Dharmendra Pradhan, Lindy Cameron Discuss Deepening India-UK Academic Collaboration

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan met the British High Commissioner to India, Ms Lindy Cameron, and had engaging discussion on deepening academic collaboration between the two countries. The High Commissioner shared updates on the upcoming University of Southampton campus in Gurugram, set to open in July 2025. The two also had engaging discussions on deepening academic collaboration encouraging more UK students to Study in India as well as top UK universities to establish campuses in India, and strengthening the India-UK education partnership....more

New UK-India Cultural Agreement To Boost Creative Industries

NEW DELHI: The UK and India have signed a Programme of Cultural Cooperation, enhancing cultural exchange through the arts, heritage and creative industries, helping drive growth and opportunity. India's Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the UK’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy signed on Friday the India–UK Programme of Cultural Cooperation....more

Taliban Tells Afghan, 45, Who Married 6-Year-Old: 'Wait Till She's 9'

KABUL, July 10: A six-year-old girl has allegedly been forced to marry a 45-year-old man in southern Afghanistan after her father sold her for money. According to US-based Afghan outlet Amu.tv, the marriage occurred in Marjah district, with the man, who has two other wives, allegedly paying the child's family for the union. The Taliban, reportedly "horrified" by the situation, intervened to prevent the man from taking the child to his home, stating she could be sent to her husband's household at the age of nine. Local Taliban authorities have not issued a statement, but they have so far blocked the girl from being taken to the man's residence.

The girl's father and the groom were arrested in Marjah district, though no formal charges have been filed. The girl is currently with her parents, as reported by Hasht-e Subh Daily. The marriage arrangement involved the customary practice of walwar, where the bride price is set based on the girl's physical appearance, education, and perceived value.

The incident has sparked intense outrage across social media, with users expressing shock, heartbreak, and condemnation over the situation. Photos from the ceremony, depicting the man alongside the noticeably young girl, have triggered strong backlash online and among human rights advocates.

Child Marriages in Afghanistan

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, the country has seen a significant increase in child and early marriages, driven by deepening poverty and stringent restrictions on women and girls, particularly the prohibition of female education. Notably, Afghanistan lacks a legal minimum age for marriage. The previous civil code, which established 16 as the minimum age for girls, has not been restored.

According to a report by UN Women from last year, the Taliban's ban on girls' education has contributed to a 25% surge in child marriages and a 45% increase in early childbearing nationwide, exacerbating the vulnerability of young girls in an already precarious socio-economic landscape.

Human rights organisations have consistently called for urgent international intervention, emphasising that child marriage poses severe risks to girls' physical, mental, and social well-being. These groups highlight that girls coerced into early marriages frequently endure dire consequences, including premature pregnancies, which carry heightened health risks, as well as domestic violence and profound social isolation.

Activists stress that these practices not only violate fundamental human rights but also undermine Afghanistan's long-term social and economic stability, urging global leaders to prioritise measures that protect and empower young girls.

Goldman Sachs Hires Former UK PM Rishi Sunak As Senior Adviser

NEW YORK, July 8: Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said Rishi Sunak, the former UK prime minister, has rejoined the firm as a senior adviser.

Sunak, who served as prime minister from October 2022 to July 2024, will work with leaders across New York-based Goldman to advise clients globally on a range of topics, "sharing his unique perspectives and insights on the macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape," Chief Executive Officer David Solomon said in a statement Tuesday.

Before his time as prime minister, Sunak was chancellor of the exchequer from February 2020 to July 2022, and previously served as chief secretary to the Treasury and parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. He started his career in politics as a Member of Parliament in 2015.

After leading the Conservative Party to its worst-ever defeat in last year's general election, Sunak still serves as an MP for the constituency of Richmond and Northallerton in northern England. During the election campaign, he vowed to remain an MP for the full duration of the next Parliament, regardless of the outcome of the vote. His successor, Labour's Keir Starmer, can call the next general election as late as mid-2029.

Sunak worked at Goldman first as a summer intern in investment banking, in 2000, and then as an analyst, from 2001 to 2004. He later co-founded an investment firm working with companies internationally.