INDIA's Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) speaker Om Birla visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London, on 11 January during his official visit to the UK.
The visit followed an invitation from Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons.
Birla was welcomed by the swamis of the Mandir and toured the temple, observing its spiritual and cultural traditions. Discussions included BAPS’s activities in India, and Europe, and the construction of a new temple in Paris.
Birla had previously led a delegation to the BAPS Hindu Mandir site in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and met Mahant Swami Maharaj in New Delhi later that year.
Sanjay Kara, a trustee for BAPS in the UK, expressed gratitude for the visit, noting its importance in strengthening ties between the UK and India.
Sinner becomes the first Italian man to win singles at the All England Club
Sinner avenges French Open loss, wins in four sets
Sinner and Alcaraz have now shared the last seven Grand Slam titles
Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to win his first Wimbledon title and take revenge for his loss to the Spaniard in the French Open final.
The 23-year-old world number one became the first Italian man to win the singles title at the All England Club and now holds four Grand Slam titles.
Sinner lost the opening set but gained momentum quickly and closed out the match in just over three hours. He had missed three championship points in his French Open final loss five weeks ago, but this time made no mistake.
Sinner said he was living his dream, receiving a loud reaction from the Centre Court crowd.
Sinner thanks Alcaraz, calls win a dream An amazing tournament, but mostly thank you for the player you are, Sinner said, addressing Alcaraz after the match. It's so difficult to play against you, but we have an amazing relationship off the court and on the court... Keep going, keep pushing and you are going to hold this (trophy) many times. You already have two!
Sinner and two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz have now shared the past seven Grand Slam titles between them, with Sinner winning four. Their rivalry is seen as a key one for the post-Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic era.
In the French Open final last month, Sinner had taken a two-set lead and held multiple championship points before Alcaraz came back to win. On Sunday, Sinner said he used that loss as motivation.
We tried to accept the loss and just kept working, he said. This is for sure one of the reasons I am holding this trophy here. I am just so grateful that I am healthy and have great people around me, and holding this trophy means a lot.
Match turns after first set Before the Wimbledon final, Sinner had lost five times in a row to Alcaraz, including the Italian Open final, which was his first tournament after returning from a doping ban. He reversed that run at Wimbledon, preventing Alcaraz, 22, from winning his sixth Grand Slam.
In the final, Alcaraz hit a forehand long to give Sinner the first break of the match. The Spaniard then broke back to level at 4-4 in the opening set. Sinner double-faulted to give Alcaraz a set point, which the world number two converted with a backhand winner.
Sinner broke early in the second set and led 3-1 before a brief stoppage due to a champagne cork on court. He closed out the set with a forehand winner to level the match.
The third set went with serve until 4-4, when Sinner broke as Alcaraz slipped on the baseline. Sinner then took a two-sets-to-one lead. He broke again in the fourth set and served out the match on his second championship point.
Strong campaign, historic result Sinner had a strong start to his Wimbledon campaign, losing just 17 games in his first three rounds — matching an Open era record set in 1972. He advanced through the fourth round after Grigor Dimitrov retired with an injury while leading by two sets. Sinner then beat 10th seed Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals and defeated seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
Alcaraz was aiming to become only the fifth man in the Open era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
It is a really well-deserved trophy after an unbelievable two weeks here in London for you, playing great tennis, Alcaraz said to Sinner.
Sinner said the French Open loss helped him prepare emotionally for Sunday’s final.
I would say mostly emotionally because I had a very tough loss in Paris. But it doesn't matter how you win or lose, you just have to understand what you did wrong and try to work on it, Sinner said. This is what we did. This is one of the reasons I'm here holding this trophy.
Trying to become a better tennis player, but mostly a better person ♥️
Reflecting on his career, Sinner added: It’s so special. We were talking before the match. We would never have thought of being in this position back in the days when I was young. It was just a dream. This was so far away from where I am from.
Alcaraz, who had won 24 matches in a row coming into the final, said he had no regrets.
It's difficult to lose but first of all I have to congratulate Jannik. It is a really well-deserved trophy. He was playing great tennis, Alcaraz said.
Really happy to be able to build a really good relationship with him off the court and a great rivalry on the court.
Alcaraz added: Really proud of everything I'm doing. At the beginning of the season I struggled a bit and then suddenly I started to bring joy to the court again. Wimbledon is one of the most beautiful tournaments that we have on tour. I feel at home every time that I come here. It is such a beautiful court. The atmosphere is insane. It's a great journey so far. I just want to keep it going.
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Starmer and Reeves during a visit to Horiba Mira in Nuneaton in Nuneaton. (Photo: Getty Images)
PLANS by Labour to overhaul the tax rules for non-domiciled residents in the UK could cost the public purse up to £4 billion and result in the loss of thousands of private sector jobs, according to a new analysis.
A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), shared with The Times, suggested that scrapping the current non-dom regime could lead to a sharp drop in tax revenues if even a fraction of those affected decide to leave the country.
The thinktank estimates that if a quarter of non-doms - roughly 10,000 individuals - moved abroad, tax receipts could fall by £4.6bn over the next five years. That figure could rise to nearly £8bn if half of them departed.
The CEBR’s model, based on the approach used by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), also predicted that such a shift could cause the UK to lose between 3,100 and 6,300 jobs, depending on how many wealthy residents choose to relocate.
This potential tax shortfall poses a serious challenge for chancellor Rachel Reeves, who currently has £9.9bn in fiscal headroom. Experts warn that this cushion could be halved or even wiped out by the autumn due to other financial pressures, such as changes to welfare payments and weaker-than-expected economic growth.
Although Labour has stood by its commitment to end the non-dom tax regime, Reeves is now believed to be considering a partial rethink. Specifically, she may drop plans to apply inheritance tax to non-doms' worldwide assets, following concerns that the proposal could accelerate the departure of wealthy individuals.
“We’re continuing to work with stakeholders to ensure the new system remains competitive on the international stage,” a Treasury spokesperson said, noting the importance of attracting global talent and investment.
Some high-profile figures have already indicated they might leave, including steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.
Lakshmi Mittal
According to Companies House filings, more than 4,400 directors have stepped down from UK-based firms in the past year, with April departures up 75 per cent compared to the same month in 2024. Most of those exits were from finance, insurance, and property - sectors with high numbers of non-doms.
According to the report, the policy change is triggering an exodus of top earners. The centuries-old non-dom system allowed wealthy foreign residents to shield overseas income from UK taxes for a flat annual fee starting at £30,000. In its place, the government introduced a stricter residence-based scheme.
Now, anyone living in Britain for more than four years must pay income and capital gains tax on global income, with inheritance tax at 40 per cent also looming if they stay longer.
Sam Miley of the CEBR warned that even small economic shifts could have wider implications. “Our findings show the changes would negatively affect the economy, albeit modestly,” he was quoted as saying. “At a time of limited fiscal space, even marginal losses matter.”
Andrew Barclay, who runs the entrepreneur-led group Land of Opportunity, which commissioned the report, said: “It’s increasingly clear that abolishing non-dom status could do real harm to the economy and public finances. There’s still time to stop the outflow.”
A recent Oxford Economics survey of tax advisers found that 60 per cent expect over 40 per cent of their non-dom clients to leave the UK within two years of the changes taking effect.
While the exact number of departures remains unclear, the list of wealthy individuals who have already moved abroad includes billionaire Anne Beaufour, investor Max Gottschalk, and boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, among others.
Meanwhile, Labour faces growing pressure to strike a balance between tax fairness and maintaining the UK’s status as a global hub for wealth and investment.
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England's Zak Crawley clashes with India's Shubman Gill. Reuters/Peter Cziborra
A GRIPPING third day of the third Test at Lord’s ended in controversy on Saturday (12) as England opener Zak Crawley was accused of time-wasting, with tempers flaring between players from both sides.
What began as a tense cricketing contest turned into a verbal battle, as England and India pointed fingers at each other over questionable delays late in the day.
With just six minutes left on the clock, India were expecting to bowl two overs after matching England's first-innings total of 387 all out, thanks to a century from KL Rahul and fifties from Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant.
Instead, only one over was bowled as Crawley twice pulled away from his stance and then summoned the physio after a short ball from Jasprit Bumrah brushed his glove. The move, seen by many as deliberate stalling, sparked fury from India’s captain Shubman Gill.
Broadcast microphones picked up Gill swearing in frustration, prompting an apology from Sky Sports. The on-field tension escalated as Crawley and Gill exchanged heated words, with England’s Ben Duckett also stepping in.
The players jabbed fingers and shared angry glances, turning the cricket field into a scene more reminiscent of a football sideline spat.
India struck early on Sunday (13), with Mohammed Siraj removing both Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, before Zak Crawley was caught in the gully off Nitish Kumar Reddy. England slipped to 56 for 3.
England bowling coach Tim Southee attempted to deflect the criticism, pointing out India’s own delays earlier in the match. “I’m not sure what they were complaining about when Gill was lying down getting a massage yesterday,” he remarked. “Both sides showed a lot of energy, which made for great drama.”
Crawley’s fitness will be assessed overnight, with Southee offering only a dry, “Hopefully he’ll be alright to carry on tomorrow.”
India’s KL Rahul, who scored his 10th Test century and second at Lord’s, was less than surprised. “Two overs is a no-brainer with six minutes to go,” he said. “But it was a bit of theatrics. Everyone knows what was going on.”
Former England skipper and BBC pundit Michael Vaughan described Crawley's tactics as “as good a piece of time-wasting as I’ve ever seen.” He added, “India can’t complain—Gill was down with a hamstring strain yesterday. But what great drama and what a great day.”
Earlier, Rahul and Pant had built a solid 141-run stand before Pant was run out for 74, undone by a sharp direct hit from Ben Stokes. Rahul followed soon after, caught at slip for exactly 100 off Shoaib Bashir. Bashir, however, left the field with a suspected finger injury shortly after dismissing the centurion.
Jadeja steadied India’s innings with another crucial knock of 72, his third consecutive fifty, while new batter Nitish Kumar Reddy added 30 before being caught behind. A late 50-run partnership with Washington Sundar helped India pull level with England, before Sundar fell for 23.
England’s reply before stumps was brief but eventful. Crawley and Duckett finished the day unbeaten at 2-0, but not before reigniting tensions with Indian players. Shubman Gill mockingly applauded Crawley’s call for a physio, clearly unimpressed by what he saw as gamesmanship.
US CARMAKER Tesla is finally making its official debut in India with the opening of its first showroom in Mumbai.
The firm, led by Elon Musk, will unveil the new “Tesla Experience Centre” on Tuesday (15) at Maker Maxity Mall in the Bandra Kurla Complex, one of the city's top commercial hubs.
This marks Tesla’s first formal step into the Indian market, after years of delays and speculation. According to official records, the company has already imported around $1 million (£780,000) worth of cars, charging equipment, and accessories into the country—mostly from China and the US.
Among the imported vehicles are six units of the popular Model Y, with five standard versions valued at £25,350 each and one long-range model at £35,880. Several Tesla Superchargers were also shipped in as part of the initial setup.
Although India has been eager to welcome Tesla, including introducing policies to encourage local production, the company has chosen to start with imports.
This means Tesla will have to pay high import duties - nearly 70 per cent - making its cars much pricier in India compared to other markets. The government has offered lower duties of 15 per cent for companies willing to invest $500m (£390m) and set up manufacturing locally, but so far, Tesla has not agreed to those terms.
Reports suggest Tesla is not currently interested in building a factory in India. Musk had previously planned a visit to the country in 2024, during which he was expected to announce a multi-billion-dollar investment, but the trip was cancelled at the last minute.
Despite the absence of local production, Tesla appears committed to growing its presence. It has started hiring in India, filling positions for showroom advisors, service engineers, vehicle testers for its Autopilot system, and other roles in cities like Mumbai and Delhi.
The Indian EV market is growing rapidly, with local player Tata Motors and Chinese firm BYD already established in the sector. Tesla’s entry is expected to increase competition and raise interest in premium electric vehicles, even as high costs remain a concern for most buyers.
(with inputs from agencies)
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Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates with the trophy after winning the women's singles final against Amanda Anisimova of the US. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
IGA SWIATEK took another stride towards tennis greatness by ruthlessly tearing apart American 13th seed Amanda Anisimova 6-0 6-0 and lifting her first Wimbledon trophy on Saturday (12).
The big occasion turned into a nightmare for Anisimova who became the first woman to lose a Wimbledon final by that painful scoreline since 1911 and the first to do so at any major since Steffi Graf routed Natasha Zvereva at the 1988 French Open.
Already a US Open champion and a four-times French Open winner, Swiatek's demolition job at the All England Club meant that she became the youngest woman since a 20-year-old Serena Williams in 2002 to lift major titles on all three surfaces.
Her superb display on the sun-drenched lawns of London also ensured that she emerged as the first player since Monica Seles in 1992 to win her first six major finals.
"It's something that is just surreal. I feel like tennis keeps surprising me, and I keep surprising myself," Swiatek told reporters after hoisting the gilded Venus Rosewater Dish.
"I'm really happy with the whole process, how it looked like from the first day we stepped on a grasscourt. Yeah, I feel like we did everything for it to go in that direction without expecting it, just working really hard.
"It means a lot, and it gives me a lot of experience. Yeah, I don't even know. I'm just happy."
Swiatek's triumph ended a barren 13-month run for the Polish 24-year-old, who served a short suspension late last year after an inadvertent doping violation linked to contaminated sleep medication melatonin.
"I want to thank my coach (Wim Fissette). With the ups and downs now, we showed everybody it's working," Swiatek added.
On another warm afternoon on Centre Court, Swiatek got off to a scorching start by breaking a nervous Anisimova three times en route to dishing out the first bagel, prompting some spectators to get behind the shell-shocked American.
A frustrated Anisimova shrieked and desperately looked to her team in the stands for any kind of guidance after conceding yet another break point early in the second set and it was not long before her machine-like opponent pulled away further.
Anisimova continued to disappointingly crack under pressure, before Swiatek completed the brutal mauling in 57 minutes with a backhand winner on her second match point to become the first Wimbledon champion from Poland.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk celebrated with a picture of himself watching a post-match interview while holding a bowl of pasta and strawberries, Swiatek's cheat meal at Wimbledon, while president Andrzej Duda was effusive in his praise.
"Iga! Today, on the grasscourts of Wimbledon, you wrote history - not only for Polish sport, but also for Polish pride. On behalf of the Republic of Poland - thank you," Duda wrote.
Victory took Swiatek to 100 wins from 120 matches at the majors, making her the quickest to get to there since Williams in 2004, and denied Anisimova the chance to become the first American to win the title since her compatriot in 2016.
Swiatek jumped for joy on court before running towards her team in the stands to celebrate her triumph. The Friends fan was equally delighted to receive a congratulatory hug from American actress Courteney Cox, who was among the spectators.
All this while, Anisimova was left to wonder what could have been as she sat in her seat, before the tears began to flow during her on-court interview.
Few would have envisioned the American to hit the heights she did in the last fortnight after she fell outside the top 400 following her mental health break two years ago.
"I didn't have enough today," said Anisimova, who began the tournament with a 6-0 6-0 win over Yulia Putintseva but admitted to running out of gas in the final.
"I'm going to keep putting in the work, and I always believe in myself. I hope to be back again one day."
It was bitter disappointment for US fans hoping for an "American Slam" this year after Madison Keys won the Australian Open at the start of the year and Coco Gauff triumphed at the French Open last month.