LONDON: UK shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel has called on the British government to intervene in the “increase in violence” in Bangladesh that has involved murders of Hindus and use its influence to bring about stability in the country. The British Indian Opposition Conservative MP posted her letter to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on social media on Friday, which also calls upon the Labour Party government to make a statement on the issue in the House of Commons. “The situation in Bangladesh is very concerning. Religious freedoms should be protected and the murders of Hindus and persecution taking place are wrong and must stop,” said Patel. “The UK government must use its influence and convening powers to work to bring about stability in Bangladesh and a future where religious freedoms are protected and Hindus as safe,” she said. In her letter to Cooper, the shadow minister points to reports of at least six Hindus being killed within an 18-day period in recent weeks. “This level of persecution and violence is unacceptable… Given the increase in violence, can you advise what steps have been taken over the last year to monitor and make representations? “Given the wider political situation in Bangladesh, what work is underway with partners in the region to use our diplomatic influence and convening powers to bring about stability in Bangladesh and respect and protections for minorities,” she questions in her letter. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has condemned a “disturbing pattern” of recurring attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. “We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities as well as their homes and businesses by extremists. Such communal incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. “We have observed a troubling tendency to attribute such incidents to personal rivalries, political differences, or extraneous reasons. Such disregard only emboldens the perpetrators, and deepens the sense of fear and insecurity among minorities,” he said. British Hindu groups led by the Bengali Hindu Adarsha Sangha (BHAS) UK have been coordinating protests in London against the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. “The minority communities of Bangladesh are facing long-standing concerns over discrimination, violence, murder and demographic decline,” BHAS UK said at a protest recently. The protesters condemned the “unethical arrest of interfaith voice Chinmaya Prabhu and public lynching of Dipu Das by Islamic extremists”. Chinmoy Krishna Das is a Hindu monk who was arrested in Bangladesh in 2024 on sedition charges. Das, a 25-year-old garment factory worker, was lynched to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh city on December 18 last year. His body was then set on fire.

NEW DELHI: Vrinda was only 16 when her father was shot dead. To keep the family afloat, her mother, Rachna Yadav, opened a small shop selling salwar suits. Now, Vrinda and her elder sister have lost her to bullets too.Rachna (52) was the president of her block’s residents welfare association and also worked with a party. The family said she was also planning to revive a YouTube-based news portal that was shut after her husband’s death. “My mother promised that once I finished my degree, we would turn our shop into an office for the news portal and I would become its anchor,” said Vrinda, a journalism student at IP University. Recalling their last conversation, Rachna’s elder daughter, 32-year-old Kanika, said, “Just the night before she was killed, she said she wanted to see my daughter. I was planning to come this week,” she said. Having lost both parents to violence, the sisters said they feared for their own safety.

Siblings Fear For Safety, Rachna Yadav Was RWA President

Since 2023, Rachna had run the garment shop from a small space near her house, which also doubled as her RWA office. A whiteboard outside listed her open-door policy for residents and her fixed hours – 11am to 2pm and again from 5pm to 6.30pm – during which she addressed local grievances. In between, she continued selling clothes to support her family.On Saturday, the park outside her house was filled with mourners. Many women from the neighbourhood sat quietly on benches, offering condolences. A resident said Rachna had encouraged women to raise local issues and stand up for themselves. “A few years ago, when there was a fire in the nearby shanties, she played a key role in helping residents,” she said.On May 22, 2023, Rachna’s husband, property dealer Bijender Yadav, was shot in Bhalswa village of Jahangirpuri. Bijender, a declared criminal with nine cases, including murder, was killed following a long-standing rivalry that was brewing for nearly 18 months. The crime branch had arrested Sanju Yadav and his associate Sandeep Panwar. The conflict was triggered by a parking dispute between Sanju and Bijender’s brother, Rahul Yadav, which escalated after Rahul posted offensive comments and threats on Facebook. Fearing that Bijender was plotting to kill them, Sanju and Sandeep conspired to strike first. The rivalry, police said, was further escalated during the 2022 MCD election when Sanju’s brother became a councillor while Bijender’s brother lost it and allegedly tried to threaten Sanju’s group.The family claimed Bijender was acquitted in many of the criminal cases.

Problems inside the England camp during the recent Ashes 2025-26 in Australia have now been finally exposed by the English media. England head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes were not always on the same page, even though they looked united in public.

Despite their Ashes loss to Australia by a 4-1 margin, both McCullum and Stokes kept supporting the Bazball style openly, but the things behind closed doors were very different.

Explosive report reveals Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes rift during Ashes 2025-26

A bombshell new report by The Telegraph has lifted the lid on the serious behind-the-scenes tensions between Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes during their disastrous 2025-26 Ashes campaign in Australia.

Your daily dose of cricket!

Read Also: Nasser Hussain breaks silence on clash with Brendon McCullum, issues ‘sacking’ warning after Ashes loss

It is being said that there was a significant tactical and philosophical clash between the coach and captain that played a key role in the team’s embarrassing Ashes defeat in Australia.

The incident: training ground dispute sparks rift

The report revealed that the first heated exchange happened during the long break between the first and second tests. England had suffered a heavy loss in the first Test that ended in just two days. After the Ashes opener, McCullum and Stokes had opposite ideas about how to handle the team.

Brendon McCullum’s Approach: The head coach wanted lighter and relaxed sessions so that the players could stay fresh and relaxed and maintain a positive mindset.

Stokes’ Demand: The captain wanted intense and grueling training physically and mentally. He felt the team needed more intense work to bounce back from such an embarrassing defeat.

This disagreement on philosophy created the first crack in their once-solid partnership.

Tactical tensions spill onto the field

This difference slowly began showing on the field as well. As the five-match Test series progressed, Stokes, who is usually very attacking, started batting more carefully and became cautious with his bowling plans. This change did not sit well with Brendon McCullum, who strongly believes in always playing positive and aggressive cricket.

Read Also: ‘Angry’ James Anderson destroys Ben Stokes over ‘nonsense’ comments after 1-4 Ashes defeat

The report claimed that this also caused tension inside the England dressing room. Their words in public also began to sound different. Stokes started talking more about toughness, fight, and mental strength. He wanted his players to show more hunger and grit.

On the other hand, McCullum continued to speak about freedom, trust, and keeping a happy team environment. An insider claimed that McCullum felt Stokes was starting to feel the pressure of the Ashes 2025-26, and this was affecting his decisions and instincts.

Mixed messages and confusing team selections

England’s team selections and plans also became confusing as Stokes and McCullum were not fully aligned during the Ashes tour. Some decisions made little sense, such as playing Will Jacks at number eight on flat pitches where batting depth was needed. The overall strategy looked unclear, and the team never found a proper rhythm during the Test series.

Remains of ancient settlement off the Dwarka coast in the Arabian Sea

AHMEDABAD: Dwarka, the ancient Gujarat coastal town closely associated with the legend of Lord Krishna and home to the revered Dwarkadhish Temple, is set to witness renewed rounds of archaeological excavations, both on land and underwater, senior officials of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have said. The proposed work aims to explore previously unexamined areas using modern technology to gain a deeper understanding of the region’s historical and cultural past, reports Parth Shastri. Underwater archaeological excavations at Dwarka were last carried out between 2005 and 2007, while limited exploratory studies were conducted again in 2025.Upcoming Dwarka exploration phase to be more extensive: ASIAccording to ASI officials, the upcoming phase will be more extensive and systematic. Alok Tripathi, additional director-general of ASI, told TOI that new areas at Beyt Dwarka and unexplored underwater zones will be covered by the agency’s Underwater Archaeology Wing (UAW). “Dwarka has been under study for nearly 40 years, but the work so far has been limited in scope and objectives. We are now examining the other side of the mouth of the Gomti river,” Tripathi said. Experts said modern tools and technology would be deployed to enable larger and deeper excavations in the Arabian Sea. Tripathi himself was part of the five-member UAW team that conducted underwater exploratory work at Dwarka in Feb last year. During that time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also dived underwater off Dwarka coast to view submerged remains discovered on the seabed, drawing national attention to the site. On land, the focus will be on relatively undisturbed areas of Beyt Dwarka. Earlier excavations were largely concentrated near the cliff area. “We are now going deeper inside the forest area, where we have observed signs of a significant settlement. The site has some remarkable features, and excavations at lower levels could reveal important details about settlement planning, economic activities, arts and crafts, and the way of life of the inhabitants,” Tripathi said. The site has attracted attention alike due to the legend of the sunken city of Dwarka, believed to be founded by Lord Krishna. The ASI website indicates that explorations were carried out to understand the submerged archaeological remains off the coast of Dwarka as sculptures and stone anchors were found during low tide in coastal areas. The excavations so far have yielded many antiquities, including terracotta objects, beads, fragmented bangles, copper rings, iron ingots and pottery among others, according to the ASI website. Apart from Dwarka, the ASI has also initiated excavations at other key sites in Gujarat. Work has begun at Valabhipur, the ancient capital located in Bhavnagar district, and at Lothal, the Harappan-era site renowned for its water structure believed to be among the world’s oldest dockyards. With the upcoming National Maritime Heritage Complex near Lothal, archaeologists are exposing a larger area of the site using advanced tools and techniques. Tripathi emphasised that archaeology goes beyond excavation. “Our task is to place findings in perspective and fill gaps in historical understanding,” he said, adding that India’s use of technology in archaeology is on par with global standards and increasingly relies on interdisciplinary approaches. Gujarat has seen significant archaeological activity over the past decade, including extensive ASI-led excavations at Vadnagar in Mehsana district, PM Modi’s hometown, uncovering evidence of continuous habitation over two millennia. The state is also home to major Harappan sites such as Dholavira, now a Unesco World Heritage Site, and Lothal, highlighting Gujarat’s rich and layered archaeological heritage.