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Three British Asian MPs bag important portfolios in the new cabinet

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London– Boris Johnson has appointed three prominent British Asian MPs with high-profile portfoliosin his new cabinet.

 BORIS Johnson has appointed women and minorities to his Cabinet than any PM has before him, reports said.

 The new Tory leader has given several important jobs to a diverse range of top Conservatives to make it really reflect modern Britain, The Sun writes.

Sajid Javid,  a British born son of a Pakistani immigrant, was made Chancellor of Exchequer. Earlier in Theresa May’s cabinet  he was given the job of Home secretary and he was the one to became the first home secretary from an ethnic minority. Now he will be the UK’s first chancellor from such a background.

No other UK chancellor has grown up being taunted with racist names or hearing his parents’ stories of how they arrived here with a pound in their pocket and a determination to work hard. He worked first for Chase Manhattan Bank and then Deutsche Bank, where by the age of 40, he was a senior managing director in charge of global credit trading, where according to the Financial Times he earned £3m a year.

 

Priti Patel has been appointed as Home Secretary. Born in the UK to Indian parents, she had launched an appeal to “Save the British Curry” during the EU referendum campaign. Her call came in response to shortage of chefs for Indian restaurants in Britain. She campaigned to leave the European Union in 2016, and since leaving government has been an outspoken critic of former Prime Minister Theresa May’s approach to Brexit..

Former Housing Minister Alok Sharma has been named as Secretary of State for International Development. Conservative MP Mr Sharma won Reading West from Labour in 2010, and recently announced his support for Boris Johnson in the race for the new PM. Sharma is British grown son from Indian parents.

The MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire Rishi Sunak became Chief Secretary to the Treasury, while Kwasi Kwarteng was appointed a minister at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The position is regarded as the number two job in the Treasury after the Chancellor of Exchequer.

In Boris’s diverse cabinet, 6 members are from ethnic minority and 8 women are included. however it is said to be male dominated with only 26% of women members in his cabinet, reports said.

Boris was officially sworn into office on Wednesday after meeting with Her Majesty the Queen.

 

South Asian Heritage Month was launched at the House of Commons 

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London — The Faiths Forum for London, The Grand Trunk Project and the Partition Commemoration Campaign have jointly launched the South Asian Heritage Month at the House of Commons on 22nd of July.

South Asian Heritage Month has been developed in order to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian history and culture, as well as to better understand the diverse heritage that continues to link Britain with South Asia. Improving the levels of education and literacy within British society on South Asian heritage will form a central part of the Month and its work.

The inspiration for the month came after a number of initiatives over the past ten years, including a series of commissioned programs by the BBC in 2017 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Partition of India.

With The British South Asian community making up 3 million of the UK population and 1 in every 20 people living in the UK being of South Asian heritage the aim of the month is to help the UK public better understand the diversity of present-day Britain and improving levels of social cohesion between the various communities.

Dr. Binita Kane, a Manchester based doctor featured in the award winning BBC1 documentary My Family, Partition and Me, where second and third generation British Asians were taken back to South Asia to explore their family stories during the time of Partition and has been campaigning for Partition to be commemorated ever since.

Dr. Binita Kane said:  “The Partition of India was one of the most important historical events in the 20th Century and has shaped much of modern day multicultural Britain”

“‘I was ashamed that even with such a personal connection, I knew little about this and I had learned nothing about it in school. I felt compelled to raise the profile and we are now also campaigning to have Partition History taught on the school curriculum.”

“I hope that South Asian Heritage Month will stimulate a much-needed conversation about this important part of our national history but also be a celebration of the incredible influence that South Asia has had on British Culture.”

In 2017, he founded The Grand Trunk Project to bring together the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities in the UK to promote much needed dialogue around their shared cultural and historical heritage, as well as celebrating the differences.

The project marked 70 years since the Partition of the Indian Subcontinent by organising thirteen events across the country took place.

Jasvir Singh OBE, said, “As people from British South Asian backgrounds, we need to be able to own our history and heritage. The purpose of South Asian Heritage Month is to do precisely that.

“It’s a fantastic way of ensuring that we can mark, commemorate and celebrate South Asian history and culture, as well as look at the diverse links between British and South Asia over the centuries to the present day.”

Jasvir Singh OBE is co-chair of the Faiths Forum for London, an interfaith organisation based in London which represents the interests of the nine major faith traditions.  He is also the chair for City Sikhs, which provides a voice for progressive Sikhs.

India should take positive steps to deal with flood situation: Nepal’s envoy to India

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PTI— Nepal’s Ambassador to India Nilambar Acharya on Wednesday said that flood is a natural disaster and both the countries should think of taking positive steps to deal with it, as he sought to dismiss media reports that his country has released water which causes floods in Uttar Pradesh.

Acharya, who met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow, also held discussions on strengthening the mutual cooperation between both the countries in areas of trade, religion, cultural, tourism, a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government said.

The ambassador said in the field of irrigation both the countries can work together.

Adityanath said the Gandak High Level Committee has recommended drainage of water from the Dhobaha drain, which is parallel to the Nepal dam located in Nawalparasi, Nepal.

The committee has also recommended construction of five bridges. The work of constructing a bridge on the drain is being done by the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department in areas adjacent to Nepal, the statement said.

The chief minister said the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department is working to overcome the problem of waterlogging on the left bank of the Banbasa barrage of Nepal.

Acharya also congratulated Adityanath on successfully organising the Kumbh Mela-2019.

The ambassador said people of India and Nepal have a strong mutual and emotional connection.

“Nepal has always considered India as its family member. The mutual trust and brotherhood between the two countries is strong,” he said.

The ambassador said he has studied at the Government Inter College Bahraich for two years, and students from his country still come to study here.

He said at times media reports show that Nepal has released water which causes floods in Uttar Pradesh, but this is a natural disaster and both the countries should think of taking positive steps in dealing with it.

In order to assist the tourists of Uttar Pradesh going to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the Embassy of Nepal is considering setting up a reception and support centre at Simikot Airport in Nepal.

Acharya said spiritual and religious tourism of both the countries is getting a boost and it has ample opportunities.

The chief minister said the Indo-Nepal relations exist since the era of Ramayana when Lord Ram married Goddess Sita. Every year a large number of Nepali tourists visit Ayodhya.

Indian tourists go to Janakpur as well. Twin city agreement has been made between Janakpur and Ayodhya to facilitate tourists. A bus service is being operated between the two countries.

Adityanath said to provide transportation facility between India and Nepal, land acquisition has been done by the Land Ports Authority of India at about one km near Rupaidiha checkpost. The Lumbini-Dudhi road, which connects Nepal with India, is being widened up to 66 km from the Kakrahwa side, the statement said.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also decided to develop the Ram Janki Marg, the route proposed to be developed from Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, via Bihar to Janakpuri, the birth place of Goddess Janaki in Nepal, it said.

Boris Johnson officially becomes UK’s new prime minister

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London — Borish Johnson has officially become new  Prime Minister of the U.K. He took over after Theresa May handed in her resignation to the Queen on Wednesday afternoon.  

The new PM will shortly begin putting together his cabinet – a number of Mrs May’s senior ministers have already resigned, having said they could not serve under him.

Setting out his priorities outside Downing Street, Mr Johnson hit out at the “pessimists” who do not believe Brexit can be delivered and called for an end to three years of indecision.

Johnson vowed to deliver Brexit, ‘no ifs, no buts’

Newly-installed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday promised to deliver Brexit on October 31, “no ifs or buts”, and prove wrong “the doubters, the doomsters, the gloomsters”.

Speaking outside his new Downing Street office, Johnson — who spearheaded the “Leave” campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum — promised to do a “new deal” with Brussels.

After being formally appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, Johnson set out his mission statement, insisting that the vote to leave the European Union must be respected.

“We will do a new deal. A better deal that will maximise the opportunities of Brexit,” the 55-year-old said.

“I have every confidence that in 99 days’ time we will have cracked it.

“The British people have had enough of waiting.”

The new Conservative Party leader also made a raft of domestic policy announcements in a nearly 12-minute address.

“I will take personal responsibility for the change I want to see,” he said, with his girlfriend Carrie Symonds watching with his team of aides.

“Never mind the backstop: the buck stops here,” he said.

“If there is one thing that has really sapped the confidence of business, it is not the decisions we have taken — it is our refusal to take decisions.

“Brexit was a fundamental decision by the British people that they wanted their laws made by people that they elected and that they can remove from office.

“We must now respect that decision,” he said.

After his speech PM Johnson has announced his cabinet team .  Among them Sajid Javid has been appointed Chancellor in Prime Minister’s Boris Johnson’s new cabinet, making him the first Asian to hold the Downing Street post. Similarly,  Priti Patel has been appointed as a Home Secretary and Dominic Raab as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Michael Gove  has been appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster,  Stephen Barclay is Secretary of State . 

Facebook to pay the biggest ever fine $5 billion for Cambridge Analytica data breach

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London — The Federal Trade Commission has formally announced its approval of a $5 billion settlement with Facebook over the company’s privacy policies. Shares of Facebook were down more than 1% during morning trading, shaving more than $6 billion from its market cap and bringing it around $570 billion.

Facebook will pay a record-breaking $5bn penalty in the US for “deceiving” users about their ability to keep personal information private, after a year-long investigation into the Cambridge Analytica data breach.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the US consumer regulator, also announced a lawsuit against Cambridge Analytica and proposed settlements with the data analysis firm’s former chief executive Alexander Nix and its app developer Aleksandr Kogan.

The $5bn fine for Facebook dwarfs the previous record for the largest fine handed down by the FTC for violation of consumers’ privacy, which was a $275m penalty for consumer credit agency Equifax, the Guardian reported.

The FTC order mandates that Facebook create an independent privacy committee on its board of directors to remove “unfettered control” by Zuckerberg over user privacy decisions, according to the announcement. The members will be nominated by an independent nominating committee and can only be fired by a two-thirds of voting shares, which would prevent Zuckerberg from controlling the vote with his share power, CNBC reported.

Zuckerberg will also take on new responsibilities to ensure compliance with the order, according to the announcement. Zuckerberg was not questioned by the FTC as part of the probe, The Washington Post reported, and that regulators were divided over whether to hold the executive more directly accountable.

Sajid Javid is likely to be the new Chancellor, the first Asian origin British to hold the 11 Downing Street

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London — The newly elected leader of the biggest party of Britain Mr. Boris Johnson will begin the process of forming his government later after he succeeds Theresa May as prime minister.

The new Conservative leader will take office on Wednesday afternoon following an audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace,  BBC reported.

After entering Downing Street, he is expected to announce a clutch of senior cabinet posts, including chancellor of the exchequer and home secretary.

SAJID Javid was last night preparing to become Britain’s new Chancellor and the first Asian to hold the 11 Downing Street post, The Sun reported.

The new Tory leader aims to appoint a record number of black and Asian MPs around his top table, with right-wing Priti Patel poised to succeed Mr Javid.

According to the Sunday times , Allies of Mr Javid say they are “confident” he has won the race for the Treasury, beating rivals Liz Truss and Matt Hancock.

The current Home Secretary was set to be the biggest winner of Boris Johnson’s first Cabinet reshuffle today.

The Sunday Times further reports he is angling to replace Phillip Hammond as chancellor, having ‘detailed plans for an emergency Brexit budget to stimulate the economy in the event of a no-deal departure’.

According to the Telegraph , Sajid have a genuine understanding of the workings of finance through his own banking career, but his commitment to enterprise and free market economics is beyond question. Perhaps most important though is the understanding of the need to encourage aspiration and social mobility which he has gained from his own life experience. He has shown himself to be an effective Home Secretaryat a difficult time for that department. And there can be no getting away from the point that his background – the son of an immigrant Pakistani bus driver – would make an excellent counterpoint to the old Etonian Boris Johnson.

Javid, who has been Home Secretary since April last year, has a strong CV to take on the brief of public finances. He is a former investment banker and held junior positions in the Treasury in the early years of David Cameron’s government. Javid was also business secretary between 2015 and 2016.

Other contenders include Liz Truss, who is currently chief secretary to the treasury, and health secretary Matt Hancock. Sources have told Yahoo Finance UK that Truss is more likely to be made business minister. Book makers also give arch Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg an outside chance.

Bookmaker Paddy Power is offering odds of 1/3 on Javid becoming the next chancellor, while betting exchange Smarkets has him on odds of 2/5. The Betfair exchange offers odds of 8/15, according to Oddschecker.com.

At least four black and Asian Tory MPs will be invited to join Mr Johnson’s top table, with Priti Patel, Alok Sharma and James Cleverly joining Mr Javid.

Rising Tory star Rishi Sunek is also in the running for a Cabinet job.

Various media sources says that Boris will also boost the number of women who are full Cabinet members, from Theresa May’s current  five.

An Eye hospital of Nepal has been recognised as a WHO collaborating centre

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Kathmandu–Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO) has been recognised as a World Health Organisation (WHO) collaborating centre in Nepal in the field of Ophthalmology.

The announcement was made on the occasion of the 25th anniversary function of TIO organised in the capital on Monday, the national daily The Rising Nepal reported.

The TIO has been a part of 573 collaborating centres of the UN health agency across the world.
Dr. Jos Vandelaer, WHO Representative to Nepal, provided the certificate of recognition to Dr Reeta Gurung, chief executive officer of TIO, amidst a function today.

Addressing the 25th anniversary of TIO, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that Dr Sanduk Ruit, executive director of TIO, had reminded all Nepali people of the nation’s proud tradition.
The TIO has played a lead role in reducing the proportion of visually-impaired citizens in the total population, the Prime Minister said.
PM Oli said that Dr Ruit had done miracles in the field of eye treatment in Nepal.
“Dr Ruit is successful in providing vision to many people by establishing the world’s first class institution for eye treatment in Nepal,” said the PM.
Through the efforts of Dr Ruit, many visually impaired and blind people are now capable to see the bright world, said the PM.
“The TIO has supported in making people happy as per the national desire of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’ by giving sights to many people,” he added.
He said the inspiration provided by the TIO should be persuaded by everyone for establishing service-oriented hospitals.
“The efforts and services of the TIO are impressive,” said the PM, adding that the government was ready to provide any support to the hospital for conducting research, training and treatment.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Health and Population Upendra Yadav said that the government had established one Eye Treatment Centre in 77 districts each for the larger good of the Nepali people.
The government has kept the eye treatment as the fundamental healthcare rights in its recent health policy, he said.
He said that the country had made a significant progress in innovation and human resource development in the field of ophthalmology in the last one decade.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Ruit said that the hospital was working with the vision of providing accessible eye treatment facilities to all.
The recognition of the TIO by the WHO as its collaborating centre is a huge achievement for the hospital and the country, he added.
The TIO provides services to over 400,000 eye patients every year and conducts around 65,000 minor and major surgeries. Cornea donation and transplantation services are its popular programmes.
The hospital also runs 26 eye care centres in various parts of the country and an eye hospital in Hetauda of Makwanpur district.
Likewise, the hospital has also been producing ophthalmologists, optometrists and ophthalmic assistants.
According to the hospital, it produces around 10 ophthalmologists, 40 such nurses, and as many optometrists each year.
Besides, the institute has been regularly imparting training to ophthalmologists from Ethiopia, Ghana, the Maldives, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India, among other countries.
Likewise, the hospital is also conducting over a dozen researches every year in various parts of the country.
The hospital produces intraocular cataract lenses, possibly the cheapest in the world. The hospital has produced 4.7 million lenses in the last 22 years. The lens has acquired the ILO standard at has reached to more than 70 countries across the world.

Boris Johnson to be the next PM of the U.K.

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London – The former foreign secretary &  former mayor of London Boris Johnson has been elected new Conservative leader in a ballot of party members and will become the next UK prime minister.

He beat Jeremy Hunt comfortably, winning 92,153 votes to his rival’s 46,656,  BBC reported.

Johnson is a Conservative lawmaker and former journalist. He is known for being a former Mayor of London and a leading figure on the “leave” side of the 2016 Brexit referendum. Following his side’s success, he was installed as Foreign Secretary. After a tenure characterized by gaffes, he stepped down in July 2018 over May’s Brexit negotiating strategy. Now he is a so-called “backbench” lawmaker who doesn’t hold government office, but is still seen as a leading Brexiter.

The son of British politician Stanley Johnson, Boris was born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson and can trace his family line back to King George II.

Johnson went to Eton, the most prestigious private school in the U.K., where he was “a fully fledged school celebrity,” according to Just Boris, a biography of Johnson written by Sonia Purnell. But even as a teenager he was already being reprimanded for what his modern critics still today argue are his failings, including a lack of organization and attention to detail.

According Britanica, In 1997 Johnson was selected as the Conservative candidate for Clwyd South in the House of Commons, but he lost decisively to the Labour Party incumbent Martyn Jones. Soon after, Johnson began appearing on a variety of television shows, beginning in 1998 with the BBC talk program Have I Got News for You. His bumbling demeanour and occasionally irreverent remarks made him a perennialfavourite on British talk shows. Johnson again stood for Parliament in 2001, this time winning the contest in the Henley-on-Thames constituency. Though he continued to appear frequently on British television programs and became one of the country’s most-recognized politicians, Johnson’s political rise was threatened on a number of occasions. He was forced to apologize to the city of Liverpool after the publication of an insensitive editorial in The Spectator, and in 2004 he was dismissed from his position as shadow arts minister after rumours surfaced of an affair between Johnson and a journalist. Despite such public rebukes, Johnson was reelected to his parliamentary seat in 2005.

Johnson entered into the London mayoral election in July 2007, challenging Labour incumbent Ken Livingstone. During the tightly contested election, he overcame perceptions that he was a gaffe-prone and insubstantial politician by focusing on issues of crime and transportation. On May 1, 2008, Johnson won a narrow victory, seen by many as a repudiation of the national Labour government led by Gordon Brown. Early the following month, Johnson fulfilled a campaign promise by stepping down as MP. In 2012 Johnson was reelected mayor, besting Livingstone again. His win was one of the few bright spots for the Conservative Party in the midterm local elections in which it lost more than 800 seats in England, Scotland, and Wales. Johnson returned to Parliament in 2015, winning the west London seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, in an election that saw the Conservative Party capture its first clear majority since the 1990s. He retained his post as mayor of London, and the victory fueled speculation that he would eventually challenge Prime Minister David Cameronfor leadership of the Conservative Party.

When Theresa May became Conservative Party leader and prime minister, she named Johnson her foreign secretary. Johnson maintained his seat in the House of Commons in the snap election called by May for June 2017, and he remained foreign secretary when May reshuffled her cabinet after the Conservatives lost their legislative majority in that election and formed a minority government later he resigned stating disagreement with PM Theresa Mays Brexit plan.

The biggest task for Johnson will be to take Britain out of the EU, but his hardline strategy has plenty of critics.

Volvo recalls more than 500,000 cars due to fire risk

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Volvo has recalled 507,000 cars globally, including 69,616 in the UK, over concerns that a faulty engine component could cause a fire, Autocar reported.

 

The recall was prompted by a number of reported incidents concerning the firm’s four-cylinder 2.0-litre diesel engines fitted in cars between 2014 and 2019.

An investigation identified a plastic engine intake manifold that could melt and ignite a fire in the engine bay. No other powertrains are affected.

 

The issue relates to certain S60, S60 Cross Country, S80, S90, V40, V40 Cross Country, V60, V60 Cross Country, V70, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC60, XC70 and XC90 models.

Multidrug-resistant malaria spreading in South-east Asia- Report

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AFP — MALARIA-CAUSING PARASITES resistant to the main anti-malarial drugs are spreading across south-east Asia, researchers are warning.

Two new scientific studies warn that in parts of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia up to 80% of the most common malaria parasite were now resistant to the two most common antimalarial drugs.

The parasites have also acquired resistance linked to the failure of treatment in half of cases to one of the newest and most potent frontline drug combinations.

“These worrying findings indicate that the problem of multidrug resistance in P falciparum has substantially worsened in southeast Asia since 2015,” said Olivo Miotto from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and University of Oxford, who co-led one of the studies published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

The new PM of the U.K. will be announced today

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London — A new prime minister will enter Number 10 this week as the contest to replace Theresa May as Tory leader draws to a close.

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt have been battling for the top job after beating rival MPs to make the final two last month.

The outcome of the ballot of about 160,000 Tory members will be revealed at just before midday in London, BBC reported.

Either Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt will become the new Conservative leader today as the result of the contest to succeed Theresa May is announced.

The victor will officially become prime minister on Wednesday.

Theresa May will take her final Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons before formally resigning as PM, ITV reported.

The monarch will then meet the new leader of the Tory party – either Mr Johnson or Mr Hunt – at the Palace and invite him to form a new government.

Traditionally, the new prime minister makes a statement in Downing Street before stepping into Number 10 for the first time as PM.

Nepali girl who made it to the Miss England finals raises over £10K

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London— Miss England Finalist, Miss Pratishtha ‘Trish’ Raut has raised over 10,000 pounds to support various mental health charities in the UK as well as charities helping children worldwide.

Nepali community in the UK extended their whole-hearted support to Raut in response to her appeal. “At a charity dinner organized at South Harrow, London on Friday and also through online donations, nearly 10,000 pounds have been collected so far,” said Ram Sharan Simkhada, one of the organizers of the Charity Dinner.

Daughter of former Gurkha, Prakash Raut, Pratishtha lives in Aldershot, UK and is an architect by profession. She cried briefly while telling the audience on Friday why she had chosen to support the mental health causes.

“I also had passed through difficult times during my twenties but did not know how to seek support. It’s also because the Nepali community in the UK did not have awareness at that time,” she added.

“The collected fund will go across the globe for children suffering via Miss England Beauty with Purpose channel. Pratishtha is also supporting a Mental Health hospice at Aldershot, Hampshire,” said Simkhada.

Twenty six-year-old Pratishtha, who was born in Hong Kong when her father was deployed there, is the first British Nepali girl to reach the final round of Miss England. Miss England 2019 Grand Finale in association with Mauritius Tourism will be held on July 31 and August 1 in Newcastle at NewBridge Hotel kindly sponsored by The Gainford Group.

“We are all proud that a Nepali girl has made it to the Miss England finals. She has inspired many Nepali youngsters in the UK and around the world and our blessings are with her,” said Ram Sharan Simkhada, a social worker and ICC Member of NRNA International Committee.

Those who are living in the UK and want to support Pratishtha can do so by sending a text message “Miss England42’ to 63333. The text message will cost 50p in the UK.

Muslim Miss England contestant becomes first to wear wetsuit instead of bikini

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Miss England contestant Aysha Khan has eschewed the bikini tradition and opted to wear a full-body length swimsuit.

The finalist in the contest has said Miss England is about showing off each individual personality.

The 21-year-old from Blackburn felt that covering up was just part of her own Muslim faith.

Aysha, the current Miss Lancashire, is considered to be the first contender of the title to not wear a bikini, Metro news reported.

She was automatically entered into the Miss England contest when she won Miss Lancashire as a student.

Not only was it Aysha’s first beauty pageant, it was also the first time an Asian person had been crowned Miss Lancashire.

But winning also came with some downsides, namely racist abuse, telling her to ‘go back’ where she came from.

Aysha tries not to focus too much on it though: ‘In comparison to the positive, the negative has been very little, so I just try not to focus on it too much.’

30,000 overseas Pakistanis welcomed Imran in US, due to meet Trump

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London —  Up to 30,000 people were gathered at a community meeting of overseas Pakistanis in Washington DC on Sunday (early Monday in the UAE).
Live Video:

The PM, a former international cricketer, received a rockstar’s welcome as he appeared before the massive crowd, along with some members of his Cabinet, The Gulf Time reported.

Imran Khan and his entourage reportedly flew to America on a commercial, instead of chartered, flight to save on cost. The premier delivered a speech about the benefits of meritocracy, a relentless fight to curb corruption and laid out his vision for “Naya (New) Pakistan”, words that energised the crowd of US-based expat Pakistanis.

During his speech, the PM said: “Pakistan was made on the basis of a massive dream. The dreams of two great leaders. Quaid e Azam and Allama Iqbal. I want you to tell your children In the US what this dream was.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is due to visit the White House for his first face-to-face talks with US President Donald Trump today.

The meeting is part of a push to mend relations, which have been strained by the Afghan conflict.

According to Pakistan’s foreign office, Mr Khan’s visit “will help renew and reinvigorate long-standing ties between Pakistan” and the US, BBC reported.

Adding to the positive mood music came a new tweet from Mr Trump on Wednesday, announcing that Pakistan had arrested the “mastermind” of the 2008 terror attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai, after a search lasting two years.

Nepal needs millions to rebuild after rain creates havoc

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IANS–The recent floods in Nepal have caused extensive destruction and caused the deaths of at least 90 people. For rehabilitation and reconstruction, officials have estimated that around Rs 220 million will be needed.

The floods and landslides caused massive destruction especially in eastern parts of the country in the second week of July and according to initial estimates of the Department of Roads, the cost of recovery of structures and rehabilitation will be around Rs 220 million, The Kathmandu Post reported on Monday.

Disasters triggered by incessant rains damaged more than 50 roads and bridges. “As the rainy season continues, we can expect more damage to infrastructure in the days to come,” said Shiva Hari Sapkota, spokesperson for the Department of Roads.

“There has not been much rainfall in western parts of the country but we must be prepared for potential damages in the region too once rain starts to pour in,” he added.

Since several highways and roads are in a bad condition, the department said there is a risk of accidents if the vehicular movement is allowed without repair and maintenance.

Every monsoon, roads, and bridges in the country are damaged by floods and landslides. However, experts said such damages could be reduced if the infrastructure is built after proper study of the flood-prone areas.

The Road Department spends Rs 4-5 billion on the maintenance of roads and bridges every year, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Income from travel sector is increased by 9.7 per cent; Nepal earned Rs 68.63 billion

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Jagan Karki, London  — According to Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Nepal earned a total of Rs 68.63 billion from the travel industry in the review period of the year.

This income from the travel sector under the service account has been increased by 9.7 percent in the first 11 months of the last fiscal year 2018-19.

Such income was Rs 62.57 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal.

In 2018, a total of 1.17 million tourists visited Nepal via both air and land routes while a total of 585,531 tourists have visited Nepal in the first half of 2019.

Although income has been increasing, the data compiled by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has shown that the average length of stay of tourists and their per day spending has declined. As mentioned in the Nepal Tourism Statistics 2018 published by the ministry, the average length of stay stands at 12 days, while the average per day spending per tourist has dropped to $44, The Himalayan Times reported.

The government’s plan to bring in quality foreign tourists with high-spending capacity, the average spending of tourists in the country dropped by 22.73 percent in 2018.