We are what we eat
Given the feverish political activity of current times, it’s no surprise that many a politico has fallen ill. And genuinely so. First on the list of their doctors’ advice, apart from medication, is what to eat and what to avoid. To begin with, the late lamented Big Ben’s Hubby who is laid up, has been advised by his doctors to lay off the deep fried bhindi he is so fond of. This is a staple of his meals, along with daal, organic wheat roti and fresh green chilis. All his food is cooked by trusted chefs from his ancestral home and put in sealed containers under strict supervision. These are then brought to table. Hubby has apparently been told to drink chicken broth (yakhni) and build up his potassium levels with bananas and other fruit.
The Man of Steel’s Talented Bro too has been under the weather following his second brush with COVID. He is also off deep fried foods – his all-time favourite is fried fish with steamed vegetables – and he’s been told that while the former is off his menu, he can have tonnes of steamed veggies! It’s no secret that The Man of Steel’s family, and extended clan, are great gourmets of desi food. And while cooks now prepare the families’ every day menus, the women of the house are all chefs par excellence. These days, the ladies are making that famous Kashmiri treat Hareesa (a sort of non-spicy Haleem) and sending brimming dishes to fortunate friends.
The Great Khan is also a devotee of traditional desi khana. He has always been well supplied with organic meat – beef, mutton and chicken – by his acolytes. It has been a lifelong habit of his to start the day with a hefty breakfast, skip lunch and intermittent eating, exercise rigourously and end the day with a hearty, meaty dinner. Our mole reports that his routine remains the same, with the addition of home grown vegetables and plentifully supplied seasonal fruit from all corners of the country. Pakistan’s power wielders are always inundated with crates of seasonal fruit from growers everywhere – citrus in winter, mangoes in summer, with guava, lychee, strawberries and what have you, all year round.
No peace for the wicked
In the now infamous BBC interview of a couple of years ago, in which Prince Andrew Duke of York and second son of Queen Elizabeth II, denied any links with his sex assault accuser Virginia Guiffre, the Prince was unequivocal about never having met his accuser. Following his reportedly £ 12 million out-of-court settlement earlier this week with Ms Guiffre, his BBC interviewer, Emily Maitlis, has asked a stinging question. “At the heart of the settlement is the biggest question of all: why is a prince who told me he had ‘no recollection of ever meeting this lady’ now paying her what we understand to be upwards of £10 million?” said Ms Maitlis writing for the BBC’s website.
Meanwhile, The Queen has agreed to help Prince Andrew pay a settlement to Virginia Giuffre with a donation of £2m to her charity, it has been reported.
As the settlement in the civil sex abuse lawsuit was agreed in the US, the Queen said she would help Andrew as long as she was not connected to a personal payment to Ms Giuffre.
Parliament intends to discuss exactly where the money will come from and make sure that public money is not used.
The Duke of York has reportedly agreed not to repeat his denial that he raped Ms Giuffre under the terms of a confidential settlement. He has also reached a multi-million-pound deal with Ms Giuffre to stop her civil lawsuit against him going to trial.
But there’s no peace for the wicked, as they say. The prince’s troubles do not end here. Members of Parliament are asking for Andrew to be stripped of his dukedom and other royal titles and privileges. A Labour MP said: “To demonstrate his seriousness and respect for those affected by abuse … his first act of contrition (should be) to confirm his support for the withdrawal of his ducal title.”
The British government’s defence secretary has also confirmed that the prince’s military titles have been removed. “He does not represent any regiments at the moment”, he said.