Who is Hamza – Sheffield’s new midfielder of British Asian heritage?
At Sheffield United, Choudhury will reunite with manager Chris Wilder, who coached him during a loan spell at Watford in the 2022–23 season.
The 27-year-old, who has made 91 league appearances for Leicester, is one of the few footballers of South Asian descent in English football. (Photo: Getty Images)
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.
SHEFFIELD UNITED have signed Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury on loan until the end of the season.
The 27-year-old, who has made 91 league appearances for Leicester, is one of the few footballers of South Asian descent in English football. He brings experience and versatility to the Blades as they push for promotion.
Choudhury was born in Loughborough, England, and is of Bangladeshi and Grenadian descent. His mother hails from Sylhet in Bangladesh, while his father is from Grenada.
Choudhury joined Leicester City’s academy at the age of seven and progressed through the ranks before making his first-team debut in 2017. Known for his defensive capabilities and work ethic, he became a valuable squad member and contributed to Leicester’s FA Cup triumph in 2021.
He had a loan spell at League One leaders Burton Albion in 2016, debuting on 27 February in a 0–0 draw against Walsall. He rejoined Burton for the 2016–17 season and featured in their first-ever Championship match, a 4–3 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Choudhury debuted for Leicester City on 19 September 2017 in a 2–0 EFL Cup win over Liverpool and made his Premier League debut on 28 November. He scored his first senior goal on 1 January 2020 in a 3–0 win at Newcastle. On 22 October 2020, he became the first player of Bangladeshi descent to appear and score in a European competition.
Internationally, Choudhury made his debut for England’s under-21 team on 26 May 2018. He was included in England's squad for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where he received a straight red card in a 2–1 defeat to France.
Eligible for Bangladesh, Grenada, and England, Choudhury switched allegiance to Bangladesh in December 2024. This makes him the first Premier League player to represent Bangladesh, who are ranked 185th in FIFA's world rankings.
"We are pleased to inform that Hamza Dewan Choudhury has been cleared to play for Bangladesh," announced the Bangladesh Football Federation.
At Sheffield United, Choudhury will reunite with manager Chris Wilder, who coached him during a loan spell at Watford in the 2022–23 season.
“It has been going on for a couple of weeks, but I’m happy to be here and ready to get going,” Choudhury said. “I’ve seen the position that the team has put itself in, and I want to come here and help.”
He is expected to make his debut in the club’s next league fixture against Derby County.
As Sheffield United aim for Premier League promotion, Choudhury’s experience and leadership are expected to bolster the squad.
Public inquiry finds up to 13 suicides linked to wrongful Post Office prosecutions.
Horizon IT system faults led to false accusations, financial ruin, and imprisonment.
Sir Wyn Williams says Post Office maintained a “fiction” of accurate data despite known faults.
A PUBLIC inquiry has found that up to 13 people may have taken their own lives after being wrongly accused of financial misconduct by the Post Office, in what is now described as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.
The report, published on Tuesday (8), exposed the devastating impact of a faulty IT system and called for urgent compensation and sweeping reforms.
Led by Sir Wyn Williams, the public inquiry concluded that the Post Office and technology supplier Fujitsu were aware, or should have been aware, that the Horizon IT system used in branches was prone to errors.
Despite this, they insisted for years that the system was reliable, leading to the wrongful prosecution of around 1,000 subpostmasters between 2000 and 2013.
“I am satisfied from the evidence that I have heard that a number of senior, and not-so-senior employees of the Post Office knew or, at the very least should have known, that Legacy Horizon was capable of error,” Sir Wyn said. “Yet for all practical purposes, throughout the lifetime of Legacy Horizon, the Post Office maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate.”
He added, “Many thousands of people have suffered serious financial detriment. Many businesses and homes have been lost, bankruptcies have occurred, marriages and families have been wrecked. Tragically, I heard too of people whom it is said that they were driven to take their own lives.”
The report detailed how the faulty system, first rolled out in 1999, falsely showed cash shortfalls in branch accounts.
Subpostmasters were forced to pay back money they never took, faced criminal charges, and in many cases, imprisonment. The inquiry heard 17 first-hand accounts of suffering, from small financial losses to wrongful imprisonment and suicide.
Subpostmaster Martin Griffiths died after being wrongly accused of a shortfall in his accounts. After losing his job, he walked in front of a bus and died from his injuries at 59.
The inquiry found six former subpostmasters and seven others who were not postmasters had taken their own lives because of the ordeal.
At least 59 people considered suicide, and 10 attempted it, directly linking their distress to the Post Office’s actions and the faulty Horizon system, the report revealed.
Sir Wyn noted, “I received evidence from at least 59 persons who contemplated suicide at various points in time and who attributed this to their experiences with Horizon and/or the Post Office.”
According to the report, the suffering extended beyond those prosecuted. Families were torn apart, with many reporting mental health problems, relationship breakdowns, and financial ruin. Some children of affected families also suffered psychological harm, it said.
The report was scathing about the conduct of both the Post Office and Fujitsu.
It said, “A number of senior, and not-so-senior employees of the Post Office knew or, at the very least should have known, that Legacy Horizon was capable of error. Yet for all practical purposes, throughout the lifetime of Legacy Horizon, the Post Office maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate.”
Despite repeated warnings and evidence of faults, the Post Office continued to pursue subpostmasters, often after the reliability of the software had already been questioned. The inquiry described this as “wholly unacceptable behaviour” by both organisations.
Former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells, who gave evidence to the inquiry, broke down in tears recalling the case of a subpostmaster who took his own life after being accused of a £39,000 shortfall.
Public anger over the scandal grew after the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, aired in 2024, leading to new laws exonerating those wrongly convicted. However, the inquiry found that the process of compensation has been slow and fraught with problems.
Fujitsu's European director Paul Patterson told a parliamentary committee later that the firm, which assisted the Post Office in prosecutions using flawed data from the software, was "truly sorry" for "this appalling miscarriage of justice".
Many of those involved are still battling for compensation.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said last month that 7,569 claims out of the 11,208 received had now been paid, leaving 3,709 still to be settled.
Alan Bates, a former subpostmaster who led the fight for justice, has said the compensation process has "turned into quasi-kangaroo courts".
Bates, who was awarded a knighthood by King Charles for his campaign to highlight the scandal, told the Sunday Times in May the DBT "sits in judgement of the claims and alters the goal posts as and when it chooses".
Post Office minister Gareth Thomas said last month the government had made it a priority to speed up the delivery of compensation since taking office in July 2024.
The inquiry has so far held 226 days of hearings and questioned 298 witnesses. The second volume of the final report, which will examine the role of the Post Office in greater detail, is expected in due course.
In the report, Sir Wyn has called for urgent action to ensure “full and fair” compensation, including free legal advice and support for family members. He recommended that compensation should match the highest civil court awards, and that the government, Post Office, and Fujitsu should agree on a programme of restorative justice. The report also calls for a permanent public body to be set up to handle redress for people wronged by public institutions.
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said, “I am committed to ensuring wronged subpostmasters are given full, fair, and prompt redress.”
The government has set a deadline of October 10, 2025, for written responses to the inquiry’s recommendations. By October 31, the Department for Business and Trade, Fujitsu, and the Post Office must publish a report on restorative justice plans.
The Post Office scandal has left a deep scar on British society as thousands of families across the country are awaiting justice. The inquiry’s findings and recommendations now put the onus on the government and the Post Office to finally deliver justice and closure to the thousands whose lives were shattered by the scandal.
Asian victims
Harjinder Butoy Harjinder Butoy bought the Forest Side Post Office in Sutton-in-Ashfield in 2004, investing his redundancy pay and a family loan. In 2007, an audit alleged a £200,000 shortfall. Despite a clean audit a week prior, Butoy was arrested, charged with theft, and convicted on 10 counts. He served 14 months in prison and lost his business, home, and reputation. The Post Office seized his assets, and his family faced bankruptcy. His wife and three children were forced to move in with relatives, enduring years of financial and emotional turmoil. Butoy, plagued by depression and unable to find work, saw his convictions quashed in 2021. He continues to seek justice for the ordeal, which left his family devastated and his life in ruins.
Parmod Kalia and Mahesh Kumar Kalia Parmod Kalia, a postmaster since 1990, was convicted of theft in 2001 after a Post Office investigation, receiving a six-month prison sentence. The conviction upended his family’s life: his wife and children struggled to keep their shop afloat, and his son Mahesh, then 17, was forced to abandon his dream of becoming a pharmacist to help the family. The trauma fractured relationships – Mahesh and his father were estranged for 17 years, with siblings moving away and parents separating. Kalia’s conviction was finally quashed in 2021.
Siema Kamran and Kamran Ashraf Siema Kamran and Kamran Ashraf bought a Hampstead Heath Post Office in 2001, but soon faced repeated, unexplained shortfalls. In 2003, an audit found a £25,000 deficit, leading to Siema’s suspension and both facing criminal charges. Kamran, advised to plead guilty, was sentenced to nine months in prison and ordered to pay compensation. The ordeal cost them their business, home, and community standing. Siema struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts, while Kamran developed post-traumatic stress disorder. Their marriage, though still intact, is described as “broken.” Both were ostracised in their community, and their financial losses were devastating. Kamran’s conviction was quashed in 2020, but the couple’s lives remain deeply affected.
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Floral tributes left by members of the public are seen following the fatal knife attack on three young girls in July in Southport.
A PUBLIC inquiry begins on Tuesday into the murders of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport last year.
The inquiry will examine whether the attack could have been prevented and how future incidents might be avoided.
The attack took place during a summer holiday event in northern England in July, when teenager Axel Rudakubana, who had a history of violence and an interest in genocide, carried out a knife attack. Three girls were killed and 10 others injured.
The incident led to widespread shock and was followed by several days of rioting across the country.
Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, was sentenced in January to a minimum of 52 years in prison. He pleaded guilty just before his trial was due to begin. Prosecutors said there was no clear motive, describing the attack as driven by a desire to commit mass murder.
Following his conviction, prime minister Keir Starmer ordered an inquiry after it emerged during the trial that Rudakubana had been referred to a counter-radicalisation programme three times, but no further action had been taken.
He had also been previously arrested while carrying a knife and had admitted to possessing an al Qaeda training manual as well as making the poison ricin.
Adrian Fulford, who is leading the inquiry, said in a statement: "My focus throughout this inquiry will be a thorough and forensic investigation of all the circumstances surrounding the attack and the events leading up to it."
The first part of the inquiry will examine Rudakubana’s background and his contact with public bodies. A second phase will explore the wider issue of children becoming involved in violence, which has become an increasing concern for UK authorities.
Lawyers representing the families of the three girls – Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine – said they hoped the inquiry would help bring out the facts.
"We know that nothing the inquiry reveals, or subsequently recommends will change the unimaginable loss felt by the families of Elsie, Alice and Bebe, but we all now have a responsibility to ensure that something like this never happens again," they said in a statement.
(With inputs from agencies)
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The King said the public should draw on the 'extraordinary courage and compassion' shown in response to the attacks. (Photo credit: X/@RoyalFamily)
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and King Charles on Monday paid tribute to the unity shown in the aftermath of the 7 July bombings in London, as the country marked 20 years since the attacks.
On 7 July 2005, four Islamist extremists carried out suicide bombings at Aldgate Station, Edgware Road, King's Cross and Tavistock Square. The attacks killed 52 people and injured hundreds more.
Events are being held across London to commemorate the anniversary. Members of the royal family are expected to join survivors and families of the victims.
The King said the public should draw on the "extraordinary courage and compassion" shown in response to the attacks.
"We remember with profound sadness the 52 innocent people who were killed in senseless acts of evil -- and the enduring grief of their loved ones," he said in a statement published by the Press Association.
"In doing so, we should also remember the countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day.
"The selfless bravery of our emergency services, transport workers, and fellow citizens who rushed towards danger to help strangers reminds us of the very best of humanity in the face of the very worst."
‘We stood together then, and we stand together now’
Starmer said, "Those who tried to divide us failed."
"We stood together then, and we stand together now -- against hate and for the values that define us of freedom, democracy and the rule of law."
He added, "We honour the courage shown that day -- the bravery of the emergency services, the strength of survivors, and the unity of Londoners in the face of terror."
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a National Service of Commemoration at St Paul’s Cathedral. A separate service will also take place at the memorial in Hyde Park for survivors and families of the victims.
Call for unity and vigilance
Charles said, "While the horrors will never be forgotten", the country "may take comfort from the way such events rally communities together".
"It is this spirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal," he said.
"Let us therefore use this 20th anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding."
Home secretary Yvette Cooper, speaking ahead of the anniversary, said Islamist and right-wing extremism remained the most significant threats to the UK.
(With inputs from agencies)
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The win was India’s first Test victory in nine matches at Edgbaston, where they had previously suffered seven defeats and a draw.
INDIA defeated England by 336 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston on Sunday, levelling the five-match series 1-1. Akash Deep, playing in place of rested pacer Jasprit Bumrah, took 10 wickets in the match — his first 10-wicket haul in Test cricket.
England were bowled out for 271 while chasing a target of 608. Deep took 6-99 in the second innings, ending with match figures of 10-147 — the best of his eight-Test career so far.
Jamie Smith was England’s top scorer in the second innings with 88, following his unbeaten 184 in the first. No other England batter crossed fifty.
The win was India’s first Test victory in nine matches at Edgbaston, where they had previously suffered seven defeats and a draw.
Gill creates Test history
India captain Shubman Gill became the first player in Test cricket to score 250 and 150 in the same match. Gill made 269 in the first innings and followed it up with 161 off 162 balls in the second. He now has three centuries in his first two Tests as captain, including a 147 in the series opener at Headingley, where India lost by five wickets.
India were also much improved in the field in this match. "The way we came back with our bowling and fielding was tremendous," Gill said.
Speaking about Deep, he added, "He bowled with so much heart and skilfully with his lengths. He moved it in both directions, which was tough to do. He was magnificent for us."
Gill confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will “definitely be back for Lord’s”, where the third Test begins on Thursday.
England struggle in the chase
England resumed day five on 72-3 after a 90-minute rain delay. No team has ever chased more than 418 to win in the fourth innings — a record held by West Indies since 2003.
Ollie Pope was the first to fall on Sunday, failing to add to his overnight 24. He was bowled by Deep after getting a delivery that bounced extra and hit the stumps. His dismissal was cheered by a large Indian crowd.
Ben Stokes, on a king pair after a golden duck in the first innings, managed to avoid a second nought with a legside flick. But England soon slipped to 83-5 when Harry Brook was trapped lbw by Deep for 23. Brook had made 158 in the first innings, sharing a 300-plus stand with Smith.
Stokes and Smith added 70 for the sixth wicket before Stokes was dismissed by Washington Sundar for 33 in the last over before lunch. It was the first wicket in the match taken by someone other than Deep or Siraj. England went to lunch at 153-6.
Smith reached 88 with two successive sixes off Deep. But he was out next ball, caught after misjudging a slower delivery, giving Deep his fifth wicket of the innings.
Deep ended the match by dismissing Brydon Carse, who was caught at cover by Gill.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Currently, one in four families with children under five do not have access to local children’s centres or Family Hubs. (Representational image: iStock)
THE UK government has announced the nationwide rollout of Best Start Family Hubs across every local authority, aiming to support 500,000 more children by 2028.
The hubs are intended to offer easier access to family services and reduce pressure on parents.
Nationwide rollout and funding
Currently, one in four families with children under five do not have access to local children’s centres or Family Hubs.
The new initiative, backed by over £500 million, will create up to 1,000 hubs by the end of 2028, with all local authorities expected to have a hub by April 2026.
Areas including Warrington, Leeds, Reading, and Somerset are among those to gain access.
The hubs will provide services such as early language support, parenting sessions, housing advice, breastfeeding support, mental health services, and debt and welfare guidance.
A new digital platform will also be launched to connect parents with local hubs and the NHS App.
Quotes from ministers and organisations
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “It’s the driving mission of this government to break the link between a child’s background and what they go on to achieve – our new Best Start Family Hubs will put the first building blocks of better life chances in place for more children.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “By bringing together early support services and investing £500 million in children’s development, we’re taking preventative action that will improve lives and reduce pressure on the NHS – a key part of our 10 Year Health Plan.”
Anna Feuchtwang, CEO of the National Children’s Bureau, said: “The Prime Minister’s Plan for Change set out his ambition to improve outcomes in early childhood. Now the government has put its money where its mouth is and committed to rolling out Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority.”