Latest news with #BritishIndian
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Hardik Pandya 'DUMPS' Jasmin Walia? Fans Spot Major Clue Online
Cricketer Hardik Pandya and British Indian singer Jasmin Walia have fueled breakup speculation after mutually unfollowing each other on Instagram—just months after Hardik's split from Natasa Stankovic. Jasmin was often seen cheering him on during IPL matches and joined him on holiday in Greece, but now both are silent as social media buzzes with questions. With no official statement yet, fans are wondering if their relationship has come to an end.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Debate over having Sikh Regiment in British Army resurfaces, but UK MoD says no such plans
File photo LONDON: The debate over whether there should be a Sikh regiment in the British armed forces has resurfaced but the ministry of defence (MoD) insists there are no such plans. The debate was triggered after Lord Sahota asked defence minister Lord Coaker in the House of Lords on July 7 whether there was any progress on having a Sikh regiment in the British Army, given the loyalty of Sikh soldiers in both world wars. Coaker replied, 'Let me consider that request from my noble friend. I am quite happy to meet him to see what more we can do to recognise the contribution of soldiers such as Sikhs.' This led to UK headlines such as 'Minister open to British Army Sikh regiment proposal'. But MoD sources told TOI: 'Over the years there have been conversations about this, but it would breach Britain's anti-discriminatory laws. There are no current plans for a Sikh regiment as it goes against the Equality Act. We want to do something to recognise Sikh contributions in some way, but not through a Sikh regiment.' Lord Sahota, whose grandfathers served in the British Indian army, including the 15th Punjab Regiment, told TOI: 'I don't think it would go against the Equality Act.' He pointed out the British Army has had the Staffordshire regiment and currently has the Brigade of Gurkhas, the Royal Yorkshire Regiment, Royal Welsh and Royal Regiment of Scotland and so on.'It doesn't mean other faiths like Hindus, Muslim or Christians wouldn't be able to serve in a Sikh regiment. If you are in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, it doesn't mean you have to be Scottish.'. 'We are struggling to recruit ethnic minorities in this country,' he said, and so having a Sikh Regiment would give Sikhs a 'reason to join.' 'They would wear turbans and have beards and it would reflect Sikh heritage and values,' he said. 'It would foster a better relationship with other countries such as India and South Asia as well,' he added. There are estimated to be only 200 Sikhs in the British Armed Forces currently. 'People tend to go in the army if their grandfather was in it. Sikhs don't have that role model here,' Sahota said. He said if there was a Punjab or Sikh Regiment they would have that role model. 'There are more than 700k Sikhs in the UK. I am sure quite a few would be prepared to follow in their great grandfather's footsteps. King Charles even told a Sikh soldier he wanted to see more Sikhs in the British Army,' the Labour life peer added.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Farhan Akhtar And Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra On Meeting Fauja Singh At London Gurdwara: "He Hugged Milkha Singh"
New Delhi: Farhan Akhtar and filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Sharma are gearing up for the re-release of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. The biographical sports drama was based on the life of Indian athlete Milkha Singh. The Flying Sikh, as he was called, had an incredible journey from being a refugee to being an Olympian. While in conversation with the actor-director duo on the joy of seeing their film hit the screens again, we broached the topic of another incredible athlete who the sports world recently lost. Fauja Singh - the world's oldest British Indian marathon runner, who died on July 14, 2025, in a hit-and-run case. The incident took place in his birth village - Bias Pind, near Jalandhar. He was 114. What's Happening Farhan Akhtar and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra expressed deep sorrow at the death of another celebrated Sikh athlete, Fauja Singh. Just like Milkha Singh, Fauja Singh, aka Turbaned Tornado, had achieved International recognition. However, they were in different disciplines. In July 2013, Milkha Singh and Fauja Singh met each other during the promotions of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag in London. As the two sports legends met at SRI Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Southall, London, it was a momentous occasion to cherish. Farhan Akhtar recalls, "Yes, Fauja Singh was here in London. I remember meeting him. However, at that time, all of us were so caught up in the Bhaag Milkha Bhaag promotional junket that we didn't have the opportunity to spend much time with him. But I'm, of course, very familiar with him. I'm familiar with all his achievements. It is truly tragic how he died." Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra shares, "We went to South London. We were at the gurdwara, where we offered our prayers, and Fauja Singh was also there. Milkha Sir and he hugged each other. It was so great to see them like that. Unfortunately, he died in an accident. He would have lived forever. It's just sad the way life took him away from us." Fauja Singh Accident Singh, a global athlete, was crossing a road in his birth village, Beas Pind, in Jalandhar. The incident took place on Monday, when he was hit by a vehicle. He suffered a head injury and passed away during the treatment. The Punjab police were quick to catch the culprit. On Tuesday night, they arrested Canada-based Amritpal Singh Dhillon, who had rammed into Fauja Singh and then fled the scene. Harvinder Singh Virk, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar Rural, shared details of their investigation and how they cracked the case in 30 hours. In A Nutshell The conversation was around one of the most celebrated marathon runners - Milkha Singh, as Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Bhaag Milkha Bhaag re-releases on August 8, 2025. The filmmaker and Farhan Akhtar also expressed their grief on the death of another marathon legend - Fauja Singh, who died in a horrific car accident on July 14, 2025.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Charithra Chandran at Wimbledon' viral moment: actress praised for natural beauty, netizen's react
Charithra Chandran video went viral at Wimbledon tennis tournament for her natural beauty, leading to both praise and criticism online, and sparking a debate on beauty standards. Charithra Chandran went viral In July, 2025, actress Charithra Chandran went viral after being spotted at the Wimbledon tennis tournament. She was sitting quietly behind actor Andrew Garfield in the royal box, a VIP section at the event and there someone took a short video of her calmly watching the match, and the clip was soon posted online. Without saying or doing anything dramatic, Charithra's presence grabbed people's attention and the video was viewed over millions times on the platform X (formerly Twitter), and users were instantly drawn to her beauty and elegance. Many praised her with comments like 'All eyes on the brown queen' and 'She's one of the most beautiful people to exist. ' Netizen's reaction However, as the video gained popularity, the internet also turned negative. Some people began to criticize her looks and speculated about her makeup or possible cosmetic surgery. Online trolls argued whether she looked better with or without makeup. A few users even compared her pictures side by side, one from Wimbledon and another with a different appearance, sparking a shallow debate and others insulted her by calling her 'mid,' a slang word suggesting someone is average. This backlash shows that how quickly public admiration can turn into unfair and wrong judgment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Experts say this type of reaction is part of a bigger problem. Leora Tanenbaum, an author and critic of sexist beauty standards, explained the double bind women face. She said if a woman wears makeup, people accuse her of trying too hard. If she doesn't, they say she's not doing enough. Either way, women, especially women of colour are judged no matter what. This situation shows how unrealistic and damaging beauty standards can be. In Charithra's case, she did nothing but sit and watch a tennis match and yet, people still found reasons to judge her. About Charithra Chandran Charithra Chandran is a 28-year-old British Indian actress, born in Scotland in 1997. She spent some of her early years in Tamil Nadu, India, and later returned to the UK. She studied at the University of Oxford and graduated with a top degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). Her journey into acting started with stage performances, and she also later appeared in TV series. But her major fame came in 2022 when she played Edwina Sharma in one of the hit series 'Bridgerton'. Since then, her career has continued to grow. Even though she is earning success through her work, the Wimbledon incident showed how quickly people focus on appearance rather than talent. Charithra did nothing to invite this attention, she was quietly enjoying a tennis match, yet her image became the center of a worldwide discussion. This moment is about more than just a celebrity sighting. It reflects how deeply rooted beauty standards and racism still are in society.
The Star
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Athletics-Oldest marathon runner Fauja Singh dies at 114 in hit-and-run
FILE PHOTO: British Indian marathon runner Fauja Singh, 101, jogs during a practise at a park in Hong Kong February 21, 2013. Singh will take part in a 10-kilometer race at the Hong Kong Marathon on Sunday before he officially retires from public races. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo (Reuters) -Fauja Singh, regarded as the oldest person and the first centenarian to complete a full marathon, has died at the age of 114 after he was struck by a vehicle near his village in Punjab, India, media reports said. Singh, who claimed to be born in 1911, completed the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2011, when he was 100. He had registered his best time in a full marathon at the same event in 2003, finishing the race in five hours and 40 minutes. He was not inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records due to the lack of a birth certificate, as birth records were not kept in India in 1911, media reports said in 2011. "My 'Turbaned Tornado' is no more," Singh's biographer Khushwant Singh posted on X on Monday. "He was struck by an unidentified vehicle around 3:30 PM today in his village, Bias, while crossing the road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja." Efforts were underway to identify the vehicle, which fled the scene, police told local media. An amateur runner in his youth, Singh later settled in London, where he began running competitively at 89. He ran several full marathons and also competed in 10 km races before retiring in 2013. "He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world," India's prime minister Narendra Modi posted on X on Tuesday. (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge)
