SHABANA MAHMOOD, who was appointed Labour's national campaign co-ordinator in place of Angela Rayner on Sunday (9) night, said the cabinet reshuffle were made solely by party leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Mahmood told BBC: "The decisions around personnel are for Keir Starmer, as the leader of the Labour Party, to make, and they are his decisions alone.
"What anybody else thinks does not matter.
"Keir has appointed his team, as he has the right to do, and it's the job of all of us to work together to try and find a way to build a winning voter coalition that can span across the country."
Labour lost control of a number of local authorities and of the parliamentary seat of Hartlepool, a Labour bastion for many decades. It held on to city halls in London, Manchester and elsewhere, but those successes could not mask its failings in areas that used to be party strongholds.
Mahmood, who has represented Birmingham Ladywood since 2010 and served as a shadow Treasury and Home Office minister, says party "needs to have a calm and reflective look".
"We have lost touch with people we should be trying to represent," she said on Radio 4's Today programme. She added that despite having "lost that emotional connection", now the challenge for the party is to "find a way to rebuild it".
Sydney Sweeney defended her controversial bathwater soap, Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss, in a new interview.
The Euphoria star compared criticism she faced to the praise Jacob Elordi’s bathwater candle received.
The limited-edition soap sold out in seconds despite online backlash.
Sweeney also addressed the outrage over her American Eagle “great jeans” campaign.
Sydney Sweeney has spoken out about the backlash she faced for her bathwater soap, saying that criticism mostly came from women. The Euphoria actor launched Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss in collaboration with men’s grooming brand Dr. Squatch earlier this year, but the product sparked a wave of online debate. In a new interview, she said it was “really interesting” that while her soap was mocked, fans had loved the idea of Jacob Elordi’s bathwater candle inspired by his Saltburn role.
Sydney Sweeney says her bathwater soap faced harsher criticism than Jacob Elordi’s Saltburn candle Instagram/ SydneySweeney/ Getty Images
What was Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater soap?
In May, Sydney Sweeney released a limited-edition bar soap called Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss. The quirky product was marketed as being made with water she had bathed in, along with ingredients such as pine bark and sand extracts. Each bar retailed at £6.30 (₹660) and sold out almost instantly, with just 5,000 units available.
The campaign followed her earlier partnership with Dr. Squatch on a suggestive men’s body wash advert. While some fans saw the bathwater soap as a playful stunt, others labelled it unhygienic and gimmicky.
Why did Sydney Sweeney compare it to Jacob Elordi’s bathwater?
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Sweeney revealed she had noticed a gender divide in the reactions. “It was mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting,” she said. “They all loved the idea of Jacob Elordi’s bathwater.”
Elordi, her Euphoria co-star, became a social media obsession after the release of Saltburn in 2023. A now infamous scene showed Barry Keoghan’s character drinking his bathwater, sparking countless memes and inspiring novelty products like a “Jacob Elordi’s Bathwater” candle. Unlike Sweeney’s soap, the candle was celebrated online as a cult pop culture joke.
Reactions on social media were divided. Some joked that the bar might at least “get men to shower,” while others questioned whether marketing real bathwater crossed a line. Despite the debate, the soap’s limited stock selling out in seconds proved its commercial appeal.
In her interview, Sweeney said she does not regret the idea, calling it “weird in the best way.” She explained, “When your fans start asking for your bathwater, you can either ignore it or turn it into a bar of soap. It’s unforgettable, and it actually smells incredible.”
Sydney Sweeney calls out women for mocking her controversial Bathwater Bliss product.Getty Images
What about Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ‘great jeans’ ad?
The soap was not Sweeney’s only controversial campaign this year. In July, she became the face of American Eagle’s new ad slogan, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” The wordplay on “genes” sparked outrage online, with some critics accusing the brand of promoting eugenics and unrealistic beauty ideals.
American Eagle defended the campaign, insisting the message was simply about denim and individual style. Donald Trump’s team also weighed in, with his communications manager calling the backlash “cancel culture run amok.”
Sweeney herself has avoided directly commenting on the jeans controversy but said she closely monitors public response to her projects: “Everything is a conversation with the audience.”
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Protesters from the group Save Our Future & Our Kids Future demonstrate against uncontrolled immigration outside the Cladhan Hotel on August 16, 2025 in Falkirk, Scotland. (Photo: Getty Images)
MINISTERS will appeal a court decision earlier this week that barred the UK government from accommodating asylum seekers in a hotel, security minister Dan Jarvis said on Friday (22).
The high court on Tuesday (19) granted a temporary injunction to stop migrants from staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping, northeast of London, following several weeks of protests outside the hotel, some of them violent.
There were protests after a resident was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
Jarvis said on Friday, "We've made a commitment that we will close all of the asylum hotels by the end of this parliament, but we need to do that in a managed and ordered way.
"And that's why we'll appeal this decision."
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025 - the highest number ever.
Latest official data showed there were 32,345 asylum seekers being housed temporarily in UK hotels at the end of March.
It was under the previous Conservative government that migrants were accommodated in hotels.
Jarvis said, "This government will close all asylum hotels and we will clear up the mess that we inherited from the previous government.”
Since Tuesday's injunction, a number of councils across the country controlled by Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK have also said they are mulling legal challenges to block the use of hotels in their areas.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to end the costly practice of housing the thousands of asylum seekers arriving in small boats in hotels around the country, but has said it will be done in a gradual manner.
Immigration has overtaken the economy as the number one issue for the British public, according to at least two regular trackers of voters' concerns.
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Sunita Ahuja accuses Govinda of adultery and cruelty in divorce case
Govinda’s wife Sunita Ahuja has filed for divorce after 38 years of marriage.
Petition cites adultery, cruelty, and desertion under the Hindu Marriage Act.
Court records show Govinda has missed multiple hearings since May 2025.
Sunita broke down in a vlog, recalling her faith in Goddess Maa Kaali.
Bollywood actor Govinda is facing a fresh controversy as his wife, Sunita Ahuja, has filed for divorce citing adultery, cruelty, and desertion. According to reports, Sunita submitted her petition at Bandra Family Court under Section 13 (1) of the Hindu Marriage Act. The case has surprised fans, especially as the couple recently appeared to reconcile after years of speculation about their strained marriage. With court summons ignored and Sunita publicly speaking about her emotional turmoil in a vlog, the Govinda divorce case has become one of the most discussed topics in the entertainment world.
Sunita Ahuja accuses Govinda of adultery and cruelty in divorce plea, weeps in temple vlog as he skips court Getty Images
Why did Sunita Ahuja file for divorce from Govinda?
Sunita Ahuja reportedly filed her divorce petition on 5 December 2024. The grounds listed include adultery, cruelty, and desertion, marking a serious breakdown in their decades-long marriage. Court documents accessed by Hauterrfly reveal that the matter was first heard on 25 May 2025, when Govinda was summoned. However, the actor has not appeared in person at any hearing so far.
Meanwhile, Sunita has attended proceedings regularly and participated in court-mandated counselling sessions. Her consistent presence compared to Govinda’s absence has been noted in the records, leading the court to issue a show cause notice against the actor.
Govinda faces adultery, cruelty allegations as Sunita Ahuja moves for divorce Getty Images
What did Sunita Ahuja say in her vlog?
The divorce proceedings gained wider attention when Sunita broke down in a YouTube vlog earlier this year. Visiting Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Temple, she recalled how she had prayed to Goddess Maa Kaali to bless her marriage with Govinda. Fighting back tears, she said that while the Goddess had given her everything she wished for – marriage, children, and success – life had also brought pain and betrayal.
In her words, “Whoever tries to break my home, Maa Kaali is there. It is not right to cause pain to a good man and a good woman.” The emotional video quickly circulated online, sparking debates about the couple’s relationship.
Sunita Ahuja weeps in temple vlog while accusing Govinda of cheating and abuseGetty Images
Were there earlier signs of trouble in Govinda and Sunita’s marriage?
This is not the first time rumours of separation have surrounded the couple. In February 2025, Govinda’s team confirmed that Sunita had filed for divorce six months earlier, but claimed they had since reconciled. Sunita’s representatives, however, denied these claims at the time.
Reports have also linked Govinda’s alleged closeness to a younger Marathi actress as a possible reason behind the fallout. However, their long-time family friend and lawyer Lalit Bindal dismissed the speculation, insisting that “Govinda and Sunita are going strong.”
Sunita herself has previously revealed that she had been celebrating birthdays alone for over a decade and that the two were living separately due to “professional commitments and Govinda’s talkative nature.”
Sunita Ahuja claims Govinda’s infidelity and cruelty led her to seek divorceGetty Images
What happens next in the Govinda divorce case?
As of now, the Bandra Family Court continues to hear the case, with Sunita attending regularly. Govinda, who has yet to appear in person, may face stricter legal directions if he continues to miss hearings. The petition remains active, and unless the couple reaches a reconciliation, their 38-year marriage may formally come to an end.
Govinda has not yet issued any public statement addressing Sunita’s allegations of cheating and cruelty.
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OpenAI is facing legal challenges in India, with publishers and news outlets accusing it of using their content without permission to train ChatGPT. (Photo: Reuters)
OPENAI, the company behind ChatGPT, will open its first India office in New Delhi later this year as it expands in its second-largest market by user numbers.
The Microsoft-backed firm has been registered as a legal entity in India and has started hiring for a local team, the company said in a statement shared with Reuters on Friday.
India is a key market for ChatGPT, which launched its lowest-priced monthly plan at $4.60 earlier this week. The move aims at reaching nearly one billion internet users in the country.
OpenAI is facing legal challenges in India, with publishers and news outlets accusing it of using their content without permission to train ChatGPT. The company has denied these claims.
"Opening our first office and building a local team is an important first step in our commitment to make advanced AI more accessible across the country and to build AI for India, and with India," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in the statement.
Competition in India is intensifying, with Google’s Gemini and AI startup Perplexity offering plans that give many users free access to advanced features.
India has the largest student user base for ChatGPT, and weekly active users have quadrupled in the past year, according to market data shared by OpenAI on Friday.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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The tournament begins on September 30 and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will host up to five fixtures - including the tournament opener, a semifinal and potentially the final on November 2. (Photo: Getty Images)
MUMBAI will host next month’s Women's ODI World Cup, instead of Bengaluru, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Friday (22), citing "unforeseen circumstances".
Eleven people died on June 4 at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory celebrations in the Indian Premier League.
"While unforeseen circumstances required us to adjust the schedule and replace a venue, we are pleased to now have a line-up of five world-class venues that will showcase the very best of the women's game," ICC chairman Jay Shah said in a statement.
"The stage is set, and I am confident this tournament will capture imaginations and inspire a new generation of fans," he added.
The tournament begins on September 30 and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will host up to five fixtures - including the tournament opener, a semifinal and potentially the final on November 2.
Though no reason was cited, the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru failed to secure the required administrative and security clearances.
The ICC Women's ODI World Cup returns to India after a 12-year hiatus.
Shah noted Navi Mumbai's reputation as a hub for women's cricket.
"Navi Mumbai has emerged as a genuine home for women's cricket in recent years. The support it has received during international fixtures and the Women's Premier League has been remarkable, creating an atmosphere that elevates the players and inspires fans.
"I am certain that the same energy will define the big matches of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup as it returns to India after 12 years," Shah said.
The other confirmed venues for the eight-team tournament include Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam, and Colombo.
Colombo is a neutral venue to host the India-Pakistan clash.