Prasun Sonwalkar was Editor (UK & Europe), Hindustan Times. During more than three decades, he held senior positions on the Desk, besides reporting from India’s north-east and other states, including a decade covering politics from New Delhi. He has been reporting from UK and Europe since 1999.
Articles by Prasun Sonwalkar
Alarm in UK over fake news prompting non-whites to reject Covid vaccination
The government has launched an information campaign in over 600 publications, including those that have high proportions of ethnic minority readerships, translating core messages in various languages to allay concerns over the safety of the vaccines.
Updated on Jan 15, 2021 06:44 PM IST
Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Psychiatrist trained in Mumbai elected dean of UK college
Subodh Dave, who gained primary medical qualifications from the University of Bombay in 1992 (University of Mumbai since 1996) and moved to the United Kingdom (UK) for further psychiatric training, has been elected dean of the Royal College of Psychiatrists for a five-year term.
Published on Jan 15, 2021 12:40 AM IST
Prasun Sonwalkar, London
Early lockdown in Delhi had less impact on air quality: Report
Experts discovered that the beneficial reductions in NO2 due to the lockdowns were smaller than expected, after removing the effects of weather.
Updated on Jan 15, 2021 02:48 AM IST
Past Covid-19 infection gives at least 5 months of immunity: UK study
The study by Public Health England also cautions that those with such immunity may still be able carry the virus in their nose and throat and therefore pose a risk of transmitting it to others.
Updated on Jan 14, 2021 04:45 PM IST
Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Kashmir situation of ‘great concern’: UK minister
Responding to an hour-long debate in the Westminster Hall of parliament on the ‘Political situation in Kashmir’, minister for Asia Nigel Adams called on the Indian government to lift remaining restrictions on assembly and communications in the valley.
Published on Jan 14, 2021 11:57 AM IST
Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Social media manipulation a growing threat to democracies: Oxford study
Governments, public relations firms and political parties are producing misinformation on an industrial scale, the report says.
Published on Jan 13, 2021 07:28 PM IST
Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Covid-19: UK armed forces dealing with ‘most dangerous situation’
This is the largest peacetime resilience operation ever undertaken by the UK armed forces and is drawing on every corner of expertise of the military, defence secretary Ben Wallace told parliament on Wednesday, as new cases and deaths continued to surge.
Updated on Jan 13, 2021 07:03 PM IST
Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Post-Brexit Britain better-off as a global broker: Report
“India is always on the list of countries with which a new UK government commits to engage. But it should be obvious by now that the idea of a deeper relationship with India always promises more than it can deliver,” said the report from Chatham House.
Published on Jan 11, 2021 05:26 PM IST
Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Vaccine scams, medical staff shortage hit UK; toll over 80,000
Covid-19 indicators at various levels have gone beyond the last peak of March-April 2020, with the Boris Johnson government unleashing another information campaign to encourage people not to relax vigil and to follow lockdown restrictions strictly.
Published on Jan 10, 2021 11:40 PM IST
Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Alok Sharma made president of UN climate conference in Glasgow
COP26, the conference of parties of UN climate negotiations, will be the largest summit the UK has ever hosted, bringing together representatives from nearly 200 countries, including leaders, experts, and campaigners.
Updated on Jan 08, 2021 11:49 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
UK court to deliver judgement on Nirav Modi extradition on Feb 25
Claire Montomery, Modi’s lawyer, and Helen Malcolm of the Crown Prosecution Service representing India, quoted from emails, witness statements, bank and other documents, and presented their versions on issues such as prison conditions, mental health treatment facilities and the possibility of a Modi receiving a fair trial, if extradited.
Updated on Jan 08, 2021 11:37 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Covid-19 ‘out of control’ in London, mayor declares ‘major incident’
A ‘major incident’ is defined as an event or situation with a range of serious consequences which requires special arrangements to be implemented by one or more emergency responder agency.
Updated on Jan 08, 2021 08:50 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
UK regulator approves Covid-19 vaccine from Moderna
Supplies will begin to be delivered from spring once Moderna expands its production capability, officials said. The vaccine will be available to people for free.
Updated on Jan 08, 2021 07:42 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Nirav Modi’s depression, suicide risk raised in court to block extradition to India
The diamantaire’s lawyer, Claire Montgomery, also argued that he wouldn’t receive a fair trial if extradited
Updated on Jan 08, 2021 12:41 AM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
Covid-19: UK trial finds 2 more drugs reduce deaths, ICU stay
Two widely available drugs typically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis – tocilizumab and sarilumab – reduce the risk of death from the coronavirus disease by 24% and reduce stay in the intensive care unit by up to 10 days
Updated on Jan 08, 2021 12:41 AM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
Nirav Modi’s extradition case: Closing arguments in court starting today
Modi, 49, who is lodged in a prison in west London, is expected to attend the hearing remotely. He is facing extradition to India on charges of major financial offences linked to Punjab National Bank (PNB)
Published on Jan 07, 2021 04:53 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
Air pollution raises risk of pregnancy loss in India, south Asia: Lancet study
An estimated 349,681 pregnancy losses per year in south Asia were associated with exposure to PM2.5 concentrations, accounting for 7% of annual pregnancy loss in the region from 2000-2016
Published on Jan 07, 2021 11:05 AM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
Indian-origin man jailed for hacking into computers of 600 women
Akash Sondhi blackmailed his victims to send him nude images of themselves. Some of the young women complied.
Updated on Jan 06, 2021 11:55 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
UK Covid deaths, cases hit records as England starts third lockdown
Official figures showed 1,041 people died in the last 24 hours and 62,322 new cases were recorded, with 30,451 patients in hospital, 2,645 of them on ventilators.
Updated on Jan 06, 2021 11:20 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
British judge rejects bail for WikiLeaks’ imprisoned Julian Assange
Assange, 49, has been held in the Belmarsh prison in south-east London for the past 18 months after he was evicted from the Ecuadorian embassy, where he sought asylum for seven years.
Published on Jan 06, 2021 06:18 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Covid-19 worries force UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to call off India visit
In New Delhi, people familiar with developments said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed his regrets to the UK PM due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation in Britain
Updated on Jan 05, 2021 06:45 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
Alexander Ellis appointed new British high commissioner to India
Ellis, who succeeds Philip Barton, is expected to be in the post during the visit of UK PM Boris Johnson, who will be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade on January 26
Updated on Jan 05, 2021 06:28 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
Covid-19: UK announces £4.6 billion in new lockdown grants
Michael Gove, UK cabinet minister, said on Tuesday the new lockdown may last until March. Parliament has been recalled on Wednesday to pass related legislation for the third lockdown since March 2020
Published on Jan 05, 2021 03:43 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
Covid-19: Boris Johnson locks down UK again, says ‘variant spreading at an alarming rate’
UK PM Boris Johnson said in an address to the nation that the variant has been spreading at an “alarming rate”, which makes another lockdown imperative.
Updated on Jan 05, 2021 06:57 AM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
UK begins Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccination as spike prompts new curbs
For the sixth consecutive day, the UK recorded over 50,000 new cases, prompting new calls for another lockdown by Labour, and health authorities reconsidering the current four-tier alert system that is increasingly assessed as being unable to control the numbers.
Updated on Jan 04, 2021 07:58 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
UK court blocks Julian Assange’s extradition to US citing suicide risk
Assange, 49, is wanted in the US over the publication of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011. According to his defence team, the case is politically motivated. The court’s ruling is expected to appealed by US authorities in the high court.
Updated on Jan 04, 2021 05:53 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar , edited by Vinod Janardhanan
Tougher Covid curbs likely, warns British PM Boris Johnson
England currently has a four-tier pandemic alert system in which cities and regions are placed according to the prevalence of the spread of the coronavirus
Updated on Jan 03, 2021 10:26 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
‘This is an amazing moment for the UK,’ says Prime Minister Boris Johnson
The UK PM released an upbeat New Year message even as health officials announced another high in the number of daily new deaths and cases from Covid-19: 964 and 55,892, as of Thursday evening, with 23,813 patients in hospitals and 1,847 of them on ventilators
Published on Jan 01, 2021 12:08 AM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
‘An amazing moment for UK,’ says British PM Boris Johnson as country moves out of EU
‘Covid-19 loves a crowd, cancel parties’ was the key message on a public information campaign on Thursday, urging Britons to usher in the New Year at home. Millions more Britons moved to the top Tier 4 Covid-19 alert system with the toughest restrictions in UK.
Updated on Dec 31, 2020 11:54 PM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar
Deal approved, post-Brexit era begins for UK and EU
Several aspects of life are likely to change as new post-Brexit realities unfold. This will include higher prices in supermarkets and changes to Britons visiting EU member states
Updated on Jan 01, 2021 05:54 AM IST
Hindustan Times, London | Prasun Sonwalkar