Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
BRITAIN's prime minister vowed to take action to better protect women after a national outpouring of grief and outrage over the death of a woman who went missing after setting out to walk home in London earlier this month.
Boris Johnson will hold a meeting of his crime and justice taskforce on Monday (15) to discuss violence against women, said London's police force.
Besides, a watchdog would conduct separate reviews into the handling of the protest.
Johnson also promised several reviews into the policing of a vigil for the woman, after male officers were seen scuffling with and restraining female demonstrators on Saturday (13) night, further souring the national mood.
Sarah Everard was found dead days after she went missing on March 3. A police officer was later charged with her kidnap and murder.
Reclaim These Streets, which organised the protest that was eventually banned because of coronavirus restrictions, condemned the actions of officers 'physically manhandling women at a vigil against male violence'.
"Like everyone who saw it I was deeply concerned about the footage from Clapham Common on Saturday night," Johnson said, referring to the south London park where the protest took place.
London police chief Cressida Dick, who is facing calls to resign, told reporters her officers had been put in a "really invidious position".
"They moved to try to explain to people, to engage with people, to get people to disperse from this unlawful gathering and many, many, many people did. Unfortunately, a small minority did not," she said.
Helen Ball, another senior officer, said the force was dutybound to keep people safe.
"Hundreds of people were packed tightly together, posing a very real risk of easily transmitting Covid-19," she said.
But the main opposition Labour party leader Keir Starmer, a former public prosecutor, called the scenes "deeply disturbing".
Four arrests were made for public order offences and breaches of coronavirus regulations, the force said.
Everard's disappearance and the huge search to find her has helped to focus attention on women's safety in public places and the issue of male violence.
She had visited friends in Clapham and was returning home to Brixton, about 50 minutes walk away, when she disappeared.
Mourners once again gathered in Clapham on Sunday (14) to pay their respects and call for change.
One of Everard's friends warned that her death had become "hijacked".
"I think my friend would have been unsettled at how her death has been politicised," Helena Edwards wrote in online magazine Spiked.
AN EVENT in London showcased the growing partnership between India and the UK, recognising people and organisations driving stronger links in trade, business and culture.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer was among this year’s recipients of Living Bridge awards by the India Business Group (IBG). He was recognised for his role in championing closer bilateral relations and securing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Britain and India.
Equalities minister Seema Malhotra received the award on his behalf by at the event in the House of Lords complex on Monday (22) evening.
The trade deal is expected to double bilateral trade to $120 billion by 2030 once it completes the UK parliamentary ratification process. Trade between the UK and India already reached more than £44 billion in the four quarters to Q1 2025, marking a rise of over 10 per cent.
A spokesperson from Downing Street said the agreement would allow businesses to trade with “confidence and security” while boosting growth in both economies.
Other winners included New Delhi-based multinational conglomerate GMR Group, billionaire businessman GP Hinduja, KPMG UK chair Bina Mehta, educator Dr Vishwajeet Rana, the Science Museum, digital consultancy de Novo, and the University of Southampton.
Professor Lord Patel of Bradford, IBG chairman and head of the judging panel, said: “These awards celebrate individuals and organisations that fuel our shared prosperity and embody what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described as the special friendship between our two countries.”
The judging panel also included Natasha Kaplinsky, former television presenter and current president of the British Board of Film Classification.
Trade commissioner for South Asia and deputy high commissioner for Western India, Harjinder Kang, and Indian high commissioner, Vikram Doraiswamy, have also attended the event.
IBG founder and CEO Amarjit Singh said: “We champion those who drive this special relationship forward. This platform gives invaluable insights into new investment opportunities, empowering the next generation of UK–India business leaders and cementing our bond in this historic new era of trade.”
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Migrants wade into the water to get to a 'taxi boat' to take them across the channel to the UK at dawn on September 19, 2025 in Gravelines, France. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
A FAMILY of three have become the first migrants to arrive in the UK under the so-called "one-in one-out" deal struck with France, a government official said on Wednesday (24).
"A family of three, including a small child, are the first to have arrived" under the deal, said the official, who asked to remain anonymous.
No further details were available, but the arrival follows the removal of four migrants from the UK to France as part of the agreement aimed at deterring an unprecedented number of migrants making the perilous journey by boat from northern France to the UK's south coast.
Under the UK-France scheme, Britain can return small-boat migrants after they arrive across the Channel if they are deemed ineligible for asylum, including those who have passed through a "safe country" to reach UK shores.
In return, London will accept an equal number of migrants from France who are likely to have their asylum claim granted.
The Home Office described the exchange as "critical first steps" following the announcement of the deal during a state visit to Britain by French president Emmanuel Macron in July.
"This is a clear message to people-smuggling gangs that illegal entry into the UK will not be tolerated," it said in a statement.
"We will continue to detain and remove those who arrive by small boat. And we will work with France to operate a legal route for an equal number of eligible migrants to come to the UK subject to security checks."
Tens of thousands of migrants have arrived annually on UK shores in recent years, fuelling domestic anger and the rise of Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage's hard-right Reform UK Party.
The journeys across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes have repeatedly proved fatal for migrants. At least 23 people have died so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on official French data.
Prime minister Keir Starmer took power in July 2024 vowing to "smash the gangs" behind the journeys, and scrapped a costly scheme planned by the previous Tory government to send some migrants to Rwanda.
The opposition Conservative party has dismissed the "in-out" treaty as tinkering around the edges and unlikely to have the desired deterrent effect.
The exchange follows demonstrations outside hotels being used by the government to house migrants.
Locals in the town of Epping, northeast of London, took to the streets after an Ethiopian asylum seeker sexually assaulted a teenage girl and a woman in July.
The case ignited weeks of protests and counter-demonstrations, there and outside other migrant hotels.
In Scotland, anti-immigration protests have been taking place every weekend at different locations, national police chief Jo Farrell said in a report.
"The volume of people attending has recently grown," the chief constable added.
(AFP)
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A police vehicle torched by the demonstrators is pictured along a street near the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Leh on September 24, 2025. (Photo by TSEWANG RIGZIN/AFP via Getty Images)
FIVE people were killed in India on Wednesday (24) as police clashed with hundreds of protesters demanding greater autonomy in the Himalayan territory of Ladakh, leaving "dozens" injured, police said.
In the main city of Leh, demonstrators torched a police vehicle and the offices of prime minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, while officers fired tear gas and used batons to disperse crowds, police said.
"Five deaths were reported after the protests," a police officer in Leh said, on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to journalists. "The number of injured is in the dozens."
Another police officer, Regzin Sangdup, said that "several people, including some policemen, were injured."
Authorities later imposed restrictions on gatherings, banning assemblies of more than four people. The sparsely populated, high-altitude desert region, home to some 300,000 people, borders both China and Pakistan.
Around half of Ladakh's residents are Muslim and about 40 per cent are Buddhist.
It is classed as a "Union Territory" -- meaning that while it elects lawmakers to the national parliament, it is governed directly by New Delhi.
He is demanding either full statehood for Ladakh or constitutional protections for its tribal communities, land and fragile environment.
"Social unrest arises when you keep young people unemployed and deprive them of their democratic rights," Wangchuk said, in a statement posted on social media.
He appealed to people to avoid violence "whatever happens".
India's army maintains a large presence in Ladakh, which includes disputed border areas with China.
Troops from the two countries clashed there in 2020, leaving at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead.
Modi's government split Ladakh off from Indian-administered Kashmir in 2019, imposing direct rule on both.
New Delhi has yet to fulfil its promise to include Ladakh in the "Sixth Schedule" of India's constitution, which allows people to make their own laws and policies.
"There is no platform for democracy here today," Wangchuk said. "Even the Sixth Schedule, which was promised and declared, has not been implemented."
Indian TV channels showed an abandoned police vehicle with flames emanating from its front. Local media reports said some young protesters pelted stones at police and tear gas was used to disperse them.
Kavinder Gupta, Ladakh's lieutenant governor, appealed for an end to violence and restoration of peace in a video message circulated by his office.
Demonstrations, public gatherings and inflammatory speech were being banned to maintain peace, district administrator Romil Singh Donk said in a public notice.
India's home ministry has been in talks with Ladakh's leaders since 2023 and has said it is looking into their demands.
The next round of discussions is scheduled for October 6.
(Agencies)
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The Bantam of the Opera choir at King's Cross London
Thousands of pupils will attempt the ‘Largest Air-Drumming Session’ and ‘Largest Body Percussion Lesson’.
The event on 11 November is a centrepiece of Bradford's UK City of Culture 2025 celebrations.
It partners Bradford Music & Arts Service with the BBC Radio Leeds choir, Bantam of the Opera.
The record attempt doubles as a fundraiser for the BBC Children in Need appeal.
Schools across Bradford are preparing for a monumental session with a purpose. On 11 November, thousands of children will converge at the Bradford Live venue to attempt two official Guinness World Records. The event, aiming for the largest air-drumming session and largest body percussion lesson, is a flagship project for the city's cultural programme. This ambitious endeavour also serves as a major fundraiser for BBC Children in Need, highlighting the Bradford City of Culture year's focus on youth and music.
The two records chosen are all about inclusive participation. The ‘Largest Air-Drumming Session’ requires participants to mimic drumming motions in unison for a sustained period. The ‘Largest Body Percussion Lesson’ involves a structured class where students use clapping, stomping, and thigh-slapping to create rhythm. Guinness World Records has strict guidelines, meaning every participant must be registered and the attempts closely monitored. It’s not just about making noise, but about precision and scale.
The Bantam of the Opera choir at King's Cross London BBC Screengrab
How is the event linked to BBC Children in Need?
The connection is fundamental. The annual BBC Children in Need appeal show airs on 14 November, and this record attempt on the 11th is designed to kickstart local fundraising efforts. Schools involved are encouraged to run their own sponsored activities around the theme "Challenge Yourself." Money raised will support the charity’s work with disadvantaged children across the UK. So, while the kids are focused on making history, their efforts will directly contribute to a well-known national cause.
Who is behind the organisation of the record attempts?
Pulling this off is a collaboration between the Bradford Music & Arts Service and the BBC Radio Leeds community choir, Bantam of the Opera. Adding expert credibility is Tim Brain, a world-record holder himself from 2023 for the largest recyclable instrument percussion ensemble. He’ll be leading the children on the day. Bradford Council sees this as a major event, showcasing the city's investment in youth arts. Councillor Sue Duffy called it a "joyful opportunity" for children to make history in the newly restored Bradford Live venue.
What is the long-term impact on music education in Bradford?
Beyond the single day, the project has a legacy component. The Bantam of the Opera choir is launching an outreach programme in partnership with the Priestley Academy Trust, which serves some of Bradford's most deprived areas. Tom Fay, a Learning Officer at the trust, noted that while children have a deep love for music, many have limited exposure at home, making school-based programmes vital for emotional well-being and community spirit.
BOOKER PRIZE-winning author Kiran Desai on Tuesday (23) returned to the prestigious literary award shortlist with The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, a novel described by judges as a “vast and immersive” tale of two young Indians in America.
The 53-year-old Delhi-born author, who won the Booker Prize in 2006 with The Inheritance of Loss, joins six writers from around the world on the 2025 shortlist.
Desai’s latest work, published by Hamish Hamilton, is also the longest on the list with 667 pages. Judges praised it as “an intimate and expansive epic about two people finding a pathway to love and each other. Rich in meditations about class, race and nationhood, this book has it all.”
The novel took nearly 20 years to complete. Should Desai win, she would become only the fifth double Booker winner in the prize’s 56-year history. Her victory would also seal an unprecedented clean sweep for India in 2025, after author Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi won the International Booker Prize earlier this year for their short-story collection Heart Lamp.
“I wanted to write a story about love and loneliness in the modern world, a present-day romance with an old-fashioned beauty,” Desai said.
“As I wrote across geographies and generations, I realised I could widen the scope of the novel, to write about loneliness in a broader sense – not just romantic loneliness, but the divides of class and race, the distrust between nations, and the vanishing of a past world, all of which can be seen as forms of loneliness.”
Born and raised in New Delhi, Desai moved with her family to England at the age of 15 before settling in the US, where she now lives. Literary acclaim runs in the family: her mother Anita Desai was shortlisted for the Booker three times.
Other shortlisted works include Susan Choi’s Flashlight, Katie Kitamura’s Audition, Ben Markovits’s The Rest of Our Lives, Hungarian-British author David Szalay’s Flesh and Andrew Miller’s The Land in Winter.
The winner of the 2025 Booker Prize will be announced on November 10 at Old Billingsgate in London. The winner will receive £50,000, while each of the six shortlisted authors will be awarded £2,500 and a specially bound edition of their book.