The International Cricket Council handed Sarfraz Ahmed a four-match suspension on Sunday after a racist remark made by the Pakistan captain was picked up by a stump microphone in South Africa last week.
Sarfraz was heard making a comment in Urdu about Andile Phehlukwayo during last week's one day international in Durban, where the South African all-rounder formed a match-winning partnership with Rassie van der Dussen.
According to espncricinfo.com, the comment could be translated as: "Hey black guy, where's your mother sitting today? What (prayer) have you got her to say for you today?"
The global cricket governing body's chief executive David Richardson said as he announced the ban that the ICC "has a zero-tolerance policy towards conduct of this nature".
Sarfraz later apologised for the comment.
"I wish to extend my sincere apologies to any person who may have taken offence from my expression of frustration... My words were not directed towards anyone in particular and I certainly had no intention of upsetting anyone," Sarfraz wrote on Twitter.
"I did not even mean for my words to be heard, understood or communicated to the opposing team or the cricket fans."
The apology was given weight by the ICC as it handed out its suspension.
"Sarfraz has promptly admitted the offence, was regretful of his actions and has issued a public apology, so these factors were taken into account when determining an appropriate sanction," said Richardson.
The Pakistan Cricket Board expressed its "utmost disappointment" with the decision, saying it believed a ban was unnecessary because the matter had already been resolved between the two players.
"PCB anticipated that the matter had been resolved amicably between the two players and the two Boards following Sarfraz Ahmed's public apologies which were accepted by the player, the Board and South Africa cricket team," it said.
It said it would argue at ICC forums "(to promote) amicable resolutions to issues as opposed to penalties".
It added that Sarfraz would return immediately to Pakistan.
Phehlukwayo seemed at ease about the incident after the match, saying: "It was good chat."
Sarfraz was replaced as captain by Shoaib Malik for Sunday's fourth one-day international of a five-match series that Pakistan lead 2-1. Pakistan won the toss and decided to bowl with rain forecast later in the day.
Pakistan will play three Twenty20 matches in Cape Town next month.
The country is ranked number one in Twenty20 internationals and have won nine consecutive matches, as well as a world record 17 out of the 19 T20Is they played last year.
Pakistan have recalled fast bowler Mohammad Amir from the 15-man squad for the three-match Twenty20 series against South Africa.
The 26-year-old left-armer was left out of the limited-over and Test squads after a poor showing in last year's Asia Cup, but was brought back into both for the ongoing tour of South Africa.
MORE than 1,000 migrants arrived on small boats across the Channel on Shabana Mahmood’s first full day as home secretary, taking total arrivals this year past 30,000.
The Home Office said 1,097 migrants crossed on Saturday after nine days without any arrivals. It was the second-highest daily total this year, after 1,195 on May 31. Crossings have now reached 30,100 — 37 per cent higher than at this point in 2023 and 8 per cent higher than 2022, the record year.
Mahmood called the figures “utterly unacceptable” and said she would consider all options. She pledged the first deportations to France under the new one-in, one-out deal would begin “imminently”, with returns expected later this month.
Concerns remain that a possible collapse of the French government, with prime minister François Bayrou facing a confidence vote on Monday, could delay returns and a new maritime law allowing French police to intercept boats in the Channel, The Times reported.
The 30,000 mark has been reached earlier this year than any other since records began in 2018. It was reached on September 21 in 2022, October 30 last year, and not at all in 2023.
Mahmood, appointed home secretary after Angela Rayner’s resignation, is expected to outline plans to move asylum seekers from hotels into military sites.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: “Reshuffling ministerial deckchairs does not change the obvious fact Labour has totally lost control of our borders.”
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The mural has been covered and is being guarded by security
A new mural by street artist Banksy has appeared on the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.
The artwork depicts a judge hitting a protester, with blood splattering their placard.
It comes days after nearly 900 arrests at a London protest against the ban on Palestine Action.
The mural has been covered and is being guarded by security; Banksy confirmed authenticity via Instagram.
Banksy’s latest work at the Royal Courts of Justice
A new mural by the elusive Bristol-based street artist Banksy has appeared on the side of the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.
The artwork shows a judge in traditional wig and black robe striking a protester lying on the ground, with blood depicted on the protester’s placard. While the mural does not explicitly reference a specific cause or incident, its appearance comes just two days after almost 900 people were arrested during a protest in London against the ban on Palestine Action.
Security and public access
Social media images show that the mural has already been covered with large plastic sheets and two metal barriers. Security officials are guarding the site, which sits beneath a CCTV camera.
Banksy shared a photo of the artwork on Instagram, captioning it: “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.” This is consistent with the artist’s usual method of confirming authenticity.
Location and context
The mural is located on an external wall of the Queen’s Building, part of the Royal Courts of Justice complex. Banksy’s stencilled graffiti often comments on government policy, war, and capitalism.
Previous works in London
Last summer, Banksy launched an animal-themed campaign in London featuring nine works. The series concluded with a gorilla appearing to lift a shutter at the London Zoo. Other notable pieces included piranhas on a police sentry box in the City of London and a howling wolf on a satellite dish in Peckham, which was removed less than an hour after unveiling.
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7 moments that absolutely broke the Internet at the 2025 VMAs
Mariah Carey finally gets her long-overdue Video Vanguard Award and calls out MTV mid-speech.
Sabrina Carpenter turns her performance into a bold protest for trans rights, leaving the crowd stunned.
Lady Gaga ditches the venue for Madison Square Garden mid-night, sparking memes about her double life.
Ariana Grande’s on-stage struggle with her mic height and tiptoe stance becomes instant internet comedy.
Rosé makes K-pop history with a solo win, while Doja Cat’s lipstick-eating moment keeps TikTok in a chokehold.
Last night felt like pop culture grabbed us by the shoulders, shook us, and screamed, “STILL HERE, AND STILL MATTERS.” The VMAs were back, and they barged in like a loud cousin who knows the aux belongs to them. For three hours, pop culture felt alive again.
If you missed it, here’s what everyone is still talking about.
1. Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga’s sister act
Two women who once symbolised rivalry ended up dancing side by side. Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga hugged it out in the audience and celebrated each other’s wins, Ariana for Brighter Days Ahead and Gaga for Artist of the Year. Online, fans immediately branded them “sisters.” When Gaga won big and Ariana jumped up, beaming, it was the win we all needed.
2. Sabrina Carpenter crashes through the floor — and the noise
Sabrina literally rose out of a manhole surrounded by drag queens holding “Protect Trans Rights” signs. The crowd roared. Later, clutching her Best Album award, she dropped the line: “The world is your f**in’ oyster” and Ariana Grande shot to her feet in a standing ovation. That’s the kind of moment that defines an era. It was pop music with a spine.
Only Gaga. ONLY GAGA. Wins Artist of the Year, cracks a joke about having to get to Madison Square Garden, and literally dips out to perform a sold-out arena show. Her performance was pre-taped from MSG because the VMAs crowd was too small. One fan summed it up best: “Only Lady Gaga can leave an award show for a bigger crowd.” Icon behaviour.
She opened the show by teleporting us directly to a 1989 high school pep rally. Neon, Kenny G on the sax, the whole thing. It was ridiculous and perfect, and you couldn't look away. You saw Ariana in the crowd losing her mind to it and knew exactly how she felt. It was pure, unadulterated fun. No deeper meaning. Just vibes. And sometimes, that’s everything.
Mariah Carey, after forty years of hits, finally won her first VMA. The fact that she had never won a VMA before felt like a crime. Last night, we finally got to right that wrong. The look on her face, the weight of the moment, it was historic! Mariah looked down at the Moonperson, laughed, and said, “What were you waiting for?” The internet had been asking the same thing for hours. It was a long-overdue victory for a legend who has given us everything.
Summer Walker dressed as Pamela Anderson circa 1999. Ariana Grande channelled Audrey Hepburn in custom Fendi. Seeing Jessica Simpson back after 20 years felt like welcoming an old friend home. The carpet was less about new looks than ghosts of VMA past. Instagram feeds looked like a timeline collapsing in real time.
Yes, Gaga and Ariana dominated. But it was the unexpected wins that kept people talking. Rosé scored her first solo Moonperson with Apt. Megan Moroney walked away with the VMAs’ first-ever country award. Meanwhile, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar went home without wins. Love it or hate it, the show proved the VMAs still know how to rattle expectations.
So, what are we left with this morning? A hangover from the glitter bomb!
It wasn't a perfect show. It was better than that. It was human. It was protest signs and friendship hugs, legends getting their flowers, and a superstar literally running out the door to sing for her real fans. Exactly what the VMAs are supposed to be.
How noticing the changes in my father taught me the importance of early action, patience, and love
I don’t understand people who don’t talk or see their parents often. Unless they have done something to ruin your lives or you had a traumatic childhood, there is no reason you shouldn’t be checking in with them at least every few days if you don’t live with them.
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of looking after my parents – they lived with me while their old house was being sold, and their new house was being renovated.
Within this time, I noticed things happening to my dad (Chamanlal Mulji), an 81-year-old retired joiner. Dad was known as Simba when he lived in Zanzibar, East Africa because he was like a lion. A man in fairly good health, despite being an ex-smoker, he’d only had heart surgery back in 2017. In the last few years, he was having some health issues, but certain things, like his walking and driving becoming slow, and his memory failing, we just put down to old age. Now, my dad was older than my friend’s dad. Many of whom in their 70’s, dad, at 81 was an older dad, not common back in the seventies when he married my mum.
It was only when I spent extended time around my parents that I started noticing that certain things weren’t just due to old age. Some physical symptoms were more serious, but certain things like forgetting that the front door wasn’t the bathroom door, and talking about old memories thinking that they had recently happened rang alarm bells for me and I suspected that he might have dementia.
Dementia generally happens in old age when the brain starts to shrink. Someone described it to me as a person’s brain being like a bookshelf. The books at the top of the shelf are the new memories and the books at the bottom are the new memories. The books at the top have fallen off, leaving only the old memories being remembered. People with dementia are also highly likely to suffer from strokes.
Sadly, my dad was one of the few that suffered a stroke and passed away on 28th June 2025. If you have a parent, family member or anyone you know and you suspect that they might have dementia, please talk to your GP straight away. Waiting lists within the NHS are extremely LONG so the quicker people with dementia are treated, the better. Sadly, the illness cannot be reversed but medication can help it from getting worse.
One thing I would also advise is to have patience. Those suffering with dementia can be agitated and often become aggressive, but that’s only because they’re frustrated that they cannot do things the way they used to.
The disease might hide the person underneath, but there’s still a person in there who needs your love and attention.” - Jamie Calandriello
This one is for you, dad x
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Takeaway apps have become a source of employment for undocumented migrants
Uber warns Home Office rules targeting illegal gig economy workers could increase takeaway delivery costs in the UK.
Undocumented migrants have historically used food delivery apps for work, exploiting limited right-to-work checks.
Companies like Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat have introduced stricter checks, including facial recognition and document verification.
Compliance and administrative costs have contributed to a fall in Uber UK profits despite rising revenues.
Government enforcement includes thousands of interviews and hundreds of arrests for suspected illegal working.
Uber’s UK accounts at Companies House welcomed the Home Office’s efforts to deter migrants and people smugglers from risking Channel crossings. However, the company cautioned that “new legislative requirements could have an adverse impact on our business, including expenses necessary to comply with such laws and regulations.”
Takeaway apps have become a source of employment for undocumented migrants, attracted by historically limited right-to-work checks. Delivery riders have sometimes sold or rented their accounts on social media to “substitutes” who may be working illegally.
Company response and compliance measures
Over the past year, Uber, Deliveroo, and Just Eat have introduced stricter “right-to-work” verification, including enhanced facial recognition and document checks. Thousands of workers who failed these checks have been removed from the platforms.
The Home Office has urged delivery companies to strengthen monitoring to prevent misuse and suspend accounts where illegal work is detected. Officials are also sharing data on asylum accommodation to help companies monitor potential illegal employment.
Impact on Uber UK’s finances
Uber’s UK revenues increased from £5.3bn in 2023 to £6.5bn in 2024, but profits fell from £29.4m to £21.6m. The company cited rising administrative and compliance costs in its food delivery division as a key factor.
In February, Uber reported blocking thousands of accounts since April 2024 after introducing tougher right-to-work checks to prevent illegal substitutions.
Government enforcement figures
In July, Home Office immigration enforcement teams spoke to 1,780 individuals, resulting in 280 arrests for suspected illegal working. The asylum status of 53 individuals is currently under review.
Significance for the UK gig economy
The crackdown reflects broader government efforts to regulate gig economy employment and prevent illegal working while highlighting the potential economic impact on consumers. Takeaway prices may rise as delivery companies adjust to stricter verification requirements and increased compliance costs.