Tight jackets and tunics in diaphanous materials replaced the more pragmatic, flowing qabas, Jahangir did not marry anyone after Noor Jahan, Women wore jamas of fine muslin, so sought-after that they were named running water and night dew. Pics/Courtesy Aleph

While we all remember the story of 16th century Timurid warrior and scholar Babur's arduous journey from Kabul to Punjab, from where he waged war on Delhi to become the first Emperor of the Mughal dynasty, little is known of the wives, sisters, daughters and aunts, who travelled with him, and helped him establish his empire in the Indian sub-continent.

A new book by Gurgaon-based author Ira Mukhoty, Daughters of the Sun (Aleph Book Company), is a first-of-its-kind attempt to chronicle the role of the women in building the empire, and whose stories have suffered the neglect of both, history and memory. "Women, in general, are a misremembered group in history," says Mukhoty, in an email interview. "Their achievements are constantly ignored or diminished in favour of the histories of men. For the Mughals, it is further complicated by the fact that a lot of the works are in Persian, a language that is seriously out of favour in India. There is a Persian document called the Pilgrims' Confidant, about the Haj pilgrim to Mecca, sponsored by Aurangzeb's daughter Zeb-un Nisa. I tried very hard to have the document translated into English, but was unable to. This is a beautifully illustrated manuscript, which may have interesting references to its imperial patron. The original document is, moreover, in a collection abroad, as are many Mughal documents following the great plunder by the British. So there are many layers obscuring the legacy of the Mughal women; language, despoliation and disinterest," she adds.

Ira Mukhoty

For Mukhoty, the idea of researching this book came to her when she stumbled on the story of Jahanara Begum, daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan, who reigned from 1628 to 1658. "The over-arching scope of her ambition, so clearly spelt out in all her works, took my breath away. At a time when even globally women were expected to live lives of quiet submission, Jahanara blazed such a fiery trail. And yet we really don't remember the extent of her achievements at all," she says.

The book is split into three parts. The first discusses the peripatetic queens, who travelled from Persia to Hindustan, and includes Khanzada Begum, Babur's elder sister, and his wife Dildar Begum, among others. The next talks of the wives during the imperial splendour. Here, Jahangir's wife Mehr-un-Nisa Begum alias Noor Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal — Shah Jahan's wife — find mention. The last section of the book takes us into the waning years of the Mughal empire, fraught with greed and overreaching ambition. The story of Jahanara Begum, the beloved eldest, unmarried daughter of Shah Jahan stands out here.

An interesting source for Mukhoty's book was Gulbadan Begum's Humayun-nama. Gulbadan was sister to Humayun and daughter to Babur, who arrived in Hindustan at the age of five. "She was asked many decades later by her grandnephew, Akbar, to write a biography of Babur and Humayun," Mukhoty writes in the book. "Gulbadan's account is a fascinating insight into the households of Babur and Humayun as seen by an insider. Her writing is forthright, frank and rambunctious," says Mukhoty. "It is her lack of a self-conscious eye on posterity, which made her account so invaluable. She gives us details which help us imagine a living, breathing space instead of a splendid, but unknowable place which the male biographers wrote about. Male historians of that time wrote in grave and obscure prose, about battles and ancestors. Gulbadan wrote about Humayun's opium habit and his relationship with one of his feisty wives," says the writer.

Among the Mughal women, whom Mukhoty has most affection for is Khanzada Begum, who at 65, rode on horseback through 750 km of icy passes to parley on behalf of her nephew, Humayun. "This fearless and indomitable lady made sacrifices all her life for the legacy of her younger brother Babur, and for the future of her family. She was constantly sent as peace ambassador to warring brothers and travelled endless miles through icy terrain on horseback. She wept upon seeing the infant Akbar, because he reminded her of her long dead 'baby' brother Babur. This gives us such a different insight into Babur too, no longer the marauding foreigner of legend but a dearly beloved and mourned brother," she says.

Mukhoty, however, finds Mumtaz Mahal to be the most voiceless of the lot she researched about — the irony being that she was also the most famous. "I think the Taj Mahal, and the 20th century construct of an 'exclusive love' that it generated is definitely the reason Mumtaz Mahal is viewed with affection by so many. But she left no writings, no substantial buildings, no clear evocation of an ambition. She was busy raising 14 children in 19 years, travelling the length and breadth of the country with her restless husband. She will forever be hidden by the splendour of the Taj Mahal."

Also Read: Mughal-Era Artefacts Seized From Antique Smuggler's Secret SoBo Godown

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Dear Diana,
I have been with this girl for over three years now. Things are going fine, except the fact that her sister influences her a lot. She is older to my girlfriend and ever since their mother passed away when they were young, her elder sister has been a mother figure to her. I detest her sister as she keeps telling her stuff about me. According to my girlfriend, she is cautioning her, but I feel this is interference. Last week, she told her that she had seen me with a girl on the seafront. This was wrong information as I was out with some relatives who had come down from Ranchi and were keen to visit the beach. Whatever her sister tells her, she blindly believes. How do I tell her not to believe every word she tells her? My girlfriend is 24, but can't think for herself.
— Jason

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Dear Jason,
Your girlfriend considers her elder sister as a mother figure. As her mom passed away when she was young, her sister has taken care of her. At the same time, now that she is 24, it is time she had a mind of her own. Her sister is being extra protective of her and that is understandable. If you are serious about her and are planning a future together, you need to sit down and talk to both of them. Tell them exactly how you feel. It is better to be honest and forthright. Perhaps your girl is not even realising how she is allowing herself to be influenced by her elder sister. She feels this is the done thing. At the same time, do not antagonise the sister or things might work against you and ruin your love life.

Dear Diana,
I have been with this girl for almost a year. Things are going fine between us except that she does not get along with my sister. She just did not gel with her from day one. I thought things would improve over time, but things are going downhill between them. She is my elder sister and has been a mother figure to me ever since our mother passed away when we were young. How do I make her resolve her differences with my sister? I hold my sister in high regards, so it is important that she gives us our blessings. We plan to get married next year. I have been trying to make them sit down and resolve their differences, but it is proving to be tough for me. Last week, I took them to a mall, but they ended up fighting with each other. I think it is an ego issue between them.
– Yuvi

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Dear Yuvi,
You are caught between these two women and it is difficult to please one as then you are offending the other. You say it is an ego issue, so you need to settle their differences with great tact. Listen to what each of them has to say individually and then resolve their differences. At the same time, these two women need to realise that both of them are important to you. There is no question of offending any one of them. You three need to sit down with an open mind and deliberate on what are the issues that are causing heartburn. You say the two women just did not click from day one. In such a scenario, it is then important to live and let live. If the two are constantly going to be at loggerheads, a reconciliation will be impossible. In such a scenario, you will need to give them space while you be the common factor.

Sonam Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor have been sharing some great throwback pictures amid quarantine. The duo has been missing the family and the functions due to this virus outbreak and lockdown session. Now, Sonam has shared a pretty picture with sister Rhea Kapoor which screams sisterly love.

The duo looked all decked up in the posts, seems like of their photoshoots together. Sonam Kapoor captioned, "sister sister." Let's take a look at the picture right away!

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Sister sister ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) onApr 27, 2020 at 7:01am PDT

Adorable, isn't it?

On the professional front, Sonam Kapoor's last outing The Zoya Factor failed at the box-office. This Abhishek Sharma directorial, also starring Dulquer Salmaan, could only manage lifetime collections of around Rs. 4.90 crores. Before this, she was seen playing a homosexual character in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. Now, the actress is gearing up for Sujoy Ghosh's next production, which is the remake of the Korean film, Blind.

Speaking about Rhea Kapoor, the star kid turned producer with Aisha. She has produced Veere Di Wedding and Khoobsurat too, both starring sister Sonam. The Kapoor sisters own a fashion label called Rheason and the former has also turned producer and made the very successful Veere Di Wedding in 2018.

On the personal front, Rhea is said to be dating Karan Boolani, and their social media PDA will surely melt your heart.

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The coronavirus pandemic has brought cities around the world to a virtual standstill. Many multinationals and IT companies in India have asked employees to work from home until further notice as a precautionary measure. The government has also announced the closure of malls, multiplex, swimming pools and gyms. Due to lockdown, several of them are missing their families back home.

Malaika Arora too is missing her family. She hasn't visited them for the past 50 days. Recently, the 46-year-old actress took to Instagram to post a throwback family picture with her parents and sister Amrita. The black-and-white picture includes Malaika, her mother Joyce, father Anil Arora and sister Amrita Arora. She captioned the picture, "50 days n counting .... miss u guys (sic)". Amrita also poured her heart out and commented "Miss you'll toooo much (sic)".

 

 

 

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50 days n counting .... miss u guys ♥ï¸Â♥ï¸Â♥ï¸Â

A post shared by Malaika Arora (@malaikaaroraofficial) onMay 4, 2020 at 9:26pm PDT

Recently, Malaika took to her Instagram account to share a beautiful throwback picture with her son Arhaan Khan and asked us not to take life for granted. She has shared a picture of the time when life was normal as compared to the restrictions that have been imposed today. She captioned it, "#throwback to a time where life felt normal compared to all that is restricted today .... (food, travel , hugs, kisses ,work ,friends, family )... don't take life for granted .stay positive n don't wipe that smile of ur face #thistooshallpass #weallinthistogether (sic)".

 

 

 

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#throwback to a time where life felt normal compared to all that is restricted today .... (food, travel , hugs, kisses ,work ,friends, family )... don't take life for granted .stay positive n don't wipe that smile of ur face #thistooshallpass🙏 #weallinthistogether ðŸ¤Â—

A post shared by Malaika Arora (@malaikaaroraofficial) onMay 2, 2020 at 10:03pm PDT

What was also heart-filled was her selfie she shared recently that was both unkempt and unswerving. She looked breathtaking and gorgeous and wrote- "Another week goes by... wondering wat awaits us." (sic).

 

 

 

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Another week goes by... wondering wat awaits us....but for now loving the sun on my skin n the wind in my hair n the comfort of knowing that I have a roof over my head with my loved ones .#gratitudeonly🙏 #staypositive #stayhomestaysafe #inthistogether

A post shared by Malaika Arora (@malaikaaroraofficial) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:09pm PDT

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Sonam Kapoor is currently in Delhi, with Anand Ahuja and the family, following the lockdown period according to the government protocol. The actress was in London but returned to the country with Anand after the coronavirus outbreak.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

I miss you all.. ☹️

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) onApr 16, 2020 at 5:35am PDT

Being away from her family in Mumbai, she has been missing them loads, and constantly sharing throwback photos from the family album. Now, the actress' Fanclub has given a new awe-worthy post, which has Kapoor sisters Sonam and Rhea riding a bicycle. Take a look!

Anand Ahuja not only shared 'hearty eyed' emoticon but also took to his Instagram story. 

On the professional front, Sonam Kapoor was last seen in The Zoya Factor, which failed at the box-office. Abhishek Sharma directorial, also starring Dulquer Salmaan, could only manage lifetime collections of around Rs. 6.96 crores. Before this romantic comedy, Sonam Kapoor was seen playing a homosexual character in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, opposite Rajkummar Rao and Regina Cassandra. Now, the actress is gearing up for Sujoy Ghosh's next production, which is the remake of the Korean film, Blind.

Speaking about Rhea Kapoor, the star kid turned producer with Aisha. She has produced Veere Di Wedding and Khoobsurat too, both starring sister Sonam.

The Kapoor sisters own a fashion label called Rheason and the former has also turned producer and made the very successful Veere Di Wedding in 2018. The duo has been

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After the government's protocol of social distancing and self-quarantine, many people have found ways to keep themselves busy into the four walls. Speaking of which, Janhvi Kapoor was seen cooking and trying her hand into various dishes. But guess who turns the judge of her experimentation cooking classes? It's none other than baby sister Khushi Kapoor.

Last time, the actress baked a carrot cake, and once again, it was fed to Khushi Kapoor first. Janhvi shared the review video as her Instagram story, and Khushi liked the cake baked by her sister. Take a look at the video here.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Manav Manglani (@manav.manglani) onApr 21, 2020 at 10:21am PDT

Now, once again, Janhvi Kapoor wore the chef's cap and made 'banana toffee,' and shared a video as her story. As soon as Khushi Kapoor tried the dish, she couldn't help it but subtly reject what Janhvi cooked for her. We can't stop laughing her Khushi's various expressions in one bite of 'banana toffee.'

Speaking of Khushi Kapoor, the star kid was in New York for her further studies, but papa Boney Kapoor brought her back as soon as the coronavirus outbreak started to take over the world slowly. Now, the duo has been living with papa at their Mumbai residence.

On the work front, Janhvi Kapoor will be next seen in Gunjan Saxena, where the actress is portraying a real-life person for the first time in her career. Based on Gunjan Saxena, who is one of the first female pilots to fly in combat, Janhvi plays an important role in rescuing injured soldiers during the Kargil War in 1999 and was awarded the gallantry Shaurya Vir Award for displaying courage during the war.

Directed by Sharan Sharma, the film also stars Vineet Kumar Singh, Angad Bedi and Manav Vij in pivotal roles. She will also be seen in Karan Johar's multi-starrer Takht alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Bednekar and Anil Kapoor, and Roohi Afza opposite Rajkummar Rao.

Apart from Gunjan Saxena and Takht, Janhvi Kapoor will be seen in Dostana 2 and Roohi Afzana.

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Having a sister is like having a friend forever! One can make a wish and get it fulfilled, no matter what, you cannot get rid of her, and they'll still be with your forever. Speaking of sisters, we have many Bollywood celebrities who give major sister goals. One of such sisterly duo is none other than Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor.

Sridevi's daughters just can't keep calm when they are around each other. Their social media posts are not only fun but will also make you go running towards your sister, and shower her with love and affection. For the unversed, Khushi Kapoor returned to the bay after the coronavirus outbreak, and she has quarantined herself with papa Boney Kapoor and elder sister Khushi at their Mumbai house.

Their lockdown period looks no less than a sweet family vacation. Despite being at home, the duo has found out various ways to annoy each other, care for each other, and on top of everything, be there for each other. From cooking meals, experimenting with recipes, painting, to playing virtual games, Khushi Kapoor and Janhvi Kapoor have made the boring lockdown into fun-filled quarantine sessions.

When Janhvi Kapoor made carrot cake and 'banana toffee'

This one did crack us up! Janhvi Kapoor wore the chef's hat, not once but twice. The actress made an effort to bake a carrot cake, and feed it to Khushi Kapoor. Well, if this one turned out to be a good bake, her 'banana toffee' experiment failed for her sister. Khushi subtly rejecting sister Janhvi's attempt to make a dessert will leave you in splits.

When 'who's more likely to' turned out to be a fun game

 

 

 

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A post shared by janhvikapoor_fan_ (@janhvikapoor_fan_) onApr 14, 2020 at 4:42am PDT

A fan-club of Janhvi took to its Instagram account and shared the video and the questions were not only a little about their personal lives but also reflected how much chill and causal the sisters are. From 'Who's likely to get married first' to 'Who's likely to have babies first', the Kapoor sisters spilled the beans on all. Watch the video here.

The hairdresser version of Khushi Kapoor

Khushi Kapoor also took up the hairdresser's seat and was seen dressing up the actress for a journey to nowhere. Funny, isn't it?

When Janhvi Kapoor cuddled up with baby sister Khushi

Janhvi Kapoor frequently shared photos of herself with Khushi even before, and those pictures too were full of love and affection for her sibling. Janhvi recently shared an Instagram story that shows her cuddling up with Khushi on the sofa, who looks quite amused with the former's shenanigans. Janhvi captioned the photo, "She loves having me around, can you tell?"

On the work front, Janhvi has several films in her kitty. She has a biopic titled Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl in the pipeline, where she plays the titular character. Janhvi also has a horror-comedy titled Roohi Afzana with Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma.

Besides these films, Janhvi has the much-awaited Dostana 2 with Kartik Aaryan, Karan Johar's Takht, which features an ensemble star cast including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, and Roohi Afzana, a horror-comedy.

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The Pune police arrested a man for beating his sister's former lover to death in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Tuesday for opposing her marriage with another man. Police said that the man got into a fight with his sister's former boyfriend and hit him with a metal pipe, thereby killing him instantly.

According to Hindustan Times, the assailant, identified as Santosh Chaudhury allegedly had a tiff with his sister's former lover, Yuvak Waghmare (22). Waghmare had opposed the girl's marriage to another man. The girl's brother Chaudhury was furious with Waghmare as he had learned that her sister ended her relationship with him after she got know that he is already married.

Senior police inspector Vivek Lawand of Dighi police station said, "The girl parted with Waghmare after realising that he is married and also has a daughter." However, Waghmare still wanted to marry the girl and hence he planned to have a talk with her brother Santosh Chaudhury in connection with his sister's wedding to another man.

Waghmare on Tuesday approached Chaudhury while he was at his paan shop outside Hotel Ajinkya in Magazine chowk. Both had heated argument over the impending wedding of Chaudhury's sister and got into a fight. Chaudhury, in a fit of rage, bludgeoned Waghmare’s head with a metal pipe that killed him instantly. The body was later taken to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital for post-mortem.

As per the police, the deceased Waghmare was working for a consultancy and was deployed in the operations department of a mall in Vimanagar, whereas Chaudhury, who is in his twenties, hails from Bihar and runs a paan shop in Dighi.

Chaudhury has been was arrested on Tuesday by officials of the Dighi police station and a case has been registered against him under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 

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The article has been sourced from a third-party source and Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, and data of the text. All information provided in this article is for informational purposes only.

Succession spotlight on younger sister Kim Yo Jong

I own a flat in London but I am looking to buy a house further out and commute every day

Strictly Come Dancing stars Oti and Motsi Mabuse dazzled on stage at the National Television Awards on Tuesday night.

They were neck and neck at the bottom of the leaderboard going into the all-important elimination episode with husband-and-wife pair Andy and Lisa.

Neymar posted an Instagram video of his celebrations after his sister's boyfriend, Gabigol, fired Flamengo to their first Copa Libertadores since 1981 with a 2-1 win over River Plate.

It's never dull in the life of Neymar even during a time when a global pandemic is stopping him from entertaining supporters in his position as one of the greatest players in the world.

The out-of-sorts Australian seemed to make the most of his time in Montreal by getting cosy with the Canadian tennis star's twin sister Beatrice, days after his most bizarre on-court meltdown yet.

The tennis pro, 37, was glammed up to the max in a slinky black dress for the Citi Taste of Tennis at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York on Thursday.

And 40-year-old Kourtney can even be seen modeling SKIMS lingerie for her little sister who has made not only bras and undies but also shapewear and pajamas under the line.

The siren was seen in several social media posts in a tight black top from SKIMS as well as a pair of leather slacks and a cute purse that looked like a pair of pink lips. The caption read, 'Baby.'

Kim Kardashian shared some throwback photos from her younger sister Kylie Jenner's StormiWorld party. She played it cool, but her husband Kanye West looked as if he was delighted.

They have been attending a slew of high-profile shows and event during Paris Fashion Week.  Yet the Kardashian sisters let their hair down with a more relaxed affair on Sunday night.

The footage, from 2008 but uploaded on YouTube this week, shows Megan Lochte Torrini, left, blasting the Chinese in an unbelievable five minute racist tirade where she uses the slur 'chinks' at least six times.

The two stars have been feuding since New Year's Day, when Wiley, 40, locked horns with Stormzy, 26, and criticised him for collaborating with Ed Sheeran.

The screen star, 29, joins Saoirse, 25, and Florence, 23, in a group prayer in an official image from upcoming period drama Little Women, set for release in December 25 2019.

The first official trailer for Greta Gerwig's adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott novel, Little Women, has been released.

Centenarian Fredie Blom was born on May 8, 1904, in Adelaide near the Great Winterberg mountain range of South Africa's Eastern Cape province. He celebrated his 116th yesterday.

Centenarian Fredie Blom was born on May 8, 1904, in Adelaide near the Great Winterberg mountain range of South Africa's Eastern Cape province. He celebrated his 116th yesterday.

The actress, 26, and her sibling, 23, enjoyed Red Light Management's Grammy Awards after party, at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood on Sunday.

Reverend Richard Coles today invoked the Queen's 'we will meet again' message as he read out a touching tribute to his sister-in-law Louise Coles after her death from coronavirus.

With the pent-up frustration from his recent Juventus woes, Cristiano Ronaldo tore apart Lithuania, smashing home a hat-trick and sending an emphatic message to manager Maurizio Sarri.

The Veronicas Lisa and Jess Origliasso recently revealed that they were estranged for 18 months after a falling out. 

Nicole Kidman's younger sister Antonia and her family have moved back to Sydney after a decade living in Singapore.

Tala Alamuddin Le Tallec, who lives in Singapore, has uploaded £25 masks in a ranger of prints and colours to her fashion website Totally Tala, alongside pouches for carrying hand sanitiser.

She may be one of the world's most admired stars, but it's her little sister that's surely her biggest fan. And Selena Gomez took sibling Gracie Teefey, six, to the premiere of Frozen II

The sisters looked effortlessly stylish as they made their way home after taking part in a photoshoot on Tuesday.

Selena Gomez was ready to be protective when she gave her six-year-old sister Gracie Teefey a red carpet debut at the Frozen 2 premiere last month.

Rebel Wilson is home for the holidays in her native Sydney, Australia. 

Tyka Nelson revealed to that she was starting to come to terms with her brother's death, saying: 'In the beginning it was 90 per cent he's not gone and 10 per cent maybe, and now it's finally flipping.'

Nelson, 56, took the stage at the Microsoft Theater to receive a posthumous trophy on behalf of her late brother - who was found dead at 57 April 21 following a drug overdose - for Purple Rain, his 1984 opus.

While the late artist Prince was most commonly associated with the color purple, the singer's sister Tyka Nelson told the Evening Standard that was not the case on Monday.

Speaking on ITV's Lorraine about Prince's drug overdose last April, Tyka admitted the appearance was the first time she hasn't used drugs and alcohol to 'mask the pain' of her grief.

Kim Yo Jong, the younger sibling of the North Korean leader, criticised South Korea's presidential Blue House for expressing strong concerns over the North's firing drills.

Kim Yo Jong, believed to be in her thirties, was turfed out of the Pyongyang dictator's inner circle when she was blamed for last year's bungled talks with Donald Trump.

Two teenage brothers have been arrested on suspicion of rape after their 13-year-old sister gave birth to a baby girl in Malaysia.

A savvy mum and her sister have transformed an old TV cabinet into a modern statement piece using paint from Bunnings and accessories from Kmart.

The Argentine pontiff live-streamed an Easter Monday prayer from his private library as the Vatican and Italy entered a second month of restrictions on most outdoor activities.

American tennis legend Serena Williams, 37, has all but confirmed she is ready to take on Maria Sharapova at next week's American Open starter, after suffering a back injury.

Cyclist Laura Trott, 24, has spoken in support of her sister after accusations from the public that Emma Trott was 'jealous' and 'bitter' over her sibling's Olympic win.

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain today, Emma Trott, the older sister of four-time Olympic gold medallist Laura seemed underwhelmed by her 24-year-old sibling’s achievements.

The sister of Olympian Laura Trott has stood by her comments that saw her branded 'bitter' and 'jealous' of her sibling's success, insisting the backlash was 'a lot of fuss made over nothing'.