Redhotcurry

Pakistan's Supreme Court Friday allowed President Pervez Musharraf to contest presidential elections for the second term while holding two posts. The nine-member bench headed by Justice Rana Bhagwandas dismissed all petitions filed against Musharraf's candidature and his simultaneously holding two offices of the president and the army chief.

BRITAIN SUPPORTS INDIA FOR PERMANENT UN SEAT

British Foreign Minister David Milliband has told the UN General Assembly that his country supports a permanent seat for India on the Security Council. "International institutions need to reflect the world as it is," Milliband told the General Assembly, adding the UN had a duty to lead the world in addressing the shared threats and opportunities of this age.

REVELRY OVER INDIA'S 20:20 WIN IRKS MANY IN BRITAIN

Thousands of British Asians celebrated India's epic victory in the Twenty20 World Cup final over Pakistan, but not everyone was happy with the way their joy was expressed. People poured out on to the streets in large numbers, waving the Indian tricolour, causing traffic chaos in many parts of Britain.

FILM ON MONICA ALI'S NOVEL TOO HOT FOR PRINCE CHARLES

Tannistha Chatterjee as Nazneen in 'Brick Lane', based on Monican Ali's novel of the same name.

'Brick Lane', a film based on the controversial novel by Monica Ali, has proved too hot for the royal family. Prince Charles has pulled out of attending its first screening to avoid the possibility of protests proving an embarrassment. A Royal Gala screening, that was scheduled for 29 October as part of the annual Royal Film Performance, now been scrapped.

GANESH IDOLS IMMERSED IN LIVERPOOL RIVER

Immersion of a Lord Ganesh statue in India.

Amidst chants of 'Ganpati bappa morya', hundreds British Indians residing in the Midlands gathered in Liverpool to immerse idols of Lord Ganesh in the Mersey river. So many people turned up in Liverpool that the ceremony had to be performed twice, with the ferry Snowdrop crowded with Lord Ganesh devotees.

LORD GANESH PROCESSION IN SOUTHALL

Sunday 23 September 2007 saw thousands of devotees from diverse faith-communities throng the streets of Southall, West London, to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. The celebrations began with a religious ceremony (Puja) which was performed by North and South Indian Priests followed by the homage paid by the Leaders of diverse faiths to the Creator of the Universe.

BRITISH INDIAN CONVICTED FOR BOMB-MAKING MANUAL

An Indian origin teenager, the son of an Afghan war veteran, has been found guilty of possessing a bomb-making manual. Abdul Patel, 18, was convicted Wednesday for possessing an item that could prove useful to terrorists. He was tried under Britain's Terrorism Act.

A SHRINE TO MOHAMMAD RAFI IN BIRMINGHAM

Tasawar Bashir, a Birmingham-based artist, has designed a contemporary shrine to Indian qawwali singer Mohammad Rafi (1924-1980). It is currently on display at the Festival of Xtreme Building, Birmingham. The shrine has been built from transparent materials to encourage people who may not be familiar with Islamic art, or Rafi, to explore the space.

FAITH LEADERS MUST END 'UNDERHAND CONVERSION'

Anil Bhanot, the general secretary of the Hindu Council UK (HCUK), has written to leaders of all faiths in Britain urging them to root out intolerance. He also calls for an end to what he calls 'predatory' missionary activity and has written separately to Hazel Blears MP, asking her to introduce legislation against 'underhand conversion techniques.'

HINDU AIRPORT WORKER SACKED FOR WEARING NOSE STUD

An Indian-origin woman employee at the VIP lounge of British Airways at Heathrow airport has been dismissed from her job, following a disciplinary hearing last week, for refusing to remove the traditional Hindu nose stud.

JEWEL AWARD WINNERS 2007: SOUTHERN REGION

Harjit Singh & Superna Sethi of Manhatten Properties, winners of the Jewel Award 2007: Southern Region.

Property developers Harjit Singh and Superna Sethi and Kettering Town Football Club Chairman Imraan Ladak were amongst the winners scooping honours at this year’s Lloyds TSB Southern Jewel Awards. The awards reflect the growing influence of the Asian community on the UK economy and bolster the South's reputation as a hub of Asian talent.

DENIAL OF DEMOCRACY WILL FUEL EXTREMISM IN PAKISTAN

The manner in which former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was bundled off to Saudi Arabia on his arrival in Pakistan clearly indicates that 'genuine functional democracy' is not going to be ushered in Pakistan in the near future. As the army still backs him, President Pervez Musharraf can withstand any Nawaz Sharif or Benazir Bhutto.

INDIAN PHILANTHROPIST BEHIND UK'S FIRST HINDU SCHOOL

India's most prominent philanthropist, Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Resources, as emerged as a key adviser to Britain's first state-funded Hindu school which has been granted planning permission by the London Borough of Harrow. Mr Agarwal topped the Sunday Times Rich List 2007 for his philanthropy.

FAITH IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM?

Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faith school backers today unveiled a joint declaration and shared vision of schools with a religious character in 21st century England. The 'Faith in the System' document also aims to dispel some of the common myths and misunderstanding around faith schools and seeks to promote greater respect of the differences between different faiths.

DIFFICULT TIMES AHEAD FOR MUSHARRAF

Difficult times lie ahead for President Pervez Musharraf, who is seeking another presidential term but is facing a strong challenge from a majority of the opposition parties led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N). Sharif was again sent into forced exile to Saudi Arabia only hours after he landed in Pakistan.

NAWAZ SHARIF DEPORTED FROM PAKISTAN

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was dramatically arrested and deported to Saudi Arabia on Monday within hours of returning to Pakistan from seven years in exile in a bid to kickstart a campaign against President Pervez Musharraf who ousted him in a 1999 coup. "The deportation is in the prime interest of the nation," the Pakistani Interior Minister said.

SWRAJ PAUL BUYS £6 MILLION ESTATE NEAR CHEQUERS

Prime Minister Gordon Brown with Lord Swaraj Paul

Prominent NRI business magnate Lord Swraj Paul has bought a £6 million estate in Britain, just minutes away from Chequers, Prime Minister Gordon Brown's official rural retreat. The acquisition will give Lord Paul easy access to Brown, who uses Chequers for weekends with his family.

WILL BENAZIR'S RETURN MEAN A BETTER LIFE FOR WOMEN

Will the expected return from exile of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto mean a better life for Pakistani women or will they continue to remain shackled as victims of the state? The latter seems more probable, says a commentary published in the 'Daily Times', pointing out that some 4,000 women had been killed in the name of honour in the last four years.

NRI PLEDGES TO FUND GORDON BROWN'S CAMPAIGN

There are few signs of Britain's new Prime Minister Gordon Brown ordering mid-term polls to capitalise on the 'Brown bounce' fed by high ratings, but adding fuel to the speculation is the public pledge by the two Indian-origin millionaires, Lord Swraj Paul and Sir Ghulam Noon, to fund a Brown-led Labour party election campaign.

CHURCH YOGA BAN MAY BE ILLEGAL SAYS HINDU COUNCIL UK

The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) is considering whether a ban on yoga classes at St James' Church and the Silver Street Baptist Church in Taunton, Somerset, may breach the Equality Act 2006. Lawyers for HCUK are exploring whether comments are contrary to the 'Religion and Belief' section of the Act.

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