An influential US Senate committee has urged the Pakistan government to bring to justice the attackers of education campaigner Malala Yousafzai. Senator Marco Rubio, chairman of a Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sub-Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Women’s Issues has written to Pakistani ambassador to the US Jalil Abbas Jilani, …
Read More »Monthly Archives: June 2015
#Anomaly: How can Salman, Big B appear on Forbes list but no Shah Rukh?
Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, as well as India cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni have made it to Forbes Magazine’s annual list of the world’s highest-paid celebrities. The Big B and Salman come in at 71st place with earnings of just over £21 million whilst Akshay Kumar …
Read More »#ECB: Improving grassroots cricket – the National Cricket Playing Survey
England’s cricket governing body is calling on recreational players across the country to have their say and influence the future of cricket with its third annual National Cricket Playing Survey. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is encouraging leagues of all sizes from across the UK to introduce innovative …
Read More »#Hypocrisy: Can Karan Johar take as good as he gives? Apparently not.
Filmmaker Karan Johar has come under attack for “not being able to take a joke” after his sexuality was alluded to in a Tweet about the historic legalization of same sex marriage in the United States. Johar took to Twitter to hit back at the Tweet which said: “@KaranJohar to …
Read More »#7/7: London to mark 10th anniversary of July Seventh bombings
Preparations are underway to mark the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 terror attacks in London which left 52 people dead and hundreds injured. Survivors of the bombings and relatives of those who died will join the prime minister, David Cameron, the London mayor, Boris Johnson, other politicians and members of …
Read More »#Helmer: Baroness Amos named 9th Director of School of Oriental and African Studies
Britain’s first black woman cabinet minister has been appointed Director of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. Labour peer Valerie Amos, a former senior UN official, will become the 9th director of SOAS in September following the retirement of Professor Paul Webley. From …
Read More »#WATCH: Something beautiful happened today – Glastonbury sang for The Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama, exiled spiritual leader of Tibet's Buddhists, visited Europe's biggest music festival on Sunday, saying he had witnessed a sense of joy among revellers young and old.
"It's a festival of people, not necessarily a festival of government or politicians, and this is how it should be," he said, after a rain-sodden crowd sang "Happy Birthday to You" to mark his 80th birthday next month.
Beijing routinely denounces any country that hosts the Dalai Lama, calling him a dangerous separatist.
Last week, a Foreign Ministry spokesman addressed his plan to visit Glastonbury by saying that "China resolutely opposes any country, organisation, body or individual giving any kind of platform to the 14th Dalai Lama to engage in anti-China splittist activities".
The Dalai Lama, who said in Glastonbury that many Chinese Buddhists wanted to learn from the Tibetan tradition, says he only wants genuine autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.
He is going to Britain again in September, a few weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping visits.
Addressing a crowd in Glastonbury's Sacred Space, he said the very purpose of existence was "a happy life", and spoke of the importance of love, tolerance and forgiveness in resolving conflicts such as those in Syria and Iraq.
Read More »#Scuppered: No go for Mahindra & Mahindra plan to buy Italy’s iconic Pininfarina
An offer by Indian automotive giant Mahindra & Mahindra to take over the iconic Italian design company Pininfarina, has been rejected, according to reports. Italy’s Il Messagero on Saturday reported that Pininfarina Group’s credit banks had opposed the deal. Mahindra & Mahindra’s intention to buy Pininfarina – the company responsible …
Read More »Mixed Vegetable Pakora
Pakoras are deep-fried fritters generally prepared using gram flour (besan) with other additions such as onion, other vegetables, curry leaves, even garlic, spices etc – the possible combinations are numerous. I had been wanting to make mixed veg pakoras for some time now. I would either end up using the vegetables to cook …
Read More »#Quashed: Court of Appeal suspends UK’s Fast Track asylum processing system
The UK government’s system of fast-tracking asylum applications aimed at removing failed asylum seekers has been suspended following a court order. The Court of Appeal on Friday removed a “stay” on a previous ruling by the High Court which found that the system was unlawful and was riddled with “structural …
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