so (Picture: Twitter) funny…€¦ · Email: [email protected] Text to mobile : 07772 365 325 Stories: [email protected] [email protected] Advertising enquiries:

JULY 1ST EDITION 2020 Yorkshire & Lancashire

British comedy TV star HardeepSingh Kohliaccused of sexualharassment

Emerging accusations ofendemic sexual harassmentand a 'culture of abuse'within Britain's comedycircuit is under the spotlight.Amid accusations from

several women are stories ofunwanted advances,inappropriate touching, and

even degrading rape jokes.Funnyman, chef, and

presenter Hardeep SinghKohli, 51, is in the accusationspool along with other malecelebs, with women claimingKohli has made advances.

Continued on pages 12 & 13

TV star HardeepSingh Kohliaccused of sexualharassment(Picture: Twitter)so

funny…

Not

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Remembering

Fifty years after the world said“Never Again” to the horrors of theHolocaust, genocide took place onEuropean soil.

The name Srebrenica has becomesynonymous with those dark days inJuly 1995 when, in the first everUnited Nations declared safe area,thousands of men and boys weresystematically murdered and buriedin mass graves.

The victims, predominantlyMuslim, were selected for death onthe basis of their identity. This wasthe worst atrocity on European soilsince the Second World War.

Although Srebrenica is the onlymass killing in Balkan wars that hasbeen officially ruled as genocide bythe international courts, this atrocitywas only the final act in a muchbroader genocidal strategy -euphemistically dubbed “ethniccleansing”.

The Srebrenica genocide was theplanned, systematic, andindustrialised conclusion of a four

year campaign of forceddeportation, torture, mass murderand systematic sexual violence byBosnian Serb forces in service oftheir goal to create a “GreaterSerbia”. Some Bosnian Serbhistorians and politicians continueto deny that genocide and ethniccleansing took place.

Now the first ever virtual artexhibition using the testimony andartifacts from Bosnian Genocidesurvivors has being unveiled as partof the 25th anniversarycommemorations.

Bosnians and Herzegovinian’sacross the world submitted theirstories, pictures and personal itemsto create a unique virtual exhibitioncalled Remnants of Genocidecreated by UK charityRemembering Srebrenica.

The exhibition is one of thehighlights of Srebrenica MemorialWeek, July 5th – July 12th, whichthe charity had to radically alterafter more than 2,000 events were

cancelled due to coronavirus.Remembering Srebrenica

operations manager ArnesaBuljušmi�-Kustura, along with AmraMujkanovic, has curated theRemnants of Genocide exhibitionwhich has more than 45 stories,paintings, photographs and itemsrelating to the war, genocide and itsaftermath.

She said: “We wanted the tell thestory of the Bosnian Genocideusing survivors experiencescreatively instead of forcing them tounload their trauma in a distressingway.

“25 years ago the worst atrocityon European soil since World WarTwo occurred and it happened inour life time but there is a shockinglack of discussion about thegenocide.

“This exhibition has first handtestimony which shows the horrorof genocide but more importantlythe stories are personalised, theyshow these victims were humans

The genocide in Srebrenica

On 11tth July 1995, Bosnian Serb General RatkoMladić and his forces seized the eastern Bosniantown of Srebrenica, which had been declared aUN “safe zone” in 1993. Over the following week,8,372 Bosnian Muslim men and boys would bemurdered simply because they were Muslim.

Mladić’s forces systematically separated men andboys (as young as 12 years old) from the womenand took them away to be killed.

Women and girls were subjected to inhumanetreatment, and in many cases, sexual violence.Rape was used to destabilise and terrorise thelocal population throughout the 1992 – 1995genocide. It is estimated that between 20,000 –50,000 women were subjected to sexual violencein Bosnia during the genocide.

Virtual Exhibition launchedto mark 25th anniversaryof Bosnian Genocide

www.asianexpress.co.uk Local 3July 2020 - 1st Edition

Srebrenica

with lives ahead of them, with hopesand dreams and were not justnumbers and statistics of peoplekilled.”She added: “This is the first time

a virtual exhibition has been donewith genocide survivors but it hasbeen a healing process through art.“The most difficult part has been

reading really traumatic experiencesand coming to terms with the horrorwhich happened in our lifetime,however, allowing survivors theplatform to share has been very

rewarding.”She added: “We had submissions

from across the world including theUnited States, Bosnia andHerzegovina, the UK, Austria andeven the United Arab Emirates andthere were so many we could notinclude them all.“However, the beauty of this

being a virtual is we can add moreitems and stories as the years go by,it will be a permanent exhibitionwhich will also act as a learningresource for people across the

world.”Items in the exhibition include

poetry, paintings, stories and a teddybear which helped give a childexperiencing trauma a small shardof normality during the war.The exhibition also includes

paintings by internationallyrenowned artists Robert McNeiland Iain Campbell who haveworked closely with RememberingSrebrenica for several years.The vast array and variety of

personal stories will help ensure thetragedies in Srebrenica, Sarajevo,Mostar, Prijedor, Foca, Visegrad andelsewhere in Bosnia will never beforgotten.The Srebrenica Virtual

Exhibition was unveiled onlineat 2pm on Monday, 6th July atwww.srebrenica.org.uk/srebrenicaexhibition.

Remnants of Genocide exhibitioncurator Arnesa Buljušmić-Kustura


Bradford & Rochdale on Covid-19 “back in lockdown” watchlist

A highlighted map, produced by PublicHealth England (PHE), shows for the numberof cases per 100,000 population, Bradford,Rochdale, Barnsley are added hotspots forCovid-19 cases.

Sources say they are “workingcollaboratively”, focusing on the dozens of areasin England where coronavirus cases are rising.

According to national news outlets, furtherlocal lockdowns like Leicester are “just daysaway” following the drawing up of a list of “at-risk” twins and cities.

As a result, local lockdowns like the one inLeicester could be implemented in “just days”.

It is believed that the City of Bradford,Wakefield, Rochdale and boroughs in London,including Brent and Harrow, could be the nextto lockdown after sources confirmed there werean increased number of COVID-19 cases overthe last week.

A new snapshot for the week ending 28thJune is due to be published on Thursday 2ndJuly, as part of Public Health England’s weeklycoronavirus surveillance report.

There are concerns that local lockdowns maybe brought on because of high numbers of BlackAsian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people inthose communities.

BAME people have been disproportionatelyhit during the pandemic.

Some of the factors include multi-generationaland overcrowded housing and the fact thatmany key workers are from the BAMEcommunity.

Leicester, Brent and Harrow all have highnumbers of overcrowded homes, predominantlyof people from a south Asian heritage.

Outside of London, Leicester has some of thehighest rates of overcrowded housing in thecountry.

There are also a high number of ethnicminority key workers in the city.

It is estimated around a quarter of the BAMEpopulation has been working throughout thispandemic in jobs such as taxi and bus drivers,security guards and in the healthcare sector.

Now questions are being raised over why therecommendations from the Public HealthEngland review looking into disparities withinethnicity from COVID-19, which was given tothe government at the end of May, have notbeen implemented.

A Public Health England spokesperson said:“PHE publishes daily cases of COVID-19broken down by local authority which includespeople tested as part of pillar 1.

“This is used as one of a number of indicatorsto help us and partner organisations to identifytrends in local areas and to take actionaccordingly.

“To use these data in isolation to predictwhich areas will see significant increases in casesis not appropriate as they do not provide acomplete picture of what is happening locally.”

The latest PHE snapshot shows fourareas in the top category of 45 ormore cases per 100,000 population

– Barnsley– Bradford

– Leicester– Rochdale

There are six areas in the nextcategory (30 to 44.9 cases per100,000 population)

– Bedford– Blackburn

with Darwen– Kirklees

– Oldham– Rotherham

– Tameside

July 2020 - 1st Edition www.asianexpress.co.uk Local 5


A stiff fine

A court heard how a married fertilityconsultant wrote fake prescriptions to getpacks of free Viagra to boost hisperformance in bed while having an affair.

Consultant gynaecologist Dr HarsitTejura, 51, used false names and addressesto pick up 30 free packs of the NHS pillsduring his extra-marital affair.

The married fatherof three could havebought Viagra legallyover the counter but“not in the samevolume”. Instead heused false names towrite prescriptions,which are free inWales.

Flags were raisedwhen a managerbecame suspicious ofhis frequent visits tothe same pharmacystore, and confronted him.

Police raided his office where theydiscovered he was stealing controlled drugsfrom his clinic, the Centre for Reproductionand Gynaecology Wales at Llantrisant,

where his wife Dr Amanda O’Leary works.Tejura admitted one charge of fraud by

dishonestly making a false representation,and two of theft from his own clinicbetween January 2017 and June 2019.

Tejura, of Old St Mellons, Cardiff, washanded a £1,000 fine plus a community

order with a rehabrequirement. He wasalso given acommunity order witha 25-day rehabilitationrequirement.

Judge RichardWilliams said he had“changed his mind”about sending theconsultant to prisonbecause he had notgained commerciallyfrom his crimes.

“The harm isminimal – but youhave damaged the

high degree of trust placed in doctors,” hetold Tejura.

Tejura has quit the clinic and the GeneralMedical Council is to rule on his future as adoctor.

Doc having affair admitsprescription fraud for free Viagra

The married father ofthree could have boughtViagra legally over thecounter but “not in thesame volume”. Insteadhe used false names towrite prescriptions,which are free in Wales.

The University of Sheffield’sStudents’ Union has beenawarded the Whatuni StudentChoice Award for BestStudents’ Union, rooting theorganisation firmly at the topspot for the fourthconsecutive year.The Whatuni award winners

are determined by over 41,000student reviews from across theUK, with the University ofSheffield’s Students’ Unioncommended for its provision of acinema, shops, study areas, awide range of food outlets andexcellent student activities.This year’s Whatuni ceremony

took place on Twitter due to the

coronavirus crisis, wherewinners were announced viavideo throughout the day. TheUniversity of Sheffield was alsonominated for the 2020 WhatuniStudent Choice awards forUniversity of the Year, Facilitiesand Societies and Sports.The Students’ Union, located

at the heart of the Universitycampus, is at the centre of thestudent experience. As well asbeing home to over 350 student-led societies, the University ofSheffield’s Students’ Unionoffers shops, venues for liveentertainment and club nights,places to eat, drink, study andsocialise, a nursery and a 400-

seat cinema. It provides a hubwhere students from across theworld can come together to trynew activities, access adviceand support, make friends andtry something new.During the Covid-19

lockdown, the Students’ Unionhas adapted quickly, withstudent societies hostingactivities online ranging frommeditation classes and bakingtutorials to dance groups andclub nights and the Students’Union recently organised anonline music festival to bringeveryone together even moreduring this time.Earlier this year the University

of Sheffield’s Students’ Unionwas ranked number one in theUK for 2020 by Student Hut. Theawards continue the legacy often years at the top; from 2008to 2018 the Students’ Union wasvoted number one by the TimesHigher Education StudentExperience Survey before thesurvey closed in 2018.

Sheffield Students’ Unionnamed best in UK forfourth year running


A stiff fine


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2019

Re-Appeal:Concernsover missingBradford manIsmail Ali

Police are becomingincreasingly concerned forthe welfare of missingBradford man Ismail Ali.The 46 year old and was

last seen in Gulams inCumberland Road on theafternoon of Friday, 29thMay.He is described as being

of slim build with shortblack hair. He has links tothe Dewsbury and Batleyareas, as well as Blackburn.There are concerns for

his welfare, particularlygiven the period of timethat has now passed.Officers are continuing

their enquiries to locate

him and are calling onanyone with informationabout his current locationto get in touch.Anyone with information

which may assist is asked tocontact police on 101 or viathe West Yorkshire Policewebsite, quoting logreference 1498 of 1st June.

Last seen in Gulams inCumberland Road on the

afternoon of Friday, 29th May.Ismail Ali hasn’t been seen since 29th May


Owners of a hotel that has been a family business for generations explains how the furlough and business support schemes have given them hope during the coronavirus pandemic.

For the Welsh Bream brothers closing the doors of their 64-bedroom Merrion Hotel on the Llandudno seafront in the middle of peak season was a

decision. Due to the UK Government-

imposed coronavirus lockdown,

heartbreaking. For Paul Bream, who runs the hotel with his brother Gareth, it isn’t just bricks and mortar. It’s right

reopening.

since 1949 - for four generations,” explains Paul Bream.

“This is more than bricks and mortar to us; this is who we are. It’s part of our

that it’s important to us wouldn’t even get close.

“We have heritage here, long-standing relationships with guests who have been

“At the moment, we would be in the

happened and to be closed as we are through the season is bizarre.”

staff’s livelihoods on the books and bills

caused a huge problem. But a package of support from the UK government has proved invaluable in helping the

“We kept our commitment to staff in the hope that something would come

because we just didn’t know what was going to happen,” adds Paul.

“And then the UK government announced the furlough scheme and we just breathed a sigh of relief. We could hunker down for a bit.”

allowed the hotel to cover all staff wages

Government. In addition to this, the UK

Government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), has

we lock the front door. “We have ongoing costs which we

broadband alone costs about £500 a month.

“So we wanted to make sure that we

however long this lasts and not have

lockdown is lifted.“Business for me is all about

relationships, both from the customer

important to us that our suppliers have

street - we have to work with them and trust them and vice versa.”

For the brothers, the speed their bank processed the loan, helped in alleviating

stressful time. “The CBILS loan was offered at the

beginning of this, and we weren’t sure whether the scheme would be withdrawn or reduced or changed, so we took the loan while it was on offer - whether we used it or not was another thing.

understand our business and have gone to great lengths to help us.”

How a Welsh hotel is surviving Covid-19

There is a wide range of financial support available to firms of all sizes.Visit h�ps://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support

for more information.

The Bream brothers inWales closed the doorsof their family businessduring lockdown.(Picture Credit: Mark Waugh)

Produced in partnership with UK Government


Police reveal 4,200slavery victims -with one gangmaking £2million

West Midlands Police fear there are upto 4,200 victims of modern slavery in theregion - and an astonishing 100,000 acrossthe UK.The force has been pioneering efforts to

tackle the often unreported crime and hasarrested 58 suspected people traffickers sincelast January.Previous slavery estimates had placed the

total UK slavery figure at between 10,000 and13,000.Now a new report has revealed the

staggering scale of the problem across theWest Midlands through an innovative dataanalysis system. Across the UK the figure hasnow been estimated at an astonishing100,000.The grim statistics have been released by

anti-slavery charity Justice for Care and TheCentre for Social Justice.The report, called It Still Happens Here,

reveals that in the last three years the UK hasbeen the top country of origin for suspectedslavery victims.But by using a pioneering new data

analysis project led by West Midlands calledNational Data Analytic Solutions (NDAS) – theUK figure has now been put at closer to100,000.Justice for Care’s Chief Executive Officer

Christian Guy said: “West Midlands Police’sinnovation means that, for the first time, wehave a much more accurate indication of thetrue extent of modern slavery in the UK.“Their work should be recognised and built

on; it’s key to ensuring our country’s responseis proportionate and serious. We can also nowtake giant strides forward in our nationalassessment.”NDAS uses data analytical tools to help

build better intelligence and insight from policedata.The system was able to identify cases

where slavery was likely to be involved andthen pinpoint everyone likely to have beenlinked.Based on data, the system identified 4,197

potential victims of modern slavery in theWest Midlands. And when extrapolated to thewhole of the UK returns a figure of 99,469.But it is thought many more victims remain

hidden and unaccounted.From April 2019 to March 2020 almost

1,000 potential slavery victims in Birminghamand the West Midlands were identified bypoliceThe regional figure mounted to eight per

cent of the national total and represented a 45per cent increase on the previous 12 months.And from January 2019 to 30 June this year

the West Midlands force has arrested 58suspected traffickers under the ModernSlavery Act.Last year the force brought the Polish

slavery gang to justice after the biggest evermodern slavery investigation in the UK.Husband and wife Ignacy Brzezinski andJustyna Parczewska led the ruthless crimefamily who made more than £2m traffickingvictims from Poland to West Bromwich.Hundreds of vulnerable people, including

the homeless, alcoholics and drug addicts,were lured from their Polish homeland to theUK with the promise of well-paid jobs andbetter lives.Yet once they arrived in the region they

were forced to open bank accounts by thecriminals who then put them to work in farmsand recycling centres and stole most of theirwages, with many picking up just £20 perweek.The court was told the family home in

Beechwood Road became the centre of themodern slavery operation.Investigations showed the Brzezinskis were

on benefits yet sent cash amounts back toPoland via Western Union.The lavish lifestyles they led was underlined

after a luxury Bentley car was found at theaddress, linked to Ignacy Brzezinski.The Modern Slavery Helpline is at

www.modernslaveryhelpline.org or call 08000121700.

Coronavirus: Over 50countries exempt fromCOVID-19 travel quarantine

The full list of countries to beexempted from the need forpassengers to self-isolate for 14days does not include travellersarriving from the US or fromGreece.Transport secretary Grant

Shapps confirmed that peoplereturning to England after trips toSpain, France, Italy and Germanywill no longer have to self-isolatefrom 10th July.The new policy also applies to

tourists visiting England from theexempted countries."It is really important that we

have done this in a very carefuland cautious way," Mr Shappssaid."The most important thing is to

maintain the gains that we havehad."The Foreign Office has also

updating its advice that warnsagainst "all but essential"international travel, with certaindestinations that no longer pose an"unacceptably high risk ofCOVID-19" from Saturday 4thJuly.The existing quarantine

measures have attractedwidespread derision since theirintroduction, with criticssuggesting they were brought intoo late and applied to somecountries where coronavirus wasnot as rife as in the UK.Under new plans, all passengers,

except those on a small list ofexemptions, will still be required toprovide contact information onarrival in the UK.The Department for Transport

(DfT) said it expects a number ofthe exempted countries will not

require arrivals from the UK toself-isolate.However the government's

announcement did not guaranteereciprocal arrangements withforeign countries.Spain, Italy and Germany

currently allow entry to mostBritons without having to undergoquarantine. However, France has a14-day quarantine for most peopleentering the country from the UK.

The DfT said the list ofexempted countries will be "keptunder constant review, so that ifthe health risks increase self-isolation measures can bereintroduced to help stop thespread of the disease intoEngland".Boris Johnson's father criticised

for flying to Greece duringCOVID-19 pandemicIt added that the devolved

administrations in Scotland, Walesand Northern Ireland will "set outtheir own approach toexemptions" and urged passengersreturning to those countries to

"follow the laws and guidancewhich applies there".A row has broken out between

Downing Street and Holyroodover air bridges, with Mr Shappspreviously saying the Scottishgovernment was delaying anannouncement on the issue.This was dismissed by the

Holyrood administration as"completely unfounded".And in the wake of the

announcement on air bridges, aScottish government spokespersonhas said: "We would still like toreach a four nations approach ifpossible but that is difficult whenthe UK government changeproposals and give us last minutesight of them."The government plans to

introduce a traffic light system thatwould classify countries as safe orotherwise, depending on theprevalence of coronavirus.Countries will either be graded

green, meaning they are safer thanthe UK; amber, meaning they areless safe than green countries; or

red, which will result in anypassengers returning from themstill needing to isolate for afortnight.Rules implemented from 8th

June have meant all passengers -with a handful of exemptions -have been required to go into self-isolation for 14 days at a declaredaddress when they arrive in theUK.Those who fail to comply can be

fined £1,000 in England, withpolice allowed to use "reasonableforce" to make sure they followthe rules.The Airlines UK trade

association welcomed news thatthe quarantine measures would belifted for certain countries.It said: "There's no doubt

quarantine has had a devastatingimpact on our industry and whilstit's welcome the government hasremoved its blanket ban we wouldencourage rigour and science isapplied in all future decisionssurrounding our businesses."

The DfT said the list of exempted countrieswill be “kept under constant review, so thatif the health risks increase self-isolationmeasures can be reintroduced to help stopthe spread of the disease into England”.



Not sofunny…

He has been accused of offering to boost theircareers while simultaneously suggesting sex.

Meanwhile, some male performershave publicly confessed to pastmisconduct towards women inrecent weeks.

Campaigners claim theproblem is widespread and, ina moment of reckoning, havevowed to weed out sexualharassment in every cornerof the UK comedy scene.

Kohli has been namedby several women,according to the Times,including fellowcomedian LuluPopplewell,Coronation Streetactress Nicola Thorp,burlesque artist IvyPaige and singerSophie Armstrong.Popplewell, 29,

said formerCelebrity Big

British comedyTV starHardeep SinghKohli accusedof sexualharassment

Cover story continued

The presenter was suspended from The OneShow for six months over allegations ofinappropriate conduct towards a female researcher- his contract was never renewed by the BBC


Brother contestant Kohli told her hecould propel her career, whilesimultaneously suggesting they spend thenight together.Activist and actress Nicola Thorp says

Kohli had approached her to make adocumentary in Pakistan about women'srights, and being a passionate women'srights activist, jumped at the opportunity.But things took a creepy turn when his

midnight texts and calls ensued, and hebegan suggesting clothes and high heelsthat he thought would make her 'lookgood.'Assuming he was imparting

professional advice, she naively took it allas 'make-over guidance' to further herchances with her career, despite all thered flags going off.Thorp says that when she turned down

Hardeep's sexual advances, the'documentary' in Pakistan strangelyceased to exist. She doubts if it ever did."When I read testimony from other

women who had dealings with Hardeep,the pattern in his behaviour becameclear; late night messages, the offer ofcareer progression, sexually suggestiveinteractions that were vehemently deniedonce challenged," writes Thorpe in theMetro."I'm loath to call it bravery when

women speak out about harassment. It isa brave act, but it shouldn't have to be.Women who don't come forward are notcowardly through default," she adds."If bravery is required to call out

sexual predators, then we are failing as asociety to provide victims with thesupport necessary to do so. We mustbelieve them. We must be active alliesand approach the issue with sensitivityand care."#MeToo is a movement, not a

moment. Nor is it simply a memory.Sexism and sexual harassment continueto permeate every corner of society, andwe must take an active stance against it."

Hardeep Singh Kohli was born 21stJanuary 1969 in London but moved toGlasgow, Scotland with his family whenhe was four.

In 2004, he starred in Channel 4's 'Meetthe Magoons', and he reached the final ofCelebrity MasterChef in 2006, which soonled to presenting New British Kitchen withJohn Torode.

Other TV appearances include a celebrityedition of The Apprentice, The Wright Stuff,and he also hosted CBBC game show Get100.

The presenter was suspended from TheOne Show for six months in 2009 overallegations of inappropriate conducttowards a female researcher - his contractwas never renewed by the BBC. After beingaxed by the BBC he returned to TV forCelebrity Big Brother in 2018.

At the time Kohli denied he had beenaccused of sexual harassment but concededhe had "overstepped the mark".

Kohli has two children with ex-wifeSharmilla Kohli, whom he divorced the sameyear he was suspended by the BBC.

Who isHardeep Singh Kohli?

Meanwhile, leading femalecomedian Shappi Khorsandihas painted a grim picture of theUK comedy circuit, detailingdegrading comments made toher by male counterparts.She claimed to have had her'

arse grabbed' backstage, calleda 'stripper' and once even lefthorrified after arriving at hermanager's funeral where oneperson said: 'Shappi's here. Youget the duct tape, I'll open theboot.'In her comments to the

Beyond the Joke website, shemade clear even stars of theindustry were guilty of sexualharassment. The Live Comedy Association

(LCA) has acknowledged a'culture of abuse, misconductand harassment' within Britishcomedy.It has assembled a task force

to draw up a code of conduct tohelp stamp out the 'systemicmisconduct' blighting the UK'scomedy scene. It said themisconduct was endemic 'fromopen mic nights to professionalcomedy venues and festivals'.


Veterans have joined the numerous skilled workforces helping the country - everything from building the Nightingale Hospitals to delivering essential supplies.

Working alongside brave workers in the NHS, former service personnel have been making urgent food and medicine deliveries to thousands of vulnerable and shielding individuals, ensuring they get what they need.

Some have lent their support at Covid-19 test centres, allowing them to run smoothly and safely to test thousands of people with symptoms every day. Much of this

that our veterans have learned throughout their years of service in the military.

The work of these veterans goes to show that the military gives you key skills that are transferable to civilian life, be it healthcare, business or organisation,

contrary to the often-negative perceptions of veterans in the media.

We spoke to Michelle Partington, who joined the RAF

years of training, she became the

frontline with the RAF Regiment. “People didn’t think a female

could be a frontline medic, which made me even more determined,” Michelle says.

In 2011 and 2012, Michelle served with MERT - the medical emergency response team - and

rush critically injured soldiers and civilians to hospital.

“Halfway through the tour things went horribly wrong,” she says.

“As a paramedic you go off the back of the helicopter to retrieve the casualties and there were a couple of combat situations where we were on our bellies under

realised I didn’t care if I survived. “When I got back I would get

really angry, then be in tears, so I got sent to the doctors and I was

diagnosed with PTSD. They medically discharged me in

September 2015.”Michelle tried working as a

civilian paramedic but found

seen kids with their legs blown off and you’ve got somebody in front of you who’s phoned for an ambulance because they’ve

them what I thought! Which was not good.”

So, instead she used her RAF leadership and communications skills to set up her own company that helps people with mental health issues and getting them back into work.

Due to her now community-focused role, during the pandemic,

a network of veterans who volunteer as crisis responders.

“They’ve had service people giving coronavirus tests in care homes, helping to build the Nightingale Hospitals, packing and delivering PPE and working

of bodies became too great,” Michelle says.

She began working as a housing

Army and the YMCA and was doing food deliveries to key workers. Michelle also took on an additional role leading a team of veterans looking after the homeless.

Michelle believes armed forces veterans are the right people to call on in a crisis because they’re used

to it. “When we deploy, we just think, right, let’s get our heads

in it,” she says. “We’ve had the training,

we’ve got the leadership, we know how to cope within ourselves and to look out for each other. We are each other’s strength and that comradeship never leaves you.

year but when it hits the fan, you realise how much

you can do, both on your own and together as a group. And I think now as we go back to work, there’ll be that new way of

anything is possible.”

Veterans to the rescueProduced in partnership with UK Government

First female medic ever to serve on the frontline with RAF Regiment talks about her Covid-19 role



School’s DT Department produces hundreds of PPE

News reports across thecountry highlighted thedifficulties faced by hospitals,GPs, and other care providersin sourcing PPE for their keyworkers. Simultaneously, inschools and colleges aroundthe country, 3D printers andlaser cutters were sitting idle.

Although student projectshave been on hold for the timebeing, the design technologyworkshop at The GrammarSchool at Leeds (GSAL)remained 'open forbusiness' during thecoronavirus outbreak.

The workshop's 3Dprinters worked at fullstretch as John Bagshaw,the school's head ofdesign technology,responded to the demandfor vital personalprotective equipment(PPE) to keep frontlinehealthcare workers safe.

To date, GSAL hasdespatched 4,000 facevisors and donated over500 pairs of protectiveglasses that wouldotherwise have beenunused in the science labs.

Initially John had three 3Dprinters working at full stretchto manufacture headbands forthe face visors. Within a coupleof weeks he boosted

production by a further 100visors a day using a new designthat could be made on a lasercutter.

Mr Bagshaw said: “Inpartnership with six otherschools, we’ve provided PPE to150 recipients including NHSproviders, GP surgeries,pharmacies, police, shops, carehomes and dentists, evenposting items to London, Walesand Scotland.

“It’s been a magnificenteffort by colleagues andstudents still attending school,who helped on the productionline whenever they had time.”

To date, GSAL hasdespatched 4,000face visors anddonated over 500pairs of protectiveglasses that wouldotherwise havebeen unused in thescience labs.


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Researchers have shown that avariation in the viral genome ofCovid-19 improved its ability to infecthuman cells and helped it become thedominant strain circulating aroundthe world today.

The study, published in the journal‘Cell’ on 2nd July, shows the variationis more infectious in cell culturesunder laboratory conditions.

The variant, named ‘D614G’,makes a small but effective change inthe ‘spike’ glycoprotein thatprotrudes from the surface of thevirus, which it uses to enter and infecthuman cells.

The D614G variant of Covid-19quickly took over as the dominantstrain soon after it first appeared,with geographic samples showing asignificant shift in viral populationfrom the original, to the new strain ofthe virus.

Researchers from the Los AlamosNational Laboratory in New Mexicoand Duke University in NorthCarolina, partnered with theUniversity of Sheffield’s Covid-19

Genomics UK research group toanalyse genome samples publishedon GISAID, an internationalresource for sharing genomesequences among researchersworldwide.

Dr Thushan de Silva, SeniorClinical Lecturer in InfectiousDiseases at the University ofSheffield, led analysis of data fromSheffield.

He said: “We have been sequencingSARS-CoV-2 strains in Sheffieldsince early in the pandemic and thisallowed us to partner with ourcollaborators to show this mutationhad become dominant in circulatingstrains.

“The full peer-reviewed studypublished confirms this, and also thatthe new D614G genome mutationvariant is also more infectious under

laboratory conditions.“Data provided by our team in

Sheffield suggested that the newstrain was associated with higher viralloads in the upper respiratory tract ofpatients with Covid-19, meaning thevirus’s ability to infect people couldbe increased.

“Fortunately at this stage, it doesnot seem that viruses with D614Gcause more severe disease.”

Dr Bette Korber, from the LosAlamos National Laboratory in NewMexico, was the lead author of thestudy. She said: “It is possible to trackSARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) evolutionglobally because researchersworldwide are rapidly making theirviral sequence data available throughthe GISAID viral sequence database.

Currently tens of thousands ofsequences are available through thisproject, and this enabled us toidentify the emergence of a variantthat has rapidly become the globallydominant form.”

New supporting experiments, moreextensive sequencing and clinicaldata, and improved statistical modelshave also been published, howeverthe researchers are keen to stress thatfurther laboratory analysis in livecells needs to be done to determinethe full implications of the mutation.

The researchers will continue tomonitor other mutations in the virusto help fight Covid-19 at a globallevel.

• Researchers globallytracking the spread ofCovid-19 discover viruseswith a new variant havenow overtaken theoriginal strain

• Analysis of the virus’sgenome sequence founda mutation called ‘D614G’made the virus moreinfectious than theoriginal strain

• Data suggests thatthe new strain wasassociated withhigher viral loads inthe upper respiratorytract of patients

New, more infectiousstrain of Covid-19

now dominatesglobal cases of virus



Scotland Yard's former top female Asianofficer is suing the force in a £500,000 claim overalleged racist and sexist abuse.Nusrit Mehtab quit the Metropolitan Police

this year after complaining of a "toxicworkplace" in which colleagues and bosses,including Commissioner Cressida Dick,allegedly only paid “lip service” to diversity.In documents supplied to an employment

tribunal, she alleges that she was told to keepquiet when a swastika was drawn on the wall ofa police station in an area only accessible tostaff. She also claims her bosses tried to hush upthe graffiti and later blamed it on builders.Ms Mehtab is suing for constructive dismissal,

race, sex and religious discrimination,harassment and victimisation.She says her promotion was slow, held up by

opposition she had to overcome, though sherose through the ranks to become asuperintendent and the most senior femaleethnic minority officer.She worked in undercover operations and

counter-terrorism and was a poster girl for theforce, once starring in a TV show entitled‘Mehtab Of The Met’.She says she quit the force in January after 32

years because of institutional racism and sexismthat was preventing further promotion.In tribunal papers, she says she is claiming

£500,000 compensation for lost earnings andpension and injury to her feelings.She began her career in Tower Hamlets in

east London and recalled that an initiationceremony for new female recruits was to havetheir breasts and bottoms stamped with theoffice stamp."In my case, the white male officers did not

know how to initiate me," she said."They put their minds to it and set a trap.

Hence, in my case they left a vibrator in mylocker and congregated to watch me open mylocker, thrilled with their ingenuity andsniggering. That was the openly misogynisticculture in the police then."

Singled outMs Mehtab, who is of Pakistani origin and a

practising Muslim, claims she was forced topatrol alone because of her race and wasignored by white male colleagues who refusedto talk to or sit next to her.For religious reasons she says she refused to

wear a uniform skirt and was forced to weartrousers made for a male officer.When she was promoted to inspector, she

claims she overheard a colleague saying: "You'llnever believe it. The Doris has passed. How thehell did that happen? How did you let ithappen?"She also claims that senior white female

officers "huddled together like Mean Girls" -giving black, Asian and minority ethnic(BAME) colleagues the cold shoulder like aclique in the hit film starring Lindsay Lohan.She said: "Most resented and disliked me. It

was apparent that many white officers found itvery difficult to take orders from me as awoman of colour who was also a Muslim."Being racist and sexist, they found it too

humiliating. Fortunately, an order is an orderand no one threw it back in my face and riskedbeing disciplined for insubordination, but theymade my job as difficult as they could behindmy back."In 2018, she was posted as a superintendent

to Haringey and Enfield. There, she said, a teamphoto of an Asian superintendent colleague wasrepeatedly defaced with drawings of penises.She said that senior ethnic minority officers

had to march 10 metres (33ft) behindCommissioner Cressida Dick and whitecolleagues at a parade to celebrate women'srole in policing last year. She said: "It is how weare made to feel unvalued. It was humiliating."

ResignationMs Mehtab said she resigned in September

2019, but was persuaded to stay before finallyquitting in January.She said: "Reaching the rank of

superintendent is my biggest achievement. I alsobelieve that were it not for the institutionalracism at the force, I would have achieved moresenior rank. I believe that the MetropolitanPolice Service only pays lip service to the

Nusrit Mehtab quit the Metropolitan Police this year after complaining of a ‘toxic workplace’

Former topMet officersues force for£500k over‘racist andsexist abuse’


Muslim Met officer Nusrit Mehtab claims the ‘Metropolitan PoliceService only pays lip service to the diversity and inclusion agenda’Muslim Met officer Nusrit Mehtab claims the ‘Metropolitan Police

Service only pays lip service to the diversity and inclusion agenda’diversity and inclusion agenda."She accused Commissioner

Cressida Dick of failing totackle racism, claiming she"protects the racist workingenvironment by supportingracist officers".Ms Mehtab's solicitor

Lawrence Davies, of law firmEqual Justice, said: "In thecontext of the George Floydtragedy, it is essential we moveaway from the Met Police'spresent institutional denial ofracism."Racist officers must be

dismissed, not promoted. Anti-corruption must understandthat the reputation of the forceis best served not by coveringup racism but tackling it. Thevast majority of Met officers arenot racist, so it is a tragedy thatmanagement and HR defendthe few."

StatementIt’s estimated that three

quarters of the Met’s seniorethnic minority cops areinvolved in force legal wrangles,leading to claims of racism.Just two of eight top BAME

(black, Asian, ethnic minority)officers are not tangled up ineither disciplinary proceedingsor civil litigation.On the matter of MS

Mehtab’s case, the MetropolitanPolice said: "We are aware apolice officer has brought aclaim against the MPS allegingrace, sex and religion/beliefdiscrimination and harassment.

It would be inappropriate tocomment further ahead of theemployment tribunal hearing."While we will not discuss

details of an ongoing claim, itshould be highlighted that theMet has, in recent years, made anumber of major changes to theway complaints aboutdiscrimination and victimisationin the workplace areinvestigated, making ourprocesses more fit for purpose.“New procedures to make

investigating and resolvingcomplaints from officers andstaff about discrimination,bullying, or victimisation moreeffectively have beenimplemented. Additionalresources, expertise, andtraining have also beenintroduced along with supportmechanisms for those involvedin any ongoing process.“As an organisation, the Met

champions fairness and equality,and there is no place fordiscrimination or victimisationof any kind in the organisation.We actively encourage ourofficers and staff to challengesuch behaviour if it is displayedand report it through theappropriate channels.“We want everyone who

works for the Met to have fullconfidence in how internalgrievance complaints aremanaged, and the organisation'scommitment to ensuring thecore values of fairness andequality are upheld.”

Met Commissioner CressidaDick is accused of failing totackle racism in the force


HamaraCentrebecomesculturalfood hubThe COVID-19 outbreak has seen an

unprecedented level of demand forfood support, with many families acrossthe UK struggling to access basic foodsupplies. Despite being forced to close and

suspend its normal activities, theHamara Healthy Living Centre – thelargest BAME-oriented charityorganisation in Leeds – has transformeditself into an emergency food hub andis working closely with Leeds CityCouncil to provide emergency foodparcels to those in needs.Over the course of this, however, we

have recognised the need to providespecialised cultural food parcelscontaining items which are often notfound in ordinary food parcels – such asghee, lentils, ginger, and chapatti flour.These parcels have proven immenselypopular and have been well received inthe South Asian community andbeyond, meeting the dietary needs ofthe community and bringing acomforting taste of home to recentlyarrived refugees and asylum seekers.Based in South Leeds, Hamara

worked initially with the localcommunity, but our work withorganisations and charities across Leedshave enabled our service to expand

across the city and allow more andmore people to access culturallyappropriate foods. From majororganisations like Touchstone andMENCAP to local food banks andcommunity centres, we are now actingas one of the city’s main cultural foodhubs. We are continually receivingrequests to support vulnerableindividuals and families whose specificdietary needs are not being met withordinary food parcels, and we feelproud that we have been able to rise tothis challenge and provide this essentialsupport. We believe it is crucial to recognise

and respond to the unique needs ofevery community, and the response wehave received so far has driven us toexpand our range of cultural food itemsto include those from the African andCaribbean communities. In this way, weare now – through our co-operativework with other organisations –enabling more and more individualsfrom Leeds’ diverse ethnic communitiesto access culturally appropriate food. Operations Manager at Hamara, said:

“We are astonished at how fast this hasgrown in such a short time and we hopeto continue providing essential culturalfood parcels long into the future.”

Members of the Leeds Swahili Community collecting food parcels.

“We are astonished at how fastthis has grown in such a short time and we hope to continue

providing essential cultural foodparcels long into the future.”



“We beggedfor it to beshut down”say staff at foodfactory with 237coronavirus casesFood factory workers say the site

they worked at has seen 237 cases ofcoronavirus, and claim they hadbegged bosses to shut it down.Rowan Foods in Wales processes

food for supermarkets across the UKincluding Tesco, Sainsbury’s andAsda, employs more than 1,000people on the Wrexham IndustrialEstate.Now staff have come forward to

the media to claim they had asked forthe factory to close down amid fearsthey would catch Covid-19.This news comes weeks after

workers at the factory walked out inprotest over an alleged lack of PPEfrom the virus.Public health bosses are stuggling

to trace workers for testing fromRowan Foods in Wrexham, northWales, which has become a localhotspot for the virus.

An anonymous worker fromPoland claimed it would be‘impossible’ for health bosses to trackdown the remaining workers, and thatmost of the plant’s 1,000 workers arerecruited from Eastern Europeannations on minimum wage, and oftenquit within the first few months.

So far, there have been 237 positivecases of Covid-19 from the factory,but around 100 more workers still

need to be tested.Rowan Foods has said the site will

not be closing following a two-dayhealth and safety inspection, but theplant has been contacted for furthercomment over the workers’ claims.A spokesperson said everyone on

site was tested last week: “We are

aware that Public Health Wales haspreviously said that it is trying totrace 300 missing employees.

“We are extremely puzzled by thisas we provided the Public HealthWales testing unit with a list of nearly300 colleagues who were not on siteand would not be for some time, forreasons such as shielding, maternityleave, long term sick and isolation.”One woman from Poland working

at the Welsh factory who also wishedto remain anonymous, said that sheknew ‘dozens of friends andcolleagues who have had it and Iguess it’s only a matter of time beforeI get it too.’The woman added that while the

majority of staff wear gloves whileworking in the plant, few chose towear masks.In a statement Public Health Wales

said: “We are working with BetsiCadwaladr University Health Boardto urgently contact just over 300workers that have not yet presented

for testing. “As we would expect with any

focused track and trace process, wewill identify additional asymptomaticcases. Finding these cases does notmean that the rate of infection in theWrexham area is increasing as awhole.“There is no evidence that Rowan

Foods is the source of the outbreak. “The multi-agency team managing

the outbreak with Public HealthWales will continue to review thesituation and work with the employer,their workforce and widercommunity to bring this outbreak to aswift conclusion.”Public Health Wales confirmed it

has have so far managed to tracearound 200 workers and found theywere either shielding or not workingduring the outbreak.

Workers pictured at Rowan Foodson Wrexham Industrial Estate in Wales

It would be ‘impossible’ for health bosses to trackdown the remaining workers, and that most of theplant’s 1,000 workers are recruited from EasternEuropean nations on minimum wage, and oftenquit within the first few months.



July 2020 - 1st Edition Business 27www.asianexpress.co.uk

Your National and Local Business Round-up

AsianExpressBusiness news

Cash & Carry bosseseducate smallbusinesses

From their Yorkshirehomeland, bosses of AdamsCash & Carry chain played akey role in educating andassisting the hospitalitysector hardest hit during thepandemic lockdown inMarch.

Adams were approached bydozens of restaurant andtakeaway owners who facedlockdown and adapted to newhealth and safety guidelines.

They found themselves inthe unique position ofsupporting businesses andtraining them on how they cancontinue to operate safely.

Sajad Hussain of Adams FastFood Supplies said: “At a time

when unnecessary socialinteraction was discouraged,food delivery outlets played apivotal role.

“Across all our nine stores,we were being approached bytakeaway owners who werefollowing guidelines andneeded support”

“We immediatelyimplemented a policy acrossthe whole group and placed adedicated ‘Covid-19 ResponseTeam’ to advise ourcustomers.

“This included helpingthem adapt their practices toreassure customers of hygienestandards and reiterate socialdistancing measures.

“We also trained them onhow they could safely carryoutdoor-step deliveries, in-store collections as well asencouraging them toimplement contactlesspayment systems.”

Alongside ensuring theircustomers had the UKGovernment’s updatedinformation on how to tradesafely, Adams also kept thepositivity growing by teamingup with national food supplierAviko to promote a #FoodHerocampaign throughoutlockdown. Visitwww.aviko.co.uk/news/everyday-food-heroes for moreinformation.

www.asianexpress.co.uk28 Business July 2020 - 1st Edition

uarantees and indemnities areboth a form of what the law termsas suretyship. A surety is a person

who is liable for the payment ofanother person’s debt or theperformance of another person’sobligation in the event of the failure bythat person to comply with hisobligations. A guarantee is a contractual promise

by a guarantor to ensure that a thirdparty fulfils his obligation and/or thatthe guarantor will pay an amount owedby the third party if the third party failsto do so. An indemnity is a contractual promise

whereby one party promises to anotherparty that he willcompensate the loss ordamages occurred tohim by the conductof another person.In a contract ofindemnity thereare two parties,one whopromises toindemnify theother party, theindemnifier,while the otherone whose loss

is compensated is known as theindemnified. One of the most commonexamples of an indemnity is a contractof insurance where the insurancecompany promises to pay for thedamages suffered by the policyholder inreturn for the payment of insurancepremiums by the policyholder. Guarantees and Indemnities are often

confused and used interchangeably.Below are the key differences betweenguarantees and indemnities and theirimportance as the distinctions can berelevant regarding enforceability:• In a contract of guarantee, one party

makes a promise to the other party thathe will perform the obligation or pay theliability, in the case of default by a thirdparty.• In a contract of indemnity, one party

makes a promise to the other that hewill compensate for any loss incurred tothe other party because of the act of thepromisor or any other person. • In an indemnity there are two

parties involved, the indemnifier andthe indemnified but in a contract ofguarantee, there are three parties -debtor, creditor and surety.• The liability of the indemnifier in the

contract of indemnity is primarywhereas in a guarantee the liability ofthe surety is secondary because theprimary liability is that of the

debtor.• Unlike an indemnity,a guarantee must be inwriting or signed by theguarantor in order for itto be effective.Guaranteedocuments caninclude both aguarantee and anindemnity so thatthe beneficiary canhave the benefit ofboth and they areoften executed asdeeds toovercome anyargumentaboutwhether goodconsiderationhas beengiven.If you require

advice onenforcing orcomplying with aguarantee or anindemnity or if yourequire thepreparation of aguarantee or anindemnity then BlacksSolicitors can assist.Please contact Luke Patelon 0113 227 9316 or emailhim at“[email protected]”.

G

Guarantees andIndemnities

Please contact Luke Patelon 0113 227 9316 or by email at

[email protected]

A Birmingham collegeset up to teach theengineers who will buildthe HS2 high speed railline has been accused offailing to recruit studentsfrom the local Ladywoodcommunity.The National College for

Advanced Transport andInfrastructure (NCATI),previously known as theNational College for HighSpeed Rail, said it hadstruggled to recruitstudents because ofuncertainty over the futureof the HS2 high speed railline.But local MP Shabana

Mahmood discovered thatonly three students comefrom the constituency; andsays a failure to recruitlocal people helps explainwhy an Ofsted inspectionfound the college has only187 students in total,including 167 apprentices,despite having capacity for600.She said: "Put those 187

students into a classroomand you’ll see two emptyseats for every one that’sfilled. You would have to

speak to at least 60 of thembefore you find someonewho lives withinLadywood, myBirmingham constituencywhere the college islocated."Ms Mahmood added:

"There is a generation outthere faced with anuncertain economic future,seeking the rightopportunity to learn atrade and enter a newindustry. They will needfirst-class training anddevelopment by a qualityfurther education provider."Given the correct

support, the NationalCollege of AdvancedTechnology andInfrastructure can providethat opportunity. It’s timeto get it back on the righttrack."She has raised the issue

in a written Parliamentaryquestion, asking why thereare only three studentsfrom BirminghamLadywood constituencyenrolled at the NationalCollege for AdvancedTransport andInfrastructure even though

it is located in thatconstituency.Education Minister

Gilian Keegan told her:"The Department forEducation is workingclosely with theDepartment for Transportand High Speed 2 (HS2) Ltdto encourage more learnersto take up opportunities togain key skills neededacross the transport andinfrastructure sectors."As a National College, it

is expected that studentswill not just be located inthe local constituency butwill have a different travelto learn pattern given theirspecialist national higherlevel skills offer."NCATI opened to

students in 2017, andteaches the technical skillsrequired to build, operateand manage HS2 and otherrail projects.However the

government-backedcollege has struggled sinceits launch, and last yearreceived close to a £5million bailout deal inorder to keep the doorsopen.In November NCATI had

its first Ofsted inspection,though publication wasdelayed until February dueto a legal challenge by thecollege.The report said the

college had only 187students when it wasinspected. It also foundthat students were notprotected fromharassment. It said:"Managers and staff do notact quickly enough toprotect apprentices fromharassment... do notensure that apprenticesreceive the help, protectionand support that theyneed".A separate report by the

Further EducationCommissioner called forchanges to the way thecollege is run. It said thecollege was receiving"ongoing emergencyfunding" from theDepartment of Education,and would "run out ofcash" were it not for thesefunds.

Row overprestigiousinner-cityBirminghamcollege withonly threestudents fromthe local area

Contact Nadim to discuss various pricing packages

Email: [email protected]

ADVERTISE YOURBUSINESS IN THEASIAN EXPRESS

www.asianexpress.co.uk Business 29July 2020 - 1st Edition

www.asianexpress.co.uk30 Business July 2020 - 1st Edition

July 2020 - 1st Edition Life & Style 31www.asianexpress.co.uk

Parents are faced with THIS manychallenges during their baby’s first year

Parents are faced with 1,750difficult decisions in their baby’sfirst year, according to new research.Between planning childcare,

learning about formula ingredientsand decorating the nursery, thesedecisions add up fast — a survey of2,000 parents with an infant foundrespondents are faced with about 34tough decisions per week.Choosing a name for their baby

was found to be the most difficultdecision new parents face (37%),followed by deciding whether tobreastfeed or to use formula (34%).

Continued on page 32

www.asianexpress.co.uk32 Life & Style July 2020 - 1st Edition

The OnePoll, the survey foundthe decisions don’t end if parentsdecide to use formula — choosingwhich formula to give their littleone (29%) was another of thehardest decisions parents face inthe first year.Over half (52%) of parents

surveyed use formula — whetherexclusively or as a supplement forbreastmilk — and it turns out,three really is the magic number.That’s because respondents

report trying three differentformulas for their baby beforefinding one that worked, and theaverage parent put in about fourhours of research before choosinga formula.It’s not surprising to see new

parents dedicating so much timeto their decision: Two-thirds(66%) admit to beingoverwhelmed by the number ofoptions for baby formula and theywere most likely to have feltoverwhelmed because of thenumber of unknown ingredients(61%).When choosing a formula for

their infant, the ingredients werefound to be the most importantfactor (53%) followed by theinclusion of DHA (47%) —which stands for docosahexaenoic

Parents are faced with THIS manychallenges during their baby's first year

Continued from page 31

www.asianexpress.co.uk Life & Style 33July 2020 - 1st Edition

WHAT NEW PARENTS LOOK FOR IN THEIR FORMULAIngredients 53%Inclusion of DHA as an ingredient 47%Brand name 37%My baby's diet preferences/allergies 37%Easing specific feeding issues 34%

MOST DIFFICULT DECISIONS IN THE FIRST YEAR OF PARENTINGChoosing a name 37%Breastfeeding versus using formula 34%Figuring out childcare 30%Which formula to use 29%Where the baby sleeps 27%Decorating the nursery 21%How to sleep train 20%Whether to post pictures on social media 19%Finding the right paediatrician 19%Whether to parent as their parents did 19%

acid.“DHA is a type of Omega-3 fat

found in breastmilk that isimportant for the growth anddevelopment of an infant’s brain,”said Dr. Christina Valentine, M.D.,a neonatologist, pediatrician,physician-scientist and registereddietitian who specialises inmaternal and infant nutrition toimprove health outcomes.Additionally, she co-leads The

Global Human Milk ResearchPlatform, is an activeneonatologist and an AssociateVisiting Professor at theUniversity of Cincinnati (UC).“After birth, a baby’s brain

grows rapidly supporting healthy

mental and visual growth throughthe early infant stages to later inlife. Optimal nutrition includingDHA in an amount global expertsrecommend† and found inbreastmilk on an averageworldwide¹, is important for everyinfant’s neurodevelopment,”added Dr. Valentine.Considering the benefits of

DHA, it’s therefore not surprisingthat many new parents do placean importance on it — 63% wouldchoose one formula over otherleading brands if they learned ithad a global expert-recommendedamount of DHA.Interestingly, 43% of parents

surveyed were under the

impression that all formula brandshave a globally-recommendedamount of DHA - but that’s nottrue.When choosing a formula,

parents are most concerned aboutfinding one to support theirinfant’s immune system (41%).That’s followed by brain-building(40%), easy-to-digest nutrition(34%) and eye development(25%).“There is no right or wrong

answer when it comes to feedingyour baby, and I encourageparents to do what works best forthem, among the many decisionsthey have to make,” said Dr.Valentine.

www.asianexpress.co.uk34 Life & Style July 2020 - 1st Edition

www.asianexpress.co.uk Entertainment 35July 2020 - 1st Edition

“My father was defeatedat the boxoffice byhunks withsix pack abs”

EntertainmentTHE LATEST ENTERTAINMENT AND CELEBRITY NEWS FROM BOLLYWOOD & HOLLYWOOD

Irrfan Khan's son Babil Khanpoints out how little respectBollywood has in world cinema

Late actor Irrfan Khan's son Babil recentlypenned a heartfelt note, in which he slamsBollywood's ruthless sexism and same-oldconventional representations of patriarchy.

Babil spoke about how his father wasdefeated for almost all of his life at the boxoffice, by hunks with six pack abs, despite hisefforts to 'elevate the art of acting in theadverse conditions' prevailing in Bollywood.

Being a student of cinema, Babil alsopointed out that Bollywood has little respectin world cinema.

Continued on page 36

36 Entertainment July 2020 - 1st Editionwww.asianexpress.co.uk

He posted two candid pictures ofIrrfan on his Instagram page. One ofthem features the late actor holding afew-months old Babil in his arms. Inanother snap, Irrfan is seen sleepingpeacefully with an arm around his petdog.He wrote, "You know one of the

most important things my fathertaught me as a student of cinema?Before I went to film school, hewarned me that I'll have to prove myself as Bollywood is seldom respectedin world cinema and at thesemoments I must inform about theIndian cinema that's beyond ourcontrolled Bollywood. “Unfortunately, it did happen. “Bollywood was not respected, no

awareness of 60's - 90's Indian cinemaor credibility of opinion. There was

literally one single lecture in theworld cinema segment about Indiancinema called 'Bollywood andBeyond', that too gone through in aclass full of chuckles. it was tough toeven get a sensible conversation

about the real Indian cinema ofSatyajit Ray and K. Asif going."Because we, as the Indian

audience, refused to evolve. “My father gave his life trying to

elevate the art of acting in the adverse

conditions of noughties Bollywoodand alas, for almost all of his journey,was defeated in the box office byhunks with six pack abs deliveringtheatrical one-liners and defying thelaws of physics and reality,

photoshopped item songs, just blatantsexism and same-old conventionalrepresentations of patriarchy (andyou must understand, to be defeatedat the box office means that majorityof the investment in Bollywoodwould be going to the winners,engulfing us in a vicious circle). “Because we as an audience

wanted that, we enjoyed it, all wesought was entertainment and safetyof thought, so afraid to have ourdelicate illusion of reality shattered,so unaccepting of any shift inperception. All effort to explore thepotential of cinema and itsimplications on humanity andexistentialism was at best kept by thesidelines," continued Babil in his post."Now there is a change, a new

fragrance in the wind. “A new youth, searching for a new

meaning. “We must stand our ground, not let

this thirst for a deeper meaning berepressed again. A strange feelingbeset when Kalki was trolled forlooking like a boy when she cut herhair short, that is pure abolishment ofpotential. (Although I resent thatSushant's demise has now become afluster of political debates, but if apositive change is manifesting, in theway of the Taoist, we embrace it),"Babil concluded his post on a positivenote.

Irrfan Khan’s sonBabil Khan points

out how littlerespect Bollywood

has in world cinemaContinued from page 35

“My father was defeated at the boxoffice by hunks with six pack abs”

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan and his sonAbhishek have been admitted to hospital in Mumbaiwith coronavirus.The 77-year-old actor, understood to be in an

isolation unit, Tweeted: "Family and staff undergonetests, results awaited." Nanavati Hospital healthofficials have confirmed that both father and son are ina stable condition.His son Abhishek confirmed that his wife, Bollywood

actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and their eight-year-olddaughter have also tested positive but are asymptomatic.

Abhishek said both he and his father have "mildsymptoms", and called on their millions of fans notto panic.Mr Bachchan's wife Jaya, who is also an

actress and a one-time member of parliament,has tested negative.Meanwhile the Bachchan's luxury home has

been sanitised, and his cars have been sprayed withdisinfectant.Despite the Bollywood film industry recently

returned to filming after months of lockdown, MrBachchan has been unable to return to set due to his age.

He had previously appeared in a public health advert inIndia urging people to take the virus seriously With more than 180 films under his belt, the septuagenarian

is considered Bollywood royalty and has previously beennamed among the highest paid actors in the world on Forbes'rich list.India is struggling to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. The

country reported a total of 820,916 Covid-19 cases, while 22,123people have died with the virus.Following the spike, several states brought back lockdowns,

including the country's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh,home to more than 230 million people.

AmitabhBachchan inhospital withcoronavirus

www.asianexpress.co.uk Entertainment 37July 2020 - 1st Edition

www.asianexpress.co.uk38 Entertainment July 2020 - 1st Edition

www.asianexpress.co.uk Motors 39July 2020 - 1st Edition

Milestone momentAston Martin celebratesas first DBX drives off theWelsh production line

Just over four years sinceAston Martin announced itsinvestment in a brand newmanufacturing facility at StAthan in Wales, the first AstonMartin to be “Made in Wales”has been driven off theproduction line.It’s been a culmination of

an extensive developmentprogramme that began withvirtual development stretchingback to 2015 and physical testingin Wales in 2018.

The DBX signals a new erain Aston Martin’s pursuitto deliver exceptionalperformance, style and usabilityin a segment previouslyunexplored by the world-famousmanufacturer. Bringing both the versatility

and indulgence expected of aluxury SUV with sports carlevels of dynamic performance,DBX sets a bold new standard inthis sector.With its all-wheel drive

system, DBX is a car that willallow the company to increaseits presence in markets whereperhaps the weather or terrain isless than conducive to rear-wheel drive sports cars. The clearemphasis on a spacious andluxurious cabin – whether seatedin the front or back – will alsoallow Aston Martin to betterreach customers who prefer tobe driven rather than drive.

Continued on pages 40 - 41

www.asianexpress.co.uk40 Motors July 2020 - 1st Edition

Aston Martin Interim ChiefOperating Officer, Keith Stanton,said: “It is a real privilege to behere today to witness thecompletion of the first productionAston Martin DBX. “I’m extremely proud of the

Aston Martin team who haveworked so hard to transform thisex-Ministry of Defence site into aworld-class car manufacturingfacility, to now be producing cars,it is testament to the resilienceand fortitude of everyone atAston Martin. It is an honour tosee the first DBX come off theline and my only regret is thateveryone who works for thisincredible brand can’t be here towitness it.”The DBX is a true Aston

Martin; it captures the very spiritof the brand as a beautiful hand-built, yet technologicallyadvanced car. With around 80%of production expected to beexported and sold overseas, it isan important model for AstonMartin and a clear illustration ofthe strength of Britishmanufacturing capabilities.Marek Reichman, Aston

Martin Executive Vice President& Chief Creative Officer, whowas at St Athan to witness the

completion of the first SUVdesigned by his team, said: “Weare incredibly proud of our firstSUV, which is as much of anAston Martin as any one of oursports cars. From my design teamto the engineers, the vehicledynamics team and all the expertswho hand-craft this beautiful car,here at St Athan, the DBX hasbecome the car that will driveAston Martin into a bold newera.”Minister for Economy,

Transport and North Wales, KenSkates, said: “This is a historicmoment for Aston Martin and forWales. It is also a huge win for theWelsh Government’s can-doattitude.“The DBX is an exceptional

vehicle from one of the world’smost luxury car brands, and it willbe central to this iconiccompany’s growth plan andambitions for the future.“I could not be more proud to

see this fantastic SUV beingmade in Wales and rolling off theproduction line. It also speaksvolumes for the dedication andskills of the world class workforce we have right here inWales.”First deliveries of the DBX to

customers start later this month,as planned.

Continued from page 39

Green number platesfor electric cars willappear this autumn

Pure electric vehicles will be givendistinctive ‘green’ number plates in amove that may help owners of thecleaner vehicles access a range ofperks.Local authorities could use the

easily identifiable plates to help offerdiscounted parking, entry to lowemission zones and other schemes.A green strip will appear on the

left-hand side of number plates fromthe autumn and according toTransport Secretary Grant Shapps,the designs will help show “that agreener transport future is within ourgrasp.”Plans for the new-look plates were

revealed back in October last year.Yesterday’s announcement confirmedtheir design, start date and a £12million investment into zero-emissionvehicle research.The initiatives may help the

Government reach its aim of net zerogreenhouse gas emissions by 2050, butcould be met with hostility fromdrivers of traditional combustionengine vehicles.A similar green licence plate system

for cleaner vehicles is already in placein Ontario, Canada. Cars with theplates are permitted to use car poollanes with one person travelling in thevehicle. They are also given no-costaccess to toll roads.2 The Department for Transport’s

£12 million for research into zero-emissions vehicles has been madethrough the Office for Low EmissionVehicles (Olev) and deliveredthrough Innovate UK.A £10 million zero-emission vehicle

innovation competition will invite

applicants to bid for funding tosupport advances in electric andhydrogen vehicles, as well as charginginfrastructure.A further £2 million will be

available to small and mediumbusinesses to support their researchinto battery technology.Mr Shapps said: “Green number

plates could unlock a number ofincentives for drivers and increaseawareness of cleaner vehicles on our

roads.“A green recovery is key to helping

us achieve our net zero carboncommitments while also promotingeconomic growth.“We’re supporting small businesses

to develop the transport tech of thefuture through a multimillion poundinvestment, ensuring that UKbusinesses remain at the forefront oflow-carbon innovation and research.’’


Milestonemoment

Aston Martin celebrates as first DBXdrives off the Welsh production lineAston Martin celebrates as first DBXdrives off the Welsh production line

www.asianexpress.co.uk42 Motors July 2020 - 1st Edition

Hybrid car makes historic track debutThe Cosworth-developed TOCA Hybridcar successfullycompleted its maiden testrun at Snetterton thisweek with experienceddriver Darren Turnerpiloting the Toyota Corollafor two days (7/8 July) atthe Norfolk circuit.

The British Touring CarChampionship was the firstmajor touring car series inthe world to have committedto a firm pathway for theintegration of hybrid power,when it was first announcedin August 2018.

An extensive tenderprocess followed, whichincluded the appointment ofCosworth Electronics for thedesign, supply and servicingof the TOCA Hybrid system,as well as SpeedworksMotorsport being selectedas the official testingpartner.

Speedworks has sinceworked closely withCosworth Electronics tointegrate and validate thehybrid solution into an all-new BTCC Toyota Corolla,with months of hard workculminating in the car’scompletion ahead of themid-summer BTCCGoodyear tyre test.

After running throughplanned preparation and

installation checks, the caremerged from the pitlane tocomplete its first run onTuesday morning – anhistoric moment for theseries and TOCA Hybridproject.

Newly announced TOCAHybrid Development Driver,Turner, recorded solidmileage around theSnetterton 300 circuit inboth dry and wet conditionsas he made his return toBTCC machinery for the firsttime in more than a decade.

The TOCA Hybridmachine successfullycompleted its first two daysof testing – alongside theother 26 regular BTCC carsthat were also on track – asCosworth Electronics,Speedworks Motorsport andall the other technicalpartners commenced thecar’s extensive testing anddevelopment programmebefore the introduction ofhybrid power into the BTCCin 2022.

A tentatively planned thirdday of running wascancelled with all targetsand goals having been metfor this initial test by theclose of play onWednesday. Further newsand test dates for the TOCAHybrid car will be confirmedover the coming weeks.

Cosworth-developed machine completes maiden BTCC test at Snetterton

Celebrating goldenera of convertibles

London will play host to the gathering of a collection ofthe most beautiful and innovative soft-tops ever, payingspecial attention to the 1960s. Showcasing the likes of the Jaguar E-Type, Ferrari 330

GTS, Alfa Romeo Junior Spider and Aston Martin DB2, it’sno wonder this class is known as Convertibles: The GoldenEra.Taking place from 19-20 August, the London Concours –

set to be the UK’s first major automotive event sinceFebruary – will gather these elegant cars and nearly 100others into the Honourable Artillery Company HQ – afive-acre oasis of green nestled among the tall buildings ofthe City of London.In total seven curated classes will be on display at the

London Concours, including ‘The Pursuit of Speed’, ‘LanciaLegends’, ‘Era of the Supercar’, ‘The Speed of Sand’ and‘The Lost Marques. A special celebration display of theFerrari Dino will see 10 examples gathered, each in adifferent factory-original colour.The automotive displays will be complemented by pop-

up stands from some of the world’s finest luxury brands andmotoring retailers. Presenting partner, Montres Breguet,will be showcasing its fine hand-crafted timepieces,Anthony Sinclair – original tailor to Sean Connery’s JamesBond – will be displaying some of its latest pieces, while oneof Britain’s top hat-makers Yvette Jelfs brings her collectionof natural hats, made with traditional millinery techniques.Specialist automotive businesses like Alpine, Jaguar

Classic, Bell Sport & Classic, Foskers, Jensen InternationalAutomotive, Footman James and Moss Automotive will beon-hand for all car-buying or owning needs – should themood strike you.The London Concours 2020 takes place from 19-20

August. Tickets are available to buy now fromwww.londonconcours.co.uk/tickets


From concept to realitySince its appearance at the 2019

Geneva Motor Show, the el-BornConcept Car has drawn praise for itssleek looks and personality. Since then,the design team has continued to evolvethe vehicle’s styling, giving it a sportiercharacter and an even more strikingvisual appeal.Developed on Volkswagen Group’s MEB

platform, the Cupra el-Born boasts acutting-edge drivetrain: a 77kWh (gross:82kWh) battery, driving the rear wheels,offering a range of up to 310 miles (500km). Thanks to its fast charging capability, it

will take the energy needed for at least161miles (260km) in only 30 minutes. Notonly is the battery efficient but alsopowerful, delivering acceleration from 0-31mph (0-50km/h) in only 2.9 seconds.The car will also offer convenience

features such as an Augmented RealityHead-Up Display and full connectivity. Theinterior encapsulates Cupra philosophy,with sports bucket seats, the new steeringwheel with mode buttons and high-quality,sustainably-sourced material choicesthroughout.SEAT Vice-President for Sales and

Marketing and Cupra CEO Wayne Griffithsstated: “Cupra el-Born displays all thegenes of the CUPRA brand and we havetaken the original concept to the next levelcreating a new sporty and dynamic designand reengineering the technologicalcontent. CUPRA el-Born is the living proofthat performance and electrification are agreat match.”The new CUPRA el-Born will be

manufactured at the Zwickau plant inGermany and ready to launch in 2021.

Highlights that will be on the law

Aston Martin DB2 Drophead Coupé

Aston Martin DB2Drophead CoupéWith an advanced twin overhead-

cam 2.6-litre straight-six and alightweight tubular chassis, the DB2was the latest in a lineage of sportingAston Martins. Designed initially as acoupé, Aston Martin did produce justsix DB2 DHCs in the First Sanctionrun. The First Sanction cars arethose with three-piece front grilles,bumper strips and side extractorgrilles. The example at LondonConcours was bought in 1950 byPrince Bertil of Sweden, a goodpersonal friend of David Brown, thenowner of Aston Martin.

Ferrari 330 GTSThe replacement to the 275

GTS, the 330 GTS wasdesigned to be an elegant,open-top, V-12 grand tourerfor Ferrari’s best customers. Inshort, it was designed to bethe finest open-top automotiveexperience money could buy.While 598 330 GTCs (thecoupé variant) were built intotal, only 99 of the 330 GTSswould leave the factory gatesby the time GTS productionconcluded in 1968, makingthe convertible a real rarity.

Jaguar E-Type Roadster 3.8The E-Type's looks were sensational, and

it quickly became a symbol of the 1960s.Thanks to its unbeatable combination of priceand performance, offering a top speed ofclose to 150mph (241km/h) at little more than£2000, it was an instant success, particularlyin the vital American market. The earlyexample on display at London Concours ispowered by the 3.8-litre XK engine.

Fiat Dino SpiderKnown as a Ferrari in disguise, the Fiat Dino Spider was

powered by the same engine as Ferrari’s Dino. It was a way ofhomologating the new all-alloy V6 Dino engine to make iteligible for Formula 2 – with Ferrari’s limited productionnumbers they couldn’t do it alone. This early car was 415th outof the 500 cars needed for homologation and – as all Spiderswere – features an elegant body designed by Pininfarina.Acceleration from 0-60mph took just seven seconds and thetop speed stood at 130mph.

Volkswagen-platform developedCupra boasts cutting-edge tech

Cupra confirms that the nextmodel to join the family will beall-electric: the CUPRA el-Born

www.asianexpress.co.uk44 Classifieds July 2020 - 1st Edition

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www.asianexpress.co.uk Sport 45July 2020 - 1st Edition

Substantial steps have beentaken in Yorkshire’s tourismrecovery plan progression asWelcome to Yorkshire reveal somevery encouraging data, suggestinginterest in the county as a place tovisit has dramatically increased asthe UK re-emerges from lockdown.In the month of May,

www.yorkshire.com saw trafficincrease by 47% compared to Aprilwith 91% of visitors clicking on thewebsite for the first time. Traffic tomembers’ listing pages saw anincrease of 45% with links directly to

member websites also up by 42%.In the last few weeks the

decision to rebrand the organisation’smembership social media feeds,to have a greater focus onindustry specific news, has paidoff with visitors turning towww.Industry.yorkshire.com forinformation and guidance on COVID-19 specific related content.Traffic to the industry website

during May was up by 52%, withagain a big increase from new visitors(85%).The most popular pages visited

related to a series of ‘tourismrecovery plan’ webinars which wereoversubscribed on each occasion.This positive news for Yorkshire’s

visitor economy comes ahead of thetourism organisation’s decision torelease a recovery plan for the regionunder the banner of Reopen, Recoverand Rebuild.Welcome to Yorkshire Chief

Executive James Mason said “I havemade no secret about the fact that wehave so much digital potential goingforward and this can provide valuableinsight for the industry and key

decision makers. “We saw a big volume of organic

impressions across our socialaccounts in April when lockdownreally kicked in reaching 4,108,503accounts in April alone, up by 24%compared to March. “Our creative and digital team, in

fact the whole organisation, hasworked non-stop since COVID-19struck. Our aim was to lead from thefront with engaging, yet important,information for the industry. “I think these statistics prove more

than ever that Welcome to Yorkshireis a viable proposition, but moreimportantly has a huge part to play inthe region’s recovery, both as aneconomy and tourist destination. Thesuggestion is that the UK ‘staycation’market is really set to boom.”Welcome to Yorkshire also saw a

big increase in their social mediaengagement across the last sixweeks, with Twitter, Facebook,Instagram & LinkedIn all seeing greatgrowth.

Welcome to Yorkshire haveaccepted the challenge to act as theconduit for the region’s crucial tourismresurgence now and post-COVID-19,collaboratively working with thecounty’s business and tourismrepresentatives on a robust recoveryplan. With the aim to reopen, recover

and rebuild our much-lovedattractions and locations, followingcurrent and changing Governmentguidelines, when the time is right. Forsome this has already happened, forothers the planning part is wellunderway. Ensuring businesses are prepared

is of paramount importance, as theYorkshire tourism sector is worth£9bn to the county’s economy andemploys almost 225,000 people, buthas taken a big hit as a result of thecoronavirus crisis. Now more thanever, it’s crucial to work as#YorkshireTogether to support a safe,sustainable future and promote allthat it has to offer.

Welcome toYorkshire’srecovery plan

“I think these statistics prove more than ever that Welcome to Yorkshire is a viable proposition, but more importantly has a huge part to play in the region’s recovery, both as an

economy and tourist destination. The suggestion is that the UK ‘staycation’ market is really set to boom.”

www.asianexpress.co.uk46 Sport July 2020 - 1st Edition

Prince NaseemHamed’s sonAadam tobecome aprofessionalboxer

"Conor Benn, with us, has been fantasticand Chris Eubank Jr has been greatentertainment over the years."Naz's son? Let's see what he's got! It's

hard for anybody to follow in the footstepsof a successful father - I've had to do it, aswell!"You're always Barry Hearn's son or Nigel

Benn's son or Chris Eubank's son until youdo well and you make them become EddieHearn's dad or Conor Benn's dad."I wish him all the best."Warren, who promoted Hamed, added: "If

he has his old man's ability, then he should beOK."Asked if history could repeat itself for the

Hamed legacy, Warren said: "I hope it is. He'sa nice lad. I spoke to Naz and I hope he does[repeat history]."He was a promising tennis player at one

stage!"Prince Naz turned professional in 1992,

aged 18 and 'Naz' is regarded as Britain'sgreatest ever featherweight, having wonmultiple world championships from 1995through to 2003.He won 35 straight fights while picking up

unified titles at featherweight, but he wasfinally derailed in 2001 losing to Mexicangreat Marco Antonio Barrera.Hamed would fight once more after his

first loss, beating Manuel Calvo, but retiredstraight after having one of the mostcelebrated careers in Britain through his slickand unorthodox style and maverick persona.

“If he has his old man'sability, then he should be OK."

FAME: PrinceNaseem Hamed retiredat just 28 with his lastfight coming againstManuel Calvo in 2002

Back page story continued

ECB confirms schedulefor Pakistan this summerEngland have confirmed

Emirates Old Trafford andthe Ageas Bowl as thevenues for fixtures againstIreland and Pakistan thissummer. Ireland will visitlater this month for threeODIs, while Pakistan havealready arrived in thecountry ahead of Test andT20I series.The ECB has been working

to salvage as much of itshome internationalprogramme as possible afterthe Covid-19 shutdown, andsaid that discussionsremained ongoing about thepossibility of Australia touring,and a proposed women’s tri-series featuring England, Indiaand South Africa.Ireland had been due to

play their series, part of theWorld Cup Super League, inSeptember but agreed tomove the games forward, withall three ODIs to be heldbehind closed doors inSouthampton from July 30 toAugust 4.The first Test against

Pakistan will begin a day laterin Manchester, with the teamsthen moving down toSouthampton for the secondand third matches at theAgeas Bowl, starting onAugust 13 and 21. They willreturn to Manchester for T20Isat Emirates Old Trafford onAugust 28, 30 and September1.“Confirmation of these

matches against Ireland andPakistan is another importantstep for our game as we beginto safely stage internationalcricket again, but also tominimise the impact theCovid-19 pandemic has had,and will continue to have, oncricket at all levels,” ECB chiefexecutive Tom Harrison said.“It has taken significant

effort and expertise to allowus to reach a position wherecricket is now ready and ableto return to the field of play

from the elite level torecreational cricket.“We owe a significant debt

of gratitude to the players,staff and administrators of theCricket West Indies, CricketIreland, and the PakistanCricket Board for theirwillingness and co-operationto get international cricketback up and running andallow these matches to bestaged.“Sports fans across the

world will benefit asinternational cricket returns toour screens while it will alsoprovide much-neededfinancial aid at all levels ofcricket in England and Walesas we aim to withstand thechallenges in front of us.“It must be reiterated that

there is still much work for theECB and the cricket networkto do as we try to plot a paththrough this pandemic. Chiefamongst our priorities is tobuild on our commitment tosupport and grow women’scricket and at the elite leveldiscussions continue toprogress to determine thebest and safest way to host atri-series against India andSouth Africa.“We also continue to

explore options for ourEngland men to play white-ball series against Australiathis summer and hope to havenews on those series soon.”The majority of Pakistan’s

29-man squad flew to the UKin late June, despite disruptioncaused by a number ofpositive Covid-19 tests. Tenplayers did not take the initialflight, but all but one have nowreturned the two negativetests required to participate inthe tour.Like West Indies and

Pakistan, Ireland’s players areexpected to given an ‘opt out’by the selectors in case anyhave concerns about Covid-19 in the UK.

www.asianexpress.co.uk Sport 47July 2020 - 1st Edition

Former Sri Lanka skipper KumarSangakkara has spilled the beans onan incident during the 2002Champions Trophy final where thenIndia captain Sourav Ganguly hadreached out to the Lankan dressingroom. The two finals in that year'sChampions Trophy were washed outand India and Sri Lanka weredeclared joint-winners."I remember one very specific

incident in a one-day match where hewas having this big argument withRussel Arnold. I think Dada was onhis final warning and the umpirereported him," Sangakkara said."Dada came to our dressing room

and had a chat to us that if this goesthe whole distance, he was going to getsuspended. And we told him not toworry and that we were not going tomake a big deal about it and he wasgoing to be okay."Arnold was repeatedly running on

the pitch during that game and

Ganguly was there to constantlyremind him of his error. Umpires hadto intervene after tempers flared.Earlier, ex-South Africa captain and

current Director of Cricket SouthAfrica Graeme Smith said it is hard tofind anyone in world cricket thatdidn't get along with veteran Indianwicketkeeper-batsman M.S. Dhoni.Former captains Dhoni and

Ganguly also spoke about BCCIPresident Ganguly."I seriously doubt that you probably

find anyone in world cricket thatdidn't get on with MS. He went abouthis business. He was calm, he wascollected," Smith said."And again, like Sanga(kkara), was

to spend a fair amount of time withDada - in administration, we arehaving a number of conversationsover the telephone. He's always calm,approachable, always interested in agood conversation, so a lot of respectfor both men."

Sangakkaraspills the beans

www.asianexpress.co.uk48 Sport July 2020 - 1st Edition

Published by Media Buzz.

Seems the royal boxingcrown will be passed onas Prince NaseemHamed's son Aadamannounced he willbecome a professionalboxer.

Aadam Hamed -whose famous dad oncetipped him as a futuretennis - has posted

pictures and videos ofhimself in the gym withhis dad, putting himselfthrough his pace with theskipping rope andspeedball.

With the well-wishes ofpromoters Eddie Hearnand Frank Warren,Aadam, aged 20, is set tofollow in the footsteps of'Naz', the former worldfeatherweight championwho lit up British boxingin the 1990s.

"I've not seen himfight but it's a greatstory," said Hearn as thelatest offspring of boxingroyalty gets into the ring.

Prince NaseemHamed’s sonAadam to become aprofessional boxer Continued on

pages 46 & 47

Prince Naseem Ahmedwith his son Aadam Hamed

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