Vivek Mishra works as an Assistant Editor with Eastern Eye and has over 13 years of experience in journalism. His areas of interest include politics, international affairs, current events, and sports. With a background in newsroom operations and editorial planning, he has reported and edited stories on major national and global developments.
A day after being criticised for making disrespectful comments about India pacer Arshdeep Singh, former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal apologised for his remarks.
The comments were made while Akmal was analysing the recent T20 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan in New York.
In a viral video, Akmal was seen making fun of Arshdeep’s Sikh religion. This prompted a strong response from former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh.
“I deeply regret my recent comments and sincerely apologise to Harbhajan Singh and the Sikh community. My words were inappropriate and disrespectful. I have the utmost respect for Sikhs all over the world and never intended to hurt anyone. I am truly sorry. #Respect #Apology,” Akmal wrote on X, tagging Harbhajan.
— (@)
Akmal’s remarks came during the penultimate over of the match when Pakistan needed 17 runs in the last over to chase a target of 120.
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep performed well, securing a six-run win for India. While analysing the match on ARY News, Akmal made controversial comments about Arshdeep before he came in to bowl.
“Kuch bhi ho sakta hai… Dekhe last over karna Arshdeep Singh ne hai. Waise uska rhythm nahi laga. 12 baj gaye hai (Anything can happen. The last over will be bowled by Arshdeep Singh; he hasn’t looked in great rhythm. And it is already 12),” he said.
In the video reposted by Harbhajan, Akmal was seen laughing with other panelists. Harbhajan responded strongly.
— (@)
“…You should know the history of Sikhs before you open your filthy mouth. We Sikhs saved your mothers and sisters when they were abducted by invaders, the time invariably was 12 o’clock. Shame on you guys. Have some gratitude.”
The win at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York put India at the top of Group A with four points from two wins.
THE TREASURY is considering extending national insurance to rental income in the autumn budget, a move that could raise about £2bn.
Currently, rental income is exempt from national insurance, which is charged at 8 per cent on employee earnings.
Labour insiders told The Times that property income was “a significant potential extra source of funds” and landlords were seen as a way of targeting “unearned revenue”.
A Guardian analysis earlier this month found that four cabinet ministers, including the chancellor Rachel Reeves, had declared rental income in the MPs’ register of interests.
One in eight MPs reported rental income in the past year, including 43 Labour MPs, 27 Conservatives and seven Liberal Democrats.
Estate agents have warned that speculation on property taxes in Reeves’s budget could dampen demand in the housing market. Zoopla said it “may make some buyers consider a wait-and-see strategy”.
The Guardian also reported that Reeves is weighing a tax on home sales over £500,000, replacing stamp duty with a national property tax, and possibly replacing council tax in the future. She is also considering removing the capital gains tax exemption for primary residences above £1.5m.
Education minister Stephen Morgan said on Times Radio and Sky News that it was not for him to comment on speculation.
A Treasury spokesperson said the government’s focus was on growing the economy while keeping taxes for working people low.
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Each character in the set has been carefully designed to reflect cultural narratives
British-Bangladeshi prop maker Anika Chowdhury has designed a handcrafted glow-in-the-dark chess set celebrating heritage and identity.
The limited-edition set, called Glowborne, launches on Kickstarter in October.
Each piece draws from South Asian, Middle Eastern, and African cultural references, re-rooting chess in its origins.
The project blends art, storytelling, and representation, aiming to spark conversations about identity in play.
Reimagining chess through heritage
When Anika Chowdhury sat down to sculpt her first chess piece, she had a bigger vision than simply redesigning a classic game. A British-Bangladeshi prop maker working in the film industry, she grew up loving fantasy and games but rarely saw faces like hers in Western storytelling.
“Chess originated in India, travelled through Arabia and North Africa, and was later Westernised,” she explains. “I wanted to bring those forgotten origins back to the board.”
The result is Glowborne — a limited-edition, glow-in-the-dark fantasy chess set that blends craft, identity and cultural pride.
Anika Chowdhury says she has many ideas to further fuse craft and culture in future projects Glowborne
Crafting Glowborne
Each character in the set has been carefully designed to reflect cultural narratives: Bengali kings and pawns, Indian bishops with bindis, Arab knights, and African queens. Chowdhury sculpted each piece by hand, drawing on her prop-making training at the National Film and Television School.
Once sculpted, the pieces were cast in resin, painted, and finished with South Asian-inspired motifs filled with glow-in-the-dark pigment. “The characters glow both literally and metaphorically,” she says, “as a chance for them to take the stage.”
Cultural pride and visibility
For Chowdhury, the project is about more than gameplay. “Fantasy doesn’t need to fit into the Western mould to tell a great story,” she says. “South Asian, Middle Eastern and African stories are just as powerful, and they can transform something as traditional as chess by reconnecting it with its roots.”
She hopes Glowborne will resonate with South Asian and Eastern African communities as a celebration of identity and belonging. At the same time, she sees it as a bridge for wider audiences — chess enthusiasts, collectors, and design lovers who appreciate craftsmanship and storytelling.
A personal journey
Chowdhury’s career in film and prop-making has influenced her creative process, but Glowborne marks her first independent project. She created it outside her film work, after hours and on weekends.
“At 28, I finally feel like I’ve found my voice,” she reflects. “For a long time I felt pressure to hide my identity, but now I see my culture as a superpower. This project is about using art to express that.”
Looking ahead
Launching this October on Kickstarter as a collector’s edition, Glowborne is only the beginning. Chowdhury says she has many ideas to further fuse craft and culture in future projects. “This is the proof of concept,” she says. “I can’t wait to create more stories that blend heritage, art and play.”
FAMILY and friends offered their final eulogies to Lord Swraj Paul at his funeral at Golders Green Crematorium in north London on Wednesday (27).
It had rained earlier in the morning, but by the time mourners emerged from the West Chapel after a simple and dignified 40-minute service, led by Dr MN Nandakumara, executive director of the Bhavan in West Kensington, the sun had come out.
Lord Paul’s twin sons, Akash and Ambar, and daughter, Anjli, and their children lined up to be comforted by a long line of people who had admired the steel tycoon, who died on August 21, aged 94.
The chapel had a garlanded portrait of Lord Paul against the background of the Om symbol. This was later moved near the Garden of Remembrance by a wall with memorial plaques.
The service spoke of the Hindu belief that the soul is eternal, as set out in Lord Paul’s funeral notice: “For the soul, there is neither birth nor death at any time. It has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. The soul is unborn, eternal and primeval. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”
From the eulogies, MBA students would have gained an understanding of why Lord Paul had made such a remarkable success of the Caparo steel business he had founded in 1968, and, perhaps, more important, found a way of making friends in the UK, India and America.
Sarah Brown, wife of the former prime minister Gordon Brown and the first to offer her reflections on Lord Paul, began with a reference to his time in the upper house since 1996.
“Oh, he did love the title and the prestige and power and even the pomp of the House of Lords,” she said. “There is no doubt that he fulfilled the greatest of lifetime achievements across his 94 years as a captain of industry, as a peer of the realm, as one of India’s most high-profile and best loved sons, as a great philanthropist, and as the rescuer and guardian of his beloved London Zoo.”
She said Swraj and his wife, Aruna, who passed away in 2022 after 65 years of marriage, “really were the original power couple. But for all that, he was also happy to just be Swraj – a family man and a great friend with a loyal and often sentimental heart. He led such a big life full of huge ups, but also the saddest and most heartbreaking of downs.”
She went on: “Losing (his daughter) Ambika aged just four and (his son) Angad (aged 45 in 2015) far too soon are without doubt the saddest of those times for Swraj and Aruna and for all the Paul family. But you all know how very proud he was of all his children and their spouses, Akash and Nisha, Ambar and Gauri, and of Anjli, and (Angad’s wife) Michelle.
Members of Lord Paul's family meet mourners after the funeral
“That he lived to see and know his grandchildren and his great grandchildren brought the greatest pleasure – I would often visit Swraj for a cup of decaf coffee and most of the conversation was about family – including his affection for my own children and for Gordon.”
She recalled she and her husband had lost their baby daughter, Jennifer Jane, in January 2002, just ten days after her premature birth on December 28, 2001.
“I know that my closeness in age to Ambika, and that Gordon and my loss of our baby daughter brought Swraj and me together all the more in common understanding of how to live well and fully with love for everyone around you, despite holding on to the broken pieces inside you for those you miss so much,” she said.
She did not forget to thank those who had looked after Lord Paul in his final years: “I want to extend gratitude to Salma and all the team of carers as well as Jo (Clarke) at the office – you were like an extra extension of family too and he received the best of care in his last years; and Elizabeth Allan who was his loyal PA for many years and later his friend to the very end.
“The family motto is, ‘Truth, freedom and compassion,’ which he did his best to live up to. I don’t think there is anyone else about whom you could say more strongly that he lived life on his own terms. And he was a great one for paying it forward as he recognised his good fortune in life. Alongside his philanthropic causes, he also gave his time to me first at the Labour Party and later as the founding chair of trustees of PiggyBankKids, now the charity Theirworld, sharing his time and wisdom generously.”
Sarah remembered: “I met him over 35 years ago when I was very junior and trying to organise events for high level Labour Party supporters and he signed up and turned up. With Lord Paul on the attendance list, I would persuade everyone else to come along too to learn more about what New Labour might deliver in a future government.”
Her husband (who followed the funeral online) was not able to attend because of work commitments, but “Gordon asked me to share that ‘nobody did more to prove that you can do good and do well at the same time. He leaves behind a legacy of achievement and success. But, most of all, he was a family man who cherished his wonderful wife Aruna and all his amazing children and who was a friend to all who knew him: no one can forget the winning smile, the happy demeanour, the welcoming hand, his very human qualities, that made him popular on every road he travelled. He will be mourned in every part of the world, always to be remembered, never to be forgotten.’”
Sarah said: “I couldn’t agree with Gordon more that it is Swraj’s family who are his true legacy. Together the children, grandchildren (and even if they don’t know it yet, the great grandchildren) are faced with an enormous opportunity to take forward these values, the hard work and the responsibility of the different Caparo businesses and philanthropies.
“I know that each Paul family member brings different strengths and focus to different parts of the world, to growing the business in India, in the US with their tremendous Bull Moose colleagues, and here in the UK. Some of you bring wisdom and experience, others your youthfulness and fresh ideas.
“You all share his talent, his charisma, and his belief in the Paul family name. Together you can choose to pool those strengths and skills to build something even greater. The Paul family name appears on plaques in significant places of education, culture and community around the world – now the Paul family themselves will be the living embodiment in action – and I am sure that wherever the lasting spirit of Swraj, Aruna, Angad and Ambika are, that their guiding light will be there to encourage this stewardship and make you all worthy of the big footprints left for you to follow.”
Sarah was followed by Cherie Blair, wife of the former prime minister, Sir Tony Blair: “I’m grateful to the family for asking me to deliver these remarks on behalf of Tony, who is in America at the moment, and myself.”
It later emerged her husband was in the White House with US president Donald Trump, discussing possible plans for Gaza, in case there was a peace settlement.
“Swraj’s life is an epic journey of achievement from Jalandhar in the Punjab to Marylebone, the House of Lords in Westminster, on that journey,” said Cherie. “And in so many ways, his life was transformed in wealth, position and standing. But in one way, the Swraj who started life in India was the same as the one who breathed his last here in London.
“His character was constant, true to himself, his values and to others, those he knew intimately and those he barely knew at all, but whose lives were changed through his generosity of spirit. Swraj was a remarkable entrepreneur, philanthropist and public servant from those beginnings in India to his long service in the House of Lords. He was always striving to make the world a better place.
“He built Caparo through hard work and determination, but he never defined himself only by business success. He believed profoundly in using his good fortune for others. The loss of his beloved daughter, Ambika, shaped his lifelong philanthropy. Through his generosity, he brought hope and opportunity to children and communities across the world. We remember, especially, his contribution to our Olympics bid and his tireless efforts to improve the life of the poorest.”
Cherie concluded: “He was a proud Indian, a proud Briton, and above all, a proud servant of humanity. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, by the communities he served and by the many lives he touched.”
There was also a speaker from America where Lord Paul’s Bull Moose has extensive steel and manufacturing interests.
Jim Dankenbring, who has looked after Lord Paul’s legal affairs for 30 years and who had flown over from Missouri, accompanied by his wife, Vicky, said: “I am truly humbled and honoured to be here to speak and pay tribute to clearly the most accomplished person I ever had the pleasure of working with.”
In 1988, at the age of 57, Lord Paul had bought two relatively small companies in the US, but he was not an absentee proprietor: “Back then in the late 1980s, early 1990s, TWA airlines had daily non-stop flights to and from London, and Lord Paul took advantage of that. He began each week with a flight to St Louis, where he would land and immediately proceed to the plant. He’d roll up his sleeves, he’d work with his management team. He’d work with his plant workers, plant manager, the factory workers on the floor, and they would grow that business beyond belief.”
Lord Paul, who studied at MIT, might well have settled in the US, had it not been for Ambika’s death in England.
His visits to the US “continued up until last year,” said Dankenbring. “In fact, he would come to the States at least once a year, often times twice a year. He’d fly to Chicago, he toured the plants throughout the Midwest, and then end up his stay in St Louis, where we would meet him, greet him. We would hold meetings with the management team. He would go out on the floor, greet the factory workers. And then the best part was, in the afternoon, he would have town hall meetings, as he liked to call them, in the lunch room, with the entire team of factory workers. And they would talk, and they would ask questions, and they would laugh, and Lord Paul would impart an amazing array of wisdom and encouragement like I’ve ever seen between ownership and labour. It was incredible. I gotta add also there were great times for his sense of humour to come forth. We all know that infectious belly laugh that Lord Paul loved, and that we loved. I’m going to miss that, dearly.
“It’s that personal touch that Lord Paul brought to his team that I believe was essential in transforming what started out as a small tube company into a business that’s now one of the largest steel pipe and tubing business throughout North America, with a capacity of a million tonnes.
“The journalists here in the UK like to refer to Lord Paul as the ‘man of steel’ for two obvious reasons. Number one, obviously his success within the steel industry, but also because of his tremendous resilience despite personal hardship and tragedy. Man of steel is certainly an appropriate description of Lord Paul. But I would suggest one more label for him, based upon what I saw, and that is ‘man of the people’.”
Anjli Paul was emotional as she spoke for the family: “In the past few days, I’ve heard so many words used to describe my father: legend, dynamic, inspirational, powerhouse, man of steel, visionary. And he was all of these — and more.
Lord Paul's portrait by the memorial plaques in the Garden of Remembrance at Golders Green Crematorium
“This is the legacy he has left us. Wherever I go, I will always be known first as Lord Paul’s daughter – and that title carries honour — it’s something to be proud of and something to draw strength from. I am who I am because of him.
“When any parent passes, there is a void. However, my father was no ordinary parent. His powerful presence filled our lives completely, and now the emptiness feels almost impossible to comprehend.
“In these last few days, the sadness has been matched only by pride. Tributes have poured in from across the world, reminding us again and again what an extraordinary person he was — a man who lived life entirely on his own terms, with countless achievements that made the Indian community proud and left a lasting mark here in the UK.
“Whether you knew him well, or only met him briefly, you probably have a story — his charm and wit, his sense of humour, his refusal to tolerate nonsense, his willpower and strength. These are the qualities that endeared him to so many, and these are the reasons his memory will prevail.
“I also feel that at this stage I must mention my mother who stood beside him for 66 years — a pillar of strength and unwavering support. She enabled him to be the man we all admired, sharing in his triumphs, comforting him through challenges, and creating a home filled with love and warmth. Their partnership was a testament to devotion, resilience, and mutual respect — a foundation that shaped our family and inspired everyone who knew them. Even though she passed in 2022, her influence remains with us, and I know that in spirit, she is reunited with him now.
“I feel privileged not only to be his daughter, but also to have been by his side at the end. Truly, this is the end of an era — but his influence, his example, and his love, will never leave us.”
Three of Lord Paul’s grandsons also spoke, including the youngest, Arki, who is preparing for his A levels. He lost his father, Angad, 10 years ago.
Lord Paul delighted in playing with Arki and his elder sister, Amalia, at The Grange, his 250-acre estate in Buckinghamshire.
Arki said fondly of his grandfather: “Some of my earliest memories are all of us at The Grange, where we used to go every weekend together. One of the favourite things to do with me was to sit me on his lap on his tractor when I was still small enough to fit. He was incredibly proud of the tractor and going around the lawns looking at the trees he planted there.
“He was quite impatient when he planted apple trees. He would sneak to the very established Pink Lady and proudly present his fruit and tell us that his new trees were working. Pink Lady apples were his favourite, and he always gave me the first piece.”
On a trip in 2014 to Jalandhar, where Lord Paul was born in 1931, Arki first became aware of the regard in which his grandfather was held: “The press came everywhere with us. My sister loved the cameras, but I found myself a little shy. To me, it was simply Dada, and I didn’t understand why all of these people were around, but to the people of his hometown, he was a hero. I love that he had these two sides, but to me, he was simply my beloved, kind and thoughtful grandfather who always had time for me, and I shall miss him.”
Among those who attended the funeral were the peers Karan Bilimoria and Rami Ranger; Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP for Brent North; Yogesh Mehta, chairman of the removal firm Pickfords; Pippa Nightingale, CEO of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust which includes Northwick Park Hospital (where Lord Paul gave a £500,000 donation to the maternity wing); and Reema and Girish Sanger, children of the hotelier Joginder Sanger, who passed away in February this year aged 82.
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Kalyani Priyadarshan says Lokah: Chapter One marks a bold new chapter for Malayalam cinema
Kalyani Priyadarshan plays Chandra in Lokah: Chapter One, Malayalam cinema’s first female superhero
She credits Dulquer Salmaan for backing a risky, big-budget sci-fi fantasy
The actress also stars opposite Fahadh Faasil in the comedy Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira, releasing a day later
She reflects on juggling contrasting roles and the influence of her filmmaker father, Priyadarshan
Kalyani Priyadarshan has opened up about her most challenging year yet, with two vastly different films releasing within days of each other. Speaking about her experience, the actress credited Dulquer Salmaan for taking a bold gamble on Lokah: Chapter One, a £10 million (₹105 crore) production that marks Malayalam cinema’s first-ever female superhero movie. Alongside the excitement, she admitted to battling nerves while shifting between the sci-fi fantasy and the slapstick comedy Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira, which co-stars Fahadh Faasil.
Kalyani Priyadarshan says Lokah: Chapter One marks a bold new chapter for Malayalam cinema Instagram/kalyanipriyadarshan
What makes Lokah a landmark in Malayalam cinema?
In Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra, Kalyani plays the first female superhero of the Malayalam screen, a performance that demanded stillness and restraint. Directed by Dominic Arun and shot by cinematographer Nimish Ravi, the film builds a futuristic universe rarely attempted in the industry.
Kalyani stressed that such a production was only possible because of Dulquer Salmaan’s involvement as producer. “You need to appreciate that we have people like Dulquer backing such a film. It takes a lot of courage to spend so much time and money on something like Lokah,” she said, highlighting how the actor-producer has followed in his legendary parents’ footsteps as a risk-taker.
The actress shot both films almost simultaneously, moving from the tightly controlled performance in Lokah to the exaggerated comedy of Odum Kuthira. She described the transition as a “blessing in disguise.”
“At first, I felt nervous attempting over-the-top humour because it’s easy for audiences to criticise,” she explained. “But after working on Lokah, where I couldn’t even blink too much, returning to Odum Kuthira felt like freedom. It was like a pressure tap being opened.”
This ability to adapt, she said, came from growing up watching her father Priyadarshan direct films across multiple industries and genres.
Kalyani Priyadarshan & Fahadh Faasil in the comedy Odum Kuthira Chadum KuthiraInstagram/kalyanipriyadarshan
What are Kalyani’s cinematic influences?
Despite the futuristic setting of Lokah, Kalyani admitted she is not new to the genre. She grew up watching dystopian dramas like Gattaca and mainstream blockbusters like The Avengers. That background, she joked, was inevitable given her film family roots.
She also spoke about learning on the job in earlier projects like Thallumaala, which she signed without fully understanding the script. Only after watching the final cut did she realise its complexity. “When I finally got it, I felt I could have done so much more,” she said.
How does she view her father Priyadarshan’s legacy?
Reflecting on her father’s influence, Kalyani said she had normalised hard work because of his relentless approach to filmmaking. While she admits she can switch off after a film, unlike her father, she believes he will never retire. “He feels restless without work. Even when he’s unwell, he’ll keep directing. He’s not built to stop,” she said.
Her admiration extends beyond family. Kalyani cited Kilukkam (directed by Priyadarshan), Kanchivaram in Tamil, and Hera Pheri in Hindi as favourites, noting how each shaped her understanding of cinema.
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US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the administration plans to change the H1B programme, widely used by Indian IT professionals, as well as the Green Card process. (Representational image: iStock)
DHS proposes new rules to limit stay for foreign students and media personnel in the US
F visa “duration of status” system could be replaced with fixed terms
Trump team plans changes to H1B and Green Card processes
Proposal comes amid US-India tensions over tariffs on Russian oil
THE TRUMP administration has proposed new rules to limit how long foreign students and media personnel can stay in the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement on Wednesday that if finalised, the rule would restrict the stay of certain visa holders, including students.
Change to “duration of status” rule
Since 1978, foreign students on F visas have been admitted to the US for an unspecified period known as “duration of status”. Unlike other visas, this designation allows students to remain in the country indefinitely without further screening, according to DHS.
The administration said some students have used this policy to stay in the country as “forever” students by continuously enrolling in higher education programmes.
“For too long, past administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the US virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amounts of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging US citizens,” a DHS spokesperson said.
“This new proposed rule would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the US,” the spokesperson added.
Visa limits for foreign media
Foreign media personnel working in the US on an I visa currently receive a five-year visa that can be extended multiple times. Under the proposed rule, the initial admission period would be up to 240 days.
They could seek an extension of up to another 240 days, but not longer than the duration of their temporary assignment.
Four-year cap for students and exchange visitors
Under the plan, foreign students and exchange visitors would be allowed to stay for the length of their programme, but not longer than four years.
Extending stays would require applying to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), giving DHS the authority to reassess visa holders before approving additional time.
This proposal was originally introduced by the Trump administration in 2020 but withdrawn in 2021 under President Biden.
Planned changes to H1B and Green Card
Separately, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the administration plans to change the H1B programme, widely used by Indian IT professionals, as well as the Green Card process.
“I'm involved in changing the H1B programme. We're going to change that programme, because that's terrible,” Lutnick told Fox News on Tuesday.
He added that changes are also being planned for the Green Card system that provides permanent residency in the US.
Strain in US-India ties
The proposal comes amid tensions between the US and India after the Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian purchases of Russian oil, effective from Wednesday.