Latest news with #MLC


Perth Now
an hour ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Bombshell inquiry into Dural ‘terror' caravan referred to ethics committee
An inquiry into the relationship between the Dural 'terror' caravan incident and the passing of controversial anti-hate laws in NSW is an 'incursion upon the privilege' of parliament that 'breaches one of the fundamental bedrocks of parliamentary democracy', a Labor MP has claimed. Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig slammed the Legislative Council inquiry during question time on Thursday morning as the government seeks to refer the terms of reference of the inquiry, established in March, to the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Privilege and Ethics. The Legislative Council inquiry, chaired by independent MLC Rod Roberts, was established earlier this year following criticism over the passage of sweeping anti-hate and anti-protest laws in February after a spate of anti-Semitic attacks in Greater Sydney over the summer. Camera Icon NSW Premier Chris Minns expressed concerns about parliamentary privilege. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia In January, police discovered an explosives-laden caravan in Sydney's northwest that Premier Chris Minns claimed could have resulted in a 'mass casualty event'. The Australian Federal Police later determined it to be part of a criminal conspiracy, sparking questions about who knew what and when. Mr Minns last week expressed concerns that the parliamentary privilege of the Legislative Assembly, where he spoke about the caravan on March 18, might be infringed, including by the calling of key staffers as well as the 'observance of comity' between the two houses. In his address, Mr Hoenig claimed the probe – launched by the Legislative Council, not the Legislative Assembly – 'breaches one of the bedrock of parliamentary democracy', which was the ability of either house of parliament to have exclusive control over its own members and debate. 'Broadly, what happens within parliament is a matter for control by parliament alone,' Mr Hoenig said. Camera Icon Cabinet Office secretary Kate Boyd (left), Premier's Department secretary Simon Draper, and deputy secretary Kate Meagher gave evidence to the inquiry last week. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia 'The prerogative of this House to set out the rules, conduct, and regulate its own affairs – its exclusive cognisance has not been disputed. 'That is why the resolution of the Legislative Council was so egregious. 'It expressly seeks to scrutinise the discourse of the House, the conduct of its members, be it backbencher or a member of the executive government, while undertaking the primary function entrusted upon them by their constituents which is to legislate.' Mr Hoenig also warned that 'courts will never sit by idly and allow powers to be unconstrained if abused' but admitted 'certain principles have become diminished over time' that 'may well be as a result of the disagreements we have with the other place (Legislative Council)'. The motion to refer the inquiry passed following a division 47 to 27. Inquiry changes 'don't go far enough': Labor On Wednesday night, Mr Roberts, moved amendments to the inquiry to 'narrow the focus on the passage of bills concerned through the Legislative Council', which Mr Hoenig said 'dismisses the very fundamental issue I have raised'. Noting the amendments, Mr Hoenig said it was the House of Representatives 'and this House alone that will be arbiter of its actions and that of its members, whether they also be members of the executive or not' and Mr Roberts' amendments 'did not go far enough'. Wahroonga Liberal MP Alister Henskens said the opposition was concerned about issues of privilege but would not support the motion following the amendments and instead claimed it was 'a transparent attempt to frustrate and delay the upper house inquiry'. Camera Icon The Dural property where the caravan containing explosives was relocated to before the discovery. Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Henskens also noted that the only remaining witnesses were executive employees, including ministerial staff. 'The terms of reference were intentionally changed to exclude any infringement upon the privileges of this House by reason of the terms of reference, and I think that's a very important matter which was not highlighted to members of this place in the address,' Mr Henskens said. 'So, the inquiry in the other place is essentially directed towards a very narrow scope. There's been no public submissions invited, and the scope of the inquiry is simply whom knew that the Dural caravan incident was not a mass casualty event and when did they not?' Greens MP Jenny Leong did not say whether the party would support the referral but noted that if they did it would be 'critical' that the Legislative Council was not 'prevented from doing their work' and that the issues of privilege were 'probably dealt with by the amendments'. If there was an 'unreasonable delay' to the inquiry, Ms Leong warned that 'it would raise further concerns and questions about whether this is being used as a way for the Premier and the executive to avoid and subvert the ability of the council to inquire into these matters'. Speaker Greg Piper said the change of the terms of reference was 'not done on the basis of a change of view' but to advance an 'important inquiry' and agreed with the Greens that the inquiry would not be referred as a way of obstructing its progression. 'I say to the members of this House, this is an opportunity for us to actually examine the issue, the rights and privilege, the exclusive cognisance of the Legislative Assembly. And if we do not do it now, then we will no doubt be doing it again,' Mr Piper said. 'This is an opportunity to actually examine this and to make a stand as to the rights and privilege of the assembly.' Mr Piper said he stood by his advice to Mr Minns when he was advised about the potential breach. Last week, the inquiry heard evidence from key staffers behind the scenes at Mr Minns' office and at cabinet. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb and Deputy Commissioner David Hudson also gave evidence during preliminary hearings earlier this year.


Time of India
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
MLC: Aim is to get cricket in NCAA, says Seattle Orcas CEO Hemant Dua
Seattle Orcas finished runners-up in the first season of the Major League Cricket and sixth in the second season. (Image: X/SeattleOrcas) New Delhi: Seattle Orcas CEO Hemant Dua believes USA's win over Pakistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup has played a pivotal role in helping cricket get its first foot in the door. The win helped USA cricket take a significant initial step towards achieving a goal, which, in the bigger picture, is to make the sport popular in a country where it is in unchartered territory. "Cricket has grown overall. It was always on the straps for very long here, but it was more at the amateur level in the USA. The cricket board has gone through a lot of challenges. I think off late, ICC started investing in it and seeing cricket in the USA as the frontier they want to conquer," Dua told "The 2024 World Cup came, it did really well and had a huge impact from an economic point of view. It helped cricket to a certain extent definitely because USA beating Pakistan was like a dream come true for the USA guys; it helped the growth of cricket," he said. Dua says with Major League Cricket (MLC) successfully entering its third season, the next goal is to get cricket into the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) so that the sport will be in the mainstream. "Largely, cricket is played by South Asians and a little bit of the Commonwealth population like the English, South Africans, and all those. It hasn't really gone into the mainstream as yet, and the challenge remains: how do you make it a growing mainstream sport, especially focused on youth and colleges," he said. "In the US, unlike other parts of the world, if you're not part of the college system, the sport really doesn't grow. You know, because college sport is the base of growth here for everything, right? So that's how all sports kind of grow in that direction. Once you become part of the NCAA, you grow automatically; that is how sports grow. "Ideally, this should be the next step, but it's a combination where everyone will have to come on the same platform. When I say everyone, I mean USA Cricket, MLC, Minor League Cricket, all have to come on the same platform, and one of the biggest challenges for becoming part of college sports is Title IX. Title IX means you've got to have equivalent or some form of women's cricket playing, right? Without women's sport, you don't get recognition. "In my region, which is the Pacific Northwest, there are girls playing regularly, so we're trying to grow. I mean, there are various leagues that have come up at U-19 and U-16 levels for boys and girls both. The boys' sport is growing, but it's small numbers," he said. With cricket finding a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Dua is hopeful that most of the MLC franchises will have their own cricket stadium, and it will take cricket to the next level. "What will make a huge impact is now when all six teams will have their own stadium ready. It is part of the contract with MLC that each team will build their stadium by 2028. With the Olympics happening in 2028, there is going to be some noise where people will get to know about the sport more," he said. For the expansion of cricket in the USA, the franchises are also banking on targetting the Indian population. "If you look at the population, approximately 20 million South Asians live in the USA. It is a pretty significant number. Indians have the highest net worth individuals. The Indian income group is much higher compared to the average income group in the USA, so there's a spending capacity there. So can we tap into that, can we tap into that dream?" he said. Dua, who has been part of the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) for ten years since the inception of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, admitted that all six franchises are currently making losses, but he strongly believes that the MLC as a product is sustainable in the larger scheme of things. "Everyone's making losses in the MLC now. Even in the IPL, for 10 years, everybody made losses until the 11th year broadcast contract came on the floor," he said. The Indian income group is much higher compared to the average income group in the USA, so there's a spending capacity there Hemant Dua "I strongly believe that MLC is sustainable. As I said, everything depends largely on the media contracts. Right now, we are on Willow, which is a streaming platform, so we're opening up new markets. In each region, I have tied up with a regional sport network along with Willow. We've opened up with Root and Fox 13; we're going to relay our matches similarly in other regions. "These are obviously not going to help us make money, but the idea is to ensure that more people get to see the game. For the first time now, Amazon has also done a deal, so they'll broadcast the Sunday night games on Amazon. It's opening up, but I think the real test will come when the new broadcast contract comes in, and whoever takes it, whether it's Willow or whether it's another channel or whoever it is, takes up and depending on what value that generates, that will tell you in which direction we are actually moving. " Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.


Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
MLC: San Francisco Unicorns' matches to be Live on NBC Sports, in collaboration with Willow by Cricbuzz
All San Francisco Unicorns matches in the 2025 Cognizant Major League Cricket (MLC) season — including three marquee fixtures at the iconic Oakland Coliseum — will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California, in collaboration with Willow by Cricbuzz. Building on a successful partnership in 2024, a total of ten league-stage matches will be televised, bringing elite cricket action to Northern California fans. The broadcast slate features the Unicorns' highly anticipated homecoming clashes against Washington Freedom, LA Knight Riders, and MI New York, from June 12–15, 2025. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! This marks a historic first as professional cricket arrives in the Bay Area, with the Oakland Coliseum set to host top-tier domestic T20 action. The season opener on June 12 sees the Unicorns take on Washington Freedom — a rematch of the 2024 Championship Game — at 6:00 PM PT. Willow by Cricbuzz, the exclusive 24/7 cricket network in North America and MLC's official streaming partner, will deliver expert coverage and commentary throughout the season, making cricket more accessible than ever for both die-hard fans and newcomers. More Than a Team: The Rise of CSK & the Whistle Podu Army David White, CEO of the San Francisco Unicorns, said: 'We're thrilled to partner with NBC Sports and Willow by Cricbuzz to bring Unicorns cricket straight into homes across the Bay Area. Playing locally for the first time is a huge milestone, and this exposure will help grow the game at the grassroots and inspire a new generation of players.' Ben Rodrigues, Senior Director of Multi-Platform Programming at NBC Sports Bay Area, added: 'Major League Cricket is gaining serious traction in the U.S., especially in the Bay Area. The Unicorns' commitment to the region is commendable, and we're proud to showcase their journey as they chase MLC glory in 2025.' Todd Myers, COO of Willow by Cricbuzz, said: 'This partnership strengthens our mission to bring world-class cricket to American audiences. With NBC Sports' reach and our premium coverage, fans in one of the league's most passionate markets will enjoy the best of MLC 2025.' Shubman Gill story: From a remote village near the border to India's Test captain San Francisco Unicorns – MLC 2025 League Stage Fixtures: Thu, June 12 – vs. Washington Freedom (Oakland) Sat, June 14 – vs. LA Knight Riders (Oakland) Sun, June 15 – vs. MI New York (Oakland) Fri, June 20 – vs. Texas Super Kings (Grand Prairie, TX) Mon, June 23 – vs. MI New York (Grand Prairie, TX) Wed, June 25 – vs. Seattle Orcas (Grand Prairie, TX) Sat, June 28 – vs. Washington Freedom (Grand Prairie, TX) Tue, July 1 – vs. Seattle Orcas (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Fri, July 4 – vs. Texas Super Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Sun, July 6 – vs. LA Knight Riders (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Major League Cricket teams and their IPL connection
The third edition of Major League Cricket is set to commence of June 13. The competition has been won by two teams - MI New York and Washington Freedom. A total of six teams compete for the title, with the others being Los Angeles Knight Riders, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, and Texas Super Kings. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The similarity in names to certain franchises in the Indian Premier League ( ) for a few teams in the MLC is not a coincidence. There are direct connections between MLC teams and the IPL franchises. Four MLC teams - MI NY, Texas Super Kings, Los Angeles Knight Riders and Seattle Orcas are either directly owned or co-owned by IPL franchises. Los Angeles Knight Riders & Kolkata Knight Riders : The MLC team is owned by Knight Riders Sports Private Limited (KRSPL). KRSPL also owns the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, who are three-time IPL champions, with their most recent win coming in 2024. Also known as the Knight Riders group, KRSPL also owns Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Trinbago Knight Riders. MI New York and Mumbai Indians : Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians are owned by Indiawin Sports. The same parent organisation owns the MI franchise in the MLC. The Indiawin company is a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Industries. MI NY became the inaugural champions of the MLC in 2023. Shubman Gill story: From a remote village near the border to India's Test captain Texas Super Kings and Chennai Super Kings : Five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings have a connection with the Texas based MLC franchise. The Texas Super Kings are co-owned by Chennai Super Kings Cricket, Ross Perot Jr., and Anurag Jain. In the two seasons, TSK have been a constant presence in the MLC playoffs, qualifying in both editions. However, unlike the title-winning spree of CSK, TSK are yet to make the final. Seattle Orcas and Delhi Capitals : Despite not bearing any resemblance in their names, the Seattle Orcas are closely related to IPL franchise Delhi Capitals. The Capitals are co-owned by GMR group and JSW Sports. The Orcas are also co-owned by GMR, alongside Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Samir Bodas, Ashok Krishnamurthi, and Sanjay Parthasarathy. Poll Which team do you think will win the 2025 Major League Cricket title? MI New York Washington Freedom Texas Super Kings Los Angeles Knight Riders Several stars that compete in the IPL also ply their trade in the MLC. Notably, 2023 MLC top scorer Nicholas Pooran plays for MI New York in the MLC and Lucknow Super Giants in the 2025 IPL. Faf du Plessis, the leading run-getter in MLC 2024, dons the jersey of Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Best performances in Major League Cricket
MI NY won MLC in 2023 and Washington Freedom won the title in 2024 (Image via X/@WSHFreedom) From its birth two years ago, Major League Cricket (MLC) has taken shape as the premier T20 competition in the United States. The competition came into existence in 2023. With the perfect balance of domestic talent and foreign stars, the month-long tournament is a spectacle for those that enjoy the sport. MI New York were crowned as champions in the inaugural edition and Washington Freedom triumphed in 2024. The past two editions have featured some of the most exciting and thrilling clashes, with several standout players. Familiar names like Nicholas Pooran and Faf du Plessis have topped the run-scoring charts, while domestic stars like Saurabh Netravalkar also made headlines. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! With the 2025 edition set to commence on June 13, here's a look at some of the best performances in the MLC till date. Steve Smith (2024 final) : The Washington Freedom skipper played a huge role in his side clinching their first MLC title in 2024. The Australian finished the 2024 campaign with the second-most runs and joint-most for the franchise (336 runs). In the final against San Francisco Unicorns, Smith was adjudged Player of the Match for his crucial 52-ball 88, despite being pitted against the likes of Pat Cummins and Haris Rauf. Saurabh Netravalkar's 6/9 vs San Francisco Unicorns (2023) : Netravalkar's spell of six wickets against San Francisco Unicorns in the inaugural edition of the MLC remains the best bowling figures in the competition. His inimitable spell for Washington Freedom also helped him clinch third spot in the list of highest wicket-takers in the 2023 edition. In the 2024 campaign, Netravalkar shone brilliantly with the ball. He took 15 wickets last year, beating the second-highest wicket-taker Rachin Ravindra by 3 scalps. Muhammad Mohsin's 4/14 vs San Francisco Unicorns (2024) : The Texas Super Kings all-rounder made headlines with a sensational spell in July 2024. The Pakistani cricketer's immaculate spell against the San Francisco Unicorns remains his best in the competition. The 29-year-old claimed 4 SFU wickets, while conceding just 13 runs in the process. Mohsin also maintained his economy rate at an impressive 3.39. Faf du Plessis's 72 off 47 balls for Texas Super Kings eliminates title holders MI NY (2024) : Even though TSK failed to make it to the final of the MLC in the 2023 and 2024 editions, star man and skipper Faf du Plessis led the way in runs for his side and topped the charts as well. His 420 from 8 innings had some memorable performances along the way. Notably, the South African made a brilliant 72 off 47 balls for TSK in the 2024 Eliminator to knock out reigning champions MI New York. Nicholas Pooran's 137* for MI New York vs Seattle Orcas : The West Indian batsman topped the run-scoring charts in the MLC 2023 season. As MI NY won the MLC title in the first season, Pooran set a record that is yet to be broken. His score of 137 not out against the Seattle Orcas remains till date, the highest score by a batter in MLC. Incidentally, the player saved his very best for last, as the knock came in the final - a perfect stage to shine. Chasing a target of 184, the left-handed batter made easy work of the target, helping MI chase things down with four overs and 7 wickets to spare. With the 2025 season approaching, fans can expect more fierce match-ups, increased firepower and planning from all six sides. The first game of the season features the San Francisco Unicorns taking on 2024 champions Washington Freedom on June 12. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.