UK: Ex-cricketer wins Twitter libel case

Former New Zealand cricket captain Chris Cairns has won his High Court libel case and been awarded £90,000 in damages after allegations on Twitter that he was involved in match-fixing. Lalit Modi, former chairman of the Indian Premier League, had accused Cairns of having a “past record” in match fixing after being forced to leave the Indian Cricket League in October 2008. In today’s judgment, Mr Justice Bean said Modi “singularly failed to provide any reliable evidence that Cairns was involved in match fixing or spot fixing.”

Indian government to answer allegations of phone-tapping

The Indian Government is to respond to the serious charges of having tapped the telephone conversations of four leading politicians, including the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Lalit Modi, since 2007. The government began an investigation of Mr Modi and the IPL last week after allegations of tax evasion, money laundering, kickbacks, match fixing and illegal betting in cricket’s competition. Many prominent Indian figures have been implicated in the scandal, which led to the resignation of Shashi Taroor, a junior minister and former UN under-secretary-general, and the suspension of Modi from public assignments.