Dukes To Investigate Controversial Ball Change During 5th Ashes Test

The Ashes 2023 saw an extremely controversial moment taking place in the fifth and final Test at the Oval. It erupted over England's ball change on Day 4, which several Australia players felt was not in the right spirit. The 36-over-old ball was changed for a new one but Australia complained that the new ball was shinier and harder than what it should have been. The change of ball proved to be a turning point as Australia lost wickets in quick succession and were ultimately defeated by 49 runs.

As per the latest report, Dukes -- the manufacturing company of the ball that is being used in Test matches in England -- is set to investigate the matter.

"I'm going to investigate myself, because it affects me ... my name is at stake so it's important they don't misallege something wrong with the ball," Dilip Jajodia, the owner of British Cricket Limited, the company which manufactures the Dukes ball, told Code Sports.

"I can't imagine they would risk putting a ball in there with a different date on it," the owner said, adding, "Frankly the match referee should be on top of it. We do bang that number in quite hard, so even if the gold comes off, the ball is imprinted. It wouldn't be easy to get rid of it. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's not likely."

After the ball changing saga hogged a lot of attention with the former and current cricketers also commenting on the issue, the International Council had put out a clarification on how the process take place.

"The ICC does not comment on the decisions taken by umpires in matches. We can, however, confirm that all balls are pre-selected before the start of every match and when the situation calls for it, the match officials choose the ball that is closest to the condition of the ball that is being replaced," a spokesperson for the global cricket governing body said.

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Looking Into Possible Pak Connection: Haryana Cop To NDTV Over Violence

The Haryana Police are looking into possible Pakistan connection in the communal clashes that broke out in Nuh district and spread to other areas, including Gurugram. The police said they will not comment on the key details of this line of investigation, but confirmed possible links with Pakistan.

Nuh and Mewat region, where the clashes took place, are returning to normal slowly, Haryana Police ADG (Law and Order) Mamata Singh told NDTV.

"The special investigation team is looking into this angle and the probe is still on. We can't comment more on this matter at the moment," Ms Singh told NDTV when asked about videos of the violence on YouTube driven by Pakistan-based handles.

So far 106 first information reports (FIRs) have been filed and over 216 people have been arrested; 24 FIRs are against social media posts and four people have been arrested for content that possibly led to violence.

The state authorities today razed dozens of illegal structures on the third day of the demolition drive in violence-hit Nuh district, with officials saying some of them were owned by those allegedly involved in the recent clashes.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij rejected opposition claims into alleged intelligence failure over the violence that broke out when a Hindu procession was going from one temple to another.

"The structures of people who have encroached upon government land are being demolished. The possibility that some of them were involved in the violence cannot be ruled out," Ms Singh told NDTV.

At least 70 per cent of shops near Nuh medical college belong to Hindus; they have been here for many years, the shopkeepers said.

The district administration on Saturday also bulldozed illegal constructions at 12 different places including on 2.6 acres of land around Nalhar Medical College.

"These were illegal constructions. Notices were already given to owners of the demolished structures. The owners of some illegal structures were also involved in the violence during the Braj Mandal religious yatra. The demolition drive will continue," Sub Divisional Magistrate Ashwani Kumar said.

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"Abduction At Gunpoint": Imran Khan's Party Moves High Court Over Arrest

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court terming the arrest of its chief, Imran Khan, "abduction at gunpoint".

Petitioner Umair Niazi, the PTI's additional secretary general, requested the court to take up his petition without delay and direct the Punjab Police and the government to produce the former prime minister before it to ensure his safety.

"The government has kept Mr Khan in illegal custody. Imran Khan was attending a meeting at his Zaman Park residence at 12:45 pm today when some 200 policemen barged into the house and abducted him at gunpoint. They are keeping him in illegal custody," the petitioner said, requesting the court to take up the petition on Saturday itself and order authorities to produce him before the court.

Mr Niazi alleged the police "kidnapped" Imran Khan without showing him the court order of his conviction in the Toshakhana case. Mr Khan was taken to an undisclosed location, thereby, it is requested to produce him before the Lahore High Court, Mr Niazi pleaded.

Earlier in the day, 70-year-old Khan was arrested from his Lahore home after the Islamabad trial court convicted him in the Toshakhana case and sentenced him to three years in jail.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court Bar Association condemned the conviction of Imran Khan, saying, "It is a slaughter of justice and violation of law pertaining to a fair trial".

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Centre Delays Import Restrictions On Laptops, Tablets Till October 31

In a relief for electronic companies, the government today deferred the plan to curb laptop and tablet imports by three months. Companies will have time until October 31 to secure a licence to import the devices, the government said in a notification.

"Import consignments can be cleared till October 31 withouta licence and a government permit would be required for clearance of import from November 1," the government said.

It added that a "liberal transitional arrangement is provided for import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers and servers ... till October 31, 2023".

This is a partial reversal from a surprise decision on Thursday to impose the licensing requirement with immediate effect, which had prompted calls for a delay.

The government said the restrictions were imposed for security reasons and the need to promote domestic manufacturing. The move will also curtail in-bound shipments of these goods from countries like China and Korea and also allow the Centre to keep a close watch on the locations from where the products are coming, officials said.

Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had said the move was aimed to "ensure trusted hardware and systems" and reduce dependence on imports.

The announcement had caught the industry off guard, forcing tech giants to begin emergency engagements with the government about how to quickly obtain licenses at a period of heightened consumer interest with Diwali shopping season just around the corner.

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Centre Defers Order To Restrict Imports Of Laptops, Tablets Till Oct 31

The government on Friday deferred the implementation of the import restriction order on laptops and computers (including tablet computers) by about three months till October 31, a move that gives more time to electronic companies to import these devices without a licence.

Now, these companies would need to take a licence from the government to import these devices from November 1.

On August 3, the government put the import of these devices under a licence regime with immediate effect. Subsequently, industry raised issues with the government on the notification.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), in an order issued late on Friday, said the notification dated August 3 (Thursday) shall be effective from November 1.

"Import consignments can be cleared till October 31, 2023 without a licence for restricted imports. For clearance of import consignments with effect from November 1, 2023, a valid licence for restricted imports is required," it said.

It added that a "liberal transitional arrangement is provided for import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers and servers...till October 31, 2023".

The move will offer a breather to the companies that have been on tenterhooks following Thursday's order.

The restrictions were imposed for security reasons and the need to promote domestic manufacturing. The move will also curtail in-bound shipments of these goods from countries like China and Korea.

The import curbs will allow the Centre to keep a close watch on the locations from where the products are coming, officials said.

The decision will also spur domestic manufacturing at a time when India has identified electronics manufacturing as a key priority area for its future growth ambitions and is hoping to attract investments from global biggies looking to diversify their operations outside China.

Under the PLI 2.0 (production-linked incentive scheme) IT hardware scheme, 44 companies have already been registered and two companies have filed their applications on the scheme portal by July 31. The companies can submit applications till August 30.
 

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

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'Breaking Bad' Actor Mark Margolis Dies At 83

Mark Margolis, who played the sinister, wheelchair-bound cartel don Hector Salamanca in acclaimed TV shows "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," has died aged 83, his family said Friday.

Margolis died Thursday at a New York hospital following a short illness, with his wife and son at his bedside, according to a statement.

"Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston led the tributes, writing on Instagram: "I am very saddened today to learn of a friend's passing.

"Mark Margolis was a really good actor and a lovely human being. Fun and engaging off the set, and (in the case of 'Breaking Bad' and 'Your Honor') intimidating and frightening on set."

Bob Odenkirk, the star of spin-off series "Better Call Saul," called Margolis a "powerful screen presence."

An official "Breaking Bad" social media account praised "the immensely talented Mark Margolis, who -- with his eyes, a bell, and very few words -- turned Hector Salamanca into one of the most unforgettable characters in the history of television."

In the show, Margolis's character -- the patriarch of the drug-smuggling Salamanca family, who suffers a stroke after being poisoned by a rival -- is only able to communicate by tapping a bell with his finger.

Born in Philadelphia in 1939, Margolis moved to New York to pursue acting.

He forged a successful career as a character actor, with supporting roles in films such as "Scarface," "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Black Swan," as well as HBO series "Oz."

In 2012, he was nominated for an Emmy for "Breaking Bad."

He is survived by Jacqueline, his wife of 61 years, as well as their only child Morgan and their three grandsons.

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

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"See How Many Hours...": M Kharge On Rahul Gandhi's Return To Parliament

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said while just 24 hours were taken to disqualify Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha after his conviction in a defamation case, it is to be seen how long will it take to reinstate him after the Supreme Court relief.

Addressing a press conference alongside Gandhi soon after the top court stayed the conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remark, Kharge, "It is a day of happiness, democracy has won, Constitution has won, Satymeva Jayate." Welcoming the Supreme Court ruling, Kharge said the Constitution is alive and this is an example that one can get justice.

"This is the victory of the common people. This is not just Rahul Gandhi's victory, this is the victory of all the people of the country, victory of democracy and of constitutional principles," he said.

"The person who fights for truth, for the country's interest, to strengthen the country, for the youth of the country, against rising prices, the person who fights and makes people aware, who walked 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and met various people, I think their prayers are with us and it is therefore victory of the people," Kharge said.

"To disqualify him everything happened in 24 hours, now let us see in how many hours he is reinstated," he said.

The Supreme Court's stay on Gandhi's conviction, paves the way for revival of his Lok Sabha membership.

The Lok Sabha speaker can now revive his membership on his own or Gandhi, armed with the top court order, can seek restoration of his status as an MP.

A three-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha and Sanjay Kumar said no reason was given by the trial court judge while convicting Gandhi except that he was admonished by the top court in a contempt case.

The top court had closed the contempt proceedings against Gandhi for wrongly attributing to it his "chowkidar chor hai" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Rafale case, with a warning to be more careful in future after the senior Congress leader tendered an unconditional apology.

The term of the 17th Lok Sabha ends in May 2024.

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

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