Sadiq Khan secured 55.2 per cent of the popular vote, after entering a run-off with Bailey when neither managed to secure a majority in the first round of voting…reports Asian Lite News
Incumbent London Mayor Sadiq Khan has won a second term in office, beating his Conservative rival Shaun Bailey, following the local elections held last week, the media reported on Sunday.
“I will always be a Mayor for all Londoners, working to improve the lives of every single person in this city,” the BBC quoted the 51-year-old Labour Party member, first elected as Mayor in 2016, was quoted as saying after the results were declared on Saturday night.
“The results of the elections around the UK shows our country, and even our city, remains deeply divided.
“The scars of Brexit have yet to heal. A crude culture war is pushing us further apart,” he added.
He won 55.2 per cent of the popular vote, after entering a run-off with Bailey when neither managed to secure a majority in the first round of voting, the BBC report said.
“Economic inequality is getting worse both within London and in different parts of our country.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan
“As we seek to confront the enormity of the challenge ahead, and as we endeavour to rebuild from this pandemic, we must use this moment of national recovery to heal those damaging divisions,” Khan, also the first Muslim mayor of an European capital city, added.
Labour continues its dominance in the capital, remaining the largest party on the London Assembly.
Labour took nine constituency seats, with the Conservatives winning the remaining five.
360-degree, large-scale digital art experience will offer visitors a total immersion in Van Gogh … reports Asian Lite News
This Autumn, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, a 360 degree digital art experience, will debut in London. The exhibit invites visitors to step into more than 300 of Van Gogh’s sketches, drawings, and paintings by using floor-to-ceiling digital projections, made possible by state-of-the-art video mapping technology.
VAN GOGH COMES TO LONDON
As well as the two-story tall central projection area, the exhibition also includes a one-of-a-kind VR experience in a separate gallery. This multi-sensory experience guides the viewer through a ten-minute journey on “a day in the life of the artist”, providing a chance to discover the inspiration behind some of his most beloved works including Vincent’s Bedroom at Arles, and Starry Night Over The Rhone River.
A drawing studio and additional galleries that explore the life, works and techniques of Van Gogh, create a truly immersive experience that provides its audience with a new, intimate understanding of the post-impressionist genius and his work.
The work of entertainment producer Exhibition Hub together with Fever, the leading entertainment discovery platform, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, first premiered in a cathedral in Naples, Italy, in November of 2017. Since then, Exhibition Hub has presented the experience in Brussels, Beijing and Tel Aviv, and it is currently operating exhibits in Austria and Belgium. Following its success in Europe, the highly anticipated experience will also launch in multiple cities across the US this year, including New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Boston & Houston. The first to open is the experience in Atlanta this May, where the event sold out over 100,000 tickets in the first week after release.
Animated visuals for Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience were created in collaboration with the world-renowned digital media artists Dirty Monitor whose work has been the centerpiece of events such as the Bordeaux Wine Festival, the Beijing International Film Festival, and the new year’s celebrations at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
VAN GOGH COMES TO LONDON
Immersive and educational, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience provides a COVID-safe digital experience and great day out for adults and children alike.
The exact location for the experience will be announced in the coming weeks, but will be a unique and inspirational venue in the heart of the city, with at least 20,000 square-feet of space to enjoy, and 30 foot ceilings.
Exhibition Hub is a curator, producer and distributor of large exhibitions across the world, from Brazil to China to Paris to Moscow. They deliver edutainment experiences to wide audiences and adapt their productions to the venue creating each time an original experience from museums, exhibition centres, galleries to shopping malls, old churches, historical buildings and other unique spots.
Nowadays, Exhibition Hub focuses more and more on immersive experiences. They offer a spectacular 360° video, light and music experience and a one of a kind virtual reality experiences each a compliment to the immersive experiences, didactic introduction galleries allowing the visitor to immerse himself/herself into the artist before experiencing the spectacular larger than life projections all synchronized to an original score of music.
Fever is the leading global entertainment discovery platform. Fever has revolutionised the world of entertainment since 2015, inspiring over 40 million people every month to discover the best experiences in their cities. Fever empowers event organizers to create amazing experiences, with successful examples such as the “Candlelight Concert Series” attended by over 1 million guests, the Los Angeles based “Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience”, or the “Mad Hatter G&T Party” in multiple cities across the US. Through the use of its technology, Fever works alongside organisers, promoters and brands to create unique and original experiences.
VAN GOGH COMES TO LONDON
Fever is currently present in more than 50 cities, with offices in London, at Camden Market, as well as New York, Hollywood, Chicago, Paris, Madrid and Barcelona, with a team of over 350 people. Fever is backed by leading institutional investors, including Rakuten Capital (investors of Pinterest and Lyft, among others), Accel (investors in tech companies such as Facebook, Slack and Spotify), Fidelity and Atresmedia (producers of successful TV shows such as Money Heist).
“ If you love London like I do, please vote for me,” Khan said in a Tweet. “If you want to rebuild our city so that it’s even better than before the pandemic. If you want a brighter future for London. If you love London – vote for it”
Sitting Mayor Sadiq Khan took the substantial lead over other candidates including Conservative’s Shaun Bailey in the mayoral elections on May 6. His campaign pegging on building a new London is gathering momentum.
London mayor Sadiq Khan and deputy mayor for business, Rajesh Agrawal at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury. (Photo: Mayor of London)
“ If you love London like I do, please vote for me,” Khan said in a Tweet. “If you want to rebuild our city so that it’s even better than before the pandemic. If you want a brighter future for London. If you love London – vote for it.”
He is also pledging to bring back Olympics to London within 20 years if he is re-elected as mayor.
“Exploring a bid for the 2036 or 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games is the ultimate demonstration of my plan to build a brighter future for London after the pandemic,” he said at an amateur boxing club in Earlsfield, south-west London.
The move, which has been backed by a leading business group and former Olympic medallists, aims to rekindle memories of the successful 2012 Games, an event that significantly boosted the profile of Khan’s predecessor Boris Johnson.
“By ensuring the Games are staged across the UK and visitors encouraged and supported to explore every corner of our country, London 2036 or 2040 could be a huge boost to levelling up our cities and regions,” he added. “The spirit of 2012 showed London and Londoners at their best. It was a time that displayed the inclusive, diverse and welcoming heart of our city. As we emerge from Covid-19, we need to harbour this spirit and remind people what makes London the greatest city in the world. Bringing the Olympics back to London would do exactly that.”
Sadiq also said that he did his best during his tenure as mayor.
“Every single day for the last five years, I’ve woken up with the same excitement and passion about being Mayor of London as I had on day one,” Khan said. “Being the Mayor of the city in which I was born, where my parents moved to make a better life for our family, where I studied, raised a family, made a home and led a business, is the greatest privilege of my life. I love London.”
Mayor Sadiq Khan during a visit at the new vaccine hub at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury. (Photo: Mayor of London)
Sadiq Khan’s manifesto commitments include:
@ Help the more than 300,000 Londoners who lost their jobs during the pandemic to get back to work
@ Invest £50m as part of a “green new deal” to support more than 170,000 green jobs
@ Keep the London Recovery Board, which was set up to help the capital bounce back from the pandemic
@ Invest £5m to attract Londoners and tourists back to the West End
@ Set up a “good work fund”, which will spend £32m on four skills academies
“This my manifesto for London,” said Khan. “It’s a manifesto for our time, it sets out how we can rise to the occasion and meet the enormity of the challenges our city faces. This manifesto is about tackling the inequalities that still scar London, and it’s about putting forward a bold, positive vision to renew, rebuild and refresh London. I’m confident that with the right approach, and with the right choices, we can put the dark days of the pandemic behind us, and deliver a brighter future for all Londoners.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson supports Shaun Bailey campaign
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has joined Shaun Bailey during his tour of London to back Shaun’s plan for London. Boris joined Shaun Bailey at Romford market and wholeheartedly endorsed Shaun’s plan to kickstart London’s recovery from the pandemic. Shaun Bailey is on a tour to see all 32 of London’s boroughs in just 32 hours, to show how his plan will bring London stronger than ever out of the pandemic … A special report
The show is nearing its end. As Mayor Sadiq Khan leading with 20 points against his nearest rival, the most popular Tory in the country came to the rescue. Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined Tory candidate Shaun Bailey’s campaign.
Shaun Bailey (From Wikipedia)
Mr Bailey and Johnson have criticised Sadiq Khan’s 5 years of failure as mayor of London. During this time Sadiq Khan has focused on virtue-signalling rather than working with the government and now is hiking taxes on Londoners to pay for his financial mismanagement.
Bailey’s journey across London demonstrated how his plan for a fresh start will change Londoners’ lives.
“The pandemic has caused more job losses in London than any other region of the UK. So to build back better, we need a mayor who works with the government to secure investment,” the Tory candidate said. “ That’s why we can’t afford three more years of a mayor who attacks ministers from the sidelines while planning to introduce four new taxes — a £4.68 billion tax grab that will hit every Londoner.
“As mayor, I’ll deliver the fresh start London needs. And I’ll deliver it by working with the Prime Minister to kickstart our recovery and build a safer, fairer, more affordable city. So on 6 May, Londoners should vote for the candidate who will work with the government to secure a better deal for London.”
The prime minister supports Shaun’s claims.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, our task is to build back better. And Shaun Bailey has the experience, skills and determination to do this for London,” the former mayor said. “That’s why I’m backing Shaun to be the next Mayor of London. He has a plan to cut crime, fix London’s transport network, get people on the housing ladder, and lower the cost of living.
Shaun talking to Police during his campaign
“I ask Londoners to join me in voting for Shaun Bailey on 6 May. And I look forward to working with him as he delivers the fresh start London needs.”
During the meetings, Bailey’s revealed his crime strategy. He promised to tackle rising knife crime with a visible and immediate police response.
Within 100 days, Mr Bailey will have begun hiring 8,000 new police officers and made the decisions necessary for the 38 police front counters to begin opening across London.
Shaun will also direct the Met Police Commissioner to implement Operation Blunt Three within 100 days of becoming mayor. This operation will be a highly visible police surge throughout the summer, to crack down on the violence on London’s streets. This will be complemented by rolling out Stop and Search and Scan and Search policies across London within 100 days. Using targeted Stop and Search at crime hotspots, and non-invasive Scan and Search in public places, Shaun Bailey will turn up the pressure on criminals and get weapons off the streets to take the pressure off London’s communities.
As well as being tough on crime, Shaun Bailey will tackle the root causes of crime. As a former youth worker of 20 years, Shaun knows the value of youth work, and the tangible impact that meaningful interventions can have in vulnerable young people’s lives. In the first 100 days of his mayoralty, he will identify the 32 sites for new youth centres, and begin the process of hiring 4,000 new youth workers.
The first 100 days will also see the creation of Shaun’s Second Chances Fund. This City Hall fund will provide training and skills to ex-offenders and help them turn their lives around.
Shaun will also create the Mayor’s office for community policing. This office will be in charge of facilitating a return to community policing strategies and driving recruitment of ethnic minority police officers, so the met police can look like the people it protects.
Bailey also promised to tackle violence against women and girls and finally give this issue the urgency it demands. Shaun will commence the rollout of CCTV on the Tube and bus stations on day one.
On Shaun’s first day in office, he will also make the Rail to Refuge scheme a permanent fixture of TfL.
Rail to Refuge gives women fleeing domestic violence, free travel. This vital scheme protects women who are suffering abuse and gives them a way out to a refuge. This successful scheme has been appointed as a temporary measure. Shaun Bailey will take action to make this scheme permanent and give vulnerable women security.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson supports Shaun Bailey campaign
Commenting on the appointment, Lord Rami Ranger said: “My appointment to the role of the chairman follows a career dedicated to public service and intend to continuing with SPMS UK. I look forward to working with the Executive Council, who I know are committed to providing a modern and first-rate service to all. It’s vital that we continue to propagate the life of Sardar Patel in the Spirit of Unity.”
Another honour for Lord Rami Ranger. The Sardar Patel Memorial Society UK appoints Lord Rami Ranger to lead the organisation. The decision was taken unanimously at the Annual General Meeting.
Lord Rami Ranger CBE
The New Executive Council members are:
Chairman – Lord Rami Ranger CBE, Vice-Chairman – Pravin G Patel, Secretary General – Krishna Pujara, Treasurer – Deepak Patel
Trustees: C B Patel, Jitubhai Patel & Sumantrai Desai
Committee Members: G P Desai & Jayant Patel.
Hon. Chief Executive – Kanti Nagda MBE
Commenting on the appointment, Lord Rami Ranger said: “My appointment to the role of the chairman follows a career dedicated to public service and intend to continuing with SPMS UK. I look forward to working with the Executive Council, who I know are committed to providing a modern and first-rate service to all. It’s vital that we continue to propagate the life of Sardar Patel in the Spirit of Unity.”
It is the Sardar Patel Memorial Society (SPMS)UK’s aim to bring awareness on the life and work of the great leader, not only to our children, but to the wider communities.
Further information call: Krishna Pujara on 07931 708028 or email spmsmembers@gmail.com
British Asian Trust’s ‘Oxygen For India’ emergency appeal will raise funds for oxygen concentrators, and together with local partners in India, will rapidly deploy them to the hospitals and patients that need them most …. Reports Asian Lite News
Oxygen appeal for Corona crippled India. The British Asian Trust (BAT), a Prince of Wales’ Charity, has launched an emergency appeal ‘Oxygen For India’ to aid the deepening Covid-19 crisis in India. Rates of Covid-19 cases and deaths in India are rising at a hugely alarming pace, with India setting new world records for the daily rise in number of cases.
India’s hospitals are overrun, have stopped admitting patients and are running low on vital supplies and equipment including oxygen, leaving people helpless as they watch their loved ones die on stretchers outside the hospital doors.
British Asian Trust’s ‘Oxygen For India’ emergency appeal will raise funds for oxygen concentrators, and together with local partners in India, will rapidly deploy them to the hospitals and patients that need them most. Having consulted with the Indian and UK governments, the British Asian Trust’s advisors and programme partners in India have outlined a package of support that will compliment what industry, government and other charities are doing to help.
All funds raised by the ‘Oxygen For India’ emergency appeal will go towards providing as many oxygen concentrators to hospitals as quickly as possible. Oxygen concentrators are alternate devices to oxygen cylinders – while cylinders contain a finite amount of oxygen supply, a concentrator continually recycles oxygen from the air and delivers it to the patient.
A donation of £50 will provide oxygen for 40 patients struggling to breathe, £450 will provide low-flow oxygen concentrator to help 900 patients and an £830 donation will provide high-flow oxygen concentrator to help 550 of the most seriously ill patients.
“We have seen the terrible impact of the pandemic worldwide but the devastation in India currently is one of the worst points of the last 12 months,” said Hitan Mehta, Executive Director, British Asian Trust. “The astronomical numbers of Covid-19 cases and deaths in India are frightening and we fear there is still a peak to come. What we can do now is provide essential support as quickly as possible to help those most in need. Our ‘Oxygen For India’ emergency appeal has been set up to provide vital supplies and equipment to save lives. We simply cannot stand by and do nothing.”
Hitan Mehta (British Asian Trust)
British Asian Trust ambassadors such as Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, Nitin Ganatra and Isa Guha have supported the launch of the appeal on social media, whilst Sunrise Radio, the UK’s biggest and most-listened to commercial Asian radio station will support the appeal pro bono with round the clock airtime. The appeal will also be supported by advertising agency Here & Now 365 and Indian TV channel NDTV 24×7.
Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal
Actor and British Asian Trust ambassador Nitin Ganatra shared his thoughts on Twitter: “Devastating scenes in India where people are dying in the streets due to Covid-19, please take a look at the British Asian Trust’s emergency appeal. Please share. #OxygenForIndia Please give generously.”
Nitin Ganatra
Tony Lit MBE, Managing Director, Sunrise Radio adds: “It is crucial that we work together to do whatever we can to support India in this time of national crisis. The pandemic is destroying Indian families and communities and we must do everything to help and support them as quickly as possible. I am proud that Sunrise Radio is partnering with the British Asian Trust to launch the Oxygen For India emergency appeal and alongside Here & Now 365 and NDTV 24×7 we will be donating substantial advertising space across radio and television to help raise the vital funds required to support those most in need in India.”
Tony Lit
Manish Tiwari, Managing Director, Here & Now 365 adds: “This is a vital appeal to provide emergency support to those in India suffering the most during one of the worst periods of the pandemic. Working alongside Sunrise Radio and NDTV 24×7 we hope to raise as much awareness and funds as possible to support the British Asian Trust’s Oxygen For India appeal.”
The Oxygen For India emergency appeal is being supported by the British International Doctor’s Association (BIDA) who have partnered with the British Asian Trust to help raise funds, with a target of raising £100,000.
Manish Tiwari
Donate to the Oxygen For India emergency appeal now. Make a donation and be part of the collective effort to get oxygen to those who need it urgently.
People wearing face masks walk along the River Thames in London, Britain, on Jan. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
Britain is likely to see a “summer surge” in coronavirus cases as many adults were still not vaccinated against the disease, a British government advisory scientist said
Professor Adam Finn, of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent expert advisory committee that advises health departments on immunisation, said modelling shows coronavirus cases will rise in the summer as lockdown is relaxed.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson
“The models that we’ve seen on JCVI clearly point to a summer surge in cases as the lockdown is relaxed, because there are still many people in the adult population who’ve not been immunized,” he told the BBC.
Finn, from the University of Bristol, said the UK is still “vulnerable” and the dates for easing restrictions may need adjusting.
“Quite a wide range of uncertainty” remains over how big the wave would be “because it depends on how quickly the vaccine rollout continues”, he said.
It also depends on whether people will stick to the rules as lockdown is eased, he said.
“If people move too far forward with that too fast, we’ll see things start to come up earlier,” Finn said.
“The sense that the problem is all over, I’m afraid is a flawed one, we’re still in a vulnerable situation, and there are still significant numbers of people who potentially could be harmed by this infection if this happens.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that as the UK continues to make progress in the fight against coronavirus, “we cannot delude ourselves” that the virus has gone away.
A pedestrian walks by a pub, The Hope, shuttered in London due to coronavirus regulations. Thousands of British pubs have not survived the pandemic, according to an industry association, and the ones that have will need financial support “for years if they are to recover.” Photo: Yui Mok/PA
He noted that the majority of scientific experts are of the view that there will be another wave at some stage this year and Britons must learn to live with the virus.
However, he said there was nothing in scientific data to suggest the UK would have to deviate from the roadmap out of lockdown.
The UK has so far reported 4,411,068 confirmed coronavirus cases and 127,577 deaths.
More than 33 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures.
Experts have warned that despite progress in vaccine rollout, the UK is “still not out of the woods” amid concerns over new variants, particularly those first emerged in South Africa, Brazil and India, and the third wave of pandemic on the European continent.
HE Gaitri Issar Kumar, High Commissioner of India, paying respect to Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary at India House in London
Dr. Ambedkar’s vision was of an India where the social system and economy would promote the full development of human potential and ensure a dignified existence for all citizens … reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
High Commission of India in London paid tribute to Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary at India House. Babasaheb, as he was popularly known, was born on 14th April 1891, He was an academician, a leading figure in the national movement for a free India and a strong voice against untouchability.
HE Gaitri Issar Kumar, High Commissioner of India, paying respect to Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary at India House in London
Bhimrao was born in the town and military cantonment of Mhow, which is now known as Dr. Ambedkar Nagar. He was the 14th and last child in a family that was considered untouchable at that time.
Growing up with few resources amidst adversity, Bhimrao was an excellent scholar who passed his matriculation exams and proceeded, as the first member of his caste, to attend college at the University of Bombay.
After obtaining a degree in Economics and Political Science, he took up employment in the State of Baroda. Soon the State of Baroda awarded him a three year scholarship for study in the USA, where he passed his MA in June 1915 in Economics, Sociology, History, Philosophy and Anthropology. Ambedkar then presented a thesis on Ancient Indian Commerce. His relentless thirst for knowledge led him to pursue two doctorates in Economics – both from the Columbia University and London School of Economics.
He was the first Indian to pursue a doctorate in economics abroad. Dr. Ambedkar made his early career as an economist, professor and lawyer and was also appointed Principal, Government Law College, Bombay.
Dr. Ambedkar became active in Indian politics and social reform, soon after his return to India. He called upon the socially and economically disadvantaged to educate, agitate and organise. He also led Satyagraha and published periodicals like Mook Nayak, Bahishkrit Bharat and Equality Janta. His book Annihilation of Caste has strongly criticised the caste system then prevalent in India. He has also written scholarly books on economics, society and politics.
In 1936, Dr. Ambedkar founded the Independent Labour Party and contested elections in Bombay in 1937 for the Central Legislative Assembly. After independence, he was invited to serve as the first Law Minister of India. He was also appointed as the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, which was constituted to write India’s new constitution. In the drafting of the Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar was responsible for the inclusion of constitutional guarantees and protection of individual liberty, freedom of religion, civil liberties including universal franchise which were ahead of the times; and Dr. Ambedkar argued stridently for the rights of women. The Constitution, when finalised, was adopted on November 26, 1949 by the Constituent Assembly.
Dr. Ambedkar’s vision was of an India where the social system and economy would promote the full development of human potential and ensure a dignified existence for all citizens. For realisation of that, Dr. Ambedkar had played a crucial role in laying down the Directive Principles of State Policy, a unique feature of the Indian Constitution. The Principles mandate that the State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting a just social order. These principles lay the foundation for social democracy envisaged by Dr. Ambedkar as a way of life that recognises the union or trinity of literacy, equality and fraternity.
Dr. Ambedkar established the Finance Commission of India in 1951 and contributed to the forming of important policies in Revenue, Finance and Land Reforms. He considered Article 32 of the Indian Constitution, the Right to Constitutional Remedies, to be the very soul of the Constitution and the heart of it. He believed that the greatest safeguard for purity and fairness in elections was to establish an independent Election Commission.
HE Gaitri Issar Kumar, High Commissioner of India, paying respect to Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary at India House in London
Similarly, he considered the Auditor General to be a key functionary who should have greater independence than even the judiciary. The Right to Information Act is, in fact, a modern day manifestation of Dr. Ambedkar’s commitment to building open, vibrant democratic institutions and strong constitutional methods.
Dr. Ambedkar was posthumously awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna in 1990. Every year, his birth anniversary is celebrated as a public holiday in India. People celebrate his birthday as Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti. The Maharashtra Government has acquired the modest building in London at 10 King Henry Road, where Dr. Ambedkar lived during his days as a student. It was inaugurated as a museum by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in November 2015.
Dr. Ambedkar’s message from his address to the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949 is worth remembering:
“In addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds, we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above their creed or will they place creed above country? I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever. This eventuality we must all resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood.”
President, PM Join
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on the need to imbibe his ideals in the conduct of each Indian.
“Tribute to Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, on his birth anniversary. He waged a lifelong struggle to create an equitable society. Today, by taking a lesson from his life and thoughts, we take a resolution to adopt his principles in our conduct,” President tweeted in Hindi.
The Prime Minister said that Babasaheb’s struggle to bring the deprived section into the mainstream will remain an example for generations to come.
Bowing to the great Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on Ambedkar Jayanti, the Prime Minister tweeted, “His struggle to bring the deprived section into the mainstream will remain an example for generations to come”.
HE Gaitri Issar Kumar, High Commissioner of India, paying respect to Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary at India House in LondonHE Gaitri Issar Kumar, High Commissioner of India, paying respect to Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary at India House in London
Sadiq Khan has promised, if re-elected on May 6, he will build on five years of innovation to confirm London’s status as the “undisputed sporting capital of the world.”
Sadiq Khan has vowed to work hand-in-hand with cricketing authorities to make the Indian Premier League (IPL) the latest global sports league to stage matches in London.
The Labour candidate for Mayor has promised to ‘keep banging the drum’ for investment in the capital including through international sport, as he pursues his vision for a better, more prosperous London after the pandemic.
“During his first term as London Mayor, Sadiq successfully brought Major League Baseball to the capital for the first time and extended London’s relationship with the NFL, helping to secure a ten-year commitment for the league to play regular season matches at the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium,” a press release said.
Following its establishment in 2008, the IPL has achieved stratospheric global growth and is now commonly considered to be one the largest sports leagues in the world. Bringing matches to London would allow the capital to build on the legacy of the three global competitions in recent years that have seen both major cricket grounds in London (Lord’s and The Kia Oval) sold out months in advance.
London mayor Sadiq Khan and deputy mayor for business, Rajesh Agrawal at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury. (Photo: Mayor of London)
Sadiq is an avid fan of cricket and had a trial for Surrey County Cricket Club as a teenager. He is also passionate about the power of all sports to bring people together which is why, throughout his first term as Mayor, he consistently invested in grassroots and community-based initiatives under the banner of ‘Sport Unites’.
Building on the success of the 2012 Olympic Games secured by Labour Mayor Ken Livingstone and Sadiq’s wider ‘Sport for All of Us’ strategy, under Sadiq, London has become the sporting capital of the world attracting major events including the ICC Cricket World Cups for both men and women, the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, the European Championships in men’s and women’s football and global competitions in diving and skateboarding.
London also hosts the annual Wimbledon Championships, world title boxing matches including the seminal bout between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko and is currently home to six Premier League football clubs, four Women’s Super League teams, two Rugby Union premiership clubs and two first-class cricket clubs.
Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks to NHS staff at the new vaccine hub at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury. (Photo: Mayor of London)
Speaking at a visit to watch young cricketers training at Kingstonian CC, Sadiq Khan said: “This is part of my plan to build a better London after the pandemic.
“I know Londoners are hungry to see more of the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant and, with two of the world’s greatest cricket grounds in Lord’s and The Kia Oval, London is ideally placed to host IPL matches.
“The absence of live crowds at elite competitions has been hard for many sport-loving Londoners but I know we can build a better, more open and prosperous city after the pandemic and see our capital confirmed as the undisputed sporting capital of the world.
“I will never stop banging the drum for investment in our city and bringing the Indian Premier League to London would not only guarantee a home crowd for every country but boost tourism and generate much-needed revenue to help get our capital back on its feet.”
After seeing a video of people queuing for food, Wanis International, one of the UK’s leading imports and Distributors of World Food and Drink, wanted to support the effort of feeding those in need. They are supporting London Community Kitchen at Harrow and NHS’s Heart-To-Heart and organ donation campaign … reports Asian Lite News
Tropical Sun is shining a ray of hope for the community. The brand, along with its parent company Wanis International Foods, is doing its part to give back to the community. They have taken initiatives that will help make lives better for those in need by supporting London Community Kitchen (LCK) and the NHS.
Wanis International supports community initiatives
After seeing a video of people queuing for food, Wanis International wanted to support the effort of feeding those in need. It did so by shining a ray of Tropical Sun at the Brent Indian Association event on Ealing Road. The brand donated large quantities of food including basmati rice, curry powder, coconut milk powder, lentils, chickpeas, tea and much more to help those in need gain access to nutritious meals.
The London Community Kitchen based in Harrow provides food for over 5000 people on a weekly basis through markets and food parcels, and The Brent Indian Association benevolently allows LCK to run its food market every Saturday on its premises.
At the Brent Indian Association, Wanis International Foods was greeted by Hitenbhai, the Chair of Brent Indian Association, Cllr Ernest Ezeajughi, Mayor of Brent, Councillor Butt, the Leader of Council, and Satesh Melwani, who is the Business Development Manager at Wanis International Foods, along with Manish Tiwari, Managing Director of Here and Now 365, and Sanjay Mehta, Wembley Lion and BIA Committee Member, who all helped organise the successful event.
“Wanis International Foods, spanning 57 years in business, is one of the UK’s leading imports and Distributors of World Food and Drink. We are proud to be supporting the London Community Kitchen in support of the community.”States, Satesh Melwani, Business Development Manager at Wanis International Foods.
To continue the good work, Tropical Sun has also teamed up with the NHS for the Heart-to-Heart campaign which officially launched on the 23rd of March to encourage life-saving conversations around blood and organ donation. The campaign aims to reach people in the kitchen, the heart of the home.
Wanis International supports community initiatives
Tropical Sun has given the NHS valuable space on their Rice and Jackfruit packs. In addition to this, they are also running a video campaign featuring popular influencers like fitness guru, Mr. Motivator and Nina Wadia, a popular actress who stars in EastEnders and Goodness Gracious Me. The Heart-to-Heart campaign aims to encourage the spirit of benevolence in the community and support the NHS.
It is up to all of us to do our part to help out, so join and support the NHS. For those who would like to help out, you can sign up to donate blood at Blood.co.uk and join the organ donation registry at OrganDonation.NHS.UK.
