
media reported citing findings by UN experts.
The materials include acid-resistant tiles,
valves and pipes, the BBC said on Wednesday
quoting the media reports.
The New York Times quoted the as-yetunreleased
UN report that also said that
Pyongyang’s missile specialists have been seen
at Syrian weapon-making facilities. The allegations
come after new reports of chlorine gas
being used by Syrian forces came to light. The
Syrian government has denied the charges.
North Korea is under international sanctions
over its nuclear programme. The supplies
reported to have been illicitly sent to Syria by
Pyongyang included high-heat, acid-resistant
tiles, corrosion-resistant valves and thermometers.
The tiles are said to be used to construct
facilities where chemical weapons are produced,
the BBC said.
Five shipments were sent to Syria via a
Chinese trading firm during late 2016 and early
2017, the Wall Street Journal said. They are
allegedly part of dozens of shipments over several
years. The Scientific Studies and Research
Centre (SSRC) — a Syrian government agency
— is said to have paid the Kim Jong-un regime
via a number of front companies, the newspaper
reports.
The report, also seen by the Washington
Post, was compiled by the UN Panel of
Experts, which assesses North Korea’s compliance
with UN resolutions, the BBC said. In a
September 2017 report, which is publicly available,
the group said it was “investigating
reported prohibited chemical, ballistic missile
and conventional arms cooperation” between
Syria and North Korea.
It said that two UN member states had intercepted
shipments bound for Syria, and that the
goods were suspected to be supplied by North
Korea’s main arms exporter as part of a contract
with front companies representing the
SSRC. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric did
not say whether the leaked report would be
published, but told the New York Times: “I
think the overarching message is that all member
states have a duty and responsibility to
abide by the sanctions that are in place.”
The Syrian government was reported to have
told the UN panel that the only North Koreans
present in Syria are sports coaches and athletes.
Syria signed up to the Chemical Weapons
Convention and agreed to have its declared
chemical weapons stock destroyed in 2013
after a sarin gas attack killed hundreds of people
in Ghouta.
It has been accused of repeatedly using
banned chemical weapons in the civil war since
then, the BBC said.

22 FEBRUARY 2018
WORLD
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Trudeau stands by government
official floating ‘Atwal’ theory
Ottawa | Canadian
Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau is standing by a
senior government official
who floated the theory that
“rogue political factions” in
the Indian establishment
“orchestrated” the embarrassing
invitation of a
convicted
Australians hand in 57,000
firearms during gun amnesty
Canberra | At least 57,000 illegal firearms were handed in during the threemonth
national gun amnesty period in Australia, which would help prevent their
use in terrorist acts, official sources said on Thursday. The national gun amnesty,
from July 1 to September 30, 2017, was the first of its kind since 1996, when 35
people were shot dead in Port Arthur, Tasmania, reports Efe
news. Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity
Angus Taylor said the results exceeded his expectations and
added that almost 2,500 of the total firearms delivered were
semi-automatic or fully-automatic.
The minister also expressed satisfaction over the large
number of firearms seized from the “grey market”, referring
to unregistered weapons owned by criminals. About a third of the total weapons,
most of them rifles, were destroyed. This was the first nationwide campaign on
illegal firearms since the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which left 35 people
dead in 1996, prompting purchases of almost 700,000 illegal weapons as part
of the gun control laws enacted after the tragedy. After the Port Arthur incident,
the Australian Government approved the current National Firearm Agreement,
which regulates gun control in the country through a firearm-licensing system
and prohibits the sale of all automatic and semi-automatic weapons.
Khalistani separatist to a formal dinner in India to make the
Canadian government appear sympathetic to Sikh extremism, the
media reported. The Opposition hit Trudeau hard during question
period on Tuesday — his first since his India trip — over how
Jaspal Atwal was invited to the reception at the residence of
Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel in India, the National
Post reported.
Atwal was convicted of attempting to assassinate Indian
Cabinet minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in 1986 when he was visiting
relatives in Canada. He was also charged — but not convicted
— in the 1985 attack on Ujjal Dosanjh, who later became British
Columbia premier and a federal Liberal Cabinet minister.
In a background briefing arranged by the Prime Minister’s
Office, a senior government official last week suggested that
Atwal’s presence “was arranged by factions within the Indian
government”. According to the Canadian media, the official was
identified as Trudeau’s National Security Adviser Daniel Jean
and the opposition pressed Trudeau to say whether he agreed
with Jean’s “conspiracy theory”.
Trudeau responded by saying: “When one of our top diplomats
and security officials says something to Canadians, it’s
because they know it to be true.” The opposition reasoned
that Trudeau must, then, believe that “the Indian government
helped sabotage his trip”. Trudeau did not stand up to contradict
this interpretation.
Conservative MPs pressed Trudeau to provide evidence to back
the assertion. “Before our Prime Minister destroys our relationship
with our ally, the government and country of India, will he please
tell this House what proof he has of that allegation?” asked Tory
MP Candice Bergen. New Democrat MP Charlie Angus asserted
that Atwal — who had been photographed over the years posing
with various Liberal MPs, ministers and leaders, including
Trudeau himself — turned up on the trip because his presence was
“useful” to local Liberals back in Canada. And he accused Trudeau
of using a senior civil servant to “spin a conspiracy theory that
somehow the Indian government is trying to make the Liberals
look bad.” Atwal was photographed with Trudeau’s wife, Sophie
Grégoire Trudeau, and with Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi
at a Mumbai event last week, before the Prime Minister’s office
said an invitation to a subsequent dinner was flagged and rescinded.
Liberal British Columbia MP Randeep Sarai “took full responsibility”
for putting Atwal’s name on a list of prospective invites
provided to the High Commission, the Canadian Prime Minister
said.
Moon to have 4G network in 2019
Berlin | The moon will have its
first 4G cell phone network in
2019, the network builder
Vadafone has said. The German
branch of the multinational
telecommunication company has
teamed up with Nokia to do the
mission, London-headquartered
Vadafone said in a statement on
Tuesday. The network is to support
a private lunar rover mission by
PTScientists, a private space company
based in Berlin, which plans
to launch a lander and two small
rovers to the moon on a SpaceX
Falcon 9 rocket, Xinhua news agency
reported. The PTScientists said their
team is committed to bringing down
the cost of space exploration and
democratising access to the moon.
The moon rover plan aims to study
the lunar rover used by the Apollo
astronauts during their historic landing
in December 1972. Nokia will
create a space-grade Ultra Compact
Network that is said to be the lightest
ever developed – weighing around
one kg, the same as a bag of
sugar, according to the statement.
The planned network
will enable PTScientists’ lander
to broadcast a live video
from lunar surface to the audience
on earth and facilitate the
communication among the
lander and rovers. Under previous
communication technologies
used in moon exploration,
such as analogue radio,
transmitting data consumes
considerable energy reserves
and requires rovers to be stationary.
“The great thing about this…
is that it saves so much power, and the
less energy we use sending data, the
more we have to do science!” said
Robert Bohme, CEO and Founder of
PTScientists.
White House to get two
new Air Force Ones
Skip Hire
No.1 Skip can provide a quick quote and supply skips
across the UK. Our range of skips can accommodate
all waste types depending on the size of skip. Get a
quote and make an enquiry today.
Washington | The US
administration has reached a
$3.9 billion deal with Boeing
for two new Air Force One
planes for the President, the
White House said. President
Donald Trump has reached
the informal deal with Boeing
on a “fixed-price contract”
for the new Air Force One
Program, Xinhua quoted a
White House spokesperson as
saying on Tuesday.
The contract would save
taxpayers more than $1.4 billion,
the White House said.
The amount, however, cannot
be confirmed yet. Boeing
said in a tweet on Tuesday that
it was “proud to build the next
generation of Air Force One,
providing American presidents
with a flying…outstanding
value to taxpayers”. The
Chicago-based jet maker added
that Trump “negotiated a good
deal on behalf of the American
people”. Trump’s personal
involvement in the deal since
his election has brought the
years-long negotiations
between Boeing and the US Air
Force much media exposure.
Trump had earlier threatened to
cancel the contract after revealing
that Boeing was planning to
spend $4 billion on the
planes, a price, he said was
“out of control”. Boeing
pledged to control expenditures
at the time.
The US presidential
planes, known as Air Force
One when the president is
on board, are one of the
most recognised symbols of
the American presidency.
The civilian version of the
plane, the Boeing 747-8, is
priced at $390 million, but
the presidential version is
much more costly due to
additional security and
defensive features.
Boeing said the delivery
date for the new planes will
depend on how much testing
the US Air Force wants to do.
Its initial plan was to have the
planes ready by 2024.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
WORLD
As China’s Xi gains power, parliament
prepares to bolster risk battle
Beijing | China’s annual parliament
gathering kicks off on Monday
as an ever-stronger President Xi
Jinping presses ahead with efforts to
ward off financial risks without
undermining the economy. The run-up
to the National People’s Congress
meeting has been eventful, with the
ruling Communist party announcing
on Feb 25 that it was eliminating the
two-term limit for the presidency. The
move is expected to be ratified by parliament,
paving the way for Xi to
serve indefinitely. China also seized
control of the once high-flying and
acquisitive Anbang Insurance Group
Co Ltd and said it had prosecuted the
group’s chairman, the most dramatic
move yet in Beijing’s effort to curb
risk in its financial system.
China’s annual parliament meeting
is poised to reinforce Xi’s resolve to
ward off financial risks to ensure the
economy’s ascent, even as concerns
grow about possible policy repercussions
from his expected extended stay
Longterm
policy
risk
worries
in power. Stability is the watchword
this year as Xi pursues his grand
vision of turning China into a “strong
power” on the world stage by 2050
and becoming a “modestly prosperous”
nation by 2020. Ahead of the
meeting of the National People’s
Congress (NPC), which starts
Monday, authorities have stepped up a
crackdown on big-spending conglomerates,
following a year of financial
deleveraging that has targeted risky
shadow finance.
“Preventing risk is the most important
task and we will keep the
economy on a steady footing,” a
government policy adviser told
Reuters ahead of the annual
gathering. Around 3,000 delegates
from across the country
will meet at Beijing’s Great Hall
of the People for roughly two
weeks. In addition to removing
presidential term limits, the parliament
will also approve
China’s economic targets, the
restructuring of various government
departments, and the appointment of
several key officials, including a vice
president, vice premiers, and a new
central bank governor. Liu He, a
Harvard-trained economist and trusted
confidant of Xi who is visiting
Washington this week amid worsening
trade tensions with the United States,
is expected to become a vice premier
in charge of economic and financial
issues. He has also emerged as front
runner to head the central bank, the
People’s Bank of China (PBOC).
“Should Liu He become the PBOC
chief, China may move towards a
super regulator model, which will give
the central bank more power to combat
financial risk,” Tommy Xie, China
economist at OCBC Bank in
Singapore, said in a note.
Steady growth target expected :
At the opening of the parliament,
Premier Li Keqiang will announce
annual economic targets in a state-ofthe-nation
style address. China’s 2018
growth target is expected to be kept
around 6.5 percent - the same as in
2017. The government may target a
budget deficit of 3 percent of GDP or
slightly lower in 2018 under a proactive
fiscal policy, while keeping a
tight grip on money supply in line
with a “prudent and neutral” monetary
policy, policy sources said. Rising
trade tensions with the United States
could pose a threat to China’s export
machine, which helped propel the
economy to 6.9 percent growth last
year, the first acceleration since 2010.
Policy insiders expect the pace of economic reforms to remain gradual in 2018, which marks the 40th anniversary of China’s landmark
economic reforms and opening up under former leader Deng Xiaoping. China has been focused on tackling mounting debt, housing risks
and industrial overcapacity, and some analysts have said it should concentrate instead on what many see as excessive state intervention in
the economy. While an extended term in office for Xi and more centralised financial regulatory oversight are seen by many observers as
helpful to maintaining policy stability, some also worry that ending presidential terms limits signals a dialing back of political and economic
reforms. “People are relatively confused about the general environment for reforms. After 40 years of reforms, things have become more
blurred,” said a policy insider. “It is likely to make foreign investors more skeptical regarding China’s increasingly distinct political and
economic model,” Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics, said in a note to investors. “Longer term, it seems reasonable
to worry about the quality of policy in an increasingly centralized political system.” Reuters
FEBRUARY 2018
23
Four cousins shot
dead in Pakistan
Islamabad | Four cousins
were shot dead as a result of an old
enmity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province of Pakistan, police said.
The police said that the rivals
came face to face and the four
accused opened indiscriminate fire
at the other party on Thursday in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Naway
Kalay area.
According to the police, the
accused had been traced with the
help of sniffer dogs and arrested.
Two Kalashnikovs and two pistols
were also recovered, Dawn News
reported on Friday.
The deceased have been identified
as Mohammad Bilal,
Mohammad Rauf, Mohammad
Shafique and Ehsanullah.
Abid Gul, brother of deceased
Mohammad Rauf, has named
Mohammad Qasim, Israr, Farooq
and Afghan refugee Jan
Mohammad in the FIR for the
killings.

24 FEBRUARY 2018
WORLD
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Nepal holds Peace Marathon at
birthplace of Gautam Buddha
Kathmandu | Nearly 100
participants from different
countries took part in a peace
marathon at Lumbini, the birth
place of Gautam Buddha, on
Thursday. Participants from
Nepal as well as China, India,
New Zealand, the US,
Germany, South Korea and
Sweden, among others, participated
in the the fourth Lumbini
Peace Marathon. It’s first of its
kind spiritual marathon, which
took place at 150 metres above
the sea level, one of the lowest
altitude marathon events in the
world, Xinhua news agency
reported. The annual marathon
was held on the occasion of
Holi to commemorate the day
Siddhartha Gautam’s return to
his homeland as an enlightened
Buddha. “The major objective
of the marathon is to promote
Lumbini-Kapilvastu region at
national and international level
by connecting spirituality with
sports,” said Bikram Pandey,
Chairman of Lumbini Peace
Marathon. He further said that
the event will help in promoting
tourism, the backbone of
country’s economy, and will
contribute to overall development.
The spiritual marathon
began from Kudan — the place
where Buddha is believed to
have met his parents for the
first time after his enlightenment.
The trail passed through
Buddhist heritage sites like
Tilaurakot Palace, Niglihawa,
Banganga River and concluded
at the Lumbini Sacred Garden.
Seven Chinese nationals
participated in the marathon.
“It has been a fantastic experience
to run in this holy land. It
has boosted my spirituality,”
said 52-year-old Chinese
national Huang Yan. The event
included full marathon, half
marathon and a five-km race.
Homlal Shresha of Nepal Army
won the title of full marathon,
grabbing the Lumbini Ashoka
Peace Prize of 100,000
Nepalese rupees ($955). The
event also marked the completion
of Great Buddhist Trail,
that started from
Swoyambhunath in Kathmandu
and concluded in Lumbini.
5.7-magnitude earthquake
strikes off Japan’s island
Tokyo | An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of
5.7 struck off Iriomote Island, southwestern
Japan on Thursday, the Japan Meteorological
Agency (JMA) said. The temblor was centred
in the waters near Iriomote Island,
southwestern Japan, with the epicentre at a
latitude of 24.2 degrees north and a longitude
of 123.8 degrees east and at a depth of 20
km, Xinhua news agency reported. The earthquake logged
lower 5 in some parts of Okinawa prefecture on the Japanese
seismic intensity scale which peaks at 7. No major damage or
injuries were reported and no tsunami warning was issued.
Trump suggests death penalty for drug traffickers
Washington | US President
Donald Trump suggested that
the US should follow the example
of other countries that
impose the death penalty on
drug traffickers. Speaking at a
White House summit on the
opioid epidemic on Thursday,
Trump threatened to sue companies
that manufacture
painkillers with an eye toward
halting the opioid addiction
epidemic in US. He said that
some countries levy extremely
harsh penalties — including the
death penalty — on “drug
pushers and drug dealers”
adding that “by the way, (those
countries) have much less of a
drug problem than we do.
“So we’re going to have to
be very strong on penalties,”
Efe quoted Trump as saying.
Trump delivered his remarks
after spending months telling
“certain friends” that he thinks
the US should execute all drug
traffickers, as Singapore does.
Last year, Trump also praised
Filipino President Rodrigo
Duterte for the “incredible job”
he has done in fighting illegal
drugs there, despite the controversy
surrounding his policy of
extrajudicially executing drug
traffickers and addicts that has
left more than 7,000 people
dead over the past 18 months,
according to estimates.
“The answer is you have to
have strength and toughness.
The drug dealers and the pushers
are … really doing damage.
Some countries have a very,
very tough penalty. The ultimate
penalty,” he added. Trump
said that he plans to present
within the next three weeks a
series of initiatives to combat
opioid addiction, adding that he
had spoken with Attorney
General Jeff Sessions about the
possibility of filing lawsuits —
as hundreds of US communities
have done — against firms that
make the powerful painkillers.