A MINOR soccer player of Indian origin was recently sent off the ground during a game in Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, for wearing a religious necklace.
Shubh Patel, 12, a member of the Toowong Club based in Auchenflower near Brisbane, told Australia’s Channel Seven News that it is against the Hindu tradition to remove one’s basil (tulasi) wood beads (kanthi mala), which he was wearing.
According to followers of the Swaminarayan sect, a kanthi is a symbol of their surrender to God and it gives them the ultimate feeling of oneness with the Almighty. A kanthi has two lines of beads made of basil wood. One of them represents the soul while another the supreme lord.
Patel, who refused to get rid of the necklace and instead sat out of the game, told Channel Seven News, “If I take it off then at that time God would…like…feel that I have stopped believing in Him.”
The referee objected to the boy wearing the necklace saying as per rules, it could not be worn during the game. As per the rules of Fifa, football’s international governing body, a player must not use equipment or wear anything dangerous. They include among other things, necklaces, earrings, leather bands, etc.
For Patel, breaking religious tradition was not okay
Patel was unmoved and he told the referee that he would prefer to abide by his religion than breaking the tradition for just a game of soccer.
“I would rather keep following my religion than like break it…just for one soccer game," he said.
Some parents present at the ground also requested Patel to take off his necklace but he politely refused.
He then sat on the sidelines to watch his teammates play.
In the 15 matches that Patel had played before this game, he was not once asked to take off his necklace either by his coach or teammates.
Football Queensland launched a probe into the matter and apologised to Patel’s family and the Toowong club.
In a statement, it said: “Football remains the most welcoming and inclusive sport in Queensland, respectful and embracing of all cultures and religions.”
Patel has been given special permission to play soccer while wearing his religious necklace, Australia Today reported.
THIS year’s annual Diwali celebrations will be stripped back amid public safety fears. Leicester City Council has said there will be no fireworks or stage entertainment as part of major changes announced for the event.
Cossington Street Recreation Ground will also not be used for the festivities, the council has revealed. The green space previously was the location for the main stage and the Diwali Village with its food stalls, funfair rides, fashion and arts. The annual fire garden display was also based there, offering “a peaceful oasis amid the festive excitement”.
The council says major changes are needed to avoid the “potentially dangerous”, “massive” crowds that gather each year for the Hindu festival of light. The celebrations, widely considered to be the largest outside of India, have been branded a “victim of their own success” by the authority.
The changes have been announced after “serious concerns” about public safety were raised by the Diwali safety advisory group, the council said. It claimed the current set-up was branded “no longer fit for purpose” and that “urgent action” needed to be taken. “Several meetings” have since been held to consider options, the authority added.
These included potentially relocating the event to Abbey Park or Leicester city centre. However, the decision was made, following engagement with Belgrave businesses, to keep the celebrations in their historic home.
This year’s Diwali event will still see Belgrave Road continue to host what is left of the festival. More than 6,000 lights will be installed along the Golden Mile and the Wheel of Light will also return this year, the council added.
Assistant city mayor for culture Vi Dempster said: “Unfortunately, Leicester’s annual Diwali festival has become a victim of its own success. We’re being strongly advised by our emergency service partners and crowd control experts that it cannot continue safely in its current format due to the unrestricted and growing crowd numbers that it attracts, and that’s a warning we must take extremely seriously.
“We are absolutely determined that Diwali continues to be part of the city’s festive calendar. We also understand the depth of feeling to see it continue on the Golden Mile where it began over 40 years ago. To do that, we must ensure that it can take place safely. That must be paramount.”
The major changes follow a stripped-back celebration last year after the council decided to cancel the annual light switch-on due to financial difficulties, focusing on just the Diwali Day celebrations itself. The authority said at the time that costs for staging the dual events had skyrocketed from £189,000 in 2018 to a staggering £250,000 in 2023.
Graham Callister, the city council’s head of festivals, events and cultural policy, said: “Diwali has been a real highlight of the city’s festival calendar and attracts thousands of people who come from far and wide to join in the celebrations on the Golden Mile. However, we are now being advised by our emergency service partners and event security providers that we have reached the point where the growing crowds and sheer volume of people attending is causing significant concern about public safety.
“Scaling back on event infrastructure and activity means there will be the additional space needed – and more importantly less congestion – to safely welcome the crowds that want to celebrate on Belgrave Road.”
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Zarah Sultana with Jeremy Corbyn during a protest outside Downing Street demanding the UK government to stop all arms sales to Israel. (Photo: X/@zarahsultana)
FORMER Labour MP Zarah Sultana has announced her resignation from the party and plans to launch a new political party alongside ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and other independent MPs and activists.
Sultana, who represents Coventry South, lost the Labour whip last year for supporting the removal of the two-child benefit cap.
She stated on social media that the new party would aim to challenge what she called a "broken" Westminster system. In her post, she said the government was "an active participant in genocide" in Gaza and criticised Labour's response to the crisis. “Labour has completely failed to improve people’s lives,” she said.
Today, after 14 years, I’m resigning from the Labour Party.
Jeremy Corbyn and I will co-lead the founding of a new party, with other Independent MPs, campaigners and activists across the country.
Israel has strongly denied allegations of genocide in Gaza. Prime minister Keir Starmer has described the situation as “appalling and intolerable,” while calling for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. The International Court of Justice is currently examining the genocide claims.
Responding to Sultana’s comments, a Labour spokesperson cited government achievements including wage increases, NHS appointments, and trade deals.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said Sultana had “always taken a very different view” and defended the government’s actions.
Sultana, elected in 2024, was one of eight MPs suspended for opposing the two-child cap. While four have rejoined Labour, Sultana and John McDonnell remain independents. McDonnell said he was “dreadfully sorry” to see her leave. The BBC reported he will not be part of the new party.
Corbyn and four other independent MPs previously formed an alliance, winning in constituencies with large Muslim populations on a pro-Palestinian platform. He told ITV’s Peston there was “a thirst for an alternative” and said, “There will be an alternative... based on peace rather than war.”
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The certificate was presented to Shah at the Welsh parliament by Anita Bailey, Home Office Director Windrush Unit.
A prominent Asian doctor has been recognised for his services to the community. Prof Hasmukh Shah has received a certificate of appreciation for his contribution and services to the United Kingdom.
The certificate was issued by Seema Malhotra MP, UK Minister for Migration and Citizenship, as part of the Windrush Cymru Elders and Race Council Cymru’s Windrush work in Wales.
It was presented to Shah at the Welsh parliament by Anita Bailey, Home Office Director Windrush Unit.
Shah is the Secretary of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) in Wales.
In June 2018, he received the British Empire Medal (BEM) from Queen Elizabeth in her Birthday Honours List.
In 2024, the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles, presented Shah with a Lifetime Service Award for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the international Girmit conference in Cardiff.
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Dalai Lama looks on as offerings presented by Buddhist followers are laid on a table during a Long Life Prayer offering ceremony at the Main Tibetan Temple in McLeod Ganj, near Dharamsala, India, on June 30, 2025.(Photo: Getty Images)
A SENIOR Indian minister has said that only the Dalai Lama and the organisation he has established have the authority to decide his successor as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. The comment runs contrary to China’s long-standing position on the matter.
The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule, said on Wednesday that after his death he would be reincarnated as the next spiritual leader, and that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust would be able to identify his successor. He had earlier said that the next Dalai Lama would be born outside China.
China has maintained that it has the right to approve the next Dalai Lama, citing a legacy from imperial times.
Rijiju: Only Dalai Lama or his institution can decide
India’s minister of parliamentary and minority affairs, Kiren Rijiju, made a rare comment on the issue on Thursday. He was speaking ahead of a planned visit to the Dalai Lama’s base in Dharamshala, where the spiritual leader will celebrate his 90th birthday on Sunday.
“No one has the right to interfere or decide who the successor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be,” Indian media quoted Rijiju as saying.
“Only he or his institution has the authority to make that decision. His followers believe that deeply. It’s important for disciples across the world that he decides his succession.”
China warns India over remarks
Following Rijiju’s comments, China’s foreign ministry on Friday warned India against interfering in its internal affairs and urged it to act with caution.
“We hope the Indian side will fully understand the highly sensitive nature of Tibet-related issues, recognise the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama,” spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference.
India’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the Dalai Lama’s succession plan.
Rijiju, who is a practising Buddhist, is expected to be joined by other Indian officials for the birthday celebrations in Dharamshala.
India is home to tens of thousands of Tibetan Buddhists, who are allowed to live, study and work freely. The Dalai Lama remains a respected figure in India, and foreign policy analysts say his presence gives India some diplomatic leverage in its relations with China.
Ties between the two countries deteriorated sharply after a deadly border clash in 2020 but are now slowly improving.
(With inputs from agencies)
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FILE PHOTO: Foreign tourists and their guides trek down from Nanga Parbat base camp. (Photo by AMELIE HERENSTEIN/AFP via Getty Images)
A CZECH mountaineer fell to her death on the world's ninth-highest peak, Pakistan officials said Friday (4), becoming the first casualty of the summer climbing season in the country.
Klara Kolouchova, 46, the first Czech woman to summit the world's two highest mountains, died on Thursday (3) after falling on the lower slopes of Nanga Parbat.
The 8,125-metre (26,656-foot) mountain is one of the world's most dangerous climbs with a reported one-in-five fatality rate.
"Her feet slipped from a slope and she fell into a ravine," Nizam-ud-Din, a senior local government official in Diamer district, told AFP, adding that one of her team members reported the death.
"The exact location of her body will first be traced. Once confirmed, appropriate rescue operations will be initiated to retrieve the body by using a helicopter service."
Five of the globe's 14 mountains above 8,000 metres are in Pakistan, including the world's second highest mountain, K2.
Himalayan peak Nanga Parbat earned the nickname "killer mountain" after more than 30 people died trying to climb it before the first successful summit in 1953.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan also confirmed Kolouchova's death.
"She was an inspirational climber and a source of motivation for women mountaineers," said Karrar Haidri, the vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
"Her death leaves a void in the climbing fraternity," he added.
Her last post on Instagram on June 14 from Islamabad was a photo and video of her unsuccessful bid to climb the same mountain in 2024.
"Last year, the Naked Mountain laid me bare. Stripped me to silence, to stillness, to soul," the caption read.
"This time, we aim higher. This time, we summit," she added.
The incident is the first casualty of the summer season, according to the Alpine Club, which monitors climbing expeditions in the country.
The summer climbing season starts in early June and runs until late August.