ENGLAND’S cricket tour of Bangladesh slated for September-October has been postponed until 2023, the two countries said on Tuesday (3) as both struggled with the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The nations' cricket boards said they had "mutually decided" to delay the three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals.
The postponement makes it possible for players from both teams to take part in the Indian Premier League, which resumes in the United Arab Emirates on September 19.
The cash-rich IPL was suspended in May as India was hit by a massive Covid wave and the pandemic affected cricket tours around the world.
England are expected to play Pakistan in two T20 matches in October, with the T20 World Cup starting on October 17 in the UAE.
"With all the challenges of Covid and a packed cricket calendar, both boards agreed that the best approach was to reschedule the tour," said an English board official.
Cricket teams around the world are facing the pressure of intense scheduling and Covid disruptions.
England star Ben Stokes' decision to take an indefinite break from cricket because of mental health concerns has, in part, been blamed on a packed tour schedule.
England will go to Bangladesh in the first two weeks of March 2023 to play the one-day games and T20s in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Punjabi singer Rajvir Jawanda has died. He was 35.
A motorcycle crash on September 27 caused his fatal injuries.
He spent eleven days on life support before passing away.
His songs were massively popular with British Asian audiences.
His wife had urged him not to go on the ride that killed him.
Gone. Just like that. Fortis Hospital in Mohali made the announcement on October 8. Rajvir Jawanda was 35 years old. A brutal bike crash took his life. For his fans across the UK, the loss cuts deep. That voice was the soundtrack for so many here.
RJ musician dies at 35 after motorcycle crash in Himachal Pradesh sparking grief among British fans Instagram/rajvirjawandaofficial
Why the UK reaction has been so strong
Scroll through Twitter or Instagram right now. You will see it. The outpouring from the UK is immediate and raw. Comments from Coventry. Tributes from Slough. Shares from Southall. His music travelled well. It had the right mix of traditional Punjabi soul and modern energy. It fitted perfectly into the UK scene. You heard his songs at birthday parties in Birmingham and at wedding receptions in London because he was not some distant star. For many young British-Punjabis, he was their voice. That’s why this feels like losing a friend.
— (@)
The accident that ended his life
The details of the crash are brutal. The crash happened on September 27 near Baddi. Jawanda was on his bike when stray cattle wandered into his path. He swerved to avoid them but lost control and smashed into another vehicle. The impact was severe. He suffered critical head injuries and major damage to his spine and was rushed to a local hospital and then moved to Fortis Mohali. For the next eleven days, machines kept him alive. Doctors reported minimal brain activity. There was no chance of recovery.
Motorcycle accident claims Punjabi singer Rajvir Jawanda at 35 as British Asian fans pay tributeInstagram/rajvirjawandaofficial
A final, heartbreaking plea
The most painful part of this story is a private conversation. People close to the family have spoken up. They say his wife had a bad feeling. She pleaded with him to not take that motorcycle trip. He told her he would be careful. He promised to return soon and that was their last talk.
Now, she is a widow. His two young children have lost their father. It’s a devastating personal tragedy hidden inside the public headlines. His music, from his debut Munda Like Me to his film roles, remains. But for those who knew him, the silence he left behind is all they have now.
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Bangladesh's players along with England's Heather Knight and Charlie Dean walk back to the pavilion at the end of their World Cup match at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, India, on October 7, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
ENGLAND went to the top of the Women’s World Cup points table after defeating Bangladesh by four wickets in a tense chase in Guwahati on Tuesday.
Former captain Heather Knight guided England to victory with an unbeaten 79, helping the four-time champions reach the target with 23 balls remaining.
Knight, who lost the captaincy after the Ashes last winter, benefited from three reviews that went in her favour. She survived lbw decisions twice and was given a reprieve after a catch at cover was ruled not clean by the third umpire.
Yet to score, Knight overturned an lbw verdict on review. On eight, another lbw call went in her favour. Then on 12, she was ruled not out after replays showed the fielder had not taken a clean catch.
"It's probably the most reviews I've ever had go my way," Knight said. "That one at cover, I thought it was a fair catch. I walked off, but the TV umpire saw it differently."
Knight’s 27th half-century included eight fours and a six, with the sweep and reverse sweep proving key shots on a slow pitch.
At 103 for six, Bangladesh looked in control, but Knight found support from Charlie Dean as they added 79 runs for the seventh wicket to complete the chase.
Earlier, England’s spinners restricted Bangladesh to 178. Sophie Ecclestone took three wickets, while Linsey Smith, Dean and Alice Capsey took two each.
England fielded a spin-heavy attack to suit the subcontinental conditions, using close-in fielders like slip, silly mid-off and short cover.
Bangladesh struggled to score freely, with Sobhana Mostary top-scoring with 60. Rabeya Khan added 43 off 27 balls with six fours and a six to lift the total.
"We fought till the last ball and that’s what matters," Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana said. "We were probably 30 short, but I’m proud of the fight the girls showed."
(With inputs from agencies)
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Starmer holds up a disposable camera as he speaks with business leaders at the Taj Mahal Palace on October 8, 2025 in Mumbai. (Photo: Getty Images)
Starmer begins first India visit as prime minister with 125-member business delegation
UK-India trade deal signed in July set to increase bilateral trade by £25.5bn by 2040
Starmer urges speedy implementation but rules out expanded visa access for Indian professionals
Meetings planned with Narendra Modi and major business leaders in Mumbai
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer said he wanted the new trade deal with India to be implemented as soon as "humanly possible" as he began a two-day visit on Wednesday, accompanied by more than a hundred leaders from the business, culture and university sectors.
The deal aims to cut tariffs on goods such as textiles, whisky, and cars, and open greater market access for businesses. Talks concluded in May after three years of negotiations. Both sides have said they plan to ratify the deal and bring it into effect within the next year.
I'm flying the flag for British business in Mumbai, because growth in India for British businesses means more jobs for people at home. pic.twitter.com/H4TnuTEjQe — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 8, 2025
The agreement between the world’s fifth- and sixth-largest economies aims to increase bilateral trade by 25.5 billion pounds by 2040. Current trade between the two countries is worth around $54.8 billion, with investments supporting more than 600,000 jobs across both nations.
‘Implement it quickly’
Speaking to delegates on arrival in Mumbai, Starmer said, “It provides huge opportunities,” adding that he had asked his team to implement the deal as “quickly as humanly possible.”
“I think the opportunities are already opening up... Our job is to make it easier for you to seize the opportunities,” he told the trade mission, which includes executives from BP, Rolls-Royce and BT.
The visit, which includes a 125-member delegation led by business and academic leaders such as British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle, is focused on maximising the benefits of what is Britain’s biggest post-Brexit trade deal.
Meetings with Modi and business outreach
Starmer will hold bilateral talks with Modi on Thursday and address a fintech conference in Mumbai alongside him. India’s foreign ministry said the visit “will provide a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the shared vision of India and the United Kingdom to build a forward-looking partnership.”
Under the new deal, India will reduce tariffs on imports of British goods such as whisky, cosmetics and medical devices, while the UK will lower duties on clothing, footwear and food products, including frozen prawns from India.
However, Starmer ruled out expanding visa access for Indian professionals despite calls from industry. “That isn’t part of the plan,” he said en route to Mumbai. “We’re here now to take advantage of the free trade agreement that we’ve already struck. We’ve got to implement it.”
Trade priorities and economic outlook
Growth remains a key priority for Starmer as he seeks to strengthen Labour’s position ahead of a November fiscal budget expected to show a challenging economic picture.
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said Starmer should avoid increasing business taxes in the upcoming budget and instead focus on building trade links with countries such as India and the Gulf.
“We’ve got partners all over the world, and that should be our role,” she told reporters, adding that Britain could pursue free trade deals while also managing the effects of a global trade war and seeking to lower US tariffs. “I think that the government is big enough to do both.”
Rights concerns raised
Rights groups have urged Starmer to raise the case of Scottish Sikh blogger Jagtar Singh Johal, who has been detained in India since 2017 over an alleged plot to kill right-wing Hindu leaders.
Johal has not been convicted, and one of the nine charges against him was dismissed in March.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Rahman, 59, is the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and is seen as a key frontrunner in the upcoming polls.
BANGLADESH Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman said on Monday that he would return to Bangladesh “soon” after 17 years in self-imposed exile to contest the country’s first elections since the 2024 mass uprising.
Rahman, 59, is the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and is seen as a key frontrunner in the upcoming polls. “For some reasonable reasons my return hasn’t happened... but the time has come, and I will return soon, God willing,” he told BBC Bangla in an interview broadcast on Monday.
The elections, scheduled for February 2026, will be the first since a mass uprising ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina last year, ending her 15-year rule during which she suppressed the BNP.
Rahman, also known as Tarique Zia, has lived in London since 2008, saying he fled politically motivated persecution. Since Hasina’s fall, he has been acquitted of the most serious charge against him — a life sentence handed down in absentia for a 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally, which he denied.
“I am running in the election,” he said, speaking from London. When asked if he would become prime minister if the BNP formed the government, Rahman said: “The people will decide.”
It remains unclear whether his mother, 80-year-old Khaleda Zia, who has suffered ill health since her imprisonment during Hasina’s tenure, will contest or play a guiding role. “She went to jail in good health and returned with ailments, she was deprived of her right to proper treatment,” Rahman said. “But... if her health permits, she will definitely contribute to the election.”
Rahman also commented on the ban on Hasina’s Awami League imposed by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, who is expected to step down after the elections.
Hasina, 78, has defied court orders to return from India, where she fled last year, to face trial for ordering a deadly crackdown during the uprising. She has refused to recognise the court’s authority. The charges against her amount to crimes against humanity in Bangladesh.
“Those who are responsible for such cruelties, those who ordered them, must be punished. This is not about vengeance,” Rahman said. “I strongly believe people cannot support a political party or its activists who murder, forcibly disappear people, or launder money,” he added.
Two-day exclusive sale runs from 7–8 October for Prime members only.
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Major offers on brands like Ninja, Le Creuset, Sony, and Dyson.
Big savings as Prime Big Deal Days 2025 go live
Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days 2025 is officially underway in the UK, offering Prime members exclusive access to hundreds of thousands of discounts across nearly every category. Running from 7 to 8 October, the event gives shoppers an early opportunity to stock up on festive gifts, upgrade tech, or refresh their homes, with savings of up to 66%.
The sale features limited-time New Deal Drop offers and themed collections such as Cosy Season and Gifting, spotlighting products for autumn and early Christmas shopping. Deals span across Amazon devices, home essentials, fashion, fitness, beauty, and more, with leading brands including Crocs, Ninja, Le Creuset, Philips, Sony, and Dyson.
Best tech and gadget deals
Tech enthusiasts can grab significant savings across Amazon’s device range and popular electronics.
Kindle Scribe: Up to 35% off, featuring a redesigned display and Premium Pen.
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With curated collections, limited-time drops, and discounts across top brands, Prime Big Deal Days 2025 gives UK shoppers a perfect opportunity to get ahead on Christmas lists and seasonal upgrades. Exclusive to Prime members, the event continues until 23:59 on 8 October, with new deals surfacing throughout the day.