Afghanistan keeper Shahzad reports fixing approach
Dubai, Sep 24 : In a fresh case of corruption in cricket, Afghanistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad has been approached to underperform in the inaugural edition of the Afghan Premier League to be played in Sharjah from October 5 to 23. The offer was made during the ongoing Asia Cup here.
Shahzad informed the team management after which the matter was raised with the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption unit, according to a report by espncricinfo.
"There was an approach made during the Asia Cup, but for their (Afghanistan's) own T20 league," an ICC official was quoted as saying by the website.
"The matter was reported through the right channels on Saturday and is being looked into by the anti-corruption unit," he added.
The head of the ICC's anti-corruption unit Alex Marshall also said in an event here that as many as five international captains have been approached for spot-fixing over the last 12 months; four of them from Full Member countries.
"There have been 32 investigations in the last 12 months, eight involve players as suspects," Marshall said at the ICC's headquarters here.
"Five of them involve administrators or non-playing personnel. Three of these individuals have been charged. Five international captains have also reported receiving approaches to spot-fix," he added.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
