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LEICESTER's iconic Diwali celebrations are set for a major change this year, as the city council announced the cancellation of the traditional lights switch-on event.
Citing soaring costs, officials on Friday (23) decided to merge the customary two-part festivities into a single celebration on Diwali Day on 31 October.
This move marks a significant shift for one of the UK's largest Diwali events outside India, as Leicester grapples with budget constraints and rising expenses for public gatherings.
“We’re really proud of our Diwali celebrations in Leicester, and we want Diwali to continue to thrive as part of our annual events calendar. However, the rising cost of providing activities on two separate days is now entirely unsustainable," Vi Dempster, the council's assistant city mayor for culture, told the BBC.
"We are facing unprecedented pressures on our budgets, and the only way we could have continued with two events is to find other ways of securing the substantial funding needed.
"Unfortunately, that’s not happened."
Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has previously said budget pressures and a need to make savings have led to questions over the money being poured into events in the city.
Councillor Manjula Sood, assistant city mayor responsible for community cohesion, said, “Looking forwards we want to involve more people, especially young people and volunteers – who give so much time every year – in the development of our Diwali Day programme.
“We also want to work closely with the wealth of South Asian arts organisations and businesses we have in Leicester to help us to grow and find other sources of funding for this important celebration.”
The city usually has two big events: a lights switch-on along Belgrave Road's Golden Mile and a fireworks display on Diwali Day. Now, these will be combined into one event on Diwali say itself.
The council says running two events has become too expensive. In 2018, it cost £189,000, but last year it nearly reached £250,000. This big jump in price is due to things like managing traffic, security, and setting everything up.
Even though there won't be a separate switch-on event, the Golden Mile will still be lit up with 6,000 lights during the Diwali period. The council expects thousands of people will still come to join in the celebration.
The main Diwali Day event will have activities and entertainment on Belgrave Road and Cossington Street. The council will share more details about this soon.
According to reports, the council talked to local groups like the Leicester Hindu Festival Council and the Belgrave Business Association before making this decision. They hope to get more people, especially young people and volunteers, involved in planning future Diwali celebrations.
The future of the hugely popular celebrations, which attract thousands of people to Belgrave each year, has been up in the air since last September.
The festival’s future was also used as a political scoring point in the run up to the general election, with former Leicester East MP and 2024 candidate Keith Vaz accusing Sir Peter of “cutting off funding” for Diwali events.
In response, Sir Peter told the LDRS that no decision had been made at that point, and that he was still working with local businesses and potential sponsors to drum up the cash needed for the complete raft of celebrations.
“I understand there is the reasonable expectation that it will be possible to have not just the lights – which will be there, there’s never been any question about that – but an event on one or other of the days, either the switch on event or the actual Diwali Day itself," Sir Peter told councillors on the local authority’s Overview Select Committee last month.
He added: “It’s my understanding that the various stakeholders are particularly keen to see an event take place on Diwali Day itself. So, if something has to be sacrificed it would be the switch-on event.”
At the same meeting, councillors heard that Leicester city council is still facing the prospect of bankruptcy at the end of this financial year, 2024/25.
The authority currently has around £90 million in reserves following unexpected savings in 2023/24. Some £61m of these are anticipated to be used to fill the gap between income and outgoings this year.
However, this will leave the authority with insufficient cash to meet costs next financial year which are predicted to be more than £90m.
(with inputs from Local Democracy Reporting Service)
INDIAN cricket has signed Apollo Tyres as its new lead sponsor after fantasy sports platform Dream11 ended its contract following a government ban on online gambling.
The men's team travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the ongoing Asia Cup without a sponsor on their shirts after Dream11 exited the deal, which was worth about $44 million and was set to run until 2026.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the new contract with Apollo Tyres runs until March 2028. While the value was not disclosed, the board said it is higher than the previous deal.
"The new partnership, secured after a rigorous bidding process, represents a substantial increase in sponsorship value, signifying the immense and growing commercial appeal of Indian cricket," the BCCI said in a statement.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said, "We are excited about this being Apollo's first major sponsorship in India cricket, which speaks volumes about the sport's unparalleled reach and influence. This is more than a commercial agreement; it's a partnership between two institutions that have earned the trust and respect of millions."
Apollo Tyres Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Neeraj Kanwar said, "Cricket's unmatched popularity in India and worldwide makes it an honour for us to become the national team lead sponsor of Team India."
The Apollo Tyres logo will appear on the jerseys of the Indian men's and women's teams across all formats.
Last month, the Indian parliament passed a law banning online gambling. The government said gambling platforms had caused financial distress, addiction and even suicide, and were linked to fraud, money laundering and terrorism financing. Fantasy sports apps such as Dream11 continue to operate, though for prizes and not cash.
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Sydney Sweeney reportedly offered £45m for a leading role in a major Bollywood film
The package includes £35m in fees and £10M in sponsorship deals
Filming is tentatively planned for early 2026 across New York, Paris, London, and Dubai
The project could make Sweeney one of the highest-paid Hollywood stars to join Indian cinema
A record-breaking offer
Hollywood actor Sydney Sweeney has reportedly been approached with a staggering £45M deal to star in one of the most expensive Bollywood films ever produced.
The 28-year-old Euphoria and The White Lotus star is said to have been offered £35m in fees plus an additional £10m through sponsorship agreements.
Details of the proposed project
The untitled film would cast Sweeney as a young American celebrity who falls in love with an Indian star. Filming is expected to begin early next year, with international locations including New York, Paris, London, and Dubai.
Industry insiders describe the project as an effort to bring Indian cinema to an even larger global audience, with Sweeney’s involvement seen as a move to elevate its international appeal.
Industry perspective
A source close to the negotiations said: “Sydney was shocked by the offer at first — £45m is an incredible sum. But the project is intriguing, and it could elevate her global profile even further. Nothing has been decided yet, but it’s a huge opportunity and she is weighing her options carefully.”
A step into Bollywood
If she accepts, Sweeney would join other international stars who have crossed into Bollywood, including Priyanka Chopra and Shilpa Shetty. The Indian film industry has increasingly sought crossover projects to expand its global reach.
Recent career highlights
Sweeney, who rose to fame on HBO’s Euphoria and The White Lotus, has recently been building her film career. Her latest project, Christy, sees her portraying US boxing champion Christy Martin, the first female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Speaking about the physically demanding role, Sweeney said: “Every single fight you see, we’re actually punching each other. I always believed that you wouldn’t be able to make it feel real if it’s a stunt double or if it’s faking the hits.” Christy is set for release on November 7.
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Nvidia boss Jensen Huang has said he is “disappointed” following reports
China’s Cyberspace Administration has reportedly ordered tech firms to stop using Nvidia’s AI chips
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says he is “disappointed” but will remain “patient”
Huang is visiting the UK alongside other tech leaders during Donald Trump’s state visit
Nvidia became the world’s first $4tn company earlier in 2025 amid the AI boom
Huang responds to reported China directive
Nvidia boss Jensen Huang has said he is “disappointed” following reports that China has told its leading technology firms to halt purchases of the company’s artificial intelligence chips.
Speaking to reporters in the UK, Huang added that he would remain “patient” in light of the reported order from China’s internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration. “There are a lot of places we can’t go to, and that’s fine,” he said.
Background to chip restrictions
Nvidia is the world’s leading chipmaker, central to the global AI boom with its processors powering data centres worldwide. China, meanwhile, has been working to develop its own semiconductors as part of a broader AI strategy to reduce reliance on US technology.
The company had already faced restrictions in China. Its most advanced chips were previously banned from sale to the country before US President Donald Trump reversed the decision in July. As part of an unusual arrangement, Nvidia must pay 15% of its Chinese revenues to the US government.
Financial Times report
According to the Financial Times, China’s Cyberspace Administration recently told domestic technology firms — including major players such as DeepSeek, Tencent and Alibaba — to stop buying Nvidia’s specially designed China-market chips.
Shares in Nvidia were down more than 1% in pre-market trading following the news.
Support for US policy
Asked about the geopolitical tensions, Huang said he would support the US as it sought to resolve the issues and would convey the same message directly to President Trump if asked.
Huang is one of several technology leaders, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, attending Trump’s state visit to the UK. They are expected to join a state banquet on Wednesday evening.
UK investment and tech collaboration
Despite the reported setback in China, Nvidia has continued to expand its footprint elsewhere. The company recently announced it would supply chips to the Stargate UK data centre, a major project in north-east England involving OpenAI, Arm and NScale. The commitment forms part of a broader UK-US technology pact.
Valuation milestone
Nvidia became the first company in the world to surpass a $4tn (£2.9tn) market valuation earlier this year, underscoring its dominance in the AI sector even as geopolitical tensions shape its global reach.
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Tagenarine Chanderpaul. (Photo by PAT HOELSCHER/AFP via Getty Images)
BATSMEN Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze were recalled to the West Indies ranks when they were named in the squad to tour India on Tuesday (16) while left-arm spinner Khary Pierre is included for the first time.
The two-Test series, with matches in Ahmedabad and Delhi, marks the West Indies' first tour to India since 2018 and forms part of the World Test Championship.
Neither Chanderpaul nor Athanaze were involved in the recent series against Australia but have been included to bolster the top-order batting.
"The return of Tagenarine Chanderpaul is to help transform our fortunes at the top of the order given the recent struggles, with Alick Athanaze being added for his strengths and qualities against spin bowling," said head coach Daren Sammy.
Pierre, meanwhile, has been included as the second specialist spinner in the squad after strong performances in the West Indies championship, where he claimed a chart-topping 41 wickets at an average of 13.56.
"Khary is included for the first time as our second spinner in what we expect to be helpful conditions," said Sammy.
Another left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who has not figured since the second Test against Pakistan in Multan in January, has been rested for this red-ball series to focus on the upcoming limited-overs schedule which includes the T20 World Cup in February and March.
West Indies, who are ranked eighth in the Test rankings, face a stiff test against the fourth-ranked side who are always so strong on home soil.
"Playing in the subcontinent always presents a challenge and we have selected a team to be competitive in these conditions." said Sammy.