Archive May 9, 2025

IPL suspended for one week over safety concerns

By in News, Sports News
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Stephan Shemilt
Chief cricket reporter

The Indian Premier League has been suspended for one week amid the ongoing tensions between India and neighbouring Pakistan.

Overnight, India accused Pakistan of attacking three of its military bases with drones and missiles, a claim which Islamabad denied.

Pakistani authorities say 31 people have been killed and 57 injured by Indian air strikes in the country and Pakistan-administered Kashmir since Wednesday morning.

Twenty-six civilians were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir last month and India has accused Pakistan of supporting militants behind the attack – an allegation the neighbouring country has rejected.

The situation escalated on Tuesday evening when India launched a series of strikes in a move named “Operation Sindoor”.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it had consulted “key stakeholders” including franchisees, broadcaster and sponsors, before taking the decision.

“While the BCCI reposes full faith in the strength and preparedness of our armed forces, the Board considered it prudent to act in the collective interest of all stakeholders,” the statement added.

On Thursday, the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala was abandoned mid-match because of floodlight failure, with players, staff and media set to be evacuated from the city, which lies close to the contested region of Kashmir.

Later on the same day, the remaining matches in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) were moved to the United Arab Emirates.

The IPL, the richest franchise T20 league in the world, had been set to run until 25 May, with 16 games left to be played.

There are 10 England players – past and present – involved in this year’s tournament. They include former white-ball captain Jos Buttler, fast bowler Jofra Archer and all-rounder Jacob Bethell.

BBC Sport understands those players will be leaving India, with some already travelling home. Australian players are also expected to leave and are being supported by Cricket Australia.

IPL matches have been staged outside India before, with the 2009 edition held in South Africa following an attack on the Sri Lankan national side in Lahore in Pakistan, while the 2020 and second half of the 2021 seasons were staged in the United Arab Emirates during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Related topics

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Man Utd One Step Away From Europa League Glory Despite Horror Season

By in News, sport-news

Manchester United are, improbably, 90 minutes away from qualifying for next season’s Champions League after a 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Bilbao to set up a Europa League final against Tottenham.

Ruben Amorim’s men, who have endured a terrible Premier League campaign, came into Thursday’s second leg at Old Trafford with a comfortable 3-0 cushion.

But the 4-1 scoreline gives a misleading impression of the match as the nervy home side struggled to gain a foothold after falling behind to a superb Mikel Jauregizar strike in the first half.

READ ALSO: Spurs Reach Europa League Final To Keep Postecoglou’s Trophy Boast Alive

A triple substitution shortly after the hour mark changed the game, with substitute Mason Mount scoring two eye-catching goals and Amad Diallo creating havoc on the right.

Manchester United’s English midfielder #07 Mason Mount (2L) celebrates with teammates after scoring Manchester United’s fourth goal during the UEFA Europa League semi final second leg football match between Manchester United and Athletic Club Bilbao at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, north west England, on May 8, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund scored the other goals as the nerves disappeared at Old Trafford, giving way to a raucous party atmosphere.

“I think if you look at both games, it was so much tougher than if you look just to the result,” said Amorim.

“We have so many weaknesses and you can understand that in the game, but we are fighting and we managed to pass. I think we deserve, if you look at the two games, to be in the final.”

In the final, United will face Tottenham, who beat Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate.

Amorim, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag in November, admitted the showpiece in Bilbao later this month would be his biggest match so far at the club.

“The money (in the Champions League) is not the most important, even the title,” he said.

“To win a title as a coach is that feeling. It’s that feeling that we can do good things, the feeling to give something to our fans, especially in this kind of season.”

Premier League slump

United are heading for their worst finish in the English top-flight since they were relegated in 1974, though they cannot go down this season.

But it has been a radically different story in Europe, where they are the only team unbeaten in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

The fact that United are pinning all their hopes on Europe’s second-tier club competition is a sign of how far they have fallen since they were regularly competing at the sharp end of the Champions League.

They reached four Champions League finals under former manager Alex Ferguson, winning two of them.

Ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, now FIFA’s head of global football development, believes it is not appropriate that the Europa League winners qualify for the Champions League.

This is especially because five English teams will qualify for Europe’s top club competition through the Premier League.

Rival teams will balk at the presence of United or Tottenham in next season’s Champions League after their dire league form.

Both teams are guaranteed to finish outside of the European qualification places in the Premier League, with United currently in 15th and Spurs in 16th.

But the rules are set and both clubs have the chance to finish on a high.

Tottenham have beaten United three times this season, twice in the Premier League and once in the League Cup, but Amorim is not unduly perturbed.

“Every game has its history. So, we lost the three last games, we can win this one,” said the former Sporting Lisbon boss.

“So, if you look at the odds, we are closer to win than to lose. Both teams are going to play like all or nothing in this kind of game. It’s quite similar. The position of the coach is quite similar.

“I know that (Spurs manager) Ange (Postecoglou) has been there for one more year. It is different, the context, but we are struggling, both of us. So, I don’t know what is going to happen.”

Chelsea and Strasbourg prepare for multi-club rule changes

By in News, Sports News
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Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter
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Chelsea’s US-based owners are preparing for a situation in which the Blues qualify for the same European competition as French sister club Strasbourg.

Uefa, European football’s governing body, has strict rules regarding multi-club ownership models and it has forced BlueCo, the parent company of both Chelsea and Strasbourg, into a change to allow both clubs a chance of playing Champions League football next season – should they qualify.

Strasbourg are currently sixth in Ligue 1 and will likely need to win their last two matches to secure a third-placed finish to qualify for the Champions League, ahead of the likes of Monaco, Nice, Lille and Lyon.

Chelsea’s owners have been in conversation with Uefa since January about setting up a structure that is compliant. Strasbourg are expected to move into a ‘blind’ trust, while removing any conflicts like board members or staff working across the two clubs.

The two established ways round Uefa’s multi-club ownership rules are to either reduce a stake in one of them – as Brighton owner Tony Bloom did with his Belgian outfit Union-Saint Gilloise – or put one of them into a blind trust so an individual cannot exert influence over two clubs.

In a similar situation to BlueCo, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has diluted his control of the club in preparation for possible Champions League qualification, with Olympiakos set to qualify for the competition by winning the Greek league.

Legally, Marinakis has ceased to become a “person with significant control” of the company that owns Forest.

Marinakis maintains his commitment to Forest, as do Chelsea’s owners towards Strasbourg, after substantial off-field and on-field investment since their £64m takeover in 2023.

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe moved his two other Ineos-owned clubs Nice and Lausanne-Sport into this structure and City Football Group, which owns Manchester City, also moved Girona into a blind trust.

Strasbourg are led by English manager Liam Rosenior and are unbeaten since the March international break, including beating champions PSG last week, with their final two matches against relegation threatened Angers and Le Havre.

Strasbourg could achieve their highest league finish since 1979 with the youngest squad in Europe’s top five leagues.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are fifth in the Premier League with three games against Newcastle, Manchester United and Forest remaining.

If both clubs fall short of qualifying for the Champions League, they could both end up in the Europa League.

Related topics

  • Chelsea
  • Premier League
  • Football

Katie Price shares real reason she hated Loose Women and ‘will never do it again’

By in Entertainment News, News

Former glamour model Katie Price opened up about her time on the Loose Women panel from 2015 to 2018 and admitted she ‘hated doing that show’

Katie Price shares real reason she hated Loose Women and ‘will never do it again’(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Katie Price revealed the real reason she hated doing Loose Women as she confessed she will ‘never do it again’. The former glamour model, 46, was a regular on the ITV daytime show between 2015 and 2018, but Katie said it was actually a tough time for her and admitted she ‘didn’t like’ being on it.

The Mucky Mansion star took part in a Q&A session at The University of Cambridge’s Student Union, where she revealed she ‘hid’ her personal issues while appearing on the programme. She said: “I hated doing that show. The interesting thing about Loose Women, I presented on it for two years, believe it or not, and it was around the start and during my breakdown and no one knew.

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Katie Price
Katie regularly appeared on Loose Women(Image: S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

“I hid it very well on there. The only thing I didn’t like about Loose Women was, you had these in-ears and you’re told when you can speak, when you can’t, or if someone is talking, ‘Kate, don’t interrupt, Kate don’t say this, Kate don’t say that’, so it’s quite hard.”

The star said everything was ‘very different’ behind the scenes of daytime television and insisted she would ‘never, ever do it again’.

However, she said she did have fun and ‘got to meet a lot of people’.

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Katie Price attends The Future is White Fox Party on September 19, 2024 in London
The star said she’ll never do the show again(Image: Getty Images)

“I wasn’t really well, but no one really knew, it was the start of my breakdown, horrible days,” Katie explained. “But I liked the women I did it with, we had fun, but yeah, I wouldn’t do that show again.

“Maybe I should have my own presenting show, that’s something I haven’t done, but it would have to be late night because there’s no filter with me.”

Katie has been open about her mental health struggles and previously revealed she suffered a mental breakdown after being robbed at gunpoint and sexually assaulted in South Africa in 2018 as well as being arrested on suspicion of drink driving after crashing her car.

In her autobiography, she explained how she tried to suppress everything that happened in South Africa but it eventually got too much for her and she attempted to take her own life and ended up being treated for PTSD in the Priory.

She wrote in her book: “My memory is a bit fuzzy with it all, if I’m honest. It happened so quickly, but at the time it seemed like it went on for ever. It was surreal. I kept thinking, ‘Is this happening? Is this actually happening? Am I dreaming?’

“I could make out two men, who I now know to be hijackers, trying to get into the other car, where the film crew were, while the rest of them were around our car.”

*If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch

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India and Pakistan tension mounting amid attacks and accusations

By in News, World News

Tensions continue to mount as India and Pakistan traded accusations and attacks across their frontier in Kashmir overnight.

New Delhi and Islamabad accused one another on Friday of launching drone attacks as well as “numerous ceasefire violations” over the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed territory. The ongoing hostilities have provoked further calls for restraint as the risk of an escalation between the two nuclear powers grows.

Pakistan launched “multiple attacks” using drones and other munitions along India’s western border on Thursday night and early Friday, the Indian army said, claiming it had repelled the attacks and responded forcefully, although it did not provide details.

Islamabad has denied any cross-border attacks and instead accused Indian forces of sending drones into Pakistani territory, killing at least two civilians. The Pakistani military claims to have shot down 25 Indian drones in recent days.

Local officials in areas near the Line of Control reported an unusually intense night of artillery exchanges that left at least four civilians dead and wounded 12, with firing continuing well into Friday morning.

Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the Indian army statement was “baseless and misleading”, and that Pakistan had not undertaken any “offensive actions” targeting areas within Indian-administered Kashmir or beyond the country’s border.

Kashmiri villagers wail outside their house damaged after cross-border shelling from Pakistan, at Salamabad village in Uri, north of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, May 8, 2025 (EPA)

Islamabad had earlier denied attacking Pathankot city in India’s Punjab state, Srinagar in the Kashmir valley, and Rajasthan state’s Jaisalmer, saying the accusations were “unfounded” and “politically motivated”.

South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman warned that the spread of “disinformation is escalating as rapidly as the hostilities”.

“Both are very dangerous for different reasons. Follow the fact checkers,” he posted on social media, urging the public to rely on verified sources.

‘None of our business’

India launched “Operation Sindoor” on Wednesday targeting what it described as fighter camps inside Pakistan in retaliation for an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

New Delhi has accused Islamabad of backing the perpetrators, an allegation Pakistan strongly denies.

Since then, exchanges of fire, drone activity, and airspace violations have intensified, leaving nearly four dozen people dead, the majority in Pakistan.

The ongoing clashes mark one of the worst escalations between the nuclear-armed rivals in recent years. The pair has fought three full-scale wars over Kashmir, which both claim, since they gained independence from Britain in 1947.

World powers from the United States to China have called on both sides to exercise restraint.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with leaders in both countries on Thursday and urged “immediate de-escalation”, his spokeswoman said.

Vice President JD Vance echoed the call but added that the US would not get involved.

“What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, not going to get involved in the middle of a war that’s fundamentally none of our business,” he told Fox News.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, currently visiting New Delhi, also urged restraint. “We hope that India and Pakistan will prevent the escalation of tension in the region,” he said upon arrival.

China, a close ally of Pakistan, called India’s cross-border strikes “regrettable” and urged both governments to show restraint.