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Shriti Vadera, currently a central figure in the Treasury presided over by Chancellor Gordon Brown, is poised for a key role in 10, Downing Street as Brown takes over as Britain's next Prime Minister today. Vadera has overseen many of the more technical aspects of Treasury policy. She managed the sale of government defense-research company Qinetiq and the partial sale of the London Underground.

WELSH ASSEMBLY IGNORES HINDU PLEAS TO SAVE SHAMBO

Shambo, the sacred cow at the Skanda Vale Temple in Wales.

With the full support of the Hindu community throughout the UK, monks at Skanda Vale Temple have vowed to stop any attempt to kill Shambo, despite today’s announcement by Jane Davidson, minister for sustainability and rural development. The Welsh Assembly has confirmed its intention to destroy the bullock.

OFCOM FINES CHANNEL 5 BUT NOT C4'S 'BIG BROTHER'

Shilpa Shetty in 'Celebrity Big Brother'. Ofcom's investigation sanctioned the program makers for breaching the Broadcasting Code but did not impose a fine.

Ofcom has fined Channel 5 £300,000 for breaches of the Broadcasting Code in the transmission of quiz show 'Brainteaser'. This is the largest financial penalty imposed. In May, Ofcom offered an adjudication on C4's 'Celebrity Big Brother' racist bullying of Shilpa Shetty, a sanction!

INDIAN LAWYER TOPS LIST OF LEGAL AID EARNERS

A little-known lawyer of Indian origin has emerged as the highest paid legal aid barrister in Britain, earning £1,116,000 in 2005-06. Balbir Singh, 48, head of Equity Chambers, Birmingham, tops the list of 10 highest paid legal aid barristers released by Britain's Ministry of Justice Monday.

MUSLIMS GROUPS ANGRY AT RUSHDIE'S KNIGHTHOOD

Leading Muslim groups in the UK, from across the political and theological spectrum, have come together in an unprecedented way to formulate and issue a statement in response to the decision to confer a knighthood upon Salman Rushdie. Their statement, describes the knighthood as a 'deliberate provocation and insult to 1.5 billion Muslims.'

AMARTYA SEN LAUNCHES NEW GCSE QUALIFICATIONS

Murad Qureshi (left) with Professor Amartya Sen.

New Cambridge IGCSEs in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India Studies were launched on the evening of 22 June 2007 by Nobel Prize winning Indian economist and philosopher Professor Amartya Sen. The event brought together Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Indian communities to look at how extremism can be addressed in South Asian Communities through education.

BRITISH ASIANS WATCH LESS TERRESTRIAL TV

Karan Johar, host of 'Koffee with Karan' which is only available on digital subscription channels.

Research published by Ofcom shows that British Asians watch less TV – especially the biggest traditional channels - and those with internet are more likely to have broadband than the rest of the population. Ofcom says 'Britain’s most watched broadcasters need to reflect on whether they are connecting sufficiently with minority ethnic groups'.

MAYOR BLASTS DISCRIMINATORY BOARD SELECTION

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone has lambasted the London Fire & Planning Authority for selecting nine white men for positions on its board. The Mayor said:“For a long time now I have been asking the groups to come up with nominations to this important public body that would at least begin to approximately reflect the composition of London. They have not nominated even a single black or Asian person.

ASIAN MP, PIARA KHABRA PASSES AWAY

Piara Singh Khabra, 82, who was the oldest member of the House of Commons, passed away following complications with his liver, at the Hammersmith Hospital. Khabra, a Labour MP who represented Ealing Southall since 1992, died on Tuesday 19 June 2007. Tony Blair paid tribute to him and said: "He was a tireless campaigner, particularly on the issues of racial equality.

HINDU FORUM CONDEMNS ATTACK ON RAMESH KALLIDAI

The Hindu Forum of Britain has condemned the Evening Standard’s article, written by Andrew Gilligan, which accuses Ramesh Kallidai, the organisation’s secretary general, for having ‘close associations with violent extremists’. The HFB states "this is absolutely not the case and is simply untrue."

ASIANS HONOURED BY THE QUEEN

Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty has been honoured with an OBE by the Queen.

Christopher Alan Bayly, an India expert at the University of Cambridge, has been knighted along with noted India-born writer Salman Rushdie and several Asians honoured in the Queen's birthday honours list. OBEs were conferred upon Shami Chakrabarti, the 38-year-old director of civil rights organisation Liberty, for services to human rights, Mayur Keshavji Lakhani, Rashmita Shukla and Azim Surani.

HINDU FORUM OF EUROPE LAUNCHED

Tony McNulty has the largest Hindu community in his UK constituency.

National organisations from all over Europe joined together to launch the Hindu Forum of Europe on 13 June 2007at the European Parliament in Brussels and it aims to be a first point of contact for the European Commission, European Parliament and other EU institutions in dealing with issues like participation of European Hindus in public policy, interfaith cooperation and EU legislation.

COALITION TO DEFEND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM LAUNCHED

Political figures, religious leaders, trade unionists and human rights campaigners are amongst the individuals that have signed up to a new coalition aimed at defending freedom of religious and cultural expression. The coalition is being set upto counter claims that faith groups openly expressing their culture or faith threaten community relations in Britain.

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