
Win a ten-night trip to India for two with Exotic Vacations by Oberoi Hotels & Resorts worth £45,000
The winner can choose to begin their journey with two nights at The Oberoi, New Delhi, and finish with two nights at The Oberoi, Mumbai, or vice versa, with return flights from London included. The former is the city's grande dame, with a rooftop bar; the latter has far-reaching views of the sea; both have smart interiors with bright pops of colour. As part of the trip, you'll also spend a night at The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra (perfect for trips to the Taj Mahal); three nights at The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur (surrounded by acres of lovely gardens); and two nights at The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur (modelled on Indian palaces). Intercity transfers between all of the properties are included.
Your stay must be booked by October 26, 2025 for stays between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026. You will need to book at least three weeks in advance of your departure date, and blackout dates include Christmas, New Year and the Easter holidays.
For more information, click here.
For your chance to win, simply vote in each category in this year's Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards. There are 17 categories in total.
Click here to vote.
For the full list of prizes, see here.Promotion closes at 23.59pm on August 31, 2025. Open to residents of the United Kingdom who are aged 18 years or older, excluding employees and agents of the Promoter and its group companies, or third parties directly connected with the operation or fulfilment of the Promotion and their affiliates, and their immediate families and household members. One entry per person. Winners will be selected at random from all valid entries. No cash alternative and prize is non-transferable. Prize excludes UK transfers. Winner and guest responsible for getting to and from UK airport at their own expense. Subject to availability, valid for travel between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026, except on blackout dates including Christmas, New Year and Easter. Winner must book at least three weeks in advance of chosen departure date. Winner and his/her guest(s) must travel on the same itinerary. All parts of Prize must be used in conjunction with same booking. Winner and his/her guest(s) are solely responsible for ensuring they are available to travel and have valid travel documentation (including passport/visa/visa waiver as may be required), obtaining adequate travel insurance and appropriate vaccinations/inoculations for foreign travel at their own expense. Travel insurance, food and drink (outside what is previously declared in the board basis), spending money and all incidental expenses are the responsibility of the Winner. Prize is subject to The Oberoi Group terms and conditions. Your information will be used to administer this Promotion and otherwise in accordance with our privacy policy at newsprivacy.co.uk and those of the partners. Promoter is Times Media Ltd. Full T&Cs apply —see thetimes.com/traveltermsandconditions.
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New Statesman
44 minutes ago
- New Statesman
I am a curse on English cricket
To London again. What is happening to me? Do I miss the place so much that I am now stalking it? No. It is the third Test against India, and it is being held at Lord's, and I am an MCC member, which means that I can stroll into the ground for free, any day I like, as long as I have paid the somewhat large membership fee at the beginning of the year. You may ask yourself what a column called Down and Out is doing stumping up this amount of cash on 1 January and then swanning around Lord's in an egg-and-bacon tie. And it is true, I do not have a pot to take a comfort break in, but the membership is a legacy of my father's and is paid for by Mind Your Own Business. And I really, really like cricket. Plus, I also get to meet my little brother, which is always fun. Of course, there is a downside, and it is also the same one every time. And that is: whenever I go to a cricket match – and bear in mind Test matches last up to five days – England either lose terribly, or play so badly that you know they will lose, or that the day's play is so boring that I begin to wonder whether it's worth it. I could have stayed at home and listened on the radio while pottering about, and then caught the highlights on the telly if I felt like it. But there is nothing like the roar of a crowd, and it is nice to walk around as if I own the place, for in a way I do, and I can go inside the Pavilion and come within touching distance of the players as they go from dressing room to playing field, or the other way around, as the occasion demands. Now for those who don't know, English Test cricket has in recent years been transformed by the methods and approach of the captain, Ben Stokes, and the coach, Brendon McCullum, and so games that would have in the past collapsed into tedium have now become thrilling run chases. It is a kind of golden age: the new rule is that Test matches will never be dull again. However, bitter experience over the last couple of years has taught me that there is a footnote, or a subclause, to this rule: 'Unless Nicholas Lezard is in attendance.' So on Friday and Saturday I sat around for hours – actually, the place was rammed and finding seats even inside the Pavilion and watching the game on the telly screens was a challenge – becoming full of beer and slowly being boiled alive by the weather. It was so hot that the authorities let us take our jackets off inside the Pavilion and that doesn't happen often. As I was getting on the train at Brighton I realised I'd left my tie behind – it's the only tie I possess, and once belonged to my father, and, yes, it's MCC. So when I got to the ground I had to pay £35 for a new one and that didn't help my mood. On Friday night I stayed at my brother's and I thrashed him at backgammon (he is a ranked player, so I love it when this happens). Saturday was more of the same and at 5 o'clock, an hour and a half before the end of play, I thought sod this for a game of soldiers and went back to Brighton. Of course, as soon I was on the Tube to London Bridge the game exploded into excitement. The cry had gone round the ground: 'Lezard's had enough! Now we can play again.' Sunday was spent in the Hove-l, sulking, while I got on half-heartedly with some work. And then Monday dawned. England were on the brink of a famous victory, and, believe me, these victories are sweeter when there has been a build-up of days behind them, and the balance of power has been switching back and forth (though mainly in the opposition's favour). So my dilemma was this: do I go back up to London and watch sporting history being made? Or do I go up to London and watch England blow all their chances and hand the prize to India? India are very good, by the way, and they absolutely clobbered England in the second Test. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Duty to my country won the day, and when the alarm went off – I was going to get there extra early to get a seat – I turned it off, turned over and went back to sleep. In the end this turned out to be the right thing to do. It was an agonising day's play, and I had radio coverage going on in all three of the Hove-l's habitable rooms, so as not to miss a second. That evening, I read a post from my friend S— on a social media platform. It was her first match, as you will be able to tell shortly, and I had been planning on meeting up with her. 'It's very nice at Lords [sic] and did you know they have two batsmen on the pitch at once? Incredible. I asked if this was a set-up unique to Lords but was told – by quite a number of people – that all cricket matches have two batsmen out at once. They do these little runs past each other but they are friends! Even more incredible.' Etc. Now this, in a way, is the best description of a cricket match I have ever read, and I've read quite a few in my time. On the other hand, I wonder if she appreciated the extraordinary nature of England's win, and my self-sacrifice. [See also: Israel's calculus on Syria] Related


The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Win a luxury Mediterranean cruise worth over £5,000 with Blue Bay Travel
Picture yourself sailing the sun-drenched Mediterranean this September in effortless style - waking up to panoramic sea views from your private Balcony Stateroom aboard the brand-new Celebrity Ascent. In partnership with The Independent, Blue Bay Travel is giving you the chance to win an unforgettable 11-night cruise for two, sailing from Rome through the sparkling waters of Greece, Italy, and Turkey. Worth over £5,000, this luxurious escape includes your cruise fare and port fees all taken care of, so you can focus on the joy of slow travel, new destinations, and total relaxation. The prize includes: Please note: Flights, transfers, gratuities, drinks package, and Wi-Fi are not included. Award-winning travel experts Blue Bay Travel is a leading UK travel specialist, known for curating luxury holidays and cruises at unbeatable value. From short-haul escapes to long-haul adventures, their handpicked packages are backed by expert advice, exceptional service, and exclusive extras you won't find anywhere else. Blue Bay Travel make planning your dream getaway simple, exciting, and stress-free. Terms and Conditions 18+. UK and residents only. Promotion closes at 23:59 BST on the 15 August 2025. Winner will be drawn at random from all entries received by the closing date. The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative is available. Standard Comps & Offers rules apply, see here. . You can request to unsubscribe at any time.


The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
India to resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens
India will resume granting tourist visas to Chinese nationals from Thursday in a new step to normalise Delhi's ties with Beijing, officials announced on Wednesday. The diplomatic restoration of tourist visas comes after a gap of five years due to degradation of ties between India and China following a 2020 military clash between their troops along the disputed Himalayan border. The embassy of India in China issued a statement on Wednesday and said that Chinese citizens can apply for a tourist visa to India after completing an online application, scheduling an appointment and personally submitting their passport and other important documents needed to obtain a visa. These documents can be submitted to the Indian visa application centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in south China's Guangdong province. 'Please be informed that all passport withdrawal requests for applications submitted in the India Visa Application Centre in Beijing must be accompanied by a passport withdrawal letter,' the embassy statement said. The statement was also shared on the embassy's social media platform Weibo. Indian Armed Forces and People's Liberation Army soldiers clashed in the Himalayan region's Galwan Valley in June 2020. At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in the neighbours' first deadly military confrontation since 1975. Both armies came to blows and engaged in a physical clash over China's two tents and observation towers that India said were built on its side of the de-facto border, and which its troops set on fire after they were discovered by a patrol. About 900 soldiers of both sides were involved in the hand-to-hand combat that followed, when they beat each other with rocks and wooden sticks embedded with nails. The skirmish caused Indo-China ties to plummet to their lowest in decades as New Delhi and Beijing took steps to pause their bilateral engagements and trade. New Delhi heightened scrutiny of investments from China, banned popular Chinese mobile apps, and cut direct passenger air routes to China. According to India's defence minister Rajnath Singh, the military stand-off showed China's disregard for a two-way pact between both the countries. China suspended visas to Indian citizens and other foreigners around the same time due to the Covid-19 pandemic but lifted those restrictions in 2022, when it resumed issuing visas for students and business travellers. Tourist visas for Indian nationals remained restricted until March this year, when both countries agreed to resume direct air service. However, both Asian giants have taken steps to improve their relations in the past one year, with India and China holding several high-level talks between the top leaders – Chinese president Xi Jinping and prime minister Narendra Modi. The two met in Russia in October. In July this year, India's foreign minister told his Chinese counterpart that both countries must resolve border friction, pull back troops and avoid "restrictive trade measures" to normalise their relationship. Beijing has acknowledged Delhi's latest positive move, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun. "China is ready to maintain communication and consultation with India and constantly improve the level of personal exchanges between the two countries," he said.