Former Australian spinner Shane Warne on Wednesday picked Sourav Ganguly as the skipper of his greatest Indian XI. Among the selections, the most notable omission was of VVS. Laxman as he had an impeccable record against Australia.
The 50-year-old nominated his greatest Indian XI during an Instagram Live session and picked only the players he played against in his career. Warne picked Virender Sehwag and Navjot Singh Sidhu as the openers of his side, and he also gave clarification as to why he picked Sidhu in his side.
“I had to pick Navjot Singh Sidhu because he was the best player against spin I have ever played against, all the other spinners I have played with, they have also told me that Siddhu was brilliant against them,” Warne said on Instagram.
The spinner also went on to say that Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni would have made the side, but as Warne did not play a single Test against them, as a result, the duo missed out.
“Dravid became a friend over the years, I got to know him during a stint with Rajasthan Royals, he made plenty of hundreds against us,” he added.
“I went for Ganguly because I wanted him to be the captain of my side, that is why VVS Laxman missed out,” he added.
Warne had a mixed record against India in the longest format of the game as he picked 43 wickets from 24 innings at an average of 45.79.
In ODIs against India, Warne scalped 15 wickets from 18 ODIs at an average of 56.25.
A total of 126 Labour MPs had publicly supported a move to block the proposals, marking the biggest rebellion under Starmer’s leadership so far. (Photo: Getty Images)
THE GOVERNMENT has backtracked on plans to reduce disability and sickness benefits following a major rebellion by MPs from within the Labour Party.
Care minister Stephen Kinnock confirmed on Friday that concessions had been made to address concerns raised by lawmakers who opposed the proposed reforms. This comes just days after prime minister Keir Starmer had said he would continue with the changes.
A total of 126 Labour MPs had publicly supported a move to block the proposals, marking the biggest rebellion under Starmer’s leadership so far.
A spokesperson for the prime minister’s Number 10 office said, “The government had listened to MPs who support the principle of reform but are worried about the pace of change for those already supported by the system.”
The spokesperson added that a revised set of measures would maintain support for those “who need it, by putting it on a sustainable footing.”
Changes to be announced in parliament
Kinnock said the concessions, which will be presented in parliament later, would include a “staggered approach” to the reforms.
This change means that the stricter eligibility criteria originally proposed will now apply only to new claimants and not to people who are already receiving benefits.
“What's clear from the announcement today is that it's going to be a more staggered process whereby people who are existing claimants are protected,” Kinnock said.
The reversal comes near the end of the Starmer government’s first year in office. The Labour Party came to power after defeating the Conservatives in a general election held on July 4, 2024.
Kinnock said he was now confident that the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (Pip) Bill, which includes the reforms, would pass a parliamentary vote scheduled for Tuesday.
The government had aimed to save £5.0 billion through the proposed changes, which have now been partly rolled back.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is continuing efforts to stimulate growth in the UK’s slow economy.
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THE Delhi High Court has refused immediate relief to a man whose wife Harshita Brella was murdered in the UK, after he approached the court fearing arrest on domestic cruelty charges.
The vacation bench of justices Pratibha M Singh and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta heard the petition from Pankaj Lamba, who was challenging a magistrate's May 1 order declaring him a proclaimed offender.
The court told Lamba he could use legal remedies in accordance with the law if arrested, but said the case should be heard by the regular court as various legal issues were involved.
Harshita Brella's body was discovered in the boot of a car in east London on November 14, 2024. The car belonged to her husband Lamba and was parked in Brisbane Road, Ilford.
Brella's family claimed it was a planned murder, alleging that Lamba managed to flee to India just one day after killing his wife.
Her family filed a complaint at Palam village police station on November 19 last year. A case against Lamba and other family members was registered on December 3 under sections of the Indian Penal Code including cruelty to a married woman, criminal breach of trust and common intention.
In an order on June 18, Justice Pratibha M Singh noted: "The FIR dated December 3, 2024, against the petitioner has been registered under Sections 498A, 406 and 34 of the IPC, according to which his wife, Harshita Brella is stated to have died under mysterious circumstances in the United Kingdom."
The court said the matter required consideration as various legal issues had been raised. It noted that Lamba's father was already in custody.
"List this matter before the regular court on July 15. If the petitioner is arrested in the meantime, he may avail his legal remedies in accordance with the law," the court ordered.
His parents, Darshan Singh and Sunil Devi, were arrested on March 19 this year in connection with the case. Lamba had expressed fear of arrest in the case registered at Palam Vihar police station, but the court said the matter should be heard by the regular bench rather than the vacation court.
(PTI)
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The 30-year-old fast bowler has struggled with injuries throughout his career and has played just 13 Tests, the last of which was in February 2021.
JOFRA ARCHER has been named in England's squad for the second Test against India, marking his return to the Test side after more than four years.
The 30-year-old fast bowler has struggled with injuries throughout his career and has played just 13 Tests, the last of which was in February 2021.
Archer last appeared for England in March during a one-day international against South Africa at the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
He returned to first-class cricket on Sunday, playing for Sussex for the first time in four years. He took one wicket in a drawn match against Durham.
Speaking to the BBC, Archer said it had been a mental challenge to return to red-ball cricket but confirmed he was ready for Test matches.
"Yeah. I guess so," he said. "I just want to get through the game. I'm glad I've finished a day of four-day cricket."
England won the first Test at Headingley on Tuesday with a five-wicket victory over India. Archer was added to the squad on Thursday as the only change ahead of the second Test in Birmingham.
Archer, who was born in Barbados, made an immediate impact after his debut in 2019, providing England with pace and accuracy. He bowled the decisive super over in the World Cup final against New Zealand that year and later took 22 wickets in four Tests during the Ashes series against Australia, which ended in a draw.
Since then, he has dealt with recurring injuries. An elbow injury first suffered in 2020 required multiple surgeries. He also had to recover from a stress fracture in his back in 2022.
He was recently ruled out of England's ODI series against the West Indies due to a thumb injury sustained while playing for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
Archer has taken 42 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 31.
Jacob Bethell, Sam Cook and Jamie Overton, who were part of the squad for the first Test but did not play, have retained their places for the second Test at Edgbaston, which begins on July 2.
England squad: Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wkt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Netflix offers fans an early look at the dark new beginning of Squid Game Season 3
Netflix releases first six minutes of Squid Game season 3 ahead of 27 June premiere
Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae) is brought back in a coffin, symbolising rebirth and punishment
Creator Hwang Dong Hyuk and actor Lee Byung Hun reveal Front Man’s twisted plan
Season 3 promises higher stakes, emotional turns, and a brutal final showdown
Just a day before Squid Game returns for its third and final season, Netflix has dropped the first six minutes of the premiere episode. The sneak peek sets a grim tone as Seong Gi Hun, played by Lee Jung Jae, is carried back into the game in a coffin, typically reserved for eliminated players. Far from being a triumphant return, Gi Hun’s re-entry signals a dark new beginning, as the show prepares for its most emotionally intense and dangerous season yet.
— (@)
Gi Hun’s guilt and the cruel design behind his return
Inside the dormitory, fellow players are stunned to see Gi Hun alive. But the man once known for his courage is now overcome with guilt and despair. Haunted by the deaths of 35 players, many caused by his failed rebellion, he lashes out, begging the guards to shoot him. "Why did you not kill me?" he screams, before grabbing a weapon and demanding to be executed.
But his survival is no accident. Director Hwang Dong Hyuk explains that Front Man, played by Lee Byung Hun, sent Gi Hun back not out of mercy, but with a deeper psychological goal: “He wants Gi Hun to fully grasp the cost of his actions and eventually lose faith in himself and humanity.”
Front Man’s ultimate goal: breaking Gi Hun’s spirit
Lee Byung Hun reveals more about his character’s mindset: “Front Man does not care whether Gi Hun lives or dies, he wants him to let go of hope. That is the real punishment.” The two former champions are now locked in a philosophical battle, each representing opposing worldviews.
As Netflix teases more perilous games and emotional turns, fans are left wondering: can Gi Hun survive with his values intact, or will he break under pressure?
Tawseef Khan is a qualified immigration solicitor and academic who made his literary debut with the acclaimed non-fiction book Muslim, Actually. His first novel Determination, originally published in 2024 and now available in paperback, brings his legal and creative worlds together in a powerful, emotionally rich story.
Set in a Manchester law firm, Determination follows Jamila, a 29-year-old immigration solicitor juggling frantic client calls, family expectations and her own wellbeing. Based on Khan’s lifelong proximity to immigration law, including his father starting a practice from their living room, the novel explores the human cost of a broken system with compassion, wit and clarity.
In this interview with Eastern Eye, Khan reflects on the journey behind Determination, his inspirations and why writing about immigration is as much about love as it is about justice.
He says "immigrants are the lifeblood of this country"Instagram/ itsmetawseef
What first connected you to writing?
I've always been an avid reader, ever since I was a child. It helped that my parents were strict about everything except buying books. From there, I started watching TV shows and writing them out in my notebook. I loved the feeling of putting the story down on paper, making sense of what had happened.
What led you towards writing your debut novel?
I grew up with a dad who was an immigration solicitor. He started his practice from our living room when I was about six years old, so it is all I have ever known. I knew there was a strong story there. Immigrants and immigration lawyers are poorly understood but easily reviled. I wanted to explore what it was like to be inside the immigration system, navigating that bureaucracy and helping vulnerable people through the cruelty. It is a lot of pressure.
Tell us a little bit about the story of your book.
Jamila is a 29-year-old immigration solicitor who has inherited the family's precious law firm. She is prone to being woken in the middle of the night by frantic phone calls from clients on the cusp of deportation. She works every hour that God sends her, with no time for friends, family or even herself. Jamila’s life feels hectic and out of control. Then a breakdown of sorts forces her to seek change, to pursue her own happiness while navigating the endless expectations that others seem to have of her and still committing herself to a career devoted to helping others.
What inspired the story, and is any of it drawn from real-life incidents?
While it is inspired by my background, none of the stories or cases in the book are drawn from real life. That would be unethical and would probably get me into trouble since I am still a practising solicitor. But I borrowed a lot from the energies in our office. And since I have a PhD examining the British asylum system, I took a lot from my own research.
What is your own favourite passage of the book?
It is about a character called Nazish, who is appealing the Home Office’s decision to refuse her case. As she fights with Jamila to tell her story on her own terms, there is one part she has been keeping back – the experience of being sent to a detention centre.
Is there a key message you want to convey with this book?
Immigrants are the lifeblood of this country and deserve to be treated with more dignity and respect, as do the lawyers representing them.
What inspired the title Determination?
In immigration law, a final decision is often called a ‘determination’. So the book is constantly exploring the tensions in that term – the desire to build a life for yourself versus the right of the system to decide its outcome for you. It is about power and agency, really. And the term also contains the word ‘deter’, an important reference to Theresa May’s ‘hostile environment’.
This book is, in a way, a love letter to how they raised meInstagram/ itsmetawseef
How did you feel when the hardback was published last year?
Elated. The book was a hard one to write and it had a long road to publication: I had the idea at 23, I started writing it at 29, and I published it at 37. My parents were very proud too. This book is, in a way, a love letter to how they raised me and the life we have lived – in service to our clients.
Who are you hoping connects with your novel?
People who are interested in reading about the world and understanding it better. I did not write the book for any audience in particular, but there is no doubt that those who care about migration issues, about the world we currently live in, and who have some affiliation with south Asian communities will feel seen and represented in this book. How many times do we get to say a book is filled with smart, independent and unapologetic brown women?
What kind of books do you enjoy reading yourself?
I have always tried to read the ‘world’, using it to travel to places and lives I could not imagine visiting. Since I write both fiction and non-fiction, I tend to read both too.
What, according to you, makes for a great novel?
That is a hard question. I think it has to be some combination of complex characters, a compelling story and gorgeous prose – but I am open to it all.
What inspires you as a writer?
I find inspiration everywhere – in films, books, TV shows, paintings, my garden, and in my culture, community and family. These are the stories I am most interested in telling.
What can we expect next from you?
I never speak of the next project until it is a solid, confirmed thing – I am very superstitious. But also, publishing is such a difficult, unpredictable industry, you never know if you will be lucky enough to publish again.
Why should we pick up your new book? Because it is moving, enlightening, funny and hopeful, all in one. And it is written with a lot of love for South Asian communities in Britain – men and women, and the different generations of migrants that have come here.