"Shouldn't Have To Pay Higher Prices...": US vs Apple Over iPhone Monopoly

The US Department of Justice sued Apple on Thursday for illegally maintaining a monopoly for its iPhone by stifling competition and imposing exorbitant costs on consumers.

The lawsuit, also brought by multiple US states, attacked the iPhone for raking in hundreds of billions of dollars by making it difficult for consumers to switch away to cheaper smartphones and devices.

The long anticipated case against Apple sees the company founded by Steve Jobs in 1976 clash with Washington after largely escaping US government scrutiny for nearly a half century.

It joins Amazon, Google and Facebook-owner Meta which are also facing antitrust lawsuits in the United States.

News of the lawsuit sent shares in Apple down by as much as 3.75 percent on Wall Street on Thursday.

At the heart of the case is Apple's alleged exclusionary practices that set strict and at times opaque conditions on firms and developers seeking to reach the iPhone's 136 million US users.

According to the lawsuit, these rules and decisions have been designed to force Apple users into staying in the Apple ecosystem and buying the company's more expensive hardware, the iPhone.

"Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws," said Attorney General Merrick Garland. 

"If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly," he added.

Apple fights back

The far-reaching case singled out practices that it said was making Apple richer to the detriment of advancing innovation and technology for consumers.

In a statement, Apple denied the merit of the lawsuit, saying it was "wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it."

If successful, the suit would "set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people's technology," the company added.

The lawsuit for example accused Apple of squashing the creation of Super Apps, one-stop web portals that could exist on an iPhone and give consumers other ways to get services, such as music, photo or movies.

Other big tech giants such as Meta have long dreamed of opening such super-apps on the iPhone, which accounts for roughly half of the smartphone market in the United States.

The accusations also target Apple's wallet, which is the only application allowed on the iPhone to access the technology to make tap payments in stores, forcing others to pay a fee.

Messaging apps are under the microscope too, with prosecutors accusing Apple of making it hard for Apple users to interact easily with Android phone users, coercing them to buying the more expensive iPhone.

The broad case also mentions smartwatches, with the Apple Watch only being available through the iPhone, and competing smartwatches having very limited functionality on the iPhone.

The complaint alleges that these nefarious practices go into other services such as web browsers, entertainment and even automotive services.

In recent years Apple has invested heavily in promoting services as well as hardware as it seeks ways to make money beyond the iPhone, which was introduced in 2007 and changed the world of consumer technology.

But iPhone sales growth has been slowing in recent years, raising pressure on the company to find other sources of revenue.

The DOJ pointed out that Apple's profits exceed any other company in the Fortune 500 and that it exceeds the gross domestic product of more than 100 countries.

In 2023, Apple saw global sales of $383 billion and net profit of $97 billion.

The DOJ's investigation of Apple began in 2019 under the Trump administration.

Apple largely won a US lawsuit from Fortnite-maker Epic Games that has been pursuing Apple in jurisdictions worldwide over the rules and fees it imposes on the iPhone.

In a case brought by Spotify, the EU this month hit Apple with a 1.8-billion-euro ($1.9 billion) fine for preventing European users from accessing information about alternative, cheaper music streaming services.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Amit Shah Slams Rahul Gandhi Over "Hafta Vasooli" Jibe On Electoral Bonds

Responding to Rahul Gandhi's reference to electoral bonds as 'hafta vasooli', Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the Congress leader needs to clarify where he obtained Rs 1,600 crore from.

"Gandhi also received Rs 1,600 crore. He should clarify where he got that 'hafta vasooli' from. We assert that it's a transparent donation, but if he labels it as vasooli, he should provide details," Mr Shah said in a video posted on his X account.

When asked if the BJP would disclose their donor list like other parties, Mr Shah responded, "I assure you, once the details are out, the INDIA alliance will find it hard to face the public."

"Electoral bonds were introduced to end the domination of black money in Indian politics, they were brought to eradicate black money. Now the scheme has been scrapped and I fear the return of black money," Mr Shah said.

He further stated that there should be reforms regarding the electoral bonds, rather than scrapping it.

"I believe that rather than scrapping it, there should be reforms, but it does not hold any significance, as the top court has given its verdict and I respect that," he added.

"But my personal opinion is that bonds had almost ended black money in politics. This is why the entire INDIA bloc, led by Rahul Gandhi, was against the bonds and they wanted the old system of cut money to rule over politics once again," the senior BJP leader stated.

The Electoral Bond Scheme was a way for political parties in India to get money without revealing the donor's identity. But, the Supreme Court, in a ruling in February, struck down the scheme and ordered the State Bank of India (SBI) to stop issuing electoral bonds immediately.

In compliance with a directive from the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) recently uploaded data on electoral bonds on its official website. The SBI had supplied the information, which includes details about these electoral bonds.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Nepal's Only Billionaire Investigated In Alleged Land Grab Case

Nepal's only billionaire, Binod Chaudhary, is under the lens of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in connection with a government land-grab case. The matter came to light after CIB wrote a letter to Nepal's House Speaker, informing him of their ongoing investigation.

Mr Chaudhary, a lawmaker from the Nepali Congress in the lower house of the Nepal Federal Parliament, is being investigated for allegedly privatizing land belonging to the Bansbari Shoe Factory, a government entity.

Hobindra Bogati, a senior officer at CIB, submitted a letter at the Parliament Secretariat informing House Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire about the investigation against the lawmaker in the land embezzlement case.

The CIB has also given Mr Chaudhary a deadline until Thursday morning to provide an explanation of the case to the investigating authority, otherwise he might face arrest.

Mr Chaudhary is accused of illegally acquiring 10 ropani (54758.621 square feet) of land from the Bansbari Leather Shoe Factory, a government-owned company that is now defunct.

He is accused of transferring the land to Champion Footwear under an illegal agreement, and subsequently renamed the company to CG Chandbagh Residency Pvt, which is owned by him.

He later gave the land to his brother, Arun Chaudhary, who now operates CG Chandbagh School on the seized property. An investigation had found that the Nepali billionaire, like his brother Arun Chaudhary, holds shares in Champion Footwear Company, a venture implicated in acquiring government land from the Bansbari Leather Shoe Factory.

Documents also revealed that Arun, the younger brother, has 200 shares in Champion Footwear Limited.

Despite his brother's arrest in connection with this case, Binod Chaudhary was not arrested. The documents indicate that the 200 shares, valued at 2 lakh, are part of an agreement specifying that the company should hold 2,500 shares of Bansbari Leather Shoe Factory.

It is also noted in the document that Binod Chaudhary's 's father, Lunkarandas Chaudhary, owns more than 2100 shares in the Bansbari Leather Shoe Factory.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Billionaire Businessmen Arrested In Multi-Crore GST Fraud Case In Noida

In a breakthrough in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud case, the Noida Police on Wednesday said it has arrested two Haryana-based "billionaire businessmen" who allegedly masterminded the multi-crore revenue loss to the exchequer.

The accused are in the business of metal scrap and have collectively caused a revenue loss of around Rs 25 crore to the exchequer, a senior police officer said.

Known as the "GST scam", the case came to light in June 2023 and pertains to revenue loss to the exchequer through input-tax credit (ITC) being claimed by thousands of bogus companies that were floated using forged documents.

The police investigation has shown the involvement of hundreds of bogus firms and transactions of around Rs 10,000 crore by those, and more than two dozen people have so far been arrested in the case, according to officials.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shakti Mohan Avasthy said a few months ago, a team from Noida's Sector 20 police station busted a racket and arrested some suspects who were allegedly behind floating around 2,600 bogus companies.

"In pursuance of that case, the masterminds of the racket who fraudulently claimed ITC from the government and caused revenue loss to the exchequer were arrested on Wednesday. The masterminds are billionaire businessmen and have been identified as Sanjay Jindal and Ajay Sharma," Avasthy told reporters here.

"Jindal runs a company by the name of AS Brownie Metal and Alloys located in Sonipat district of Haryana. He fraudulently claimed Rs 16.9 crore worth of ITC. This amount was later frozen by enforcement agencies. Sharma used six companies to cause a revenue loss of Rs 8.57 crore. This amount was also frozen later by the GST department following a report by the Noida Police," the officer said.

Avasthy, who has been leading the investigation in the matter since it came to light, said both the accused are "billionaire businessmen" and have "huge businesses" in Sonipat.

Jindal and Sharma were wanted by the Noida Police for long and carried a reward of Rs 25,000 each on information leading to their arrest, the DCP added.

"Jindal and Sharma are the masterminds of the racket. They were the real beneficiaries of this fraud business of floating bogus companies and claiming ITC on their behalf. So far, we have arrested 32 people in connection with the case and some more linked to it will be held soon," he said.

Police said an FIR was lodged at the Sector 20 police station under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 467, 468, 471 (all related to forgery) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

Last month, the Noida Police attached assets worth approximately Rs 12 crore of the gang members involved in the GST "scam", including immovable properties at multiple locations in Delhi.

The case came to light in June 2023 after thugs applied for the registration of bogus companies by fraudulently using the PAN details of a journalist and got two firms registered --" one in Punjab and one in Maharashtra -- while the request for a third such company to be registered in Delhi was rejected by the GST authorities.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Karnataka Student Thrashed For Talking To Hindu Girl, Case Filed: Police

In yet another incident of moral policing in Karnataka, a student from a minority community was allegedly thrashed for talking to a Hindu girl in the Yadgir district, police said on Wednesday.  

The incident took place on March 18 when he was returning home from college. 

He told the police that he was conversing with a girl from the Hindu community over the phone when a group of nine people attacked him near the Gogi Mohalla.

He said that they confined him in a room for five hours and assaulted him. The student said they brandished a knife and threatened to kill him. 

The police have filed a case and further investigation is underway.

Earlier in January, an inter-faith couple in Karnataka's Haveri was subjected to harassment and threats by a group of nine individuals.

The incident took place just days after six men barged into the room of a lodge and assaulted a couple for the 'crime' of being together despite following different faiths.

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"No Electoral Value": Naveen Patnaik's Aide Amid BJP-BJD Alliance Buzz

The BJP and BJD do not need each other to win elections, but some things are beyond politics and the two leaders -- PM Narendra Modi and CM Naveen Patnaik -- want to come together for "a greater cause", said VK Pandian, the close aide of the chief minister.

Speaking at a media conclave in New Delhi on Tuesday, he said Chief Minister Patnaik and PM Modi share a great friendship.

"Somebody wants to join an alliance because they want to have an impact on the electoral map. Here is a chief minister who is so popular in the state and he gets 3/4th majority every time. In the recently concluded panchayat elections, which are fought on party symbols, he got 90 per cent of the seats. The second party is the BJP with 5 per cent of seats. So, Mr Naveen Patnaik does not need an alliance to come back to serve the people. I would say the same thing about Mr Narendra Modi, the honourable PM," Mr Pandian said.

"...there are some things beyond politics. It is a mark of great statesmanship, that's how I put it. Two great leaders wanting to come together for a greater cause. It has significance as two great people coming together as a mark of statesmanship. That's how I see it, and even the chief minister thinks that way. It has no electoral value either for the BJD or the BJP," he added.

Mr Pandian said the PM and the chief minister see some things that are beyond politics.

"BJD does not need BJP to form government in the state, and BJP may not need BJD to form government at the Centre. That's why I made it very clear that it has to do with two individuals who share a great friendship and they see some things are beyond politics. A rare mark of statesmanship," he said.

Asked about the status of the alliance, he said, "If anything happens, we will all get to know... I told the logic behind this whatever talk (over the alliance) has happened." Pandian's statement comes amid weeks of speculations about an alliance between the state's ruling party and the main opposition, ahead of the simultaneous elections to 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the 147-member assembly.

Earlier, state BJP leaders rejected the speculations on several occasions, asserting that they would fight the elections on their own and oust the BJD government.

The BJP and BJD were in alliance for 11 years, from 1998 to 2009. Over the last decade, the BJP decimated the Congress to emerge as the main opposition party in the state.

However, the BJD often extended support to the BJP in Parliament on crucial legislations and even helped Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw get elected to Rajya Sabha from the state.

In the 2019 elections, BJD won 12 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, while the BJP secured eight and Congress managed one seat. In the assembly, the BJD bagged 113 seats, the BJP won 23 seats, the Congress secured nine seats, the CPI(M) won one, and also an Independent candidate won.

Reacting to Mr Pandian's statement, the Congress said the two parties have been in an "undeclared alliance" over the last 10 years.

"So, the Congress is the only alternative in the state. I appeal to the people of Odisha to support Congress in the upcoming elections," state Congress Sarat Pattanayak said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Watch: Mushfiqur's 'Broken Helmet' Celebration Mocking Mathews, SL Viral

Veteran Bangladesh cricketer Mushfiqur Rahim's broken helmet celebration following the ODI series victory over Sri Lanka added another chapter in the rivalry of the two cricketing nations. The celebration was a reference to Sri Lanka's Angelo Matthews getting timed-out due to a helmet issue when the two sides faced each other in the Cricket World Cup 2023. This was also a response to Sri Lanka cricketers celebrating their T20I series victory over Bangladesh with a timed-out celebration. The video of the celebration has gone viral on social media with various users commenting on the gesture.

Rishad Hossain played an attacking innings of 48 after substitute Tanzid Hasan Tamim hit 84 off 81 balls Monday, steering Bangladesh to a four-wicket win and a 2-1 ODI series victory over Sri Lanka.

Set a modest target after Janith Liyanage's unbeaten 101 guided Sri Lanka to 235 all out in 50 overs, Bangladesh raced to 237-6 in 40.2 overs.

Rishad remained unbeaten on 48 off just 18 balls.

Roar of the L̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ Tigers

P.S.: Don't miss Mushfiqur's celebration with the helmet.
.
.#ThatWinningFeeling #BANvSL #FanCode pic.twitter.com/UhPkvfeTMn

— FanCode (@FanCode) March 18, 2024

The hosts were in danger when Wanindu Hasaranga forced Mehdiy Hasan Miraz, the last recognised batsman, to give a catch to Pramod Madushan for 25, with Bangladesh still 58 runs away from victory.

But Rishad dispatched the first ball he faced over midwicket for six and did not look back.

He hit four sixes and five fours in his whirlwind innings before Mushfiqur Rahim, 37 not out, finished the game with a boundary off Maheesh Theekshana.

Tanzid led the initial charge, replacing Soumya Sarkar in the second innings as a concussion sub, despite Lahiru Kumara wreaking havoc with 4-48.

(With AFP inputs)

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PSL Final: Islamabad United Clinch Title With Win Over Multan Sultans

Multan Sultans vs Islamabad United Live: Seven-down Islamabad United are chasing a target of 160 runs against Multan Sultans in the final of the Pakistan Super League in Karachi on Monday. They are three wickets down. After opting to bat, the Mohammad Rizwan-led Multan Sultans were off to a poor start as they lost wickets at regular intervals with Imad Wasim taking a five-wicket haul for Islamabad. Multan were three down inside 10 overs with Mohammad Rizwan back in the hut. Then, in the middle overs too, Multan lost a flurry of wickets until Iftikhar Ahmed struck 32* off 20 balls to take them past 155. Usman Khan (57) was their top-scorer. (LIVE SCORECARD | LIVE STREAMING)

Here are the LIVE Updates of Multan Sultans vs Islamabad United PSL Final

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"Electoral Bond An Experiment, Done With Checks And Balances": RSS Leader

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Sunday said the electoral bonds is an "experiment" and it will be determined later how beneficial and effective it has been.

The RSS Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) on Sunday re-elected Dattatreya Hosabale for the post of 'Sarkaryavah' (general secretary) for three years.

The Election Commission on Thursday released the electoral bonds data, with a number of billionaire tycoons and lesser-known entities being among the buyers.

From steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal to billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal's Airtel, Anil Agarwal's Vedanta, ITC, Mahindra and Mahindra, and lesser-known Future Gaming and Hotel Services were among the prominent buyers of the now-scrapped electoral bonds for making political donations.

Asked about concerns being raised on the electoral bonds issue and claims that they were purchased to get favours, Dattatreya Hosabale said the Sangh has not yet discussed about it as the electoral bonds is an "experiment".

"It has been done with checks and balances and it is not that electoral bonds have suddenly been introduced today, it (such scheme) was brought earlier also. Whenever a change is introduced, questions are raised. Questions were also raised when the EVMs (electronic voting machines) were introduced," he said.

"It is natural that questions will be raised by people when new things come up. But time will tell how beneficial and effective the new system is. Hence, the Sangh thinks it should be left for experiment," Dattatreya Hosabale said.

Asked about the 10-year rule of the Narendra Modi government, he said the RSS welcomes Uniform Civil Code, adding that a resolution demanding its enactment was passed several years ago in the outfit's 'Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha'.

"It has been implemented in (BJP-ruled) Uttarakhand. We would like it to be implemented across the country. But there are certain details like succession, adoption, marriage and other issues that need to be discussed and then they can move ahead," Dattatreya Hosabale said.

People have seen the progress the country has made in the last 10 years and even renowned international experts and political thinkers have reiterated that the current century is India's century, he said.

"Something good must be happening for them to say this. Anyway, people will give their verdict on June 4 (Lok Sabha poll vote counting day)," he said.

On a query on whether the cut off date in the Citizenship Amendment Act must be extended from the current December 31, 2014, the RSS leader said it can be done by the authorities if the need arises.

Asked about the disputes pertaining to the places of worship at Mathura and Kashi, he said Hindu saints and the Vishva Hindu Parishad have raised the issue and have also said the type of agitation depends on the problem.

"What was done for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement should not be done for everything. It is not necessary. The matter is in court. If it is resolved by the court then there is no need for agitation," he added.

Hindu society will do whatever has to be done regarding Kashi and Mathura under the guidance of the religious-social leadership, Dattatreya Hosabale, who was addressing a press conference, said.

To a query on the RSS' definition of "minority", he said the concept is there in the Constitution.

"We all need to (have) rethink over it. Because, this country belongs to all and the method or idea of calling (communities) minority has been going on for decades. Those who are Hindu in the traditional sense, those who are considered as Hindus as per the Hindu Code Bill, are organized by the Sangh," he claimed.

Asserting that Muslims and Christians are considered minorities in India, Dattatreya Hosabale said, "The RSS has always opposed the politics of minoritism. The country is one and this is how it should continue is what the Sangh always says." The annual three-day 'Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha' of the RSS began at the 'Smriti Bhavan' complex in Reshimbagh area of Maharashtra's Nagpur city on Friday.

The meeting is taking place in Nagpur, the headquarters of the RSS, after six years. A total of 1529 representatives of various RSS inspired organisations attended the meeting that concluded on Sunday.

During the meeting, Dattatreya Hosabale appointed six joint general secretaries for the 2024-2027 period. These are Krishna Gopal, Mukund ji, Arun Kumar, Ramdutt Chakradhar, Atul Limaye and Alok Kumar.

BJP president JP Nadda also attended the ABPS meeting on Sunday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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For Newlyweds Pulkit Samrat And Kriti Kharbanda, Wishes From Celebs

Pulkit Samrat and Kriti Kharbanda, who shared pictures from their wedding on Saturday, got a whole lot of love from Bollywood celebrities. Kriti Sanon commented on the post, "Congratulations you two." Ananya Panday dropped multiple heart emojis and wrote "Congratulations." Sobhita Dhulipala wrote, "Congratulations Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda! What beautiful moments." Mouni Roy's comment read, "Heartiest congratulations." Bobby Deol wrote, "Congratulations." Malaika Arora dropped heart emojis and wrote, "Congratulations." Richa Chadha, Pulkit's Fukrey co-star, wrote, "Badhaaiiii again." TV star Gauahar Khan wrote, "The love story I was rooting for! God bless. Congratulations Pulkit and Kriti." Sophie Choudry's comment read, "Congratulations guys! Love and happiness forever." Rakul Preet Singh wrote, "Congratulations." Singer Armaan Malik added, "Congrats you two." Actor Aditya Seal wrote, "Oh wait what! Wow congratulations you guys."

Sharing pictures from their wedding, Pulkit Samrat and Kriti Kharbanda wrote, on Saturday, "From the deep blue sky, to the morning dew. Through the low and the high, it's only you. From the start to the end, in every now and every then. When my heart beats different, it's got to be you. Constantly, consistently and continually, You."

Check out the post shared by the newlyweds here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kriti Kharbanda (@kriti.kharbanda)

Kriti Kharbanda and Pulkit Samrat have co-starred in the 2018 film Veerey Ki Wedding. They also shared screen space in the comedy film Pagalpanti, which released in 2019. Kriti Kharbanda worked with Pulkit Samrat in Bejoy Nambiar's Taish, which also featured Harshvardhan Rane, Jim Sarbh, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Abhimanyu Singh.

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"K Kavitha's Brother, Lawyers Delayed Proceedings": Probe Agency's Claim

BRS leader K Kavitha was arrested at 5:20 pm on Friday evening, but 40 minutes later, at 6pm, people claiming to be her brother and lawyers entered the Telangana leader's Banjara Hills home unlawfully and delayed the proceedings, the Enforcement Directorate has claimed.

Ms Kavitha, a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in Telangana and the daughter of former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested today in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

"At around 6 pm, few persons who claimed themselves as brother of K Kavitha, lawyers and other persons around 20 in number entered the premises unlawfully. On being asked their identity, none showed their identity. A ruckus was created which delayed the proceedings," said the central probe agency, which investigates financial frauds.

The searches began at 1:45 pm and concluded at 6:45 pm, said the agency.

In a dramatic video, Ms Kavitha's brother and former Telangana minister KT Rama Rao can be seen confronting agency officials after he was asked how family members had entered the house.

Mr Rao accused the officials of violating an undertaking the agency had given to the Supreme Court. "You are in serious trouble," he is heard saying on camera. Legal remedies are available, an ED shot back.

"After the due process of law, K Kavitha was arrested under section 19 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 at 5:20 pm," said the central agency, adding that five mobiles were seized in the searches.

"The search was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner and no damage to the person or property was caused during the course of the search. During the search proceedings, no religious sentiments of anybody were hurt and Covid 19 protocol was followed," the agency added.

Videos also showed the agency's cars being surrounded when they were leaving with Ms Kavitha.

Mr Rao has, however, claimed the family is cooperating with the agency. Terming the arrest illegal, he said he and other senior leaders have asked party workers to remain peaceful and not prevent the arrest.

The Enforcement Directorate has claimed that Ms Kavitha was part of a lobby called the 'South Group', which played a key role in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

The BRS leader has said in the past that she had done nothing illegal, and accused the BJP of using the ED for political gains.
 

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PSL Team Receives 5-Run Penalty For 'Illegal Fielding' In Bizarre Incident

Peshawar Zalmi were awarded five penalty runs after a throw from the Multan Sultans fielder hit Mohammad Rizwan's wicket-keeping glove which was lying on the ground during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 match on Thursday. Zalmi batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore played the ball from spinner Khushdil Shah towards fine-leg and Rizwan dashed from his wicket-keeping stance to retrieve the ball. The ball was ultimately collected by a fielder and his throw hit one of Rizwan's gloves that he took off and threw on the ground while running. Babar Azam, who was in the non-striker's end, pointed it out to umpire Aleem Dar who decided to award five runs as penalty due to 'illegal fielding'.

According to the rules of cricket, a fielder “will be deemed to have fielded the ball illegally if, while the ball is in play he/she willfully discards a piece of clothing, equipment or any other object which subsequently makes contact with the ball”.

A similar incident happened during the 2022 T20 World Cup when South Africa conceded a five-run penalty against Zimbabwe when the ball hit Quinton de Kock's glove.

Earlier, Wasim Akram blasted the infrastructure of the Pakistan's cricket stadiums and said that the authorities have been unsuccessful in maintaining the three stadiums on the northern side.

During a discussion on A Sports, Akram was asked by a fan about Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not investing in a new stadium in northern Pakistan with references to India's Dharamsala Stadium and New Zealand's Queenstown Stadium.

Akram remarked that the roof on the Gaddafi Stadium is currently in poor condition before adding that they can only dream of building a new stadium despite having a lot of area in places like Abbottabad.

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Top 10 Recommendations Of Ex-President-Led Panel On Simultaneous Polls

1. The government must develop a legally tenable mechanism to restore the cycle of simultaneous elections.
2. In the first stage, elections for the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies can be held together.
3. In the second step, the elections to municipalities and panchayats will be synchronised with the Lok Sabha and state assemblies in such a way that elections to municipalities and panchayats are held within 100 days of the holding of parliamentary and assembly polls.
4. To synchronise Lok Sabha and assembly elections, the president shall notify the date of the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after a general election as the "appointed date".
5. The tenure of all state assemblies formed via polls after the "appointed date" and before the expiry of the full term of the Lok Sabha, will be only for the period ending up to the subsequent parliamentary polls. After this one-time transitory measure, all Lok Sabha and assembly polls will be held simultaneously.
6. Fresh elections could be held to constitute a new Lok Sabha in the event of a hung House a no-confidence motion, or any such event.
7. Where fresh elections are held for the House of the People (Lok Sabha), the tenure of the House will be "only for the unexpired (remaining) term of the immediately preceding full term of the House.
8. When fresh elections are held for state legislative assemblies, then such new assemblies -- unless sooner dissolved -- shall continue up to the end of the full term of the Lok Sabha.
9. A single electoral roll and Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC) shall be prepared by the Election Commission of India in consultation with the State Election Commission and the same will substitute any other electoral roll prepared by ECI.
10. For making logistical arrangements for the conduct of simultaneous elections, the ECI may draw up a plan and estimate in advance for the procurement of equipment, such as EVMs and VVPATs, deployment of polling personnel and security forces and make other necessary arrangements.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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