Indian cricket heroes on Thursday (16) paid tribute to Ajit Wadekar, who led the country to their first series triumphs in England and the West Indies, following his death at the age of 77.
"He will always be remembered as the 'renaissance man' of Indian cricket," said Board of Control for Cricket in India chief executive Rahul Johri, after it was announced that Wadekar had died in hospital in Mumbai following a long illness.
"The West Indies and England were two extremely strong teams and beating them in their backyard was almost impossible."
The batsman led India to their famous victories in 1971 and overall scored 2,113 runs in just 37 Test matches, including one century.
Wadekar was the first captain of India's one-day team and he went on to become a powerbroker as coach, manager and chairman of the Indian selectors and mentor to future stars.
Indian legends from Sachin Tendulkar to Mohammed Azharuddin and Anil Kumble all paid tribute to Wadekar's influence in India's rise to become a cricket superpower.
"He was someone who was instrumental in bringing out the best in us during the 90s. We'll always be grateful for his advice and guidance," said Tendulkar.
"Wadekar Sir," as he was known, was manager of the Indian side in which Tendulkar flourished as an opener. Azharuddin also thrived as India's captain from 1993 to 1996 under Wadekar's guidance.
Azharuddin said that Wadekar had been "iconic" and a "father figure for me .. May his soul rest in peace."
Kumble, who made his comeback to the Indian team in a 1992-93 tour of South Africa, said that Wadekar "was more than a coach to the entire team -- a father figure and a shrewd tactician."
"Thank you Sir for the confidence shown in my ability!" Kumble added.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi hailed Wadekar's efforts for leading Indian "to some of the most memorable victories in our cricketing history."
India coach Ravi Shastri paid tribute with a Twitter photo of Wadekar during his heyday as a cricketer.
"Sad moment for Indian cricket to lose one of its most successful captains. Shrewd to the core. Condolences to the entire family #TeamIndia #RIPAjitWadekar," Shastri tweeted.
Bishan Bedi, the spin bowler and contemporary of Wadekar, admitted that he had "differences of opinion" with the great batsman but hailed Wadekar as a "fine batsman" who served Indian cricket with "aplomb."
Wadekar's funeral is to be held in Mumbai on Friday.
THE NHS said on Thursday (19) it will not offer two new treatments for Alzheimer's disease, citing high costs and "too small" benefits.
Donanemab and Lecanemab have been hailed as breakthrough treatments for slowing down the symptoms of early-stage Alzheimer's, the most common type of dementia.
They are active substances used to treat adults with mild memory and cognitive problems. They target a cause of the disease by binding to amyloid, a protein which builds up in the brains of people living with Alzheimer's, rather than just treating the symptoms.
According to NHS spending watchdog NICE, the medicines have been effective in delaying the progression from mild to moderate Alzheimer's by four to six months.
But, the benefits were "too small to justify the additional cost to the NHS".
Last year, NHS England suggested in a briefing that the cost of bringing the drugs to the service could be £500 million to £1 billion per year.
Donanemab is sold as Kisunla by American pharma giant Eli Lilly and Lecanemab as Leqembi by Japan-based Eisai. Both labs have said they will appeal the decision.
Chris Stokes, Eli Lilly UK and Europe president said: "If the system can't deliver scientific firsts to NHS patients, it is broken."
Both treatments were approved last year by the UK's medicines regulator for treating early stages of Alzheimer's.
Donanemab is advertised as costing between £60,000 and £80,000 per year, according to Alzheimer's Research UK.
In April, Leqembi became the first such medicine approved for sale in the EU based on its health watchdog's endorsement following initial misgivings.
"Naturally, there is disappointment that the first breakthrough treatments won't be available on the NHS," said Siddharthan Chandran, director of UK Dementia Research Institute.
However, he said the drugs paved the path for "more affordable and effective treatments and diagnostics".
"NICE is simply doing its job," said Atticus Hainsworth, professor of Cerebrovascular Disease at the University of London.
He added however that the new drugs had shown that "the needle can be moved in dementia" treatment.
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TWO survivors of grooming gangs have called for politicians to step back and let women shape the new national inquiry into child sexual exploitation.
Holly Archer and Scarlett Jones, who helped run a local inquiry in Telford, said the political fighting over vulnerable women must stop before the investigation begins, the Guardian reported.
"We have to put politics aside when it comes to child sexual exploitation, we have to stop this tug of war with vulnerable women," said Archer, who wrote a book about her experiences called I Never Gave My Consent: A Schoolgirl's Life Inside the Telford Sex Ring.
"There are so many voices that need to be heard. There's some voices, though, that need to step away. We can do it, let us do it – we don't need you to speak on our behalf," she was quoted as saying.
Jones, who works with Archer at the Holly Project support service, said people were taking advantage of survivors. "There are so many people out there at this moment exploiting the exploited – it's happening all the time," she explained.
Both women use false names to protect themselves and their families. Archer said she no longer uses social media after receiving threats. "I've been called a paedophile myself, a paedophile enabler, a grooming gang supporter. They said they hope my daughter gets raped. It's just constant," she said.
She also described how the far-right Britain First group gave her leaflets in Telford after her book came out in 2016. "They handed me leaflets that had quotes from my own book in them. They didn't know it was me, and they were telling me I was very pro what they were doing. It was insane," she said.
The government announced this week that police will collect ethnicity data for all child sexual abuse cases. This follows a report by Louise Casey that found evidence of "overrepresentation" of men of Asian and Pakistani heritage among suspects in some areas.
However, Casey also said police data from one region showed that the races of child abuse suspects matched the local population. She urged the public to "keep calm" over the ethnicities of offenders.
Archer said collecting ethnicity data was important but people should not rely on stereotypes. While she was abused from age 14 by men of Pakistani origin, most of the men who "bought" and raped her as a child were Chinese. Jones said she was first abused within her own white family before being drawn into a child sexual abuse racket.
"Nobody wants to know about that because that doesn't meet their narrative," Archer said. "You're told that you're just not relevant, that it didn't really happen to you anyway. You're a liar. You're a fake person."
The new inquiry will coordinate five existing local investigations through an independent commission with full legal powers. The National Crime Agency will lead efforts to reopen historical group-based child sexual abuse cases, with more than 800 cases set for review.
Both women welcomed the plans but criticised the previous independent inquiry into child sexual abuse led by Prof Alexis Jay.
"Years later, nothing has been done, none of the recommendations have been implemented," Jones said. "The worry is that that is what will happen again."
The government will also change the law so that all sexual acts with children under 16 are charged as rape, and will quash criminal convictions of victims who were prosecuted for offences while being exploited.
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Canadian prime minister Mark Carney and India's prime minister Narendra Modi shake hands before posing for a photo during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, in Alberta, Canada, June 17, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)
INDIA is involved in foreign interference in Canada, according to a report published on Wednesday by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
The report was released shortly after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney held talks during the G7 summit in Alberta.
Modi and Carney agreed to restore the top diplomats both countries had withdrawn in 2023. Both governments described the meeting as productive.
Carney's decision to invite Modi to the G7 drew criticism from some members of Canada’s Sikh community. Tensions between the two countries have remained since September 2023, when then-prime minister Justin Trudeau accused India’s government of playing a role in the June 18, 2023, killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in Canada.
India has denied involvement in Nijjar’s killing and has accused Canada of sheltering Sikh separatists.
The CSIS report said transnational repression is “a central role in India’s activity in Canada,” but added that China is the biggest counter-intelligence threat. It also named Russia, Iran, and Pakistan.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in October they had communicated more than a dozen threats to Sikhs advocating for an independent homeland carved out of India.
“Indian officials, including their Canada-based proxy agents, engage in a range of activities that seek to influence Canadian communities and politicians,” the CSIS report said. “These activities attempt to steer Canada’s positions into alignment with India’s interests on key issues, particularly with respect to how the Indian government perceives Canada-based supporters of an independent homeland that they call Khalistan.”
The Indian High Commission and the Chinese embassy in Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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The footage of the removal quickly circulated on social media
Rockstar Games has taken swift action against a GTA Online player who streamed unreleased content from the upcoming Money Fronts update using a jailbroken PlayStation 5. The player was removed from an online session in real-time by a Rockstar administrator, reinforcing the studio’s zero-tolerance stance on leaks and unauthorised access.
Player ejected during livestream
During the livestream, the user was showcasing content from the Money Fronts downloadable content (DLC), which is officially due for release on 17 June 2025. Midway through the broadcast, the stream was interrupted with an on-screen message that read:
"You have been kicked from this session by a Rockstar Games administrator."
The footage of the removal quickly circulated on social media, drawing attention from both fans and modders. Viewers noted that the player was accessing the content through a modified PS5 system, exploiting preloaded update files made available ahead of the launch.
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Jailbroken console used to access preloaded files
As part of standard procedure, Rockstar Games preloaded the Money Fronts update on servers in advance of the public launch to manage server strain. However, some users with jailbroken consoles were able to bypass restrictions and unlock parts of the content prematurely.
This particular streamer not only accessed the content but also chose to broadcast it publicly, which likely triggered the quick intervention by Rockstar staff monitoring such activity. Jailbreaking a PS5 is a breach of Sony’s terms of service, and combining that with unauthorised access to unreleased game data raises significant legal and ethical concerns.
Rockstar’s enforcement stance
Rockstar Games has long maintained a strict policy against hacking, cheating, and leaking within its community. Following high-profile leaks of GTA VI in 2022 and previous GTA Online updates, the company has intensified efforts to prevent similar incidents.
The publisher views such violations seriously and often takes disciplinary action ranging from game bans to legal notices. Parent company Take-Two Interactive has also actively pursued legal action against modders and leakers in the past.
Warning to the community
This latest incident serves as a reminder to players ahead of the official Money Fronts DLC launch. Rockstar is actively monitoring its online platforms and is prepared to act against those who access or distribute content ahead of schedule via unofficial means.
With anticipation building for the new expansion, the developer has made it clear: unauthorised early access will not be tolerated.
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Simone Ashley appears without dialogue in Brad Pitt’s F1 after major cuts to her role
Simone Ashley, best known for her breakout role in Bridgerton, won’t have the screen time fans expected in Brad Pitt’s upcoming Formula 1 film F1. Despite being part of the film’s promotional buzz and having filmed scenes alongside the main cast, Ashley’s role was trimmed down to a blink-and-miss appearance with no dialogue.
Director Joseph Kosinski confirmed the change, stating that the edit came down to tough decisions made during the final cut. Speaking in an interview, he said, “Every movie has more content than it can use. We had to drop two or three storylines for pacing. Unfortunately, Simone’s was one of them.”
Director praises Ashley but fans question repeated sidelining of actors of colour
Kosinski was quick to express admiration for Ashley, calling her “an incredible talent, actress, and singer” and adding, “I’d love to work with her again.” Still, the move has reignited conversations around how actors of colour are often given prominent placement during production and marketing, only to be cut back when the film is finalised.
Ashley has not directly commented on the cut since previews began, but earlier this year, she acknowledged that her role was “very small.” She said, “I’m just grateful to be in that movie. I got to experience many Grands Prix. I don’t think I’ll ever do anything like that again.” She also shared that the filming process felt like live theatre, given how tight and chaotic the schedule was while shooting during actual races.
Director Joseph Kosinski says Ashley’s storyline was cut for pacing and time constraintsGetty Images
The incident has drawn comparisons to Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto’s reduced screen time in Top Gun: Maverick, also directed by Kosinski. Jacinto’s part was heavily promoted but eventually cut down to a wordless cameo. Critics have noted a troubling pattern where actors of colour are regularly used for marketing but sidelined in final edits.
While F1 continues to generate buzz ahead of its 27 June release, Ashley’s reduced role can be seen as emblematic of the industry’s ongoing issues with representation and why more inclusive stories need to come from within.